Kata Dōri Men Uchi – Jūji Nage – Shihō Nage-like Kuzushi Variation
⛩️ Source
This excerpt comes from the fourth 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 grips Kata Dōri and strikes with Men Uchi, Tori raises the grabbed arm to parry the incoming strike, deflecting it to Uke’s inside and over Uke’s extended arm, bringing Uke’s arms into a crossed position. This action traps Uke’s gripping arm beneath Tori’s armpit. As Uke’s striking arm is guided into a vertical position, with the hand pointing downward, Tori seizes the hand.
This movement creates a Kuzushi similar to a Shihō Nage entry, and Tori can simply pivot and release, allowing Uke to fall.
With Uke’s arms crossed, the configuration may resemble a Jūji Nage variation. However, unlike classical Jūji Nage, neither arm is fully extended and the lower arm’s elbow is not locked using the other arm as an Ikkyō-style lever. Rather than an elbow lock, the unbalancing and arm positioning are closer in feeling and structure to a Shihō Nage entry.
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