Shomenuchi gokyo analysis

How not to do... shomenuchi gokyo

In the video above we are supposed to see a gokyo technique („fifth teaching") from a shomen attack. When we do this technique, we should focus much more on the hand carrying the knife.The hand should be controlled as early as possible to keep a proper distance from the weapon. In the video, unfortunately, this is not the case.

Why is that?

The tori (aka. nage, the defender who does the technique) tries to connect with uke (the attacker) too late, which results in a block-like motion in this case. As you may know, in aikido, you don't block the attacks but try to connect and continue the motion, and after this you soon gain control over the attacker's movement.

Another mistake is that the defender puts his hand below the weapon (knife). With tanto (wooden knife) this might be excusable, but if it was a real, sharp weapon, the defender could be seariously cut at his forearm. This might be heroic but it hurts and the wound doesn't heal like that of a Terminator :).

The gokyo grasp at the wrist is ok, but the way the defender takes the knife from the attacker is not the clearest one. Advanced students might know that gokyo has an own kind of securing (pinning). You can deviate from this sometimes, but at a demonstration, the original teaching should be demonstrated.

Another mistake which can be traced back to an incorrect ikkyo execution. With ikkyo ura, the defender needs to step behind the attacker, and shouldn't stay in front of him and start dragging uke from that position. He needs to step behind uke, and start stepping tenkans while always staying in a closed position. A circular motion should be used to bring the attacker to the ground.

And now a couple of thoughts about the correct execution of gokyo.

The attacker starts by raising his hand to cut shomenuchi. The defender needs to step in and gain control over uke's not later than when uke's hand is in its upmost position. Tori needs to control uke through the ELBOW, which is the first point of contact.

If you need to do gokyo ura, you shouldn't start and step to the inside of uke but to his outside (ura side). With gokyo, uke should be controlled through his elbow until his arm is in a position where it's safe to grab his wrist.

The attacker steps a single taisabaki during this technique, which might be followed be several tenkan steps if the initial steps were not enough to take uke down. A closed position should be kept at all times.

At the end of the technique, the attacker lies on the mat (not dead or injured :)). His extended arms should be brought above the line of the shoulders, always keeping the gokyo grasp. One of the defender's knees should be at the ribs of uke, the other at his elbow-forearm area. When pinning down the attacker, his arm should be bent at the elbow and his forarm should be brought back until vertical while the back of the hand always faces (and touches) the mat. In this position, the elbow should be pushed downwards. The attacker's wrist pressed to the mat this way, his hand opens and you can easily remove the knife from his hand.

We don't mean to offend anyone with the analysis of this video, the above analysis is to improve anyone's technique by learning from others' mistakes.

We'd appreciate if you had any comments you would like to add to this video analysis.