Also, "Sode Otoshi," page 144-145, "Ippon Otoshi," page 146-147, in George Kirby, Jujitsu: Intermediate Techniques of the Gentle Art, Black Belt Books (Ohara), 1985.
Also, "Tai Otoshi," technique 1-4 and 2-10, "Sode Otoshi," technique 2-9, "Gyaku Waza Mae Makikomi," techniques 2-13 and 8-5, of George Kirby, Black Belt Budoshin Jujitsu, Panther Productions, 1992.
Also, "Ippon Otoshi," page 208-209 of George Kirby, Jujitsu Nerve Techniques: The Invisible Weapon of Self-Defense, Black Belt Books (Ohara), 2001.
Also, "Seio Otoshi," page 195 of Kyuzo Mifune, The Canon of Judo: Classic Teachings on Principles and Techniques.
Also, "Buddha sitting on a lotus," page 185 of Patrick McCarthy, The Bible of Karate Bubishi, Tuttle, 1995.
Empi begins with the performer facing north. The right fist is in the left palm next to the left hip. In step 1, we take a half step to the west and kneel on the right knee. The right arm makes a "downblock" to the north. The left fist hovers next the the heart in the middle of the chest. The performer's head is turned to the north.
The one-knee-down stance is called handachi, also known as "Buddha sitting on a lotus" according to the Bubishi. It is very common in jujutsu and aikido. For instance, in George Kirby's beginning and intermediate jujutsu textbooks, there are thirty-six throws that finish in handachi. Many of them end in arm-bar submissions that resemble the hand positions we see in the kata. With such a rich selection, it is hard to know where to begin, but there are four throws that stand out as being especially appropriate to Empi step 1:
- Sode otoshi: Sleeve drop throw. Your partner hugs you from behind, pinning your arms to your body. Bring your left hand up to grasp his right sleeve or right wrist. Turn to your left and drop down on your right knee. Your partner lands on his back in front of you. The typical submission would be an arm bar and wristlock. Your left hand, near the center of your chest, applies the wristlock. Your right hand, extended downward toward the opponent's shoulder, maintains the arm bar. This is likely to be the actual application that is depicted in this move.
- Ippon otoshi: One-arm drop throw. Your partner hugs you from behind, pinning your arms to your body. Push your right arm out to the side so you can reach up and grasp his sleeve at his shoulder. Turn to your left and drop down on your right knee. Your partner lands on his back in front of you. Apply a submission hold as before.
- Tai otoshi (body drop), also called seio otoshi (shoulder drop). The term "tai otoshi" is somewhat over-used; I'm looking at the technique on page 46-47 of Kirby's beginner text. Your partner places you in an arm-strangle hold from behind, using his right arm. You reach up with your right hand to grasp the cloth at his right shoulder (like ippon otoshi). Your left hand grasps his right sleeve or wrist (like sode otoshi). Turn to your left and drop down on your right knee. Your partner lands on his back in front of you. Apply a submission hold as before.
- Gyaku Waza Mae Makikomi: Armbar winding throw. As long as everyone is warmed up, let's teach them one more drop throw. Your partner stands in front of you and throws a looping punch at your face. Block the punch with your left forearm, and let your arm slide up, over, and around his arm. Place your right hand on his right shoulder joint, and lock your left hand into your right wrist. This applies the classic figure-4 arm bar. Turn to your left and drop down on your right knee. Your partner lands on his back in front of you, already in an armbar submission hold. (See the exercise on Borrowing from Budoshin Jujutsu.
Although Empi begins with both hands posed at the left hip, remember that non-Shotokan versions of Wanshu generally begin with both hands posed at the center of the chest. That's exactly where your hands should be to initiate the sode otoshi throw.
