Suburi squats

[Charlie]

I was searching around for this but couldn't quite find what I was after. If it's been covered before, please point me that way.

How does one do the suburi exercise where one is sort of squatting into one's suburi? I have seen it done where the feet are spread apart just past shoulder level and toes pointed outward at about 45 degrees. Then, on the down stroke of suburi, you lower your body on the legs but without raising your heels off the floor. The burn is felt in the thighs.

First of all, is this correct? Not to raise the heels? Or do you do them more like a hindu squat - come all the way down raising the heels of the floor?

There is a Japanese name for this exercise, too, but I don't know what it is.

[Neil Gendzwill]

We just call it "kiai exercise", at least the way we do it. Raise slowly, cut down huge and round, say "e!" like the e in kote. Keep your back straight, heels come up a little on the upswing but then down on the cut. Breathing is like shinkokyu.

[Charlie]

We just call it "kiai exercise", at least the way we do it. Raise slowly, cut down huge and round, say "e!" like the e in kote. Keep your back straight, heels come up a little on the upswing but then down on the cut. Breathing is like shinkokyu.

Thanks, Neil. Heels come UP a little on the upswing and then DOWN on the cut? Are you sure it's not reverse? In hindu squats/squats, heels come up as you lower and down as you raise.

Shinkokyu: what is that? Is that where you breathe in on the upswing, breathe out on the down swing into sonkyo, then back up again?

[Dave Fowler]

Could also be sonkyo (sp?) suburi.

[Kirin]

are you reffering to kiba-dachi (horse mount position)?
In kiba-dachi suburi, hour hell never leave floor. It is to build your lower body and koshi(hip) and proper posture.
This exrecise help you use your ki from hara/tanden and to swing with your back muscle, to shoulder to elbow to arm.

Shin-kokyu (shin means deep, kokyu is breathing)
so as you said, swing up (breath in), back to chudan position as you sonkyo (breath out), swing up to jodan (breath in), back to chudan (breath out).
I was told that when you swing up, it expand you lung so help inhale better.

Could also be sonkyo (sp?) suburi

It used to be sonkyo suburi in Japan, but recent study shows it is bad for your knee so not many dojo exercise sonkyo suburi anymore.

[Charlie]

are you reffering to kiba-dachi (horse mount position)?
In kiba-dachi suburi, your heel never leave floor. It is to build your lower body and koshi(hip) and proper posture. This exercise help you use your ki from hara/tanden and to swing with your back muscle, to shoulder to elbow to arm.

That's it! It sure sounds like it. I was trying to watch sensei's feet when he did it but couldn't really make them out because of the hakama.

What do you think about the idea of doing "suburi hindu squats?" I'm going to start doing them as they are supposed to be very good for you. I wonder what different muscles are being worked by the two, kiba-dachi or hindu squats. (Do you know what those are? They are usually done open handed. Squats are also done with weights on the shoulders.)

[Hai_hai]

I was searching around for this but couldn't quite find what I was after. If it's been covered before, please point me that way.

How does one do the suburi exercise where one is sort of squatting into one's suburi? I have seen it done where the feet are spread apart just past shoulder level and toes pointed outward at about 45 degrees. Then, on the down stroke of suburi, you lower your body on the legs but without raising your heels off the floor. The burn is felt in the thighs.

First of all, is this correct? Not to raise the heels? Or do you do them more like a hindu squat - come all the way down raising the heels of the floor?

There is a Japanese name for this exercise, too, but I don't know what it is.

We did that drill. Some people don't have the flexibility for this drill to keep their heels down. Once your ankles stop flexing but your knees and body are continuing the squat, your body compensates by raising the heels off the ground, or else you would lose balance.
It isn't bad for the knees. If you are person with previous knee problems, then it's bad.