I like this author much++++. Great book. application(s) at different levels. Nice reading. I will continue to use this book for... always!

I was looking for a book to learn the proper way to stretch for Taekwondo and extend the range of my kicks.

This book covers all areas well, it is extremely comprehensive. Almost too much information to process here. This is the only stretching book I have read but I am very impressed with it. Ki-Yup!!

I also recommend "Taekwondo: The state of the Art" book that contains all the forms and kicks and so forth. That book is awesome so you can practice at home in between classes or if your TKD teacher has a thick accent like mine.

Most of us who love fitness and exercise know stretching is important, but give it too little attention. This book not only gives you a clear understanding of how your muscles work with regard to stretching, it gives a comprehensive stretching program that you can integrate easily into your workouts and at home. I was impressed with how much I learned. This book is a must have for all exercise enthusiasts and fitness professionals.

I have several different books on stretching and flexibility training in my library, and I am very proud to say that Ultimate Flexibility by Sang H. Kim is one of them. Here are the others that I also have in my library.

Stretching: 20th Anniversary (Stretching)
Stretching Anatomy
Stretching Scientifically: A Guide to Flexibility Training (4th Revision ed)
Relax into Stretch : Instant Flexibility Through Mastering Muscle Tension
Super Joints: Russian Longevity Secrets for Pain-Free Movement, Maximum Mobility & Flexible Strength

I was very impressed with the layout and material that was provided in this book. Very well thought out and presented. Now that isn't to say that there weren't some questionable items included, or that the book was absolutely perfect, but it is pretty darn close.

Since the primary target audience for this book is the martial artist, everything demonstrated and talked about in this book is geared towards the martial artist, although these stretches would be beneficial to any athletic activity.

I have been a practicing martial artist for over 25 years and have had all those years of experience in actively practicing and teaching various stretching and flexibility techniques and exercises. And, I still learned quite a bit about stretching from reading this book. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone practicing any form of martial art regardless of age or physical condition. If you follow the instructions provided in this book, I don't see how you could not do anything but improve upon your own flexibility.

Shawn Kovacich
Martial Artist/Author of the Achieving Kicking Excellence series.

This book has a lot of different stretches in it but nothing tageted towards specific movements. I need to improve my Side Kick height but I can't really gather from the book what I should focus on. I also bought the DVD which has some workouts and is a better deal.

If you really want to work on your splits you should buy "Stretching Scientifically". That book is awesome and I must say very painful but the results are fantastic. It also explains exactly how all the muscles interact and how some of the strecthes in "Ultimate Flexability" are actually doing you more harm than good.

Bill 2nd Dan Black Belt TKD

I was quite surprised with all of the information in this book. Easy to read with very clear explanations. You don't need to be a martial artist to also appreciate this book.

I have 5 books on stretching, and this one takes second place. It has an abundance of exercises and programs but I feel as though I will only ever use a handful of these exercises. It seems like Dr.Kim has foused on quantity over quality in this book.

Great book: easy to read and understand. I have never practiced martial arts and I bought the book only to improve my body health. However it is great and it will sure help me a lot, so I can play a lot better come sports like basketball, soccer, etc.

I am getting into martial arts at the age of 40. I have good flexability, but wanted more. This book will help you understand not only what stretch you are doing, but why. Excellent choice for beginner to advanced students.

This book has helped me develop from a waist high kicker at best to a head high kicker within 6 months. The stretches and drills are invaluable then to top it off, the explanations and anatomical drawings are informative, but easy to understand. Not only is the information vital for you to know as a martial artist, but the author addresses different types of goals and how to set them and stick to them. Indispensable for the martial artist that wants to remain injury free and strong for many years.

I bought this book when i was learning karate mainly for increasing my flexibility. It provides a lot of illustration of how to do stretching.

Okay for the bad part, not every things describe in the book can be easily perform by newbies. And as always for newbies, they are much more easy to get injuries due to incorrect stretching before having the benefits of stretching.

