Takatekote (高手小手) vs Gote (後手)

In taijutsu (体術) terminology, read in kobudo (古武道, old budo prior to 1886) the term takate (高手, lit. high hand) is used for the upper arm, while the term kote (小手, lit. small hand) is used for the forearm. This term has been revived by Akechi Denki (明智伝鬼) sensei.

For the average Japanese, it is meaningless. It only has a meaning for people practicing the art of shibari/kinbaku (縛り/緊縛).

For shibari/kinbaku practitioners the term gote (後手, lit. behind hand) has the same meaning as takatekote. Some people prefer one term over the other, but in essence, both are referring to the nuts-and-bolts box tie with the arms in the back, and are completely interchangeable.

Other terms you may encounter are TK, sometimes preceded by a number like 2TK or 3TK describing a 2-rope or 3-rope takatekote. It could be argued that all birds have two wings and that all takatekote are done with the arms in the back unless otherwise mentioned. It would therefore be redundant to say "back" takatekote. However, if the arms were in the front you would say maete (前手, front hand) takatekote and call it a front TK or a front 2TK and so on.

By joining this course, you will be learning both takatekote versions -- the one with the hands in the back (gote, 後手) and the one with the hands in the front (maete, 前手). Maete (前手, hands in the front) is the opposite of gote (後手). Therefore, if you belong to the faction that is calling the "box" tie a gote you can't simply precede the gote with a maete as this would mean "hands-in-the-front-hands-in-the-back". You would thus simply call it a maete.