Kata Dōri – Ikkyō Omote – 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 Kata Dōri, Tori withdraws his lead leg before the grab is completed, pulling the shoulder out of reach. This causes Uke to overextend, unbalancing him forward and slightly downward. In the same movement, Tori captures Uke’s hand with his free hand.
As Uke comes back up, Tori follows that rising motion, lifting Uke’s hand and tracking the elbow with his other hand as he enters, then cutting down to complete the Ikkyō Omote.
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