I was thinking about extension the other day and wondered how low should one go for some of these ushiro ryotedori techniques.  Until recently I thought that in a circular arm sweep back, as much as much as 20 cm from the ground at its lowest point is sufficient.  However, I saw an old video that shows just how low Kisshomaru Ueshiba goes – almost touching the ground!

Usually my uke complies (or if he doesn’t, pressing on a neck nerve bundle with my thumb lowers him quickly).  But, I find that I don’t like to press on the nerve; I like to leave the uke with the feeling: how did I end up upside down? Did Nage even touch me? And, in order to do that it is important to make a generous sweep whereby the arm is fully extended and the fingers are almost touching the ground on the way back.

We worked on doing nikyo from katate ryotedori tonight. Except, this variation from a static hold required us to strike away the outer hand of the uke, then perform the nikyo hold on the inner wrist of the uke.

The other variation was to do a tenkan, draw a circle from top-down, inside to out under the uke‘s outer arm and perform a nikyo on this wrist instead. Compare this to the one above.

In both techniques, as uke it is important to finish in gyaku hanmi (his opposite knee up and close to nage’s closest leg) in order to protect from a groin kick.

Finally, it is important to do a basic nikyo. That is both hands must be grasping the uke‘s wrist/arm. If one hand is dangling or lightly touching the uke‘s elbow, then the uke may counter with a sankyo grab.

We have some new students so it is nice to return to basics. It was nice to see beginners try this and make mistakes so I can see ways how not to do this.

For example, some people want to cross their legs was they step behind uke, or their jushin (center of gravity) is too far from uke. Also, some people like to swing their arms horizontally as if their closest arm were a baseball bat. This has little effect if the uke is well-rooted.

Ben Sensei suggested then after the initial entry, Nage should be at about 90 degrees to the uke in a stable-but-transitional stance, then raise the arm being held as if to drink a cup of water. The leg closest to Uke then slides behind him so that his balance is off. From here, a throw is a bonus because the uke is already off balance.

Also, some people like to be grabbed with their palm facing down; this can to lead the uke doing a kaeshi yonkyo waza.

Finally, Ben Sensei can’t stress enough the importance of being relaxed and extending.

Heaven and earth throw. A technique where one brings one’s hand upward (heaven) under the chin of the attacker and then downward with the other hand (earth) to execute the throw.

Update: 2011.02.24 – Almost a year and half later I am able to look back at this post and see how naive this description is. Now I would say tenchinage is a way to divide Uke‘s power by sending part of it up and the other part down.

This is by far one of the coolest Aikido skills.  Two people sit in seiza facing each other while the uke holds the nage’s wrists. The nage has to offset and throw the uke while using hardly any muscle power. This is great overall practice because it teaches and emphasizes using Aiki to overcome an opponent in other wazas.

On Monday I was tested for my 3rd kyu and I was given a couple bonus techniques; one of which was an ushiro ryokatadori kokyunage. I gave it a good try, but today in class Ben Sensei taught several variations of this such as

• ushiro ryokatadori kokyunage (with one step forward)
• ushiro ryokatadori aikiotoshi (step behind the uke and lift him up and back)
• ushiro ryokatadori kokyuho (step behind the uke and do a breath throw)

Plus we did more variations on these.

One important thing Andy, Rudy sempai and I were working on was trying to move at 45-degree angles to keep the uke off balance throughout. We discovered that just going back and forward then back again for an ushiro ryokatadori ikkyo was less effective than moving diagonally because the uke can’t bend his arm. i.e. it is extended.

Big Rock Aikikai purification ceremony

With drum beats resonating, Shinto priest Wataru Kaya began the purification ceremony (harai) of Aikido Bozankan/BigRock Aikikai’s new permanent Aikido training centre in south Calgary. Dressed in a large-sleeved white ceremonial robe and tall black headpiece, Kaya performed the ritual before a gathering of 150 instructors, students and family, also marking the 10-year anniversary of the dojo (training school).

Dr. Kaya, M.D., Ph.D. and chief priest of 700-year-old Tanashi Shrine, travelled from Tokyo to perform the purification ceremony, which is common in Japan where Shinto is the indigenous religion. During the first of four elements in the ceremony, Kaya waved a bamboo wand embellished with white zigzagged paper strips (shide).

Displayed on a white-clothed table at the front of the training hall were gift offerings, or shinsen, to the kami — Shinto deities or gods. The offerings included natural salt, rice, water, and rice wine; long strips of dried kelp and dried fish — gifts from the sea; and a basketful of vegetables and fruits — gift offerings from the earth. During the ceremony, instructors and senior students offered a ritual branch of fresh cedar (tamagushi) to the deities, placing them on the table before performing a series of two bows, two claps, and a final bow.

Steve Erickson, chief instructor of Aikido Bozankan/BigRock Aikikai, said it was an unexpected pleasure to have Kaya visit.

“It’s such an unbelievable honour. This is something that I never imagined would ever happen, and through the efforts of my teacher (Kawahara Shihan, of Victoria, B.C.), we were fortunate enough to have this opportunity,” he said.

Erickson founded his dojo in 1998, in Okotoks, with a children’s class of 12 students. Moving to South Fish Creek Complex in Calgary in 2002, he has built a following of dedicated aikido students of all ages. Children’s classes, which include character development and instructor training programs, peaked at 200 students.

Priest Kaya also offered Shinto prayers, or norito, during the purification ceremony, which he finalized with concluding beats of a drum. All in attendance then enjoyed the fourth and final element of the ceremony — a symbolic feast known as naorai. Among trays of sweets, brought by members of the dojo, was a large cake decorated with the emblems for Aikido Bozankan–representing the adult aikido programs, and BigRock Aikikai–the name for the children’s aikido school.

Special guests included Consul General Yasuo Minemura of Japan and his wife, who recently began their posting in Calgary on April 18. Addressing the attendees of the ceremony, Minemura expressed his wishes for success in the new aikido dojo.

“Tanashi Shrine is a very well-known and prestigious shrine in Japan. My wife and myself visited there,” Minemura said, recalling that at New Year, people line up for hours to pray at the main Tanashi Shrine.

The opening of the new permanent location for Aikido Bozankan/BigRock Aikikai offers benefits of extra training space and time. Erickson said that future program possibilities include taiko drumming, as well as the addition of archery to the current weapons class.

“I can guarantee for my students that I can do anything and everything for them,” says Erickson of his permanent location.

Kaya left the purification wand from the ceremony behind at the dojo, where it resides at the base of the kamiza — a maple wall representing a seat of honour at the front of the training area — below a photo of aikido founder Morihei Ueshiba (1883-1969), now known as O-Sensei (Great Teacher). Every once in a while Erickson — or Steve Sensei, as his students call him — will shake the wand around the training area, ensuring continued purification of the dojo.

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Original source: http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/neighbours/story.html?id=c34b4741-3476-49c6-9a8d-2dea53bdc277 (dead link now)