A well-balanced stretching routine will greatly increase your flexibility and endurance, but only if done in the correct manner. Your warm-up routines will vary depending on your desired outcome. If you wish to practice traditional Okinawan karate-do, in which kicks are aimed only at the chest and lets, then you should focus primarily on static stretching with minimal accentuation on dymamic stretches.

However, if you wish to perform high kicks that deliver power (and are more dangerous in real situations) then you should focus more on dynamic stretching, and only do static stretching as a cool-down excersise.

Dynamic stretching should be done twice a day on non-class days to increase your readiness. Dynamic stretching will allow you to eventually execute kicks without a warmup. However, stretching before a workout is absolutely imparative to a proper healthy workout.

• Dynamic Stretching
• Static Stretching
• Sample Stretch Routine
• Office Stretching (Stretch at work!)