The next several Saturday morning classes will be devoted to weapon-disarms, starting with sword, tachidori.
Review this post from 2019 where I presented a slightly different matrix.
The first class focused on three disarms from the outside line – two apricots (rising cut), ude kimi nage (under arm bar), and kotegaeshi (with nikkyo augmentation).
The second class presented three from the inside line – kokyu nage, shiho nage, and decapitation.
A matrix to frame the possible disarms:
| ENTRY | INSIDE | OUTSIDE | |
| SHALLOW | shihonage | kotegaeshi | |
| ikkyo | gyaku hanmi = direct | ||
| ikkyo to ude garami | ai hanmi = turn | ||
| kokyunage | ude kime nage | ||
| 2 apricots* | 2 apricots* | ||
| assisted decapitation** | kokyuho | ||
| irimi nage (chin push) | gyaku hanmi = direct or turn | ||
| kokyuho | ai hanmi = turn | ||
| ai hanmi = turn | |||
| DEEP | koshinage | iriminage | |
| rokyu (arm bar) |
Note the “turn” to adjust for hanmi – this is a rotational spin that serves to close maai as well as generate additional force.
Additional classes explored the other disarms in the matrix. The global reminder is that all un-armed techniques are actually disarms and the disarms are the origin of the un-armed techniques.
Video references:
Mulligan sensei – our founder.
Saito sensei classic presentation.
Brady sensei – an early student of Chiba sensei.
Gonzalez sensei – Tissier sensei’s protégé
Koryu origins
___________
* Two apricots – the disarm returns uke’s sword on a rising cut from the low line up uke’s centerline. The reference is to the incomparable Gene Wolfe‘s Shadow of the Torturer:
“The driver I pulled down must have died at once. Because I had wished to impress Dorcas, I had hoped to perform the excruciation we call two apricots; but he had fallen under the feet of the travelers and the heavy wheels of the carts. Even his screams were lost.”
** Assisted decapitation – the un-armed version is morotedori irimi nage direct.
Protective Arts 