Molaskes: Paving and Leading the Way

TaiGei is an ultra-efficient system for training your body: minimal effort and requiring only little time for excellent results. It consists of a few training sequences (katas) and a breathing exercise. TaiGei does not replace other forms of exercise or sports, but it ensures a baseline fitness, including mobility, good posture, basic strength, body awareness, and control, for all age groups up to very old age, and is suitable also for busy people with very little time. Just remember to check with a doctor before taking up new forms of exercise, especially if you have existing health issues. The Etymology of "TaiGei" Tai is Japanese for Body. — Gei is Japanese for Art. Hence "TaiGei" = "The Art of the Body". What is meant here is the art of training your body for health and fitness. The History of TaiGei‌ I have been training martial arts since early childhood, including Judo, Kung-Fu, Karate, Ninpo/Ninjutsu, Nihon Ju-Jutsu, Escrima/Arnis/Kali, Aikido, Krav Maga, and beyond, with my main focus on traditional Nihon Ju-Jutsu for many years, even acting as a (civilian) close-combat instructor at a police academy while our regular sensei was abroad for some months. Besides that, I've also practiced semi-professional ballroom dancing, many styles of disco dancing, hiking, canoeing, ice-skating, parkour, yoga, and more. Of all these physical activities, Nihon Ju-Jutsu had the most comprehensive positive effects on my health, build/physique, posture, endurance, overall fitness, and body perception (just feeling great and healthy). However, the training was not very efficient at achieving these results: As the main focus was on learning and practicing martial arts techniques and skills, the training consisted of a lot of single-technique monotonous repetitions, interspersed with times of just standing or sitting there, watching the sensei demonstrate techniques, or overseeing other students in their training. And this for several hours in a session, with several sessions per week. When I increasingly wanted to focus more on other things in life, besides being forced to work for a living, I searched for ways to very efficiently reproduce the main positive effects of my prior training. As I am always eager to learn, at this time I also happened to read a lot about general anatomy (how the body is built in every detail) and physiology (how the body works in every detail) anyways, and then purposefully also studied sports anatomy and sports physiology in particular, followed by Shiatsu and more common forms of massages. Over the decades, I developed and refined a series of extremely efficient types of exercise programs that are intended for frequent practice, with each set of exercises requiring only a minimum amount of time each day (just a few minutes), so that it is ideal as a daily routine. I personally practice it every night right before going to bed. I published this documentation of TaiGei here in 2025, after having taught TaiGei to others in person since 2003 (22 years back), and I had originally developed its core even back in 1998 (27 years ago). Katas Overview‌ TaiGei currently has three katas, which is a Japanese term for fixed exercising sequences. However, they are not as "set in stone" as most martial arts katas are, and I will point out the many possible ways to experiment with varying or even extending them below. TaiGei-S‌ is the Stretching kata, where we move every muscle and joint that we can control consciously, moving each movable part systematically and safely in every direction and every possible rotation, which by way of regular practice will balance all muscle pairs for perfect posture and build/physique, and increases our strength, flexibility, body control, and body perception. TaiGei-M‌ is the Massage kata, where we systematically hit, knead, press, grip, rub, and stroke all of our body zones where this is health-conducive and safe, improving our body tissues and blood circulation, further releasing tensions and improving our body perception, adding to our overall well-being. (In Nihon Ju-Jutsu this is achieved, to some degree, by the close-contact training — simulating all sorts of bodily attacks and practicing defences against them — and the many falls and rolls one has to perform in a training session.) TaiGei-A‌ is the Atemi kata, with "atemi" being the Japanese term for martial arts techniques of hitting, striking, boxing, kicking, and so on, which not only trains self-defence essentials but also "shakes" the body in more or less explosive moves, training also speed, precise movement control, spatial awareness and mastery, coordination, and balance. All three katas also help in hardening our body, and each also has some minor endurance-training effect, although I'd advice to practice forms of real endurance training (such as hiking, cycling, or jogging for example) in addition to TaiGei. The Breathing Tree‌ The Breathing Tree is a short breathing exercise that is done after each of the three TaiGei katas. I developed it on the basis of different breathing exercises from Nihon Ju-Jutsu and Aikido. Stand in a shoulders-wide