RYOTEDORI 3

More ryotedori. First some tricks.

If uke should try to exert a strong control by locking down on your wrists, remember to simply clap your hands quickly – then execute your technique. Remember – the closer your hands to your center the more power you have.

Another trick is to recall that the weakest point of uke’s control is the thumb. Roll the thick part of your wrist out against one thumb at a time. Your goal is to extract one hand at a time.

If you can time it, encourage uke to grasp firmly then turn your palms parallel to the mat, then roll your shyuto from the inside to the outside and reverse uke’s control – uke’s elbows should be compressed and drive into his own center.

These are two for two extractions or reversals. They must be done explosively and without telegraphing actions to be effective (like any real technique).

All the extraction tricks are nothing more than an application of the 5 methods of knife retention that we have covered in class. Study these – make them yours – they are foundational bunkai.

We have not discussed the strips as a technique. A strip is a hand replacement. The first two (1 and 2) explorations of ryotedori predominantly allow uke to retain the 2 for 2 relationship. The strips change the dynamic entirely.

As uke grasps nage’s front hand will typically initiate the action. The front hand can lead up (jodan) remain in plane (chudan) or lead down (gedan).  The back hand then becomes the active agent.

Jodan sequence, nage must allow the front shoulder to be ’empty’ uke’s force is lead forward and up (invited in) by nage’s lack of resistance. If nage pulls or jerks that hand up and out then uke will release prematurely. Once uke is lead forward and up, nage’s back hand comes from low to high through the low gate to continue to lead uke forward. Nage’s footwork is traditionally a slide in with a hip turn to effect an irimi entry. Nage will now be in the classical position to effect irimi nage, udekimi nage, etc.

Chudan can be a response to a stronger grasp with little forward energy from uke. If uke grasps firmly but gives little horizontal energy (i.e. remains neutral in intent), then nage

can lead the front hand towards his own center whilst rotating the palm down and thumb in to effect a lever against uke’s thumb.  Simultaneously, nage takes uke’s hand that was controlling the front hand to perfect the release. The back hand can come either from the top (where the controlling hand thumb will be down) or the bottom (where the controlling hand thumb will be up). Either is possible and both are effective.

The last form is a front hand lead vertically down with the back hand cutting over and through to release.

All three levels – high, mid, low – can be envisioned best with daggers in each hand. Then the flow becomes obvious since the power is in the effective use of the tool (the knife) and not the arm strength. These replacements must be done with fluid motions.

Importantly the strips all lead nage to uke’s outside line – hence typically classified as irimi – but do not limit these strips with a simple label – each is a key to unlock a positional advantage that you can exploit in any number of ways.