Another thing I wonder (maybe this is best for a different thread, if so I'll start one) is how best TO test yourself? How do people here do it?

I personally have been inspired by the threads of the last few days to start forging my aikido more seriously when I can, with resistance or with uke taking their center back or I'm not sure what. The thing though is it can be hard. Trained Ukes know how to stop a technique "I know what you are going to try to do, so I am going to stop it." That can be good training for switching up techniques, but I get the feeling that the "testing" described here is not the testing of kihon, but of testing aiki. Or maybe of testing other things!

So! Who here does it, and what is most successful?