Aikido techniques


Aikido techniques are frequently referred to as waza 技. Aikido training is based primarily on two partners practicing pre-arranged forms rather than freestyle practice. The basic pattern is for the receiver of the technique to initiate an attack against the person who applies the technique—the 取り tori, or shite 仕手, also referred to as 投げ nage, who neutralises this attack with an aikido technique.
Both halves of the technique, that of uke and that of tori, are considered essential to aikido training. Both are studying aikido principles of blending and adaptation. Tori learns to blend with and control attacking energy, while uke learns to become calm and flexible in the disadvantageous, off-balance positions in which tori places him. This "receiving" of the technique is called ukemi. Uke continuously seeks to regain balance and cover vulnerabilities, while tori uses position and timing to keep uke off-balance and vulnerable. In more advanced training, uke may apply reversal techniques to regain balance and pin or throw tori.
Ukemi refers to the act of receiving a technique. Good ukemi involves attention to the technique, the partner and the immediate environment - it is an active rather than a passive "receiving" of Aikido. The fall itself is part of Aikido, and is a way for the practitioner to receive, safely, what would otherwise be a devastating strike or throw and return to a standing position in one fluid movement. The person throwing must take into account the ukemi ability of his partner, as well as the physical space: walls, weapons on the tatami, and the aikido practitioners nearby.
Uke must attack with a strength and speed appropriate to the skill level of the tori; in the case of beginners, this means an attack of far less severity than would be encountered in a real-life self-defense situation.

Training techniques

  • Boat-rowing exercise / Rowing the boat teaches movement from the hip rather than relying on muscle strength of the arms
  • First teaching exercise trains students to enter with both arms forward in the tegatana position.
  • Body change altering the direction of an incoming attack
  • Seated breathing method / Breathing action / 'Breathing dantian breathing is important in the execution of all aikido techniques. Here "breathing" has an additional meaning of "match with" or "accord," as the efforts of tori must agree with the direction and strength with which his wrists are held by uke''.

Initial attacks

Aikido techniques are usually a defense against an attack; therefore, to practice aikido with their partner, students must learn to deliver various types of attacks. Although attacks are not studied as thoroughly as in striking-based disciplines such as karate or boxing, "honest" or "sincere" attacks are needed to study correct and effective application of technique.
Many of the strikes of aikido are often said to resemble cuts from a sword or other grasped object, which indicates its origins in techniques intended for armed combat. Other techniques, which appear to explicitly be punches, are also practiced as thrusts with a knife or sword. Kicks are generally reserved for upper-level variations; reasons cited include that falls from kicks are especially dangerous, and that kicks were uncommon during the types of combat prevalent in feudal Japan. Some basic strikes include:Front-of-the-head strike a vertical knifehand strike to the head. In training, this is usually directed at the forehead or the crown for safety, but more dangerous versions of this attack target the bridge of the nose and the maxillary sinus.Side-of-the-head strike a diagonal knifehand strike to the side of the head or neck.Chest thrust a punch to the torso. Specific targets include the chest, abdomen, and solar plexus. Same as "middle-level thrust", and "direct thrust".Face thrust a punch to the face. Same as "upper-level thrust".
  • Sword-taking Being attacked with a sword or bokken, usually reserved for upper level practitioners.
  • Knife-taking Being attacked with a tantō, usually a wooden one.
  • Staff-taking Being attacked with a jō. Being attacked by any wooden staff is called bōtori or tsuetori
Beginners in particular often practice techniques from grabs, both because they are safer and because it is easier to feel the energy and lines of force of a hold than a strike. Some grabs are historically derived from being held while trying to draw a weapon; a technique could then be used to free oneself and immobilize or strike the attacker who is grabbing the defender.Single-hand grab one hand grabs one wrist.Both-hands grab both hands grab one wrist. Same as "single hand double-handed grab"Both-hands grab both hands grab both wrists. Same as "double single-handed grab".Shoulder grab a shoulder grab. "Both-shoulders-grab" is ryōkata-dori. It is sometimes combined with an overhead strike as Shoulder grab face strike.Chest grab grabbing the chest. Same as "collar grab".Rear chokeholdRear both shoulders grab
  • '''Rear both wrists grab'''

