The first variation is the one we practiced tonight. Tissier calls this version “very basic”, and even though the other two versions he shows are more elegant, this first version has some principles embedded in it that I have been developing in other techniques with a lot of promise. That is why I appreciate this version. He gets right beside Uke before he begins his omote motion, and he keeps his center tight with Uke’s.

I’m unsure if these principles are emphasized enough, by I am trying to stress them when I practice. Ikkyo omote from yokomenuchi should no longer be guesswork with slipping hands and apologies to patient Uke.

Guess what else? When I kept these principles in mind it made the suwariwaza version of yokomenuchi ikkyo pleasant – a technique I have never tried before today.

The one worked on tonight was the deep irimi kuzushi, followed by stepping behind Uke, and performing a spiraling ikkyo ura with two ideas I love: one I figured out on my own a while ago, and the other is a new idea. I figured out that ikkyo ura should be done with one hand grasping the triceps and not the elbow, and was confirmed by my seniors. This only works if Tori’s mijiku is close to Uke’s mijiku.

Note: If Tori is not beside Uke for the ikkyo ura, then Tori is tempted to grab Uke’s elbow and pull. Is there a way to make this better? Grabbing the triceps is not even critical as ikkyo ura can be done with one hand hooking onto Uke’s wrist and twisting into a spiral.

Interesting Point: Actually, just after writing the above notes, I discovered that Tissier does yokomenuchi ikkyo omote with uchi mawari blending, and his ikkyo ura is very similar to how we were doing it tonight (except for his inner hand placement). In the video posted below, I am interested with his ikkyo ura at [0:39] for this entry.

(Click here to view the video clip.)

Something I noticed in the slowdown of this clip is exactly when Tissier makes contact with Uke’s strike. Hint: it is not while Uke has his arm cocked. Watch slowly. This gives me another idea which I would like to explore and discuss later.

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

(Click here to view the video clip.)

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.

Description:

三代道主植芝守央先生１９９４年全日本合気道演武会
3rd Doshu Ueshiba Moriteru at 1994 All Japan Aikido Demonstration

Nishio Sensei Katatedori Iriminage Entry

Kobayashi Sensei demonstrated 6 ways to do 片手取りの払い方, but Nishio Sensei adds one more to that list, and it is pretty intuitive and neat. Uke becomes crooked and is malleable. I wonder why no one has thought to try this before. This is different than both 下から払い and 上から払い.

(Click here to view the video clip.)

Non-throwing iriminage variations: [0:37] [0:50] [0:58] [1:20] [1:25] [1:39] [1:43] [2:29] [2:35] (9 of them! Wow)

I feel it is really hard to throw some people safely and beautifully who are afraid to fall (or fly), so I draw a lot of inspiration for iriminage from Osawa Sensei when I shouldn’t throw my partner the way I really want to practice. Sometimes Uke is unresponsive or is like a deer in the headlights and a kind iriminage like the 9 Osawa Sensei showed us will suffice.

Osawa Sensei makes alternate iriminage throws beautiful and poetic. It was from him I learned that not every throw or technique has to be ‘by the book’. To anyone who claims otherwise I would kindly ask of him to throw his partner(s) exactly the same way 9 times in a row with identical footwork each time.

I really think Uke has to be confident before we can even start to practice this kind of iriminage. Uke really has to know his body and how to blend, like seriously. I know I am still hesitant to practice this kind of throw because I don’t know who can successfully take it. Uke at Hombu fly this way.

Osawa Hayato Sensei - Iriminage

Osawa Hayato Sensei - Iriminage

Big leg flare from Uke - sideways ukemi

(Click here to view the video clip.)

His shihonage cut-down is very nice. It makes me want to look into mine yet again.

Kanazawa Sensei, yokomenuchi shihonage ura

Shihogiri continued

... continued

I’ve noticed that many shihans cut down at an angle (which I explored in a previous post). Kanazawa Sensei really cuts through Uke’s center of gravity, then sweeps back out. It looks almost like two cuts. I never thought to cut into Uke’s center before, just kuzushi by way of gravity and then sweep out to make him turn as he falls. I’m looking forward to practicing this on Thursday.

Kanazawa Sensei Shihonage

(Click here to view the video clip.)