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Takemusu Aikido Intercontinental

Transmitting an authentic knowledge of Traditional Aikido as founded by Morihei UESHIBA

Kajo #10
Beginning the technical part of the book "Budo", O sensei sets ups the fondations of Aikido
practice: positionning and moving. We dealt with the positionning in kajo #3. Let's now study the
movements, the footwork. There are two of them:

1 irimi-tenkan 2 tai no henka

We notice that from the picture 1, O sensei would just need to keep rotating to bring his right leg
back and arrives in the position of picture 2.

What is the meaning behind that observation? A simple fact: tai no henka is the consequence
and the follow up of irimi tenkan and, at the same time, irimi tenkan is only the beginning
and the unachieved aspect of tai no henka. One can't go without the other one.

This is perfectly consistent with the principle which tells that two is born out of the division of one.
When One manifests itself for the first time, it does so under the aspect of yin and yang which are
not forms yet but rather forces of creation. Out of the harmonious union of these forces, the first
manifested form appears, born out of dualism. The footwork (irimi tenkan/tai no henka) is the
corresponding dual force of Aikido. But the principle which is at the origin of the movement is one:
it is the rotation of the central axis of the body which gives birth to both irimi tenkan and tai
no henka.

Through the infinite number of combinations of yin and yang, the myriad of manifested things
appears. In the same way, through the infinite number of combinations of irimi tenkan and tai no
henka, the myriad of Akido techniques can appear.

This is why O sensei pinned that sentence at the Aikikai So Honbu dojo entry as early as 1931:

Daily training begins with tai no henka.

This is why any Aikido lesson must begin with tai no henka.

The Founder explains, and it is easy to check on the picture 2 below, that tai no henka is done by
rotating from the front feet in a large half turn. A half turn is a 180 rotation. Since tori rotates
180 from his initial position, it is not illogical to think that any technique done this way will end up
at 180 compared to the same technique done from the initial position.

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Do we have at our disposal some pictures of O sensei which could provide with some evidence ?
Yes we do, on the following pictures, as it becomes obvious that tai no henka can be equally done
in suwari waza and tachi waza.

Shomen uchi ikkyo omote

1 2 3

Shomen uchi ikkyo ura

1' 2' 3' 4'

We clearly see that O sensei's tai no henka modifies its work direction at 180. Ikkyo ura is at the
opposite of ikkyo omote. This is particularly visible when we compare the final immobilizations
(pictures 3 and 4').

That information allows us to draw the movement of ikkyo ura for shomen uchi:

1/ the right foot opens in the first 60 angle

2/ the left foot steps forward and takes ground in front of uke's foot, slightly on the side
3/ the right foot rotates around the left foot until it reaches 180 from the starting position.

We can check that uke's control is done in the symetrical angle (180) of ikkyo omote's 23 angle
(cf kajo #4).

We can now add ikkyo ura on our reference figure:

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Philippe Voarino, May 2012.

Philippe Voarino next seminar: Sunday, 21 April, 2013, Aikido Gasshuku 2013, Antibes, France

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