Kotegaeshi annoys me. It's the kind of technique you might learn your first week on the mat and then not manage to get quite right for another ten years.
The majority of kotegaeshi that I experience are just not it. They're nage cranking on the wrist and uke throwing themselves over to avoid damage to their joint. With that there is always the feeling that if uke were a little bigger or a little less compliant then kotegaeshi would turn into a wrestling match.
Today I got to test a few thoughts working with a junior uke.
One: I don't think kotegaeshi is a twist the wrist technique. I think twisting only works with an advantage like strength or surprise or blunt trauma. Besides, the name literally means wrist return not wrist twist.
Two: Twisting the wrist doesn't really do much to the shoulder which is where the action is really at. A simple guiding of the hand with a light touch so that uke's fingers tip gently toward the shoulder seems to be enough to take the slack out of the arm and disrupt the shoulder's poise. Then whole body movement can tip uke to either the front or rear kuzushi points.
Of course, I am going to have to work on this a lot more. The only thing I know for sure is that most of my kotegaeshi are falling short of the aikido mark.
Friday, April 4, 2008
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.
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.
| Shomen Uchi | YokomenUchi | Tsuki |
| Irimi Ura | Irimi Ura | |
| Sidestep Hantai Tenkan | Sidestep Hantai Tenkan | Sidestep Hantai Tenkan |
| Irimi Tenkai Soto | Irimi Tenkai Soto | |
| Irimi Tenkan Soto | Irimi Tenkan Soto | |
| Issoku Irimi | Issoku Irimi | Issoku Irimi |
| Irimi Tenkan Uchi | Irimi Tenkan Uchi | |
| Irimi Omote | ||
| Irimi Omote Tenkan Soto | Irimi Omote Tenkan Soto | Irimi Omote Tenkan Soto |
| Irimi Omote Tenkan Uchi | Irimi Omote Tenkan Uchi | Irimi Omote Tenkan Uchi |
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.
Friday, March 21, 2008
Training for the Moment of Engagement
I have gotten a few consistent days of futari garami practice. Consistency is good because it promotes learning. For example, on the first day I realized that I was too far away from uke to be effective. The second day I was able to correct that but then I found I often got jammed up a bit and relied on my size advantage to push through. Today, I think I might be on to the answer to that problem.
The problem is getting stuck. I don't know what uke will do until he does it. At that point if I have already decided what I am doing and it doesn't agree with uke's plans then I might clash. If on the other hand, if uke moves and after seeing what he is up to I make an informed decision, well, then it's already too late.
We regularly practice kihon waza from a static hanmi position. In hanmi we are neutral. We can move either way. Since it is only basic practice that is fine. I don't have to think about it and neither does uke. We are both just rehearsing the mechanics.
But jiyu waza is different. We are in motion. We are dynamic. I am not standing still in neutral hanmi waiting to be attacked. At least I shouldn't be because then it will be too late. If I want to avoid confrontation I am backing away or walking around my antagonist. If I must engage then I am circling or taking it straight to him. Whichever way you look at it, I am in motion, dynamic and although a snapshot of the action will probably show me in hanmi, it is not a neutral hanmi. I am moving so my weight is always shifting one foot to the other, same as walking. So at the moment of engagement it is already automatically determined for me which foot is moving next. There is no need to hesitate, no decision to make.
It is difficult to describe various tai sabaki in words, so I won't bother here. My point is that I need a simple drill to take all the thinking out of the moment of engagement. No matter which foot is coming down at the moment of contact (there are only two options) and no matter what sort of atemi uke is choosing, I need a few automatic patterns of body movement to steal the advantage and put me in position to pick technique.
This is the simple solo drill I came up with. I pick two clear points on the floor that I can pace back and forth between. They have to be very clear so I can see them peripherally without having to look at the ground.
Starting from one side, I look across to the other and envision my opponent. Since it is a solo drill, I decide what sort of atemi my imaginary uke will throw and from which side. As if holding a sword, I walk straight at him, bringing up my guard (raising my sword) as I close the gap. The instant my foot crosses the line, that is the moment of engagement and I immediately and without any thought step into the next logical tai sabaki taking whatever technique is natural. With just a few minutes practice the drill starts flowing and it becomes obvious that for the most part it doesn't matter what uke throws because the basic tai sabaki patterns remain the same.
