両手持ち天地投げ(二) 崩しのメカニズム Ryōte-mochi Tenchi-nage (2) – Mechanism of Kuzushi
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Tenchi Nage·Aikido Naoya Uchikawa
この技では、左右それぞれの手に相手を崩すための大事な役割があります。自分の肘をどれだけ上手く使えるかがポイントです。 また、ブレない軸で回転すること、そして投げた後にしっかり残心を保つこともとても重要です。 In this techniq…
Tenchi Nage
SubFamily天地投げ(Tenchi-nage)
TraditionalTranslation: heaven-and-earth throw / sky-and-ground throw
Overview
Tenchi Nage (heaven and earth throw) is one of the canonical aikido throws — a bidirectional throw in which one of the opponent's hands is driven up (heaven, ten 天) while the other is driven down (earth, chi 地), splitting their structure into two opposing vectors and collapsing their balance through the gap between them. [1],[2] The throw is most commonly entered from ryote-dori (two-hand grab), where the opponent grabs both of the aikidoka's wrists; the aikidoka extends one hand up and forward (often as if reaching to the sky) while the other drops behind the opponent's near hip (toward the earth), simultaneously stepping off the line of attack. [1],[3] The bidirectional split makes recovery nearly impossible — the opponent cannot resist both vectors at once, and their structure collapses backward. [2],[4] Tenchi nage is taught in essentially every aikido lineage and appears in the curricula of Aikikai, Yoshinkan, Iwama-ryu, and Tomiki schools. [3] The Yoshinkan form is particularly compact (Gozo Shioda was known for tight, militarily-precise applications); the Iwama-ryu form (Saito) is more elongated and ki-extension-focused. [3],[4]
Tenchi-nageJPTenchi NageJPHeaven and Earth ThrowSky-and-Ground Throw天地投JPBidirectional Throw
History & Origin
Tenchi nage was systematised by Morihei Ueshiba and his senior students during the 1930s-1950s, derived from bidirectional principles found in Daito-ryu aiki-jujutsu under Sokaku Takeda. [1],[2] The 'heaven and earth' naming reflects Ueshiba's spiritual cosmology — heaven (ten) and earth (chi) as fundamental opposing forces — and the throw is often used in his writings as a metaphor for the unifying principle of aiki. [1],[3] The throw appears in Kisshomaru Ueshiba's 1957 Aikido textbook and has been standard in all major lineages since. [2],[3]
Effectiveness
Tenchi nage is among the more demonstrable aikido throws — the bidirectional split produces a clean backward projection that is visually striking and reliable in cooperative practice. [1] In competitive Tomiki / Shodokan formats it appears in toshu-randori. [2] Its applicability to non-cooperative contexts depends on whether the opponent commits to a two-hand grab; against a non-grappling opponent it is rarely seen, but in grappling contexts (where wrist grabs are less common) it is also rarely applied. [3] Its main role today is as foundational aiki vocabulary — a throw that demonstrates the aiki principle of using the opponent's structure against them. [1],[2]
Lineage
Competition Record
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Biomechanical Mechanism
Primary Action — Splitting the opponent's structure into two opposing vectors — one hand driven up and forward, the other driven down and behind — to collapse them backward through the gap
Joints Involved — Both of opponent's wrists (initial contact), both shoulders (vector application), spine (collapse axis); thrower's hips (centre lead, off-line step)
Force Vector — Bidirectional — heaven (up and forward) for one hand, earth (down and back) for the other; the diagonal split produces a structural collapse that is mechanically irrecoverable
Aiki Principle — The opponent's grip becomes their failure point — by splitting the two grips into opposing directions, the aikidoka uses the opponent's own connection to dismantle their structure
Position & Entry
From two-hand grab (ryote-dori) — The canonical entry — uke grabs both wrists; aikidoka extends one hand up-and-forward, drops the other down-and-back, steps off-line, and projects backward
From shoulder-and-wrist grab (kata-ate-mochi) — Less common; the heaven hand goes to the wrist, the earth hand redirects the shoulder grab
From rear two-hand grab (ushiro ryote-dori) — Reverse application — aikidoka pivots forward and applies tenchi nage facing the opposite direction
Variants
Standard tenchi-nage — Heaven hand goes high-and-forward, earth hand drops behind uke's hip
Yoshinkan compact — Tighter, more linear application (Shioda lineage)
Iwama-ryu form (Saito) — Emphasis on ki extension through the heaven hand
Suwari-waza tenchi-nage — Kneeling form (formal training)
Videos
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Ratings
Risk of injury to the person this technique is applied to
4
Moderate4/10
The backward projection requires uke to know rear breakfall (ushiro ukemi); insufficient ukemi creates risk to back, head, or shoulders. The vector split itself is not joint-engaging, so the throw is lower-risk than tenbin-nage or juji-nage in that respect
Skill level needed to execute this technique reliably
Intermediate
Whether this technique is allowed under major competition rule sets
— IBJJF — Legal as throw
IBJJF Rules Book v6.0, June 2024PDF— ADCC — Legal
ADCC Rules Update, April 2025PDF— Unified MMA — Legal as standing throw
Unified Rules of MMA, August 2025PDFCOMPETITIVE— Tomiki / Shodokan — Scored in toshu-randori {src:Shodokan...
