Sometimes Tori takes Uke straight down and it is awkward for Uke to reposition himself. For example, in nikyo ura both Saito and Tissier like to take Uke straight down instead of letting him get back up and doing another ura tenkan then taking him down again (inefficient). I first saw Dzung Nguyen Sensei take low ukemi similar to this years ago. I don’t see this much these days so I thought I would a make a quick-and-dirty example of what I was talking about. This is still a work in progress.

The first two falls are awkward on purpose as a reference. The rest are simulations of going straight down comfortably. There is no audio.

I guess what I am trying to do is to throw my body up and let my torso touch, then my stomach and finally my legs in a soft manner.

This video has been posted as a reference point when looking at recent clips of Doshu to see how his techniques have changed, stayed the same, or just as reference for my own training.

Iriminage

Kotegaeshi

Ueshiba Kisshomaru performing ushiro ryokatadori kokyunage with tenkan.¹

1. From http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJNQz0fD-60 [↩]

Here is a time-stretched version of 22-jo vs. 22-jo partner practice, otherwise known as 36-jo and a new test requirement (as far as I know). The speed has been reduced by 30%. The original video is of Kobayashi Hiroaki and can be found as another post in this journal.

Taken 2010.09.19 at Masa Kokoro. Here is Andell performing the test version of ushiro tekubitori sankyo omote by way of a temporary nikyo hold. Actually, we step forward now instead of backward, but it shouldn’t matter, really.

Taken May 10th, 2010:

This is new on the Calgary Aikikai nikyu test so please enjoy.

This clip is neat because of how Sensei steps for the initial blending of Uke’s katatedori.

In static practice for both omote and ura we usually use atemi and then sidestep to the outside, bring Uke down at the elbow, then do Kobayashi Dojo ikkyo omote or ura.

In this ikkyo omote (nagare with throwing) clip, Ben Sensei clearly blends with Uke by moving to the inside (never to the outside), then takes hold of Uke’s wrist, and steps in right away like Doshu and Aikikai (as illustrated in Budo). That feels natural for omote, even in the static version.

This makes me ask another important question: should a ki-no-nagare version be a recognizable blending version of a static version? or should it be a completely different version to suit the idea of blending? If you reject my second postulate and argue in favor of the first, then should we instead practice so-called static versions like nagare versions, but at lower speeds to get a more Aiki feeling in practice?

Uke Cam!

We loved ki-no-nagare so much that we tried randori gyakuhanmi katatedori ikkyo-nage omote. I run at Andell and take ukemi with the camera in my hand.

Note to uke: Please wipe sweat from hands before attacking to be polite!

Unexpectedly I was called to the front to demonstrate ushiro tekubitori sankyo. I was a little on edge because I know of three versions, but because we hardly practice this I didn’t know which one to show… so I fell back to the simplest and most beautiful one that I am aware of.

This was the version I was trying to do by our new Shihan Igarashi Kazuo (though he steps toward Uke’s front leg when I look back at this video).

It turns out this was not the one Sensei wanted. Oops. Here is me doing it one more time, then I am showed what our basic version is.

Basic Version

This made me ask myself an important question: is a technique a basic one because it came first? or is it basic because it has more coarse movement? or is it basic because it is the most widely recognized? or is it basic because it is easier to understand? I only ask because one dojo’s variation is another dojo’s basic version, so my question is valid.

Ichi

Ready

Choku tsuki

Ni

Jodan block

Chudan tsuki

San

Jodan gaeshi

continued

Menuchi

Ni Ju Ni

Prepare for jodan tsuki

Jodan tsuki