Back-led Tai Atari – Gozo Shioda Signature Variation
⛩️ Source
This excerpt is from the 23rd All-Japan Yoshinkan Aikido Grand Demonstration in 1978, featuring Gozo Shioda, founder and Kancho of Yoshinkan Aikido, performing a public demonstration at the age of 63.
🔖 Technique Notes
As Gozo Shioda Sensei demonstrates a throat finger jab, he explains that the action is not only a matter of intent and focus, but of concentrating the entire bodyweight onto a single point through intent. He states: "Next is concentration on what's in front of me. For a moment, immediately, the whole spirit must be focused on it. Whether it's a finger or a foot, it can be focused on. Press and hold like this, with one of my feet. Or, a finger, to catch him off guard. The finger is the sword."
Later, while demonstrating a torso-led Tai Atari, Gozo Shioda Sensei stresses the importance of precise timing in delivering this unified mass, stating: "It's the right time to hit him, so you can take him down. If I'm a little late, maybe I'll get knocked out."
Finally, during this back-led Tai Atari, he expresses the same principle through a different body alignment, explaining: "My back, right away, became like a sword. It's the same thing."
Advanced navigation tools (graph, timeline & deep research).