Aikido techniques: Kokyunage (“Close enough to kiss????”) – Part 1

Aikido Techniques Author: Dan Kudo Sensei

Aikido Techniques- Kokyunage, the beautiful throw:

When we think about the Aikido technique of kokyunage (loosely translated as breath or momentum throw) we often see nage lofting uke into the air. While this is beautiful to watch, several kokyunage techniques involve control to a greater or lesser extent, of the head and the throw utilizes the whole body rather than just the arms. The control is as much of the mind as the body and supports the adage “where the mind is the body follows”.

Aikido Techniques: Control the Mind and the Body Will Follow

So, if we think about gaining control over uke’s mind, we need to focus on how this can be accomplished. Think about it, control of the head will likely have the greatest effect on the rest of the body. This is the same idea as trying to control the direction of an automobile by gaining control of the steering wheel rather than trying to step outside and push the side of it in one direction or another. Once the Aikido student understands this principle, it becomes easier to conceptualize how to join our two minds (spirits) by blending or harmonizing our movements. This blending permits redirection of force through the controlling of the mind.

Aikido Techniques: “Close enough to kiss??????”

To control the mind, is to control the body. How do we accomplish this? Joining centers – one of the key principles of aikido techniques is a concept of blending or harmonization. This can only be accomplished if uke’s center is very close to that of nage. The traditional way we teach this concept on the mat is to first teaching student the ways to effectively move off the line, meaning that you get off of the direct line of force. The key question is how to accomplish this while maintaining proximity of the centers close enough to effectively control uke’s balance. This is where the concept of “close enough to kiss” comes in.

The next article will discuss this concept in detail.