Randori

Sanningake

Sanningake

In the 1st Dan exam, there are three attackers in Randori. In principle, all attacks are allowed. However, Ueshiba Morihei, Tohei Koichi and Yoshigasaki Sensei allowed usually only attacks of ryotedori and ryokatadori in their randori.
As proper aikido techniques take too much time, the nage throws mostly with a kind of kokyunage.

Yoshigasaki Sensei

In 2000, Yoshigasaki Sensei had himself filmed from three different perspectives during a randori against three attackers. It's the finale of Tsuzukiwaza Taninzugake. The attacks are obviously ryokatadori and ryosodedori.

Ueshiba Morihei

In the Asahi Demonstration, a 1935 performance, Ueshiba Morihei showed many persons attacks, unarmed, with naginata and with bokken. He often let the attackers fall on each other. It was remarkable how easily he could escape from being surrounded by many people.

Tohei Koichi

Tohei Sensei, here at a demonstration in 1962, first against a single attacker (Terry Dobson), shows kokyunage, a jumped-in tenchinage and the fixing technique nikyo.
Then he gets attacked by 5 Aikidoka at the same time. They attack with ryokatatori and sometimes with shomenuchi or tsuki. Besides many kokyunage, Tohei shows his beloved sudori (diving, dodging).


Sword fight against multiple attackers

In the 2010 film "Hana no ato (After the Flowers)", the protagonist wants to avenge an acquaintance's forced seppuku. To do this, she has arranged to meet the responsible villain for a duel.
The story is based on a novel by Fujisawa Shuhei, who also wrote the novels for the films The Twilight Samurai (2002), The Hidden Blade (2004) and Love and Honor - Bushi no Ichibun (2006).