The Uke and Tori Relationship

The Uke and Tori Relationship

Who are Tori and Uke?

Tori (取り、とり) and uke (受け、うけ) are the two principle actors in jûdô. Both are critical components in learning, understanding, and applying the techniques and principles of jûdô. Without an uke, tori cannot use the various waza (技、わざ) of jûdô. Similarly, without tori, uke can only practice ukemi (受身、うけみ), which, while very important, is not the extent of jûdô.
Tori means to take. In this role, tori takes uke’s control and balance using it to perform various waza, either standing, tachiwaza (立ち技、たちわざ), or on the ground, newaza (寝技、ねわざ).
Uke, on the other hand, means to receive. When you find yourself to be uke, your responsibility, in the early stages of learning, is to ensure that tori performs their technique correctly and to perform your ukemi as best you can. Later in your path of jûdô, your responsibility as uke increases but the methods change; you will be required to provide appropriate resistance in kata (形、かた), nagekomi (投げ込み、なげこみ), uchikomi (内込み、うちこみ), and when you are called upon to help your sensei (先生、せんせい) demonstrate.

How can Tori and Uke work together?

When you and your partner are paired for practice, you will each have specific parts to play. If the technique you are practicing is a new technique for you, as tori you will be learning how to off-balance (kuzushi, 崩し、くずし), fit-in (tsukuri, 作り、つくりう), execute (kake, 掛け、かけ), and protect your uke. As uke, you will be learning how the technique will feel in all the parts that tori is practicing, while feeling the ukemi must be done to protect yourself.

When you are practicing techniques in preparation for tournament (shiai, 試合、しあい), free practice (randori, 乱捕り、らんどり), or for better understanding, your jobs differ slightly than when the technique is new, but only as a matter of degree. In these circumstances, your job as tori is to learn and figure out how best to apply these techniques in a very dynamic environment. Uke, on the other hand may be learning how to defend against these techniques, but may be helping tori to apply these techniques better.

How can we be good Tori and Uke?

Learning jûdô requires us to subjugate our own ego. If we are practicing in randori and we remain stiff and defensive, we prevent our partner’s learning. Keep in mind the maxim of “mutual prosperity and harmony for oneself and others” (自他融和共栄、じたゆうわきょえい). How can we promote mutual prosperity and harmony if we are only concerned about ourselves?
As we rise in the mudansha (無段者、むだんしゃ) or yûdansha (有段者、ゆうだんしゃ) ranks, we find that the more we concentrate on performing as uke or tori the best we can, the better we understand jûdô.