RKC News - March 2017

The Problem: I often hear from people with complaints and issues in their lower back. They complain about tension, weakness, or even herniated discs in the lumbar region. Doctors often only provide diagnoses but cannot help patients resolve the problem. The main reasons are usually the immobility of the hips and, secondly, weakness of the gluteus maximus. However, the gluteal muscles can only be maximally trained if the flexibility of the hip flexor is present. Thus, the lower back mistakenly takes over their work.

The Problem Treatment: The gluteus maximus is the largest muscle in a human. This is not without reason, so we use it and train it vigorously. However, the mobility of the hip flexor must first be established. From complete opening to full tension. This can be achieved, for example, by pulling deep into a squat. While doing this, you push your elbows outward against your knees and alternately move your hips forward and backward, right and left. Now move your hips in the shape of a small eight. Pull the thigh bones laterally out of the hip socket.

Another option is to take a large lunge and support your hands on the inside next to the foot. Rock your hips toward the ground. Rotate the knee of the standing leg outward alternately. Slide the hand that is closer to the foot behind the heel to the outside and bend the elbows as if doing push-ups. When complete mobility of the hip extensor is achieved, stabilization occurs.

Stabilization: Now the kettlebell comes into play. All ballistic exercises such as swings, cleans, and snatches are ideal for this. In doing so, I not only train my gluteus maximus vigorously but also stabilize my lower back and simultaneously train the flexibility, opening, and extension of my hip flexor. The work of the muscle groups is clearly divided functionally. The largest and most used muscle in everyday life is trained the most here. Thus, it takes a lot of work off the weaker and smaller muscles. Nevertheless, the involvement of other musculature in the RKC Hardstyle principle should not be forgotten, as it contributes to the complete stabilization of the body through the tension of the techniques.

by Falk Monzel RKC
1st Dan (Black Belt Holder)
German K1 & Thai Boxing Champion
www.falk-monzel.de

…that the principle of RKC is based on martial arts? Tension and relaxation are identical to those in karate sports. Boxers must learn to remain relaxed while striking and kicking to release as much explosive power as possible. When the punch is on its way to the target, the body is almost completely relaxed. At the moment of impact, all muscles tense up to transfer the force to the fist.