Ukemi in grading and training.

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[Tim Gerrard]

Ukemi is an integral part of Aikido. What I'm asking is this, what makes a good Uke, and how can these skills could be improved?

Should ukemi be part of a grading? as I feel recieving a technique is as important to understanding than doing the technique.

Also what do you feel is the best method to introduce a beginner to the art of ukemi.

Discuss

:D

[Nick Simpson]

Nice post Tim, when im not so hungover ill add my two cents.

[Tim Gerrard]

Sorry, my grammer's terrible on that post...

[Jeremy Young]

I think that ukemi is very important. IMHO, you have to be on both sides of a technique to really understand it. I know for me what has helped me improve "being uke" is just to take as many throws as possible. Even though i still stiffen up sometimes, i have become alot more relaxed and i think that is because for sometime i just tried to take as many throws as possible. Just whenever someone in the dojo needed someone to throw i would volunteer. Also, maybe it would help working on a punching bag or something to practice giving good attacks. What is interesting to me about ukemi is that you have to give a good dedicated attack and at the same time not be so stiff that you break yourself. Ajjjj...and one more thing i was going to say...at least in my opinion, being a good uke is not jumping for your partner or let them "get away" with sloppy technique...granted, you do not have to criticize every mistake...but i know i always appreciate it when uke let's me know that i am not taking his balance or that the technique did not feel correct. As my instructor would tell me, getting attacked by 2 guys at the ATM at 11:30 pm is a bad time to realize you have been practicing kote gaeshi incorrectly.
Anyways, that is my thought on ukemi.
Thanks

[Kevin Kelly]

Should ukemi be part of a grading? as I feel recieving a technique is as important to understanding than doing the technique.

:D

ukemi is part of our tests. at various levels for whatever grade you are testing for.

[Goye]

For me Ukemi is as important in Aikido as to be Nage. If you know how to do a correct Ukemi, with a propper atack and you know how to receive the technique, you can feel more the technique and later you will do it un a better way.

In our test Ukemi is an integral part of the exam also with the teory and the techniques of each grade. First the person who is taken exam do all the diferent ways to fall and later as uke the person is also examined.