Aikido technique SANKYO on strike and grip attacks, by Stefan Stenudd, 7 dan Aikikai shihan
Sankyo is one of the basic aikido pinning techniques. Here it is used against several strike and grip attacks, both the omote (front) and the ura (back) forms.
Sankyo simply means “the third technique” and is one of the basic techniques in the aikido curriculum. It’s not a throw, but a pinning technique, which is called katame waza.
In sankyo, the wrist of the attacker is twisted in a way that can be rather painful, but the pain is not the major purpose of the technique. Instead, it is to control and lead the attacker’s whole body by this grip. Excessive force should be avoided, since it is harmful to the wrist when practiced a lot.
I mostly show the techniques rather slowly, for clarity. In some cases I show the gotai form, when the attacker has completed the grip. But usually, I do the techniques jutai, where the movement starts before the attack is completed. There are some minor differences on how you move, depending on if it’s gotai or jutai.
It is important to practice both. Some holds can be quite tricky to get out of, and that needs to be tested. If you only practice jutai, you can’t be sure to manage if the attacker actually gets to grip you.
Uke was Stephan Schröder (@stephanschroder7611).
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