1 - any really good books i can get

2 - still having a bit of a problem stretching my legs, anyone have a really good regime for this? its not that what i do in class is wrong, just the tutor tends to rush it a little (he can due to doing it 20 years and not just 1!!!)

What style of TKD are you studying?

Stretching Scientifically by Thomas Kurz is generally acknowledged as being very good, lots of stuff on youtube also plus his own website, will send link if you can't find it.

classroom stretching is not really designed for improving flexibility as much as for preventing injury. if you want to gain in that area, then you need to make it a serious part of your practice outside of class. i recommend this book: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1880336839/bookstorenow600-20

many different stretching techniques for different ability levels.

Hi
On the subject of TKD books you need to be careful - they can be very useful, but also misleading sometimes! Take care of yourself Dude!

These books I have and have been useful in different ways.

Basic book - The Tae Kwon do Handbook by Mark and Ray Pawlett (Patterns are WTF specific tho - don't know if you are ITF?)

More in-depth - The State of the Art Taekwondo by Master Sung Chul Whang and Master Jun Chul Whang with Brandon Saltz (again, patterns are WTF specific but the rest of it should be a help anyway).

Taekwondo by Marc Tedeschi (available as a 896 page tome(!) or a slimmed down 128 page intro - lots of useful pictures, easy to read and covers both WTF/ITF.

Stepping away from the printed word for a mo - The video/DVD "The Art of High Impact Kicking" by Hwang Jang Lee is essential viewing. Check it out on youtube!

Happy training!

Marc Tedeschi is a great author. I just wish his books weren't so huge. They should be released in volumes.

dmccarthy wrote:
classroom stretching is not really designed for improving flexibility as much as for preventing injury. if you want to gain in that area, then you need to make it a serious part of your practice outside of class. i recommend this book: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1880336839/bookstorenow600-20

many different stretching techniques for different ability levels.

I bought Ultimate Flexibility by Sang H Kim after reading dmccarthy's recommendation. Best book i've read so far with regards to flexibility, thanks for the advice.

Some good tips there -

Personally Ive found the best way to actually stretch is simply to work the legs in the techniques. So I would start off kicking low and in between perhaps skipping and jogging to warm up in sets of 2 minutes and then building the height and speed up against the pads. Its the best way I have found to work my flexibility.

Please bear in mind this obviously works for me - im fully aware that other peoples bodys work differently!

Re: stretching...

A classic by Bill "Superfoot" Wallace:

"Dynamic Stretching and Kicking"
http://www.amazon.com/Dynamic-Stretching-Kicking-Bill-Wallace/dp/0865680183

Re: TKD in general...
LOTS of books out there! Just search Amazon. (Yes, I'm a shareholder!)