In Aikido, what is meant by restraint?

If you’ve been training Aikido for a minute, you may be aware of the term ‘restraint’ that is often thrown around. This word has became synonymous with the Japanese martial art and defines its very core. However, what does restraint actually mean – and is this a good thing when thinking about a martial art? Read on for more info.

What is restraint in Aikido?

Firstly, the dictionary definition of restraint is “a measure or condition that keeps someone or something under control.” The idea of Aikido is to use minimal effort and avoid physicality if possible. In this sense, Aikido is all about restraint as it keeps the attacker under control. This means that at its heart, Aikido isn’t about beating up your opponent and causing long-term damage. Instead, it’s based completely on restraint which is to shut down their attacks and neutralize them.

So, isn’t this the same with all martial arts? The answer is no and in this sense, Aikido is quite unique.

Differences between restraint and other martial arts

For example, imagine you’re a boxer. To defend yourself you box and punch people in the body and head. Similarly, if you’re a wrestler you grapple people and put them to the floor, aiming to pin them. All of these moves are proactive. This is where Aikido is unique as it’s reactive and there’s a big difference. Basically, the idea isn’t to be the aggressor but instead react to the aggression. This means if a punch is thrown, you don’t retaliate by punching back. Instead, you use leverage to dodge the punch and use momentum to trip the attacker to the floor as a result.

You could argue that the term restraint comes in two forms. The first is physical that has just been described, whereby you defend yourself with minimal effort yet do so effectively. The second form is mental. If you happen to put someone flat onto their back, it may be easy or tempting to punch their head in or even land soccer kicks. Instead, you should simply hold them by threatening an armbreak or something similar. After they’ve burned their energy or calmed down, then you can let go.

Aikido restraint used in the police force

This is a key part of Aikido and the philosophy from the founder Morihei Ueshiba was firstly to defend yourself but secondly not to hurt others. A lot of Aikido is based on these principles and the philosophy that violence should be used as a last resort. Arguably, other martial arts can go too far and advocate life threatening injuries that have severe moral and legal implications.

As a result, you can see the concept of restraint leaking into other areas of wider life. For instance, sections of the Japanese police force train and practice Aikido as part of their curriculum. In other words, the idea of a policeman is to detain an aggressor, but simultaneously by using minimal force. This results in less fatalities caused by the police, whilst still keeping criminals under physical control. Arguably, this leads to a healthier relationship between the public and the police that also links towards a healthier and happier society as a result.

For more information on the subject, check out this book, The Secrets Of Police Aikido.

Conclusion

Overall, this should serve as a guide to show exactly what restraint is in Aikido, and how it operates. In short, it’s the practice of being able to control someone physically without harming them. It’s also the practice of showing self-restraint, whereby you’re also not wanting to hurt someone even if you’re physically capable of whilst in the moment.

Supposedly, this results in a safer way of using martial arts in a realistic, practical setting. Of course, this is solely the opinion from an Aikido perspective and critics would disagree and accuse it of being too idealistic.