Author: Bret Gordon
Cringey title aside, let's explore some of the intricate methods of skeletal locking used in Aiki Jujutsu. While these are loosely referred to as pins, it's important not to confuse them with the more familiar osaekomi waza of Judo and it's Western counterparts. The goal of these positions is not to restrain an opponent indefinitely, or hold them still while you work for a better position or finishing technique. Like everything else, when determining the efficiency of these intricate positions, you must first look at the context they were designed for.
For those who may not be familiar with its history, the oral tradition of Daito Ryu (from which all aiki arts are derived) states that the art was handed down through the Takeda family of the Aizu domain, where they were employed as bodyguards and palace security. The same environment that led to subtle methods of power generation and kuzushi that become codified as Aiki no Jutsu also saw the development of a sophisticated method of entangling an opponent's body to render them powerless, even if only for a moment. The question, however, is why would these techniques of structural distortion be preferred over more conventional pins and hold-downs?
For those who may not be familiar with its history, the oral tradition of Daito Ryu (from which all aiki arts are derived) states that the art was handed down through the Takeda family of the Aizu domain, where they were employed as bodyguards and palace security. The same environment that led to subtle methods of power generation and kuzushi that become codified as Aiki no Jutsu also saw the development of a sophisticated method of entangling an opponent's body to render them powerless, even if only for a moment. The question, however, is why would these techniques of structural distortion be preferred over more conventional pins and hold-downs?
