Unique Warm UP

Sumo Exercise

Are you looking for some unique stretches / warm up for Hip open exercise?  Here’s the interesting one, called “Sumo Exercise” created by Sumo Association in Japan.  This exercise has aimed at people to get more familiar with Sumo (and of course, Japanese people are not familiar with this exercise.  In fact, I haven’t known this until I researched this).  But this will help to work on hip open exercise.  

The real sumo training includes various fundamental movements such as stamping and side splits.  These training represents unique and advanced methods of allowing wrestlers to make maximum use of their strength by drawing the center of gravity down to the lower abdomen and strengthening and stabilizing the spine which is the body’s central axis. 

I will introduce Stamping exercise to stimulate your lower body.   

Stamping  Shiko-no-kata 

Direction 1. Adopt the sumo squat position.  2. Your knees and toes should be facing forward at a 45 degree angle and your posture should be relaxed.  3. Raise your right leg, as you stand on left leg straight.  Pause briefly while you raise your right leg.  4. Bring it down with vigor to stamp the ground.  5. Repeat for left leg 

Benefits

Stamping stimulates the souls of the feet and strengthens the muscles around the legs and lower back.  Standing on one leg improves the body’s sense of balance. 

Meaning

“Shiko” pacifies evil splits and cleanses the ground.  Shiko has its origins in a religious rite for stamping out negative vibes from the ground. 

Aya