What is yakusoku geiko?

by J. Villarán
(Lima, Perú)

What is yakusoku geiko? When should I use this term?

What is the difference between yakusoku geiko and "onaji no waza uchikomi geiko" a term I read for prearranged uchikomi geiko (e.g. Men, kote, do, kote men, kote do, men hiki men, men hiki do, men and then once more)

Thank you for your reply,

Answer: Yakusoku in general means “promise”. So the targets to be struck are already decided (prearranged). Therefore, if you have the targets to be struck in certain order, i.e. "onaji no waza uchikomi geiko", it is a yakusoku geiko.

Now if we apply the definition of yakusoku geiko, all the training for techniques such as debana kote, men kaeshi men and so on are all yakusoku geiko, because both motodachi (receiver) and kakarite (striker) know what target and how they should strike.

So yakusoku geiko is a general term for training in which the practitioners know what targets should be struck.

Jigeiko (sparring) is not a part of yakusoku geiko because we do not decide the targets to be struck.

So even uchikomi has two different training methods. One is prearranged and another is not. The former is yakusoku geiko and the latter is not.

About the term, "onaji no waza uchikomi geiko". I personally never heard of that before. Uchikomi geiko is a term we always use. But when it is combined with “onaji no waza”, which means “the same techniques”, it is a bit confusing for people like me who never heard of it before.

It is not my position to tell you what terms you should be using because, as I always say, there are many different terms in different parts of Japan for the same training methods.

So this is a suggestion. My suggestion is yakusoku uchikomi geiko. It is more understandable to me. I never used the term before, so it is only a suggestion.

Hope this helps.