Gyaku seiza

Jumbi Undō 28

1. Name of exercise

Gyaku seiza – atama no ushiro ni te o kumande jōtai futte
(Reverse seiza hip and torso movement)

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2. Romaji instruction

Gyaku seiza.
Atama no ushiro de te o kumande.
Koshi o ugokashite.

Ichi, ni, san, shi, go, roku, shichi, hachi, kyū, jū.

Hai, hiji o totte.
Karada o mawashite.

Ichi, ni, san, shi, go, roku, shichi, hachi, kyū, jū.

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3. Translation

Sit in gyaku seiza.

Place the hands behind the head.

Move the hips.

One to ten.

Take elbow position.

Rotate the body.

One to ten.

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4. Counting

Ichi – Ni – San – Shi – Go – Roku – Shichi – Hachi – Kyū – Jū
Ichi – Ni – San – Shi – Go – Roku – Shichi – Hachi – Kyū – Jū

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5. Short description

The practitioner sits in gyaku seiza, positioned between the heels.

Part 1 – Hip movement:
Hands are placed behind the head. The hips perform small controlled up-and-down movements, while the upper body remains stable.

Part 2 – Rotation and elbows:
The arms move forward into a bent position. The torso rotates alternating left and right, while the elbows move forward in the direction of rotation, similar to short elbow strikes (hiji uchi).

All movements are controlled and rhythmic.

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6. Purpose

The exercise aims to:

• increase mobility in the knees, ankles, and hips
• stretch the quadriceps
• activate hip control (koshi)
• mobilize the spine and ribcage
• develop coordination between hips and upper body
• prepare the body for elbow techniques

In Kyokushin, the knees and hips are heavily loaded in stances such as kiba dachi, sanchin dachi, and zenkutsu dachi.

This exercise marks the transition from lower body mobility to torso activation.

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Comments

1. Structure

This exercise transitions from the lower body sequence to the torso sequence.

2. Execution

Movement should originate from the hips, not isolated upper body motion.