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Uke and Tori: A critical relationship for developing your budo.
By Evan London
While training in Los Angeles with Sensei in the Fall of 2008, I looked around at
everyone training so hard and found myself thinking about the importance of the
Uke-Tori relationship. While some portion of the development of one’s budo may
take place in the realm of solo practice, there are clearly aspects of training that
cannot happen without the cooperation and participation of a partner. Complex
things like mai-ai, reading your opponent’s intent, and developing control of an
attacker cannot happen unless there is someone willing to play our opposite.
Learning much simpler things also rely on having a good partner, such as learning
how to transfer your body weight through our opponent while striking or kicking,
understanding the extent to which a person’s joints can be manipulated, or learning
to locate various kyusho.
Understanding and being thoughtful about the dynamics of the Uke-Tori interaction
is a key attribute in creating good budoka. I would like to offer my thoughts on the
importance each member of this partnership plays in this relationship and the
responsibilities each needs to satisfy in order to have a fruitful and safe training
experience.
It is the responsibility of a tori to perform techniques demonstrated by the instructor
as faithfully as possibl. This is important to develop their movement, technique,
zanshin, and other skills. This is done by paying close attention to the instructor’s
demonstration and guidance, asking questions when needed, and focusing on
simulating the technique as accurately as possible with their uke. As anyone
familiar with our art is aware, this involves such things as striking, kicking, choking
or applying a joint lock properly. However, much care must be taken in doing these
actions, and the tori should use only enough power to achieve a response from the
uke. In the case of many offensive maneuvers, the tori does not need to use a
tremendous amount of force or effort to make effective contact with their uke.
Indeed, unless both the uke and tori are experienced budoka, harsh contact
between partners is not advised in most cases. This sort of hard contact should be
reserved until the practitioners have acquired the necessary level of skill to do so
safely. That is not to say the tori should not make contact with their partner, but
when they do so it is with due caution and consideration of the skill level of both
partners. It must be stressed that it is the tori’s responsibility to assure the safety
and well-being of the uke. Prevention of injuries is one of the tori’s highest duties.
This can only be accomplished by training in a slow and careful manner until the
development of adequate sensitivity and skill to allow faster movement in a safe
manner. Moving slowly and carefully during the early stages of training will allow
the tori to develop an understanding of their abilities and limitations, as well as how
to read the same in their uke. This is vital in learning to control your own movement
and is necessary for moving onto more advanced skills. Finally, it is also the
responsibility of the tori to accept feedback from their uke regarding safety issues.
If an uke is complaining to the tori regarding being hit too hard for their comfort
level, it is the tori’s responsibility to listen thoughtfully and alter their movement in
such a way that does not compromise their training, but does not cause harm to
their partner.
The primary role of the uke is to aid in the training of their partner. While an uke is
expected to behave like an opponent, attacking beyond a tori’s ability to receive or
excessively resisting a partner’s technique does not help them learn. Indeed, such
actions may lead to serious injury. Resisting a technique does have a place in
training, but it is up to the instructor to provide guidance on when it is appropriate
to do so. Conversely, making a technique too easy for a tori will not allow them to
learn proper technique and frequently alters the kata from its original form.
Providing just the right amount of attack and resistance is a skill all budoka need to
develop and is based upon the uke’s understanding of the tori’s abilities as well as
their own. Another important task of an uke is to refine their own techniques as an
attacker. This includes proper punching, kicking and other attacks, but also ukemi
and receiving techniques safely. As with tori, the development of zanshin is also
critical for the uke. The uke needs to be aware of their surroundings, look for
openings in their partners form, and focus on providing good strong intentions to
the tori. Finally, it is vitally important that the uke communicate with their tori
regarding safety issues. If an uke feels that they are at risk for injury please speak
up! It is your body and your responsibility to protect yourself. It is the tori’s
responsibility as well to prevent injury. However, the uke is their own best advocate
and should be vocal about their limits regarding physical injury. That said, this
does not mean that the uke should not allow the tori to strike, throw or manipulate
them as the technique dictates. It is their responsibility to accept some level of
discomfort and pain in order to allow proper training. This concept is discussed
below.
Pain plays an integral role in the uke-tori relationship and in budo training in
general. Without it, many critical skills would go unlearned. It is the tori’s duty to
give and the uke to receive, both in a thoughtful and conscientious manner. The
giving of pain by the tori should never be gratuitous or unreasonable and the
receiving should never be reluctant. It is the tori’s responsibility to learn to apply
techniques in a proper manner. Doing so will usually result in some pain to the
uke. The tori must learn to modulate their strength and speed to avoid
unnecessary suffering and injury to the uke. Pain should serve the purpose of
allowing the tori to know when their technique is working properly, as well as to
judge their uke’s limits. By accepting pain, the uke is assisting the tori to develop a
degree of sensitivity to the their physical limits. This, in time, will allow for a high
degree of control over an opponent and enhance the tori’s ability to react and
counter techniques when required. The receiving of pain also, ironically, benefits
the uke in that it acclimates the uke to some degree of discomfort, allowing them to
be able to respond more effectively in a real life situation where injury may occur.
If a tori is unnecessarily rough or inappropriately applying pain without adequate
reason, the uke is encouraged to speak to the tori and provide feedback on their
behavior. If this does not provide adequate behavior modification, the instructor
should be notified.
The tori-uke relationship should be one of cooperation and respect. If each partner
attends to their responsibilities inherent in their role, the partnership will be fruitful
and rewarding for both individuals.
