I thought it would be fun to start an discussion on ukemi. I received an email this morning with this quote from the northern California Ki Society Website.
"The art of attacking and falling is often misunderstood as either helping our partner complete a form or resisting our partner's technique. The attack must be done with commitment but without malice; the fall must be done with grace but without plan or attachment to style. Generally, a fall or roll is taken to avoid being put in a harmful position or a position of imbalance. There are many times when our partner, through lack of technique or intent, seems unable to place us in a harmful position or one of imbalance, however it is advisable that you train for the time when your partner is more competent or suddenly has a realization and completes their technique with greater velocity. Ukemi means awareness throughout the attack and the fall."This is an excellent description of ukemi. I see the quote came from the Northern California Ki Society website. Their Chief Instructor, Maida Sensei is one of the finest and most experienced ukes in Aikido. He knows what it's about. He will be teaching at least two of the classes at the Ki Aikido
Summer Seminar in Colorado in June. The first time I went to a class with Koichi Tohei Sensei he said, while lightly pushing over my teacher, "I understand means I can do." Maida Sensei can do, when it comes to ukemi.
An Aikikai teacher I trained with in Chicago said the job of uke is to make the nage the best Aikidoist they can be. Taken seriously, that is quite a challenging task. This is very compatible with the description above.
Like the quote above, any definition of ukemi can be easily misunderstood or applied. The phrase "position of imbalance" is an interesting one. Is fall or a roll is used to avoid this, or is it used once you reach this. Rolling away before you are off balance seems like giving in before the technique is executed. So were you thrown, if that is the case? Or did you roll away before you could be taken to a position of imbalance. That could be what some people call too cooperative.
I don't view balance or imbalance as a position. Balance is dynamic, it is movement. I feel I am always getting my balance. When I stop doing this is when I am most vulnerable. In this way, every position is a position of imbalance. And every position can be part of a movement towards balance. Sometimes I move in such a way that the best way to continue this balancing act is too roll or take some sort of Aikido fall. If a nage makes me feel this way then hey, that's good Aikido. Seeing this continuity of movement and balance can be an important part of doing ukemi "with grace but without plan or attachment to style." There is no point where you stop attaching and change to rolling. One flows into the other.
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