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Uke [受け · 請け · 承け] The character/ideogram means, “Receiver of technique (e.g. in martial arts).” The character without its modifier means, “Accept; undergo; take; get; catch; receive.” These same characters/ideograms also mean, “Popularity; favor; reception; defense; reputation; agreement; submissive partner of a relationship.”
Go forward and receive actively. Karate, traditional, uke is to advance forward while receiving. A difficult concept that is often assumed to be only about receiving from Tori, i.e., the exchange of techniques as pair drills. This is one concept of training and practice yet is not the full meaning and understanding of the art of “Uke.”
When you improve and master receiving the attack or counter attacks will improve as well. Uke is also considered the strength to attack/counter attack, and that is why Uke and Attacking/Counter Attacking are inseparable, i.e., Uke/Yin-Yang/Attack, etc.
It is also about the parable or karate koan that to be focused on “Winning” is different from training to “NOT LOSE” and not losing is about receiving, Uke. Uke is a skill in traditional karate and like many aspects it is an important foundation that traditional karate is built upon.
“When one is only thinking of winning - that is why one has no style of their own.” Receiving requires one maintain calmness while receiving an adversaries attack. Learning the true nature of “Uke” is one of the hard obstacles all karate-ka have to overcome and that is often equated toward one’s ultimate adversary/opponent - the self.
Learning to receive is what makes for traditional karate. To practice uke is to pair up and utilize each’s ability and technique. Each has to read the others forms of attack and then properly receive them. An indication that one is utilizing uke properly is upon attack the receiver should never have to back down or away from that attack. This indicates the proponent is properly receiving the adversaries attack.
Improper receiving often explains why karate-ka upon exercising their skills tend to resort to techniques that are not of the system of karate, they tend to fail at an adversary because they still think they have to “Win.” When winning is there one tends to forget uke and proper receiving with proper counters with the desire to get in and hit, strike or kick the body of the adversary. One should focus on receiving the adversaries attacks and the counters, attacks, etc., will come naturally.
How uke works and how one masters it is the question, the question is answered by following this more traditional path of Okinawan karate-do. A heart that does not fear receives actively and has the strength to take it on.
When one thinks of style, the tendency is to think of the system itself such as “Uechi Ryu or Goju Ryu” when actually the style is the application of the karate, the creation of a person own movements, etc., as a result of receiving. This loss of style opens the doors so that the adversary is able to “Not Lose.”
In order to train adequately in receiving there are other concepts one must learn to perform, learn and become proficient in uke. It is learning how to tell actions from observing an adversaries “Body hubs.” The hubs to observe when being attacked are the shoulders and the hips. By observing the hubs you see the attack be it hand or foot, regardless of the technique, coming way before it gets to you.
If you master seeing the attacks before they attack using body hubs then you can fine tune your ability to receive an adversaries attack. This gives you an edge to see those actions before they reach across the distance between you and your attacker thus achieving a higher level of receiving or Uke. There are more but you need to discover them for yourself.
Uke [受け] -n- Tori [取り]
An "uke" is one who receives or the receiver of technique (i.g. in martial arts). It is also used to mean "popularity; favor; favor; reception; defense; defence; reputation; agreement; submissive partner of a homosexual relationship (usually written using kana along).
A "tori" is one who gives or the giver of technique (e.g. in martial arts). It's literal meanings are, "key performer; active partner (e.g. in judo demonstration). It has been adopted in karate circles when either demonstrations or training of kata and/or jiyu-kobo.
It is often taught and utilized in more advanced practitioners where the role is like the flow of the yin-yang where either person can quickly change the role from uke to tori to uke and so forth.
uke-tori is of similar nature as to comrade or dojo relations of senpai-kohai. Often the tori is senior while the uke is junior and the exchange is mutually beneficial where the senpai trains on his abilities and the kohai learns from the senpai while teaching him/her self to use karate waza coupled with strategies and tactics, etc. A very complex association within a dojo/training hall.
Not to be mixed up with Torii, a Shinto shrine archway.
Kogeki [攻撃] vs. Uke [受け]
To attack means to allow for the receiver to counter or attack the attack after proper receiving of the attack. To receive puts you at the advantage and is the impetus behind the belief that one does not strike first. Once a person attacks they become committed to that course of action until it is either deflected or stopped by the receiver of that attack.
There are several reasons why Uke reins as the more appropriate way in karate-do. First, its perception and appearance would indicate that the attacker is the aggressor while you as the receiver are the object of that aggression and appear as if a victim - this can be important in self-defense situations. Second, it allows you to observe the attack hubs to see the means that are being used to attack you. This gives you time to see it then take appropriate non-aggressive actions to receive thus deflect or block the attack. Third, it gives you choices vs. just attacking your attacker before that attacker can attack. The choices are to receive so that you provide yourself time while the attacker is restarting his OODA loop to leave, to avoid and to take actions that are perceived as a good faith attempt to deescalate by avoiding through actions in leaving to safety. It also provides the attacker a means to keep face and stop his attack. If he follows with the ability and means to continue the attack then you can continue to leave if possible or return to a position of superiority by remaining in a state of “Uke.”
Taking a position of Kogeki or attack makes you the aggressor. It will be perceived by your adversary/attacker as an attack giving them permission to respond and then be perceived as the victim in lieu of being the aggressor/attacker. Taking a position of kogeki puts you in a committed action that as above must be stopped or completed so leaving the opposition to receive and act in a manner superior to a committed attack.
This also gives validation to the philosophy of “Never strike first,” in karate.
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