Monday, February 21, 2005
A Nice Stiff Tegatana
A key point I’ve learned on this trip is that uke must provide a certain amount of realism in his use of tegatana (hand sword). In particular, if you are attacking with it, it should be stiff. If you attack with a limp arm, your “strike” would be ineffective. So to mimic a real attack, your arm should be stiff when you strike (or thrust) with it.
This ends up creating a lot of great kuzushi opportunities for torii. In particular, if uke’s tegatana arm is stiff, it can be used as a lever to break uke’s balance.
Indeed, this is true throughout the atemi waza. For instance, in shomen ate, after being attacked and stepping to the side you should push firmly down on uke’s attacking tegatana arm. If uke is properly keeping a stiff tegatana, it will serve as a lever that will push him off balance (forward and to the right, from his perspective, if he is attacking with his right tegatana). Indeed, your right arm as you push down on uke’s wrist should cut pretty low—nearly down to the level of your own belly button. That gets great kuzushi.
Also, the downward motion is a kiri-kaeshi cut (a diagonal sword cut). It starts from your top right and cuts down at a 45 degree angle towards your left hip. Your tegatana blade should cut right into the thumb-side of uke’s tegatana wrist. That way, the fact that his hand flairs out from the wrist at that point on uke’s arm give you nice little place to apply pressure so that things don’t slide. By coming down at a 45-degree angle, you actually push (from uke’s perspective) forward on the arm as well as pushing it down. Thus, uke is (from his perspective) pulled both forward as well as pushed off to the right. You may even get his torso to rotate.
In ai-gamae ate, your first motion is to push up several inches with your own tegatana. This will raise uke’s tegatana, and make getting to the underside of his arm (to rotate it and pull on it) much easier. This is only possible if uke is keeping a stiff tegatana arm.
In gyaku-gamae ate, if uke has a stiff tegatana arm, you will be able to unbalance him a bit as you push down on it while entering. This helps to set up the ensuing throw which is made by the other arm.
In gedan-ate, the same is true. If uke’s arm is stiff, then you can both pull and push on it at various times in the technique to unbalance uke.
Finally, in ushiro-ate, the first thing you do is cut down with your own tegatana, driving uke’s lower. You can then push on his elbow to turn his torso. But again, here, a stiff tegatana on uke’s part is essential. If uke’s arm is limp when you push on the elbow, only his arm will move (articulating at the shoulder joint). But if his tegatana arm is stiff, you’ll be able to use it as a lever to twist the torso.
This ends up creating a lot of great kuzushi opportunities for torii. In particular, if uke’s tegatana arm is stiff, it can be used as a lever to break uke’s balance.
Indeed, this is true throughout the atemi waza. For instance, in shomen ate, after being attacked and stepping to the side you should push firmly down on uke’s attacking tegatana arm. If uke is properly keeping a stiff tegatana, it will serve as a lever that will push him off balance (forward and to the right, from his perspective, if he is attacking with his right tegatana). Indeed, your right arm as you push down on uke’s wrist should cut pretty low—nearly down to the level of your own belly button. That gets great kuzushi.
Also, the downward motion is a kiri-kaeshi cut (a diagonal sword cut). It starts from your top right and cuts down at a 45 degree angle towards your left hip. Your tegatana blade should cut right into the thumb-side of uke’s tegatana wrist. That way, the fact that his hand flairs out from the wrist at that point on uke’s arm give you nice little place to apply pressure so that things don’t slide. By coming down at a 45-degree angle, you actually push (from uke’s perspective) forward on the arm as well as pushing it down. Thus, uke is (from his perspective) pulled both forward as well as pushed off to the right. You may even get his torso to rotate.
In ai-gamae ate, your first motion is to push up several inches with your own tegatana. This will raise uke’s tegatana, and make getting to the underside of his arm (to rotate it and pull on it) much easier. This is only possible if uke is keeping a stiff tegatana arm.
In gyaku-gamae ate, if uke has a stiff tegatana arm, you will be able to unbalance him a bit as you push down on it while entering. This helps to set up the ensuing throw which is made by the other arm.
In gedan-ate, the same is true. If uke’s arm is stiff, then you can both pull and push on it at various times in the technique to unbalance uke.
Finally, in ushiro-ate, the first thing you do is cut down with your own tegatana, driving uke’s lower. You can then push on his elbow to turn his torso. But again, here, a stiff tegatana on uke’s part is essential. If uke’s arm is limp when you push on the elbow, only his arm will move (articulating at the shoulder joint). But if his tegatana arm is stiff, you’ll be able to use it as a lever to twist the torso.
