Gikan Ryu

Kihon Happo in the style of Gikan Ryu

Koshi Gata

Technique

Two Ukes face Tori, all are in Hidari Ichimonji

Tori’s Ichimonji is loose and relaxed. Tori faces Uke 1, Uke 2 is on Tori’s right side.
Tori turns the front of his left foot outwards which exposes his right side to Uke 2
(this movement with the foot also sets up the correct angle for Tori’s next move).
Seeing an opening, Uke 2 steps in with Migi Jodan Tsuki. Tori keeps looking at Uke 1
but steps with the right leg towards Uke 2, to the outside of Uke 2’s strike and hits
Uke 2’s right Butsumetsu with a Migi Tsuki. Tori then keeps moving in that direction
to escape.

Continuation: After Tori strikes Uke 2 with a Migi Tsuki, he steps forward with his
left leg (still looking at Uke 1) and then pivots on the left leg, turning the body anti-
clockwise to do a simultaneous right punch and right kick to Uke 1. The punch is to
Men and the kick is to Suzu.

Torite Gata

General Notes

The footwork for the Gikan Ryu style of doing each of the Torite Kihon Goho is very
similar - basically four steps which take Tori to the outside and then slightly behind
Uke in a curve.
The main thing with the Gikan Ryu style is that the movement is everything and the
technique is accomplished by the movement.

Also, Tori does not attempt to release Uke’s grip while applying the locks (or throws).
Rather, Uke’s hand is kept against Tori’s chest (in the case of Ura and Omote Gyaku)
and the final takedown makes use of the chest pressing down on the back of Uke’s
hand to apply the lock and take the balance. For the Ura and Omote Gyaku, Tori uses
his middle and ring fingers of one hand on the inside of Uke’s wrist to isolate the joint
and fold the wrist joint inwards.

Probably the most important point for the Torite Kihon Goho in the style of Gikan
Ryu is that the footwork takes you to a point where Uke’s arm is behind his own back
slightly.

The general footwork is as follows:

The following techniques are broken down and numbered to correspond with the
footwork in the preceeding diagrams. The footwork should flow without pause from
one step to the next, rather than take each each step in turn.

Omote Gyaku

1. Uke and Tori are in Shizen.

2. Uke grabs Tori’s left lapel with the right hand. Tori uses his left hand to restrain
Uke’s right hand and steps back left with his left leg. At the same time, Tori
extends his right arm to push a right boshi ken into Uke’s right wakitsubo (Toris’s
hand is open in a shako ken attitude).

3. Tori then moves his right foot to the left (like yoko aruki).

4. Tori then steps with the left foot to behind Uke and (using his left hand) turns
Uke’s right hand anti-clockwise palm out (so that the back of Uke’s hand is against
Tori’s chest). Tori isolates Uke’s wrist with two fingers and ensures that Uke’s
right hand is behind his back and the balance therefore gone.

5. Tori then swings his left leg back to position 3. and pushes down on the back of
Uke’s right hand with his chest by bending the body forward. This applies the lock
and takes Uke’s balance.

Omote Gyaku Tsuki

1. Uke and Tori are in Shizen.

2. Uke grabs Tori’s left lapel with the right hand and does a left jodan tsuki. Tori uses
his left hand to restrain Uke’s right hand and steps back left with his left leg. At the
same time, Tori extends his right arm to slap the right side of Uke’s face with the
back of his hand (the hand is open as if in ichimonji).

3. Tori then moves his right foot to the left (like yoko aruki).

4. Tori then steps with the left foot to behind Uke and (using his left hand) turns
Uke’s right hand anti-clockwise palm out (so that the back of Uke’s hand is against
Tori’s chest). Tori isolates Uke’s wrist with two fingers and ensures that Uke’s
right hand is behind his back and the balance therefore gone.

5. Tori then swings his left leg back to position 3. and pushes down on the back of
Uke’s right hand with his chest by bending the body forward. This applies the lock
and takes Uke’s balance.
Ura Gyaku
1. Uke and Tori are in Shizen.

2. Uke grabs Tori’s left lapel with the right hand. Tori uses his left hand to restrain
Uke’s right hand and steps back left with his left leg. At the same time, Tori
extends his right arm to push a right boshi ken into Uke’s right wakitsubo (Toris’s
hand is open in a shako ken attitude).

3. Tori then moves his right foot to the left (like yoko aruki).

4. Tori then steps with the left foot to behind Uke and (using his right hand) turns
Uke’s right hand clockwise palm out (so that the back of Uke’s hand is against
Tori’s chest). Tori isolates Uke’s wrist with two fingers and ensures that Uke’s
right hand is behind his back and the balance therefore gone.

5. Tori then swings his right leg around clockwise so that he is further behind Uke
and pushes down on the back of Uke’s right hand with his chest by bending the
body forward. This applies the lock and takes Uke’s balance.

Musha Dori

1. Uke and Tori are in Shizen.

2. Uke grabs Tori’s left sleeve (at the elbow) with the right hand. Tori steps back left
with the left leg.

3. Tori then moves his right foot to the left (like yoko aruki).

4. Tori then steps with the left foot to behind Uke and “cups” Uke’s right elbow with
both hands (Tori’s left hand is on top, right hand underneath), directing the elbow
down and back towards Uke’s rear left hip. At this point, Tori ensures that Uke’s
arm is behind his back and the balance therefore gone.

5. Tori then swings his right leg around clockwise so that he is further behind Uke
and lifts Uke’s right elbow at the same time as the leg movement. This applies the
Musha Dori. Once the elbow is lifted, Tori can swing his left leg back anti-
clockwise and push Uke’s elbow back and up further with the right hand (in a rapid
snapping motion).
Ganseki Nage
1. Uke and Tori are in Shizen.

2. Uke grabs Tori’s left sleeve (at the elbow) with the right hand. Tori steps back left
with the left leg.

3. Tori then moves his right foot to the left (like yoko aruki).

4. Tori then steps with the left foot to behind Uke and puts his left arm underneath
Uke’s right arm as an entry into Ganseki Nage.

5. Tori then swings his right leg around clockwise so that he is further behind Uke
and raises his left arm into the Ganseki position preparatory to applying the throw.
As soon as the right foot is in position, Tori “inserts” his left foot in front of Uke’s
right leg and continues the clockwise rotation of the body to throw Uke with
Ganseki Nage.

Trevor Robinson shidoshi