Perceptual and Motor Skills, 1994, 78, 1347-1352.

O Perceptual and Motor Skills 1994

AN ANATOMICAL ANALYSIS OF AIKIDO'S T H I R D

TEACHING: AN INVESTIGATION OF SANKYO'""

GREGORY D. OLSON FRANK C. SEITZ

Department of Health and Human Development WAMI Medical School Program
Montana State Universiiy Montana State Universiiy

FRANK GULDBRANDSEN
Department of Edrrcation
Universiiy of Minnesota, Dulutb

Summary.-Sankyo, one of Aikido's strongest martial art techniques for

subduing an attacker, produces pain in the hand, wrist, and forearm. Specific target
muscles, tendons, and ligaments are identified through an investigation of Sankyo's ex-
pert application to two anatomists and a male cadaver.

Of the many Japanese martial arts and ways including Kendo, Judo, and
Karate-do, none seems to be more specialized in the arts of twisting the
limbs or locking up the skeletal system than the arts of Aikido ("Way of
divine harmonyM)or Aiki-jutsu ("Combative art of divine harmony"). With-
in the technical syllabus of the art of Aikido, there are five basic securing
teachings with countless variations. These basic teachings have been refined
into different methods or ways in which a person's arm may be twisted or
manipulated to subdue and, in some cases, generate considerable pain. Sev-
eral of these teachings, specifically Ikkyo (First Teaching), Nikyo (Second
Teaching), and Yonkyo (Fourth Teaching) have previously been analyzed by
the authors to investigate the anatomy involved in and the etiology of pain
associated with these teachings (see Olson & Seitz, 1990, 1993; Seitz,
Olson, & Stenzel, 1991).
Sankyo (Third Teaching) is one of the foundation teachings that the art
of Aikido rests upon and, in addition, is one of Aikido's most powerful sub-
duing techniques. The use of this particular technique, when done by an
intermediate to advanced practitioner of Aikido, makes it possible for the
tori (doer) to subdue the uke (receiver) with a minimum of effort as well as
maximum efficiency.
The Sankyo technique is sometimes described with different vocabulary

'The authors gratefully a preciate and acknowledge the research support of Dr. Frank Newman
of the Montana Office o P ~ u Health,
d Montana State University.
For their anatomical expertise a special thanks to Dr. Dwight Philli s and to Ms. Susan
Gibson, M.S., and for her drawings of the forearm a special thanks to J e ~ Seitz.
e For the still
hotogaphs of the Sankyo technique, a special thanks to Wayne Gorski.
'~ddress correspondence ro G. D. Olson, Department of Health and Human Development,
Montana State University, Bozernan, MT 59717.
1348 G. D. OLSON. ETAL.

dependent on various Aikido associations in different countries; this is even

true in the land of its origin, Japan. Dai-Sankyo ("Classical" Third-teaching)
is the word used by Saito (1974, pp. 64-65) while Shioda (1977, p. 88)
referred to the technique as Sankajo or "Third-control." Ueshiba (1985), in
his classical text on Aikido, referred to the waza (technique) as Sankyo
Kote-Hineri which translates as "Third-teaching Wrist-twist." The classical
Jiu-Jitsu (sic) and the original published text by Hancock and Higashi (1961)
mentioned this technique in an antiquated form as being akin to the Amer-
ican "flying mare" (p. 347). Even modern sport Judo with its kata (prear-
ranged form) has a variant of this particular technique as shown in Kotani,
Osawa, and Hirose's excellent text, Kata of Kodokan Judo (1968, p. 72).
Various high-ranking teachers of Aikido have offered different reasoning
as to the importance of this teaching. Saotome (1989, p. 70) stated that "its
purpose is to control uke's body and to guard against a second strike or a
kick" while Inoue (Aikido Techniques, 1992a) stated "All the basic tech-
niques of Aikido, including Sankajo are important for learning principles" (p.
27). Kobayashi (Aikido Techniques, 1 9 9 2 ~ )believed "This technique is im-
portant because it is the only technique which involves twisting the oppo-
nent's joint outwards" (p. 28). Flexibility or "health" appears to be the rea-
soning for Abe's (Aikido Techniques, 1992b) contention that "Sankyo is im-
portant in helping to make one's joints (wrist, elbow, shoulder) supple, and
to train them" (p. 28).
Although a l l of these purposes are in some sense accurate, this particu-
lar investigation of the art of Sankyo concerns observations of the manipu-
lated anatomy and the etiology of pain associated with this particular waza.
I n particular, the anatomical tissues manipulated were identified and supposi-
tions were made about the pain associated with those tissues and those ma-
nipulations. No attempt was made to describe the biomechanics of this par-
ticular teaching in its basic, varied, or classical forms. These various forms
can be found in several excellent texts, notably, Saotome (1989, p. 70), Ste-
vens (1984, pp. 160-169), Obata (1987, pp. 60-66), Ueshiba (1985, pp. 64-
65, 126-131), Shioda (1977, pp. 88-99), Tohei (1974, pp. 78-81), and Saito
(1974, pp. 56-59).
METHOD
Subjects
As in previous studies by the authors, the ukes (receivers) for this study
were Dr. Dwight Phillips and Ms. Susan Gibson, and an adult male cadaver.
The cadaver had previously been flayed to expose its bones, tendons, liga-
ments, and muscle tissue and thereby facilitate the study.
Procedure
Experience of the waza was provided directly by one of the researchers,
 ANATOMICAL ANALYSIS OF AIKIDO'S THIRD TEACHING 1349