There are many tips I think the author can add, like do stretching everyday after shower. (it's much easier to do stretching, as your muscle is warmed up a bit already rather than do some crazy stretching when you woke up)

I just joined a tang soo do club 3 months ago and was looking for a way to improve my flexibility and kicking ability so i got this book i found it to be a great help it has shown me lots of different stretches that i never new about and the importance of stretching my whole body everyday it is laid out well with chapters for each area of the body and plenty of info on the dos and donts the whys and why nots a great book for martial artists and people who want to increase there flexibility

Very well done once again. I like the ability to mix and match programs especially.
G.L.

A must have for participants of any sport. This book was so good that I gave a copy to a friend as a birthday gift. It gives detailed instructions for safe, effective, and most efficient stretching and flexibility. Pictures illustrate the actions very well, and the book explains not only the hows and whats, but the the whys of each exercise as well. exercises can be combined by groups of muscles, and by sport.

This is a very realistic approach that is sure to capture the interest and attention of anyone who desires a greater degree of flexibility than they now have, regardless of age.

I am 53 years old. I have used the methods in the book for a little over a year, and they have really worked well for me.

This book is incredibly well written and organized. It's perfect for everyone from the beginner to the expert martial artist. It's divided into sections based on muscle structure, detailed stretch descriptions, and workouts for specific activities.

This book is incredibly well written and organized. It's perfect for everyone from the beginner to the expert martial artist. It's divided into sections based on muscle structure, detailed stretch descriptions, and workouts for specific activities.

I already knew the importance of stretching prior to taking martial arts, in my case Muay Thai. However, I wasn't very well informed about what stretch does what or how long should we hold the damn thing. This book not only illumintates such mysteries but it does go into some detail explaining, without dropping too much jargon, how various muscles work in regard to your training and everyday life. I thought at first it was a bit daunting that the first 90 or so pages were ripped from a physiology or health book but it was easy reading and well worth it. There's a plethora of stretches explained in the book each illustrating its purpose. I'm motivated to stretch with a new understanding of my body. This is a book meant to be referenced over and over. This book is permanently in my library. Good lookin out Mr. Kim!

I think this is one of the best books I have ever owned..not only do you get loads of exercises to do but it also breaks everything down for you..you are shown what each exercise does and what muscle groups it affects..great book i highly recommend it

As a martial artist of 40 years you always search for new ideas. This book incorporated old and new ideas for me including dynamic stretching.

Master Kim has produced a gem! This book is a must for any martial artist that wants to become more flexible and less injury prone. Master Kim provides a wonderful introduction that includes several chapters on the body's physiology. These chapters provide an understanding of how the body works, goals of stretching, and what you should and should not feel. I now know how to properly stretch which reduces my risk of injury. I really like the workouts provided in the book. Master Kim has developed changeable workouts in the book to help you get started that prepare the body for various types of martial arts and general stretching. Get this book!

The first few chapters of the book talk about how your muscles work (to put it simply). Kim covered about what I learned in my "Intro to Human Biology" class in college. But, I did find the first few chapters to be useful and worth reading. The jewel of the book is the end, which has a "bleep" load of stretches, followed by a core set of stretches for various martial arts. I followed the "core" set of stretches at first, then added to the core stretches with other stretches found in the book. I now have a personalized stretching routine that helps me to focus on the attributes I want to develop. After having the book for several months, I use it as a resource for stretching and developing flexibility in different areas of my body. I found the book to be one of the best buys I've ever made. I highly recommend it to anyone looking to improve flexibility.

The book is a very good tool for both amateurs and proffesionals.
Everything you want to know about flexibility is in there.
People who is involved with martial arts will love it.

I got a lot of new ideas about stretching. It helped me get back into a nightly routine.

It is a very good book for maintaining overall flexibility, and will help in improving limberness. Although there is only so much a book can do , and the rest requires effort on the part of the individual ( hard work and practice). The age the individual starts stretching has alot to do with their ability to be flexible. Overall I think it is a good book.

I am really excited to begin the stretching routine. It covered everything I wanted to know how to do and so much more! Wonderful clear pictures, Great explanations.

This book was definitely a good buy. Great sections on the theory of stretching and flexibility, and a good section on kinesiology. Lots of great stretches and it was great that they told you which stretches would benefit a certain muscle group. I was also really excited to find a section on improving kick height (the main reason I bought the book). Towards the end it gives lists of stretches the are good for certain kinds of martial arts (light-contact, full-contact, grappling, weapons, MMA, boxing, nd the author's favorites). Overall this book is very good.

