Kihon Waza, or “basic techniques,” are ideal tactical architectures through which a student comes to develop several elements central to Aikido practice.  Aside from conditioning the body and working toward gaining the tools necessary for more advanced training, Kihon Waza introduce the student to Aikido’s key strategic considerations. Wrist grabs, in this case Ryote-dori, cultivate a sense of Maai, or “correct temporal and spatial relationships,” along both lateral planes.  While cultivating symmetry within one’s Directional Harmony, a practitioner is also looking to generate the proper Angle of Cancellations along the cross-lateral plane.  Once these Angle of Cancellations are in place, one can return to homolateral training without losing dominance over the opponent’s weapons that are located in the cross-lateral plane.  Such a capacity allows training to proceed, for example, from a two-hand wrist grab to a low thrust (“tsuki”) – as is seen at the end of the clip.  Nage Waza, or “throwing techniques,” in this case Tenchi-nage, work to bring a dynamism to one’s movement.  That dynamism is then applied to striking techniques, pinning techniques, choking techniques, etc.  The traditional tools of Kihon Waza, Ryote-dori, and Nage Waza, do not make up a scenario-based training, such as exists at the heart of today’s “self-defense” industry.  Rather, these tools are concerned with tempering, honing, and sharpening the overall body-mind of the practitioner.  Once the body-mind has thus been cultivated, other pedagogical tools are used to bring spontaneity to one’s movement.  The result is a freedom of movement that is well grounded in correct form and detail. Uke: Anthony Rachelli - Ikkyu; Sean Sanders - Shodan. (1 minute, 35 seconds)