Kaeshi Waza - Reversal Techniques In Aikido

How complex is your Aikido? I don’t mean “how complicated” is your Aikido. But rather your ability to perceive, respond and perform with complexity. Every developmental stage of your practice can be described as a progression through levels of complexity. Each level of practice is based on a solid understanding of the previous level and then adding to it more complexity. From beginners to intermediate, to advanced. In the video below I demonstrate one of the most advanced (and interesting) practices, “Kaeshi Waza” – Reversal Techniques In Aikido.

Doing Aikido On Aikido

Aikido is often described as “blending with an attack and sending the energy back to the attacker.” This is how Aikido works. It is the art of resolving conflict, by receiving the attack and skillfully using that energy to generate a throw, lock, or pin. Regardless of the style, in principle, this is the essence of Aikido.

This essential principle of the art is also at the core of kaeshi waza. But rather than receiving the energy of an attack, you receive the energy of a throw, lock, or pin – and then skillfully use that energy to generate a counter throw, lock, or pin. Kaeshi Waza is quite literally the art of “doing Aikido on Aikido.”

Shomen Uchi Iriminage Kaeshi Waza

Windows Of Opportunity

I learned “kaeshi waza” from my teacher, the late Morihiro Saito Sensei. Not only was he a master at doing kaeshi waza, but also at teaching kaeshi waza. Like all of his teaching, Saito Sensei taught kaeshi waza in a very clear and step by step didactic. Always progressing from simple to complex.

Saito Sensei taught that all techniques are a process with a beginning, a middle, and an end. Within that process, there are “windows of opportunity” for kaeshi waza (he actually called them “chances”), that quickly open and close throughout the process. There are windows of opportunity at the beginning of the process, in the middle of the process, and at the end of the process.

As you enter into one of the “windows of opportunity” there are several technical possibilities that you can apply as a kaeshi waza. Exploring, researching, and discovering these possibilities is not only highly interesting, but also lots of fun.

In the below video I’m demonstrating kaeshi waza from:

Tsuki Kotegaeshi
Shomen Uchi Iriminage
Yokomen Uchi Shihonage

As you watch the video notice how the reversal techniques are applied progressively from the first window of opportunity to the second, the third, and so on. Even though I am only demonstrating one technique per window, the technical possibilities can be endless. Please explore all the technical possibilities you can find in each opening.