The Five Tibetan Rites

[Jimbo]

http://www.mkprojects.com/pf_TibetanRites.htm

My physio recently drew my attention to the above exercises.

When we were discussing my ridiculasly short hamstrings, he told me to sit down on the edge of his table, to put my hands behind my back, chin to my chest, shoulders hunched forwards, and then to straigthen one leg with its foot and toes back. I couldnt do this. He then told me to relax my head (uncurl it from its down position) and to try again. This time I could raise the leg. He stated that, in that exercise, what was stopping the leg straigthening was not hamstring inflexibility but a 'problem' with the nervous system.

He stated that the nervous system, the thick sinew inside the spine which attaches to muscles (he was talking in very basic language so I had a chance to keep up!) , does not respond to stretching, but rather to 'lubrication' and exercises designed to free-up the system. And that some of my flexibility problems may be helped by these exercises.

I was interested to see that one of the Rites was the start and finish position of the Hindu push-up.

- Does anyone have any experience of these exercises ?

- I would be especially interested in Mr Kurz's thoughts regarding these exercises, what do they do and any flexibility application for martial arts ?

Thanks
Jimbo