How to Do Splits

Zuzana Light shows you how to stretch for Martial Arts.

Female: Hi, today’s episode is about stretching for martial arts. I started with some punches and that was fine and then I started to practice some kicks and I realized that I am really not flexible and I need to do some stretching. So this is so for example when I kick my leg up like this it really hurts right here and I think most people have this problem like they are not flexible. So if you want to practice any martial arts you have to be really flexible and you have to stretch for 30 or 40 minutes a day. There are different types of stretching and I am going to talk about it later. Let us go down on the mat and I am going to show you how to stretch. So first I am going to start with split. If you want to do some martial art you should be able to do a split. So you should have the legs in one line like this. This is how I can do it. This is my maximum how I can put my legs. So I have a lot of work. It is going to take a lot of work to do that. That hurts and it is like this. So when I talk to guys who are doing martial arts and they said that it is good to stay in this position for five minutes. And then I talked to a girl who was doing gymnastic and she says in each position for only like 30 seconds. So that is two different ideas and you just have to—I think you have to stay with what you think is comfortable for you. You should be able to also to lean your body on your legs. I cannot. So it should be flat. Your body should be flat on your legs like this and the other one and then what you should be also able to do is a pancake which is when you are in the split and then you put your hold body flat on the ground and then in front of you. I think that is incredible and it goes pancake. I cannot do it either but I am going to. That is my goal. I am going to do a pancake and I am going to show you. Okay the other split is a side split which is this one. You can hold yourself like this if you can do it all the way. If you can do it all the way then bravo because I cannot and I admire people who can so that is my other goal. I am going top do the side split. What else, and then you have to be able to go this way I am little bit clumsy today. So then you have to be able to bend over when you have your legs together and knees are a lot and they are straight and you have to be able to put your forehead on your knees, you have to be able to kiss our knees. So this is my next goal and the last one for today. I am going to practice the stretching 30 to 40 minutes a day. How I suppose too, the good thing is that you can and once you are moving and the evening and do your stretching and so it does not take so many extra time during the day when you want to have some other workout. So as soon as I will do some progress I am going to show you the progress and hopefully I am going to soon be able to do all these things that are necessary for martial arts. So thank you for watching. Check back for the next episodes on Body Rock TV and I will see you next time.