Techniques

When all attacks are considered, aikido has over 10,000 nameable techniques. Many aikido techniques derive from Daitō-ryū Aiki-jūjutsu, but some others were invented by Morihei Ueshiba. The precise terminology for some may vary between organizations and styles; what follows are the terms used by the Aikikai Foundation. Several techniques are also shared with judo, which can be considered a "cousin" of aikido due to their shared jujutsu background.
Aikido techniques can be broadly classified into two groups, immobilizing techniques and throwing techniques.

Immobilizing techniques

First teaching, a control using one hand on the elbow and one hand near the wrist which leverages uke to the ground. This grip also applies pressure into the ulnar nerve at the wrist.Second teaching, a pronating wristlock that torques the arm and applies painful nerve pressure. There is an adductive wristlock or Z-lock in ura version.Third teaching, a rotational wristlock that directs upward-spiraling tension throughout the arm, elbow and shoulder.Fourth teaching, a shoulder control similar to ikkyō, but with both hands gripping the forearm. The knuckles are applied to the recipient's radial nerve against the periosteum of the forearm bone.Fifth teaching, visually similar to ikkyō, but with an inverted grip of the wrist, medial rotation of the arm and shoulder, and downward pressure on the elbow. Common in knife and other weapon take-aways.
  • Sixth teaching, also called elbow arm-barring pin.
  • Arm-spraining second teaching, an elbow lock generally used for knife thrusts or straight punches.
  • Arm entanglement, or rotary pin. Note that the name of this technique varies with organizations, and that ude-garami may also refer to a different technique altogether.
  • Elbow techniques, a class of techniques which involve immobilizing the elbow through locks.
  • Neck chokes, a variety of techniques that involve applying chokes.

Yoshinkan terminology

The Yoshinkan school retains these Daitō-ryū Aiki-jūjutsu terms for the "first" through "fourth" techniques:
  1. 一ケ条 Ikkajo
  2. 二ケ条 Nikajo
  3. 三ケ条 Sankajo
  4. 四ケ条 '''Yonkajo'''

Throwing techniques

Breath method. From a standing position where the tori and uke are side-by-side, the tori throws the uke backward with a raised arm cutting backwards and downwards. This technique is also sometimes referred to as the lateral entering throw, or categorized as a type of breath throw.Four-direction throw. The hand is folded back past the shoulder, locking the shoulder joint.
  • Forearm return, a supinating wristlock-throw that stretches the extensor digitorum. As this technique contains both locking and throwing elements, it is sometimes classified under a hybrid category of throwing-immobilizing combination techniques.Entering throw, throws in which tori moves through the space occupied by uke. The classic form superficially resembles a "clothesline" technique.Heaven-and-earth throw beginning with ryōte-dori; moving forward, tori sweeps one hand low and the other high, which unbalances uke so that he or she easily topples over.Hip throw aikido's version of the hip throw. Tori drops his or her hips lower than those of uke, then flips uke over the resultant fulcrum.Figure-ten throw or figure-ten entanglement a throw that locks the arms against each other.Rotary throw tori sweeps the arm back until it locks the shoulder joint, then uses forward pressure to throw.
  • Corner drop, sometimes also considered a type of breath throw.
  • Arm extension throw, from behind, the tori extends the uke's arm slightly downwards and places the other arm outstretched under the uke's upper arm, then moves the whole body forward. Also alternatively termed the weighing scales throw, referring to the tori's use of an outstretched arm as a fulcrum. Can also be considered a form of breath throw.
  • Blending drop, where the tori grabs both of the uke's knees and lifts them up, throwing the uke backward.
  • Arm entanglement throw. Like the forearm return, this technique contains both throwing and locking elements, and may be considered to be a throwing-immobilizing combination technique. Note that the name ude-garami is sometimes used by different schools to refer to a different immobilisation technique.