a fourth-degree black belt in Aikido and a third degree in ]udo with ex-
tended studies in the Orient and more than 30 years of study. The re-
searchers and the anatomists discussed the various probable sources of pain
associated with the technique. After this discussion the researchers moved to
the cadaver and applied the Sankyo technique to the cadaver's right arm to
observe the tissues manipulated and then further to theorize about the pain
associated with those manipulations. A 8-mm videocamera video recording
was made of the discussion and the manipulations of the cadaver.
RESULTS
Although thought of as the same maneuver, books and texts with de-
scriptions of Sankyo actually describe two subtle variants of this particular
maneuver which seem dependent on (1) the tori's intended outcome or (2)
the flexibility of the zrke. I n one of the variants, tension is produced in the
forearm of the uke. For the purpose of this study only, this will be referred
to as Method One; see Fig. 1. I n the other variant of Sankyo, pressure and
pain is produced on the posterior or dorsal side of the hand. This subtle
change will be referred to as Method Two. This variant is not shown in a
photograph but is referenced in several texts of Aikido (see Westbrook &
Ratti, 1975, pp. 190-195, Frontal Projection).
Sankyo: Method One
I n this most often used version of the Sankyo waza, the aim or objec-
tive is to secure the uke by twisting and lifting the hand, wrist, and forearm
in such a way as to bring uke onto the toes and into an unstable position
"with the balance broken forward" (S. Okumura, 9th Dan, Aikikai, Aikido
Seminar, Helena, MT, September, 1993). At the point of uke's least stability,
uke is brought to the ground and secured with a twist of that limb. This
method seems to work well with an uke who has muscles, tendons, and liga-
ments that stretch less than or within 'normal' limits.
I n the analysis of Sankyo's application to the anatomists' teaching and
by direct observation on the cadaver, it was observed that, when compared
with other Aikido techniques or teachings, this particular waza was not as
focused on compressing nerves or stretching any one particular muscle. In
t h s sense it could be said that Sankyo has a more diffuse and generalized ef-
fect on uke's anatomy.
I n examining the physical results of Sankyo's application, pain just distal
to the elbow joint was caused by the stretching and manipulation of the
whole extensor mass of muscles at their origins including the following mus-
cles, tendons, and ligaments: (1) common extensor tendon attached to the
lateral epicondyle, (2) extensor carpi ulnaris, (3) extensor carpi radialis brev-
is, (4) extensor carpi radiahs longus, ( 5 ) extensor digiti minimi, (6) extensor
digitorum, (7) extensor carpi ulnaris, and (8) ligaments of the elbow's joint
1350 G . D.OLSON, E T A L

FIG. 1. Demonstration of hand and arm positioning for the first phase of the Sankyo tech-
nique

capsule; see Fig. 2 . In addition, and "at the same time, [tori] is putting a lot
of rotational force on the wrist" (Ms. Susan Gibson, M.S., personal commu-
nication, May, 1991).
 ANATOMICAL ANALYSIS OF AIKIDO'S THIRD TEACHING 1351

