Kihon Tips: Gyakute-Uchi

Over the next several months, I'm going to share some of the little "gotcha's" that often sneak into our training.

Gyakute-Uchi:

The jo should rotate in a plane vertically. This means you will have to shift your hips slightly as you draw.[/*:m:3jlyac18]
The drawing action comes naturally from your shoulder. From the gyakute-no-kamae posture, allowing your shoulder to relax will draw the jo smoothly.[/*:m:3jlyac18]
The drawing action should be reversible. You should be able to thrust the stick at uke with natural motion. If the first two elements are not present, you will find it difficult to thrust.[/*:m:3jlyac18]
As you draw, allow your weight to sink down. There's a tendency to allow our weight to shift into the heel as we draw.[/*:m:3jlyac18]
As you draw, think about pushing the front hand forward. This helps with not rocking your weight back, and also helps keep the hand extended so the advanced arm doesn't collapse at the elbow.[/*:m:3jlyac18]
The front hand does not move. It's like shooting pool. The front hand is the targeting mechanism, the back hand simply pushes the stick directly forward.[/*:m:3jlyac18]
Lift the jo, and your center at the same time.[/*:m:3jlyac18]
The front hand should finish with the pinky on top, your hand vertical to the floor. If you allow your wrist to break so that your palm is in contact with the jo, you will find you're doing kote-hineri to yourself when you push on something.[/*:m:3jlyac18]
Once you draw the jo, try using your front hand only to execute the strike. This helps refine the line of the strike. Add the back hand into the mix, but make sure you are not using it to generate power as you strike.[/*:m:3jlyac18]