Gyaku Hanmi Katate Dōri – Ikkyō Ura – Pre-Grab Retreat / Uke Overextension Variation
⛩️ Source
This excerpt comes from the first part of a series of privately made 16 mm short films of Kōichi Tōhei Sensei demonstrating at Los Angeles Aiki Kai in the early 1960s, possibly filmed during his year-long tour of the United States in 1964. The film is part of a collection that belonged to Chicago Aikikai, then known as the Illinois Aikido Club, which was rediscovered and returned in 2025. The films were digitized by the Chicago Film Archives and uploaded to YouTube in 2026 by Chicago Aikikai.
🔖 Technique Notes
As Uke steps forward to seize Gyaku Hanmi Katate Dōri, Tori withdraws before the grab is completed, hopping back rather than simply stepping, and doing so slightly to the inside rather than straight back. This causes Uke to overextend, unbalancing him forward and slightly downward, while the diagonal displacement opens space for Tori to enter on the outside. In the same movement, Tori captures Uke’s hand with his free hand.
As Uke rises again, Tori follows that upward motion, lifting Uke’s hand and tracking the elbow with his other hand as he enters to the outside, moving behind Uke. He then pivots and cuts down to complete the Ikkyō Ura.
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