64 - Improving hip mobility for self defence
For those of you who attended last night's Stroud workshop, some of the drills highlighted the need for developing and maintaining good hip mobility.
Now, I usually presume that mobility is low and work from there as most people these days have sedentary jobs and possibly other factors like a lot of driving etc that mean that hip flexors are shortened. This isn't a deal breaker for self defence as you're not trying to emulate athletes in training although it's great to have a inspiration to work toward if that motivates you.
Rather I believe that lowered mobility is a key set up for possible injuries that may occur if your body is suddenly required to perform at a level which it isn't conditioned for - a self defence situation would be a clear example of this: grappling, striking, kicking, explosive sprinting...you get the picture.
Here are some excellent free resources to try out.
The first two videos are from GMB Fitness (there's a link to the full article on their site under their videos which features a series of stretches) and the third is courtesy of Mark Wildman which addresses hip mobility as a factor in back pain.
I've purposely included these examples as they are oriented toward HEALTH rather than combat but should be more than sufficient for most trainees.
Enjoy!
First - for those with limited movement range start here:
If you can do the last video ok, try these:
Here's a full article to go with these videos. I referenced stretch #5 in the workshop last night (and also why the second position in the photo below is superior).
https://gmb.io/hip-mobility/
5. Kneeling Lunge
This exercise is somewhat deceptive in terms of how it can affect your hips.
You may need some trial and error to find the best front foot positioning, which happens when your shin is upright when you lean forward, rather than being angled down or back. Keep your hips square and your upper body tall, and you’ll be in the right position. Don’t be afraid to adjust the back leg positioning to get the most out of the stretch to release your hip flexors.
Key Points:
Get into a lunge position, with knee and foot about hip width apart from the elevated leg.
Keep the chest tall and the hips square.
To make the stretch harder, you can pull the back knee up off the ground.
Modified Version: Sit with just one leg supported by a chair, with your other leg bent behind you. Keep the knee lifted off the ground if you can, and try to square up your hips as much as you can. Emphasize opening your rear hip flexor by squeezing your rear glute.
Also!
Check out this video from Mark Wildman with hip mobility solutions for back pain: