Chiishi Exercise 2

This is the standard chiishi training exercise, as used at Gojuryu Karatedo Yoyogi Ryushinkan Dojo. The chiishi is gripped firmly and held in front of the body in a deep shikodachi stance. The arm is not extended fully, but tension is maintained in the pectoral muscles of the arm holding the chiishi. Rising out of shikodachi to full height, the chiishi is alternatively lowered towards the ground, raised above the head, dropped to the inside, lowered diagonally outside, and finally bought up to the armpit and then thrust out to the front as with a punch. For each move, inhalation is performed, followed by a short but full exhalation going into shikodachi. 

The key points are to keep the posture straight, attain a nice, low shikodachi, align movement with breathing, keep the wrists supple and the movements circular, and always tense for a fraction of a second for the "kime" when the chiishi is held out front each time. For beginners, the moves can be separated into three exercises: up/down, inside/outside and the forward thrust. Or the exercise can be done as one set of five moves, as shown in the video.