Morihiro Saito Sensei presents a detailed explanation of aikido's yokomenuchi kotegaeshi technique in a video excerpted from the "Complete Guide to Aikido".
Crazy. I had two full hours of VHS Tapes of O'Sensei teaching in Japan around 1960s. Saito Sensei must have been around 25 or 30 then. Just amazing indepth study of Aikido. Loan them to my girl friend son. Never to be seen again. What a loss.
I started training martial arts at 12 years old. 1967. 4 styles since. Aikido being the 4th. Started in 1990 or so. And im still a novice. Aikido is like nothing ive trained before. Its almost opposite of every style ive trained in. The movement of the feet,body,and hands. Are of the Sword. Sword Mind,Sword Body. Sword Spirit. To Not be there. When the attack come. Drop them in the hole you left. Ous!!!
As far as the Iwama curriculum, and also of Hombu Dojo curriculum Saito sensei was literally a human wikipedia of different techniques executed with many different variations.Not saying he was any kind of fighter but he was a very good martial arts teacher.He spent his life teaching and welcomed everyone.He was also one of the last japanese to have come from a sword era japan.He never over bloated the techniques with bullshit that can't be expained and was honest in his ways.He never boasted to be unbeatable or invincible.He just enjoyed teaching old school aikido.He never promised anyone they would become good fighters learning from him.