By Evan London
While training in Los Angeles with Sensei in the Fall of 2008, I looked around at
everyone training so hard and found myself thinking about the importance of the
Uke-Tori relationship. While some portion of the development of one’s budo may
take place in the realm of solo practice, there are clearly aspects of training that
cannot happen without the cooperation and participation of a partner. Complex
things like mai-ai, reading your opponent’s intent, and developing control of an
attacker cannot happen unless there is someone willing to play our opposite.
Learning much simpler things also rely on having a good partner, such as learning
how to transfer your body weight through our opponent while striking or kicking,
understanding the extent to which a person’s joints can be manipulated, or learning
to locate various kyusho.
Understanding and being thoughtful about the dynamics of the Uke-Tori interaction
is a key attribute in creating good budoka. I would like to offer my thoughts on the
importance each member of this partnership plays in this relationship and the
responsibilities each needs to satisfy in order to have a fruitful and safe training
experience.
It is the responsibility of a tori to perform techniques demonstrated by the instructor
as faithfully as possibl. This is important to develop their movement, technique,
zanshin, and other skills. This is done by paying close attention to the instructor’s
demonstration and guidance, asking questions when needed, and focusing on
simulating the technique as accurately as possible with their uke. As anyone
familiar with our art is aware, this involves such things as striking, kicking, choking
or applying a joint lock properly. However, much care must be taken in doing these
actions, and the tori should use only enough power to achieve a response from the
uke. In the case of many offensive maneuvers, the tori does not need to use a
tremendous amount of force or effort to make effective contact with their uke.
Indeed, unless both the uke and tori are experienced budoka, harsh contact
between partners is not advised in most cases. This sort of hard contact should be
reserved until the practitioners have acquired the necessary level of skill to do so
safely. That is not to say the tori should not make contact with their partner, but
when they do so it is with due caution and consideration of the skill level of both
partners. It must be stressed that it is the tori’s responsibility to assure the safety
and well-being of the uke. Prevention of injuries is one of the tori’s highest duties.
This can only be accomplished by training in a slow and careful manner until the
development of adequate sensitivity and skill to allow faster movement in a safe
manner. Moving slowly and carefully during the early stages of training will allow
the tori to develop an understanding of their abilities and limitations, as well as how
to read the same in their uke. This is vital in learning to control your own movement
and is necessary for moving onto more advanced skills. Finally, it is also the
responsibility of the tori to accept feedback from their uke regarding safety issues.
If an uke is complaining to the tori regarding being hit too hard for their comfort
level, it is the tori’s responsibility to listen thoughtfully and alter their movement in
such a way that does not compromise their training, but does not cause harm to
their partner.
The primary role of the uke is to aid in the training of their partner. While an uke is
expected to behave like an opponent, attacking beyond a tori’s ability to receive or
excessively resisting a partner’s technique does not help them learn. Indeed, such
actions may lead to serious injury. Resisting a technique does have a place in
training, but it is up to the instructor to provide guidance on when it is appropriate
to do so. Conversely, making a technique too easy for a tori will not allow them to
learn proper technique and frequently alters the kata from its original form.
Providing just the right amount of attack and resistance is a skill all budoka need to
develop and is based upon the uke’s understanding of the tori’s abilities as well as
their own. Another important task of an uke is to refine their own techniques as an
attacker. This includes proper punching, kicking and other attacks, but also ukemi
and receiving techniques safely. As with tori, the development of zanshin is also
critical for the uke. The uke needs to be aware of their surroundings, look for
openings in their partners form, and focus on providing good strong intentions to
the tori. Finally, it is vitally important that the uke communicate with their tori
regarding safety issues. If an uke feels that they are at risk for injury please speak
up! It is your body and your responsibility to protect yourself. It is the tori’s
responsibility as well to prevent injury. However, the uke is their own best advocate
and should be vocal about their limits regarding physical injury. That said, this
does not mean that the uke should not allow the tori to strike, throw or manipulate
them as the technique dictates. It is their responsibility to accept some level of
discomfort and pain in order to allow proper training. This concept is discussed
below.
Pain plays an integral role in the uke-tori relationship and in budo training in
general. Without it, many critical skills would go unlearned. It is the tori’s duty to
give and the uke to receive, both in a thoughtful and conscientious manner. The
giving of pain by the tori should never be gratuitous or unreasonable and the
receiving should never be reluctant. It is the tori’s responsibility to learn to apply
techniques in a proper manner. Doing so will usually result in some pain to the
uke. The tori must learn to modulate their strength and speed to avoid
unnecessary suffering and injury to the uke. Pain should serve the purpose of
allowing the tori to know when their technique is working properly, as well as to
judge their uke’s limits. By accepting pain, the uke is assisting the tori to develop a
degree of sensitivity to the their physical limits. This, in time, will allow for a high
degree of control over an opponent and enhance the tori’s ability to react and
counter techniques when required. The receiving of pain also, ironically, benefits
the uke in that it acclimates the uke to some degree of discomfort, allowing them to
be able to respond more effectively in a real life situation where injury may occur.
If a tori is unnecessarily rough or inappropriately applying pain without adequate
reason, the uke is encouraged to speak to the tori and provide feedback on their
behavior. If this does not provide adequate behavior modification, the instructor
should be notified.
The tori-uke relationship should be one of cooperation and respect. If each partner
attends to their responsibilities inherent in their role, the partnership will be fruitful
and rewarding for both individuals.
