As an instructor at Aikido Suenaka-Ha Ashland there is something that I would like to discuss and that is the role of uke. Uke is the person that is thrown or the one who receives the action provided by nage. During practice everyone will assume the uke’s position. But do we really understand what it means to take ukemi? Ukemi means taking the fall. In order to become proficient in Aikido it is necessary to understand the role of uke. Ukemi practice is designed to teach Aikidoka how to fall from an unsuspected position. During class everyone will participate in ukemi drills that start from ground level and work up to developing the ability to fall from high level throws. It is really breath-taking to watch a graceful uke take a fall. There is another important aspect of the role of uke and that is to teach nage how to throw an opponent. In short, uke is Aikido’s version of a crash test dummy.
By calling uke a crash test dummy might make one think that it is okay to trash uke, well this is by no means the purpose of your uke. Just like the crash test dummies of the automobile industry, your uke’s purpose is to provide you with feedback. A beginning student may think that the primary role of uke is to attack and take the fall. However, it is really important for nage to understand the cause and effect of his efforts on uke. When throwing uke one should pay attention to the feedback that uke’s body is providing. Feedback may come in the form of a vocal or a physical response. Vocal feedback from uke really should come from the instructor if the instructor is taking ukemi or watching nage perform a technique because the instructor would have a better handle on what is and is not happening in the execution of a technique and can offer suggestions as to what corrections could or should be made to cause the technique to be more effective.
Thinking back, an early example about the role of uke was illustrated during my first Wadokai Aikido, Suenaka-Ha Tetsugaku-Ho summer camp. I had met Shihan David Isgett and worked out with him quit often during camp. He taught me a lesson about understanding uke’s role in one’s training. I developed a better understanding of this lesson later in my training. Shihan David was uke and the attack was a royte-tori grab. I was to respond with an ikkyu throw. I started the technique and Shihan David stopped me asked me to start over. He requested that I begin the technique by leading him. I started the technique over and Shihan stopped me again and said, “you are trying to pull me. The only way you are going to make this work on me is to lead me. So let’s try this again.” This went on until I finally led Shihan to the point where he was off-balance and I executed the ikkyu. Throughout my years of training there had been many opportunities to workout with Shihan Isgett but what I had come to realize is that the vocal communication became less while the physical communication increased about the way I executed a technique. Shihan would give me a good solid attack and expected various principles of the technique to be demonstrated such as leading, off balancing and entering. If the throw was good he would say something like awesome throw. If the throw felt like a one shot deal he would attack again as a means of verifying that I intuitively understood what I was doing. There had been times when I would throw him and he would bow and move on to the next person in class. I realized that the uke/nage relationship between Shihan Isgett and I had moved to a level where physical feedback had become primary.
Both physical and verbal feedback from uke is important however, nage should work towards paying attention and understanding the physical feedback from uke which is ever-present. Nage may not be aware of the constant physical feedback because he or she is more concerned with finishing the throw. When one is more concerned with finishing the throw the role of uke becomes basic, it is sort of like knocking your uke down instead of throwing your uke. When nage does not understand the physical feedback provided by uke, the uke/nage relationship is out of synch. The uke/nage relationship is also out of synch when uke has a lack of trust in his abilities to take Ukemi. When uke has a lack of trust of his ukemi skills there can also be a lower level of trust of nage’s abilities.
In the beginning uke is focusing on learning how to fall properly and their ability to fall from a technique before truly lending himself up to being thrown. This is apparent when uke falls because he suppose too instead of falling because he has too. This type of performance is usually apparent from beginning ukes. During this process uke is also learning what it feels like to fall from various throws. Once uke has trust in his abilities he then learns to trust nage’s ability to throw his partner. When uke feels comfortable with his as well as nage’s ability, a greater level of trust is established and uke and nage become in-synch therefore, making way for nage to learn at a higher level from the feedback that uke is providing.
At some point during one’s training nage will start to seek out with greater frequency, those ukes who offer physical feedback about the proficiency of his techniques. The reason this tendency exist is because nage has been practicing for sometime and starts to look at the growth and development in his performance. This is nage revisiting the beginner’s mind. Nage starts to question the effectiveness of his technique at a deeper level. During class one can not practice techniques to the level as if he or she was in a real self-defense situation. So students look for partners that will help them find answers to the questions about how well they understand the principles of the various techniques they practice. Sometimes these questions are answered on the mat as well as off the mat over some nachos and beer. You can always tell when nage is on this sort of mission they will grab the uke with a large physical mass, who will look them in the eye and know that they are spiritually connected. At this level uke understands nage’s questions and quest without nage vocalizing them. Uke understands nage’s mission and is glad to participate.
Years later at another Wadokai Summer camp, Shihan Sam was about to take his nidan test and he asked me to be his uke. He said, “you are about my size and height and I would like to use you as my uke.” It was truly an honor to be asked and of course I was going to give him my best. Taking ukemi during a fellow student’s test requires uke to support the person in illustrating their understanding of Aikido. Now needless to say I am sort of a big guy 6′ and 240 lbs so I had given Shihan a good physical mass to work with. I thought that it was not going to be easy for Shihan Sam to move me because of my size and that I was not the most graceful uke in the room. This was Shihan Sam’s opportunity to show technique but to also demonstrate that he was proficient in illustrating the elements within the techniques regardless of body size. As Shihan Sam’s I must admit that there were times that I lost concept of time and space as he executed technique after technique. It was apparent that Shihan understood the importance of learning from uke’s feedback. The test was over and Shihan Sam performed beautifully.
So if you want to get a better handle on your Aikido techniques, the next time you grab your uke, might I suggest that you take time to experience what is going on between the two of you. Do things like watch his feet move as you move. Take time to feel your partner’s weight shift. Did you notice if you partner at any point could have regained his balance. Is your partner moving faster than you are moving him? See if you can determine if you are moving uke or is uke moving himself. Try noticing what happens to your body when uke grabs you. By understanding the role will help you improve your Aikido. So the next time your uke attacks you learn as much as can from the feedback that is provided.
