Q: How many kokyu nages can you think of in response to a yokomen attack?
A: 1? 5? 10? 15? (At Open Mat on Sunday we found 14.)
What is a kokyu nage? From Aikiweb wiki (see http://www.aikiweb.com/wiki/Kokyu_nage):
Kokyu-nage, or "breath throws" are a seemingly very broad and ambiguous class of throws. They range from virtually no-touch techniques to what can appear to be "body slams." Some techniques, such as those termed iriminage and hiji-ate nage in many styles, are referred to as types of kokyunage by other styles.
Common Traits:
A few theories exist on what makes a kokyu-nage a kokyu-nage, and do not necessarily contradict one another:
- Techniques that should be done in a flowing fashion, "in one breath."
- Techniques where uke's energy continues uninterrupted.
- Kokyu as timing or the flow of energy: thus, not depending upon joint manipulations but upon subtler timing and control of uke's attention.
- Techniques where uke seems to be thrown with nothing more than "a breath."
In tonight's 7:00 pm class we will explore several of the many kokyu nage options available in response to yokomen.
2 comments:
Just in case you were wondering what the 14 kokyu-nages were:
1. Line
2. Scarf
3. Classic
4. Hurricane/Tornado (to be avoided at camp)
5. Brush By
6. Jack ‘Em Up
7. Duck Under x3:
a. no follow through-“sushi roll”
b. hantai follow through
c. turn around follow through
8. Spring Roll, ends in forward roll
9. Spring Past, ends in classic
10. “Crush”
11. Sayundo
12. “Hip Check”
Marcella, I totally enjoyed your Monday class. And, I love your nicknames for throws.
Extra food for thought that expands/comments on the Aikiweb wiki definitions:
I have always been taught that a kokyu nage 'takes the breath of the uke'.
Also, one could say that in all of our techniques, the energy of the uke should continue uninterrupted - in all of our techniques we are redirecting the uke's energy. If we interrupt that flow, we lose the advantage that we gained by taking balance. This is most definitely true in kokyu nages as the wiki says, just not exclusively in kokyu nages.
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