# Suburi

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**Suburi** (素振り, *lit: naked or unadorned swing*[1]) is a [Japanese](/source/Japanese_language) word for practice swings used in sports such as [baseball](/source/Baseball), [tennis](/source/Tennis), [golf](/source/Golf), and in martial arts. Outside Japan, the word is used exclusively for repetitive individual cutting exercises used in [Japanese martial arts](/source/Japanese_martial_arts) such as [kendo](/source/Kendo), [aikido](/source/Aikido), [iaidō](/source/Iaid%C5%8D), and [kenjutsu](/source/Kenjutsu). Often a [shinai](/source/Shinai) (for kendo), [bokken](/source/Bokken), [suburitō](/source/Suburit%C5%8D), or even tanren bō are used. An [iaitō](/source/Iait%C5%8D) or [shinken](/source/Shinken) can also be used, albeit rarely.

Some common types (these can vary between styles):

**katate-suburi (片手素振り)**- holding the weapon with only the left hand (which is supposed to be used as the power hand)
**haya-suburi (速素振り)**- rapid suburi where you cut on the forward motion and assume [jodan](/source/Jodan) on the return motion, feet should glide on the floor. Sometimes called choyaku-men
**chōyaku-suburi (跳躍素振り)**- incorporating a coordinated jumping like movement with the strike
**jōge-suburi (上下素振り)**- strikes with back swings that almost touch ones lower back and forward swings which almost touch the floor
**naname-suburi (斜め素振り)**- alternating diagonal strikes, cutting across the opponent's torso, starting with a cut to the left
**shōmen-suburi (正面素振り)**- strikes to an opponent's forehead
**zenshin-kōtai-shōmen-suburi (前進後退正面素振り)**- strikes to an opponent's forehead, starting with forward, then backward.
**sayū-men-suburi (左右面素振り)**- alternating strikes to an opponent's forehead, starting with your right-hand side.

Suburi is used as a warm up before actual practice begins[citation needed], usually done in sets of ten, though sometimes sets of 100 are used (especially with *naname-suburi* and *shomen suburi*). Suburi serves to loosen the wrists (naname suburi) and elevate heart rate (haya suburi).

## See also

- [Aikido](/source/Aikido) ([Aiki-ken](/source/Aiki-ken))
- [Iaidō](/source/Iaid%C5%8D)
- [Kendo](/source/Kendo)
- [Kenjutsu](/source/Kenjutsu)

## Notes

1. ["すぶり - Jisho.org"](https://jisho.org/search/%E3%81%99%E3%81%B6%E3%82%8A). *jisho.org*. Retrieved 5 April 2025.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Suburi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suburi) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suburi?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.