How to Perform Kokyu Ho in Defense against Ryote Kubi Duri in Aikido

Aikido is made up of many throws and grappling joint locks, each corresponding to a particular form of attack. The philosophy behind this martial art is that both the defender and attacker should be moving in concert. To do this requires a great deal of work and practice for the defender as he must identify his opponent’s attack and respond with the correct defense. Here is a guide on how to perform a Kokyu Ho in response to a Ryote Kubi Duri or “Both Wrist Clench”. The defender, known as “nage”, meets the attack from behind, is grabbed by the wrists, and twists, grabs hold of the attacker “uke’s” arm, and opens wide his own arms, ultimately forcing his opponent to drop to the ground or be throttled by nage’s extended arm. This wide armed look is where this move takes its name. The literal translation of Kokyu Ho is “Breathing Light”. It incorporates moves very similar to a breathing technique in Reiki which goes by the same name.

Things You'll Need:
Practice Space

Attacker

Defender

Soft Mats to Cushion Falls

Performing Ryote Kubi Duri-Kokyu Ho
Step 1:
Allow your opponent to approach. He will do so as fast as possible, angled as if he were running past you. He will snag one of your wrists on his way past and spin around behind you, grabbing the other to complete the Ryote Kubi Duri. Make it difficult for him to attempt anything else by hunching forward and pulling your hands in together toward your pelvis. This will force him to widen his stance and press up against your back, which is exactly what you want him to do as it allows you more control and room to move.

Step 2:
Pull your hands apart forcefully, squaring your shoulders as you do so. Raise your upper arms out to the sides slightly to stress your opponent and make movement a little easier. Raise your hand above head height, out to the side so your upper arms are roughly horizontal with the ground.

Step 3:
Turn in a complete 180 clockwise. As you do so, curl your hands inward and away from your attacker’s hold to make further movement easier. In order to turn you will have to bring your right arm down to your side and your left arm up over your head, similar to a dancer attempting a pirouette.

Step 4:
Complete the turn, threading your right arm past your waist, circumnavigating your opponent, and extending it forward and to your right. Simultaneously thread your left arm forward, past your opponent’s chest and face, to extend forward and to your left. When it is at rest, your left arm should be at full extension, the back of your elbow pressing directly against your opponent’s throat. Your opponent will be unable to stop you as all these movements are well within your capacity despite the fact that he is holding your wrists.

Step 5:
Press the back of your elbow with steadily increasing pressure against your opponent’s throat, forcing him to tip his head up and back. At the same time pull your right arm out to the side. Your opponent’s grasp of it will force him to push forward, directly into the obstruction of your left arm. Sharply push both arms up and out to the sides as hard as you can to trip your opponent and force him backward to fall on his back or rump, completing the technique.

How to Perform an Irimi Nage Defense in Response to a Yokomen Uchi Strike in Aikido

Here is a guide on how to perform an Irimi Nage or “Opening Throw” in response to a Yokumon Uchi or “Side of the head” strike. This throw is commonly used at the outset of an engagement to let your attacker know you are able to defend yourself and will harm him if he continues to persist in his aggression. It's also an opening throw in that it redirects your opponent's momentum in a different direction to allow you more space to move and maneuver.

Things You'll Need:
Practice Space

Sparring Partner

Padded Floor Mats

Performing an Irimi Nage
Step 1:
Face your opponent head on, roughly three to four feet apart. Keep your weight on the balls of your feet and widen your stance so your legs are at shoulder width. Your opponent should approach directly with two long steps raising his right hand high and bringing it down in a diagonal strike aimed at the left side of you neck.

Step 2:
Sidestep both to your right and forward while keeping your torso directly facing your opponent. By doing this you avoid the immediate contact of the attack. Your opponent’s natural inclination will be to follow through with the side swing of his arm, pivoting as he does so to try to connect with your body.

Step 3:
Meet the swung arm with both your hands, slowing the swing. Roll your hands over and around your opponent's arm to push it from behind. Doing so will cause your opponent to twist his upper body to cope with having his arm being forced further around than he'd intended.

