Kouchi gaeshi

The technique of Kouchigaeshi (a counter throw) is dodging Uke's Kouchigari to make him off balance, then, throwing Uke to the left or right in split second by twisting his hands.

[edit]Technique

Tori and Uke takes the right natural posture. Uke steps left, right, left forward to keep pushing Tori's body backward. Then, stops to take a left defensive posture. Tori steps right, left, right backward. Then, stops to push Uke and returns to his original posture. At this moment, Uke reduces his pushing pressure, then, pulls his left hand. Tori will follow this move and take a right step forward. A moment before Tori steps his right foot forward, Uke executes Kouchigari. Before Uke's sweep, Tori puts his weight on his left foot and floats his right foot in the air to dodge. Uke's sweeping right foot drifts to his left because he lost his sweeping object and all of his weight goes on his left foot. Therefore, Uke loses his balance and his body leans forward. Tori, taking this opportunity, steps back his dodged right foot, then his left foot, and puts some distance between Uke and himself. He, then, turns his body by pushing up his right hand and pulling down with his left, twists Uke's body down to his right. Uke's dodged body is felled by his own spin and the twisting action of Tori's hands.

The key point of this technique is as follows: It is too difficult to dodge after Uke's Kouchigari touches Tori's right heel because Uke's sweep unbalances Tori. Therefore, it is important for Tori to forestall Uke's Kouchigari. At this moment, Tori turns his body toward Uke's drifting body and throws down by twisting. Those movements must be done in split seconds.

Sometimes, Tori twists down Uke as follows: The moment Uke executes Kouchigari, Tori lifts his right foot (standing on left foot) and, using Uke's drifting foot movement, twists down with both hands. Although, Tori is in an insecure position with his one leg up, a added twist to Uke's dodged spinning body makes an effective throw. Tori, sometimes, lifts his right foot and takes a step back to a left-handed position. He, then, using both hands twists Uke down. When Uke's body is completely off balance, it is not necessary for Tori to step back his left foot and turn his body to left like Type I.

Next technique is not a Kouchigaeshi. In the case where Tori dodges Uke's right Kouchigari, and if his lifted right foot touches Uke's left knee to throw, it is called Hizakuruma (foot technique). In the same way, when Tori dodges Uke's Kouchigari but steps back his right foot to support his body and sweeps with his left foot the sweeping feet of Uke, it is called Deashi-harai.

[edit]Background

When the Kodokan Waza Study Group Department studied the new throwing techniques, they analyzed the meaning of the word, kaeshi. There are many throwing techniques that are named with kaeshi. In October of 1982, seventeen new techniques were named. Of those seventeen, eight included the word kaeshi, such as Kouchigaeshi, Ouchigaeshi, Osotogaeshi, Tsubamegaeshi, Hanegoshigaeshi, Haraigoshigaeshi, Uchimatagaeshi, Kibisugaeshi. In the existing forty-eight (Gokyonowaza), there are three kaeshis, such as Sumigaeshi, Tawaragaeshi, Hikkomigaeshi bringing the total to eleven. In the dictionary, Kojien, published by Iwanami Book Store, the meaning of kaeshi is defined as follows. (Reverse position from top to bottom or overturn, topple over, duplicating the movement received from others.) When we study the concept of kaeshi techniques, there are many movements among them which are different. Wazas, such as Kibisugaeshi, Sumigaeshi, Tawaragaeshi, Hikkomigaeshi, are initiated by Tori and continue on to overturn Uke. In general, the meaning of kaeshi is widely used in techniques initiated by Uke, such as, kaeshiwaza, uranage, sukashiwaza. There are seven techniques initiated by Uke, which includes Kouchigaeshi.

-There are kaeshiwazas where the strength of Uke is countered by Tori in the opposite way, such as, Osotogaeshi. -By countering Uke's attack, the change is made to Ouchigaeshi. -Dodge or evade Uke's throwing techniques to change to a counter throw.

The technique of Kouchigaeshi is a hand technique, accomplished by dodging and evading Uke's Kouchigari to throw him off balance and using both hands to twist and throw down. In considering the kaeshi of Kouchigaeshi, one would imagine Kouchigari to be reversed with Kouchigari. In order to avoid this misconception, it would be better to call it Kouchisukashi. It is very difficult to analyze the meaning of kaeshi, since this word is widely used in techniques. Since these eight kaeshi techniques were used previously for many years and were vividly expressed, the Kodokan Waza Study Group Department decided to leave it as it is.

[edit]References

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. This article is excerpted from the book "Kodokan Nage Waza" written by Daigo Toshiro 10dan. (Picture, Tori: Sengoku Tsuneo 7dan, Uke: Sato Tadashi 8dan)