What is Ukemi?
By: Sam Taitel
I offer this particular contemplation because it is in these sentiments that my workshop [in the September 16th One-Day Summit] “Tangible Noticings: Body Language as a Conversation” is grounded. The following piece was written for a certain audience, so there are likely a few new terms sprinkled throughout a relatable milieu, a familiar flavor we'll explore more during the seminar. Here are four brief definitions essential to the following reading in order of appearance:
1) ukemi: the art of receiving technique, often involving attacking and falling
2) uke: the individual in the role of practicing ukemi
3) nage: the person applying technique
4) atemi: a strike
“How do you ~do~ that?” is a frequent question usually referring to ukemi when directed to me. The quiet falls, smooth rolls, breakfalls, high falls, quick get ups, strong attacks - there are so many tangible skills, but the sum of all those together still don’t quite capture great ukemi. An uke can learn, practice, and do all those things, but where’s the je ne sais quoi?
Personally, I feel that ukemi should minimize opportunities for and severity of injury. This entails constantly reorganizing and realigning yourself for a favorable position. My definition is not universal; not everyone asks nor expects what I described. Some want an uke to amplify the technique, to extend moments of imbalance, to fly, to offer their body wholly, to continue to search for nage (at times even when that increases the risk of harm to uke).
Everything described above I think can be called connection or relational movement. Ukes (and nages!) cultivate a sensitivity to body mechanics and weight distribution, an awareness of their own and others’ beings. This understanding of finding and feeling center informs an appropriate next step.
We study existence as a contextual framework.
How do I do it? The reality is that my body was introduced to these movements from an extremely young age, the womb! I’ve literally grown around and with them. The flexibility and strength I have built are a product of and in turn also continue to develop my practice. Also, I’ve been hit, slammed, and wrenched - a lot. These experiences have in large part contributed to my ukemi because I learned where not to be, where it hurt more, how to fall efficiently because I didn’t have another ounce of energy at the end of another long day of training. How did I learn to move? By having a reason to move.
During practice, an uke can choose to move because it was what they observed in the demonstration, due to a verbal cue, an atemi. What are the benefits of learning between a soft word and getting hit to draw attention to a risky spot? What are the harms?
We learn early on from bruises on our shoulders due to rolling. We notice where to dedicate attention to improve our form and find ways to smooth our corners as we meet the ground. The earth doesn’t have any ill will, and it still teaches us. Like the earth, I strive for my practice to be informational, not punitive. To be useful for my partner, that information must also be accessible. This means that as a responsible and caring nage, I prioritize the safety of my partner in pursuit of their continued learning. A harsh atemi to the face is not digestible information when an uke is preoccupied with which arm rolls and what foot should be forward to accomplish that.
I do not want to continue learning nor teach in the same environments I came up in because there were many instances conflating harm and learning tools. So we return to the question, “how do you do that?” and in turn “how do you teach that?” I want to train hard, consensually, and I want to practice softly, and everywhere in between. Everyone should be able to choose the risk level and intensity with which they train. And this should affect the expectations people hold about their ukemi goals and capabilities.
I continue to seek ways of practice that honor the roots of ukemi without abusing others nor myself.
Learn more about the Aikido IDEA Project at www.aikidoideaproject.com.
JOIN OUR FREE ONE-DAY SUMMIT ON SEPTEMBER 16TH
Gather with us live and online Saturday, September 16th, 2023 for our FREE One-Day Summit to deepen our somatic healing journey around the theme “Reclaim Your Power: Finding Liberation Through Somatics.” Our world-leading embodiment experts include Sam Taitel, Nkem Ndefo, Kelsey Blackwell, Anusha Wijeyakumar, and Nick Walker.
