Hey, Ian!
I agree with your point about practicing strikes. We have had a recent decline in praciticing aikido against kicks only because there are so few uke who can take the ukemi. They tend to be dramatic and difficult (the falls, not the uke
), so only the advanced students practice them. Some of the other students and I have started "uke school", a sub-group of students who spend 3 nights per week working to improve our balance and focus in strikes and followthrough (including kicks, eg). Our hope is that eventually, enough people will be able to do the kicks AND the ukemi to make for better classes and practice. How do others manage it?
Rob