stance, knees only slightly bent, the arms hanging down naturally. Movement 1 (ca. 1 second): The Seedling‌ In a quick motion, while energetically breathing in, move your hands together, palms up, as if scooping up air, until your left fingers' backsides rest on your right fingers, then lift your hands in this position above your head, which will tilt your palms to face you, at the same time straightening your legs. Then make but a brief pause, or continue right away in one smooth movement. Movement 2 (ca. 3 seconds): Strong Roots Breathing out powerfully "into your stomach", mimick pushing the air down with force, palms down, slightly bending your knees again, until your arms are extended all the way down. Movement 3 (ca. 2 seconds): The Fountain Gently breathing in, almost passively, quickly let your arms move upwards again before you, but like passively blown by the wind, very relaxed, straightening your legs again, and then swing your arms outwards from each other, opening up in a wide arch to either side of you, palms facing up as if holding a huge soft cushion, and when you reach a position below the horizontal where you notice sinew tension, let your arms spring back the same way, now as if scooping up all the air around you, until your hands touch again, forming a roof above and slightly before your head, the left palm's fingers again resting against the right palm's fingers. Movement 4 (ca. 5 seconds): The Energy of Life Slowly and consciously breathing out, move your hands slowly down again before you, as if feeding all the caught air into your body, gently like a light summer rain though, or like a magic glittering waterfall, while you slightly bend your knees again. TaiGei-S (Stretching) Instructions‌ A basic scheme used throughout this kata is an 8-directions star movement; its basic pattern (sometimes mirrored within the kata ) goes, always executed in a smoothly flowing succession, and always passing through the center: 1. up, 2. down, 3. left, 4. right, 5. up-left, 6. down-right, 7. up-right, 8. down-left. For most of the muscle/joint groups, this star movement is preceded by a rotation along the long/normal axis, rolling left and right in the center of the star, and followed by a full circle rotation around the star. This ensures that all joints get moved fully. Beginners do the sequence as described below, but later you can repeat each pair of moves (eg up/down, left/right) as many times as you feel fit to do. I usually only do each pair twice (eg up-down-up-down, then left-right-left-right), and complete TaiGei-S in 7 minutes on a daily basis. 1. arm/shoulder: - first with the right arm, then repeat mirrored with the left arm: - arm stretched foward, rotate it fully first left, then right, as if unscrewing, then screwing in something - move the stretched arm in the eight directions of the star - circle the stretched arm counterclockwise, then clockwise around the star (each just one full rotation) 2. elbows: - hold both your upper arms about 45° lifted to your sides, and extend your lower arms forward to start (as the neutral position), then repeat the full arm/shoulder sequence as above with your right arm, but mirror it simultaneously with the left one 3. hands: - make fists, then stretch the hands as widely open as you can - move the hands in the wrists in the eight directions, mirroring with the left hand the moves of the right hand - circle the hands inwards, then outwards 4. shoulders: - rotate the shoulders in opposite directions for a full circle, then repeat with inversed directions - move the shoulders in the eight directions of the star (up, down, front, back, up-front, down-back, up-back, down-front) - circle both shoulders forwards, then backwards 5. neck/head: - turn your head to look left, then right - bend your neck in the eight directions of the star (forward to look down, backward to look up, tilt left ear towards left shoulder, then right ear to right shoulder, then the diagonals fore-left, back-right, fore-right, back-left) - circle your neck/head fully first counterclockwise, then clockwise 6. jaw: - open, then close your jaw with controlled force (but don't overdo it, don't risk injury!) - shift your jaw forward, then backward - move your jaw left, then right - open and close your jaw in a circular movement, first as if scooping up, then reversed, as if pushing down - rotate your jaw in a horizontal circle, first counterclockwise, then clockwise - rotate your jaw like a camel chewing cud, in a circle first counterclockwise, then clockwise 7. tongue: - stick out your tongue as far as you can, then pull it back as far as you can (without excessive force) - move the tongue inside your mouth in the eight directions of the star - circle your tongue around your mouth first counterclockwise, then clockwise 8. face/lips: - make a comically sad grimace, pulling all your face down - make a comical happy grimace, pulling all your face up - move your pursed lips in the eight directions of the star - circle your pursed lips counterclockwise, then clockwise 9. eyes: - close your eyes shut (without excessive force) - open your eyes really wide (ditto) - keeping your head still, move your eyes to look in the eight directions of the star in succession - roll your eyes counterclockwise, then clockwise to take in the fullest range you can see without moving your head 10. upper torso: - keeping your hips straight, turn your upper body first to the left, then to the right - keeping your hips stiff, bend your upper body in the eight directions of the star - rotate your upper body in a full circle first counterclockwise, then clockwise 11. hips: - twist your hips first left, then right while keeping your feet on the ground and your upper body and head looking straight ahead - rock your hips in the eight directions of the star - circle your hips first counterclockwise, then clockwise 12. both legs / entire torso: - turn your entire torso to the left, the right, keeping your feet firmly on the ground, adding stronger stretch than in the hip-only twists - legs straight down, move your entire torso in the eight directions of the star (you could also envision it as moving both your legs in the eight directions of the star — same result) - circle your entire torso counterclockwise, then clockwise 13. leg: - for a balance training, do it free-standing, or for easier training, hold on somewhere with one hand (eg grab a piece of solid furniture, or a door handle) - first exercise the right leg, then repeat mirrored with the left - rotate the straight leg first inwards, then outwards (like a smoker putting out a cigarette, but your foot in the air) - then keep your leg either straight, or bend it to make it easier - move the leg in the eight directions of the star - circle the leg forwards, then backwards 14. knee: - first exercise the right knee, then repeat mirrored with the left - lift your knee up so the upper leg is horizontal, let your lower leg hang down (as the neutral position) - twist the lower leg first inwards, then outwards - move the lower leg in the eight directions of the star - circle the lower leg first counterclockwise, then clockwise 15. foot: - first exercise the right foot, then repeat mirrored with the left - roll your foot down as if trying to make a fist (but don't overdo it or else you get a cramp!) - reverse that movement to spread the foot upwards as much as possible - move the foot in the eight directions of the star - circle the foot around first counterclockwise, then clockwise End the TaiGei-S kata with the Breathing Tree (see above). TaiGei-M (Massage) Instructions‌ In this kata, you massage your own body four times, - first by tapping/hitting, - then by kneading/pressing/gripping - then by rubbing, - finally by stroking. Notes for all four passes: - adjust the intensity properly by body zone, to not risk any injuries, but stimulate your body - work simultaneously your left and right side, except for when your arms are involved, where you start with the right arm, then do the left arm - freely choose the technique where options are given (eg just tap vs actually hit; knead vs press), ideally adjusting it per body zone 1. tapping/hitting pass: - tap/hit up the front of your body, starting from your toes, then up the feet, legs, stomach, chest, throat, head — and then down again in the opposite order - tap/hit up the sides of your body, starting from your toes, then up the feet, legs, sides of your torso up to your armpits — and then down again in the opposite order - tap/hit up the back of your body, starting from your heels, then up the legs, your behind, your back as far up as you can, then your neck and head — and then down again in the opposite order - tap/hit up the insides of your legs, starting from your toes, then up the feet and legs up to your crotch — and then down again in the opposite order - tap/hit up the front of your arms, starting at your fingers, then up the hand, arm, neck, head — and then down again in the opposite order - tap/hit up the outside of your arms, starting at your fingers, then up the hand, arm, shoulder — and then down again in the opposite order - tap/hit up the back of your arms, starting at your fingers, then up the hand, arm, shoulder — and then down again in the opposite order - tap/hit up the inside of your arms, starting at your fingers, then up the hand, then arm, up to your armpit — and then down again in the opposite order 2. kneading/pressing/gripping pass: - knead/press up the front of your body, starting from your toes, then up the feet, legs, stomach, chest, throat, head — and then down again in the opposite order - knead/press up the sides of your body, starting from your toes, then up the feet, legs, sides of your torso up to your armpits — and then down again in the opposite order - knead/press up the back of your body, starting from your heels, then up the legs, your behind, your back as far up as you can, then your neck and head — and then down again in the opposite order - knead/press up the insides of your legs, starting from your toes, then up the feet and legs up to your crotch — and then down again in the opposite order - grip up the front and back of your arms, starting at your fingers, then up the hand, then arm, up to your armpit — and then down again in