I’ve been working hard on the updates to the site, and came across an old post about tenchinage where I looked closely at Wakasensei. Wakasensei twisted his hips to protect his groin and also moved off the line of attack before even entering beside Uke. In my previous experience with it months ago it would cause both stiff and lax ukes to really go off-balance, and one really stiff uke I sent flying. It was so cool. However, just when I was getting it I was told it was “not the basic version”.  I stopped doing it while helping others prepare for their 5th kyu. That was probably when I lost it, but thanks to my January post I remember it again.

This point feels connected to the principles of tai-no-henko.

Update 2010.09.08 – Wakasensei only shows this point once of all the times he does tenchinage. I must be thinking of a different video clip.

Something that tenchinage, katatedori ikkyo ura, nikyo ura, kaitennage uchimawari, hanmi-handachi kaitennage uchimawari, and most likely many more waza have in common came out today.

In the morning practice there were questions about hanmi-handachi katatedori kaitennage uchimawari on the (old?) third kyu test. I suggested starting from tachi and trying it as the technique from the (old?) 5th kyu test. I think uchimawari kaitennage has gotten a bad rep for some reason, but it really is a beautiful blend of momentum and redirection, and hella fun.

Actually, for the first time ever, this weekend I saw another sensei do the initial movement that I had only seen in video clips or at Hombu. I may have mentioned it before, but it works wonderfully and is emphasized by Wakasensei and Tissier – they are my inspirations for this initial movement.¹

Instead of cutting down and pulling Uke back at 45 degrees, how about going to Uke’s immediate side and minimally cutting down? The cut-down at the elbow is almost not needed, almost. Uke’s weight is pretty much shifted to the leg closest to Tori, and if Tori uses a little cut-down and sinks just a bit, Uke’s other leg will lift off the ground – this is what Wakasensei does, and what Tissier explained in detail in his 2005 Aikido Conference footage. Tori can then pretty much do any prescribed technique as ura or kaitennage. It is so amazing how a little change in thinking and movement translates into big dividends.

Update 2010.09.06 – A secret reader of the Journal asked me to show him this today. I’m pleased that I was asked demonstrate it because I think people are curious to make kaitennage better. It is a fun technique! Thanks, friend.

1. It seems to be hard to find katatedori ikko, nikyo etc. videos from other shihans [↩]

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.

Some Aikidoka step behind on the throw and use their leg as a fulcrum for Uke to fall over. That is, Nage uses his own leg for leverage on the throw. This is marked by Uke flying on the throw.

On the step behind Uke, even with a decent movement Uke may clumsily fall or trip on your leg in vain attempt to avoid falling. Tori can zig-zag and then instead of taking Uke’s balance in the direction of the zag, he can do an iriminage-style throw. However, Uke needs to know how to take tobiukemi or else he may fall on Tori’s knee and injure his back. That is probably why I thought this tenchinage was dangerous for a long time.

Here are some examples:

Other Aikidoka cleanly take Uke’s balance while keeping their legs safe from being landed on, but the throw is less dramatic.

I’m casually wondering which one is preferable, and if there is any link between Nage’s personality and the way he does techniques in Aikido. Last night I was taking uke for a skilled student who throws this way and it was fun because I had to do the new-ish breakfalls that I have been working on. Without the breakfall Uke can get hurt, but with the breakfall it feels good too.

Update 2010.06.20: I showed K how do to the flowery tobiukemi so I can practice this ‘harder’ tenchinage with her safely. It is so fun to be both Tori and Uke for this technique.

We had a fantastic revelation tonight. It was found from doing basic tenchinage as a class exercise. In this version, the lower hand draws a line to Uke’s back shikaku while the upper hand raises right up and under Uke’s chin, then a hip-twist to protect the groin with the slide off the line and zag-step behind Uke. Another version would be full nagare, or slight nagare the way Ben Sensei does it with stiff ukes.

Here is the revelation from the basic version: assume we are in hidari gyakuhanmi ryotedori and ignore the ten-hand and focus on the the chi-hand for now.

Nage wants to extend Uke’s lower hand down and to his shikaku behind him to move his center of gravity away from him so he wants to fall. Good ukes will not readjust their stance and will fall. However, we have some larger students and some flexible students and they readjust because they don’t like to fall. In the still below it feels like Uke can step back if he really wanted to.

