This is a brief example of the types of exercises available from the thousands of martial arts movements used to improve health, strength, flexibility and endurance.

General warmup exercises

• Deep breathing
• Marching in place
• Running in place
• March with lunges
• Arm swinging
• Leg swinging
• Rotating joints
• Arm circles
• Leg circles
• Jumping rope
• Dynamic stretches
• Cross kicks
• Stretch kicks

Major Joint Exercise

• Rotate waist, hands to shoulder and kidney
• Rotate waist, hands to neck and kidney
• Rotate waist, hands to sides (Open and Close)

Neck exercises

• Dragon looks north and south
• Dragon looks east and west
• Isometric

Loosen wrists and fingers

• Shaking wrists and fingers
• White crane relaxes wings
• Crane tensho
• Fishtail
• Fire and water
• Drill forward, Pull back

Arm exercises

• Isometric wrist
• Isometric forearm
• Pushups
• Arm thrusts

Arm extensions

• Stretch to front
• Stretch to sides
• Stretch to back

Elbow exercises

• Loosen elbows
• Big Bear encircles moon

Shoulder exercises

• Rotate arms forward then backwards
• Circle shoulders forward, up, back and down
• White crane spreads wings
• Circling arms in front of chest

Ankle and foot exercises

• Ankle rotations
• Ankle bends
• Heel pivot
• Heel lift
• Foot circle
• Touching the sky

Knee exercises

• Knee bends
• Knee circles
• Dragon stances
• Knee raises
• Heel kick backwards

Leg exercise

• Sitting calf stretch
• Front thigh stretch
• Hamstring stretch
• Standing foot to hand - front
• Standing foot to hand - side
• Standing foot to hand - back
• Standing leg raise - front
• Standing leg raise - side
• Standing leg raise - back
• Standing leg extension to front
• Standing leg extension to side
• Standing leg extension to back
• Lunge forward
• Quadriceps stretch
• Hurdlers stretch
• Butterfly stretch
• V-stretch
• Lying hamstring and anterior stretches
• Choi ha dan ja seh stretches
• Anterior tendon stretch
• Wall stretch
• Front split
• Lying butterfly stretch
• Sitting V - stretch against wall
• Lying V - stretch against wall
• Side splits
• Chair stretch
• Side leg swings against wall
• Leg lift and turn

Hip exercises

• Cross hip stretch against wall
• Hip rotations (sitting, standing)

Abdominal exercises

• Cobra
• Bow
• Prone knee lift
• Prone leg lift and hold
• Situp
• Waist scoop
• Chinese wheel

Back exercises

• Torso twists (sitting, standing)
• Hang on rings or high bar
• Sit and twist
• Sit and side bend
• Sit and forward bend
• Sitting hamstring and back stretch
• Prone to back bend
• Prone back extension
• Prone to flying back extension
• Stand and bend to side
• Standing trunk rotation
• Lower back stretch
• Lower hamstring stretch
• Toe touches - windmills and elbow touches
• Placing hands on feet
• Holding up the sky with both hands
• Tiger stretch
• Chinese wheel

Kick boxing exercises

• Blocks
• Punches
• Strikes
• Kicks
• Combinations (standing & walking)

T'ai Chi and Qigong exercises

• Wai Dan (External Elixir)
• Nei Dan (Internal Elixir)
• Zhan Zhuang (Stance Keeping - Standing)
• Rowing On A Calm Lake
• Tui Shou (Pushing Hands)
• Chan Ssu Jing (Silk Reeling)
• Dao Yin Tu Na (Leading and Guiding the Chi Stretching)
• Wu Chin Hsi (Five Animal Play)
• Yi Jin Jing (Muscle Strengthening Exercises)
• Shen Hu Xi Yun Dong (Up and Down Breathing Exercises)
• Li Shou (Hand Swinging)
• Tsa Fu Pei (Knocking at the Gate of Life)
• Yun Shoou (Wave Hands in Clouds)
• Wun Yuen Yut Hei Jeung (Primordial Chaos One Chi Palm)
• Ba Duan Jin (Eight Pieces of Brocade)
• Shih Erh Duan Jin (12 Pieces of Brocade)
• Tyau Shenn (Regulating the Body)
• Tyau Hsin (Regulating the Mind)
• Tyau Shyi (Regulating the Breath)
• Tyau Chi (Regulating the Chi)
• Tyau Shen (Regulating the Spirit)
• Xiao Zhou Tian (Small Circulation Breathing)
• Da Zhou Tian (Large Circulation Breathing)
• Fang Sung Kung (Breathing for Relaxation)
• Fang Song Yun Dong (Exercises for Relaxation)
• Chiang Chuang Kung (Breathing for Invigoration)
• Nei Yang Kung (Breathing for Internal Nourishment)
• Ming Tian Gu (Beathing the Heaven Drum)
• Kou Chi (Knocking the Teeth)
• Tai Ji Gun (T'ai Chi Rod)
• Hu Xi Yun Dong (Exercises for Breathing)
• Yan Bu Yun Dong (Exercises for Eyes)
• Zhi Liao Ying Ti Cao Ji An Ma (Therapeutic Gymnastic Exercises and Massage)
• Huai Yun Ji Zhi Yun Dong (Therapeutic Exercises for Pregnant Women)
• Chan Hou fu Wan Zhi Yun Dong (Therapeutic Exercises for Post-pregnant Women)

Other exercises within martial arts include:

Animal Forms

Short and long forms

Exercises with weights

Exercises with resistance

Exercises with weapons

If you would like more information about Grace Martial Arts classes in the Tampa area, contact Mark McGee at mmcgee@gmaf.org.