Basic Aikido Wrist Grasping Techniques

As a form of martial arts, aikido Sydney involves many techniques. What makes aikido techniques different from the techniques of other martial arts is that aikido techniques enable you to defend yourself but without seriously injuring your attacker at the same time, but only causing pain to immobilise your attacker. Some of the basic techniques in aikido are:

Ikkyo

Ikkyo is considered as first technique or first lesson in aikido. It is said that if you develop and refine your ikkyo, you can greatly master the other techniques. In this technique, the nage (one who does the technique) takes control of the uke’s (one who receives the technique) elbow and wrist to control the torso and body. This is the move which the defender pins down the attacker: By putting pressue on the torso and body, the nage floors the uke.

Nikyo

Nikyo is aikido’s second teaching. This is a very painful joint lock technique which the defender controls his attacker by destroying the latter’s will to continue fighting. In a demonstration, nage grips the uke’s wrist and this action produces instant pain. Feeling great pain, the uke kneels involuntarily to alleviate the pain. In this technique, the uke manages to immobilise the uke by twisting the latter’s arm

Sankyo

Sankyo is the third technique. Here the nage twist the uke’s wrist, locking the body the body and sending great tension which travels upward. The uke then feels great pain from the lower part of his arm up to his elbow and shoulder. This is a very painful wrist grapping technique which could damage the attacker’s wrist if the defender applies his sankyo with too much force.

Yongkyo

Otherwise spelled as yonkyo or yunkyo, yongkyo involves shoulder control. In this wrist grab, the nage uses both hands (the inner edge of both hands between the thumb and the index) to grip the uke’s upper wrist and presses downward to apply the great pressure of pain on the radial nerve. Recognised for its distinct pain, Yongkyo is also known as a nerve pitch. One should know that not all people react painfully to yongkyo and they can even withhold the pain.

Gokyo

The fifth technique is somewhat a variation of the first, the ikkyo. Both gokyo and ikkyo ends with the nage pinned to the ground, but both techniques differ in the execution. The gokyo involves the nage twisting the uke’s wrist in reverse, rotating the arm and shoulder, applying tension on the uke’s elbow and pinning the uke while pulling in the direction of the controlled arm.

Kotegaeshi

Kotegaeshi is reversed wrist or forearm return. It is also known as supinating wristlock. The nage grips the uke’s hand using one or both hands, twists the uke’s hand to point his (uke) thumb away from him (uke) and proceeds to throw him down to the ground. Despite being a throwing technique, it emphasises on the twisting of the attacker’s wrist.

Iriminage

Iriminage means entering or putting in the body, hence it is an entering body throw. This is what aikido is about: The nage enters into the uke’s momentum and blend with the uke’s movement to pin the latter down.

These are just some of the basic aikido Sydney techniques which you can learn with other practitioners at your local dojo. Make sure you train for these techniques well so you can effectively apply them for self-defence.

The Shin Sen Dojo encourages everyone to take up a peaceful approach to martial arts and self-defence through aikido Sydney. Please contact us today and visit our website  for more details of our classes.