How to Do an Aikido Head Throw

Aikido is a nonaggressive martial art that is performed without weapons for the purposes of self-defense. Practitioners can employ a head throw if an opponent suddenly attacks straight on.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Position yourself in front and square to your opponent. If he attacks from the side, you will have less leverage for the throw.

2. Sidestep your opponent as he races toward you. When he comes within two steps, move to the side. Since his body is moving ahead with momentum, he probably won't be able to suddenly stop.

3. Take a drop step so that you are now perpendicular to your opponent. This happens virtually simultaneously as the previous step.

4. Grab your opponent's wrist with your back hand, while placing your front hand behind his head.

5. Twist your body and roll him to the ground. The art of Aikido is all about using your opponent's force against him. As you twist your body he will have to roll over, otherwise you will break his wrist.

6. Maintain control of the wrist. There are two different schools of thought on this in Aikido. If you hold the wrist, you keep the dominant position over your opponent. However, if you are in a real life situation, run and escape from your attacker once he's on the ground.

Tips & Warnings

• Practice the head throw at half speed, before attempting it at normal speed.
• Place padding on the floor when performing the head throw in class. Your opponent can hit the floor quite hard.

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