High Kicking Hip Problems in Martial Arts

The high kick , if done correctly and with speed , can be a devastating tool and is responsible for many a knockout . It does , however come at a price – statistics are beginning to show that constant practice causes problems in the hip , in particular where the thigh bone connects and related problems in the lower back . Not all martial arts use high kicks - Wing Chun practitioners (whose kicking system goes no higher than the hip) are baffled as to why you would want to use the lowest part of your body to hit the highest part of your opponent – their premise is simple – if you want to kick someone in the head , get them down on the ground first ! Let's look at the problems in more detail and explore ways to help offset them .

They can be divided into two – muscular and skeletal .

Muscular Many martial artist who use this form of kick are quite simply just not flexible enough – inflexible hamstrings and groin muscles limit how far you can raise your leg . The standard hamstring test is ;

If you rotate this picture so that the athlete is standing then his highest kick is just above the opponents hip – many fighters try to overcome this by sheer force and speed – they are moving into the realm of ballistic stretching (the most dangerous form of stretching

as the momentum of the moving limb can fire the stretch reflex . The nervous system has muscle spindles and golgi tendon organs which constantly monitor the length and the rate of change of the length of the muscle fibres – if they are being forced too far or too fast they will lock up the muscle to protect it . In the battle to to lift your leg higher , your desire will always lose and you run the risk of tearing the muscle) . The rule is simple – go down into the split position – however far you can get down is a measurement of the safe height of your kick see the article ( 'Stretching – a new way ' ) Many fighters neglect the muscles at the back of the body when strengthening and become quad and ab dominant . The hamstrings and lower back extensors are powerful muscles and lack of strength in these areas can lead to imbalances which can cause them to fire in the wrong order thus putting extra strain on the lower back ;

Firing order when extending the right leg

75% of lower body strengthening should be devoted to these muscles .

Many fighters whose jobs entail sitting down all day can suffer from Lower-Crossed Syndrome ;

The main problem here is the tight iliopsoas ;

These are very large and powerful hip flexors and can pull the lower back forward and tilt the hip down – even more so if one side is tighter than the other ( it twists the pelvis ) . During the kick , the muscles in the lower back and surrounding spine are unevenly activated which leads to a reduction in power and can cause huge problems in the lower back . For people displaying this syndrome a strict stretching and strengthening regime is required along with massage therapy .

Many fighters are guilty of neglecting their core work -we all have busy lives and what with work , a full training schedule and family , it can be difficult to fit everything in – endurance and core training always go to the bottom of the list . If your core is in any way weak the forces needed for balance have to travel somewhere and often go to the knees or the muscles of the spine instead of the deep , stronger core muscles ( don't do core exercises until at least 90 mins after waking because of the high pressure in the spinal discs ) Also , don't neglect the core muscles in the back – try this exercise ;

Lift the foot 18 inches off the ground - do 10 alternating leg lifts on each side , rest and repeat – if you can't do them , as mentioned earlier , you are neglecting your back .

Skeletal The hip is not a solid structure – it is comprised of 3 bones held together by ligaments and has up to 4mm of movement within it .One of the main joints of this system is the SI joint ;

Constant kicking on a heavy bag puts enormous strain on this joint – especially if you suffer from any of the above – and it can often be moved out of place . If this happens you will know about it – it hurts like hell and you can barely walk . It will have to be manipulated back into place by a highly skilled therapist .

As you get older , the pressure of your upper body on the joint at the top of the thigh bone of your main standing leg can wear out the structures which help the joint move easily ;

There is little you can do to offset this – many older , heavy kickers

have no choice but to undergo hip replacement surgery . The lower (lumbar) spine is where most of the weight bearing and body movement takes place and is responsible for transferring the load between the upper and lower body . Problems here are too numerous to mention but a common one is a malfunction of the disc ;

These are caused by any of the above problems plus bad kicking technique and is most common where the spine joins the hip (the most surgically operated area of the spine) .

As with many sports , the human body is not designed for high kicking – its purpose is built for hunting and gathering but we constantly ask it do things well outside of this remit . Many injuries , sadly , have their root in bad coaching where the correct technique is not being shown when you first begin attempting high kicking . Many Kenpo and TKD veterans are beginning to question the use of this fighting tool . To ensure a safe and healthy training session and to prolong your fighting career get yourself assessed by an experienced therapist and , if possible , get regular massage therapy to keep your muscles in good shape .

Val O'Halloran Massage Therapist