Actual combat requires physical movement. In GoJu-Te we call this specialized movement "combat movement". Human movement is possible when the body's nervous, skeletal and muscular (including tendons) systems work in unison. Proper physical action is the most essential part of hand to hand combat and as such it becomes an essential part of GoJu-Te’s physical training regiment.

The task of GoJu-Te's flexibility program is to develop the body's maneuverability to such an extent as to subjugate the body’s movement to the will of the mind. This is a task that takes years of practice to perfect but significant and measurable improvement can be achieved in a matter of a few weeks.

Combat movement requires that the body possess a high degree of maneuverability. This is so because in combat the body must be able to move, parry, dodge, slip, skip, and jump. This level of physical maneuverability requires great flexibility in almost every joint of the body.

The indispensable species of exercise in achieving the high degree of flexibility required in GoJu-Te combat training is stretching. The primary focus of GoJu-Te stretching is the lower body and the lumbosacral region of the back. There two area are the most susceptible to injury and as a consequence require most of the artist's attention. The list of appropriate exercise is long. Often the practitioner will have to make tough choices because the time to exercise is not limitless. However, there are a few fundamental exercises that cannot be avoided. Here is a sample:

Rule
NEVER ATTEMPT TO STRETCH UNLESS YOU FIRST WARM UP
We recommend running. Fifteen to twenty minutes is usually sufficient. If running is not possible jumping jacks are excellent substitutes and can be augmented with military jacks and/or other aerobic type of exercises of similar nature for the same amount of time. (I.e. running in place and rope skipping) The bottom line is that you should have a good sweat before you seriously begin to stretch.

Specific Exercises

1. Ankle rotations
2. Achilles' ladder stretch
3. Skier's knee twists
4. Ladder stretch 1
5. Partner stretching (standing and seated)
6. Hurdler's stretch
7. Karate side to side stretch
8. Front fencer's stretch
9. Rope stretching (front and side kicks)
10. Seated cat stretch
11. Half plows (lying down)
12. Plow
13. Twists side to side
14. Deep front bends (standing)
15. Bar hangs and twist
16. Indian Wrestling stretch (the Dand)
17. Reverse back lifts
18. Neck rotations
19. Wrist rotations
20. High football kicks

From this short list the application of one to two exercises for each body area are sufficient to produce positive results over the course of time.

(1) Ladder Stretch: By utilizing an ordinary household ladder one can perform the front kick and side kick stretch. One can progressively move up a step at a time until the highest step is used. This is one of the cheapest tool in a dojo as most wooden frame ladders cost approx. $20.