Tegatana no godosa – 5 handblade

There are 5 basic movements.
Those movements can be combined with unsoku ho and tenshikei skills.

Formal Tandoku Undo Tegatana dosa

Tandoku undo – unsoku ho/tegatana dosa are traditional Tomiki Aikido solo-exercises. In the history of Tomiki Aikido different versions were used. When Senta Yamada came to England, he taught  3 unsoku-ho and 8 tandoku undo  as described in Tomiki’s book “Judo Taiso” published around 1954.

Teruo Fujiwara
The time when I studied under Tomiki-shihan in 1956-1958 is called ‘the age of Judo Exercise’ (Yawara Taiso). The main ways of moving the body and hands were picked from Aiki skills, then simplified and abstracted and organized as the exercise forms. These forms are ‘Judo Exercise’ (Yawara Taiso). The plan of making ‘Judo Exercise’ (Yawara Taiso) is that by doing them repeatedly, we can learn Aiki as if we learned hundreds of thousands of skills which can benefit our bodies in a positive fashion. . ‘Judo Exercise’ (Yawara Taiso) is the valuable legacy of Tomiki-sensei.

Around 1975, Tomiki introduced a 5 method  tandoku undo containing 5 basic movements to the university students.

By combining unsoku ho and tegatana dosa, a dynamic training tool is created. The basic movements of kyokotsu (forward/backward, up/down and turning), taijū no idō or body weight shift and taijū no dendō or body weight transmission give an extra dimension to the execution of tandoku undo. Tandoku undo is the entry level for sotai renshu (paired training) .

* In 1975 tandoku undo n° 7 & 8 was removed from the Japan Aikido Association syllabus. From Bodywork point of view, these exercises are still incorporated in our training.

** Gassho uke is a rather recent add in tandoku undo-tegatana dosa.

Tegatana no godosa – 5 basic handblade movements

The arm is not moving by itself, but the movement starts in the central body. No unnecessary arm muscle power is used. In other words, the arm is moving without conscious thoughts.
The muscles of the body must kept flexible but not limp.
The stretching part of the exercises cannot result in a tensed posture.

1-Uchi Mawashi 

When lifting up the handblade, keep the palm inwards. When the handblade goes forward, the palm is downward. Stretch the body up, use the “tenshikei” lines. Release the stretch, the handblade will move forward. Just use the release to move the arm. Don’t bend the elbow intentionally. This is not a strike with the hand, but can be used as a strike without conscious thougth.

2-Soto mawashi

When lifting up the handblade, keep the palm outwards. When the handblade goes forward, the palm is upward. Stretch the body up, use the “tenshikei” lines. Release the stretch, the handblade will move forward. Just use the release to move the arm. Don’t bend the elbow intentionally. This is not a strike with the hand, but can be used as a strike without conscious thougth.

3-Uchi gaeshi

The arm turning is an inward movement. Keep gan kyo bappai. This is a phrase used to describe the postural adjustment at the chest level (Empty the chest & Pull out the back ). Keep the concave shape of the chest and stretch the spine to widen the back. Important is not to tense the muscles.

4-Soto gaeshi

The turning is an outward movement.
The elbow is going to the inside.

5-O mawashi

Kyokotsu is the center of the big arm movement. Keep central axis. Keep the bodyblock.

These 5 basic arm movements can be employed in different kinds of body-movements. Tandoku-undo (Tomiki style) is such an example. When integrating unsoku and koshi-mawari taisabaki, an almost complete bodywork system is created. See “Integrating Koshi Mawari“