Ashi no yubi kaeshi
Jumbi Undō 21¶
1. Name of exercise¶
Ashi no yubi kaeshi undō
(Toe bending and toe stretch exercise)
2. Romaji instruction¶
Ashi no yubi o motte.
Ashi no yubi o kaeshite.
Ichi, ni, san, shi, go, roku, shichi, hachi, kyū, jū.
3. Translation¶
Hold the toes.
Bend the toes.
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 remains seated on the floor as in the previous exercise. The left leg is extended forward, while the right leg is bent, allowing the right foot to be easily reached with the hands.
The toes of the right foot (ashi no yubi) are held with one hand.
The toes are then gently bent backward and forward, using controlled pressure from the hand.
The movement is performed rhythmically for ten repetitions.
The focus is on mobilizing the toe joints and the forefoot. The motion should remain smooth and controlled without pulling or jerking the toes.
After completing the repetitions, the exercise is repeated with the opposite foot.
6. Purpose¶
The exercise aims to:
- mobilize the toe joints
- improve mobility in the forefoot
- stimulate circulation in the small muscles and tendons of the foot
- prepare the foot for load in stances, stepping, and kicking
- improve balance and ground contact
In Kyokushin, the structure of the foot plays an important role in stability and power transfer in techniques. Mobilizing the toes during warm-up improves the foot’s ability to stabilize the body and maintain contact with the ground, which is essential for techniques such as mae geri and in many dachi stances.