Aikido technique YONKYO against some grab and strike attacks, by Stefan Stenudd

This is the aikido pinning (katame waza) technique YONKYO applied against several different grab and strike attacks. Both the omote and the ura forms are shown. I go rather slowly for clarity – mainly gotai (from a static starting point), but also some jutai (moving as the attack approaches). In most cases, there is little difference between the gotai and jutai versions of yonkyo, except the timing. Yonkyo (四教) simply means “fourth teaching”, but another name for it in budo is kote osae(小手押さえ), “forearm pin”. The technique is regarded with ambiguity in aikido, since it involves distinct pain for the attacker. A nerve on the arm is pressed. It’s not really done for the pain it induces, but to create a reaction in the attacker. Thus, it is sort of an atemi (a distracting strike). Yonkyo demands precision for the nerve pressure to work and cause the right impulse in the attacker. Also, it needs to be applied quickly, adding the element of surprise. Anyone can resist the pain of it at length, but it’s very hard not to react if it comes suddenly. Some people are not sensitive to this nerve pressure at all, so it’s important to do the whole technique in a way that controls the attacker anyway. I’ve written extensively about the yonkyo technique here: Uke was Stephan Schröder (@stephanschroder7611) and I thank him for his admirable forbearance. This is a condensed edit of a 2017 video: My aikido dojo is Enighet in Malmö, Sweden: For more about aikido, visit my website: My aikido books: