Uechi-Ryu Conditioning
Specific Uechi Conditioning or Kote Kitai (小手鍛え) is praticed in Uechi Style and in Goju Ryu (Okinawa Karate). Kote Kitai practice will reinforce body strength and will allow to perform efficient blocks.
Kote Kitai is traditionaly performed after Hojo-Undo. It is important to practice it very gradually to avoid injury and help the body to be stronger.
recent studies have shown this training reinforce muscle and limit osteoporisis development. .
An other conditioning exercise is based on basic Uechi Kate Sanchin. This specific exercise is called Sanchin Test or Sanchin Kitai (三戦鍛え).
During this exercise, parctitioner will remove his top and will perform sanchin kata.
The sensei will ask him to stop the kata execution and stay in Sanchin Stance. He will check the strength of his body by kicking gradually the different muscular groups.
During Uechi Ryu exhibition Sanchin Kitae can seem barbarian for the public but it is a very powerful exercise to accelerate the progress of the practitioner.
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adJSQQZzKHU[/embedyt]
A traditional strenght training tool is the Makiwara (巻藁).
This padded striking post is very popular in Okinawa and in Japan .
However Makiwara is not recommended for young practitioners as it can endanger their health by limiting their growth.
Gichin Funakoshi using Makiwara