Article 10: Irimi Tsuki

Irimi tsuki: The Perfect Synthesis of Ikkajo and Irimi-Nage

When I watch Shioda Sensei, Takeno Sensei and Mustard Sensei do jiyu waza, the movement that always strikes me as amazing is Irimi tsuki.  As a technique it is the essence of simplicity just like Ikkajo and it requires confidence and timing like a well excuted Irimi Nage.

What I want to first communicate how this technique reminds me of studying Iaido, like all things it is so tempting to add to what you're doing.  However, every additional movement, every extravagance only serves to slow down the technique and reduce it's combat effectiveness and moves it further from the principles upon which effective technique can be built.

If I'm perfectly honest I find this technique really intimidating to uke for, and if I know that the shite that I'm practicing with is good at it, I'm aware that they could use it and I slow down my attacks as a result.  This is a total falseness.  You cannot uke with a preconcieved knowledge for what might happen, a combative response should be intuitive and building in these calculating elements serves only to prevent both uke and shite learning.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqK8p_NQV8U&feature=related (watch at 55 secs for about 10 seconds)

I watched Shioda Sensei do this technique and the impact that it can have on uke like Ando Sensei, and I thought that if I am going to teach this technique in the dojo I absolutely have to start with the ukemi.  It was a lovely opportunity to consult my notes from Mustard Sensei and Thambu Sensei that I made last summer and develop a simplicity to my shite waza and structure to my uke waza.

In the class on Monday night we have a real mix of abilities, however, none of them have ever studied Irimi tsuki and it's ukemi.  Firstly I wanted to impress upon the group that you may not resist. Ever.  Shite would stand in shizentai with his hand out stretched, uke would approach and when their chin hit the palm of shites hand they would bend back and make sure that their feet would pass the back heal of shite.  

I think it is really dangerous when uke attacks, notices the technique and then tries to step back out of it.  This is where the ukemi for Irimi Nage and Irimi Tsuki part, physiologically this is because of the body control difference between these two techniques.  As ukes head is taken so far back and so fast Irimi Tsuki requires a specific ukemi, also Irimi Nage is a body control technique and uke can in part dictate the fall.

Once uke is used to bending their back and still moving foward, we then looked at building in a variation of yoko ukemi.  The leg furtherest from shite would straighten allowing uke to fall to the floor and slap the mat.  Following the same ukemi technical elements involved with hiraku ukemi.

I then moved on to the shite waza.  I was really keen to make sure that everyone understood that you should not add anything to the technique, and infact there are many more technical elements shared with Ikkajo than Irimi Nage.  The foot movement is essential shaku dosa, where shite moves in a cherveron shape so that shite moves off ukes attacking line and approaches uke from a 30 degree angle.

Takeno Sensei demonstrating Irimi Tsuki

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNsYVvzLaSk 

Each sliding step is into 80/20 and we have to be mindful of the lead hand.  Under no circumstances should shites arm move out their own body line.  Two commen mistakes are bending the arm in the form of a choke slam (although that'd be cool!) or even if the arm is straight it moving out at right angles to shites hips.

I found making uke and shite for this technique really enlightening and further illustrates to me two things; one, shite much move into 80/20 with a strong feeling of jushinmae (always forward) and two that you shouldn't engage the shoulder to try and topple/tip/slam uke into the mat.  If you adhire to these elements then you will throw uke through the cracks in the mat, and if you can uke for this technique then you can be virtually fearless.

Happy training. Osu!

Article 9: What happens once uke posture is broken?

Kuzushi or the removal of uke basal support is a key part of Aikido and what appears to be it's effortless grace. I've been wanting to write about the elements of this explicitly for some time, and it really needs more preparation on my part with some photographic resources so that I can communicate accurately what it is I'm trying to say.  But I'll have a go anyway.

How is uke posture broken?

In the human body weight centres around the pelvic cradle, and Aikido techniques (as I'm sure all combative systems do)  make use of this to throw or immobilize our attacker.  Shiho nage and Ikkajo illustrate the two key lines that can be broken in uke, to the real and front respectively.  Different to many Judo techniques, which break balance in a direction parallel to the shoulders.