This is a geat book to improve your flexibility. Master Kim is a TKD master but the book would be great for any martial artist. I needed to improve my flexibility but too many of the book were too technical without a direct understanding of why and how. Kim does a good job of showing and explaining how things neeed to be done. I am not quite to the ground with my splits but am quickly getting there.

this was a good book, but many of the stretches are just basic stretching that we already know, but there are some that are new, and there are a lot of photos, which makes it very easy to see how to do certain things. good book for very beginners, but not that great if you are already doing stretching excercises, it is probably just a repeat of what you are already doing.

This is a comprehensive and well-organized book, with the perfect amount of description (how to do the exercises) and other informative information. The stretches in this book would be useful for ANY reader, although Kim does point out how they are relevant to martial arts training as well. I've examined a number of other books and was frustrated by their lack of "completeness" and usability. This is by far the best that I have seen.

Ultimate Flexibility, by Sang H. Kim, is a thorough, yet clear and practical guide on how to stretch effectively and enjoyably. This book was written primarily for the benefit of martial artists, but athletes and anyone who wants to improve their general health and fitness will find this book useful.

Ultimate Flexibility provides the tools and motivation necessary to develop a successful stretching program that is customized to fit your unique goals, lifestyle, and capabilities.

The author is comprehensive in his coverage of flexibility and stretching exercises. From identifying the key factors that affect flexibility...to explaining the various types of stretching...this book covers everything and covers it well.

J. Barnes
Author - Speed Training for Martial Arts

As someone new to martial arts but not to stretching, this book is a great resource. Years of dance training taught me the importance of stretching but there was a lot I'd forgotten and some I'd never learned in the first place. It's so helpful to have the author explain, in plain english, how stretching works and why some exercises are successful while others are a waste of time. I also found the harder and easier variations for each exercise a big help in modifying some of the exercises to suit what I need as I work on my flexibility at home between classes. Highly recommended for anyone looking to become more flexible or just stay in shape.

When an experienced instructor teaches, he does it so simply that students understand the lessons without much difficulty. When I first opened Ultimate Flexibility for Martial Arts, I was firstly impressed not only by the variety of exercises and beautifully designed format but also by the author's efforts to show the big picture of the important elements necessary to attain flexibility without missing out on the details. I have been training various martial arts for over 34 years including 8 years in Okinawa, 4 years in South Korea, 3 years in Thailand. Wherever I was stationed overseas, I put my best efforts forth to gain firsthand knowledge from local masters. What I found is that a good teacher knows how to teach a complicated movement in a very simple way. With this book by Sang H. Kim, I feel like I am training with my masters again. He definitely put all his wisdom and experience into it.

Sang H. Kim is without doubt among the best writers about martial arts. (I thoroughly enjoyed learning from his Ultimate Fitness Through Martial Arts.) This book should be required reading for every martial artist who competes or wants to improve his or her performance regardless of style. Master Kim provides straightforward cautions and valuable tips to improve your flexibility and to prevent unnecessary injuries.

In Chapter Seven, he includes sample workouts for light contact and full contact, grappling and mixed martial art, boxing, weapon and high kicks. I personally liked his top 10 techniques. After turning 50, I realize how important it is to learn valuable wisdom from a true master. I have been adding a few new skills to my repertoire each week and use them whenever I can. I am getting quicker and safer in my Karate classes, and every class is more enjoyable.

Based on my experience thus far, I believe this book will help martial artists of any age, or for that matter athletes of any age, become more flexible and enjoy training for the rest of your life.

This is an outstanding piece on stretching for various martial arts purposes or for flexibility in general. It provides an in-depth description of many different exercises and then recommends several combinations of 15 or so for achieving different goals. Perfect for your own use or to plan a class session.

The strategy and excersises are easy to understand. After only a couple of weeks I already feel more flexable. Great book. I recommend for anyone looking to increase their flexiblity.

It's not a *bad* book about stretching, and does contain some 200 exercises--even if half of them are about as complex as 'lace your fingers together, palms out, and push your hands away from your body' (my paraphrase).

