“The Art of Hojo Undo: Power Training For Traditional Karate”Michael Clarke has written an informative, interesting book about supplementary training in order to improve one’s karate skills. The book not only teaches you the classic training methods but also teaches how to create and use traditional training tools from Okinawa.
The introduction briefly places hojo undo or additional training in the context of the history of Karate and how it is intended to push your limits. Next, the book discusses preparation exercises. These basic warm-up exercises are what you will see in martial arts classes before or during training. These exercises are well described and illustrated by drawings. Many positions and movements can be described using Japanese terminology.
The book’s author breaks down the tools into two types: the ones that can be grasped and picked up, and the ones that have different levels of impact. Chapter 3 focuses on lifting instruments. Makiagi is the first tool we will discuss. The Makiagi is a simple stick that has a rope attached to it and weight at the end. To help you make your own, there are diagrams as well as directions and exercises. Next is Chiishi or strength stones. It is basically a stick that has a weight at the end. You can find the weight on the middle of the double-handle chiishi. You will find instructions for how to make your own chiishi as well as various exercises.
Nigiri Gami (gripping jars). Tan (barbell), Ishisashi(stone lock), kongoken (1-inch iron ring) and the Tetsu Geta (2-inch iron sandal) are some of the lifting tools shown.
These photographs of tools as they were used in years past are a delight. Clarke keeps the past of training in this book. This is something I like. There have been many improvements in training techniques and tools which can be used to help athletes today achieve better results. You can find it motivating to be able to train as you did many years back. Training is always better than none. But I believe that modern training techniques and equipment should be used. This is why I believe that adding this kind of training to one’s daily routine may help break down plateaus and add some variety.
The fourth chapter is devoted to impact tools. Instructions were provided on how to build a makiwara and included training exercises. It is the oldest impact tool. You can also use the tou (bamboo bundle), jaribako(sand box), or ude kitae (“pounding post”) as training tools. The older images of these tools and techniques were again very enjoyable to me. Clarke offers excellent instruction. This book will show you how to karate like the old days.
To help you get tougher, the fifth chapter contains exercises for conditioning your body. The following chapter provides instructions on how to perform such drills. The chapter six section continues to include some exercises for auxiliary purposes that don’t require tools. These are exercises that you may have seen in your martial arts class. Two short chapters in the last chapter will show you some other methods and tools, as well two comments about hojo Undo by Okinawan Karate Master.
The history and techniques of Okinawan Martial Arts is fascinating to me. This book is a great resource for anyone looking to understand traditional training. Clarke’s book is a great resource for anyone who trains in budo to get better and be healthier. To achieve the desired results, I think it is possible to combine older methods with more modern training techniques. This book is an excellent addition to any martial arts library and should be read by all who study traditional karate.