Training Notes
✓Tenchi nage requires the heaven and earth hands to move simultaneously — they must arrive at their final positions at the same instant for the structural split to work
✓Practice the off-line step first — without stepping off the line of attack, the heaven hand cannot extend forward without uke also moving forward
✓Pair training: drill rear ukemi (backward roll-out) extensively before practicing the throw at speed
✓The earth hand should drop BEHIND uke's near hip, not just down by their side — the placement is what produces the collapse vector
✓Saito's Traditional Aikido vol. 1 has the canonical Iwama form; Shioda's Total Aikido has the Yoshinkan compact form
Common Mistakes
!Heaven hand rising too late — must move simultaneously with the earth hand for the structural split to occur
!Forgetting the off-line step — without the step, the heaven extension just pulls uke forward instead of splitting them
!Earth hand dropping straight down — must drop diagonally behind uke's near hip
!Trying to muscle one vector — the throw works through the SIMULTANEOUS application of both vectors, not the strength of either one
!Insufficient rear ukemi training — uke must be confident on backward breakfall before the throw can be drilled at speed
Related Techniques
Counter Techniques
Setup Chain
1Receive Two-Hand Grab (Ryote-dori)
2Step Off-line
3Heaven Hand Extends Up-and-Forward
4Earth Hand Drops Down-and-Back
5Project Through Bidirectional Split
6Recover Centre
Sources & References
Primary Source
Aikido (Kisshomaru Ueshiba, 1957)
1SyllabusAikido Terminology
Aikido technique naming conventions
2BookMorihei Ueshiba, Budo: Teachings of the Founder of Aikido (1991, posthumous)
Description sources — [1] Aikido (K. Ueshiba 1957); [2] The Spirit of Aikido (K. Ueshiba); [3] Total Aikido (Shioda); [4] Traditional Aikido Vol 1 (Saito)
3BookKisshomaru Ueshiba, Aikido (1957)
Lineage sources — [1] Daito-ryu Aikijujutsu Conversations (Pranin); [2] Aikido (K. Ueshiba 1957); [3] Traditional Aikido (Saito)
4BookGozo Shioda, Total Aikido: The Master Course (1996)
Effectiveness sources — [1] Aikikai pedagogy; [2] Tomiki/Shodokan competition records; [3] modern critique (Aikido Journal)
5BookMorihiro Saito, Traditional Aikido Vol 1: Basic Techniques (1973)
6BookWestbrook & Ratti, Aikido and the Dynamic Sphere (1970)
Standard Japanese martial arts terminology (kanji/hiragana)
8OtherJapanese Martial Arts Standard Terminology (武道用語)
Established Japanese martial arts naming convention — native Japanese term (和語/漢語)
9CitationMorihei Ueshiba, Budo: Teachings of the Founder of Aikido (1991, posthumous)
Description sources — [1] Aikido (K. Ueshiba 1957); [2] The Spirit of Aikido (K. Ueshiba); [3] Total Aikido (Shioda); [4] Traditional Aikido Vol 1 (Saito)
10CitationKisshomaru Ueshiba, Aikido (1957)
Lineage sources — [1] Daito-ryu Aikijujutsu Conversations (Pranin); [2] Aikido (K. Ueshiba 1957); [3] Traditional Aikido (Saito)
11CitationGozo Shioda, Total Aikido: The Master Course (1996)
Effectiveness sources — [1] Aikikai pedagogy; [2] Tomiki/Shodokan competition records; [3] modern critique (Aikido Journal)
12CitationMorihiro Saito, Traditional Aikido Vol 1: Basic Techniques (1973)
13CitationWestbrook & Ratti, Aikido and the Dynamic Sphere (1970)
Community
Athletics
Requires
balance, simultaneous coordination of both hands, sensitivity, breakfall (rear ukemi) skill
Key muscles
shoulders (heaven hand extension), lats (earth hand drop), hip rotators (off-line pivot), core (bilateral coordination)
Notes
Tenchi Nage (heaven and earth throw) — bidirectional throw splitting opponent's structure into opposing vectors. Heaven hand drives up-and-forward, earth hand drops down-and-back behind uke's hip. Canonical aikido throw, taught in all major lineages. Named after Ueshiba's spiritual cosmology of heaven (ten) and earth (chi) as fundamental opposing forces.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the Tenchi Nage work?
