We have been spending a lot of time in class showing very beginners a crutch way to do tai-no-henkou. In fact, we have been doing the crutch way so much that I forgot how other people do this. For my own training, I will spend time to investigate this here.

The being-grabbed hand does not have to come in direct contact with the hara. It can, and does work, but here is a competing technique.

Using Saito Sensei again as an example, here are some stills which illustrate his maai, how he lowers his arms, and where his fingers point (how his wrists curl).1

tai-no-henkou-saisyo

tai-no-henkou-saisyo2

tai-no-henkou-saisyo3

tai-no-henkou initial wrist curl

Some key points indicated

Saito Sensei lowers his hands considerably while keeping his arms straight. His fingers point upward in accordance with curling the wrists.

If Uke tries to raise Nage’s arms, it becomes difficult because Nage has his arms extended and low.

Osawa Hayato Sensei had a slightly different technique: at the end of the henkou, he would draw a very small circle with his wrist so Uke doesn’t end up exactly beside him, but extended a little and off balance. In other words, at the end of his henkou, Uke and Nage were not both facing the same direction: there was maybe a 20-degree difference between them, with a gap, and Uke being extended and off center. I noticed he did with with bigger fellows at Hombu.

From this basic exercise there are many techniques that can be done.

1. from 1985 Italy Seminar. See aikidojournal.com [↩]