Martial Arts

by whitet73

Aikido incorporates a wide range of techniques that use principles of energy and motion to redirect, neutralise and control attackers. Because aikido techniques allow practitioners to move considerably during their execution, as well as for other reasons, some believe aikido is particularly suited to multiple-attacker circumstances. However, like all martial arts claims, this is debated. At its highest level, aikido can be used to defend oneself without causing serious injury to either the aggressor or the defender. If performed correctly, size and strength are not important for efficiency in the techniques. Aikido is considered one of the most difficult of the Japanese martial arts in which to gain proficiency since it has such great demands physically and mentally.

Aikido Training

The methods of training vary from organisation to organisation and indeed even between different dojo in a single organisation but typically, a class basically means that the teacher shows techniques or principles and the students imitate. Training is done through mutual technique, where the focus is on entering and blending (harmonising) with the attack, not on sparring or competing with the attacker’s power.

Uke, the receiver of the technique, usually initiates an attack against nage or tori, who neutralises it with an aikido technique. The uke and the nage have equally important roles. Uke’s role is to be honest and committed in attack, to use positioning to protect oneself, and to learn proper technique through the imbalanced feeling created by Nage’s technique. Nage’s role is to blend with and neutralise Uke’s attack without leaving an opening to further attacks.

Simultaneously, Nage will be studying how to create a feeling of being centred (on balance) and controlled in application of the aikido technique. Therefore, students must practice both positions in order to learn proper technique feeling.

When O-Sensei taught, all his students were uke until he deemed them knowledgeable enough of the technique to be nage. Movement, awareness, precision, distance, and timing are all important to the execution of techniques as students progress from rigidly defined exercises to more fluid and adaptable applications. Eventually, students take part in jiyu-waza (free attack) and/or randori (multiple attackers), where the attacks are less predictable. Most schools employ training methods wherein uke actively attempts to employ counter-techniques, or kaeshi-waza.

O-Sensei did not allow competition in training because some techniques are considered too dangerous and because he believed that competition did not develop good character in students. Most styles of aikido continue this tradition although Shodokan Aikido started with competitions early on. In the Ki Society there are forms (taigi) competitions held from time to time.

Aikido Defence

Aikido techniques are mostly based on keeping the attacker out of balance and locking joints. Much of aikido’s repertoire of defences can be performed either as throwing techniques (nage-waza) or as controls (katame-waza), depending on the situation.

Entering, irimi, and turning, tenkan, are widely used Aikido concepts, as is striking, atemi. The use of striking techniques is dependent on the organisation and, to some extent, the individual dojo. Some dojo teach the strikes that are integral to all Aikido techniques as mere distractions, used to make the application of an Aikido technique easier, while others teach that strikes are to be used for more destructive reasons. O-Sensei himself wrote, while describing the Aikido technique Ikkyo, “…first smash the eyes.” (This might well refer to the fact that the classic opener for Ikkyo is a knife-hand thrust towards the face, to make uke block and thus expose his or her arm to the joint control – thus, as though moving to smash uke’s eyes.)

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Manipulation of uke’s balance by entering is often referred to as “taking uke’s centre”. It is sometimes said that aikido contains only defence, and the attacks that are performed are not really aikido. From a historical perspective this claim is questionable, but many if not most aikidoka have the defence techniques as the focus of their training.

Aikido Attacks

In the early days when O’Sensei began teaching his new art of Aikido, new students were expected to be already proficient in another (generally a striking) martial art. Due to this, attacks per se are generally not focused on in contemporary Aikido dojos. Students will learn the various attacks from which an Aikido technique can be practiced.

Although attacks are seldom studied to the same extent as in arts of more aggressive nature, good attacks are needed to study correct and effective application of technique. “Honest” attacks are considered important. An “honest” attack would be an attack with full intention or a strong neutral (neither pulling nor pushing) grab or hold. The speed of an attack may vary depending on the experience and level of the “Nage” (the partner who executes the throw or technique). Whether the attack is fast or slow, the intention to strike or control (if grabbing or pinning) should remain.

