Yokozuri (横吊り) means “lateral suspension”. It is the first and most basic form of suspension taught. The body weight rests laterally on the layers of takatekote on the upper body. This distributes the load evenly and provides a relatively comfortable feeling.
The Yokozuri is a creative, relatively simple and safe pattern.
One foot remains on the ground until just before lift-off, so that Ukete can test for himself, by lifting his foot, whether the ropes are properly seated and how great the physical strain is.
As a rule, this form consists of a stable upper body restraint. In Osada-Ryû, a Takatekote made of three ropes is usually used. However, other upper body patterns are also possible, such as a nijûbishi.
The preliminary stage is the kata-ashi-zuri, which is a partial suspension. Here, one foot remains on the floor, so that the load on ukete remains minimal. But already in this stage you can create many beautiful images and experiment with the partial suspension.