Tenchi Nage (heaven and earth throw) is one of the canonical aikido throws — a bidirectional throw in which one of the opponent's hands is driven up (heaven, ten 天) while the other is driven down (earth, chi 地), splitting their structure into two opposing vectors and collapsing their balance through the gap between them. The throw is most commonly entered from ryote-dori (two-hand grab), where the opponent grabs both of the aikidoka's wrists; the aikidoka extends one hand up and forward (often as if reaching to the sky) while the other drops behind the opponent's near hip (toward the earth), simultaneously stepping off the line of attack.
Where does the Tenchi Nage come from?
Tenchi nage was systematised by Morihei Ueshiba and his senior students during the 1930s-1950s, derived from bidirectional principles found in Daito-ryu aiki-jujutsu under Sokaku Takeda. The 'heaven and earth' naming reflects Ueshiba's spiritual cosmology — heaven (ten) and earth (chi) as fundamental opposing forces — and the throw is often used in his writings as a metaphor for the unifying principle of aiki.
Is the Tenchi Nage legal in competition?
IBJJF: legal — Legal as throw; ADCC: legal — Legal; Unified MMA: legal — Legal as standing throw
How dangerous is the Tenchi Nage?
Danger rating 4/10. Moderate — the backward projection requires uke to know rear breakfall (ushiro ukemi); insufficient ukemi creates risk to back, head, or shoulders. The vector split itself is not joint-engaging, so the throw is lower-risk than tenbin-nage or juji-nage in that respect
How do I set up the Tenchi Nage?
The standard setup chain: Receive Two-Hand Grab (Ryote-dori) → Step Off-line → Heaven Hand Extends Up-and-Forward → Earth Hand Drops Down-and-Back → Project Through Bidirectional Split → Recover Centre.
How do I defend against the Tenchi Nage?
Standard counters include: Refuse the two-hand grab — tenchi nage requires uke to commit both hands; deny the dual-grip / Release one wrist as the throw begins — without bilateral connection, the structural split fails / Drop the centre of gravity — make the off-line step less effective / Stable grappling base.
What are the variants of the Tenchi Nage?
Common variants: Standard tenchi-nage (Heaven hand goes high-and-forward, earth hand drops behin…); Yoshinkan compact (Tighter, more linear application (Shioda lineage)); Iwama-ryu form (Saito) (Emphasis on ki extension through the heaven hand); Suwari-waza tenchi-nage (Kneeling form (formal training)).
How effective is the Tenchi Nage in competition?
Appears in Tomiki / Shodokan toshu-randori. Generally non-competitive in Aikikai and Yoshinkan.
What are common mistakes when doing the Tenchi Nage?
Top errors to watch for: Heaven hand rising too late — must move simultaneously with the earth hand for the structural split to occur / Forgetting the off-line step — without the step, the heaven extension just pulls uke forward instead of splitting them / Earth hand dropping straight down — must drop diagonally behind uke's near hip / Trying to muscle one vector — the throw works through the SIMULTANEOUS application of both vectors, not the strength ….
What are other names for the Tenchi Nage?
The Tenchi Nage is also known as Tenchi-nage, Tenchi Nage, Heaven and Earth Throw, Sky-and-Ground Throw, 天地投.