Nikyo
二教
Literally: second teaching
Also known as: nikajo osae, kote mawashi
Pronating wrist lock in aikido (kote mawashi) that twists the arm and produces a painful pressure on the nerve.
Quick Facts
⚠️ Common Mistakes
Common mistakes: twisting the wrist sideways instead of flexing along its axis, elbows pulled away from the body, and excessive speed — nikyo needs time, or the partner cannot tap in time.
💡 Key Tip
Keep the elbows at your body and press with the trunk, not the fingers. A nikyo done with hand strength fails against anyone stronger.
About
Nikyo (二教), literally "second teaching," is a wrist lock in aikido. It is a pronating lock that twists the arm and produces a painful nerve pressure; for this reason it is also called kote mawashi ("forearm rotation"), and another name is nikajo osae. The ura version is described as an adductive wrist lock. Aikido Journal, in its encyclopedia article, characterises it as several types of wrist pressure aimed at disrupting the attacker's balance. The basic ura version is used against a grip, while the ude hishigi nikyo variant ("arm-breaking lock") is intended against a knife attack or a direct strike. Under the Aiki-LA club's grading syllabus, which follows Hombu Dojo, nikyo is tested from 5th kyu. We have not been able to document who introduced the technique.