Aikido Moves

Aikido is a Japanese martial art which is practiced by amalgamating with the motion of the attacker and re-directing the force of the attacker instead of opposing it. This martial art form was founded by Morihei Ueshiba between the 1920s and 1960s, and it is said to be a combination of ideas of his martial studies, philosophy, and religious beliefs. The term aikido is derived from three Japanese characters meaning matching, spirit, and way, hence aikido is intended to distract or immobilize, not kill or permanently damage the attacker.

Usually interpreted as 'the Way of unifying (with) life energy' or as 'the Way of harmonious spirit', aikido is a martial art type which emphasis that the practitioners should defend themselves but at the same time they should protect their attacker from any kind of serious injury. Hence, we can say that the main concept behind aikido is to redirect the attack in place of attack back. People learn aikido moves not only to defend themselves from any physical abuse but also to improve self-discipline, patience and mental strength.

Aikido Moves for Beginners

In aikido, there are two roles involved; 'uke', the person being attacked and 'nage', the person who attacks. Following are some basic aikido moves and techniques that will serve as a stepping stone for you to learn more advanced moves.

Ikkyo: Also known as ikkajo, it is the first aikido move which involves control of the elbow to control the torso and body. In this move, the uke employs one hand on the nage's elbow and the other close to his wrist. As a result, the 'nage' ends up falling on the ground due to the pressure on the ulnar nerve. The move can also be used as a throw, by stretching up the elbow without rolling it down.

Nikyo: The move involves a technique which is implemented through the wrist to lock the body. Here the nage using a wristlock, turns the uke's tegatana towards his center line, the two bones that form the forearm skeletal structure are twisted around until they meet, resulting in pain and immobilization of the arm.

Sankyo: This is the third Japanese aikido technique wherein the wrist is turned to lock the body, which sends tension from the lower part of the arm, up to the elbow and shoulders.

Yunkyo: The next aikido move is Yunkyo that employs shoulder control. In this, the uke keeps both his hands on the nage's forearm and exerts pressure on the radial nerve.

Gukyo: Like ikkyo, the move ends with the nage on the ground. It involves reversing of the hand holding the wrist, along with rotating the arm and shoulder, and then applying downward pressure on the elbow.

Shihonage: Also known as the four direction throw, the move enables the uke to control or throw the nage in any direction by just rotating his wrist, elbow and shoulder.

Kotegaeshi: Also termed as the forearm return, the move basically involves the technique of wrist-locking the nage, which results in pain, stretches and immobilization of the forearm.

Kaitennage: Also referred as the rotation throw, wherein the uke moves the nage's arm backwards, to the extend of locking his shoulder joints and then applying intense pressure.

Nowadays, aikido is found all across the world in different styles, having wide ranges of interpretation and emphasis. However, whichever aikido techniques you learn, it reflects an effective but merciful response toward your attacker. To sum up, we can say that all aikido moves have concern for the well-being of the attacker by enabling you to control aggression without inflicting injury.