Hip grinding whilst trying to do box splits, is this normal?

[KJW]

Hi

I've been doing Crane Kung Fu for 10 years, but just recently I have stepped up my training quite considerably.

For a while I feel I have coasted along, just going through the motions, but I'm now desperate to get my black sash. Not that I think sash colour is particularly important but it would be a great personal achievement for me. I haven't wasted my training, I suppose like anyone else my dedication has fluctuated, depending on my circumstances at the time, although my Kung fu has remained constant.

In the course of my increased training I've been doing bag work, stretching and also trying to get down into box splits, which I have never been able to do (probably due to lack of application). I've noticed since I started trying box splits that I seem to have a bit of a grinding sensation or popping in my hips, particularly on the left; sometimes it's while I'm stretching, other times it can be if I bend down (doing some innocuous task). Is this cause for alarm, or should I carry on regardless? I'm 35, I did wonder if perhaps I'm too old to be able to get all the way down.

Kev

[Scott R. Brown]

Hi

I've been doing Crane Kung Fu for 10 years, but just recently I have stepped up my training quite considerably.

For a while I feel I have coasted along, just going through the motions, but I'm now desperate to get my black sash. Not that I think sash colour is particularly important but it would be a great personal achievement for me. I haven't wasted my training, I suppose like anyone else my dedication has fluctuated, depending on my circumstances at the time, although my Kung fu has remained constant.

In the course of my increased training I've been doing bag work, stretching and also trying to get down into box splits, which I have never been able to do (probably due to lack of application). I've noticed since I started trying box splits that I seem to have a bit of a grinding sensation or popping in my hips, particularly on the left; sometimes it's while I'm stretching, other times it can be if I bend down (doing some innocuous task). Is this cause for alarm, or should I carry on regardless? I'm 35, I did wonder if perhaps I'm too old to be able to get all the way down.

Kev

No, you have loosened the joint a bit. As long as you have no associated severe chronic pain, you should be all right. If you start experiencing a chronic dull ache, I would have it looked at. I have been popping my hips for years. Be sure you keep your hips muscles toned and don't over extend or hyper extend your hips when doing kicks!

[KJW]

Thanks Scott

No there doesn't seem to be any pain with it, it just feels a bit funny. The fact that I've loosened the joint as you say, is that a good or a bad thing?

[Scott R. Brown]

Thanks Scott

No there doesn't seem to be any pain with it, it just feels a bit funny. The fact that I've loosened the joint as you say, is that a good or a bad thing?

If your muscles are weak, it can be bad, you could dislocate your hip because the will be nothing to keep them from hyper/over extending. As long as the surrounding muscles stay strong and you don't hyperextend or overextend your kicks you should be fine. Don't attempt to kick beyond your natural limits and keep your hips strong!

ADDENDUM: and maintain proper kicking form!

[YouKnowWho]

I'm 35, I did wonder if perhaps I'm too old to be able to get all the way down.

I did high kicks all my life. Today when I do high kick, I can feel in my hip joint, my born is touching another bone as if there is nothing in between. Not sure this is just me or this also happen to others. If somthing like this can happen to you in your old age (30 years from now), the high kick may not be worthwhile to train. There are other userful combat skills that won't tear your hip joint like the high kick does.

[Fa Xing]

Thanks Scott

No there doesn't seem to be any pain with it, it just feels a bit funny. The fact that I've loosened the joint as you say, is that a good or a bad thing?

It depends; for me personally, I would do some sort of resistance training that engages the hip flexors and extensors to keep the muscles strong and pliable along with your stretching.

[Scott R. Brown]

I did high kicks all my life, today when I do high kick, I can feel in my hip joint, my born is touching another bone as if there is nothing in between. Not sure this is just me or this also happen to others. If somthing like this can happen to you in your old age (30 years from now), the high kick training may not be worthwhile to train. There are other userful combat skills that won't tear your hip joint.

Have you had that x-rayed? It sounds like osteoporosis! This can happen to just about anyone, but us athletes do tend to get it sooner due to joint injuries. But this happens to none athletes all the time. Part of it is luck and genetics.

[YouKnowWho]

Have you had that x-rayed? It sounds like osteoporosis! This can happen to just about anyone, but us athletes do tend to get it sooner due to joint injuries. But this happens to none athletes all the time. Part of it is luck and genetics.

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll get a check up on that. It doesn't happen for front kick, crescent kick, or round house kick. It only happens in high side kick, hook kick, or spin hook kick. Sometime I do feel flustrate that the more I kick, the more that my hip joint hurt. Old age sucks.

