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Old 01-28-2009, 11:05 AM   #13
Voitokas
 
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Re: Yokomenuchi Tenchinage

I think I know which tenchinage you're describing, Dalen7 - does this sound like it?:

Uke attacks yokomen with his right hand. I enter with my right foot and engage uke's attacking arm with my left hand while my right gives an atemi to uke's face, drawing his left, usually, in defence (the standard 5th kyu yokomenuchi engagement). My left hand comes to my waist as I tenkan around beside uke on my left foot. My left "earth" hand sweeps downbehind uke's right leg as I step forward with my right leg, switch my hips, and throw uke. Uke's trailing hand may or may not keep kokyu, but the feeling of "heaven" is still there.

If this is the one you're having trouble with, I think the key points are:
a) the initial irimi and atemi to take uke's balance. The irimi is necessary to invade uke's sphere and the atemi is necessary to break their posture. Once you get really comfortable, the irimi itself can be almost an atemi, but it's always best to learn techniques using broad atemi as training wheels (because they're still there even when you don't see them!)
b) keeping a strong magnetic-feeling kokyu with your drawing "earth" hand - I think of it like leading a partner when you're waltzing
c) the "earth" hand should never come up. You are turning the initial yokomenuchi into the top of a lazy "S". The weight of the "earth" hand and their attention to the "heaven" hand keep uke unbalanced through the whole technique.

The throw itself is a lot like iriminage, in that one hand goes up while one goes down, there is some centripetal aspect to the throwing force, and uke falls the same way. Indeed, like in iriminage, your "heaven" arm should not clothesline uke, nor are you stepping all the way through to trip uke.

I hope this helps at all,
voitokas

I am not an expert
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