Shōmen Uchi – Gokyō Variation (Inside Two-Atemi Shihō Nage Entry)

This sequence uses the same entry as Nishio Sensei’s Shihō Nage. As Uke attacks with Shōmen Uchi on Tori’s rear-leg side, Tori first delivers an Atemi to the face before parrying. Nishio Sensei emphasizes that taking this initiative is important: if Tori only blocks the Shōmen Uchi in order to execute the classical Gokyō—blocking the strike with a Karate Gassho Uke-like block and stepping behind Uke for an immediate Gokyō —Uke can counter with a tsuki from the rear hand.
To enter and deliver the preemptive strike, Tori adjusts his footwork: if his feet are on the same line, he moves the front foot slightly inwards to position himself better; if the feet are wider apart, he steps the front foot back to align nearly with the rear foot, then takes the same inward step.
After the initial Atemi, Tori delivers a second vertical descending Atemi (similar to Shōmen Uchi), and grabbing Uke's arm in the same movement. Then, Tori raises the arm and steps behind Uke to perform Gokyō.