Suwari waza and wrist defence techniques, pointless?
I have little experience of aikido so these are purely thoughts on some of the martial arts techniques and are not from training in it as such. 1) I believe suwari waza (the techniques on knees) are part of aikido training as it was common for Japanese and samurai to sit like that but this custom is not seen in the West and seems a bit of a waste of time training in such techniques. Should aikidokas today in the west etc still practise these techniques and if so why? Just because its tradition, or do they still have benefit in training today? 2) In aikido it seems most defence moves are from open hand strikes and wrist grabs. I believe the many wrist grabs used to be crucial as it could prevent the drawing of a sword etc but today defence against the drawing of a samurai sword wouldnt be such a necessity. Even though i can see some self defence benefits of wrist grabs especially for women etc or if an aggressor holds/restrains the arm so you can't punch but it looks to me like too much emphasis is placed on this ok learn a few wrist escapes but if an aggressor grabs my wrist my first reaction would be to punch them in the face with the other hand : ) Should aikidokas today practise more defences from punches and grappling attacks rather than wrist defences, can these wrist techniques be easily transferred to defend punches? I realise it is part of aikido tradition and a training method for harmony, felling pressure and direction of force etc which may be beyond my knowledge but just wondered what you guys think about these traditional techniques and whether they still have application to be practised in this way today???

Merco Everything you write is correct. In the early days the Japanese teachers would make us do techniques from kneeling which was natural for them and most un-natural for us, often struggling to walk the next day. I have not taught Suwari waza for `many` years. The defence techiques in Aikido are against sword, we teach that but also against any form of attack, this is considered by the purists to be against all that Aikido represents. I look at Aikido as it is needed in the society we live in, not medieval Japan. Ken Williams Sensei the first ever student of Kenshiro Abbe Sensei for Aikido now teaches Aikido the European way for Europeans, with techniques named in English. A senior Japanese Shihan said to me when hearing the students at a seminar in Newcastle speak Japanese ( techniques ) " Mr Ellis what is it they speak ? " I explained they were refering to techniques in Japanese , he laughed " I never heard Japanese like this before ".

Yes this is also a subject that comes up with many traditional arts I have come across it in traditional karate do lots too. I’m all for traditional arts and think they are great however when the 'masters of old' trained in such techniques they used those specific techniques as they were required at that time, I believe today we should stick to the same principals that are behind the techniques but by all means adapt them to common attacks of our time/society etc. This isn't going against tradition (although many would say it is) it’s still seeking what the traditional teachers sought, effective self defence methods etc, also many so called 'traditional' teachers such as Ueshiba and Funakoshi also stated how their art in their lifetime had evolved and will continue to evolve and should do but warned that the key principles must remain the same. I think you have to draw a line though when it comes to dropping certain techniques and using others, I believe students today can learn lots from following some of the older traditions and discipline. I think it’s important that the chief instructor chooses what techniques are applicable to learn not the student, as often students could de-value or drop techniques they don't think effective without fully understanding them and how they work. The techniques that you mention can also have other merits for learning aikido such as making use of the whole body not just the arms etc etc its just about finding the right balance between tradition and what’s applicable today. As for the use of Japanese terms for techniques and teaching that’s a funny story Henry, and I’m not sure where I stand on that. I currently practice arts that use all Japanese terminology but this is more of a mark of respect (although people could argue why not use Okinawan dialect or Chinese etc) though due to the fact that we often get visiting Japanese high ranked sensei to teach at our club in karate the Japanese terminology is known worldwide and used more than English which is good as no matter what country you go to or which sensei’s teach in such countries they understand the Japanese terms being used and they are the same on a global scale. However when training at an all English club in the UK it is kind of amusing to hear the instructions being called out in poor Japanese especially when they try and put on a Japanese accent :lol: personally I use all Japanese terminology for all techniques and movements but then instruct in English when giving any details about a technique (mainly because I wouldn’t have a clue how to say it in Japanese and no one would understand). I think that it just depends on the art really and who the senior instructors of it are and the arts history, the most important thing though is that the student understands the principles being taught. Interesting post though merco about what should be still practised and what is no longer that relevant, but don’t get me started about the merits/or not of practising traditional kata’s :P . I think in the end it comes down to the instructor’s preference and there’s not really a right or wrong way, if your getting what you want out of training great carry on if not move on to a different club, instructor or style. To answer your question (finally) from my perspective, suwari waza and wrist defences, sword techniques etc are not pointless and an integral part of the martial 'art' and tradition of aikido, they should be practised but not as the main practised techniques, they should be less as important than practising defence from habitual acts of violence that are common today. Interesting post though, what do others think about this subject?

