Kaeshiwaza

The name 'kaeshiwaza' translates roughly as reversed technique. Basically, counters. In aikido we are practising these techniques often in preparation for a grading some time near the end of this year. The cool thing about kaeshiwaza is that you must remain relaxed and sensitive to the movements of your training partner so that you find the opportunity to exploit a weakness in their technique and reverse it. Kaeshiwaza also relies on your partner not executing a perfect technique. If it was perfect there would be no 'holes' to exploit. This can create an interesting game of cat and mouse between uke and nage as each person has a turn at trying to reverse the other's technique. 

It is a dynamic and very enjoyable type of training. I'm noticing that as I concentrate on trying to reverse a technique, I can lose my posture and therefore my centre. 

Training between aikido and TSYR is now starting to blur a little. I'm finding the TSYR stuff starting to influence my aikido in a negative light. For example, when pinning a partner in aikido I have quite the urge to finish with a strike. The technique feels unfinished otherwise. I'm starting to break down my aikido technique to see if I can instill internal power into what I'm doing, but this requires me to go very slowly, and some of the kyu grades are looking at me puzzled, like "Doesn't this guy know what he is doing yet?"

I have to be careful to balance the point of the aikido lesson with what I'm playing around with in my head.

Happy training out there!