11 Akiresu-ken undō¶
Name¶
Romaji:
Akiresu-ken undō
Japanese:
アキレス腱運動
English:
Achilles tendon exercise
Romaji instructions¶
Hai, akiresu-ken no undō.
(Achilles tendon exercise.)
Hai, obi no yoko o motte.
(Hold the belt at the sides.)
Ichi, ni, san, shi, go, roku, shichi, hachi, kyu, ju.
(One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten.)
Ju wa kiai.
(Ten with kiai.)
Count¶
Ichi, ni, san, shi, go, roku, shichi, hachi, kyu, ju
(Ju with kiai)
Description¶
The practitioner stands with the feet approximately shoulder-width apart and holds the belt at the sides.
From this position, the heels are raised so the body lifts onto the ball of the foot (chusoku) with slightly bent knees.
The heels are then lowered back toward the floor while the legs extend, creating a stretch in the calf muscles and Achilles tendon.
The movement alternates rhythmically between:
- rising onto chusoku
- lowering toward kakato
Purpose¶
- strengthen the calf muscles
- increase elasticity of the Achilles tendon
- improve ankle stability
- prepare for push-off and movement
Key technical points¶
- controlled upward and downward motion
- centered balance
- full contact at the bottom
- consistent rhythm
Comment¶
This exercise introduces elastic loading of the lower leg and prepares the body for explosive movements.