the opposite order - grip up the outside and inside of your arms, starting at your fingers, then up the hand, then arm, up to your armpit, then knead/press up also your shoulder‌ — and then down again in the opposite order 3. rubbing pass: - rub up the front of your body, starting from your toes, then up the feet, legs, stomach, chest, throat, head — and then down again in the opposite order - rub up the sides of your body, starting from your toes, then up the feet, legs, sides of your torso up to your armpits — and then down again in the opposite order - rub up the back of your body, starting from your heels, then up the legs, your behind, your back as far up as you can, then your neck and head — and then down again in the opposite order - rub up the insides of your legs, starting from your toes, then up the feet and legs up to your crotch — and then down again in the opposite order - rub up the front of your arms, starting at your fingers, then up the hand, arm, neck, head — and then down again in the opposite order - rub up the outside of your arms, starting at your fingers, then up the hand, arm, shoulder — and then down again in the opposite order - rub up the back of your arms, starting at your fingers, then up the hand, arm, shoulder — and then down again in the opposite order - rub up the inside of your arms, starting at your fingers, then up the hand, then arm, up to your armpit — and then down again in the opposite order 4. stroking pass: - gently stroke up the front of your body, starting from your toes, then up the feet, legs, stomach, chest, throat, head — and then down again in the opposite order - gently stroke up the sides of your body, starting from your toes, then up the feet, legs, sides of your torso up to your armpits — and then down again in the opposite order - gently stroke up the back of your body, starting from your heels, then up the legs, your behind, your back as far up as you can, then your neck and head — and then down again in the opposite order - gently stroke up the insides of your legs, starting from your toes, then up the feet and legs up to your crotch — and then down again in the opposite order - gently stroke up the front of your arms, starting at your fingers, then up the hand, arm, neck, head — and then down again in the opposite order - gently stroke up the outside of your arms, starting at your fingers, then up the hand, arm, shoulder — and then down again in the opposite order - gently stroke up the back of your arms, starting at your fingers, then up the hand, arm, shoulder — and then down again in the opposite order - gently stroke up the inside of your arms, starting at your fingers, then up the hand, then arm, up to your armpit — and then down again in the opposite order End the TaiGei-M kata with the Breathing Tree (see above). TaiGei-A (Atemi) Instructions Beginners just perform the techniques into the air against imagined targets ("shadow-boxing"). Advanced practitioners repeat the kata with controlled force against actual targets, such as punching bags, pads, or mitts, or a makiwara. Alternatively use a thick sofa pillow or the like. And always take care not to injure yourself! Very advanced practitioners can ramp up the kata massively by doing each technique in all eight horizontal directions, and optionally even into three height target levels, twisting or turning their body as needed. Either repeat with the other arm/leg after each single hit, or only after a full set of the eight directions and three levels. Execute each technique first with your dominant side, then with your other side (right-handed people start right). The atemi techniques with their default directions are: 1. fist punch forward (fingers rolled tight, thumb outside) 2. fingers jab forward (flat, tight "sword/karate hand") 3. palm heel punch forward (unroll fist to expose palm) 4. finger knuckles jab upward (as before, but tighten paw) 5. uppercut fist punch upward (palm side facing you) 6. side-of-hand chop downward (karate chop, but slightly cup your hand, and bend it away from your pulse, then tighten up) 7. hammer fist downward (like on a table in anger) 8. paw slap inward (imagine being a big cat or bear) 9. back-of-fist slap outward (hit with fist knuckles) 10. elbow jab upward (in front of you, hand/fist near your ear) 11. ellbow strike inward (in front of you, hand/fist to your opposite shoulder) 12. elbow jab sideways (move your hand/fist from your opposite shoulder across your chest to the shoulder of the arm you're moving) 13. elbow jab backward (hand/fist to near your armpit) 14. ball-of-foot kick forward (whip lower leg from knee and back, pushing your hips forward from your standing foot) 15. side-of-foot kick sideways (ditto, but hips push outwards) 16. heel kick backward (look over shoulder, stomp back, pushing your hips backward from your standing foot, quickly return to a ready standing position) 17. knee strike upward (lift up your knee, pushing your standing leg down) 18. heel snap backward (whip lower leg from knee and back) End the TaiGei-A kata with the Breathing Tree (see above).

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