Junan Taiso is combat conditioning
It is part of taijutsu, evolved from yoga
Just as there are many schools of yoga, and many schools of MA, the methods here have been developed with specific purpose, to stretch, strengthen, tone and condition the body for the combat moves of taijutsu both the Kamae stances and positions, the Ihen transitions between the positions, and the techniques that develop from them
Learning the Kamae in sequence, like a yoga sequence, and their application in sanshin and kihon happo, moving slowly like in tai chi, to learn to explode with power from a place of readiness and stillness
The progressive way of doing this has been almost forgotten over time however the compenents can be seen in the various broken down seperated "martial arts"
Yoga kamae are held for specific periods from several seconds up to a minute or more. The exercise from yoga is flexibility and strength. In taijutsu it has the effect of training the nerves and smaller muscles to isolate and rememeber the kamae in an isometric reflex.
Tai Chi is done as a series of movements, slow transitions between poses. It teaches a slow control in the movements.
Karate uses low kamae and stances and fast transitions between them.
At STMA
GENERAL warmup and stretch we do before every session - a basic total body stretch, one part at a time
For WRIST - TEBUKI - we go into a more detailed conditioning where we put ourselves into the various wristlocks, Kote Gaeshi, Taki Ori, Nikkyo, etc. We then have a KALI wrist warmup before going into the stick drills themselves. The KALI stick training develops wrist strength
For NECK we have a warmup which involves moving the head in all directions to condition and warmup the neck
GROUND has it's own sequence of exercises, performed before a Ground session. This is also the time to practice press-ups and situps if one feels inclined, as a preparation, not as a muscle building exercise
KICKBOXING starts with the Dynamic or Ballistic stretches for the leg, working all four directions
Junan Taiso also uses the NINPO KAMAE as a Yoga style routine
Look at the links between the YOGA Asana, the postures and the KAMAE in Taijutsu
How can you use the Kamae for Conditioning the same way?
Look at Kihon Happo - if you perform them slowly like Tai Chi, what are the benefits?
Look at TAIHENJUTSU - the Rolling, the Leaping - do that as sets and how much is that like an Aerobics class?
