I visited a new club yesterday (after taking a bit of a detour due to some intriguing satnav behaviour).
A pure technique session, which was very handy. And it has helped highlight some of the flaws I need to work on. The sad thing is, I’m aware of these, but really need a repeated kicking until I address them properly:
- Body contact for throws. Enough said. As a long limbed player, I tend to fight at a distance, but it is important to close this distance when throwing to make things effective.
- SLOW DOWN in Uchikomi. It’s not a race. Get the basics down correct first. Employing the correct stepping patterns etc.
- Be a better Uke. This generally falls under the RELAX mantra.
I am mostly working on being left-handed right now. I was shown a neat gripping variant of Ippon Seoinage. From a standard left-handed grip, come in for a right-sided attack (in other words, Tori is pulling Uke’s lapel with their left hand, as their right hand releases Uke’s sleeve and comes in under the shoulder).
This would appear to be a technique employed by Toshihiko Koga. I thought it seemed eerily familiar.
Anyway, it feels very natural to me, and due to the lapel grip, ensures close body contact as well.
Here’s a video highlighting this version:
And, as Koga is pretty awesome with this throw in general, here’s a highlight!
As a taller player, I don’t tend to employ shoulder throws too much in Randori at all — but I love the feel of them when practising.