The Art of Throwing Aikido

As one of the softest of the soft styles of martial arts, aikido is easily recognizable by its circular, flowing movements that lead to a throw or a lock. Indeed, from a technical point of view, aikido is a throwing art. Unlike judo students, aikidoists don't grip their opponent's clothing, but either "push-strike" the opponent's body, or grip the opponent's hand or arm.

Unlike karate, aikido emphasizes throwing and joint tech­niques over striking and kicking techniques. It also requires that students take hard falls on a mat, and develop strong, flexible wrists and strong forearms.

The principle behind aikido involves blending with an opponent's energy and leading her from a common center. An aikido student applies force to her opponent's pressure points, as well as grappling techniques that turn the oppo­nent's momentum against her. Interestingly, that force doesn't come from the student; it comes from the opponent. An aiki­do student uses her opponent's force by bringing it into her own circle, neutralizing it, then gaining control.

The concept of the circle plays a central role in aikido. Even when the attack is linear—an opponent charges you in a straight line—you grab your opponent, create a centrifugal force that neutralizes your opponent's momentum, then complete the throw. After training for a while, this free-flowing motion becomes second nature, and, when done well, produces an art that is both useful and aesthetically.

As you can see, aikido is a defensive art—your focus is on defending yourself, not attacking, which is referred to as offensive. Though it does emphasize principles of nonconflict, it does so in such a way that once an aikidoist decides to react, she can send an attacker hurtling to the mat.

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