Aikido HENKA WAZA, changing aikido techniques, by Stefan Stenudd

HENKAWAZA in aikido is to change from one technique to another, midway through. It can be done when the initial technique is resisted, or in some other adaption to circumstances. This video shows several henkawaza combinations. Henkawaza should not be trained so that it impairs the basic techniques (for example by doing it sloppily to motivate the shift). There should be a reason for the shift, such as when the initial technique is resisted, or when the attacker gets wrongly positioned for that technique, or when other simultaneous attackers make it impractical. What I regard as henkawaza is for many others the basic form of that technique. There are several instances of this in the video. Iriminage is a good example. Also with these, though, the henkawaza perspective brings additional understanding of the technique and how it integrates with the aikido strategy and movements. Several ura versions of techniques can be used as henkawaza on their omote counterparts. If the omote technique i