Hojo undo
補助運動
Supplementary strength exercises of Okinawan karate with traditional tools: the weights chi ishi, ishi sashi, the jars nigiri game and the makiwara.
Quick Facts
Word breakdown
Definition
Hojo undo (補助運動) means “supplementary exercises”: hojo is support, supplement, undo is exercise. In Okinawan karate it is the strengthening and conditioning of the body with simple traditional tools, meant to prepare the practitioner for the demands of technique. It is cultivated most in Goju-ryu and related schools. The tools include chi ishi, a stone or concrete weight on a wooden handle, ishi sashi, a weight shaped like a padlock, nigiri game, wide-necked jars filled with sand, tetsu geta, iron sandals for strengthening the legs, tan, a counterpart of the dumbbell, jari bako, a container with sand or pebbles for conditioning the fingers, tou, a bundle of bamboo, makiwara and kongoken, a metal oval which, according to tradition, Miyagi Chojun took over from Hawaiian wrestlers.
Relations to other terms
Narrower terms
Okinawan striking board, literally “rolled-up straw”. Strikes are practised on a springy post with a pad, which also conditions the striking surfaces.
Chi ishi鎚石Hojo undo tool: a concrete or stone weight at the end of a wooden handle. It strengthens the fingers, wrists, forearms, shoulders and chest.
Ishi sashi石錠Hojo undo tool: a hand weight shaped like a padlock, traditionally made of stone. It comes from China, where it is called shisuo.
Nigiri game握り甕Hojo undo tool: ceramic jars filled with sand, held by the fingers at the rim of the neck. They strengthen the grip, arms, shoulders, back and legs.
Tou竹束Hojo undo tool: a bundle of bamboo rods tied at the top and bottom or in the middle. The fingers are thrust into it to condition the fingertips.