How to be a good Uke

I am slightly embarrassed to admit that I still find

myself acutely aware of the honour of being chosen to be
Uke for the demonstration of a technique. I like the sense
of validation it gives me; the sense that I am trusted to
“do the right thing” whatever that might be. It is not
surprising then to find myself pondering the question of
what “the right thing” actually is. Equally, when practising
I sometimes find myself frustrated by my partner’s “uke-
ing” and, if I find myself scanning the dojo to find a
partner to practise with, I wonder if I am being avoided
because I am also frustrating to work with. Such
insecurities might be more suited to a rather bizarre letter
to an agony column than a reckhishi article. I am perhaps
showing rather more concern with ego than one would
hope for in the practice of the martial arts, but these
thoughts have propelled me towards what I hope is an
interesting line of enquiry.

So what does make a good Uke? I think that in trying to

find an answer, or answers, to that question one is forced
to consider many things: the nature of the art that we are
engaged in; the styles of teaching and learning
encouraged in the dojo (and those that actually exist); and
the skills of go waza and ukemi waza.

Almost all of our practice of gempai waza in Jiu Jitsu begins

with Uke performing an attack on Tori, whether this attack
is a strike, combination of strikes, a hold, or grip of some
kind. So let us begin there. In aspiring to be a good Uke
one should be aiming to have an excellent knowledge and
understanding of all the different forms of attack and an
ability to perform such attacks. There is a paradox here,
because in Jiu Jitsu we understand that no two attacks will
ever be identical in reality. But for the purposes of training
Uke will, usually, be aiming to make his or her attacks as
consistent as possible, to enable Tori to explore and
perfect his or her technique.

Appendix A is a list of attacks that an Uke should aim to

master.
When performing the initial strike Uke must have
consideration for: the skill and expertise of Tori; the
technique to be demonstrated (if known); the context of
the technique: the correctness of Uke’s own technique;
and the correctness of Uke’s mental attitude.

If Tori is a junior grade or a novice it may be appropriate

to deliver the initial attack slowly and with a certain
amount of telegraphing. Be prepared to halt the attack
before striking if Tori fails to intercept. I often tap my right
fist on my left palm before a right punch, or tap my right
thigh before a right kick, to make sure that I have Tori’s
attention and that he or she knows where the attack is
coming from. This also helps to avoid any confusion about
who is Tori and who is Uke. I think it is important to
remember that as a higher grade you have a dual
responsibility as Uke. You are both a practice dummy and
a teacher. And as a teacher it is your responsibility to
determine which of those roles will be most useful to Tori.
Sometimes Tori needs to make his or her own mistakes
without correction or interruption. Sometimes as Uke you
can subtly guide Tori to improving their understanding and
application without resort to words by adjusting the
attack. As Tori develops his or her skill you need to be
responsive by increasing the speed, power and
commitment of the attack. You need to provide a
reasonable challenge to promote learning. If your attacks
are too feeble, or always stop short, Tori will lose
motivation and become bored. To apply the principle of Ju
(yielding to the attack) the attack must give Tori
something to work with; why bother to intercept an strike
that would never land, or would do no harm? But if your
attacks are too fast or aggressive for Tori, he or she may
experience a sense of repeated failure, may be unable to
process from mental image to physical movement the
complexity of the technique. He or she may be panicked
and fall back on instinctive reactions, rather than
developing new instincts and increased flexibility of
response (This is not the way to help him or her to develop
Fudoshin). You need to be alert to constantly adjusting
your attacks to give Uke the reasonable challenge that is
appropriate, whilst maintaining a reasonable degree of
consistency. You need to be aware as Tori focuses on a
different aspect of a technique his or her skill may seem to
decrease, necessitating an adjustment of the challenge.

When practising with senior grades the above thoughts

may still be appropriate, however it is important to give
people something to work with. It is difficult to learn a
technique well if the attack is half-hearted. A defence
against a powerful straight punch to the face may not be
an appropriate technique against a weak jab. A powerful
strike creates possibilities for taking control and breaking
the balance (Kuzushi) that may not be there in a weaker
attack. An attack that would not land, probably distorts
the distance between combatants (mawai) which does not
help Tori to develop his or her technique. In Ju-Jitsu we are
learning to yield to the attack and in aiming to perfect this
principle of Ju in our actions, we are aiming to respond
uniquely to each attack (for each attack will be unique,
however similar to others). If the nature of the attack does
not warrant the use of a particular technique, then it is
bad Ju (if I can use that phrase) to use that technique and
does not help a student of Ju-Jitsu develop a true
understanding.

