A asked me, “Why is it called ‘Shihonage‘?”

Not wanting to BS because I was not sure, I said that I didn’t know and researched it this morning.

Aikiweb has a thread about it.1 A gentleman like myself uses video evidence to support theories, so I will re-post his answer here:

The late Saito Morihiro Sensei used to explain shihonage and kotegaeshi with the sword.  In the clip (0.00 – 0.40) you find his usual display of shihonage‘s principle of being able to throw someone in 4 directions (and therefore 8, 16, 32… ad infinitum). – J. Blomquist

四方 does mean ‘four directions’, but it was pointed out by K and others that it also means ‘all around’, or from every direction. For now, it could mean to be able to throw an attacker in any direction like the video of Saito Sensei above suggests.

1. See http://www.aikiweb.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16630 [↩]

I really love this technique.

Tonight E, K and I worked on this among other techniques.

Key Points for Tori: Assume Migi (Ai Hamni)
1) Leg/Feet: Slide step in Tori(small toe) to Uke‘s big toe.
Hands: Tori‘s Left Hand to elbow (using thumb to cup elbow). Also Cup wrist with right hand as you slide down from Uke‘s eblow.

2) Leg/Feet: Perform a Mini Kaiten step. (This is just my way of describing the step). Back leg should be deep and directly behind the front (if this does not happens the flow with be broken.
Hands: Right hand needs to circle over Uke‘s wrist to trap wrist with the thumb. Left hand and right hand combo needs to control Uke‘s hand/arm making a bow.

3)  Leg/Feet: Stepping for Zengo Undo.
Hands: Continue the turing in a diagonal circular path as you turn your hanmi from front to back (Zengo).

4) You should not be in Migi hanmi once more. with the Uke‘s wrist at your right knee.
At this point finish the technique by sliding in you left leg and kneel with toes cocked in and hands pinning Uke‘s arm.

This something that I believe is most important in all Martial Arts.
I guess as beginners practice Aikido for example almost everything is done in a static manner.

However, even if we decide to do things from a so called static position we can still use the initial energy from the grab or strike etc.

For example with a simple Katate-tori attack if we move just at the instant Uke does the grab we can take the energy of the grab attempt and use it. However, if we wait too long after Uke grabs then the technique really becomes static and now Tori has to artificially create some energy misdirection either from Atemi or some how taking Uke‘s balance etc.

This is something I will be working on most dilegently because i see the applications as tremendous. I see this being used in my ground fighting as well because it is never static you are always applying energy. The key is to blend and flow like water. Yes it is easy to say but takes time to understand and perfect.

先週に引き続き、アンデルとの練習の後で、スティーブ先生の道場に行ってきました。先週は、急に体調を崩したので（深刻ではない）見学で終わったのですが、今日は２連ちゃんの合気道稽古で、散々楽しめました。

スティーブ先生の道場は、ウチの道場とも合気会とも違う点が多いのですが、河原先生のセミナーに参加して、道場の雰囲気は掴めていたので、後は皆の真似を見よう見まねでやってみるだけでした。逆に普段やった事の無い技を練習することや、始めて一緒に稽古する人が沢山いるのは、大変為になったと思います。

呼吸投げを７パターンも連続して練習した稽古の始まりも楽しかったですが、今日のメインの横面打ちの体裁きからの技の練習は勉強になりました。スティーブ先生は私たちに自由に、その体裁きから出来る技をやるように、と言われたので、小手返しをしたり、四方投げをしたり、（最初にデモンストレーションされたのは入り身投げ）と、自分なりに色々試したのですが、イマイチ上手く行かなかったのが回転なげ。ポイントは体裁きの後（前の手で横面打ちを内側からカットして、反対の手で外側からカット、最初の一歩は横に踏み出し、２回目のカットの時に足を組み替える）、カットしてない方の手で下から腕を絡めるようにして受けの腕を捉え（入り身転換）、３教の握りの感じで手首をとり、内回転、転換して投げるのでした。ちょうど、自主練中に自分で上手く出来なかった技を最後にデモンストレーションしてもらって、改めて練習出来たのが良かったです。

回転投げは、他のどの技にもまして、ゆっくりでもイイから流れを途切れさせずに技をかけるのが重要な気がします。そして、流れるように、回転を止めないように出来た時は、投げるのも投げられるのもとても気持ちいい技だと最近思えるようになりました。始めた頃は苦手で、出来れば練習したくなかった事や、全然やくに立たなさそうな技だと思っていた事を考えると、それだけでも少しは自分が進歩したのかな、と感じます。

At Steve’s dojo tonight we practiced several techniques from a variation of yokomenuchi taisabaki. The variation was very cool. Assume both in ai hanmi, with Tori in hidari hanmi.

As Uke does a yokomen strike, slide out to the left (not in) and intercept the strike forearm with your left tegatana. In one clean motion cut down on the outside of Uke‘s forearm while stepping in with your right leg. Tori will end up out of the range of Uke‘s strike hand, and will be in migi hanmi.

This snapshot of the technique will resemble a tsuki irimi parry except Tori‘s arm is pointed down instead of pointed up like a normal irimi parry.

Just about any technique that starts from a chudan tsuki irimi parry can be done here too, but a clear favorite is iriminage or kaitennage.

