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Tantotori Tsuki Rokkyo: 6th defense against a knife thrust to the stomach by Benjamin Pincus Sensei Chief Instructor, Aikido of Champlain Valley I view the Technical Corner as a way for dedicated students to deepen their understanding of technical aikido, and provide inspiration for continued practice. You cannot learn aikido from pictures! The following should not be viewed as a substitute for direct transmission from a qualified instructor. 1. Uke advances in prepartion for a direct knife-thrust to the stomach. 2. Nage raises hand to evade thrust and begins irimi kaiten movement (entering turn). 3. Nage grabs the knife hand at the wrist and begins to sweep it down and across his own body (detail 3a). 3a. 4. As nage sweeps uke's, arm across his body, he grabs the knife hand with his other hand from below (detail 4a). 4a. 5. Nage brings uke's arm to a vertical postion. 6. Nage applies pressure to the knife arm slightly above the elbow, against the triceps, and begins rotating his hips towards uke. 7. Nage continues the rotation of his hips towards uke while increasing pressure on the elbow. 8. After nage has completed hip rotation by kaiten (pivoting), he continues to apply pressure to the elbow in a downward diagonal direction. 9. If uke does not go to the ground, continue rotation and downward movement by stepping forward with right foot. As uke drops to the ground, so does nage's left knee. Nage's right knee remains up to provide a stabilizing support for the pin. Continue to apply pressure to the elbow until uke drops the knife (detail 9a). 9a.   Rokkyo is the 6th (and last) basic pinning technique in aikido. It is unique because, unlike the majority of aikido pins, it isolates the joint, causing hyperextension and potential strain, tearing and breakage of the elbow. Consequently, one must apply this technique with sensitivity and awareness. Tantotori (defense against knife) training, like all weapons practice, teaches the student how to move under increased stress. Techniques must be performed quickly and economically in order to immobilize uke. I believe weapons training and defense is essential for the martial spirit of aikido. Keep in mind that it is difficult to avoid getting cut when defending against a knife attack, particularly against an experienced fighter. Escape is always the best option. After evading the initial thrust, nage brings uke's arm downward and then across the body (step 3). A common mistake is to bring the arm horizontally (like ikkyo), which is a weak position, allowing a stronger uke to stand up and neutralize the lock. Swoop uke's arm down, as if picking up something from the ground with your hands, and then upward, into a vertical position. Relax the shoulder that crosses over the knife arm (step 6, in this case, nage's left arm) and squeeze your armpit against his arm to stabilize the lock. The knife arm should be rotated in a state of extreme pronation. It is important that nage applies pressure slightly above the elbow (at the base of the triceps) rather than on the elbow. Uke's arm should be completely straight at this point, the elbow hyperextended. Pressure on the triceps causes stress towards the ulna (elbow bone), in particular against the anterior medial collateral ligament and surrounding connective tissue. Then turn towards uke moving from the tanden (source of hip power and ki) rather than the shoulders (steps 6-9). If you twist leading with your upper body, uke will feel the movement in the shoulder rather than against the elbow, diminishing the effectiveness of the pin. As nage rotates, pressure against the elbow continually increases to insure maximum effectiveness. Once uke is on the ground, make sure that your right leg (step 9) is cantilevered out to the side, away from uke. This provides additional stability for the final twist, in particular if uke struggles. Advanced variations: Uke attacks with uncommitted slashing attacks and stabs. Try to evade the slashes and look for suki — gaps or openings in uke's attacks. Then move in with a kaiten or tenkan movement and apply rokkyo. This is difficult practice so work up to it with committed thrusts in which uke does not pull back or change the attack. Tenkan variation (see frames 1b-3b) often works better against slashing cuts. 1b. Advanced variation from a slashing cut to the throat. 2b. Nage evades the attack through tenkan rather than kaiten. 3b. Left foot is forward rather than right foot. Continue technique from figure 4.