jonreading

In reference to your question about a possible typo in my post...

One of the things that gives me trouble is how my partner engages me.

What I try to understand is why, as nage, would I move if uke cannot control me? In other words, for what reason (other than doing something to uke), would I move if the threat uke presented could not affect me? The obvious answer is I would not need to do anything. Since we do something, it stands to reason that uke has to threaten my position and cause me to address the attack.

As a rhetorical question, the ultimate goal of "attacking" should be to gain control over your partner, a good attack then representing a real threat to nage. In this sense, for proper training uke should accomplish one of three things: 1. the successful attack requires nage to address the attack, 2. the successful attack is greater than nage can accommodate and uke relinquishes some advantage back to nage to address the attack, 3. the successful attack is greater than nage can accommodate and uke gains control.

Honestly, I find myself in categories 2 and 3 often when I am nage. While I get what you are saying, I am not yet in a position where my aikido functions at a level where uke cannot influence some (or all) or my movement.