“It is not uncommon to hear people discount joint-lock techniques as not being very practical in a real fight. How many times have we observed two people wrestling with and against one another in a vain attempt to execute a joint lock? It seems as if this technically straight-forward class of techniques is much more involved that we initially perceive them to be.”
Jul
11
Corrected link…
http://aasbk.com/blog/?page_id=219
I have successfully executed nikkyo, just as we learn, in a friendly but fierce wrestling match. It was completely effective as it rendered my strong and daunting opponent totally helpless.
Nice post Marc, whole body locking is really nice way of putting it and looks like an excellent teaching methodology. One of my teachers goes a step further suggesting provocatively that aikido joint locks and kata techniques don’t work but are just ideas. Then with that ‘schtick’ out of the way, going on from there he suggests that the shape and ma-ai of the technique are the most important things and from there uke’s reactions to nages kata movement create the technique and thus the lock appears fully formed in nage’s hands near the end of the kata. Kinda hard to put eloquently
Joint locks are actually not very difficult to execute in real time against a resisting opponent, at least when movement is neutralized by taking that opponent to the ground. Joint locks from the standing position become much harder, though obviously not impossible, from the standing position. There is simply too much possiblity for an opponent to manuever. In Judo/BJJ the number of standing joint locks could probably be easily counted on one hand, require dynamic and speedy application.
The success of standing joint locks is probably as depedent on the kind of attack, and indeed the kind of attacker one is faced with.
aikido joint locks are dependent on the correct alignment of many elements, starting with the relative stances. if the stances are squared off in opposition, the aikido techniques will be difficult or impossible. if the alignments are correct, however, the techniques are, very literally, irresistible. as we all know from keiko, achieving the alignment is not trivial. most techniques, most of the time, succeed from superior power or pain. that is fine in its way, but would like to urge everybody to try for the technique which needs little power because uke’s musculature simply cannot align to resist it.
Drew..Do ten wrestling matches on different opponents…then let us know?
Surely Aikiatemi is the normal introduction to any kansetsuwaza or osaewaza; then these locks become eminently effective and have many advantages over “rasslin’” (your attacker probably has a brother-in-law ready to clobber you) or nagewaza (you will be sued!).
(My apologies if this were covered in the article; I could not make the link work.)
I’m not big into wrestling matches, maybe you should do an independent study. Oh, and feel free to let us know your real, full name, and maybe even post a blog. One who does not trust enough won’t be trusted (Confucius I think).
You need to try your Nikyo on more than one person to claim that Nikyo works…and if it worked on ten people only proves it worked on ten people…maybe not the eleventh or in the street…this is true of all Budo waza.
It’s all in the mind.