There is of course a place for Ju-No-Kata (The slow motion

demonstration of basic principles). When called upon to be
Uke in a demonstration, a blindingly fast attack, followed
by swirling blur of a technique may be impressive but is
extraordinarily difficult for students to follow. Your Sensei
will indicate the nature of the attack he or she wishes and
hopefully you will be sensitive to that. Most Sensei have a
rhythm to their teaching, which, if you have been
attentive, will tell you the nature of the attacks they
favour for demonstration under different circumstances.
He or she might prefer to demonstrate the technique at
full speed and power, before de-constructing it slowly, or
vice versa.

It is often extremely useful to practice techniques very

slowly. This may seem to contradict what I have said
before, but it is a resolvable paradox when the principles
behind practice are kept in mind. With very powerful
attacks Uke often seem to throw themselves and this can
obscure weaknesses in technique, particularly in relation
to balance (Kuzushi). Uke’s attacks should be slow but
“real” in relation to accuracy, commitment, and correct
mawai. I have pondered over how far to mimic the
overbalancing that might occur if an attack was delivered
at full speed. I think it depends a lot on the type of attack.
A karate punch or kick, if delivered well should not cause
the karateka to overbalance, but a “big swingy punch”
delivered by a bar room brawler might well do. Thus
consideration may be given to the context of the attack
and instruction given by the Sensei. Also a novice may
need to be led to the correct flow of a technique by
allowing yourself to overbalance slightly.

The context of an attack should be part of your

considerations as Uke. When the Sensei introduces the
technique, he or she may describe a situation, or use
language to suggest the way an attack should be
delivered. A “big swingy punch” is not the same as a right
hook; the former suggests an unskilled assailant and the
latter suggests a tighter less-telegraphed move. A good
Uke should strive to create an effective facsimile of the
attack appropriate to the technique. How far you get into
play-acting is a matter for you, your partner, your Sensei
and the conventions of the dojo in which you practice. (As
an ex-actor I do my best to resist the impulse to ham it up
sometimes)

It is important to avoid switching off as Uke. You may be

the practice dummy but you should still strive for Nesshin
(zeal, enthusiasm, and fervour). When working as Uke, as
well as maintaining your responsibility as a teacher, you
also have an ideal opportunity to practise your strikes and
atemi-wasa. You can use each attack to perfect your
fluidity, control, balance and focus. You can seek to
maintain your awareness of distancing (mawai); patterns
of muscular tension and relaxation; breathing and so forth.
In doing so you are yielding to the opportunity of the
moment, which seems to me to be an application of Ju.
Being Uke is also a wonderful opportunity to study a
technique. In experiencing how your body and spirit react
to the technique you can understand at a deeper level
how the technique works and incorporate these insights
into your own practice. If your partner is struggling to
make the technique work, you can become aware of what
are the essentials of that technique. This is a particularly
useful time, if like me you are a predominantly
kinaesthetic learner. You can also be alert to the
possibilities of counters (gaeshi) and seek to negate them
in your own kata. Whether or not you should act upon
these openings for gaeshi when Uke is debatable. It should
only be done, I believe, as an opportunity for teaching
Tori, pointing out a weakness in his or her application of
the technique. There is a danger of allowing ego to
encourage you to show how you could have “beaten” Tori,
which is a recipe for things to degenerate into a “scrap”
with all the health and safety problems that that incurs. It
also often shows a poor understanding what is going on: if
engaged in Ju-No-Kata a perceived opportunity to counter-
strike might be shown to be illusory if the technique were
applied at full speed.

It is important as Uke to put aside one’s ego or practice

will be stilted, awkward, and frustrating for Tori and as
egolessness is also a part of being a good martial artist
being Uke can be a good test and opportunity to develop.
The more ego one brings to the role of Uke, the less
flexible one is likely to be and the less responsive to the
movements of Tori. The more fear one has of pain or
falling the more likely one is to resist and subtly sabotage
Tori’s technique. For a highly skilled Tori this may not be a
problem, but for a beginner it can cause real problems.

