Shime Waza and Jan de Jong Jujutsu Grading

Included in the first part of the shodan shinken shobu no kata grading, under the katame waza category, is shime waza (strangulation techniques). Included in the shime waza defences from a high punch (tsuki jodan) attack is hadake jime (naked strangle), okuri eri jime (sliding lapel strangle), kata hajime (single wing strangle), and washi jime (eagle claw strangle). These defences in this grading speak to the development of the grading system by Shihan Jan de Jong.

The first three techniques are judo techniques. The judo classification includes a shime waza class of techniques which includes many more techniques in addition to the first three listed above. Why did JDJ only include these three from the judo techniques? The answer to that question is that all of the other judo shime waza are applied by tori while positioned in front of uke. This has obvious risks when considered in a self-defence/fighting context (even though some earlish close combat manuals included some of those techniques in their teachings). 

Judo teaches these techniques with tori already positioned behind uke. JDJ's grading has them applied when tori is initially positioned in front of uke, and therefore they have to make their way around to the back of uke in order to apply these techniques. You will be hard pressed to find any instruction - jujutsu, judo, close combat - where these techniques are applied against an attack where tori and uke are initially facing each other. Wally Jay in one of his books on Small Circle jujutsu includes a defences where tori simply turns uke around thus presenting their back to tori.

This, I would suggest, is an example of JDJ's adopt-and-adapt approach to developing his jujutsu grading system. While the shime waza are common, the transition from front to back by tori  from a punch is a unique adaptation that JDJ would appear to have developed and introduced into his jujutsu grading system.

Mukae Daoshi and Jan de Jong Jujutsu Gradings

Mukae daoshi is translated as 'embrace and overturn', a unique translation is 'ambushing topple', or 'meeting takedown.' An excellent example of this technique is presented below. The late Sensei Greg Palmer is tori and yours truly is uke.

Shihan Jan de Jong always referred to this technique as mukae daoshi, however, his jujutsu grading sheets do not refer to this term even though this technique/defence is included in the gradings a number of times. The term used in the grading sheets to refer to this technique is ura tai otoshi, reverse body drop.

Why does JDJ refer to this technique as mukae daoshi but refer to it in his grading sheets as ura tai otoshi?

The same technique (or is it?) is called irimi nage, entering throw, in most aikido systems. The term mukae daoshi is a term that tends to be associated with Yoseikan budo/aikido, however, Edgar Kruyning in his The Art of Ju-Jutsu: The Legacy of Minoru Mochizuki's 'Yoseikan' Sogo Budo refers to this technique/defence as both irimi nage and mukae daoshi.

In this technique, or variation of the technique, tori's actions tend to cause uke to bend backwards 'limbo' style, forcing them to fall to the ground. JDJ would have no truck with this variation/technique.

The daoshi in mukae daoshi is taoshi when the 'd' and 't' are interchangeable. Taoshi means takedown. Irimi nage means entering throw. Takedowns and throws are categories of techniques referred to within the martial arts. Is mukae daoshi/irimi nage a takedown or a throw?

Gary Klein in Seeing What Other's Don't: The Remarkable Ways We Gain Insights explains that insights can provide a new and better understanding; one that is more accurate, more comprehensive, and more useful then the one that existed before. One of the paths to gaining insight that Klein identifies is curiosity. He describes the curiosity path in terms of a 'What's going on here?' reaction. The insight does not come from the question, but rather from the pursuit of an answer to that question.

The mukae daoshi 'What's going on here?' questions can lead to insights that produce a new and better understanding about JDJ's teachings; one that is more accurate, more comprehensive, and more useful then the one that currently exists - if only students and instructors studied his grading system rather than simply engaging in it, and asked, 'What's going on here?'