Extensor carpi ulnaris

Extensor digiti minimi

FIG.2. Muscles and tendons of the hand and forearm affected by the Sankyo technique

The Sankyo technique, Method One, pulls on the extensor tendons di-
rectly and with great force and twists them at the origins. "At the same time
it [Sankyo] stretches the ligaments of the joint capsule of the elbow joint and
may even be stretching the extensor sheath (fascia covering the extensor
muscle origins)" (Dr. Dwight Phillips, personal communication, October,
1993).
Sankyo: Method Two
Tori, while using the same hand configuration as in other basic teach-
ings of Aikido (see Olson & Seitz, 1990; Seitz, et al., 1991), applies pressure
to the dorsum of the hand of uke with the second metacarpal-phalangeal
joint of tori. Pain and control of the uke are accomplished by skeletal manip-
ulation and painful stimulation of the periosteum of the third and fourth
metacarpal bones. This method is especially useful in the control of an uke
who is more physically flexible. Also, at this point, tori "could probably dis-
locate the wrist" (Dr. Dwight Phillips, personal communication, May, 1991).
Conclusion
Sankyo's effectiveness as a martial arts technique seems to come from
1352 G . D. OLSON, ET AL.

the manipulation and stretching of muscles, tendons, and ligaments. I n addi-

tion, great rotational forces are applied to the wrist and forearm, perhaps
even stretching the ligaments of the elbow's joint capsule or applying pres-
sure to the third and fourth metacarpal bones of uke's hand.
Classical Sankyo, when applied by an experienced practitioner of the art
of Aikido, is certainly an aesthetic as well as pragmatic technique. That not-
withstanding, in its very basic form it can be learned quite easily and
quickly by almost any individual. I t is an excellent technique to teach in be-
ginning classes of Aikido as well as to law-enforcement personnel. Its use
provides a strong and yet humane technique for the physical control of other
persons.
REFERENCES
Aikido techniques compared. (1992, Winter a) [Interview with Kyoichi Inoue Sensei, Yoshinkan
8th Danl Aiki News, 90, 27.
Aikido techniques compared. (1992, Winter b) [Interview with Seiseki Abe Sensei, Aikikd 8th
Danl Aiki News, 90, 28.
Aikido techniques compared. (1992, Winter c) [Interview with Yasuo Kobayashi Sensei, Alkikai
8th Dan] Aiki News, 90, 28.
HANCOCK, H., & HIGASHI,K. (1961) The complete Kuno Jiu-Jitsu,Judo. New York: Dover.
KOTANI, S., OSAWA,Y., & HIROSE,Y. (1968) Kuta of Kodokan Jtido. (Rev.) Kobe, Japan:
Koyano Bussan Kaisha.
OBATA,T. (1987) Samurai Aikijz~tsu.Thousand Oaks, CA: Dragon Books.
OLSON,G. D., & SEITZ, F. C. (1990) An examination of Aikido's Fourth Teaching: an anatorn-
ical study of the tissues of the forearm. Percep!ual and Motor Skills, 71, 1059-1066.
OLSON,G. D., & SEITZ,F. C. (1993) An anatomical analysis of Aikido's Second Teachng: an
investigation of Nikyo. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 77, 123-131.
SAITO,M. (1974) Traditional Aikido-sword*stick*body arts. Vol. 3. Tokyo: Minato.
SAOTOME,M. (1989) The principles of Aikido. Boston, MA: Sharnbhala.
SEITZ,F. C., OLSON,G. D., & STENZEL,T. E. (1991) A martial arts exploration of elbow anat-
omy: Ikkyo (Aikido's First Teaching). Perceptual and Motor Skills, 73, 1227-1234.
SHIODA,G . (1977) Dynamic Aikido. New York: Kodansha.
STEVENS, J. (1984) Aikido, the way ofharmony. Boulder, CO: Shambhala.
TOI-IEI,K. (1974) This is Aikido. San Francisco, CA: Japan Publ.
UESHIBA,K. (1985) Aikido. Tokyo: Hozansha.
WESTBROOK, A,, & RATTI,0. (1975) Aikido and the dynamic sphere. Tokyo: Tuttle.

Accepted May 4, 1994