I was put on the spot tonight with Leevon as I hadn’t done this before. But, I thought it could start like shomenuchi shihonage (practiced on Wednesday) and as it turns out, it does.

I learned that taking shomenuchi as a blending, leading motion is way more effective than as a block: As the strike is coming toward my head, I step my back leg so I am about 45-degrees outside from my starting position.  (Not 90 degrees as if to do a morotedori kokyuho!). Then while blending with the strike hand, my other hand comes on top and my first hand guides it to the top hand. At the same time, I rotate my hips and direction as if to create an opening for shihonage.  Except, I slide my closest leg behind the uke so as to put our jyushin together as my closest arm finished the kokyu.