Aikido Techniques

Students learn the various attacks from which an aikido technique can be practiced. Although attacks are not studied as thoroughly as in striking-based arts, honest attacks (a strong strike or an immobilizing grab) are needed to study correct and effective application of technique.

Many of the strikes (打ち, uchi?) of aikido are often said to resemble blows from a sword or other grasped object, which may suggest origins in techniques intended for armed combat.[1] Other techniques which appear to explicitly be punches (tsuki), 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 (high kicks in particular) were uncommon during the types of combat prevalent in feudal Japan. Some basic strikes include:

Shōmen'uchi (front-face-strike) a vertical knife-hand strike to the head.
Yokomen'uchi (side-face-strike) a diagonal knife-hand strike to the side of the head or neck.
Mune-tsuki (or chūdan-tsuki) (chest-thrust) a punch to the torso. Specific targets include the chest, abdomen, and solar plexus.
Ganmen-tsuki (or jōdan-tsuki) (face-thrust) a punch to the face.
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 grabbing person. The following are examples of some basic grabs:

Katate-dori (single-hand-grab) one hand grabs one wrist.
Morote-dori (both-hands-grab) both hands grab one wrist.
Ryōte-dori (both-hands-grab) both hands grab both wrists. (sometimes called ryōkatate-dori)
Kata-dori (shoulder-grab) a shoulder grab. (both-shoulders-grab is ryōkata-dori)
Mune-dori (chest-grab) grabbing the (clothing of the) chest.

Diagram of ikkyō, or "first technique". Yonkyō has a similar mechanism of action, although the upper hand grips the forearm rather than the elbow.The following are a sample of the basic or widely practiced throws and pins. The precise terminology for some may vary between organisations and styles, so what follows are the terms used by the Aikikai Foundation. Note that despite the names of the first five techniques listed, they are not universally taught in numeric order.[17]

Ikkyō (first technique) a control using one hand on the elbow and one on near the wrist which leverages uke to the ground. This grip also applies pressure into the ulnar nerve on the medial side of the arm.
Nikyō (second technique) an adductive wristlock that torques the arm and applies painful nerve pressure.
Sankyō (third technique) a pronating technique that directs upward-spiraling tension throughout the arm, elbow and shoulder.
Yonkyō (fourth technique) a shoulder control similar to ikkyō, but with both hands gripping the forearm. The knuckles (from the palm side) are applied to the recipient's radial nerve against the periosteum of the forearm bone.
Gokyō (fifth technique) a variant of ikkyō in which the hand gripping the wrist is inverted. Common in tantō and other weapon take-aways.
Shihōnage (four-direction throw) The hand is folded back past the shoulder, locking the shoulder joint.
Kotegaeshi (wrist return) a supinating wristlock-throw that stretches the extensor digitorum.
Kokyūnage (breath throw) a term for various types of flowing "timing throws".
Iriminage (entering-body throw) throws in which nage moves through the space occupied by uke. The classic form superficially resembles a "clothesline" technique.
Tenchinage (heaven-and-earth throw) From uke grabbing both wrists of nage. Moving forward, nage sweeps one hand low ("earth") and the other high ("heaven"), which unbalances uke so that he or she easily topples over.
Koshinage (hip throw) aikido's version of the hip throw. Nage drops his or her hips lower than those of uke, then flips uke over the resultant fulcrum.
Jūjinage (shaped-like-'ten' throw) a throw that locks the arms against each other. (The kanji for "10" is a cross-shape.)
Kaitennage (rotation throw) nage sweeps the arm back until it locks the shoulder joint, then uses forward pressure to throw.
Weapons training in aikido traditionally includes the short staff (jō), wooden katana (bokken), and knife (tantō). Today, some schools also incorporate firearms-disarming techniques. Bokken and jō skills in particular are generally practised under the names aiki-ken, and aiki-jō, respectively. Both weapon-taking and weapon-retention are sometimes taught, to integrate armed and unarmed aspects. Some schools of aikido do not train with weapons at all while others, such as the Iwama style of Morihiro Saito (斉藤 守弘 Saitō Morihiro, 1928–2002), usually spend substantial time with bokken, jō, and tantō. The founder developed much of empty handed aikido from traditional sword and staff movements, so practice of these movements gives both insight into the origin of techniques and movements, and vital practice of these basic building blocks.[18]