Kokyu Nage
呼吸投げ
Literally: breath throw
A collective group of aikido throws that combine breathing with the throw and usually do not end in a joint lock.
Quick Facts
⚠️ Common Mistakes
Common mistakes: trying to establish a firm grip, pushing the partner in a direction they cannot go, and throwing with the arms instead of guiding with the whole body.
💡 Key Tip
Nesnaž se najít tvar. Kokyu-nage nemá pevnou dráhu — má jen správný okamžik a směr, kterým už partner jde.
About
Kokyu nage (呼吸投げ), literally breath throw, is not a single technique but a collective group of aikido throws that combine breathing with the throw and usually do not end in a joint lock. The movement has two phases: on the inhale tori guides uke's arm and elbow along a rising arc that uke must follow, and on the exhale the throw itself follows. These include, for example, naname kokyu nage (diagonal breath throw), zenpo nage (forward throw) and kaiten kokyu nage (rotating breath throw), which differ in the direction and path along which tori guides uke. Some sources describe kokyu nage as a loosely used umbrella term for mechanically unrelated techniques, so it is more a functional than a precisely defined category. Under the syllabus of the Nishikaze Aikido club, the number of tested variants grows with higher grade: 3 at 3rd kyu, 5 at 2nd kyu and 5 at 1st kyu.