How can uke respond to this posture break?

I am a big believer in the 'form' and that uke has the most important job to do, which is to help shite learn.  Uke should approach the technique without ego, it is not a competition.  However, asking the question above does allow us to develop more of understanding of the reason why techniques are the way they are.  One of the great benefits I think of practising (even in some small part) the Yoshinkan Aikido type techniques, is that they are some of the least changed from O Sensei and thus a better link to the world for which they were originally designed.  Anyway, I digress, in my view, uke can only do three things once his posture is broken.

1. Fall over
2. Power up from the broken position
3. Step back

Having practised a with a variety of Aikido styles (and this is only in my experience and view), the Yoshinkan Shiho nage helps us understand this kuzushi process really well.

Obviously uke falling over is our goal and desirable. But uke does have two other options.

When holding uke for Shiho nage (just before the final slide forward for the throw), if we refer back to the core posture (kamae), shite should hold their centre line (chushin) strong.  At this stage uke should test upwards strongly in other to see if shite will be forced back.  It should also be noted that shite should not be engaging his shoulders in this maintenance of the posture break.  If this happens, then the technique is as good as failed, and shite will have to make up with his lack of technique with shoulder muscles and possibly speed to cover over the cracks.

How far should you slide behind uke?

When we move forwards it is essential that we do three things, firstly, slide into 80/20 with our weight forward, secondly maintain relaxed shoulders and a strong centre line.  But we must also slide forwards further than uke can step back.  If uke can step back further than the entrance movement from shite, then uke will be able to regain their posture and stop the technique from being effective.  

Article 8: Jiyu Waza, a chance to practice free techniques or become mindlessly tense?

Friday was our first session back after a break that felt like a life time and with the almost Arctic weather, it became nearly impossible to do any useful training other than 360 tenkans in walking boots.  So obviously I did the next best thing, watched Takeno and Mustard Sensei on DVD and ate.... lots.

I'm very aware of how time is trickling away now and that the counter on the top of the web page seems to be moving faster and faster.  I put my game face on as soon as I got into the dojo, and other than the odd hello and new year hug, I was focused on training hard.

Luckily enough I had a good uke for sumi otoshi kokyu nage and I felt good.... surprisingly.  My ukemi was light (for me) and my hiyaku ukemi was better than usual, my shite waza felt relaxed and I could put a lot into the throw without engaging my shoulders.

However, at the end of the lesson Sensei asked all the instructors to do a short demonstration with the uke of our choice.  Naturally I chose the individual who'd I spent the most time and understood  my technique the best.

As I sit and writing this blog, I could think of 7 or 8 techniques that are ideal for this:

1. Sumi otoshi kokyu nage
2. Hiji ate kokyu nage
3. The unnamed kokyu nages
4. Kote gaeshi
5. Shiho nage kuzushi
6. Ikkajo nage
7. Irimi Tsuki
8. Irimi Nage

Of course there are others, but these are the ones I like to think I'd use, especially after watching Takeno Sensei apply them so beautifully on YouTube.

That is not what happened, my first mistake was that, especially with an audience and I think the attraction of Jiyu Waza is that you can really go for it, I let the tension creep into my shoulders.  It had an unexpected effect where I felt very top heavy, so that every time I slid forward I felt that I was tipping.  Additionally, rather than sliding a good distance forward to generate power for the technique, my foot dug into the mat further distablising my kamae.  Which in turn caused me to make up for my lack of form with my arms and shoulders.

Next problem was me getting stuck on one technique which was sumi otoshi kokyu nage.  Normally, I think this is due to my job as a teacher, I am pretty good at recalling lists of items.  In this instance I was frustratingly limited on what I could do.  

So in addition to my other posted targets I want to start thinking about my Jiyu Waza and making sure that at the very least I can work through the 8 techniques above from any form of attack.

A short post, more thorough articles to follow.