What really bothers me, though, is a pair of problems:

First, the book mentions almost casually that static stretching (touch your toes and hold the position) has almost no correlation with functional stretching (how high can you side kick?). In the next paragraph it states quite clearly that martial artists should be focused on improving functional stretching--that static stretching is largely useless except for rehabilitation.

Now, even if that *isn't* poppycock--which I'm not qualified to judge, but it does sound flaky--one would think that this book, intended for martial artists, would therefore proceed to focus on other kinds of stretching. No: the vast majority of the exercises are static stretches. So either the advice is flawed or the book's target audience is wrong.

A second issue is PNF stretching. The book goes to some effort to push PNF as the most effective, best stretching technique: over and over, the refrain is that one should work towards incorporating PNF stretching into your workout as soon as is feasible (it's not for beginners).

But just as soon as you've become convinced of the benefits of PNF stretching, the book goes on to state--and here I'll quote--"Because PNF stretching requires detailed hands-on instruction and guidance, PNF stretching variations are not included in the exercise descriptions". In other words, the book says pretty clearly, "This is what you want, and this book doesn't describe it."

I'm disappointed that I bought this book, and can't say I'd recommend it to others.

This is a great book. It shows lots of photos/workouts and has a lot of info. There are several diff. stretches for variety.

Ultimate flexibility is an excellent book for those who practice the martial arts, regardless of their current flexibility level. It's even great for those who don't. My wife (who doesn't practice martial arts) joins me for flexibility exercises and enjoys the workout quite a bit.

The book is divided to 3 main categories.

The first chapters deal with the scientific background. What are the mechanisms behind flexibility; what can be improved; what are the limitations; and what are the potential hazards for the un-educated, practicing flexibility. It details the major muscle groups and explains the benefit of having each flexible. It has good suggestions in terms of keeping workout logs and setting goals.

The second part has actual flexibility exercises, all clearly explained along with a photo for each. Some exercises are presented with a few alternatives-- easier versions and harder versions.

The third and last part suggests flexibility workouts. That is, what a workout should include depending on your background and goals.

Ultimate Flexibility has helped my flexibility tremendously. It's educational, clear and concise and most importantly, motivating. I now look forward for some time off so I can go out and practice some flexibility.

Bravo.

- Petel

The book could just be called "Ultimate Flexibility" without the reference to martial arts in the title.

I bought the book as a novice in martial arts, but this is a good, general guide to stretching, period. For us martial artists it has the bonus of letting us know which stretches help for higher kicks and deeper splits, but for those who aren't into this particular sport, it is still a great general guide for incresing flexibility.

I really think of it as two books. The first chapters cover the how and why of stretching, and I find these make good reading material when just relaxing and reading something interesting. The back chapters are the actual stretches and are the "instruction manual" that you keep handy as you work out or develop your own stretching routine.

If you have been doing martial arts for a while you probably won't learn any new exercises but you will truly understand not only why they work, but more importantly how to make the most of them. Important anatomical information is distilled in a way that just about anyone can readily understand and use. This book is well laid-out and illustrated effectively to convey the information. It is holistic and thorough. Although at my age I will probably never be able to do the splits, it has measurably improved my flexibility. Great book!

Lawrence Kane
Author of 'The Way of Kata' and 'Martial Arts Instruction'

If you have been doing martial arts for a while you probably won't learn any new exercises but you will truly understand not only why they work, but more importantly how to make the most of them. Important anatomical information is distilled in a way that just about anyone can readily understand and use. This book is well laid-out and illustrated effectively to convey the information. It is holistic and thorough. Although at my age I will probably never be able to do the splits, it has measurably improved my flexibility. Great book!

Lawrence Kane
Author of Martial Arts Instruction: Applying Educational Theory and Communication Techniques in the Dojo

This is easily the best and most significant book ever written on flexibility. Dr. Sang H. Kim provides the reader with a life-long foundation of achieving and maintaining peak flexibility. Brilliantly laid out and easy to follow, this fantastic book will have you stretching immediately, focusing solely on your individual goals and needs. If you have only dreamed about doing full splits, kicking high, or obtaining a grappler's flexibility, this book clearly illustrates the step by step process to achieve these dreams. Ultimate Flexibility is simply superb!