Aikido maneuvers

How many Aikido maneuvers are there?

John Vasos wrote: How many Aikido maneuvers are there?

Well, it depends on how you want to count them and what you want to include. Some styles do some techniques but not others, for instance. Do you separate different types of koshinage, or are they all the same technique? This really is an impossible question to answer. Of course you could just say that all aikido movement is the same and so there is only really 1 technique. I know somebody is going to say that...

Dude the question should be how many can we learn?

Meh, that sounds too aiki...

Short Answer: ~150 - 200 Kihon Waza, about 3000-14000 variations, depending on school. Also there is many different kinds of weapons training, since they're less codified.

Long Answer: O-sensei said that once you've grasped the concepts of Aikido, you don't need the techniques anymore, since your movements become the techniques and you flow as one. There's infinite amount of variations you can do with the power of Aiki, so it all depends on how much you train yourself.

John Vasos wrote: How many Aikido maneuvers are there?

one. one mind any technique.

It depends on how you count.

On could say there are only about 8 defensive techniques in the basic curriculum. Most of those have 2 variations (like inside or outside).
Usually we practise how to apply those techniques from about 8 different attacks.

In addition to this, there are also attacks with weapons, possibly kicks, disarming techniques, multiple attackers, reversals and other more advanced techniques and variations.
If you count the combinations usually trained, you get a number of about 150 techniques as listed in the test requirements for a black belt test (but this number may vary between styles and dojos).

But if you also count the more unusual attacks and defensive variations, distinguish between left and right and every other distinction you can come up with and then multiply all possible combinations, you can get a much larger number if you want.

It's like answering the question of how many different forms of matter exist. One could say 2 (leptons and quarks), 3 (proton, electron, neutron), about 100 (the elements, or do you count isotopes as well?). Or are you talking about molecules? If yes, do you count states (solid, liquid, gas, plasma, different crystalline forms)?

The answer depends on the criteria one chooses to distinguish forms.

None/infinate.

John Vasos wrote: How many Aikido maneuvers are there?

For basics you could say:

THROWING TECHNIQUES:
- Shiho Nage [4 direction throw]
- Irimi Nage [entering throw]
- Uchi Kaiten Nage [inside rotary throw]
- Kote Gaeshi [wrist turning throw]

- Udekime Nage [elbow throw]
- Kokyu Nage [breath throw]
- Tenchi Nage [heaven & earth throw]
- Soto Kaiten Nage [outside rotary throw]

- Sumi Otoshi [corner drop]
- Ushiro Kiri Otoshi [Cutting drop]
- Kubi Nage [neck throw]
- Koshinage [hip throw]

- Ganseki Otoshi [boulder drop]
- Juji Garami [crossed elbows throw]

PINNING TECHNIQUES:
- Ikkyo
- Nikkyo
- Sankyo
- Yonkyo
- Gokyo
- Rokyo [Hijikime Osae]

Dont worry about all the "Throwing" techniques listed.
Some feel more like Judo moves. [i.e. Koshinage]

And as pointed out these techniques will be covered in various positions.
... which adds up quickly.

At the end of the day its not about any given technique.
In theory it should be thought of more like a chess game where you have the necessary pieces but its up to you how they move.

Peace

Dalen