Techniques

​1. Extending Your Mind

Pay attention to everyone else on the Dojo mat.

Notice as much as you can of the intentions of other students on the mat, and your partner in particular.

It is a 'Wake Up! call.

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2. Know Your Partner's Mind

Read the intentions of those Ukes who are close, before they reach striking distance.

Which is most ready to 'attack' you?

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3. Respect Your Partner's Ki

Have you got the measure of them?

This means in simple terms to anticipate how much physical effort the Uke is sending toward you, and to which part of you is targeted.

After this its 'horses for courses' territory.

- If it's a weak even limp attack you might not move at all, or just 'brush it aside'.

- A strong focused attack might mean you need to faint an Atemi strike to arrest their movement.

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4. Put Yourself in Your Partner's Place

Use body language to invite the attack, but 'Stand your ground', 'putting your body on the line'.

You are willingly and greatfully accepting the challenge of taking control of them (they have trusted you to take care of them).To put yourself in your partners place, you need to give them what they want (e.g. your wrist or belly as a target) but make it a moving target.

The Nage must also move to become the centre of a circle about which the Uke turns.

Like placing the targted wrist or belly on the outskirts of a carousel that rotates freely

- their persistant chasing of the target actually rotates your body.

To become the centre of the movement, you will either have to

A) step back and off the line of attack

    or B) step to their side and turn

               ... in both cases deftly taking over the control of their extended hand

 

5. Perform With Confidence

 

Generally speaking, you will want to keep your partners off-balance so they make a controlled 'fall' in the direction you give them.

This final stage principle stresses that you must not get hung up on the details of the movement.

Even the high grades will usually experience a part of a technique that feels awkward or forced.

There could be many different reasons why this happens.

It may be because you have paused to pay more attention to it, to study it.

The teacher show you the correct way if needed.

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We have a saying the "The partner is never wrong".

A Uke's role is to persistently try to control you with their hold, or follow through with a strike.

They should not resist your attempt to perform the technique but they can give positive feedback by starting to stand to show that they have regained their balance.

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The resolution of the technique will either be to expel your partner like being thrown off from the carousel,

 or to dissipate your partners power in circular sliding motions to the mat.

In the second case, the Uke may be pinned down by the Nage .Extanding their Mind'.

In some cases the Nage may provide a highly beneficial gradual stretch of the shoulder area using the Uke's arm.