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Old 05-14-2008, 11:07 AM   #25
charyuop
Dojo: Ponca Aikikai
Location: Ponca City, Oklahoma
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 131
United_States
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Re: Making Kote Gaeshi Work - With Resistance

Aikido is spiral, but nobody ever set a rule for the size of the spiral. The more tension there is the more sfter you get and the more the spiral becomes smaller.

I remember what I felt like (and I would pay who knows how much to have a picture) the first time Senpai didn't "flow" as usual with my kotegaeshi. After the instruction from Sensei not to be so much complaiant Senpai started responding in a different way. All of a sudden kotegaeshi no longer worked. That great technique was actually killing me, because would let Senpai to face me ready to punch my nose off. After kotegaeshi I had the same feeling for many other techniques and still have to figure out how to adjust.

And adjusting is what you have to learn to do, you don't have to learn to throw Uke. I assume the resistance that you experience is the one like "he is a rock and can't move him spirally as kotegaeshi requires". Well, then don't. If Uke is good enough to spin around to face you and remains centered, well it is useless to go on doing what you were doing. You might find more effective, instead of going on with the wide movement to take Ukes balance away, simply attack Uke's center. That means that instead of keeping rotating reduce the spiral movement so small that it is as if you walk streight into Uke's center. I found out that is Uke has still a good center a twist on the side kotegaeshi will not work anymore because both Uke and Nage have the same lateral range of motion. At that point it is more usefull a movement that might remind Nikkyo. Compress Uke's hand streight down using your center, only now that you have regained the advantage of the center, twisting the wrist will have a certain effect.

I tell you this, but in the end I do the same wrong thing hee hee (I preach well, but act bad ouch). Don't throw Uke, that is not your job. Your job is figuring out why sometimes kotegaeshi works in one way and why sometimes works in another way. Your job is figuring out what is the correct position, not on the mat, but compared to Uke. You can't draw a line on the tatami and think you always follow that line, it won't work coz Uke won't be doing the same movement everytime.
If you find resistance stop. But that doesn't mean stop, stretch your legs, moan, complain and restart...maybe next time you can throw Uke. STOP and remain there with Uke, figure out where Uke weak point is and take advantage of it. You might need to move the whole body, just twist a little more the hips or (I found out this for me in my iriminage) sometimes it is enough just lower more the knees.
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