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Dive into the world of Karate with our blog. Training tips, event recaps, and community stories.
Join Palm Court Karate and become part of our story
Book Your Free Trial
Mario Sequeira
28 November 2025 • 5 min read
Step into a standard gym, and you'll encounter dumbbells and treadmills. Enter a traditional Goju-Ryu dojo, and you might discover heavy ceramic jars, weighted stones mounted on wooden handles, and iron sandals.
This is Hojo Undo (supplementary training)—the time-honoured conditioning methods of Okinawan Karate.
Modern fitness culture builds muscles for aesthetics. Hojo Undo builds muscles for application. It is specifically designed to strengthen the tendons, ligaments, and stabiliser muscles essential to Karate techniques.
These tools are not arbitrary. Each one targets specific attributes required for effective technique.
Chiishi (Weighted Stone Lever): Swinging these weighted implements develops the wrist and forearm strength necessary for powerful blocking and devastating strikes. The circular motions mirror the body mechanics of our techniques.
Nigiri Game (Gripping Jars): These ceramic vessels, often filled with sand or gravel, develop crushing grip strength and strengthen the fingers—essential for proper fist formation and grappling applications.
Makiwara (Striking Post): The traditional striking post conditions the striking surfaces and teaches proper alignment under impact. Every strike should transmit force through the entire body, not merely the arm.
Tan (Barbell): The traditional stone or metal barbell strengthens the shoulders, core, and legs through controlled lifting patterns that mirror Karate stances and movements.
Knuckle Push-ups and Conditioning: We don't perform these merely to demonstrate toughness. We do them to align the wrist properly and strengthen the fist, ensuring that when you punch, your hand remains protected and your power is maximised.
"Goju" translates to "Hard-Soft." Hojo Undo represents the "Hard" dimension. It conditions the body to absorb impact and generate power. It strengthens not just muscle, but bone density, tendon resilience, and mental fortitude.
This is not always comfortable, but it is essential. This is training the way the old masters intended—no shortcuts, no compromises, no substitutes.
At Palm Court Karate, we integrate these traditional methods alongside modern sports science. You don't need a full traditional dojo to benefit from these principles. The concepts—progressive resistance, functional strength, body conditioning—translate into any serious training regimen.
The question is not whether you have access to a Chiishi. The question is whether you are willing to forge yourself with the same dedication as those who came before.
By forging the body, we simultaneously forge the spirit.