I want to very carefully analyze the possible patterns and compare them to see if they are really consistent regardless of uke's attack. I also want to check their consistency with regard to whether I am leading with my inside or outside foot at the moment of engagement. I plan to start playing with this about ten minutes a day. Then I can take it to the next level by making it a two person exercise.
The problem is getting stuck. I don't know what uke will do until he does it. At that point if I have already decided what I am doing and it doesn't agree with uke's plans then I might clash. If on the other hand, if uke moves and after seeing what he is up to I make an informed decision, well, then it's already too late.
We regularly practice kihon waza from a static hanmi position. In hanmi we are neutral. We can move either way. Since it is only basic practice that is fine. I don't have to think about it and neither does uke. We are both just rehearsing the mechanics.
But jiyu waza is different. We are in motion. We are dynamic. I am not standing still in neutral hanmi waiting to be attacked. At least I shouldn't be because then it will be too late. If I want to avoid confrontation I am backing away or walking around my antagonist. If I must engage then I am circling or taking it straight to him. Whichever way you look at it, I am in motion, dynamic and although a snapshot of the action will probably show me in hanmi, it is not a neutral hanmi. I am moving so my weight is always shifting one foot to the other, same as walking. So at the moment of engagement it is already automatically determined for me which foot is moving next. There is no need to hesitate, no decision to make.
It is difficult to describe various tai sabaki in words, so I won't bother here. My point is that I need a simple drill to take all the thinking out of the moment of engagement. No matter which foot is coming down at the moment of contact (there are only two options) and no matter what sort of atemi uke is choosing, I need a few automatic patterns of body movement to steal the advantage and put me in position to pick technique.
This is the simple solo drill I came up with. I pick two clear points on the floor that I can pace back and forth between. They have to be very clear so I can see them peripherally without having to look at the ground.
Starting from one side, I look across to the other and envision my opponent. Since it is a solo drill, I decide what sort of atemi my imaginary uke will throw and from which side. As if holding a sword, I walk straight at him, bringing up my guard (raising my sword) as I close the gap. The instant my foot crosses the line, that is the moment of engagement and I immediately and without any thought step into the next logical tai sabaki taking whatever technique is natural. With just a few minutes practice the drill starts flowing and it becomes obvious that for the most part it doesn't matter what uke throws because the basic tai sabaki patterns remain the same.
I want to very carefully analyze the possible patterns and compare them to see if they are really consistent regardless of uke's attack. I also want to check their consistency with regard to whether I am leading with my inside or outside foot at the moment of engagement. I plan to start playing with this about ten minutes a day. Then I can take it to the next level by making it a two person exercise.
Training for Better Flow
Training in Saigon, in the absence of a common language or a particularly motivated and ambitious training environment, I think a lot about how I should be structuring my own training regimen. Knowing that I am heading for Belize where I will need to create my own opportunities for aikido practice is another factor. I had better be sharp when I get to Belize if for no other reason than that I will need to convince others of the value of aikido as a martial art.
So I am looking at structure in training and I will revisit that structure from time to time to modify or expand it as my understanding allows.
To begin with, I am breaking down training into categories of flow:
Kihon Waza (Basic Technique)
This is the starting point. Uke and nage work cooperatively to create an ideal situation for mastering the text book version of the technique. Unfortunately, I think most aikido stops here and kihon waza becomes 99% of people's training.
For myself, I want to focus my kihon waza on few key ideas:
Off the line
Attack the center (Atemi is a must to get the right distance and alighnment for throwing)
Take Balance (through both atemi and extension/ projection)
Lead to Kuzushi (tipping point)
Give uke the space and motivation to fall
Further, I especially want to perform kihon waza in a smooth, controlled and continuous manner - no herky jerky interruptions. I am striving to use committed resolute atemi to inform the structure of every technique.
Kihon waza can be performed statically and dynamically. Grabbing attacks ususally are practiced from a static start and striking attacks from a dynamic one. I want to mix it up. Sometimes I need to start statically and force uke to apply a strong grip. Other times I want to respond by blending with uke's movement and never allowing a good grip. Either way I need uke to attack with a clear intent.
Jiyu Waza (Free Technique)
This is a must. It's one thing to perform a technique when the attack is pre-arranged. It's something else to move appropriately when you don't know what the attack will be or which direction it will come from.
