Shomen-Ate/Aigamae?

[Wreckedlumbar]

Hello,

Question: Over the years, have you changed the mechanics of the way you apply shomen-ate or aigame-ate?

If so, is it because of age or injury?

Or improved understanding of the technique?

Or is it because your organization/sensei changed the way it/he/she teaches it?

Or maybe because you switched to a different organization, which applies the technique differently?

If you have changed your methods, in what way have you changed them?

(For non-Tomiki-related-system folks, I think these questions would apply to shomen-irimi-nage.)

Best regards,

Jeff Slade

Louisiana

[Aikitech]

Hello,

Question: Over the years, have you changed the mechanics of the way you apply shomen-ate or aigame-ate?

Not really. The only things I have found is increasingly more efficient ways to apply it using minimal movement while getting the same result as a larger, more involved movement. This however is not a change in the technique, only a development in understanding afaic.

Gambatte.

[Xuzen]

Hello,

Question: Over the years, have you changed the mechanics of the way you apply shomen-ate or aigame-ate?

If so, is it because of age or injury?

Or improved understanding of the technique?

Or is it because your organization/sensei changed the way it/he/she teaches it?

Or maybe because you switched to a different organization, which applies the technique differently?

If you have changed your methods, in what way have you changed them?

(For non-Tomiki-related-system folks, I think these questions would apply to shomen-irimi-nage.)

Best regards,

Jeff Slade

Louisiana

Yes, these two techs have changed as changed school and therefore sensei.

My current aigamae and shomen-ate are short, sharp and minimalist as shown by my current teacher. Not flowy at all.

(A little tip):- Shomen and aigame-ate despite the outer appearance of the hand strike, the actual gist of it is a powerful hip throw. Only then can you really smash uke to smiterines.

[Wreckedlumbar]

Just for safety, I've modified the way I execute shomen-ate. I originally learned it as: push the chin up & over. Now, I try to do more of a straight-in push, at first, for the sake of uke's neck. This is something I picked up from the old Tomiki-L list.

Sometimes in jujutsu practice, an energetic young guy will bull-rush me; then it is back to the old up-and over method, out of reflex. Sometimes it looks like the guy's head is going to come off, but I am pretty much just standing there with my hand up.

{BTW, does JAA push the chin, or the side of the jaw?}

As for aigame-ate, I learned years ago to do it with the pushing hand coming up underneath uke's parried arm. Over the years though, I have had more luck going over uke's arm. IIRC, the latter is the standard method that JAA schools use. I have seen several different ways to do aigamae-ate, though. Some initially look like an oshi-taoshi.

Just two more cents,

[Peter Rehse]

Not really. The only things I have found is increasingly more efficient ways to apply it using minimal movement while getting the same result as a larger, more involved movement. This however is not a change in the technique, only a development in understanding afaic.

Agree. Both shomen-ate and aigamae-ate, in fact all the ate's, are as much about skeletal manipulation as a strike. Soft power vs hard. Power of movement (Ido-ryoko) is central. With beginners, in the first year, the arms tend to be straight and you get less of a hip drop with shomen-ate - but that should change. Aigamae-ate is the same with the added proviso that some manipulation is required to get the force moving from your center.

[Wreckedlumbar]

Yes, without the proper hip-drop, you'll see a lot of pushing by Tori without a lot of falling by Uke.

Respectfully,