Youtube video: Kotegaeshi

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[dongaleb]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R10sLXrB9co

Which one are you? Do you step back or forward?

[Cliff Judge]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R10sLXrB9co

Which one are you? Do you step back or forward?

Both!

[phitruong]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R10sLXrB9co

Which one are you? Do you step back or forward?

neither. depends. usually, i drop straight down. don't like to throw folks away, then i have to chase after them and kill them. would rather that they be at my feet so i can finish them off.

[ze'ev erlich]

These variations are the omote and ura of kotegaeshi. The choice in general is according to the situation. When taking grading exams and during regular practice, usually we do twice omote and twice ura.
By the way, in addition to these two directions, there are six more. Eight in total.

[phitruong]

the ones that would be of interest to me are the ones that won't get you hit in the head by uke other hand or a capoeira guy kick you in the head as he went over.

[Janet Rosen]

Depends on how uke attacked and if there are other issues like multiple ukes or walls to either use or avoid :-) There is no universally "right" direction to pick only the best choice of the 360 degree circle surrounding you in the moment of the attack.

[Gerardo Torres]

My regular teacher prefers to stretch the arm when applying kotegaeshi (to avoid a secondary attack) so stepping back -- and down -- would be preferred. I've felt some very effective step fwd versions from othe rteachers though.

[ramenboy]

our chief instructor, the late akira tohei, would say 'case by case'

our 'standard' style was to stay 'open' stance and throw. later, i learned to step in and drive the hips into the throw; then later again, found you could step back with the same result... it depends how close or how far uke is.

tohei sensei used to also, when asked similar questions on other techniques, point back to the picture of o-sensei at the shomen, and say, 'ask him.'

[Cliff Judge]

Yeah I always seem to be either expanding the space between uke and I while I draw them out, or steering to their ura and taking their balance behind them.

[Rupert Atkinson]

I like both - moving foward for irimi and back or turnng for tenkan.

I also like to make uke come to me sometimes, rather than throwing him away:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ymaal9Jwvi8

[JP3]

neither. depends. usually, i drop straight down. don't like to throw folks away, then i have to chase after them and kill them. would rather that they be at my feet so i can finish them off.

Indeed & agreed.

But, both ways can come up depending on how uke wants to do his thing.

[sorokod]

the ones that would be of interest to me are the ones that won't get you hit in the head by uke other hand or a capoeira guy kick you in the head as he went over.

true dat.