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Old 03-24-2010, 04:05 AM   #8
Dazzler
Dojo: Bristol North Aikido Dojo
Location: Bristol
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 659
England
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Re: Tenkan and Irimi vs Omote and Ura

Quote:
Joep Schuurkes wrote: View Post
I don't know if this will lessen or increase the confusion, but I'd add 'kaiten' to the list of irimi and tenkan. With kaiten being basically a step backwards at an angle (so front foot becomes back foot). Then the simple mapping of irimi - omote and tenkan - ura no longer works, because you've got nothing to map tenkan to.
Respectfully, You could also add tai sabaki and in this instance it wouldn't help at all. Just muddies already cloudy waters.

All of theses are movements in Aikido but Irimi and Tenkan are directly linked to each other.

One can perform an entering movement using irimi or a withdrawing movement creating tenkan (of which for me the turning movement fixated by many as tenkan is just one form). They are together. Do them both and you could end up where you started.

Irimi / tenkan are according to Tamura Sensei, foundations of Aikido....FWIW he positions I/T smack bang in the middle of his 9 bases. (source is at home but believe its either in his teachers guide or in his book on transmission translated by Stephane Bennedetti 6th Dan)

He specifically lists them as a single foundation.

Ura / Omote are also considered a single foundation.

He writes "

Any technique in Aikido has two aspects: Ura Wasa and Omote Wasa.

Ura represents the reverse, the back, the hidden side of things.

Omote represents the front, the surface, exterior, the apparent side of things.

In everything there is Ura and Omote. Man himself has a front and a back.
Ura and Omote can equally be used to mean exterior and interior. One can, for example, have a smiling face and feel pain in the heart or even have the appearance of the Buddha while lacking emotion.

Explaining in simple terms, techniques carried out in front of the adversary are called Omote Wasa and those from behind, Ura Wasa. Certain techniques are possible in Omote Wasa and Ura Wasa, others in one of the two.

In reality the techniques do not exist in these forms and the distinction does not have a practical application. The Omote Wasa and Ura Wasa classification was probably introduced to facilitate training and in fact an essential part of the learning process is to reject this classification and not to let yourself be hideboun
d.
"

If you take tenkan to be any physical withdrawal , or at higher level, even an inbreath...then this does not restrict the eventual form, and it can fit either classification depending on positional relationship to uke.

I like his 'essential part of learning process is to reject this classification' - ultimately you are free. Move and a form manifestsitself.

Or so I'm lead to believe and hope to one day reach this level.

Quote:
Francis Takahashi wrote: View Post

Hope this is helpful; if not, please discard.
- I echo this .

Regards

D

Last edited by Dazzler : 03-24-2010 at 04:16 AM.
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