Jotai kaiten undo
Jumbi Undō 13¶
1. Name of exercise¶
Ōkiku taisō – jōtai kaiten undō
(Large upper body rotation exercise)
2. Romaji instruction¶
Kondo, ōkiku mawashite.
Ichi, ni, san, shi, go, roku, shichi, hachi, kyū, jū.
3. Translation¶
Now rotate the upper body in a large motion.
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 in a wide stance where one leg is bent and the other extended, somewhat similar to zenkutsu dachi, but in a wider lateral position.
From this position the upper body rotates first toward the side where the knee is bent. The torso twists and the arms follow the movement, creating a large circular motion.
The body then moves downward toward the extended leg, leaning forward so that the hands approach the leg or the floor.
The movement continues in a large circle as the torso rises again and rotates back toward the bent side.
The motion is continuous and rhythmic throughout the counting.
After several repetitions the stance switches so the opposite leg bends and the same rotational movement is performed to the other side.
The movement should be large, fluid, and controlled, emphasizing rotation through the hips and torso.
6. Purpose¶
The purpose of the exercise is to:
- increase mobility in the spine and hips
- improve rotational flexibility in the core muscles
- stretch the hips, groin, and hamstrings
- prepare the body for techniques requiring rotational power
Within the Kyokushin warm-up structure this exercise integrates hips, legs, and upper body into one coordinated movement.
After earlier joint mobilization and stretching exercises, this larger dynamic rotation prepares the body for techniques where power is generated through coordinated movement of the lower and upper body.
Comments¶
1. Romaji
The instruction kondo (“now” or “next”) is commonly used in dojo to signal the transition to the next exercise.
2. Terminology
The term jōtai kaiten literally means “upper body rotation” and is used in Japanese training vocabulary to describe large rotational movements of the torso.