It takes two to tango. Similarly, in aikido, it is through practice with an other that one learns not only the mechanics of the art, but also the depths of what it means to engage with an attacker. It is through one person volunteering to “be an attacker” that the other person can learn the intricacies of aikido.
This volunteer “attacker” is called uke, and their particular part of the practice is called ukemi. Offering ukemi is a great responsibility, and is a gift to the practitioner so they can learn and practice aikido.
The role of uke
Uke fulfils a number of roles:
- Simulates an attack that approximates as much as safely possible a real attack. They do this by learning to execute the particular attack with precision, speed, and power. The purpose of the attack needs to be learned, as well as any follow-up or secondary attacks.
- Provides momentum so the practitioner (called nage) can learn and perform their technique. This means giving a feeling which nage can work with, and lead in order to complete the technique. This feeling can be given whether one is static, moving slowly, or moving quickly.
- Maintains their safety as well as that of nage. This means having the control to stop or divert the attack if nage is not ready or capable, and also having the balance, flexibility and awareness to protect oneself from being hurt by nage, whether inadvertently or maliciously.
Simulating attacks
The attack must approximate a real attack for nage to effectively learn how to deal with real attacks. For this, there must be a high level of commitment, so, for example a yokomen (diagonal) strike must carry the intention to hit the nage’s neck or head so as to down them to the floor.
All the aikido attacks have their origins in incapacitating, disarming, injuring or killing a person. Some attacks, such as wrist holds, are setups for further attacks. For example, a cross-hand hold could be an attempt to stop nage drawing a sword, while the attacker’s other hand would follow up with a knife strike or punch to the face.
Therefore uke’s attack has to convey these possibilities to nage, so that nage can learn how to manage the attack. If uke’s attack is half-hearted and weak, nage has little energy to deal with, and this could lead to a false sense of security on their part, or a lack of self confidence in their ability to deal with a real situation.
Providing momentum
In the learning stages, most techniques are slowed down and extended, so that nage can learn the correct feelings and principles, such as application of centrifugal force or a kotegaeshi throw. Uke therefore needs to slow down their attack and maintain a positive forward momentum to allow nage to process the movement in their own time. In higher levels of practice, if uke feels a gap in the momentum where nage has stopped the flow, they can then take advantage of it and do a counter technique on the nage.
In the beginning stages of learning, uke must not resist nage’s attempts to move them, as this will discourage nage and they will not learn to complete the movement. It is uke’s task to be as light as possible for nage.
Maintaining safety
If, following from the above, uke is heavy, ie they are resisting, this can encourage bad habits in nage, and can be dangerous for uke. If a beginning nage feels a lot of resistance from uke, they will try to use strength to move them, and will have lost the point of the aikido practice.
If uke is resistant or tense in any way, they can fall heavily if properly thrown by nage. Involuntary resistance often comes from fear, whether fear of a technique or of breakfall. Uke needs to explore the reasons for involuntarily tensing up, and ask their teacher and nage to help them become more relaxed, by taking them more slowly through the technique, or practising breakfall at a manageable pace.
Learning to be light, flexible, and balanced in any position, is a lifelong practice for uke, and will lead to more enjoyment from the practice, and in the process, nage will learn to unleash more and more of their power.
Uke should learn how to deal with any technique by landing lightly. Never land on your knees, avoid slapping the mat for no reason, and always aim for silence rather than drama. Have you heard the flight of an owl? Aim to be as quiet and light as that! All too often I come across experienced practitioners with injured knees and hips, sometimes rendering them unable to perform further ukemi in their career. These may have come from long practice with incorrect ukemi.
Also, if uke is relaxed and light, no matter how committed their attack, they can stop it, if for some reason nage is not ready and has not started evading the attack; especially important in weapons attacks. This way, uke can be responsible for the safety of both themself and of nage.
