H. Shodan, Step 8-10, Tai Otoshi, Kube Shioku Waza

Notes on the applications that are visible in Itosu's Heian Shodan kata. (This would be Pinan Nidan for traditionalists.)
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H. Shodan, Step 8-10, Tai Otoshi, Kube Shioku Waza

Postby HanshiClayton » Sun Dec 28, 2008 12:52 pm

Reference Figure 5-23 of US Army FM 21-150, Combatives Hand to Hand Combat, September 1992.
Also, "Tai Otoshi," page 56 of Kyuzo Mifune, The Canon of Judo: Classic Teachings on Principles and Techniques.
Also, "Tai Otoshi 2", technique 1-4 of George Kirby, Black Belt Budoshin Jujitsu, Volume 1, Panther Productions, 1992.

Step 8 of H. Shodan is the second of the three upblocks leading up to the first kiai. Step 9 is the upblock with kiai. Step 10 is the strange, 270º turn. Shotokan students typically perform this turn badly and have no idea what it might represent.

This spin is exaggerated in Shotokan, by the way. The original Pinan Nidan kata turned only 225º, not 270º. The spin began facing north and ended facing southeast. This is very close to the spin we do to execute various types of jujutsu throws.

Let's assume that we are back in step 8. Step in and use your left upblock to catch his swinging right punch. Capture his arm by grasping his right wrist or sleeve in your left hand. Then, in step 9, rush in and catch him under the jaw with your right upblock. (Kiai!) Everybody loves that tooth-shattering interpretation, and it sets up a whole family of throws. The first is tai otoshi, which exactly matches the movements of the kata.

    Tai Otoshi, technique 1-4 from George Kirby's Black Belt Budoshin Jujitsu, Volume 1, Panther Productions, 1992. You just slammed your elbow under the opponent's chin (with kiai). You have his right wrist tightly gripped in your left hand. Grasp the cloth at the opponent's right shoulder using your right hand, but keeping your forearm pressed against his throat under his chin.

    Image

    Now do the turn. The "downblock" pulls on his captured arm. The leverage of the forearm under his chin flips him over on his back.

    Image-Image

    It is a very solid, no-nonsense throw that exactly fits the kata. (This technique is pictured in FM 21-150 (1992) as a rifle-disarming move. Your left hand has a grip on a weapon as you execute the throw.)

    This is the jujutsu version of tai otoshi. There is a safety issue with this version. The elbow under the opponent's chin can be used to drive his head into the ground. Students should practice with caution, and remove the elbow from the jaw early to allow the partner to fall safely.

    The tai otoshi throw comes up again in step 8 of Empi kata.

The other applications for this cluster are collectively called kube shioku waza (neck pain technique) by Kirby, because they work by applying pain to the side of the neck.

  • Rio Ude Osae Dori, from Dennis Palumbo, Secrets Of Hakkoryu Jujutsu: Shodan Tactics, Paladin Press, 1987, p. 98-99. After the upblock and kiai, take the opponent's right wrist in your left hand, and place your right hand on his left shoulder. As you turn, pull smoothly on the arm while driving your right thumb tip into a sensitive spot under his right collarbone. He flips over on his back. Your motions look just like turn-and-downblock.

  • Kube Shioku Waza, technique 2-1 from George Kirby's Black Belt Budoshin Jujitsu, Volume 2, Panther Productions, 1992. After the upblock and kiai, take the opponent's right wrist in your left hand, and use your right hand to slap him pretty solidly on the side of the neck under the left ear, which shocks the carotid artery, causing dizziness. The fingers of the right hand wrap around to the back of his neck, digging into nerves at the base of the skull. As you execute the turn and "downblock," the opponent flips over on his back.

  • Kube Shioku Yoko Nage, from George Kirby's Jujitsu Nerve Techniques: The Invisible Weapon of Self-Defense, page 130-131. After the upblock and kiai, take the opponent's right wrist in your left hand. Use your right hand to attack the vagus nerve beneath his left ear (side of neck about two inches below the ear lobe). Use the tip of your thumb to dig into the nerve. Pull on the sleeve and push on the nerve as you execute the turn. He flips over on his back.

  • Kube Shioku Nage, technique Yawara-1 from George Kirby's Black Belt Budoshin Jujitsu, Volume 7, Panther Productions, 1992. This technique is actually the same as the previous one, but you attack the vagus nerve using the tip of a yawara stick (a pen, or the corner of a cell phone).

This is not an exhaustive list of all throws that can be done here. These are just the easy ones that fit the kata. The attack to the vagus nerve using the thumb tip is trivially easy to do. We should teach every student to do it. It is one of the techniques that work first time, every time.
Bruce D. Clayton, Ph.D.
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