Aikido attacks used in normal training include various stylised strikes and grabs such as:

shomenuchi (a vertical strike to the head), yokomenuchi (a lateral strike to the side of the head and/or neck), munetsuki (a straight punch), ryotedori (a two handed grab), katadori (a shoulder grab).

Many of the -uchi strikes resemble blows from a sword or other weapon. Kicks are sometimes used, but are not usually part of basic curricula. Most aikido techniques can also be applied to a response to an attack, e.g. to a block, and some schools use this as the “basic” form of a given class of technique. Beginners also tend to work with techniques executed in response to a grab. Grabs are considered good for basic practice because the connection with uke is very clear and strong, and it is easier to “feel out” body mechanics and lines of force.

There is also the matter of atemi, or strikes employed during an aikido technique. The role and importance of atemi is a matter of some debate in aikido. Some view atemi as strikes to “vital points” that can be delivered during the course of a technique’s application, to increase effectiveness. Others consider atemi to be methods of distraction, particularly when aimed at the face. For instance, if a movement would expose the aikido practitioner to a counter-blow, they may deliver a quick strike to distract the attacker or occupy the threatening limb.

Atemi can be interpreted as not only punches or kicks but also, for instance, striking with a shoulder or a large part of the arm. Some throws are arguably effected through an unbalancing or abrupt application of atemi. Many sayings about atemi are attributed to Morihei Ueshiba, although their precise content varies considerably based on the one doing the telling.

Aikido Weapons

Weapons training in aikido usually consists of jo (short-staff) and bokken (sword) and/or tanto (knife). Both weapons-taking and weapons-retention are sometimes taught, to integrate the armed and unarmed aspects of aikido. For example, a technique done with a straight punch may be done with a tanto or jo thrust instead, or a grab technique may be illustrated as a way to draw/strike with a weapon while being grabbed.

Many schools train using versions of Morihiro Saito’s weapons system: aiki-jo and aiki-ken. The system contains solo kata with jo, and paired exercises for both jo and bokken. In other lines of aikido, paired training with bokken in kata derived from old sword schools is common.

Quite a few aikido teachers have also developed weapons systems on their own, such as Mitsugi Saotome’s “two sword aikido”. Kazuo Chiba sensei, of the San Diego Aikikai, has developed a weapons curriculum which, while firmly based on the principles of Aiki, is not found in schools outside of the Chiba lineage. Chiba sensei, also an expert in Iaido, developed and teaches Batto-ho, “sword-drawing method,” which is based on Iaido, “the Way of sword drawing” and other traditional forms of Japanese sword work. In Chiba’s schools Batto-ho is studied in large part for the same reasons as weapons work with bokken and jo: for what it reveals about the roots of Aikido as a martial art.

Aikido Clothing

Aikido uses a keikogi similar to most other modern budo arts; simple trousers and a wraparound jacket, usually white. In some places a keikogi of karate cut is preferred, in others most people use judo keikogis. Keikogi made specially for aikido exist, but usually not in the lower price ranges. Many dojos insist that the sleeves are cut short to elbow length, to reduce the risk of trapped fingers and injuries in grab techniques to the wrist.

To the keikogi adds the traditional garment hakama, wide pleated trousers. The hakama is usually black or dark blue. In most dojos around the world, the hakama is reserved for practitioners with dan (black belt) ranks, but some dojos ask everyone to wear a hakama. Systems also exist where hakama is never worn, worn from a specific kyu rank, and others where women are allowed to wear it earlier than the men.

The belt, obi is wrapped twice around the body similar to in karate or judo. Although some systems use many belt colours similar to the system in judo, the most common version is that dan ranks wear black belt, and kyu ranks white – sometimes with an additional brown belt for the highest kyu ranks. In some dojos it is common to have the same colour belt at different levels.

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