In the 1950’s Kanei Uechi Sensei added Junbi Undo to the Uechi-Ryu curriculum as a means to prepare the individual for the demands of training . The specific nature and order of the exercises (from toes upward and from extremities inward), align with traditional Asian practices which promote mobility , circulation, and breath development in addition to injury prevention.
In Uechi-Ryu, Junbi Undo is compacted into a readily learnable form. It is left to us to develop the health and longevity aspects of Uechi Ryu which are purposely made more obvious in Junbi Undo. Because Junbi Undo is not a formal part of rank requirements, this development may go under appreciated.
General Hints
- Do the exercises mindfully through your full but comfortable range of motion without rushing. Stay in your comfort zone being respectful of your state of health and capability.
- Remain conscious of your breath; improving abdominal breathing over time.
- Relax. Tense muscles:
- cannot move efficiently
- do not support joint health
- fatigue and injure more easily
Specific Hints (English terms used)
- Heel Pivots: Rotate the leg fully; you may feel a gentle stretch up to your inguinal crease.
- Ball of the Foot Pivots: Rotate the leg around as if doing a sokuto geri with the heel end only of the foot very slightly above the floor. You may feel a gentle stretch up to the deep inner thigh muscles up to the glutes.
- Ankle Pivots: With the leg elevated so that the femur is parallel to the floor; vary the circle size traced by the foot (e.g., 4 big circles, 4 small circles). This exercise helps develop and sustain the balance mechanism by engaging the core and challenging proprioception on the supporting foot as the other leg moves oscillating your mass about some.
- Knee “Circles”: This is a misnomer; knees do not voluntarily rotate! Optimally, we are shifting our weight around the perimeter of each foot as we move our weight around in a circle over the feet. This helps our proprioception; balance and fall resistance.
- Leg lift and Turn: A more challenging version of what the ankle circles do by engaging more leg and core muscles with the leg straightened. Try and point the toes as you open the leg to the side and back. If you have difficulty, you can bend the lifted leg in a right angle and still derive benefit from this exercise.
- Straight Leg Kicks: Relax your arms either at your sides or recruited into an eased arms-up position. Fighting-like tension in the back, shoulders, arms, or hands inhibits the health benefits of this exercise. Try doing the leg lifts from a neutural stance with both feet even. This engages the core (thus developing it) to lift the straight leg rather than using momentum to swing the leg from behind.
- Waist Scoops: If you have lower back problems, be careful with this. In the head down position, look back between your legs and not at the floor. The latter position engages the cervical spine muscles; we are trying to relax them. As you come up, bend the knees slightly and roll your hips back a little which shifts your center of mass back and takes the strain off your lower back as you rise.
- Body Stretching: Three pointers: (1) when you stretch in the circle reach as far as you can with your arms, ; as if you’re inside a hollow sphere you can just barely touch, (2) activate your hips to direct your coccyx towards the floor, and (3) when you place your hands on one leg, the fingertips of both hands should be even along the lower leg to avoid creating imbalances.
- Arm Strengthening: There are several points, but I’ll offer the most important one here. The same as in a real-life grab, close your fist before bringing the hand back.
- Neck Exercise: As Sensei George Mattson notes, elongate the neck before rotating it. Imagine a string from your crown being gently pulled on the keep your neck long. If you have neck problems, be careful here.
Over the years I have added six more exercises taught to me by Senseis Spencer and Shinjo, including one specific yoga posture to our Junbi Undo regimen
Summary
Uechi Ryu’s Junbi Undo aligns with a number of Asian practices used to prepare for training as well as facilitating health and longevity. Although not a promotion requirement, it persists as a visible activity pointing to health related objectives. This brief article provides some hints to help optimize the health and longevity benefits of Uechi-Ryu’s Junbi Undo.
Domo arigato.
Rik Lostritto, 7th Dan, Kyoshi and Shihan
Uechi-Ryu Karate-Do