Aikido for 03/01/2010

Last night Mike and I practiced the following techniques after warming-up and ukemi practice:

• shomenuchi iriminage three variations. The first variation is the standard nage slides to the outstretched arm of uke and then steps back tenkan to throw uke with the step-through. The second variation is nage steps back and to the open side of uke, bringing the hand over uke's arm and then nage needs to a big step behind uke for the final tenkan and throw. The last variation is nage intercepts uke's arm in an ikkyo movement before uke has the opportunity to finish the full cut. Once nage has uke's center up, nage responds by sliding into uke's closed side for the same tenkan and irimi throw. All three iriminages were practice to show the same technique from various timing and position of uke in the shomenuchi attack.
• yokomenuchi shihonage omote and ura. This was just the standard aikikai shihonage from yokomen.
• Shomenuchi shihonage omote and ura (two variations). The first variation is nage steps back and to uke's open side, while bringing nage's back hand over uke's forward wrist. Nage then pivots out and steps in for omote, for ura, nage takes a large step with the back foot behind uke for the tenkan shihonage ura throw. The second variation, nage slides in uke's attacks but doesn't pivot tenkan. Nage's inside hand goes underneath uke's attacking arm, while the outside hand grabs shihonage over uke's wrist. Nage moves in front of uke by moving to the side and bringing uke's elbow to accomplish the omote throw. For ura, the initial hand and arms positioning is the same as omote until nage steps tenkan behind uke while bring the wrist up for the ura throw.
• The final technique we practiced was katatetori sankyo omote and ura. We worked on the most basic Aikikai style of sankyo with nage stepping in with an atemi to uke's face before stepping forward for the ikkyo-opening.

For the final 6 throws, nage could alternate between shihonages and iriminages we practiced in class.