Full splits for F and H

For someone who only does Foundation and Handstanding (no apparatus training or other sports like martial arts), what is the usefulness of having full middle and front splits? Do they benefit some of the course exercises?

I'm still going to pursue them regardless, just curious.

 

The MN progressions require a lot of mobility, from straddle-ups to HLL all the way to the exalted manna. This kind of mobility comes from front and middle split stretching. Handstand presses require excellent compression as well, and they're considered essential to GST. You have to be able to comfortably enter these positions if you hope to train that kind of strength. Otherwise you just fight yourself. There's also the hip flexor mobility of a good front split which is just good for us considering all the chair and couch time we encounter these days.

Interesting. I thought good straddle (pancake) and pike flexibility would suffice for Manna but I see I was wrong. All stretching is good for sure to counterbalance our sedentary lifestyles.