Makotokan Aikido

One of the most disconcerting aspects of aikido (for some) is the fact that UKE (the initiator of the attack and receiver of the technique) must behave in a prescribed manner, or according to a set of rules. After all, anyone can make a realistic attack, can't they?

It would seem not!. I still find it hard to believe that a good proportion of people seem unable to make a committed and coordinated strike of any kind. Perhaps it is because aikido attracts pacifists who don’t have it in their nature to make a serious attack. Who knows?

It is a common misconception that all uke needs to do is perform good ukemi,(breakfalls). This, however is just the tip of the iceberg, uke’s role is multi faceted and complex and requires a high level of sensitivity to your partners movements and intentions. Uke is at least as important as sh’te, probably moreso. O’sensei is reputed to have stated that the secret of aikido is in ukemi.

Japanese Koryu (traditional schools of martial arts) actually regard uke as the senior partner over sh'te. Uke' s movements guide sh'te through the technique and uke takes all the risks since this is the more dangerous role.

The role of Uke is far from being a passive one. When a layperson watches an aikido demonstration all of their focus is on the person performing the techniques. Uke is virtually invisible or just a prop to be used. As aikidoka we know only too well that this is far from the truth and that uke is the one working hard, displaying a high degree of skill.

Anyway, all of this has prompted me to write down a few pointers on performing the role of uke in aikido training…………………..

Attitude
Being uke is about giving. You unconditionally give yourself to your partner to assist in their learning. You are not there to win or show faults in your partners technique. You must also be sensitive to your partners level of ability so that you can uke appropriately.

Some aikidoka still think of uke as the subordinate role and may resent performing it (“when is it my turn to practice the technique”?). This attitude is not correct, above all else uke must lose his ego and accept the role willingly, or even better with relish!.

Connection
Aikido is about connection – no connection, no aikido!. It is uke’s responsibility to provide and maintain this connection. Even when there is no physical contact there should still be connection, of ki, some would say.

There is nothing more frustrating than an uke who disconnects just prior to a projection. It is important that both partners “feel” the technique from their respective sides.

Conversely uke must also know when to release the connection during a technique. Clinging on “for dear life” and dragging sh'te to ground with you is dangerous and makes for an unsatisfying conclusion to the technique. It is not easy to maintain zanshin whilst lying in a crumpled heap. It is also dangerous for both parties. Leave that to the WWF guys, they get well paid to smash their bodies up!!

Commitment
Aikido can only work from a committed attack. If uke holds back then there is no energy to work with and a weak or misdirected attack needs no defence.
Many uke's hold back a little because they have no intention of hurting their partner. Certainly an attack should not be delivered with the intention of taking your partners head off, but a level of realism is required for the learning process.

Whole Body
A good attack is delivered with the whole body and not just the arm. The arm therefore should be an “unbending one” and the armpits should be closed so that the arm and body act as one. An attack with a floppy arm is both ineffective and results in a technique which fails to control ukes body. A whole body strike is made with total commitment and when it fails to make contact (i.e sh'te avoids) it results in uke losing their balance.

Sensitivity
In Yoshinkan Aikido, certainly whilst practicing kihon waza, uke's role is to move in a prescribed way to assist sh'te to perform the technique. Once the predetermined movements are learned by sh'te, then uke can add a little resistance to test sh'te's posture at key points in the technique. Thus it is crucial that uke maintains awareness and sensitivity to sh'te.

Agility
You only need to see a snapshot of an uke receiving nage wasa to realise that a degree of agility, flexibility and suppleness is essential to a good performance. The body needs to be trained therefore to perform this role.

Relaxation
Whilst uke's attack must be both committed and realistic, a degree of relaxation needs to be maintained otherwise injury is inevitable. Furthermore a tense body is restricted in its movements which would produce poor technique and yes, you guessed it....more risk of injury. In the words of the late Thomas Makiyama sensei, “relax, react, relax”. It is said that a new born baby has not yet learned fear and the associated “tensing reflex”. Babies tend not to hurt themselves when they fall as they remain relaxed – be as a baby when performing ukemi!

Spirit
Similar to commitment, it is essential for uke to display strong spirit when performing ukemi especially during embu (demonstration). This idea is neatly summarized in the japanese expression “nana korobi ya oki” (seven times down, eight times up).

Skill
There is indeed a high degree of skill in the execution of ukemi, which can be under-rated by practioners and laypersons alike. Good ukemi, apart from all of the foregoing qualities requires good technique and timing which requires constant practice.

Mushin
If uke tries to anticipate the movements of his/her partner, the result is likely to be unsatisfactory. This may however be acceptable in certain circumstances, such as,where a senior is trying to lead a junior aikidoka through a kihon waza technique through the role of uke. Generally speaking uke should not anticipate but adopt an empty mind “mushin” and go with the flow. In real life combat the attacker would be focussed on the attack alone, thus it is unrealistic if uke is thinking ahead to the outcome of the encounter.

Enjoyment
Lets not forget this one!. Ask anyone who has performed ukemi from a senior sensei, it can be awesome, arguably the best part of aikido, certainly the most memorable. There are few stories about “the amazing technique I performed last week (month, year etc.) but stories abound from ukes who have been on the end of a magical technique and almost never felt a thing!.

There is also a great sense of satisfactrion to be had in performing good ukemi for your partner/sempai/sensei, especially during embu. The enjoyment is your reward for all the hard work involved in trying to integrate all the above factors into your performance. So get out there and enjoy your ukemi!!!!