Before we get too far ahead of ourselves, let’s make sure that we are all limber, and loosened up. There are many ways to do that, but there are a few that I like to do to get the blood flowing that includes the use of the staff.
The first is a front-to-back shoulder roll. The staff is gripped near the ends, with the center resting on the torso. Then, keeping arms as straight as possible, roll the staff over your head behind you, and as far down as you can. This stretches the shoulders, wrists, back and chest.
The second is a back-to-front shoulder roll. It is very similar to the previous exercise, however, it starts with the staff on the back, and the grip reversed to where both palms are forward. Then, grip the staff, and over the head. It stretches the same areas, just in different directions.
If you have trouble with either of these stretches, just go slow, and build up the flexibility. Also, if your grip is too narrow, extend it some, as it will help allow the rotation of the shoulder.
The next set is a reinforced torso twist. Place the staff in the shoulders, and grip the ends, holding to aid in the rotation of the twisting of the torso. I like to twist forward and down, almost as if trying to touch my toes with the staff. If that is difficult, start with just a horizontal twist.
The last warm up I like to do is just spinning the staff from the center, focusing on one hand doing the majority of the rotation at a time. This helps to loosen the wrist. Just rotate as far as possible, and hand off the staff to the other hand while you reset the hand you are stretching. Be sure to do both sides.
Here is a short video quickly demonstrating these various stretches.