Step 4:
Step in behind your opponent’s right shoulder while his body is twisted with the follow through from the attempted Yokomen Uchi. Latch your left hand onto the top of his right shoulder and clamp your right arm on the back of his right elbow.

Step 5:
Sidestep to the right again, this time twisting your upper body in a counterclockwise motion while pulling. As you plant your feet the momentum of your body will act like you were swinging your opponent around, throwing him backward behind you. Release your hold at the appropriate moment to send him tumbling in a backward roll, successfully completing the Irimi Nage.

How to Perform a Shiho Nage in Defense Against Ryote Kubi Dai in Aikido

Here is a guide on how to perform a Shiho Nage or “Four Direction Throw” in response to a Ryote Kubi Dai or “Both Wrist Clench”. The defender, known as “nage”, meets the attack from behind, is grabbed by the wrists, and twists, breaking the hold, twisting the attacker “uke’s” arm, and forces him to the ground.

Things You'll Need:
Practice Space

Attacker

Defender

Soft Mats to Cushion Falls

Ryote Kubi Dai-Shiho Nage
Step 1:
Allow your opponent to approach. He will do so quickly angled as if he were walking past you. As he walks by he will snag one of your wrists and spin around behind you, grabbing the other to complete the Ryote Kubi Dai. Make it difficult for him to try anything else by hunching forward and pulling your hands in together toward your pelvis. This will force him to widen his stance and press up against your back, which is exactly what you want him to do.

Step 2:
Press your palms apart and raise your hands sharply as if a police officer just ordered you to put your hands up at gunpoint. Arch your left hand over to the right, above your head, and cock your right arm out to the side. If you were to draw a vertical line straight down from your left hand, your right hand would touch it. Turn your body clockwise, underneath your hands, so your right shoulder is pointing at your opponent.

Step 3:
Twist your right hand around in your opponent’s grasp, locking onto your opponent’s wrist just as he is holding yours. Pull your left hand down to grab hold of that same wrist, further up the forearm, behind your right hand. Turn further so you are facing past your opponent’s left side and take a sharp step forward, driving forward with your hands, violently pulling your opponent’s arm with you, forcing his body to turn as well.

Step 4:
Duck your head and twist your opponent’s arm in an arc. It should be down near your left side. What you want to do is twist it while pulling it up over your head and down to your right side. You will probably have to shift in a quarter turn to the right as you do this.

Step 5:
Press the hand of the arm that you are twisting straight to the ground. As your opponent’s arm is twist upside down and partially behind his back, he will be unable to keep his balance and fall immediately to his back. Force your opponent to submit by keeping up the pressure while he’s on the ground. Do this by pressing the back of your opponent’s hand flat against the matt, push it inward toward his shoulder to cause stress on the joints of the arm.

How to Perform a Shiho Nage in Defense against a Shomen Uchi Strike in Aikido

Aikido is a Japanese martial art made up of a vast wealth of throws and grappling moves. It was devised by Morihei Ueshiba in the early 1900s. This was an alternative to the older martial art known as Jujitsu, which was very effective and similar in style to Aikido. The difference between the two martial arts was the mindset driving them. In Jujitsu a defender prevents his opponent from doing harm by employing joint locks and counterattacks which would cause permanent crippling damage to the attacker. Aikido is a more forgiving martial art in that any damage it does to an attacker is temporary, usually just being pressure applied to a joint causing pain to force an attacker to submit. Aikido means, “The Way of The Harmonious Spirit”, and works to redirect an attacker’s energy and momentum against himself. In this way it is effective against any opponent, regardless of any difference in size and strength between the two combatants. Here is a guide explaining how to perform a Shiho Nage or “Four Direction Throw” in response to a Shomen Uchi or “Bladed Strike” in Aikido.

Things You'll Need:
Practice Space

Attacker

Defender

Soft Mats to Cushion Falls.

