hi guys
i need help! im really un-flexable. my sensei said i need to improve. since then i have been spending about 1/2 hour a day stretching. 1/4 in the morning and 1/4 hour in evening. The stretches ive been doing ive pretty much just made up. something tells me that its not doing me any good. maybe due to the painfull 'bee sting' feeling near my knee.
im 16, weigh 9 1/2 stone and about 5ft 9. as i said before, i need help. please could someone direct me down the right path before i end up hurting myself. sugestions would be greatly appreciated.
thanks alot

Try this link..

http://trickstutorials.com/index.php?page=content/flx3#ddf_5

Ask your sensei what specific stretches you need to work on and how to do them properly.

That is a good idea. But keep in mind that not all instructors know proper stretching or even emphasize dynamic stretching. For years I was used to our normal warm-up and static strectching in that warm-up. At a young age, it is probably okay, but for us older farts it is a different ball game. I believe now that dynamic stretching is the way to go for the warm-up. Since dynamic stretching is related to the kicking and striking we use in the MA. IMO..

if you want to know all about different stretches try a book called Ultimate Flexibility: A Complete Guide to Stretching for Martial Arts by S.H. Kim.
It explains every stretch for each part of the body.
It can be found here

Ask your instructor for some stretches or concentrate on the stretches that you do at training. Also consider going to a gym or asking a trainer of some sort about stretches. Don't just make up random stretches because if you're not doing them properly you could do more damage than good. And above all, keep training hard, because with training your flexibility will improve enormously. Just don't try to rush it, know your limitations and your flexibility will improve,