Kihon tenchinage

I took a flexible student (because he can roll safely) and did tenchinage the way I remember wakasensei does it: the first slide is deep to the side followed by the step behind. When I did that, Uke’s right leg lifted off the ground and he was unable to readjust.

Wakasensei

Andell was watching and made the observation that by first drawing a line to the left of his right leg (not back), it puts Uke’s weight on his right leg and he is unable to move that leg. When Uke’s weight is shifted it is easy to extend his arm back to his shikaku like we originally wanted to do.

We’re going to work more with this to make the basic version work just as well as the nagare versions.

By the way, here is a still of ‘kind of’ the slight nagare I was talking about at the top of this post.

Slight initial nagare

Ben Sensei immediately adjusts his hand as they are about to be grabbed so that the higher hand is facing himself like a mirror, and the lower hand is near his tanden for a strong rotation. The upper hand is positioned so that Uke is off balance. Also, if Uke lets go of the upper hand, Nage can strike him quickly because of his advantageous posturing. At an opportune moment the direction is reversed from the nagare and a tenchinage is performed smoothly; the upper hand stays up and the lower hand stays low.

天地投げのポイントは、バランスの崩し方にある。天は胸をスリ上げるように、あくまでも高く、地の方は深いナナメ横へ踏み込んだ膝の横くらいに置く。この時にまっすぐ前に踏み込むよりは（入り身投げのように）心持ち受けのほうに体が向いていても、天と地がしっかりしていれば、受けはココで殆どバランスを崩す事になる。そして、そのまま受けの後ろに一歩踏み込めば、完全にバランスを崩す事ができる。受けから、体を反らさない事でずっと素早い動きになるので、最初の踏み込みが深ければ後は楽勝だ。この時の踏み込みは回転なげよりも深い。一教の踏み込みと同じく受けの軸を超える感じ。でも、一教よりも少し横にも深い踏み込みなんじゃないかと思う。この技、は面白い。。。。。あ、これって座技呼吸動作と同じポイントかも。

Ryotedori Tenchinage

Pivot the hips to generate power when taking the leading hand low. Use a zig-zag motion when applying the throw. In many cases, Nage will do the initial ‘zig’ correctly but forget to ‘zag‘ behind Uke and just move in a straight line. It can be very difficult to throw if Uke resists unless the throw direction is correct. Finally, keep motion smooth, continuous and relaxed.

Basic entering movement for Ryotedori Ikkyo, Nikyo, Sankyo, Iriminage etc

Although in ryotedori two hands are grabbed, Nage can think of the initial entering to off-balance Uke as a katatedori movement. Simultaneously atemi to the face, pivot the hips and step to the side (not back), then slide the atemi hand down the arm of Uke to off-balance at the elbow. Nage’s hands are now at Uke’s wrist ready to apply ikkyo, nikyo, sankyo, iriminage etc.

Ryotedori Iriminage

Perform the initial entering movement (above). After entering behind Uke, take proper control of Uke’s head by placing it at your shoulder. Tenkan as usual but not too much and aim to use a single tenkan step rather than shuffle awkwardly.

Ryotedori Shihonage

Don’t worry about throwing with both hands secured on Uke’s pinned hand. The other arm of Uke becomes naturally trapped in the movement.

Ryotedori Kaitennage

As Uke grabs, tenkan with one hand low (in front of hara) and the other hand high (with palm facing your face). This rotates Uke into an unstable position. Then extend the low hand to the side while at the same time lowering the raised hand behind your back as you step under Uke’s arm. Pivot and perform the kaitennage throw in the usual way.

Omote

Uke attacks by grabbing both wrists from the front. When trying to off-balance Uke use the hips, do not simply lurch forward and downwards with the leading hand. Pivoting the hips and then applying a downward motion with the grabbed lower wrist, in addition to raising the other hand, is far more effective to achieve off-balance. Then step through and throw.

Ura

Uke attacks by grabbing both wrists from the front. Nage blends, pivoting on the front foot 180 degrees, keeping his forward hand low close to his hara and raising the other hand to Uke’s shoulder, achieving off-balance. Nage then steps through and throws.