Step 1:
Begin standing roughly three feet away from your opponent. The Shomen Uchi Strike can be performed with our without the presence of a knife. As the presence of a knife would present a confounding variable to these instructions despite the fact that their content would be unchanged, we will assume your opponent is unarmed. Your opponent well step forward forming his right hand into a flat blade and bringing it down in an overhand chop aimed at your head or neck.

Step 2:
Cross your arms at the wrist and catch your opponent’s descending lower forearm in the top X they form. Latch onto the exterior of your opponent’s hand with your left hand and his lower forearm with your right.

Step 3:
Roll your opponent’s arm down in an underhanded arc while turning to face to the right. Make sure to bring the arm up in front of you to chest level. This will begin to twist your opponent’s arm inward.

Step 4:
Complete the twist by raising the arm up and passing it over your head, turning to face the opposite direction as you do so. Just to recap your opponent should be in front of you off your right shoulder. Switch your grip to hold only his hand and, while it is twisted, press the inside of his wrist against the top of his right shoulder, letting his hand protrude past the back.

Step 5:
Bend at the knees and pull his hand downward to drive him backward off balance. Continue to guide the hand down and your opponent will drop to the floor on his back.

How to Perform a Dai Yonkyo in Defense Against a Shomen Uchi in Aikido

Here is a guide detailing how to perform a Dai Yonkyo in defense against a Shomen Uchi or “Bladed Strike”. Dai Yonkyo translates as “fourth set”. Aikido has a very well structured set of combat techniques. Dai Yonkyo is the fourth set of the Gokyo No Waza, or “Teachings of Techniques”. There are 8 groups of the Gokyo No Waza comprising over 40 defensive locks, throws, and holds. Each group comprises a higher difficulty level than the one prior; every martial artist must master each group in turn to advance in level. In this context Dai Yonkyo means that this technique is from the fourth group and is the set response to a Shomen Uchi for that degree of difficulty.

Things You'll Need:
Practice Space

Sparring Partner

Padded Floor Mats

Performing Shomen Uchi - Dai Yonkyo
Step 1:
Face your opponent from a distance of no greater than three feet. He will raise his right arm up into the air and lunge forward, attempting to bring the arm down in a chop. Step in to meet the charge, grabbing the wrist with your left hand and the elbow with your right hand while the arm is still high in the air.

Step 2:
Sweep the arm down in an arc passing down the midline of your opponent’s body, leading with the wrist. Bring the wrist down to your opponent’s right side and sidestep around behind him. Turn to place your back against your opponent’s back and then pull your opponent’s arm in a straight line to your right as hard as you are able. This will spin your opponent around like a top to land on his knees at your feet. This is called a tenkan and is useful in dizzying your opponent to make him more pliable for a submissive hold.

Step 3:
Force your opponent back to his feet by twisting his arm clockwise so the back of the elbow faces directly upward. Shift your grip so that your right hand holds the back of his hand and your left clenches the wrist.

Step 4:
Step backward and to your opponent’s left with your left foot. Pivot on that foot in a full 360 degree clockwise spin, taking your opponent with you. Remember to lead with your opponent’s arm and bend at the waist, forcing your opponent to turn while bent forward, eventually leaving him sprawled face down on the ground. This ends the Dai Yonkyo.

How to Perform a Dai Gokyo in Response to a Shomen Uchi in Aikido

Aikido is a Japanese martial art comprised primarily of throws and joint locks. It was devised by Morihei Ueshiba in the early 1900s as a safer alternative to Jujitsu, which utilizes throws and joint locks that damage, permanently injure, or even kill whoever has been unlucky enough to be subjected to it. Roughly translated, Aikido means, “The Way of The Harmonious Spirit”, and attempts to redirect an attacker’s energy and momentum against himself. For this to work both the attacker and defender must be acting in concert, like a pair of dancers. Typically the defender, known as “nage” is the more experienced of the pair as he/she must read an opponent’s movements and react to the attacker, known as “uke”. Here is a guide detailing how to defend against a “Shomen Uchi”, or Bladed Strike, with a Dai Gokyo, or Arm Stretch. The term Arm Stretch refers to the defender stretching the joints of his opponent’s arm. This technique is used to immobilize an attacker armed with a knife and force him/her to release the weapon.

