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Re: Being a good uke.
The role of the uke is to enhance the learning of the nage. the uke is a partner, not an opponent. To this end uke needs to deliver an attack that has content and maintain his structure as best he can. If he or she has that structure compromised, they should recover as quickly as possible. If recovery isn't possible, they should be taking the Fall.
It is a mistaken idea that uke should be trying to stop the partner if possible, that this is somehow the more martial way of practicing. Uke and nage are BOTH training. They are training to do the same thing. So if uke decides to dispute the space with nage and then as nage he is supposed to be learning not to do this, the body and mind just get confused. Uke and nage should be doing the same thing in each role, namely staying connected and relaxed.
On the other hand, it's probably worse for nage to have people tanking for him. If the uke is colluding, no one has any idea at all whether something is really working or not. Also, all of the energetic cues nage keys off on are wrong and energetically false. It not only isn't beneficial to train with ukes who are tanking but it's actually detrimental.
A good uke's job is to force nage to do the technique properly. He is not there to stop the technique and he isn't there to collude. A great uke sees what ukemi the Sensei got when he demonstrated and then attempts to give his partner exactly the same ukemi that Sensei just got fro his uke. If he is good at this, the technique that is natural and logical from the attack will be the same technique that was demonstrated. Too many folks think their job is to screw up the technique, when of course, they already know what's coming. That's silly and has nothing to do with good martial arts. In a real confrontation, you have no idea what's coming.
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