Kaze Uta Budo Kai Forum Archive

For the most part, when uke attacks, one of the first things we're taught is to get off of that line of attack. However, every once in a great while, I'll stumble across a variation of a technique where tori actually maintains his line, and instead does something to disturb uke's line, to basically redirect his line.

So, for the purposes of discussion, what are some of those techniques? Are they inherently more risky than tori moving off the line? Or any other thoughts you might have on the matter. Go...

The first thing that comes to mind is shomen-ate, in all its various flavors. Double-handed shomen-ate is pretty mean. We could probably include a variant of single-handed shomen-ate or aigamae-ate, where tori slips ever so slightly off-line (or barely redirects uke's attack), but throws uke back from whence he came.

Ai-uchi-men, the first San Kata offensive sword technique, is the classic example of controlling the line. You just wait for the timing and strike sharply directly into the incoming cut. Since only one object can be in center, and you have a leverage advantage, the opponent's cut is vectored off line and you end up with your kissaki nestled into uke's pompadour.

Also, the first two Yon kata throws (jodan aigamae, jodan gyakugamae) are basically straight shomen ate, where uke's grab crumples upwards. The irimi turning step happens when uke is frozen momentarily at the top of his interrupted step.

I would say these techniques are exceptions, which is why they are taught later. Often we teach a more difficult movement first (e.g., the forward moving off balance) because if you know the hard way you can do the easy. However moving off the line is a fundamental concept and I think you have to understand that before learning how to NOT evade.

I first felt this idea with Hussey Sensei. His Oshi Taioshi (Ikkyo) from a grab. He becomes a wall.

Working out with a talented teacher from a different style has really opened up my world. He does everything wrong according to what I learned is the right way to do things. Yet his way works, and he is better than me. So now yesterday's wrong is today's deep study.

I've felt this with Aikikai people that insist Ikkyo is directly into the opponent's center, not even a hair off-line. When teaching oshitaoshi, students have to know how to push the elbow directly over (and into, taking over) uke's center, with vectoring and tenkan as variations. Even release movements can start with a direct engagement of uke's center, then evasion becomes leading.