Wilhelm, sorry it's taking so long to get responses to you
It's interesting to hear descriptions of the schools that sometimes contradict what I've been taught. Specifically, Koto ryu as *I've* been shown uses much more shortened stances and footwork than most of the other ryu, tending toward standup in-fighting heavy on strikes and percussive joint-locking, trapping, etc., much like a chinese boxing style.
Shinden Fudo ryu is certainly not particularily concerned with moving fast
but it often does not feel that way to the opponent. The almost casual manner from which strikes are executed from and returned to shizen can seem to come out of nowhere. From what I've seen, they are actuated by forming a "fist" with your whole body and either sort of walking into the target or with a timing where the he runs himself into it, and often both... this last point possibly being an important factor when facing a larger opponent.
With throw counters (usually written for osoto or seoi nage) it has always been very strongly emphasized to me that the rooting occurs
during the opponent's entrance, not after hiploading has occured! You drop and angle away a little as he tries to get under your center--if you are significantly smaller he will have to be reaching more for this in the first place giving you more time to displace (like you mentioned for Koto ryu). The timing of this is everything. You shift your elbows to free your hands so that you can strike as you perform the jujutsu. It is also very important to affect HIS hips somehow.
One counter to seoi nage for instance involves rooting like described as he enters WHILE giving a slap to his hips that both interrupts his entrance and gives the momentary sensation he has your body against him (so he misjudges his distance) followed by a thumbdrive into the hip bowl to keep some control of his hips. You take grip with the other hand and use a body drop and roll to take him down and end up in a top mount. There are several counters that begin almost identically to this.
I have been shown some interesting ways of offsetting your center while being picked up make you near impossible to hold, which might be what your teacher was getting at? I dunno, it's a different timing from what I've seen for Shinden Fudo ryu.