I think randori is the final outcome of jiyu waza practice. To get there, there are smaller steps I can take and incorporate on a regular basis.
Core Technique
I don't have a better word to describe this. To me, some techniques are just much more practical and efficient in an open-ended situation. They are quick, direct and very malleable in that they require only the slightest modification to adapt to uke's evolving attack. Irimi Nage is an example. It doesn't matter a whole lot what uke throws at me. I just have to move and take the technique.
On the mat I can incorporate this into daily practice. If I am practicing general technique, I can include five or ten minutes of having uke throw anything they want at random. My response is always the same, Irimi Nage.
If we are working on kokyu, then my response might be Kokyu Nage #4. For koshi, I focus on Koshi Nage #4 or #8. As much as possible I take it to uke. I don't really even need to wait for the attack.
I can up the pace and the stakes by working with two or more uke.
Futari Garami
Working with two or more uke, I now implement all of my core techniques. Again, I take it to uke. No waiting around for the attack.
Randori
The way I understand it, randori is not much different from futari garami except that maybe the pace is quicker. Ukes do not necessarily proceed in an orderly sequence but attack all at once as best they can.
Kaeshi Waza (Counter Technique)
Countering someone else's technique really demonstrates the weaknesses in the mechanics of the technique. Knowing the weaknesses helps to tighten them up.
The most elemental way to incorporate this into daily practice is to keep an aiki mindset when acting as uke. I mean flow with tori's movement. Don't simply hang there like dead weight. Don't lock down and try to thwart technique. Instead, go where they lead whether they meant to lead you there or not. Keep the mind open to the moment where their control can be usurped.
A regular example of this is with Koshi Nage #3. Tori leads my arm across my center. For some reason, they tend to lead my arm out and up without taking my balance. As the arm comes up I have the opportunity to turn my position into a basic kokyu nage. I can choose to take it or not to take it, depending on tori's skill level. I don't want to frustrate them excessively and ruin their practice although I do want them to see the flaw in their technique and correct it.
The other more direct way to practice kaeshi waza is simply to save five or ten minutes to directly practice a particular technique.
Sutemi waza is included as kaeshi waza.
Henka Waza (Changing Technique)
In reality, technique often fails. If I am locked on a specific outcome then I will just get stuck and give up my advantage. Henka waza means flowing into the next available technique. I do this because I screwed up my first technique or else the situation changes and I see that my intitial intention is no longer going to get me the outcome I wanted.
Some ways to incorportate this into practice:
With any technique that inititates from ikkyo, just go for ikkyo. If it fails, flow into the next logical technique. Another option is to take ikkyo and having secured it, allow uke an appropriate escape. As they take the escape, cover it with the right technique.
A good example is Kokyu Nage #7. This technique is really ikkyo. Ikkyo is either aborted or resisted. I can choose to bail half way through and take uke another way. Or I'm late and uke meets ikkyo with physical resistance. I yield to that resistance and take uke another way.
Another way to incorporate henka waza is to not allow myself to stop techniques and start over. Too often I have a particular technique in mind. When it starts to go wrong, I back off and start again. Instead, when it starts to go wrong, go elsewhere. Combat Aikido is a good video series for addressing this. Additionally it shows how to use aikido to initiate rather than waiting for a text book attack. In ititiating, the flow can go in different directions. From the same guard positon, if I get to uke's outside, ikkyo is my point of contact. If I end up inside, the same guard positon leads to shihonage.
A Daily Regimen for Well Rounded (Flow) Practice
Kihon Waza (30 minutes)
Smooth and continuous, no start and stop (henka)
Pursue uke and initiate the next repetition.
As uke, keep an aiki mindset and awareness of opportunities to be exploited (kaeshi)
Kaeshi Waza (5 minutes)
Select one specific kaeshi waza and drill it
Jiyu Waza
Core Response (5 minutes)
Futari Garami (5 minutes)
Solo Regimen for Flow and Skill (Slow and continuous)
Kihon Waza
Visualize and rehearse technique practiced that day
Visulaize and rehearse technique in preparation for tomorrow
Suburi
Tai Sabaki (with Atemi)
Jiyu Waza
Visulaize and Rehearse core techiques
Visualize and Rehearse futari garami
So I am looking at structure in training and I will revisit that structure from time to time to modify or expand it as my understanding allows.
