Kote gaeshi

 

How to do the Kotegaeshi Aikido wrist lock throw

The Kotegaeshi wrist lock is one of the main submission holds used in the martial art of Aikido. Like many of the core submissions in the art, it focuses heavily on bending the
opponent’s wrist and using this as a form of control. Whether the outcome is breaking the wrist of the attacker or using it to throw them to the floor and control them, ultimately the Kotegaeshi acts as an ultimatum.

This idea is common throughout Aikido as it poses a dilemma to the opponent who is forced into choosing a bad decision. In modern Aikido, it can also be taught to disarm weapons such as knives and guns from an aggressor. However, it is traditionally used after blocking or dodging a punch from an attacker.

Physically, the Kotegaeshi works by bending the wrist backward towards the forearm. This is done by forcing the palm down instead of forcing it upwards. Generally, wristlocks that place the palm down are far more powerful than those that push the wrist up. The reason for this is that the wrist has a far greater range of motion when being pushed up, as opposed to being pushed down. This means that the Kotegaeshi is arguably one of the better wristlocks in Aikido as it poses a greater threat of damaging the wrist when compared to other wrist-based submissions. Usually, the end-game of the Kotegaeshi is to use it as a throw to put the attacker on the ground. Below we shall look at how to use the Kotegaeshi, from start to finish.