Warming up and Stretching

Lately we have been talking a lot about kicks that are useful in sparring. Today, we will be talking about warming up and stretching because it is very essential. Taekwondo sparring requires flexible actions of joints that may not be typical movements. An agile athletes can execute taekwondo attacks and counterattacks at a higher level of skill because the muscles and joints move smoothly. This flexibility, connected with explosive power, is vital for success in sparring match. Be careful of overstretching because muscle damage could result. As with aerobic conditioning, flexibility needs to be developed gradually to avoid injury.

Stretching raises body temperature before exercise, increasing the effectiveness of a workout while helping to protect against muscle injury. It is also important to stretch after exercise, when muscles and joints are loose, in order to improve flexibility.

Before stretching, a preparatory aerobic exercise such as jump rope, line drills, or no contact sparring should be performed. After the preparatory exercise, relax the muscles with stretching and then move on to the main practice. The main practice should begin at a simple level and progress to the more strenuous drills. Using gradual scale of exertion will help prevent injury. After finishing the main practice, cool down and stretch in order to return major muscle group to a rest state.

The video above are some stretching drills by Sang H. Kim. If your interested in learning more about taekwondo stretching you can check out the dvd below.