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The Aikido Center - Newsletters

Volume 3 Number 5, December 1997

Ten Commandments of Aikido

as seen through the eyes of Rick Beck

  1. Thou shalt not miss, skip, forego or otherwise fail to show up to practice thrice weekly.
  2. Thou shalt not commit injuries unto thy partner or others.
  3. Thou shalt share nage-uke mat time with thy partner. (ie. Thou shalt not covet (hog) nage portion of partner practice.)
  4. Thou shalt not be intimidated.
  5. Thou shalt not commit bad atemi-waza.
  6. Thou shalt not loaf as uke nor commit bad ukemi.
  7. Thou shalt not lose balance as nage.
  8. Thou shalt not take it upon thyself to perform un-aikido technique.
  9. Thou shalt not give up... ever.
  10. What happened to number ten Rick?

Quotes

Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Focus all of your thoughts and efforts on the greatest desires in your life

Belpoet

Technical Tip: Sokumen Iriminage

reprint from Aikido World Vol 9, No 4

'Sokumen Iriminage' can be translated as 'side-of-the-head entering throw'. Along with Sumiotoshi, it is one of the techniques newly included in the formal list of AAA/AAI test requirements.

Sokumen Iriminage is familiar as one of our most basic and commonly practiced techniques; it uses the movement of she Aikitaiso exercise Sayu Undo.

A typical application involves a taisabaki movement to a position alongside Uke similar to that used for simple Iriminage. From that place, Nage extends his or her arm in the manner of Sayu Undo; with a step behind Uke and a dropping movement of the hips, Uke is thrown backwards and down.

A common error made by many practitioners is to attempt to 'push' Uke backwards by pressing against the neck, or by trying to lift up Uke’s chin. It should be stressed that the proper application of Sokumen lriminage does not involve a push against Uke’s strong stance, but rather an angular entry and the forceful “cutting” of Uke’s balance in a manner that turns Uke’s head strongly away from Nage. In order to discover the correct angle for Sokumen Iriminage, practice our Taisabaki with Bokken exercise, and perform a defensive cut to the head against a shomenuchi attack. The angle of that defensive cut is the same angle required for entry into Sokumen Iriminage, as well as for Iriminage proper.

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