Which brings us neatly to Ukemiwasa…

Appendix A

Strikes
• Fudoken straight punch
• Te Gatana Chop
• Empei Elbow
• Uraken Back fist
• Use of hands as in boxing
• Use of head
• teisho uchi Heel of hand
• Shitoken Thumb drive strike
• Shinkanken Extended knuckle strike
• Nukite
• Taiken use of body as weapon

gyaku tsuki a reverse punch A punch delivered with a

twist of the body. If the right leg is in front the punch is
with the left hand; if the left leg is in front the punch is
with the right hand.1
kizami tsuki This technique can be delivered with either
the left or the right hand. The fist makes a horizontal arc
and lands without fully extending. The shoulder moves
and propels the arm, instead of the arm straightening out
to deliver the strike.1
mawashi tsuki "roundhouse punch" A karate punch whose
delivery from the hip is characterized by a three-quarter
rotation of the striking fist in a wide circular motion. This
technique is applied with a twisting movement of the hip
for maximum efficiency.

Kicks
• Zempo Geri Front kick
• Yoko Geri Side Kick
• Koho Geri
• Mawashi Geri
• Axe Kick
• Crescent Kick
age uchi [Karate] rising blow with the fist, similar to an
'uppercut'
age-zuki (aw-gay-zoo'kee) "rising punch" A karate punch
delivered from a lower to a higher plane by way of a
semicircle from the hip to the target.
Oi tsuki "lunge punch" A karate punching technique
performed with a step forward. The punch is delivered
from the same side of the body as the forward foot.

eri dori Lapel grab

kami tori seizing the opponent by the hair
katate dori A technique in which Uke grasps Shite's left
wrist with the right hand, from the front, or the right wrist
with the left hand.
ryote dori to seize both hands or wrists of the opponent

kakato ate heel strikes

Ushiro-geri
Yoko-geri
Ashi-fumi

Hiza-geri [Karate] A blow using the knee.

Hiza-tsui [Karate] A 'hammer' blow delivered with the
knee.

Fumikomi “a stamping kick. The heel of the foot strikes

the opponent's leg or instep. The foot is thrust straight
and down. The knee must be lifted high to generate
sufficient power.”1

Target areas
Ago chin; jaw
Atama "head" or "top of the head"

• Jodan face throat and temple

• Nape of neck
• Kubi neck
• Nozo throat
• Chudan Ribs
• Suigetsu Sternum
• Spine
• Tekubi wrist
• Ude arm / forearm
• Ube thumb
• Yubi finger
• Kinsho groin
Gedan Shin and knees (“'Low level'. This term is used in
martial arts to indicate the height of an attack or defence.
In Kendo it means level with the abdomen; in Karate it can
extend to mean level with the ground. When used with the
word for punch or kick it denotes the region at which the
attack is aimed; when used with the work for block, the
same applies. It can also mean a defensive movement
with the forearm, followed by a punch delivered with a
twist of the body.” 1)
•
• Kurabushi ankle

Hidari left
Migi Right
Ushiro from the rear

hoppo no kuzushi
8 directions of off-balance:
1. front kuzushi (mamea-no-kuzushi)
2. back kuzushi (maushiro-no-kuzushi)
3. left kuzushi (hidari-mayoko-no-kuzushi)
4. right kuzushi (migi-mayoko-no-kuzushi)
5. right-front-corner kuzushi (migi-maesumi-no-kuzushi)
 6. left-front-corner kuzushi (hidari-maesumi-no-kuzushi)
7. right-back-corner kuzushi (migi-ushirosumi-no-
kuzushi)
8. left-back-corner kuzushi (hidari-ushirosumi-no-
kuzushi)

Bibliography:
1. Arlington YMCA Ju-Jitsu Dojo
Terminology - A
http://members.aol.com/koshinage/terms/A.HTM

reigi saho
. [Common Usage] courtesy, manners; formal etiquette
3.
(ray-gee-sa-hoh) "etiquette" The formal dojo customs
and mannerisms indigenous to the Japanese martial arts
and ways.

rei shiki
1.
'Ceremonial', 'Etiquette', as observed by certain
traditional schools, of which the Ogasawara school is an
existing example; they observe rigorous etiquette. Others
have transformed certain ancient rules or adapted them
according to the needs of their particular discipline.
However, it must be said that all martial arts observe
rules of etiquette, before, during and after competitions
anad training. From the moment a student enters a Dojo,
he or she is required to follow the current rules of good
behaviour and etiquette, not only in respect of the Dojo,
but also of the master and the other students. Rules
concerning bowing and other marks of deference (Rei) are
of primary importance, but rules or courtesy and mutual
assistance are important also. This means that the Rei-
shiki covers not just the accepted physical movements or
ritual gestures but such qualities as modesty, compassion,
concern for others and generosity. It is inconceivable that
a martial art worthy of the name would be without this
'etiquette of the heart'.