Hane Goshi in Disguise Or is Wrong Leg Uchi Mata Just Wrong

Hane Goshi in Disguise Or is Wrong Leg Uchi Mata Just Wrong

I know I am going to get into a lot of controversy over this. I am quite sure higher grades than me are going to tell me I have no idea what I am talking about. But truly, unless someone can give me proper a biomechanical explanation to the contrary, most, if not all those people that are teaching "Wrong leg Uchi Mata" are actually teaching Hani Goshi.

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The proof is in the Kusushi.

I have explained before, what makes one throw different from another has nothing to do with the position of hands or feet or anything other than the way the balance is broken (Kusushi). Well, I guess you could say that it does involve hands and feet but a throw is not defined by where they are placed on Uke or anywhere else. One throw is different from another if the Kusushi different.

So to prove my point all I have to do is show that the Kusushi of Wrong Leg Uchi Mata is the same as Hane Goshi.

This, of course, is where I am going to get into trouble because obviously there is a subjective element in watching a throw being done. Therefore anybody that is converted to the cause of wrong leg Uchi Mata can just say I'm wrong and I have no reply. But if you are being honest, you will have to admit from the video below that the Kusushi of Hane Goshi is suspiciously the same as "Wrong leg Uchi Mata". So suspicious that I would argue they are one and the same.

Wrong Leg Uchi Mata is Hane Goshi in Disguise

But don't just take my word for it, why not try it for your self. Do Hane Goshi and then do "Wrong leg Uchi Mata". Repeat the process over and over, as many times as you like and see if you can honestly perform the Kusushi differently between the two throws. I don't think you can and if you can't that means that "Wrong Leg Uchi Mata" is just simply Hane Goshi in Disguise. Even the disguise is nothing more than a name change.

The other thing that I find suspicious, is that as far as I can tell, there are no videos at all of "Wrong leg Uchi Mata". Although from my point of view I should not find that suspicious because I don't believe such a throw exists.

By choice, I am just a lowly Ni Dan (second-degree black belt) and I have had much higher grades insist that wrong leg Uchi Mata is a genuine throw but for the life of me I can't see it

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Why Is This Important?

It is important because teaching "Wrong leg Uchi Mata" is just complicating the Kusushi for students. They are busy putting effort into trying to break the balance in an artificial way. They are trying to break the balance for Uchi Mata when they should be breaking balance for Hane Goshi and honestly it can be really sad, sometimes pitiful or worse painful to watch.

For those of you that are determined that such a throw does exist, good luck with that but I honestly think that in the long run, you are doing your students a disfavour.

Enjoy
Sensai
Richard