Last month we introduced a new concept. You shouldn\u2019t be claiming aikido is lethal unless you\u2019ve given it some serious thought, and worked out how to do it. The first part of that is actually quite simple and easy to achieve. The second part though, how to actually make your aikido dangerous, requires a bit more consideration, and a fair bit of practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The techniques of aikido, the ones we see in every session on the mats, are brutal. As aikidoka we have a tendency to focus on the opposite. There are many reasons for that but ultimately this focus has led to the techniques becoming neutered in terms of brutality. In aikido all the techniques contain a choice over how much damage to inflict. This is part of how aikido makes you a better (or worse) person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Over time aikidoka have come to emphasise the choice towards minimal damage. We have done this to such a degree that the other choice, maximum damage, is almost lost to us. Not completely though, it\u2019s still there, but you have to look a little bit harder to find it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In this post, we\u2019ll look at a technique and consider how we could shift it along the track towards maximum damage. Please note, I\u2019m not advocating that you do these things, only that you become aware of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
First of all, let\u2019s consider irimi nage. A popular technique and one of the cornerstones of almost every organisations syllabus. It\u2019s not uncommon to teach this as early as 5th<\/sup> kyu. While there are some notable exceptions (such as Steven Seagal\u2019s version) the vast majority of aikidoka perform this in a similar manner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n