To begin with, I am breaking down training into categories of flow:
Kihon Waza (Basic Technique)
This is the starting point. Uke and nage work cooperatively to create an ideal situation for mastering the text book version of the technique. Unfortunately, I think most aikido stops here and kihon waza becomes 99% of people's training.
For myself, I want to focus my kihon waza on few key ideas:
Off the line
Attack the center (Atemi is a must to get the right distance and alighnment for throwing)
Take Balance (through both atemi and extension/ projection)
Lead to Kuzushi (tipping point)
Give uke the space and motivation to fall
Further, I especially want to perform kihon waza in a smooth, controlled and continuous manner - no herky jerky interruptions. I am striving to use committed resolute atemi to inform the structure of every technique.
Kihon waza can be performed statically and dynamically. Grabbing attacks ususally are practiced from a static start and striking attacks from a dynamic one. I want to mix it up. Sometimes I need to start statically and force uke to apply a strong grip. Other times I want to respond by blending with uke's movement and never allowing a good grip. Either way I need uke to attack with a clear intent.
Jiyu Waza (Free Technique)
This is a must. It's one thing to perform a technique when the attack is pre-arranged. It's something else to move appropriately when you don't know what the attack will be or which direction it will come from.
I think randori is the final outcome of jiyu waza practice. To get there, there are smaller steps I can take and incorporate on a regular basis.
Core Technique
I don't have a better word to describe this. To me, some techniques are just much more practical and efficient in an open-ended situation. They are quick, direct and very malleable in that they require only the slightest modification to adapt to uke's evolving attack. Irimi Nage is an example. It doesn't matter a whole lot what uke throws at me. I just have to move and take the technique.
On the mat I can incorporate this into daily practice. If I am practicing general technique, I can include five or ten minutes of having uke throw anything they want at random. My response is always the same, Irimi Nage.
If we are working on kokyu, then my response might be Kokyu Nage #4. For koshi, I focus on Koshi Nage #4 or #8. As much as possible I take it to uke. I don't really even need to wait for the attack.
I can up the pace and the stakes by working with two or more uke.
Futari Garami
Working with two or more uke, I now implement all of my core techniques. Again, I take it to uke. No waiting around for the attack.
Randori
The way I understand it, randori is not much different from futari garami except that maybe the pace is quicker. Ukes do not necessarily proceed in an orderly sequence but attack all at once as best they can.
Kaeshi Waza (Counter Technique)
Countering someone else's technique really demonstrates the weaknesses in the mechanics of the technique. Knowing the weaknesses helps to tighten them up.
The most elemental way to incorporate this into daily practice is to keep an aiki mindset when acting as uke. I mean flow with tori's movement. Don't simply hang there like dead weight. Don't lock down and try to thwart technique. Instead, go where they lead whether they meant to lead you there or not. Keep the mind open to the moment where their control can be usurped.
A regular example of this is with Koshi Nage #3. Tori leads my arm across my center. For some reason, they tend to lead my arm out and up without taking my balance. As the arm comes up I have the opportunity to turn my position into a basic kokyu nage. I can choose to take it or not to take it, depending on tori's skill level. I don't want to frustrate them excessively and ruin their practice although I do want them to see the flaw in their technique and correct it.
The other more direct way to practice kaeshi waza is simply to save five or ten minutes to directly practice a particular technique.
Sutemi waza is included as kaeshi waza.
Henka Waza (Changing Technique)
In reality, technique often fails. If I am locked on a specific outcome then I will just get stuck and give up my advantage. Henka waza means flowing into the next available technique. I do this because I screwed up my first technique or else the situation changes and I see that my intitial intention is no longer going to get me the outcome I wanted.
Some ways to incorportate this into practice:
With any technique that inititates from ikkyo, just go for ikkyo. If it fails, flow into the next logical technique. Another option is to take ikkyo and having secured it, allow uke an appropriate escape. As they take the escape, cover it with the right technique.
A good example is Kokyu Nage #7. This technique is really ikkyo. Ikkyo is either aborted or resisted. I can choose to bail half way through and take uke another way. Or I'm late and uke meets ikkyo with physical resistance. I yield to that resistance and take uke another way.
