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Old 04-03-2009, 09:16 PM   #7
Josh Reyer
 
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Location: Aichi-ken, Nagoya-shi
Join Date: Nov 2005
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Re: The etymology of Kote Gaeshi

It's not confusing. "Kote" refers to the part of your arm from your wrist to your elbow. It is written 小手, "small" and "hand". It is contrasted with "takate" 高手, "high" and "hand", which is the part of your arm running from your elbow to your shoulder. Armor gauntlets are referred to as "kote" because that's the part of the body they protect. Likewise, the kendo "men" protects your "men" (face), and "dou" protects your "dou" (torso). The armor is often written with the same kanji as the body part, but sometimes 籠手 is used instead. 籠手 is almost never used in "kotegaeshi". (I say "almost never" because as soon as I say "never used", like I want to, someone will bring up a book or teacher that uses it. But I've never seen it in any Japanese aikido material.)

Josh Reyer

The lyf so short, the crafte so longe to lerne,
Th'assay so harde, so sharpe the conquerynge...
- Chaucer
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