Analogies for Aikido techniques

Date: Fri, 1 Dec 1995 14:58:33 -0500
From: Ralph Ray Craig <rrcraig@eos.ncsu.edu>
Subject: Re: Talking while Teaching?

I like 5 and 7. It really "clicked" when someone told me that to do kotegaeshi your body is a door and you open the door to let uke pass through. Also, to do nikkyo your arm is a snake crawling up a tree branch. Anybody have any other favorite imagery?

Date: Fri, 1 Dec 1995 17:33:32 EST
From: Cady Goldfield <cadyg@ELDERHOSTEL.ORG>
Subject: Re: Talking while Teaching?

>Anybody have any other favorite imagery?

Well, for kokyuho, we're told to imagine presenting a whole pizza. My favorite "sill"y analogy is actually from taekwondo. When I was first learning to lift my leg properly to deliver a roundhouse kick, I was told to imagine a dog lifting his leg to pee on a tree. That one stuck with me!

Date: Tue, 6 Feb 1996 10:07:19 GMT
From: Patricia Anne Matthews <pam@MAIL.NERC-ESSC.AC.UK>
Subject: Re: Kokyu-nage (was Re: I dont get this "leading" thing...)

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From: Derrick Longo <dlongo1@GL.UMBC.EDU>
On Mon, 5 Feb 1996, Patricia Anne Matthews wrote > I've come across one described as the 'scooby snack' (after > scooby doo). I doubt I can describe this! Uke's holding both > wrists and nage has one hand high (palm down) and the other > one low (palm up) as if holding a huge sandwich in between. > Nage leads uke in one direction and then back in the other, > reversing his hands as they change direction.

Well, that is definitely an original description of the technique. I always thought it was more like Pac-Man :) I believe that you are talking about tenchinage.

Derrick Longo <dlongo1@gl.umbc.edu>

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Nope, wasnt tenchi nage (told you I couldnt describe it!) This is more of a sokomen technique(posture?). both hands remain infront of your body (shouldnt they always?!) and at the same separation as you lead uke first in one direction then swap hands and reverse uke's motion to throw

Now tenchi nage was once described to me as 'reaching out to pick a five pound note off the floor while punching the preson holding your wrist under the chin to stop them getting there before you - probably not very aiki but memborable!

That was my first impulse, but when I visualized the hands I thought of the Shihonage from a two person attack (Taigi 20 for you Ki Society folk), with one person grabbing each hand. So my question is, do you pivot into a shihonage after the change in direction? and are the hands touching when you lead?

Diana Robson

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...This will teach me to try to describe something that I've only seen once! Here
goes for my final attempt.
1.imagine you are standing in hanmi with your left foot forward and your hands as
if you were holding a large pile of books (or a scoobi snack) with your left hand
on the bottom of the pile (palm up) and your right hand on the top of the pile (palm
down).
2. as uke comes in and grabs both wrists, you step back with your left foot, keeping
you hands the same distance apart.
3. As you get to the end of this motion you 'reverse the pile', swapping top and bottom hands but all the while keeping the distance between your palms the same. 4. step forward again with your left foot and project uke

.....well, it seemed to work at the time! the 'Scoobi snack' idea is there to help
you remember to keep your palms a constant distance apart. I hav eno idea if this
technique has any other name -it was just referred to as part of kokyu nage as far as I remember....
Tricia

Date: Tue, 12 Mar 1996 12:47:00 EST
From: Chuck Gordon <cgordon@iquest.net>
Subject: Re: Rokkyo = kote mawashi?

We use ishi (sp?) otoshi, stone drop, to describe a very direct throw that's been called (I think) chokusen no irimi nage. As nearly as I can tell, the _stone drop_ appelation comes from Sensei chanting "Nonono! LIFT the stone, DROP the stone" while we tried to clothesline each other.

