New deep stretches photos

I know its not long since the last photos but I didnt like the way my rear leg was bending in the open front split, so tried again with a bit more emphasis on keeping it straight.

Left Open Front.








27th Jan 31st Jan





Right Open Front








27th Jan 31st Jan

So no improvement, I wouldn't really expect any after only a few days, but a better quality stretch I think with back legs a bit straighter.

Side Split.









27th Jan 31st Jan

Again no improvement but this just shows, this is my starting point.

Online Course starts

So my enrollment in the online course was processed yesterday and I got a video of some preliminary exercises I should be doing to prepare for the course, they are mainly static strengthening exercises from the book, Warrior II and Warrior III, straddle stance and lunge stance, along with some reverse crunches and leg circles. All basic stuff from the book conditoning section. My right hip clicks like crazy on the leg circles.

I'll post the video as it is freely available by searching Paul's youtube videos but obviously it wont be right to post any video from the actual course, but I will give brief descriptions of what we cover week to week.

Here is the prelim video


So I added these to yesterdays morning workout. I stayed in each stance for approx 40seconds each x 2 sets. Bit of a weak attempt but I didn't want to push it too hard the first try.

Later in the day, my enrollment was finalized and I was able to start the first lesson of the course which is on Massage. I had tried the massage techniques from the DVD once or twice but hadn't given them a serious go. One of the main points Paul stresses is that massage can have a huge impact on your progression and that it should be done on a very regular basis, so if you aren't doing it, start.

So that the whole first lesson, over an hour is on massage alone. I literally spent over an hour using the ball massage technique (lol I know that sounds dirty but I cant think of any other way to describe it...) and how else can I say this but almost half of that time was spent massaging my butt with my balls and me moaning in agony/ecstasy, theNapster had to come and close the window cause she thought the neighbours might get the wrong idea about what I was up to when I kept moaning about my ass lol.

All in all not necessarily new info that isnt in the book/on the DVD but he does go into a LOT more detail and runs through the entire process.

Warm up video

Here is my first morning routine training video, the quality isn't great as I used my iPhone and it doesn't have a fast enough frame rate to get quality movement, either that or I'm just that fast lol

Either way, its a first for me and I did learn a few lessons about using the video editor on my new iMac...hopefully it will only get better ;D

Elastic Steel 12 week online course

I've decided to enroll in Paul Ziachik's 12 week online course. The details of it and his other programs can be seen by following the banner ad at the top of the blog. It will be interesting to see what kind of improvements can be made in only 12 weeks, I will be sure to keep the blog up to date with photos and video during that time. Make sure you keep checking back to see what improvements this course can make over 12 weeks.

Today was the first day in about 3 weeks I didnt do my light stretches, primarily because my knees are a little sore, think Ive been over doing one of my stretches and putting too much pressure on the knee, I have been getting pain in my knees when skipping...so I get a rest day..but I did do a 20 minute leg massage.

Splits starting point

Here are my starting photos..WOW I have a long way to go!!!


Right Front Open Split.
Look at the bend in that back leg!! Terrible!

















Left Front Open Split.
Rear Leg is a little better than the other side at least.











Looking at my Front open splits makes me realize how little stretching of the Hip Flexors I have done over the last 20 years.



Side Split.

Long way to go













Was it always his bad? Well not quite, last year I suffered a grade 2 tear in my right Medial Ligament in my jujitsu class (at least I know the technique is effective right? ;D )which took around 4 months to heal properly. My first training session back I was stupid and went full on as I had missed training so much and wouldn't you know it, the knee was fine but my back was stuffed. All the muscles in my lower back had weakened significantly from not being able to move much for 4 months and my Erector Spinae became inflamed and aggravated my sciatic nerve from my lower back into my hip which screwed me for training for another 3-4 months.

But don't get the idea I was only a few inches off the splits and this is going to be a breeze, it was only marginally better than this before.

Training for the splits

My primary sources of information are:

1. Paul Zaichik's "Elastic Steel" Splits DVD and Flexibility Book
2. Stretching Scientifically and Secrets of Stretching by Thomas Kurz
3. Beyond Stretching by Pavel Tsatsouline.

The training method I have decided to follow is pretty much the the one outlined in the Elastic Steel program. I will write a quick comparison of the three (there are only so many ways to stretch right??) and why I decided on Elastic Steel in the future.

I played around with the Elastic Steel method when I first got the program a few months ago, but really started with the program about 3 weeks ago.


Basic Outline.

6-7 Days a week I will do the following morning routine.
First - joint rotations
Then - 10 minute warm-up (currently doing a circuit of skipping, floor-to-ceiling ball and speedball) plus add 5 minutes on stationary bike if my legs specifically don't feel warm enough.
Then the Elastic Steel sequence of light stretches
Last Dynamic Leg Stretches

The whole routine has been taking me approximately 30-40 minutes.

In addition 3 Days a week with 1-2 days in between will do the Elastic Steel Deep Stretches and depending on how I feel might add in 1-2 sets of isometrics.

Shouldn't be too hard to be consistent although I will have to reduce the amount of Martial Arts and Resistance training I usually do to stop from over training.

As soon as I can I will post my first photos and or videos so I get a documented starting point.

What this Blog is about

If you have read my profile you would know that while I have been training and instructing the Martial Arts for over 20 years, one goal has always eluded me....the ability to do the splits.

Actually, I'd probably consider myself pretty average when it come to flexibility. While I can kick head height and my kicks are pretty decent, with regards to power, accuracy and speed, I've always seen really flexible Martial Artists and their kicks always look technically better and seem almost effortless. And as they always say, if your high kicks (which aren't really practical in a realistic self defense situation) are good, imagine how powerful your low line kicks are.

As inspiration, the top 3 kickers I usually think about are:

1.Jean Claude van Damme



Love him or hate him, consider him a Martial Artist or Ballerina, the guy was flexible and could kick and he exploded onto the scene just as I started Training in Tae Kwon Do.

2.Bill "superfoot" Wallace.



Awesome kicker -especially his side line kicks and nobody can dispute his ability as a full contact fighter.

3.Scott Adkins

Not many good photos of him kicking available but check out his show reel



While this blog is primarily about my training towards the splits I will also include other interesting (usually training) oriented thoughts. I plan to outline my training regime and post progression photos and videos on a regular basis, plus additional posts on how its going, what does and doesnt feel like its working.