This technique is meant to be done in a smooth, fluid, continuous movement. If there is a pause or a delay in the kaiten, then it has to be abandoned or changed into aiki-jujutsu.

I used to think the ‘kaiten’ in kaitennage was the kaiten Tori steps as he moves; It is not. It is recognizable by the vertical ellipsoid drawn by Tori using Uke‘s arm. Knowing this, Uke should not be told to “step back” nor should Uke even be pulled back like a gun which is cocked before it is fired. There is no need. The proper technique will cause a weight transfer and a natural leg exchange after shomenuchi, for example.

Uke doesn’t even need to go low to the ground. Further, it isn’t even Tori‘s job to make him go low to the ground. Uke should want to go low to the ground because the lower he is the safer the kaiten ukemi will be. If Uke insubordinatly stays high on the throw, it is his own fault that he flops and barrels on the roll if he can’t take tobiukemi. This is what I have read.

In fact, if Uke remains relatively high off of the ground it is better for Tori (and more dangerous for Uke). The goal of kaitennage, I have learned, is to cause Uke to move forward while raising his center of gravity at the same time. Since his feet will have little influence on the ground while he is moving forward (raised center of gravity), he will either superman-dive into the unforgiving mat, or roll on his own accord.

Tori can even impart a simultaneous horizontal hanten on Uke to make him spectacularly go flying.

The physics of kaitennage is to make Uke‘s center of gravity move around his centroid (his geometric center) and to continue in a direction parallel to the Earth on the throw. This is a beautiful technique from a physics point of view – stunning really. Philosophically, it is one of the most peaceful techniques in Aikido because you hardly touch Uke, you don’t cause any sudden direction changes, and you make it so that he can potentially land safely.

Love this technique and the deeper hidden concepts associated with it.
If we analyse this technique in detail, we can see the splitting of the energy in the associated heaven and earth movements.

Example: starting in Hidari Hanmi. Perform a small shift/slide step to the left to take your self out of the range of attack or simply out of Uke‘s line (front of Uke). Tori keeps the left arm extended to the left knee (obove or slightly to the outside), this is the earth/ground concept. This simple movement keeps all of Uke‘s weight on his right leg, preventing him from moving his right leg. This followed by the step behind as Tori‘s hand raises to heaven (i.e Uke‘s shoulder and neck area). Then as if emptying a cup behind Uke‘s back completes the throw.

This as described above is the basic Tenchinage  of Aikido.

Taking it one step further and using the concept of trapping Uke‘s weight on on left makes it easy to take Uke‘s balance and can be used to perform Osoto-gari for example ( can be any type of grip). Or we can use it to take Uke to the ground if we wished to do some BJJ work. I have showed this technique/concept to my Students and they love it. As a side note. We can use the Earth concept of the throw to take Uke to the ground and the heaven part if just the gravy if needed.

Uke takes Tori‘s right hand. Tori does a tenkan and for the sake of feel the right position, he touches his temple with his index finger. The drop his front leg (right leg) back to Kiba-dachi., while cutting down for a Nage or just gently bringing down the hands for a Kokyu-ho. Keeping in mind to breath (exhale) when doing the throw/nage (i.e. during the cut down). Works like a charm. Love it. The first motion (the tenkan combined with the movement of Tori‘s hand) is more than enough to take Uke‘s Balance.

Further research to this technique:
It is possible that when performing this technique Uke can change from the common baseball bat grip to the more of a shovel grip. Meaning that when Tori is performing the technique, uke decides to relax his hands and slide to the shovel grip.

However, this change of grip makes Uke open to an elbow atemi. So it is wise for Uke to not change the grip.

Just so I don’t get attacked by members in my own community for posting scary numbers, I will use Yamada Sensei’s test requirements as the source of my calculations.1

For New York Aikikai

The number of training days required to be eligible for the shodan test is 1140.2

Assuming smooth transitions and no breaks with 50 training weeks in a year,

• at 4 days a week shodan will take 5.7 years.
• at 2 days a week shodan will take 11.4 years.
• at 1 day a week shodan will take 22.8 years.

The number of training days required from beginner to 4th dan is 1140 (shodan) + 600 (nidan) + 700 (sandan) + 800 (yondan)3 = 3240.2 Again assuming smooth transitions and no breaks with 50 training weeks in a year,

• at 4 days a week yondan will take 16.2 years.
• at 2 days a week yondan will take 32.4 years.
• at 1 day a week yondan will take 64.8 years… fugeddaboutit!

How much in training fees will you spend on Aikido?

Pulling a number out of my head, say $10/class, it will cost 1140 classes x $10/class =
$11,400 to reach shodan (plus testing costs).

For yondan, that is more than $32,000.

*Smack* (hand slaps face). Now you are plainly aware of what you are getting into. If some kind organization offers you a lifetime membership for $10,000 or less, maybe consider it.

But come now, how can you assign metrics to something that will change your life forever like Aikido?

1. We do pretty much follow his knowledge test requirements though as of February, 2010 [↩]
2. http://nyaikikai.com/rankings.asp, as of May 24, 2010 [↩] [↩]
3. if the pattern of hours holds [↩]