Prior to practice of karate, we warm-up and stretch for twenty to thirty minutes.

Jon Beltram’s order of exercise has been refined during more than fifty years of teaching karate:

1. Jump in place
2. Head
   • up and down
   • looking left and right
   • tilting side to side
   • circles
3. Arms
   • circle backward
   • circle forward
   • open to the sides
4. Twisting body and hips
5. Front stance (zenkutsu-dachi)
6. Sumo stance (shiko-dachi)
7. Horse stance (kiba-dachi)
8. Torso
   • stretch side to side
   • Torso circles
9. Bend and rotate knees
10. Stretching forward and back
    • Bend forward at the hips (touching toes)
    • Bend backward at the hips (arching back)
11. Seated with one leg extended stretch for toes
12. Seated with legs extended together, stretch for toes exhaling
13. Seated ankles and feet
14. Standing with feet wide, down on one leg stretch to extended leg
15. Standing with feet wide, stretch for toes
16. Standing with feet wide, stretch forward and back
17. Seated with legs wide
    • Reach for toes on each side
    • Stretch forward
18. Butterfly
19. Cobra
20. Calves and ankles
21. Raise knees
    • Raising knees to chest to the front
    • Raising knees to chest to the side