Uke
受け
The practitioner who attacks and receives the technique in a pair, literally “the one who receives”. Must be able to fall safely, ukemi.
Quick Facts
Term typeRole in training and bouts
LanguageJapanese
Formnoun
Pronunciation[oo-keh]
Alternative Namesthe receiver
Readings and romanizations
Reading (kana)うけ
Hepburn romanizationuke
Word breakdown
受けuketo receive (verb ukeru)
Definition
Uke (受け) is a noun from the verb ukeru, to receive, and means “the one who receives”. In judo, aikido and jujutsu it is the practitioner who, in paired practice, attacks and then receives the technique of the partner, tori. In aikido uke starts the attack and the defender reacts to it. The role of uke is just as important for safe practice as the role of the one who performs the technique. Uke must attack genuinely so that the technique makes sense, and then fall safely or escape from the technique, for which ukemi serves. The same verb gives uke in the sense of a block in karate, for example age-uke.