Hiji undō
Jumbi Undō 36¶
1. Name of exercise¶
Sayū hiji undō
(Alternating hip rotation with elbow position)
2. Romaji instruction¶
Hai, hiji o agete.
Sayū ni mawashite.
Ichi, ni, san, shi, go, roku, shichi, hachi, kyū, jū.
3. Translation¶
Raise the elbows.
Rotate left and right.
One to ten.
4. Counting¶
Ichi – Ni – San – Shi – Go – Roku – Shichi – Hachi – Kyū – Jū
5. Short description¶
The practitioner stands in a wide stance.
Arms are raised with elbows bent, similar to an empi (elbow strike) position.
A rotational movement is performed:
- rotate the torso
- one elbow moves forward
- the other moves backward
The movement alternates side to side.
Rotation is generated from the hips (koshi) while feet remain stable.
6. Purpose¶
The exercise aims to:
- mobilize hips and lower back
- activate core muscles
- improve rotational mechanics
- warm up shoulders and elbows
- develop coordination between hips and arms
This movement prepares the body for techniques such as tsuki, uchi and empi.
Comments¶
1. Romaji
Corrected from hijite to hiji.
2. Terminology
Hiji properly refers to the elbow.
3. Structure
Sayū ni mawashite clarifies rotational movement.