What is written below is based on reflections on my experience seeing ushiro waza taught, as well as having taught myself.
Performing the uke role e.g., grabbing the wrist, following, etc., is an on-going development in itself. Poor, awkward attacks make nage skills more difficult to pick up. Grabbing from behind is even more awkward and unfortunately less practiced. Accordingly, ushiro waza nage skills are taught in a sketchy way, more as an interim or triage skill.
One common way is to either avoid letting the uke hold with the second hand and instead having them run around you. (example 1 – 2:14) A valid skill to make this way viable is to lead the behind you,”sucking” them in. In this first way, it is probably not emphasized that the uke grab the second hand at all, or it is taken for granted that uke will grab the second hand.
Another common way is to let uke first hold both wrists. In the second way, it is of value to learn how to the arms can or cannot be used effectively. However, in both normal and ushiro waza, learning to move your arms e.g., lifting up the hand, is not the same thing as moving your arm with uke unable or uninclined to disconnect. This way may neglect cultivating how to minimize uke’s option of letting go i.e., the onus of holding on/connecting firmly remains on the uke. (example 2 – 1:40) I will address the second way another time.
Here is a brief progression to introduce ushiro (ryote-dori) waza in the former way:
- Kosa-dori uchi-mawari zenpo-nage (static). Nage slips by uke’s body, under uke’s arm while pivoting, and ends up facing the same general direction as uke (although this situation is basically like ikkyo i.e., nage is angled more toward uke’s head and uke’s elbow is up). The throw is down and forward and may be done a) with contact between the nage’s upper arm and uke’s armpit area, b) with no such contact but with only the motion of the held hand and uke’s cooperation, or c) the nage grabs uke’s free hand to make the throw.
Some details: The movement under the arm is similar to shihonage in that nage needs to adjust to uke’s height and movement, and nage’s back should virtually brush against uke’s body. The proximity of nage’s hand to his own body, as it is going up and nage is moving under uke’s arm, should be emphasized. - Kosa-dori zenpo-nage (moving). Nage steps to the ura side of uke as if doing a too-shallow iriminage movement, with the purpose of making uke come forward more than in #1. Options include a) breaking uke’s balance forward and down, and then going under the arm as uke bounces back up, b) emphasizing throwing uke in the same direction he is oriented initially, c) emphasizing leading uke in a circular motion.
The role of uke is not emphasized in this first case. Uke may be instructed to grab nage’s second wrist when he has a chance, but he is not given a clear chance in this case.
