Forms of Counters

fan3 Kaeshi-no-kata

Kaeshi waza are the techniques of countering or reversing an attack. This kata was used by Yukio Tani who demonstrated and taught judo in Great Britain for about 50 years until he died in 1950, and his student Masutaro Otani. It is not a recognized Kodokan kata.

  • Deashi-barai countered by Deashi-barai
  • Ouchi-gari countered by Ushiro-goshi
  • Kouchi-gari countered by Okuir-ashi-harai
  • Osoto-gari countered by Harai-goshi
  • Kosoto-gari countered by Tai-otoshi
  • Hane-goshi countered by Deashi-harai
  • Harai-goshi countered by Ushiro-goshi
  • Uchi-mata countered by Te-waza
  • Koshi-guruma countered by Utsuri-goshi
  • Ippon-seoinage countered by Uki-waza

fan1 Kaeshi-no-kata
“I began Judo with Yukio Tani, a Japanese teacher of the old school. To most students he taught Judo as a health-giving sport, but for a few really keen ones the training was on a different basis. I was one of these, practising every evening till the training period ended. One day I felt rather off-colour, and prepared to leave early. The teacher said: ‘Where are you going?’ I replied, ‘I am not feeling very well: I will come tomorrow’. He said, ‘If a man comes up to you in the street with a hammer, wanting to kill you, can you say to him “I am not feeling very well; come back tomorrow”?’ I remained that evening till he sent me home. This one remark, heard only that time but never forgotten, was a big help later on when facing very gruelling training programmes, and very gruelling life situations.”

O-me-dame de shinde koi (with wide open eyes come and die). This dying means give up the thoughts on which we rely. Give up the things we hold on to and walk forward with wide open eyes. These are some of the things that Judo is meant to give us – and can give us if we practise in that way.”

Trevor Leggett, The Dragon Mask