Turning Uke's Hand | Kote Gaeshi's Spiral Leverage
For almost a year living in Japan, I have been studying how to off-balance my training partners that I am throwing (Uke's). Off-balance or breaking a person's balance is called Kuzushi. I have been training Karate, Judo and Aikido while all this time catching some great moments in my learning curve on this topic. This has assisted in my research of evolving taiho jutsu arresting technique and specifically something of value to add to the Gunji Taiho Jutsu system.
One of the key positioning points or objectives to reach in Gunji Taiho Jutsu is the outside position (outside line). This is the point just next to your training partner or someone that you wish to bring to the ground to arrest. From the outside line, it to easy to gain the back position which is even better in terms of superior positioning to protect yourself from a bigger and stronger person. In former blogs, I have discussed the universal arm control with two hands-on holding a person's one arm. This universal arm control is called a two-on-one control and makes great use of the outside position.
Further, I have explored in former blogs the jujutsu technique of kote gaeshi where you perform a wristlock throw against your uke. Uniquely enough, the kote gaeshi technique is often best used from the outside line. Even when thinking of this technique from a front one on one person; to perform this technique, you need to create an off-balance, get to the side position, and turn the uke's wrist for the throw.
The question is can kote gaeshi be used successfully against a resisting person from the two on one universal arm control?
From the front position facing uke to transition to the side position to apply a kote gaeshi technique, this is classically set up with a turning movement with your body. This is called tenkan. Typically, the tori will control the wrist or the arm while turning his body to create movement and kuzushi. Below are two photos of this idea:
Kote Gaeshi control at the wrist during movement via turning (Tenkan).
Kote Gaeshi arm control with movement during a tenkan.
Next, what happening in classical form is both tori and uke's hands and arms are extending to move in a circle. I call this waving to the crowd. A second classical form is tori during the tenkan will bring uke's hand down to the ground only to come up while quickly turning again to apply the wristlock throw (kote gaeshi). The basic side positioning that is created by a tenkan where Tori and Uke are just next to each other in Aikido is called: Hitoemi.
In the best of both variations, I find in my practice the best success during a tenkan style kote gaeshi technique is to bring uke's wrist or arm to my leg just below my hip. This connection creates the off-balance downward that is useful and causes uke to experience the leverage of my full body turning ("tenkaning"). In addition, I focus more on my posture during the tenkan. The continuum effects all lead to uke coming around for the ride off-balance and with a broken posture only to think he is coming back up yet really redirected back again to the ground in a painful wristlock throw.
I wish to update you all soon on my discoveries as I continue to explore movements, strategies, and techniques like kote gaeshi from the solid outside position in Gunji Taiho Jutsu.
Saito Sensei's Kote Gaeshi Details
To The Reader
The author will be most happy to receive your comments, including criticisms and suggestions. Noteworthy comments may be included in future editions or books on this series.
Citations for Educational Purpose:
Aikido Kenkyukai NZ
– Prof. “little” Tony Pacenski
Yokota Air Base – Tokyo Japan
Gunji Taiho Jutsu (GTJ) | Military Arresting Technique is a system of taiho jutsu that is a progressive way to teach Military or Law Enforcement personnel many of the traditional and contemporary jujutsu techniques of control and arrest while at the same time keeping mindful of secondary weapon systems during training and complementing all of the current and evolving Military Combatives programs in place for the different branches of the Military.