Things You'll Need:
Practice Space

Practice Knife

Attacker

Defender

Soft Mats to Cushion Falls.

Performing Shomen Uchi-Dai Gokyo
Step 1:
Begin facing your opponent in a natural standing position. As in much of Aikido, you should be spaced at least four feet from your opponent. Your opponent will be holding the knife in a backhanded grip, meaning the blade is pointing downward from the bottom of the fist. The Shomen Uchi strike will be performed by your opponent taking two sharp steps forward while bringing the knife up and out to be held in a manner similar to many of the killers in the B horror films from the 50s. The upper arm will be out to the side horizontally, while the lower arm will be raised vertically. Upon closing the range to you your opponent will drive the knife down at the point where the neck meets the shoulders in a diagonal chopping motion. Of course if you have time to see all this it is far too late to do anything about it. You will have to act before your opponent begins to approach and before he/she brings the knife forward beyond his/her body.

Step 2:
Step forward while your opponent’s knife is still extended mostly out to the side, in the wind up position prior to the strike. Rush forward toward the outstretched arm, not the body. Stop the forward motion of the strike by meeting the arm with the flats of your hands.

Step 3:
Grab the wrist firmly in your right hand, making sure that you invert your hand upon doing so. Both your elbow and thumb should be pointed upward when taking hold of the wrist. From this position you can simply extend your arm out to your right to bring your hand right side up. By doing this you invert your opponent’s arm and force him to turn counterclockwise, somewhere off to your left.

Step 4:
Grip the arm in your left hand at the elbow and turn to your right, walking in a semicircle around your opponent to force him to come with you, extending his body. The back of your opponent’s hand should be facing the ground, the arm at full extension from the right side of the body. While walking forward take up a kneeling position and force the back of the hand as well as the length of the arm flat against the ground to bring your opponent flat on his chest.

Step 5:
Raise your opponent’s upper arm off the ground, fitting the lower arm inward so it stand vertically propping up the right side of the body. The back of the hand should be pressed flat against the ground, kinking the wrist as well as the elbow. Press down on the top of the elbow while pressing the inside of the wrist inward toward the body to exert painful pressure on these joints, causing the hand to spontaneously open. Remove the knife from the palm of the hand, throwing it away or using to finish your opponent.

How to Perform a Tenbin Nage in Response to a Yokomen Uchi Strike in Aikido

Here is a guide on how to perform a Tenbin Nage or “Elbow Throw” in response to a Yokomen Uchi or “Side of the head” strike.

Step 1: Face your opponent directly, roughly three to four feet apart. Keep your weight on the balls of your feet and your legs at shoulder width. Your opponent should approach directly with two long steps raising his right hand high and bringing it down in a diagonal strike which he would aim at the side of you neck.

Step 2: Sidestep to your right, rotating to keep your body facing your opponent. This will force your opponent to pivot and attempt to continue his side hand strike. Raise your open hands to lightly grab a hold of the attacker’s arm at the wrist and lower forearm. Guide it down to stop directly in front of you roughly below the level of your waist.

Step 3: Take firm hold of your attacker’s wrist with your right hand and pull your opponent’s arm out to your right as far as you are able. This will force him to turn his back toward you.

Step 4: Step in and slide your left arm up underneath your opponent’s right armpit. Force your shoulder into the hollow of the armpit, lifting with your legs and waist while pushing forward to raise your opponent’s weight and center of balance and push it forward.

Step 5: Lean forward at the waist and shrug your shoulders while pulling his right arm back toward your right side to throw your opponent forward into a shoulder roll. Be sure to lightly guide him forward using his right arm, but do not maintain a firm hold of it after the roll has begun to avoid accidentally harming your opponent’s wrist, elbow, or shoulder joint.