We had a visitor at the dojo today who was asking about Kaintenage Ura. I have written a little about the history of this language before, which is really a statement about the political acrimony of our shared Art.
While I can teach variations that I could call Kaitenage Omote or Ura (mostly because other people call them that, not because I understand them to be) the majority of times I see someone do a Kaitenage Omote they are moving fully behind Uke and doing a Tenkan - all the prerequisites for an Ura movement any other time. Kawahara Sensei wanted us to distinguish between Uchi and Soto, and I learned to do a linear cut or a spiral cut later.
Yoshinkan never had this problem. There was no attempt to make every technique fit into a rigid dichotomy. Some techniques have two important variations, some have five, some have one. In trying to find out how they treated Kaitenage, I went to a Yoshinkan website and the name Kaitenage does not appear. Tenchinage is only asked for in one way. While we ask for extra variations, not everyone is clear what is being asked for. I realize there is a larger body of knowledge studied by the Yoshinkan system - test requirements are usually minimum requirements in any association.
My understanding is that Shioda Sensei created a syllabus for a security firm in post war Japan, and there was no effort made to achieve spiritual enlightenment. People had to learn to function usefully in a fight, and in a set period of time. Then, as now, while martial arts schools will have people train for several years before Shodan, police departments, soldiers and security officers have a matter of months to weeks to be trained. So, fewer techniques drilled more frequently with fewer diversions and deviations. The list has techniques repeated, showing that the basics are very much tied into the advanced techniques and not just learned and discarded. Furthermore, there are very specific versions requested by numbers. Omote and Ura do not get used, nor does the Tohei lineage Irimi and Tenkan. While Ikkajo (1) and (2) bear some resemblance to Ikkyo Omote and Ura, this is not true across the board.
I like this treatment of Suwariwaza Kokyudoza (Kokyu Ho). I never learned this nomenclature, so I know I am falling back and forth between unfamiliar and familiar terms.
Suwariwaza Kokyu Ho (1): http://youtu.be/7Kkg7nYWL6Q
Suwariwaza Kokyu Ho (2): http://youtu.be/ww2Pk-mz4TM
Suwariwaza Kokyu Ho (3): http://youtu.be/U41m9LK9gVk
Suwariwaza Kokyu Ho (4): http://youtu.be/6fPSevG3KOQ
Suwariwaza Kokyu Ho (5): http://youtu.be/2IhHmPPfVDc
A basic name that I always called one thing (but did a number of different ways) was a minimum of five separate exercises for a group that really pared their syllabus down to the minimum. The different versions are all distinguished in terms of Uke's specific variation of the same attack: Uke pulls, pushes or holds firmly in one spot defines the first three variations.
This seems to be how most of the variations of other Yoshinkan Aikido techniques are handled as well. Techniques like Katate Mochi Tenkan (1) and (2) seem to be divided up by whether or not Uke pulls or pushes. Katate Mochi Nikajo (1) and (2) are distinguished in the same way. In contrast, I learned Katate Dori Nikyo Omote and Ura were done off the exactly identical attack: turning or entering was done as a response to the larger environment and not because of Uke until later when we did freestyle.
I think avoiding a Heads-Or-Tails Aikido is correct and logical. Freedom of movement and spontaneous creation of technique should not be shackled to Black-Or-White approaches. That one of the oldest styles does not adhere to dichotomy also seems to say this is historically valid as well.
That being said:
The only definite Kaitenage Omote movement seems to be a Henka Waza of Ikkyo Omote. Step outside, go behind and turn should be an Ura but that is not how the name is used anymore in the USAF. The defining feature seems to be if Uke travels in a spiral path or a linear one.
To make a more linear Kaitenage, I led Uke's face right on to my knee. I either go to Uke's front outside edge of his strength, or I cut straight down. My footwork moves away from Uke at anywhere from a ninety degree to a 45 degree rearward angle in front of Uke. Stepping off the line behind Uke makes Uke spiral, stepping off the line in front makes Uke fall on me. I can launch my rearward knee right into his ribs when his head hits my forward thigh. I push the arm straight, I take the head straight down.
My wife teaches a Birankai variation that leaves the leg back causing the throw to happen from the shoulder and neck lock instead of the stepping through. I consider it an exercise to improve my atemi. Most of the Kaitenage atemi benefit from a clash of Uke's body against me when the technique cuts linearly. The movement creates the opportunity for the atemi.
To make a more spiral Kaitenage, I use a series of exercises.
From Shomenuchi, take Uke's head with the lead arm from behind and lead Uke is a downward spiral (just the head). I find entering much deeper and stepping behind Uke helps this. The atemi comes to the base of Uke's neck and knocks his head forward instead of downward. The atemi creates the movement.
From Gyaku Hamni Katate Dori, do Uchi and Soto movements and lead Uke in a downward spiral. I find going to the outside edge, entering deeper and then stepping behind helps this again.
Bend Uke over into the position just before the final cut. Don't move the hand on Uke's head, just keep it in the same position in space. Don't step. Just play with the movement of Uke's shoulder while you extend. A more vertical movement is a more linear roll. Moving the arm across Uke's back at more of a 45 degree turns his body.
The head brought to the knee atemi is possible, but much less powerful and the neck lock is more of a neck lead. I rarely manage to pull off the knee to the rib atemi, but it will be much less powerful as well (Uke isn't going into the strike, but rather in the same direction) and there is usually no need to step as the weight shift in the spiral has already finished the throw.
