Hiza o motte kusshin
Jumbi Undō 08¶
1. Name of exercise¶
Hiza o motte kusshin undō
(Knee bending exercise with hands on the knees)
2. Romaji instruction¶
Hai, hiza o motte.
Kusshin.
Ichi, ni.
San, shi.
Go, roku.
Shichi, hachi.
Kyū, jū.
3. Translation¶
Hold the knees.
Bend and extend.
One, two.
Three, four.
Five, six.
Seven, eight.
Nine, ten.
4. Counting¶
Ichi – Ni
San – Shi
Go – Roku
Shichi – Hachi
Kyū – Jū
5. Short description¶
The practitioner stands with the feet approximately shoulder-width apart. The hands are placed on the knees, right hand on the right knee and left hand on the left knee.
From this position the knees bend and the body lowers toward a squat while the hands continue supporting the knees.
In the lower position two short bouncing bends are performed (ichi, ni). The legs are then extended again until the body almost returns to an upright position, where two additional counts are performed (san, shi).
The movement continues in the same rhythm:
- two short bends in the lower position
- two counts in the upper position
This sequence continues until the count reaches ten.
The back remains slightly inclined forward and the knees follow the direction of the feet.
6. Purpose¶
The purpose of the exercise is to:
- activate the knee joint and its stabilizing muscles
- warm up the quadriceps, hamstrings, and calf muscles
- improve mobility in the knee and hip
- train controlled bending and extension of the legs
The exercise continues the warm-up progression where the load moves gradually along the kinetic chain — foot → knee → hip.
Comments¶
1. Romaji
The instruction hiza o motte literally means “hold the knees.” The command kusshin then indicates repeated bending and extension of the legs.
2. Terminology
The word kusshin (屈伸) is commonly used in Japanese training terminology for rhythmic bending and straightening movements of the legs.