Stretching

[Cycler]

It seems that chinese martial artists pay alot of attention to stretching.
Does anyone here think stretching can dramatically improve your performance?

This is the info Im aware of:

Chinese martial arts pay considerable attention to stretching. Common stretching exercises include general warm-up stretching, stretching in pairs, and various types of stretch kicks, usually practiced with speed. As many Chinese martial arts are formed to suit children and higher-level students who have been practicing since childhood, they can include basic exercises that require very high flexibility in order to be possible to perform at all.

[karatechop]

Of course
I ALWAYS stretch, you must. Its same as any sport really but particularly martial arts where you are really twisting and pushing your body to the limits.

[rubybeetle]

Yes! It does improve performance in many ways. I stretch many times a day, I'm always trying to improve my flexibility.

[Tangent210]

It's important in every sport, but especially any martial arts. It gives you a greater reach and more responsive. You won't pull any muscles and you'll be nice and limber. You'll be able to react quicker with loose muscles that have been trained through stretching. It's just as important as any of the other parts of your workout.

[chipinoh]

Flexibility is actually one of my primary goals. I look at old people, shuffling along, & I just can't imagine ending up like that!

[EviesEarth]

Exactly, stretching is vital in martial arts. Helps prevent injury and improves performance.
We teach our students different stretches and stretch during classes also.