Tsuba-zeriai Aiki Age – Aiki Sage

In this sequence, both practitioners are in Tsuba-zeriai, a close bind with Tsuba-on-Tsuba contact (handguard against handguard).
Tori advances forward, raising his hands in a circular motion as if preparing his arm for a vertical cut. Using the Tsuba as leverage, this movement acts like a lever, lifting Uke’s arm while redirecting the clashing forces upward, then behind Uke, which unbalances him in both directions—first upward, then backward. Throughout the movement, Tori must remain on Uke’s centerline to maintain control and keep the power focused on Uke..
Once Uke is destabilized, Tori presses him downward from top to bottom, again following a circular motion reminiscent of a cutting action.

These mechanics are referred to as Aiki Age (lifting with Aiki) and Aiki Sage (pressing down with Aiki). Aiki Age corresponds to the circular motion of a reverse spinning wheel, while Aiki Sage follows the circular motion of a forward-spinning wheel.