Flexibility plays a crucial role in how well you can execute many fighting techniques. For example, you need a certain level of hip flexibility to throw high kicks in Muay Thai or to use the rubber guard in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
Functional mobility is just as important as flexibility in combat sports. Static stretches have their role (especially during cooldowns), but dynamic stretches are what you want to focus on to improve your flexibility and mobility.
This article will cover flexibility drills that anyone can use to keep their body loose and limber.
The Five Best Flexibility Drills For Fighters
Some of the top flexibility drills that will improve your ability to perform many of the techniques used in martial arts include:
1) Dynamic Leg Swings: Turn Your Hips Into Kick Cannons
Dynamic leg swings help to loosen your hips, improving your kicking abilities and lateral movement.
To perform the exercise:
- Stand sideways next to a wall or other sturdy object. Place one hand on the wall for balance.
- Swing your outer leg forward and backward like a pendulum while keeping it straight. Aim for 15 reps per leg.
- Next, face the wall and swing the same leg from side to side across your body (like a windshield wiper). Perform another 15 reps on both sides.
Why Fighters Love It:
Dynamic leg swings mimic how you swing your legs when performing techniques like roundhouse kicks. It’s also an excellent way to warm up your hip flexors and hamstrings without overstretching cold muscles. The side-to-side swings strengthen your hip abductors, which are crucial for maintaining a wide base when performing techniques like sprawling.
Add ankle weights once this feels easy for more of a challenge. Your hip mobility will skyrocket, and your question mark kick will finally look like the punctuation it’s named after. It’s an excellent exercise for anyone struggling with kicking techniques.
2) Lizard Pose With A Twist: Guard Retention’s Secret Weapon
This variation of the lizard pose is excellent for increasing flexibility in your hips, improving your ability to perform moves like shrimping.
Here’s what it looks like:
- Start in a low lunge with your right foot outside your right hand, and your left knee on the ground.
- Lower your forearms to the floor.
- Rotate your torso upward as you reach with your right arm toward the ceiling. Hold the position for 20 seconds and repeat on your other side.
Why Fighters Love It:
The lizard pose loosens the hip flexors and opens the thoracic spine. Flexible hip flexors equal faster shrimp escapes. Increasing flexibility in your upper back makes it easier for you to generate rotational power. A 2019 study published in the Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research found that tight hip flexors can reduce kicking power by up to 18%.
3) Spiderman Stretch With Thoracic Rotation: For Takedowns & Angled Strikes
The Spiderman stretch helps to loosen stiff upper backs, increasing your rotational power and ability to sprawl.
Here’s what it looks like:
- Start in a push-up position and step your right foot outside your right hand.
- Place your left hand behind your head, then rotate your elbow toward the ceiling. Hold the position for ten seconds and switch sides.
Why Fighters Love It:
This stretch helps to loosen your adductors (inner thigh muscles). Tight adductors limit how fast you can perform movements like sprawling.
Increasing flexibility in your thoracic spine increases the power behind your strikes and throws.
4) Cossack Squats: Groin Flexibility For Untouchable Takedown Defense
Cossack squats increase flexibility in your groin, strengthening your base and improving lateral movement.
To perform Cossack squats:
- Stand with your feet about two shoulder-widths apart, with your toes pointing slightly outward.
- Shift weight to your right, bending your right knee while keeping your left leg straight.
- Lower yourself until your right thigh is parallel to the floor. Hold the position for five seconds and then glide to the left. Perform ten reps on each side.
Why Fighters Love It:
Grapplers need a wide, stable base to defend against takedowns. Cossack squats stretch muscles in the groin and strengthen your quads and glutes—muscles that help keep you stabilized during lateral movements.
Hold on to a 5-10 kg kettlebell when performing the exercise to build strength in the stretched position.
5) PNF Stretching: The Secret To Higher Kicks & Unpassable Guard
This exercise loosens your hamstrings, leading to more powerful kicks and improved guard retention.
Here’s what it looks like (Partner-assisted version):
- Lie on your back and lift your right leg toward the ceiling. Have a partner push it gently until you feel tension.
- Press your leg against their resistance for five seconds and relax.
- Your partner then pushes your leg deeper into the stretch while you hold the position for 20 seconds. Repeat the exercise three times with each leg.
Why Fighters Love It:
Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) “tricks” your muscles into relaxing further via contraction-release cycles. For fighters, this means:
- Higher Kicks: Flexible hamstrings give your kicks more range.
- Tighter Guard: Flexible adductors make it easier to reestablish your guard during scrambles.
A 2021 meta-analysis found PNF stretching improves flexibility 2x faster than static holds.
Why Functional Flexibility Matters
Stretching not only prepares fighters for training and competition, but also enhances mobility, balance, and overall performance.
Some of the reasons why fighters should regularly work on their flexibility include:
- Injury Prevention: Flexible muscles absorb impact better. No one wants a pulled groin mid-takedown.
- Technique Efficiency: A mobile hip lets you throw a head kick without telegraphing it.
- Recovery: Dynamic stretches flush lactic acid from muscles.
How To Add These Drills To Your Training Routine
- Pre-Training: Perform dynamic stretches like leg swings and spiderman stretches to warm up.
- Post-Training: Perform PNF stretches like the lizard pose and Cossack squats while your muscles are warm.
Aim to perform each of these exercises two to three times weekly. While genetics does play a role in how flexible you are, consistent stretching improves mobility at any age. Save static stretches for cooldowns and avoid them before training explosive strength.
Don’t Neglect The Importance Of Stretching
Apart from the technical details—like kick mechanics, guard positioning, and hip rotation—improving your flexibility can make your techniques much more fluid. Make it a habit to include dynamic stretches as part of your regular training routine.
You may also like:
Animal Movement For Fighters: Integrating Natural Patterns Into Training
