# Art of the wristlock -- aikido and BJJ



## Formosa Neijia (Nov 18, 2008)

I just posted a long review of a great DVD, The Art of the Wristlock, on my blog:
http://formosaneijia.com/2008/11/18/review-roy-deans-the-art-of-the-wristlock/

The author if the DVD, Roy Dean, is a black belt in aikdio and BJJ, giving him a unique perspective on both arts.

One of the things that I found interesting about the DVD is that he shows that the aikido wristlocks can be use in live rolling sessions -- what aikido people would call randori. What is also interesting is that I've been told by many aikido people that such a thing isn't possible, and yet here it is.

Perhaps it's Dean's background that allows him to see beyond barriers perceived by others. Not sure.  

But IMO his presentation of the art of aikido will catch the attention of a lot of people that want something that works in today's martial culture.

Thoughts?


----------



## Formosa Neijia (Nov 18, 2008)

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=uK-K4ia26G8

Here's a clip of the material.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=OlZK6qhPD2g

This is an look at more detail behind Dean's aikido.


----------



## furtom (Nov 19, 2008)

Formosa Neijia said:


> One of the things that I found interesting about the DVD is that he shows that the aikido wristlocks can be use in live rolling sessions -- what aikido people would call randori. What is also interesting is that I've been told by many aikido people that such a thing isn't possible, and yet here it is.



Why would we practice it if it wasn't useful? As one goes up the belts, the randori testing does change to become less technically involved, but that it just a training methodology. 

When you are doing randori or find yourself in a real situation, you do the technique that presents itself. Wrist locks are among those possible.


----------



## Formosa Neijia (Nov 19, 2008)

furtom said:


> Why would we practice it if it wasn't useful? As one goes up the belts, the randori testing does change to become less technically involved, but that it just a training methodology.



The randori here is a bit more open, like that of judo or BJJ. And it's done not as a test, but as a regular training. It's live rolling against resistance -- not something that I've seen much of in aikido classes that I've visited.


----------



## hungfistron (Nov 30, 2008)

Cultivate your use of the _*"iron ring..."*_


----------



## theletch1 (Nov 30, 2008)

One of the classes that I most enjoy teaching is an occassional class where I have my students go to the ground and see which aikido techniques present themselves while they are either in the mount, inside the guard or flat on their back.  If you have aikido-ka telling you that aikido is useless on the ground then you aren't talking to the right aikido-ka.   If you see using aikido on the ground the same way you would use aikido in a very confined space then the transfer of techniques easily goes from the vertical to the horizontal.  Granted, aikido training is geared toward staying on your feet but limiting yourself by not training anything at all on the ground is dangerous... if you're training for self defense.


----------