Date: Tue, 12 Nov 1996 23:00:11 -0500
From: Tim Gion <tcg3j@cs.virginia.edu>
Subject: Re: Pain and its effects

On Tue, 12 Nov 1996, Jeff Frane wrote:

> At 12:46 PM 11/12/96 -0500, Dennis Hooker wrote: >
> >When the foreman is brought to head level for the shionage throw Uke should place his head against his/her foreman and hold it tight there. Then it will be difficult for nage to injure the arm or head. You Dennis, as usual, provides excellent advice. One way I was finally able to get this through to a student was by telling him to kiss his own hand (the one being immobilized). In order to do that,

Another variation that gives a good picture (at least when demonstrated, maybe not in email :) ) is to imagine taking a nap on your forearm. Okimura Sensei uses that a lot when he teaches the shihonage ukemi.

Date: Wed, 23 Jul 1997 08:03:42 -0700
From: Jeff Frane <jfrane@teleport.com>
Subject: Re: Aikido-L manners and observations - was: Re: Notes on Ukemi

At 02:10 PM 7/23/97 -0600, Wendy wrote:

>-- "This way, madame, here's your table, what? no tip? you fall down!" and the "Coors beer kokyo" -- "Hold an imaginary case of Coors beer in both your arms. Drop it on his chest" --

See, by God, I *knew* there was a use for Coors!

--Jeff Frane

Date: Mon, 2 Oct 1995 11:08:00 PDT
From: Doug Barnard <dbarnard@centcon.com>
Subject: Re: Politeness (was Re: Excessive Bowing)

>I always explain katate-dori kokyu-ho as a kind of elegant 18th century >'Please come this way' for my beginners. Somehow they've always gotten the >point and done the exercise better afterwards. >
>Anybody else got any favorite analog movements?>

When I was studying for my 4th kyu exam, which has katate-dori kokyu nage (we do standing kokyu-ho from morote-dori) on it, one of the assistant instructors told me this:

"Imagine that you're picking up a package, lifting it over a fence, and setting it down behind you. Now add a shuffle."

I tried your way, Kjartan, but the feather in my big hat kept tickling my nose, my hose got runs, and my doublet was crushed the first time I took ukemi!

Date: Mon, 2 Oct 1995 13:32:44 -0700
From: Jeff Frane <jfrane@teleport.com>

Subject: Re: Politeness (was Re: Excessive Bowing)

>>I always explain katate-dori kokyu-ho as a kind of elegant 18th century >>'Please come this way' for my beginners. Somehow they've always gotten the >>point and done the exercise better afterwards. >>
>>Anybody else got any favorite analog movements? >>
>
>Hi,
> Here in Ft. Collins we call it the "case of beer throw". >Hold your hands in front of you as if carrying a case of beer (or soda). >
> D>

We have a beer move, too (naturally!). For explanation of kokyu dosa, I tell the
student to hold a pint in each hand and then drink both!

Amazing how fast they catch on.

Date: Mon, 2 Oct 1995 16:53:06 EDT
From: Cady Goldfield <cadyg@ELDERHOSTEL.ORG>
Subject: Re: Politeness (was Re: Excessive Bowing)

>>>I always explain katate-dori kokyu-ho as a kind of elegant 18th century >>>'Please come this way' for my beginners. Somehow they've always gotten the >>>point and done the exercise better afterwards. >>>
>>>Anybody else got any favorite analog movements?>>

Our dojo uses the "pizza delivery" analogy, as well as the "case of beer" method that Jeff Frane refers to.

Date: Mon, 2 Oct 1995 20:30:02 PDT
From: Charles Ruhe <chasfr@cruzio.com>

Subject: Re: Politeness (was Re: Excessive Bowing)

> >>>Anybody else got any favorite analog movements? >
While teaching my beginner class, Martha Sensei used "throwing a Boston Cream Pie" for the arm swing in iriminage. She also used "the Groucho walk" for what the uke has to do during the pivot in iriminage. :)