“Any martial art that uses a stick provides its students with a ready-made stretching aid. With a little experimentation one can work out many different ways to stretch. Here are a few exercises that were developed at the University of Guelph Aikido Club over the years. Use them as a guide to what can be done and feel free to develop your own set. I’ll mention some of the specific Aikido techniques these stretches prepare you for as we describe them. ”
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Recently my club was introduced to a similar set of stretching exercises by our Naginata teacher (Shimizu Nobuko Sensei). Of course she had us doing think with a rather long ‘stick’. Then, recovering from a back problem, my physiotherapist gave me… the same exercises (using a broom handle).
Since I happen to have a jo in the house and don’t have room to swing a naginata in the living room, and see no need to dismember my broom, I’ve been using a jo for these exercises. Mr. Taylor shows a few new ones – I’ll be having a go at them after breakfast!
Obviously it’s an idea whose time has come.