Question 075: Discipline

Flexibility and power are not necessarily complementary. I have seen highly flexible people who could not kick high, especially with any power, because they did not have the overall muscular strength required to lift the leg quickly and with power. I have seen very powerful kickers who did not have the flexibility to kick high. Sport Taekwondo fighters kick to head, not just because it gives them more points, but mainly because the rules make it easy for them to kick high. Mixed martial artists rarely use high kicks. When an opponent can punch, grab, and use takedowns, high kicks are dangerous. In the street, high kicks will get you killed. Quick, powerful, focused, and accurate kicks that may be fired without any warning are more important than high kicks.

Do not be so concerned with flexibility. When doing conventional stretching exercises, my instructor is not very flexible. I am more flexible than he is and I am 30 years older than he is. However, he can perform high, near perfect kicks (I cannot). His flexibility comes from years of trying to perform perfect kicks. He is only flexible where he needs to be flexible to perform proper kicks. His philosophy appears to be, “I am a professional Taekwondo instructor; that is what I do. Therefore, I do that which makes me a better at what I do. I do not have the time to do, nor do I see a need to do, things that do not make me better at what I do.”

As to your apology for your spelling errors, it appears your misspelling and poor grammar are a reflection of your impatience. Dictionaries and spell checkers make everyone a good speller, as long as they take the time to use them.