Another way to incorporate henka waza is to not allow myself to stop techniques and start over. Too often I have a particular technique in mind. When it starts to go wrong, I back off and start again. Instead, when it starts to go wrong, go elsewhere. Combat Aikido is a good video series for addressing this. Additionally it shows how to use aikido to initiate rather than waiting for a text book attack. In ititiating, the flow can go in different directions. From the same guard positon, if I get to uke's outside, ikkyo is my point of contact. If I end up inside, the same guard positon leads to shihonage.
A Daily Regimen for Well Rounded (Flow) Practice
Kihon Waza (30 minutes)
Smooth and continuous, no start and stop (henka)
Pursue uke and initiate the next repetition.
As uke, keep an aiki mindset and awareness of opportunities to be exploited (kaeshi)
Kaeshi Waza (5 minutes)
Select one specific kaeshi waza and drill it
Jiyu Waza
Core Response (5 minutes)
Futari Garami (5 minutes)
Solo Regimen for Flow and Skill (Slow and continuous)
Kihon Waza
Visualize and rehearse technique practiced that day
Visulaize and rehearse technique in preparation for tomorrow
Suburi
Tai Sabaki (with Atemi)
Jiyu Waza
Visulaize and Rehearse core techiques
Visualize and Rehearse futari garami
Structural Atemi
The Internet is wonderful. I came across a program called Close Combat Training by Captain Chris. His premise is that after years of martial arts training he found himself in a life threatening situation where it all went out the window. That near death experience sent him on a mission to find a truly effective, no BS approach to self defense which he discovered in the systematic training of World War 2 hand-to-hand combat.
He looked at kill or be killed situations. Adrenaline is flooding the system. Memory and finesse both fail. All that is left is raw, gross motor responses. So much of martial arts training falls into the realm of working fine on the mat or in the ring, but falling apart under stress.
Under stress, with only generalized motor control available, the human body has a limited number of fighting responses. I can't delineate everything Captain Chris had to say, especially because I didn't pay the 400 plus dollars for his course and only looked at his free material, but a few things stuck out for me. They struck me because they seem to be very much a part of aikido allbeit a part that is regularly addressed in only a minimal and dismissive way.
He says that two of the most fundamental and ferocious strikes we can deliver are the chin jab and the knife hand.
In my opinion these are a part of most martial arts but are practiced as crisp, precision oriented strikes delivered at a distance. Under stress, crisp precision goes to pieces. Captain Chris delivers these strikes as generalized, whole body movements. He delivers from the legs, powering in close to overwhelm the opponent with a crushing, smashing force to general areas of weakness.
The chin jab powers straight up under the chin, hitting with a broad open palm that snaps the head up and back. The knife hand drives down through the throat and collarbone region.
I think that aikido contains these. More so, I think it stresses them in virtually every technique. The problem is that most practitioners treat atemi as an afterthought, as something to save for the street, but I agree with the adage that the way you train is the way you react. Train to throw wimpy atemi aimed at nothing in particular and that is what you will be throwing when it counts.
Aikido is intimate. It insists that we get right in and take uke's space. I believe that proper atemi as practiced in aikido is meant to be up close and personal. It is meant to be devastating.
Growing up, I did a bit of boxing, mostly with my friend Mike who was older and very skilled in boxing and karate. He always said that the proper distance for punching is the same distance at which you can just reach your opponent with your elbow. In other words, if you can't touch me with that elbow, then you're too far away and that punch is going to be weak and just expose your vulnerabilities. Mike beat this concept into me regularly.
Later, practicing aiki-ken, this same concept was reiterated. The right distance for cutting with a sword is the distance at which I can just reach you with my hand. If I can't reach you my hand, you're too far away for me to cut effectively. Same principle.
Take all of this and synthesize it and I think we have a very effective and powerful approach to atemi in aikido. Aikido is sword based. My striking hand becomes a sword. I need to move in close to where I can reach with my elbow in order to have power in my striking/ cutting hand. I move in with my whole body, attacking the center. I attack with the chin jab, powering up under the jaw (irimi nage) or jaw line (kokyu nage). I attack the neck with a knife hand that is not dissimilar to my chin jab, overwhelming uke's posture and forcing his torso to lean out of balance.
Because I have positioned myself correctly to deliver truly powerful strikes, I am now in a position to deliver truly powerful throws.
