DISARMS

There are of course doubters. Typically those who doubt the efficacity of any given disarm are well-prepared to anticipate the technique. In short, they know the trick and therefore know how to defeat it. This is a false dichotomy because “disarms are accidental if not incidental.” Disarm techniques are taught because one must know what to do when the opportunity is present and how to make the move effective. But disarms are not first order engagement strategies, meaning one does not engage specifically to disarm an opponent, rather they are the opportunities that present themselves in the ebb and flow of an active engagement.

Nevertheless, one must train the specific mechanics, just know that sensing the opportunity is a different (and higher level of) skill than the body mechanics of making the movements effective.

Disarms are a necessary part of any combative art and techniques are shown in early fightbooks. The Italian Fiore de’ Liberi wrote his Flower of Battle manual circa 1409:

Talhoffer in Germany produced his Fechtbücher (fight books) just over half a century later – this from 1467:

Domenico Angelo, also shows a series of disarms. The point is this simple: disarms have always been taught along with the primary attacks.

All these are very similar to what FMA practitioners call snake and vine disarms. These examples from Master Cliff Lenderman:

And note that the disarms are inserted into more combative flow patterns like puno sumbrada:

These are cumulative skills – meaning each pattern is accretive, bolstering the overall competency of the practitioner. While each technique is important to master in isolation (as a pedagogical means of teaching the curriculum), it is when all the components are strung together that mastery begins to emerge.

Aikido practitioners need to remember that every technique (ikkyo, nikyo, etc.) that we practice in isolation is just one isolated moment within an engagement. None of the techniques are ends unto themselves – they are disarms.

All Aikido techniques are disarms.

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