Doshu Iriminage

Doshu 1994

Tissier - circa 1980's

Tohei Akira 1992

Wakasensei in Bangkok, 2008

Another example

Osawa Sensei - Suwari waza

Kuribayashi Sensei

Another example

I could find examples all day. The attacks are different and were yokomenuchi, static katatedori, shomenuchi, ushiro tekubitori and even shomenuchi from hanmi-handachi. Uke doesn’t have to brace every time, but if the options are ‘node dive and crumple’ or brace, brace!

たぶん、上手なウケはいないと上手なトリにならのは難しい。

Update 2010.09.07 – K made the observation that Tori has to allow Uke to move and brace this way. In order for Uke to be able to brace, Tori must not clamp Uke‘s arm to his hip or thigh, or else how can Uke even brace if Tori takes his arm away? When I look back at the stills I see that most of the presented shihans maintain contact with Uke‘s forward arm at about the elbow or thereabouts. I like this because Tori can still read Uke‘s forward momentum or if Uke wants to try to escape or fowl up the technique, for example.

Some stills show shihans who are disconnected from their Uke‘s forward arm. They are shihans and can do that. I do believe it is better to stay connected and blending with the forward arm of Uke. Losing connection yet completing the iriminage anyway is something best left for shihans who are having fun, or for static step-by-step demonstration.