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Thread: Protecting the Knees

  1. #31
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    Yoga stretches

    Depending on how bad your knees are, you may also use the lotus or half-lotus pose to stretch the outside of the knee. The pose is actually designed to strech your hips, so make sure you don't put too much pressure on your knees as this can cause damage. To stretch the inside of the knee, the pose is called "Turtle Pose" and is like kneeling, except you spread your knees out as wide as possible and your toes meet behind you. Try to put your butt on the floor (I can't). Again, be careful with your knees.
    -FJ

  2. #32

    Protecting the Knees

    I'm just beginning my Kung Fu lessons and I'm concerned about my knees holding up. I'm one of those people who believes practicing Kung Fu is practically a panacea and actually cures all kinds of ills, and I believe practicing Kung Fu will actually strengthen my knees in the long run. However, right now I'm concerned about them holding up to the riggers of the initial training because they do have a tendency to get sore, particularly my left knee has a sharp pain in the front of it when I move certain ways, such as walking down steps or running and getting in to my stances. It's a sporadic thing and doesn't happen every time I do these things, and the pain doesn't last beyond that moment of the twinge. This knee has been doing this for a number of years. I don't want to get it checked out at the doctor because I don't want to be told I need surgery and then be incapacited from work and my Kung Fu. It hasn't really gotten worse over the years, so I figured it's safe to let it slide until it get's worse. They haven't gotten much exercise over the years....I do weights but only for the upper body, and have pretty much gotten no exercise for my lower body in years.

    Are there any good exercises/precautions to take to help strengthen my knees and prevent injury?

    Thanx.

  3. #33
    1. accupuncture
    2. ligement dit da jow
    3. massage
    4. becareful
    Toughen my sinews, harden my bones,
    Make my blood flow freely,
    I will then be young forever
    In touch with the realm of goads.

  4. #34
    Any time you bend a weighted knee, make sure your knee/thigh is pointing in the same direction as your foot. This will keep the knee bending in only one direction. Anything else is equivalent to swinging on a door and bending its hinges. Also, if you look down at that knee, you should be able to see your toes - if you let the knee go in front of the toes, it puts a lot of strain on the tendon.

  5. #35
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    Good advice from PLCrane. As my Sifu always says " The knees follow the toes."

    Your knee joint is basically a hinge joint so it has little room to to twist. Be sure you have good alignment and there is not added stress on your knees.

    I might also add that sometimes I get the same problem that you do. And as PLCrance stated its when your knee sits all the way over the end of your foot. Don't let your knee go past the lower part of the ankle. As my other Sifu says "You should be able to see your toes."

    Good luck and becareful. There is a Chinese proverb that says
    " The knees are like tofu."

  6. #36
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    There is an exercise people do after the horse-riding stance. Feet and knees together. And knees bent, hands on knees. Side, back, side, forward, make circles. A few clock hands turning-wise. And a few counter-clock hand turning-wise. Perhaps doing this exercise before stances or running or periodically would help. Ask one of your instructors. Tell them the situation and for what you are looking.
    Last edited by No_Know; 06-26-2002 at 07:14 AM.
    There are four lights...¼ impulse...all donations can be sent at PayPal.com to qumpreyndweth@juno.com; vurecords.com

  7. #37

    Thumbs down My problem with knees

    Stupid ass knees, always poppin out of place and shlt, makin me miss practice.

    I'd chop it off if i didn't use it so d@mn much.
    I will crush my enemies, see them driven before me, then hit their wimminz with a Tony Danza. - Vash

  8. #38
    Join Date
    Sep 2004
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    NYC
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    Hurt my knees, help?

    Due to a car accident, I had a torm meniscus like 2 years ago, got it scoped, also got a mri of my other knee, said it had a thinning meniscus. Funny thing is, i did not like the ways my knees felt, went to another doc, he told me that my musles around my knee cap were week, that caused the inflamation, got anti inflamitories and Physical Therapy. Maybe about a year after the initial injury, recovering from surgery, i was back to where I was activity wise, and never really had any pain that stopped me from doing anything.

    Anyway, the last 2 weeks, my knees have been acting up. I just get a burning feeling in them. Mostly on the inside of my knees, but a little bit on the outside. It is about the same feeling in both knees. Acts up especially if I do something, I feel it the next day. I am just puzzled why out of the blue it is acting up. I always so some weights in the gym, I try to keep the muscles around them strong. I have not been doing martial arts for a while (actually did tai chi after my accident and really helped), but I wanted to get back into it. Actually a class is starting up in like 2 weeks. This has me concerned.