If the wrist techniques etc were not practised in aikido would it still be classed as aikido?

" If the wrist techniques etc were not practised in aikido would it still be classed as aikido? " Without the wrist techniques Aikido would still be Aikido. Its original main objective was defence agains sword, hence the various cutting and striking actions. The techniques should be executed as the opponent is about to catch, rather than when your opponent has a ` hard ` grip. I teach both. Henry Ellis

Ah i see, i wasn't aware of that. So as long as you stick to aikidos principles such as intercepting or 'catching' the attack/momentum and then taking advatage of the attack you can apply it to any attack old or new i.e. various punches, knife attacks/bottles etc etc and then you will still be practising aikido but adapting the techniques or using the techniques as they are but for more modern likely assualts and attacks? I guess that no matter what martial art you practise it will always have to evolve slightly with time, this can even be seen in mma with the nhb tournaments that have been occuring over the years. Although i'm sure there will also be many aikido students who prefer to practise just as it was taught be Ueshiba and other old traditional masters too, 'pure aikido' i guess there is no one right way it just comes down to what the instructors/students desire, although to me effective self defence should be at the centre of any martial art but thats just me.?

I will try to answer some questions and comments from a few of you, as my memory isnt very good if i miss anything out please let me know. Wrist grabs are a basic way of practising but also an advanced way. I do not see aikido as a self defence and later on in practice we pre empt aggression with an atemi strike usually to the face, this hopefully makes your opponent try to defend or protect this area with their arms, either by covering up thus gving you a basic entry or grabbing your attacking arm also givig you an even more basic entry. The philosophy of Aikido is working together ( In Harmony) and the basic principal being if every body did Aikido and worked together there would be no conflict, but as we know this will never happen. Aikido came about after the second world war and was developed so people could carry on practising after martial arts were band during the occupation. Aiki jutsu is a very effective art but all true martial arts were designed for nothing more than to kill. Sounds a bit extreme but essentially that is what they were developed for.

Makes sense about the wrist grabs as a good starting point for basic technique but also advanced techniques for more senior students, this kind of principle is often used in karate. From what I remember from my aikido training it's a great way to learn some of the aikido techniques and principles and learning how to enter/control the opponents balance etc. Also I think defence from wrist grabs in particular is more of a practical technique than they have had credit for lately. Most confrontations start with some kind of close engagement taunting, pushing etc rather than a punch up straight away (although that does happen at times) in which such techniques can be applied. I think certain criticism has come about of wrist defence techniques as people with less experience in martial arts see them and think that learning those techniques means that you can only defend yourself if the opponent attacks with a wrist grab and then that the only defence you can do is to finish off with a wrist defence technique from that situation and finish the confrontation in that instant which is not always the case. In combat the distance closes fast, to stop the onslaught of punches and strikes at a close distance the opponent will often try to control a limb this can be seen in any mma match, live sparring in the dojo or on the street it's a natural reaction to stop you from getting hit and help gain an advantage over your opponent. Then from this situation knowing how to control the grip/grab or how to instantly get a fast release or turn it into a favourable position for you can be very advantageous and practical in a combat situation. Not sure about the answer to your suwari waza question though Merco, one of the senior aikidoka's on here would be of more help. I agree that all true 'martial' arts were originally designed to maim and kill especially those from the samurai background.