PILATES FOR MARTIAL ARTISTS, WITH EMPHASIS ON THE HIP INJURIES ELITSA IVANOVA 01.05.2017 COURSE YEAR: 2016 BASI PILATES UNITED KINGDOM 1
ABSTRACT Martial arts differ in techniques, regulations, equipment, and intensity. As a result they can cause a wide range of injuries that can vary from mild to severe. The most common are sprains, strains, cuts, and bruises, as well as broken bones. These injuries frequently affect the knee, ankle, shoulder and elbow. This paper will address the hip joint injuries and their possible prevention, because martial arts training can place more stress on the hips than any other sport. Therefore, it s crucial that all practitioners familiarize themselves with the most common types of hip injuries and causes. A BASI Pilates Conditioning Program for Alexander, a 25 year old athlete, practicing for 10 years is included. 2
TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT Page 2 ANATOMICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE HIP JOINT Page 4 INTRODUCTION Page 5 CASE STUDY Page 6 ALEXANDER S CONDITIONING PROGRAM Page 7 DESIRED RESULTS Page 9 CONCLUSION Page 10 BIBLIOGRAPHY Page 11 3
ANATOMICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE HIP JOINT The hip joint is a ball-and-socket joint, formed by the articulation of the head of the femur and the acetabulum of the pelvis. Its primary function is to support the weight of the body in both static and dynamic postures. The acetabulum is formed by the fusion of the ilium, ischium, and pubis and is deepened by a labrum (rim of fibrocartilage). Beginning at the front of the hip, the rectus femoris and deeply located iliopsoas are ideally located for their function as the primary hip flexors. The group of muscles in the inner thighs the pectineus, adductor longus, adductor brevis, adductor magnus, and gracilis - collectively referred to as the hip adductors. All these, except for the adductor magnus, can also assist with hip flexion. The adductor magnus is the deepest muscle of this group. Because of its attachment running back toward the ischial tuberosities, its lower fibers assist with hip extension rather than flexion. The ligaments that reinforce the strong joint capsule of the hip joint are the iliofemoral ligament, the ischiofemoral ligament and the pubofemoral ligament. (See picture bellow.) 4
INTRODUCTION As a triaxial joint, the hip joint allows all three movement pairs flexion-extension in the sagittal plane as in mae geri, abduction-adduction in the coronal plane as in yoko geri keage, and external rotation-internal rotation in the transverse plane, as well as a combination of these movements called circumduction. It s important to include all of those movements in a conditioning program. In order to have a proper technique, when practicing karate, it is very important to rotate from your hips to create powerful kicks, punches, strikes, and blocks. It s actually the roundhouse kick (mawashi geri) that is the most common cause for injuries in the hip and the knee. When these kicking movements are executed with great force, if there is not sufficient muscular strength and flexibility, or if the movement is not performed correctly, the labrum can be shifted or pulled out of its place within the capsule. In the following BASI Conditioning Program focus will be placed in enhancing the strength of the martial artist, as well as the balance and the flexibility, as they all play crucial role in the prevention of injuries and better performance. Mostly when the athletes are having pain they point to one of the three areas: their groin, their side hip area or their buttock. Groin pain means that there is damage to the hip, the pocket means it is either bursitis or tendonitis, and the buttock pain might indicate an injury on the lower spine. In any case, consulting a physician is highly recommended, despite the no pain no gain ethic in some martial arts. Listening to your body on a daily basis and not waiting for it to scream before being heard is of great importance. 5
CASE STUDY My client, Alexander, is a 25 year old athlete, practicing karate for 10 years. As a 15 years old teenager he began his way in martial arts with strong physic and no injuries. During the years of training, sometimes twice a day, mostly 5 days a week, and participating in many championships, where the athletes are exposed to greater risk of injuries, because of the additional force and tension, he often experienced pain and soreness in the hip area. Besides the side hip area pain often connected with tendonitis and bursitis, he is often suffering from muscle strains and ligament sprains. Alexander s goals in practicing Pilates are to maintain strong core muscles and muscle tone, facilitate good posture and body alignment, and most of all to stretch and lengthen, and possibly minimize hip pain. For the last couple of years, he s been doing Pilates regularly 3 times weekly. Alexander s conditioning program will include mat work, as well as exercises on the Reformer, Ladder Barrel and Cadillac. 6
ALEXANDER S CONDITIONING PROGRAM I. Warm Up (Mat) a. Roll up b. Spine twist supine c. Double leg stretch d. Single leg stretch e. Criss Cross II. Foot Work (Reformer) a. Parallel Heels b. Parallel Toes c. V Position Toes d. Open V Heels e. Open V Toes f. Calf Raises g. Prances h. Prehensile i. Single Leg Heel j. Single Leg Toes III. Abdominal Work a. Teaser Prep b. Teaser IV. Hip Work (Reformer) Supine Leg Series a. Frog b. Circles (Down, Up) c. Openings 7
d. Extended Frog e. Extended Frog Reverse V. Spinal Articulation (Reformer) a. Short Spine b. Long Spine VI. Stretches (Ladder Barrel) a. Gluteals b. Hamstrings c. Adductors d. Hip Flexors VII. Full Body Integration (Reformer) a. Up Stretch 1 b. Up Stretch 2 c. Up Stretch 3 VIII. Arm Work Side Arms Kneeling Series (Reformer) a. Deltoid Reach b. Cross Arm Pull c. Triceps d. Arms Overhead IX. Full Body Integration 2 (Reformer) a. Balance Control Back X. Leg Work (Reformer) a. Side Split b. Single Leg Skating 8
XI. Lateral Flexion / Rotation Push Through Series (Cadillac) a. Side Lift XII. Back Extension Push Through Series (Cadillac) a. Prone 1 b. Prone 2 Throughout the workout I will remind Alexander to breath and open his chest. In order to strengthen the hip adductors, I have chosen additional exercises in the Hip Work Block. The Side Arms Kneeling Series will balance his otherwise dominant left side, having in mind the fact that he is strong and precise enough in order to perform those advanced series. The deep stretching that comes with the exercises on the Ladder Barrel will allow him to perform higher kicks without strains and / or sprains. However, I will check in with Alexander during each session to see how is he doing and if some changes in his conditioning program are required. 9
CONCLUSION Pilates is a great form of exercise for martial artists, as long as possible past injuries are taken into consideration. The instructor must fully understand the mechanics behind the variety of kicks and punches, that bring a lot of tension in the joints, ligaments and tendons. The conditioning program must be specifically designed in accordance with the needs of the client. Maintaining strong and lengthened muscles, as well as stretched ligaments and proper alignment, are so vital to a safe and successful martial arts path. The athlete should be encouraged to listen to his body, without muting any signals of pain and discomfort, as an unreasonable sign of strength and discipline. Therefore, the mind body connection of Pilates can be of great value for any athlete willing to devote to it. 10
BIBLIOGRAPHY Book Isacowitz, Rael. Study Guide: Comprehensive Course. Costa Mesa, California: Body Arts and Science International, 2013. Isakowitz, Rael; Clippinger, Karen. Pilates Anatomy. Human Kinetics, 2011. ISBN 13: 978-0- 7360-8386-7 Website Hip Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. Web. 20 May 2017 A martial artist guide to hip health. www.theblackbeltmag.com, Pat Pollock. 2 Feb 2016 Application Visible Body. Muscle Premium 7. Argosy Publishing, Inc. 2007-2017. 11