Shall we always go through the opponent after strike

by Olga
(Ukraine)

Senseis always tell us to go through our opponent after performing some strike and when we are behind our opponent to turn round.

But I have read that it is not good to show your back to your opponent. And some senseis even say that it is often a mistake of beginners in shiai to go through the opponent showing their back and giving possibility to be attacked while turning round then.

Also very often it is said that we have to see our opponent all the time we are fighting.

 So can you please clarify this moment, why should we go through our opponent showing our back and risking while turning round then?

 Is it possible to start going through the opponent and at the time we come abreast with the opponent to start turning round and then going backwards seeing the opponent along this manoeuvre?

(Please make an answer for the cases when we train kihon, when we are in jigeiko and when we are in shiai)
Answer: Very very good question! I will make it very short by asking you this question.

Do you know why you are going through?

I want you to think about this really carefully.
The answer is it is because your opponent (training partner) gives you way, you can pass through.

In other word, if your opponent is not moving (to the right or left), you should be crashing into your opponent.

In basics, we go through (pretty much all the time). But if your motodachi (receiver) is not moving to his/her left or right, you should not go around him/her to avoid a crash.

The training for the basics, especially for beginners, is to strike correctly and properly and to learn footwork and how to turn (the direction to turn included). That is why we pass through.

Now in jigeiko and shiai, we strike towards our opponent. So it is impossible to pass through.

"Is it possible to start going through the opponent and at the time we come abreast with the opponent to start turning round and then going backwards seeing the opponent along this manoeuvre?"

Yes. This happens a lot.  Sometimes we do not even turn around. We bounce backwards (not taiatari) after getting into our opponent.

What about after striking do?, you may wonder. What is important when striking do is to pull out our sword after striking.

That is why we learn to move to the right when striking a do. As a result, some time we pass through our opponent after striking their do in shiai and jigeiko.

So it is very important to know why we pass through.

Hope this helps.