He looked at kill or be killed situations. Adrenaline is flooding the system. Memory and finesse both fail. All that is left is raw, gross motor responses. So much of martial arts training falls into the realm of working fine on the mat or in the ring, but falling apart under stress.
Under stress, with only generalized motor control available, the human body has a limited number of fighting responses. I can't delineate everything Captain Chris had to say, especially because I didn't pay the 400 plus dollars for his course and only looked at his free material, but a few things stuck out for me. They struck me because they seem to be very much a part of aikido allbeit a part that is regularly addressed in only a minimal and dismissive way.
He says that two of the most fundamental and ferocious strikes we can deliver are the chin jab and the knife hand.
In my opinion these are a part of most martial arts but are practiced as crisp, precision oriented strikes delivered at a distance. Under stress, crisp precision goes to pieces. Captain Chris delivers these strikes as generalized, whole body movements. He delivers from the legs, powering in close to overwhelm the opponent with a crushing, smashing force to general areas of weakness.
The chin jab powers straight up under the chin, hitting with a broad open palm that snaps the head up and back. The knife hand drives down through the throat and collarbone region.
I think that aikido contains these. More so, I think it stresses them in virtually every technique. The problem is that most practitioners treat atemi as an afterthought, as something to save for the street, but I agree with the adage that the way you train is the way you react. Train to throw wimpy atemi aimed at nothing in particular and that is what you will be throwing when it counts.
Aikido is intimate. It insists that we get right in and take uke's space. I believe that proper atemi as practiced in aikido is meant to be up close and personal. It is meant to be devastating.
Growing up, I did a bit of boxing, mostly with my friend Mike who was older and very skilled in boxing and karate. He always said that the proper distance for punching is the same distance at which you can just reach your opponent with your elbow. In other words, if you can't touch me with that elbow, then you're too far away and that punch is going to be weak and just expose your vulnerabilities. Mike beat this concept into me regularly.
Later, practicing aiki-ken, this same concept was reiterated. The right distance for cutting with a sword is the distance at which I can just reach you with my hand. If I can't reach you my hand, you're too far away for me to cut effectively. Same principle.
Take all of this and synthesize it and I think we have a very effective and powerful approach to atemi in aikido. Aikido is sword based. My striking hand becomes a sword. I need to move in close to where I can reach with my elbow in order to have power in my striking/ cutting hand. I move in with my whole body, attacking the center. I attack with the chin jab, powering up under the jaw (irimi nage) or jaw line (kokyu nage). I attack the neck with a knife hand that is not dissimilar to my chin jab, overwhelming uke's posture and forcing his torso to lean out of balance.
Because I have positioned myself correctly to deliver truly powerful strikes, I am now in a position to deliver truly powerful throws.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Kaeshi Waza
I have been told that aikido is about choices. As nage, I always have a choice about which technique I use, whether I express atemi, how far I take the pin.
The same then should also be true as uke. I should have more options than just to take ukemi. Because off the mat, wouldn't taking ukemi mean going gracefully to the ground where my opponent could finish me off with his katame or shime?
The other option is kaeshi waza, counter techniques. I have been trying to incorporate principles of kaeshi waza into my regular practice. My big discovery today was that things do not always go the way I want and if I am fixated on getting what I want then conflict ensues and aikido goes out the window. Therefore, the more kaeshi I have under my belt, the more likely that I will have something applicable to the changing situation.
With that in mind, I want to start to collect a list of kaeshi waza and begin filling in the many gaps so that regardless of where the interaction goes I have choices.
The same then should also be true as uke. I should have more options than just to take ukemi. Because off the mat, wouldn't taking ukemi mean going gracefully to the ground where my opponent could finish me off with his katame or shime?
The other option is kaeshi waza, counter techniques. I have been trying to incorporate principles of kaeshi waza into my regular practice. My big discovery today was that things do not always go the way I want and if I am fixated on getting what I want then conflict ensues and aikido goes out the window. Therefore, the more kaeshi I have under my belt, the more likely that I will have something applicable to the changing situation.
With that in mind, I want to start to collect a list of kaeshi waza and begin filling in the many gaps so that regardless of where the interaction goes I have choices.
- Shihonage Omote - Shiho Nage
- Kotegaeshi Ura - Irimi nage
- Irimi Nage - Sutemi Waza
- Ikkyo - Ikkyo
- Ikkyo Ura - Kotegaeshi
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)