Sunday, March 23, 2008

Tai Sabaki Basic Responses

I am trying to to find the most essential and universally pragmatic patterns of tai sabaki. I have put together this chart showing the three basic atemi attacks and the applicable tai sabaki. There are other responses, but I think these are the buildingblocks.
Tai Sabaki
Shomen UchiYokomenUchiTsuki
Irimi UraIrimi Ura
Sidestep
Hantai Tenkan
Sidestep
Hantai Tenkan
Sidestep
Hantai Tenkan
Irimi Tenkai SotoIrimi Tenkai Soto
Irimi Tenkan SotoIrimi Tenkan Soto
Issoku IrimiIssoku IrimiIssoku Irimi
Irimi Tenkan UchiIrimi Tenkan Uchi
Irimi Omote
Irimi Omote Tenkan SotoIrimi Omote Tenkan SotoIrimi Omote Tenkan Soto
Irimi Omote Tenkan UchiIrimi Omote Tenkan UchiIrimi Omote Tenkan Uchi
From these options I have highlighted the three that are appropriate regardless of the attack. The sidestep carries nage outside of uke's attack. Issoku irimi is a direct entry, slightly off the line and almost pre-emptive; if nage hesitates he won't be able to take issoku irimi. And finally, Irimi Omote Tenkan Soto carries nage inside uke's attack.

Entering with Tenkan Uchi to either side is also possible but strikes me as rather advanced. I can use it just to get the hell out of the way but I am much less likely to be able to find a finishing technique.

The Sidestep is very flexible, but I don't necessarily think it puts me in the best position. It's great if uke's strike turns out to be some sort of yokomen; nage's arm meets the yokomen and folds and feeds the arm to the other hand. But I'd rather enter more deeply with Irimi Tenkai or Tenkan. Practiced dynamically, the Sidestep is really Hantai Tenkan (a partial tenkan) and is just a shallow entry version of Irimi Tenkan. For that reason, I mentally lump them all together in my basic tai sabaki responses.

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