[KJW]

If your muscles are weak, it can be bad, you could dislocate your hip because the will be nothing to keep them from hyper/over extending. As long as the surrounding muscles stay strong and you don't hyperextend or overextend your kicks you should be fine. Don't attempt to kick beyond your natural limits and keep your hips strong!

My legs are pretty strong I think. I cycle to work 2-3 time a week (a 25 mile round trip). I used to play a lot of Football aswell but then my Kung Fu training replaced that as we train on a Sunday now..

Thanks for the advice, it's good to know I'm not going to do any lasting damage. I did make myself a stretching aparatus aswell which I have been using (when it's not raining) it consists of a pulley and a rope and cradle to put my leg in. I saw it in one of Bruce Lees books.

Kev

[Fa Xing]

I did high kicks all my life. Today when I do high kick, I can feel in my hip joint, my born is touching another bone as if there is nothing in between. Not sure this is just me or this also happen to others. If somthing like this can happen to you in your old age (30 years from now), the high kick may not be worthwhile to train. There are other userful combat skills that won't tear your hip joint like the high kick does.

The inter-articular cartilage can wear down after some time. If it's not hurting, I would't consider it serious enough to wear you should have it looked at right away, but perhaps next time you go for a check up.

[YouKnowWho]

The inter-articular cartilage can wear down after some time. If it's not hurting, I would't consider it serious enough to wear you should have it looked at right away, but perhaps next time you go for a check up.

Thanks again for your good advice. A friend of mine had a hip replacement. the outcome is not very good.

[Fa Xing]

My legs are pretty strong I think. I cycle to work 2-3 time a week (a 25 mile round trip). I used to play a lot of Football aswell but then my Kung Fu training replaced that as we train on a Sunday now..

Thanks for the advice, it's good to know I'm not going to do any lasting damage. I did make myself a stretching aparatus aswell which I have been using (when it's not raining) it consists of a pulley and a rope and cradle to put my leg in. I saw it in one of Bruce Lees books.

Kev

Cycling and resistance training are two different things, and tax the muscles in different ways.

Pistols, single-leg romanian deadlifts (ie. single-leg straight-leg deadlifts), and turkish getups are my favorites for strengthening the hips.

[Scott R. Brown]

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll get a check up on that. It doesn't happen for front kick, crescent kick, or round house kick. It only happens in high side kick, hook kick, or spin hook kick. Sometime I do feel flustrate that the more I kick, the more that my hip joint hurt. Old age sucks.

An x-ray is all it takes to know for sure. A dull ache can be the joint or the tendon. Of course a grinding sound means it is probably the joint. I am the night nurse at a rehab place in SLO. Are you in the Shell Beach near SLO? If so I recommend Sean Devine MD. He did my shoulder some 15 people years ago. I told him I need to hit the bag and lift weights into my 80's and he said he could fix my shoulder and still protect my training. I don't have any problem to this day. I have a number of patients that have had their hips redone by him too. They all love him.

My legs are pretty strong I think. I cycle to work 2-3 time a week (a 25 mile round trip). I used to play a lot of Football aswell but then my Kung Fu training replaced that as we train on a Sunday now..

Thanks for the advice, it's good to know I'm not going to do any lasting damage. I did make myself a stretching aparatus aswell which I have been using (when it's not raining) it consists of a pulley and a rope and cradle to put my leg in. I saw it in one of Bruce Lees books.

Kev

Those activites will definitely help keep the hips strong. If you like apparatuses they are fine but they are not necessary. I have been doing the full splits continuously since I was 17, up until a tendon pull 3 years ago, I am 52 now. I'll be doing the splits again in a year or so! I have never used an apparatus of any kind.

The thing is, when you are active and your activites are forceful you will get injured from time to time, so it is part of the game. Just be smart, and not reckless and know injury will happen from time to time regardless of whether you are an athlete or not. I work with a lady that has broken her arm, ankle and toe all in the past 3 years and she is not an athlete in the least.

[YouKnowWho]

I am the night nurse at a rehab place in SLO. Are you in the Shell Beach near SLO?

I didn't know that we are only 10 minutes apart in driving distance.

Please check your PM.

[bawang]

two traditional terms to describe a powerful martial artist are fists of iron , and thousand pound of strength. being able to splay your legs wide like a stripper doesnt mean anything.

instead of being vain and trying to obtain your black sash, you should do squats.