DonMagee

I think your sensei was trying to get you to lead your partners actions. I have not done much aikido randori, but I have done a lot of judo randori. When working with a new guy they will be all over the place. Kicking your legs, hoping up and down, twisting turning, etc. They act like its a competition. The first thing I do is lock them down. I force them to use clean technique. I start to give them openings and if they take them, I dont try to stop the throw. I have good enough ukemi to take even sloppy throws. After they calm down and work this way (usually after a period of them realizing i'm just gonna stand there and look at them like an idiot until they stop lashing out) then I will start to counter them and keep it difficult but not impossible for them. I try to get them to work at the highest level they can work at. Sure I could throw them about and tap them out over and over again. I'm not going to learn anything, and neither are they. But if I let them go wild they wont learn anyting and I wont either. So I work on controling the situation and forcing them to learn good technique. Maybe that is what your sensei is trying to get across.