Katadori can be pretty challenging, no matter what technique you’re doing.
When someone grabs our lapel, the natural reaction is to contract or collapse the chest. We then lose our center and are no longer grounded.
In today's video, I had my students do an exercise where they’re simply falling backwards, against uke’s resistance. But uke is asked to provide enough resistance that nage MUST make themselves heavy, expanding the chest and staying centered.
Later in the video, I ask them to return to orthodox katadori (in this case, katadori nikkyo), but apply the same principle as we were just practicing - expanding the chest, staying centered and being heavy.
I hope today’s video gives you some insight, inspiration, and motivation to help you make the most of your training and take your Aikido to the next level.
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🎥 WATCH: Mastering Katadori Nikkyo: Staying Centered & Heavy in Aikido
đź’¬ Question for You:
Let me know in the comments:
- Do you find katadori to be a challenging attack?
- And if you’re an instructor, what kinds of exercises do you do with your students to help them with katadori?
Lia Suzuki
Author
• The Teacher
• Mastering The Shoto
Director: Aikido Kenkyukai International USA
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