Breath throws

Breath throw refers to a class of techniques that centre on the union of breathing and throw, that generally do not end in joint locks like the immobilising techniques. The names of specific techniques may vary across organizations and dojos, but they begin with uke coming from the rear and blocking one or both tori's wrists; at their heart there are the two parts of breathing: inspiration and at the same time an elbow-arm ascending arc which uke must follow, expiration with the arc now descending, sending uke in the resulting vacuum. Different types of kokyū-nage may include:Slanted breath throw, where the tori throws the uke backwards. This technique is sometimes simply referred to as the main kokyū-nage technique, or separately as the breath method, kokyū-hō. Alternative terminology also include lateral entering throw, and rear throw.Forward throw. Against an opposite stance single-hand grab, the throw can be referred to by the opening movement tenkan tsugiashi, which is a rear pivot followed by a forward step.Rotary breath throw. The technique begins similar to that of a regular rotary throw, but then transitions into a forward throw. Just like the rotary throw, two variations of rotary breath throws exist—inner and outer. Against an opposite stance single-hand grab, these two variations can be named by their opening movements as irimi kaiten and irimi tenkan breath throws respectively.
  • Variations on immobilizing techniques
  • *First teaching throw. This throw begins as if the tori were performing a regular ikkyō technique, using both arms raised to connect with the uke's attack. But instead of going into the arm pin, the tori pushes the uke backward instead.
  • *First teaching changing technique. Similar to the first teaching throw, but instead of throwing the uke backward, the tori transitions into a drop technique by cutting down or controlling the uke's attacking arm, as seen in the cutting or floating drops. This results in throwing the uke forward.
  • *Third teaching throw. The tori performs the third teaching technique until the first lock, where the uke's elbow is pointing skyward, and then throws the uke forward.
  • Drops
  • * Corner drop
  • *Cutting drop
  • *Rear cutting drop
  • * Floating drop
  • * Rolling-up drop
  • * Shoulder-pulling drop
  • * Striking drop
  • *Shoulder drop
  • *Body drop
  • *Shoulder wheel
  • Blending throw, where the tori drops to the floor and causes the uke to roll forward and over the tori's back.
  • Hip breath throws
  • * Flicking hip
  • *Shoulder-pulling flicking hip
  • *Pulling hip
  • *Lifting-pull hip
  • *Large hip
  • *Forearm twist hip throw

Implementations

Aikido makes use of body movement to blend with uke. For example, an "entering" technique consists of movements inward towards uke, while a "turning" technique uses a pivoting motion.
Additionally, an "inside" technique takes place in front of uke, whereas an "outside" technique takes place to his side; a "front" technique is applied with motion to the front of uke, and a "rear" version is applied with motion towards the rear of uke, usually by incorporating a turning or pivoting motion. Finally, most techniques can be performed while in a seated posture. Techniques where both uke and tori are sitting are called suwari-waza, and techniques performed with uke standing and tori sitting are called hanmi handachi.
Thus, from fewer than twenty basic techniques, there are thousands of possible implementations. For instance, ikkyō can be applied to an opponent moving forward with a strike, or to an opponent who has already struck and is now moving back to reestablish distance. Specific aikido kata are typically referred to with the formula "attack-technique". For instance, katate-dori ikkyō refers to any ikkyō technique executed when uke is holding one wrist. This could be further specified as katate-dori ikkyō omote, referring to any forward-moving ikkyō technique from that grab.
Atemi are strikes employed during an aikido technique. Some view atemi as attacks against "vital points" meant to cause damage in and of themselves. For instance, Gōzō Shioda described using atemi in a brawl to quickly down a gang's leader. Others consider atemi, especially to the face, to be methods of distraction meant to enable other techniques. A strike, whether or not it is blocked, can startle the target and break his or her concentration. The target may also become unbalanced in attempting to avoid the blow, for example by jerking the head back, which may allow for an easier throw.
Many sayings about atemi are attributed to Morihei Ueshiba, who considered them an essential element of technique.