Sokumen Irimi Nage – Kōichi Tōhei 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 grips Gyaku Hanmi Katate Dōri, Tori pivots to the outside with a Tenkan, continuing to rotate in place so that he becomes the central axis while Uke turns around him. As the rotation continues, Tori lowers his body, drawing Uke down with him, then rises again, allowing Uke to rise as well.
As Uke comes up, Tori uses that movement to redirect Uke upward and then backward, guiding him behind his own center and finishing with a Sokumen Irimi Nage.
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