Lessons We Learn from Uke and Tori

By Glenn Catania

What does Uke and Tori actually mean? The words mean "receiver " and "attacker," but if you really look deeper into their meaning, it takes on a whole new life in Budo. The receiver is the person who is going to give you the best opportunity to learn a movement. This person will work with, not against, you as is so commonly believed.

When the Uke throws the initial attack at you, they should do it in a fashion that conveys their enthusiasm. This does not mean very fast or overly hard. This motion should say I am excited about what I am doing ,and I want to give you a fair chance to learn this technique. If you do not have this feeling why are you bothering to be Uke?

Never give the impression that you are better than this person and just waiting to take your turn. This is a very selfish approach to training and it hurts your progress , just as much as your partners. According to Hatsumi Sensei, in his book Ninpo: Wisdom for Life, it is ok to have a sensible amount of pride in yourself [page. 104] , but you should not become tengu (smug , conceited) [page. 50] you are robbing yourself from learning. You rob yourself by thinking your partner has nothing to teach you. This is very untrue. I have been taught things from students on their first day of training.

Everybody has something to offer and the best way to do that is by being a good Uke. Assisting your partner in learning and experiencing a good attack. Every attack you throw should come from the heart with intention so you can learn from it, and you can practice while being thrown or taken down.

Never freelance when learning a technique. Nothing drivers me crazier than an Uke who shows you how they can get out of every technique. This does not mean offering feedback to your friend ("The wrist lock is loose" or "my balance is still good") it means not telling them how you can get out of everything, or worse actually getting out of all the techniques. Give the person a chance to learn the motions. Do you honestly think that you are so good that you see all the openings and that you should be teaching them to your partner? A good Uke lets their friend work the motion, but always makes mental notes of the openings and opportunities.

Look at all you have to learn as a Uke. It teaches you how to roll from an attack, how to not get hurt while being taken down. Most importantly, it teaches you how to be in the moment when you are on the other side. Hatsumi Sensei says in his Ninpo philosophy book [page 97] that "The Budo performance of Uke and Tori is just like a couple." If one of them does not do well, the other will not do well either.

The Tori should always be mindful of the importance of his turn. One of the reasons you are in the Dojo is so you can learn a way to defend yourself. Why not take every opportunity to do the best you can. I have been at seminars where someone gets up and demonstrates a technique for you to try. The more times this person does it, the intention sometimes gets lost. I have watched my teacher over the years show a waza ten times in a row. Although he slows it down for us to follow, his intention and doing it always comes threw to me.

A block is always a block, not just letting the arm come up. This is what I strive to mimic. If you do something 10,000 times, does that mean you know it ? No, this means you have had 10,000 opportunities to experience it. Never assume you are too great to take those first steps repeatedly. Everyday when you get out of bed you put your feet on the floor like the first time as a child. Why not do your Taijutsu the same way. Keep it fresh and alive. Feel the excitement of the jodan uke, the thrill of the motion of your arm circling and making contact with the incoming attack. What is more beautiful than this? Doing something you love and enjoying the most basic of its movements every time, like it was the first time.

This article reprinted from the www.Kihon.com, without permission.