Harai & Hiki Waza
Harai-waza clear the opponent's shinai from the centre line — harai-men and harai-kote are classic shikake. Hiki-waza step back from close distance (often after tsubazeriai) to strike men or do on the retreat. Both demand sharp tenouchi and courage in maai.
Harai-Waza Mechanics
Harai uses a small circular sweep from the opponent's right or left to open the centre. Timing beats strength — sweep as they press, not when they are idle. Follow immediately with men or kote.
Hiki-Men & Hiki-Do
From tsubazeriai, create a hair's breadth of space and strike on the exit — hiki-men cuts as you withdraw; hiki-do rotates as you pass. Eyes stay forward; do not look at the floor on retreat.
A point sensei often mention
Over-large harai exposes your do. Hiki without seme in tsubazeriai becomes a push-off, not a waza. Practice hiki with a sensei — distance errors cause accidents.
Drills
Harai: partner resists centre pressure; sweep and men uchikomi. Hiki: start from kumi-kata tsubazeriai drills taught in keiko-ho. Link to technique/waza for osae and maki variants.
Watch & learn
Frequently asked questions
- Is this shikake-waza or oji-waza?
- See module one — each page notes its family. Many waza blur the line when seme is strong.