Kaze Uta Budo Kai Forum Archive

One of the things I've been looking at for a few months are various similarities and synergies between throws.

As an example, I threw out a lesson last week (maybe it was the week before) on tai-otoshi. It's easy to feel the otoshi line when you start at a kneeling form of uki-otoshi, just as we see in the first throw of Nage-no-kata. From there, perform uki-otoshi without kneeling -- this typically will refine hand work from strong to light. Next, we can look at seoi-otoshi -- a dropping throw, but turning around -- a lot like the kneeling form of uki-otoshi, just adding a turning element. Finally, do the same thing without dropping and you have tai-otoshi.

We also see instances with kouchi-gari, where a failure condition can setup uchi-mata if you've done your footwork correctly. Otherwise it simply won't work. However, sometimes, you can find ouchi-gari if you've messed up your footwork. Wait a second... this sounds similar to the tai-otoshi thing.

I often teach beginners to perform harai-goshi starting with osoto-gari. Start with the familiar osoto-gari, and uke counters. If uke climbs up tori's back (possibly setting up sukui-nage), tori can simply reap with his original leg and has an easy harai. This also works to teach ashi-guruma, with uke countering by stepping out to arm's length at tori's side.

Has anyone else studied different kuzushi, entries, footwork, etc. to either link different throws together as a teaching tool? Or perhaps even continuous attack functions?

I have thought about it a lot, actually. 😄

I'm actually gearing up to spend a couple of weeks (or more, depending on how it goes) on some ideas in a few weeks when we finished what we're working on now. So, I'm anxious to hear if anyone else has more ideas...

For starters, pairing kouchi gari and ouchi gari together is a pretty simple and sweet combo (going from one to the other) that even beginning folks grasp pretty well, as well as pairing osoto gari and kosoto gari. And since all of those put uke in a position where his shoulders are pitched back, if he's fighting to straighten forward again, we go with that energy and step back and into something that throws him forward, hiza guruma/harai tsurikomi ashi.

Chris Wilson liked going from a failed hiza guruma to a harai goshi that's pretty sweet (I think there's a YouTube video somewhere?).

And speaking of uchi mata, you can always flip the order try that first and when it fails, step into kouchi gari to his support leg.

I can elaborate more later when I have time and check my notes. 😉

Wait, I just realized I might have misunderstood. I went down the road of henka waza, but I think you were looking for something slightly different. I shall adjust my thinking and get back...

No, you're on the money.

I'm starting to look at what makes things the same, as well as what things are nice henka.

I've always approached the entire hip & shoulder throw family as a single entry. Seoi-nage, ogoshi, hane goshi, harai goshi, koshi guruma, et. al, as the same initial entry concept. Last night I started looking at how we can use the off-balance line from uki-otoshi as the key that links these together.

I have a few ideas cooking that might potentially change how we approach throwing, but I need to focus on getting the throwing sections of Judo filmed on video before I get off deep into theory.