The right way to do a technique is one that works.

Please note I did not say “the one” that works  because there is never one way since there are  so many variations to attacks, techniques, body sizes and body-mechanics.

As I heard a Shihan once quoted , ” It’s not that aikido doesn’t work, but rather your aikido doesn’t work.”

In Aikido the most effective methods however are the ones that  “capture” the uke‘s centre and do not give it back.  This can be accomplished by moving his/her centre of mass either ahead or behind his/her base of support which means he/she is either fall/stumbling forward trying to stand upright or tipping backwards and similarily trying to regain his/her  balance.

The third option, one and two being crashing forward and the second crashing backwards, is to put Uke in a position whereby he/she is unable to move. This can be accomplished by many types of pins  or controls and usually requires uke‘s centre to be low and forward or back, and or on the extreme edge of their base of support. (think what happens to Uke when a good sankyo is applied ….. he/she tries to minimize the pain by raising up on their toes which has the effect of manipulating their center both up and the either forward of backward.)

One example of a pin/control during a technique might be in shomenuchi ikkyo when the nage/tori has entered deeply**and has  controlled the uke‘s strike and has their hand on their hip before stepping into the pin.  When done correctly, the hand holding side is against the hip , the hips are rotated toward the outside and the other/inside arm is straight and directly below his (nage’s) center.

When this has been successfully executed the uke‘s arm with elbow locked  is at a steep angle, his other hand is on the mat to prevent him falling forward face first,  and due to the biomechanics of the human body, and the forces applied,  it is impossible for the Uke to get up  or punch nage because if he  lifts his hand from the mat he will fall forward.

** This entering deeply/irimi is key in this technique as it usually is in most waza. The irimi redirects uke’s attack and moves him/her not only forward but can also “unweight” Uke so as to make Uke unstable and easily moved to wherever nage wants to move him/her. In shomenuchi ikkyo the strong irimi takes nage from a position of facing Uke to that of being beside to one where ideally  their centersare  in the same line of forward movement.

There are as many ways to do techniques as there are Shihan’s, Sensei’s, Yudansha and Kyudansa, as there are tall, short, light and heavy students, as there are flexible and inflexible people as there are young and old students.

As I said in my premise “The right way to do a technique is one that works.  Please note I did not say “the one that works ” because there is not one way since there are so many variations to attacks, techniques, body sizes and mechanics.”

The caveat here is to be sure to do the technique as prescribed by the Dojo or Sensei who is teaching,  as every teacher/dojo has their own personal “style” and by working with many instructors students will eventually find their style/technique.