Aikido pressure testing: handling resistance, by Stefan Stenudd

Pressure testing is a practice used in many martial arts. It means that the opponent tries to resist the techniques or keeps attacking during them, like in competitions. Aikido has no competition, but there is still pressure testing – for example as seen in this video.

Here, I use the attack form ryotedori, grabbing both wrists, and uke tries to do aikido techniques under pressure. The goal is that he should find a way to succeed in spite of my resistance, so I continuously comment and give suggestions to help him along.

Ideally, the resistance should be adapted to tori’s capacity, or just above it. If the pressure is too intense there is little chance of tori improving from this type of training. It is neither a fight nor a competition, but one of many methods to progress in aikido.

This was filmed at an aikido seminar I held in Prague, Czech Republic, in February 2024. Uke throughout was Martin Frankovič, 5 dan Aikikai, from Aikido Akadémie Košice in Slovakia:
https://aikidoakademia.sk/


My aikido dojo is Enighet in Malmö, Sweden: https://www.aikidoenighet.se/

For more about aikido, visit my website:
https://www.stenudd.com/aikido/
My aikido books:
https://www.amazon.com/Aikido-Princip...
https://www.amazon.com/Attacks-Aikido...