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Koto Ryu Ukeru

Receiving (Ukeru)

Ukeru, while often seen as blocking, actually means to receive and focuses on accepting the attack by using superior footwork. The misconception is that the motion of the arms protects the defender, but in reality, the legs and the lower body are responsible for keeping the defender safe. There are many variations of ukeru in which the arms are used simply to guard the space between the combatants, cover the opponent's fist, and/ or apply a gentle pressure to a random area. Furthermore, specific targets on the opponent's arm are not necessary for ukeru to be effective. When applied correctly, any part of the arm becomes a delicate target. However, when training, it is beneficial to practice accurately using ukeru against an opponent's wrists, forearms, elbows, or the inner part of the upper arm.

To practice these, one should be familiar with the following:

Higher-Level Receiving (Jodan Uke)

The defender and opponent begin in Natural Stance (Shizen no Kamae). The opponent steps forward with his right foot to execute a higher-level thrust (Jodan Tsuki) with his right fist (Fudo Ken). The defender begins moving from the right hip in a motion known as reversing (Gaeshi). It should feel as though the body is folding into the right hip and the right hip pulls the body along with it. The defender uses this motion to step diagonally back at a forty-five degree angle to the right with his right foot. The defender should have a feeling of falling off to the right when his right foot is placed on the ground and slightly more of the defender's weight should be on the rear leg with the defender's center-line (Hara) facing slightly in the direction of movement. It is imperative that the defender's left foot moves back along with the right so that the feet move one after another and remain the same distance apart. Meanwhile, the left hand, held open, rotates pinkie side up and remains out away from the body at roughly a forty-five degree angle to the ground. The position of the left arm and by extension the left shoulder is extremely important. The left arm forms a sort of obstacle, a shield (Totoku) between himself and the opponent. The position of the left shoulder also makes it difficult/ nearly impossible to strike the defender in the face let alone achieve a direct hit. When the defender sets his right foot down, he circles his hips and center-line (Hara) back around to the front and uses this motion to circle his left arm around in a circle. The circular motion with the arm begins with the shoulder and transfers down the arm until the arm bends at the elbow, the hand closes into a fist, and the forearm snaps into place like a whip to finish the circle. The forearm should be positioned above the forehead at a forty-five degree angle to both the front and side. The defender should not tense or stiffen up at any point during the Jodan Uke, because the purpose is not to beat the opponent's arm with a powerful strike but to guard the space the defender is occupying.

Lower-Level Receiving (Gedan Uke)

The defender and opponent begin in Natural Stance (Shizen no Kamae). The opponent steps forward with his right foot to execute a lower-level thrust (Gedan Tsuki) with his right fist (Fudo Ken). The defender begins moving from the right hip in a motion known as reversing (Gaeshi). It should feel as though the body is folding into the right hip and the right hip pulls the body along with it. The defender uses this motion to step diagonally back at a forty-five degree angle to the right with his right foot. The defender should have a feeling of falling off to the right when his right foot is placed on the ground and slightly more of the defender's weight should be on the rear leg with the defender's center-line (Hara) facing slightly in the direction of movement. It is imperative the defender's left foot moves back along with the right so that the feet move one after another and remain the same distance apart. Meanwhile, the left forearm, with the left hand held open, begins to circle around as the hand closes into a fist. The hand circles around and down until the arm is held at forty-five degree angle away from the body. As the arm moves into position, the defender's hips shift back to the front slightly so that the center-line (Hara) is nearly facing the opponent.

Flowing and Receiving (Uke Nagashi)

The defender and opponent begin in Natural Stance (Shizen no Kamae). The opponent steps forward with his right foot to execute a higher-level thrust (Jodan Tsuki) with his right fist (Fudo Ken). The defender begins moving from the right hip in a motion known as reversing (Gaeshi). The gaeshi here is much slighter and hardly noticeable compared with Jodan Uke. The defender steps diagonally back at a forty-five degree angle to the right with his right foot. The defender should have a feeling of falling off to the right when his right foot is placed on the ground, and slightly more of the defender's weight should be on the rear leg with the defender's center-line (Hara) facing slightly in the direction of movement. It is imperative that the defender's left foot moves back along with the right so that the feet move one after another and remain the same distance apart. At the same time, the defender's left hand, held open, moves slightly offline of the opponent. The defender shifts his hips back to the front and circles his left hand around to the left, forming it into a fist (Fudo Ken) just before impact with the opponent's arm. The hand continues its circle after impact and opens with the fingers held tightly together like a spear directed into the opponent's eyes. In comparison to Jodan Uke, the movement of Uke Nagashi is much smaller, faster, and controlled; however, it takes a great deal more skill, precision, and timing to execute. Fortunately, regardless of whether the defender's fist makes contact with the opponent's arm, the movement should still protect the defender and guard the space when done correctly. The uke nagashi is often done at a slight angle upwards which is extremely painful for the opponent when contact is made.

In Koto Ryu, a common variation on Uke Nagashi is to receive with the fist while stepping back with the same side foot as the hand. The defender and opponent begin in Natural Stance (Shizen no Kamae). The opponent steps forward with his right foot to execute a higher-level thrust (Jodan Tsuki) with his right fist (Fudo Ken). The defender circles his left fist around in front of his body to receive the attack at the opponent's forearm (Nagare). As he does this, he begins moving from the left hip in a motion known as reversing (Gaeshi). With his left arm still extended, the defender begins to swing his left foot back as he makes contact with the opponent's arm and guards the space. Only after the defender has stepped back and is clear of the opponent's attack, does the defender's left hand move back toward the body. The defender's right hand should come up and maintain a barrier between the defender and opponent as the defender's left hand comes back so that the defender is never left without a shield (Totoku). The defender should finish in right Correct-Insight Stance (Migi Seigan no Kamae) and be prepared for the next attack.

 

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