Degrees of commitment
Aikido is an art of dealing with stress, practically in the form of different types of attacks. This learning is done progressively by taking the learner through mild to increasingly threatening attacks, from slow and gentle, to “real attack” pace, from empty hands to weapons. The point is for the learner to adapt at a pace suitable to them, so they can learn to relax and deal with the attacks. If this progression is done appropriately, the learner will build self confidence in their ability to deal with situations. If the progression has been too fast, they will remain anxious even as they move up the grades. If the progression is too slow, or there is no progression, they will never feel the energy or intensity of committed attack, and will lack self confidence or be deluded in their abilities.
Uke therefore needs to develop the skill to vary the commitment of their attack, according to the learning and confidence level of nage. This was called by my teacher “respecting your partner’s ki,” ie, respecting their skill level.
For a beginner, uke often starts with a basic static “attack,” for example gently holding their wrist. For some people, this is already threatening and stressful. We should be aware that some people may carry trauma from physical abuse or other events, who may find even being touched a highly-challenging situation. They must be handled respectfully and gently, so they can feel safe and build confidence progressively.
At some stage, learners will start to deal with moving attacks. Uke needs to gauge nage’s level of awareness, their speed of response, and the effectiveness of their defence. Uke’s role is to balance speed, power and intensity so that nage can feel they are able to deal with the attack without being overwhelmed.
Once, as a fresh and enthusiastic second Dan, I was asked to take ukemi for a blue belt doing his grading. He was a tall, strongly-built man, and I wanted to make him look good, so I gave him fast, powerful attacks, but they overwhelmed him. After several attempts in which my attack cut through his defence, I heard a voice from the grading panel: “Respect your partner’s ki.” I then toned my attack down and he performed a very good grading.
Remember, we are in this together, and uke and nage adapt to each other so they both learn, develop their skill and agility, and grow stronger. Trying to resist or overwhelm nage out of ego is a false approach, as resistance is useless and even dangerous if nage is skilful and relaxed.
When doing ukemi for a highly skilled nage or instructor, uke should attack with full commitment. This enables nage to practise or demonstrate the full application of the technique. However this needs a lot of practice and skill, not only in learning to attack with precision and power, but also to relax sufficiently to take the power of nage. At all times, attack at a pace that you can manage.
An uchi-deshi, or assistant to a teacher, gets a lot of practice and experience dealing with their teacher’s power. I was assistant to my teacher Denis Burke when he opened the Brixton Ki Club in the mid-1980s, and it was extremely tough, and often painful, but I eventually learned to become lighter, more relaxed, and more flexible, and to take more and more of sensei Burke’s power. Some of my best practices have been with assistants, as they are very giving and somehow allow you to improve your technique, while giving strong committed attacks that test your reflexes to the utmost.
Approaching reality
Budo is the martial way of neutralising conflict and attack in the fastest, most effective way, with the least effort. In advanced aikido, the movements are condensed to the highest degree, and all the large circles and spirals learned in the beginning stages are internalised to create a rapid, devastating technique. Only a highly skilled uke can enable an advanced practitioner to demonstrate budo. I saw examples of this when my teacher, sensei Ken Williams, demonstrated with his uchi-deshi of 12 years. It was beautiful and awesome to watch, rare displays of raw energy and power.
Ukemi for health and fitness
Ukemi is a superb form of physical exercise; it builds strength, flexibility and fitness. As a longtime yoga instructor, I liken ukemi to dynamic yoga, and in fact recommended yoga to aikido practitioners during the 2020 pandemic, to take the place of ukemi practice.
Too often I see instructors who don’t take ukemi, perhaps out of pride or some sense of hierarchy. They eventually become unfit, and not ideal examples of aikido physique and of what lifelong complete aikido practice can offer. I encourage all instructors to practise ukemi alongside their students, to allow them to feel what it is like to throw a highly skilled practitioner, and to prove to them what a wonderful form of exercise aikido is.
Being a good uke is a lifelong learning, which I believe should be continued throughout one’s aikido career.