    Any advise, please, on what I should do to feel better? What I can also do to keep my knees healthy (thinking of the long run)?
    Well I think they are inflamed. I have no sharp pains, and I really dont hear any clicking noises.

    Oh the style I was going to take was praying mantis, but the teacher also teaches internal stuff, said it would help me.

    Thank you.

  9. #39
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    The stancework would help you quite a bit Im sure... The movements and stretching would most likely help bloodflow as well... But Im not a doctor and cant really diagnose the problem by your description...
    Sorry I cant be of more help, but if it doesnt feel like anything too serious give the internal a try for a bit and see where it gets you.
    "i would show them 8 hours of animal porn and beheadings in a single sitting then make them write a paper about italy." -GDA
    "he said there were tons of mantids fornicating everywhere. While he was there, he was sending me photos of mantis porn regularly." - Gene Ching

  10. #40
    Greetings,

    I am a strong advocate for the taking of MSM. Great for all connective tissues. If your water consumption is low try increasing it-- that came to me as I read your post (I don't know why nor do I question those things when they come to me). Also more green vegetables. (Rereading my response I get: inflamation due to toxicity-- flush out your system).

    With exercise, strengthen your hamstrings. They are often overlooked when it comes to knee stabilization.

    If Tai Chi has worked for you, stick with it. As you get better, try to get lower.

    Get healthy,

    mickey

  11. #41
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    empathising and really wish you well on it. Msm is not by any means a "natural " soloution, nor something I personally advocate but it is definately effective and will no doubt help you out. Alternatively, up your proteins and respective sulfur intake from those proteins, do more fluids of varying ph , some wet fibres and stretch often.

    Cant really think of why your problem has reflared after so long, but I don't really know how you've been treating yourself recently either. Medititations and internal styles etc will always be good to get you moving in a relaxed and deliberate free manner. Good advice from the others really.

    Be sure and let us know what you did on both accounts and how you pull up.

    cheers

    EE

  12. #42
    Join Date
    Sep 2004
    Location
    NYC
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    Thanks for the advise.

    I laid of them a little the last few days, they have not been too bad today.

    I took my pain free the last few days, it has msn, conjointin, and glosimine. I also wore one of those rubber type of things that just slides up your knees, when i worked out last.

    You know, i dont think i been drinking enough water lately, and i been on the go a lot, and been eating fast foods this week. I hope that is it, i will take care of that.

    It is really the weirdest thing. I do a lot of leg extensions in the gym and leg curls in the gym. I just try to keep my muscles around my knees strong so i wont have any problems.

    Now this recent flare up is so strange. I dont think I been doing anything different, or doing any more activities than usual.

    Well what would be good exercises I should consider to do for knee health?

    Thanks guys, I will keep you posted, but i hope that they are recovering.

  13. #43
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    monkey stances for a start. ( elbows pressing inner thighs outward feet flat on ground ) ......but before I lost mobility in my lower extremities, I found that when I did some good squat sets, shook it / stretched out through my ankles mid set, put in some calf raises and stretched those out through my my hips ( via splits or hip "pull out from limb " style stretches, I always felt more fluid???

    we appreciate your feedback

    cheers maer.

    Ps:- cojointen makes me physically ill and just a lil sad!!
    Last edited by Ego_Extrodinaire; 10-23-2004 at 08:33 PM.

  14. #44
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    If I were you, I would replace those leg extensions and leg curls with squats. Contrary to popular belief the squat is actually good for your knees if done correctly. And the lower the better.

    Think about it. The leg extension focuses on your quads, the leg curl focuses on your hamstrings. The squat hits both of those and also your calfs, hip flexors, lowerback, all the little stablilizing muscles and more.

    So make squats a part of your routine and your knees will thank you.

  15. #45
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    minneapolis, mn
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    strengthening the knees.

    I'm looking for some suggestions on some low impact ways to strengthen knees, especially the tendons. A Capoeiristas biggest complaint is the knees. Mine seem to be doing ok, but I'd like to cover myself by keeping them in the best shape I can.

    So what would you do? How often?
    _______________
    I'd tell you to go to hell, but I work there and don't want to see you everyday.

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