Tsubame-gaeshi
燕返
“swallow counter”
In Tsubame-gaeshi (“swallow counter”), Tori counters Uke’s De-ashi-barai sweeping attempt by avoiding Uke’s attack through stepping over or retracting, and then throws Uke with the same sweeping technique without changing the grip.
- 10
Group:
- 10
Gokyo:
燕返
Tsubame-gaeshi
(“swallow counter”)
Technique description
Tori dodges uke’s sweeping-up movement, then adapts and changes to a sweeping-up movement using the leg that uke has attempted to sweep up, and throws uke down.
Both sides grapple in right natural posture. Tori shifts to the right side in the tsugi-ashi form from the right foot while leading uke to his left side. Tori then steps his left foot forward slightly, and, while leading uke to execute deashi-harai, he dexterously shifts to the right side two, three, then four steps. Uke is led to the left side and moves with his left foot, then his right foot.
Tori steps with his right foot, then continues with his left foot, and at the moment it is about to touch the mat, uke seizes the opportunity and sweeps up the outside of tori’s left ankle from the side with deashi-harai. At the moment uke’s sweeping right foot touches tori’s left foot, tori supports his body weight on the right leg and lightly lifts his left foot to dodge the sweeping action. Uke’s right foot cuts through the air and his balance breaks. Tori drives uke’s right foot and sweeps up the outside of uke’s right ankle with his left foot, while scooping up with the left hand to pull him diagonally downwards in the direction in which his left foot is sweeping. He lifts and pulls with the right hand, combining this with the sweeping action to throw uke down. Uke is thrown onto his side in front of tori.
