Art of Ukemi
Welcome to the ukemi pages.
Tumbling - its the number one reason new Aikido students don't come back to the dojo and it continues to challenge the most diligent of aspirants right throughout their Aikido careers.
These resources focus on the topic of ukemi through development of the solo technical skills and then onto the art of ukemi itself.
Strap in, grab a wrist and hang on ...
Ukemi or the art of protecting oneself is often a misunderstood part of Aikido practice that we suspect may actually be the hiden (or secret) to understanding Aikido. The following pages explore ukemi from the development of solo skills, the basic mechanics of rolling, through the mental discipline of staying in the correct place so nage can't hurt you, joining with the energy of nage so they can't hurt you and joining with nage so that you discover the meaning of 'aiki' from the other side.
The role of uke is often misunderstood and there are are as many definitions as there are dojo. In some uke is a compliant throw toy for the benefit of making nage look good, in others an adversarial partner contending with nage and in yet others something to be abused by nage as they pound uke into the mat.
Special thanks to Gabby and Paul for much of the content.