Aikido uke etiquette: roll backwards out of a throw or break-fall and wait for...

[the_talking_chair]

...the arm lock? Particularly with kotegaishi I have the choice of backward rolling out of the throw before the arm lock - some people continue to try to get me into an arm lock and some just let it go. Good technique should grab my elbow as I go down and roll me face down for the arm lock.

or

I go to the ground - relax and let the technique be concluded with the arm lock.

If I do the roll; am I being petulant by showing holes in their technique. Am I showing off? Am I causing a scene? Isn't this how injuries are caused? Aikido is about form - not competitiveness - am I going against the grain? Or am I allowing them to improve their technique by being (a bit) non compliant.

If I break fall and wait for the arm lock am I being a good uke or am I letting them practice against a rag doll?

I've been going the the aikido lessons 3 times a week for 6 months or so and I think I know which people like a bit of resistance and who like compliance.

But generally speaking which choice should I make?

[peter gunn]

It all depends on your mindset when practicing.
Sometimes you just like to get in there and Just get a good work out and sometimes you want to fine tune your technique. However that does not mean that you should tolerate mistakes. If you feel a partner is doing something wrong never hesitate to correct him. It's the only way to learn. As to falling and finishing I'd give the same advice as in the beginning. It all depends on how you like to train. Let's face it at a certain level you know how to properly finish a move and turn your opponent. If you really want to do some fluent training you can often leave it behind. That does not mean you should never practice it. but it's not always a necessity

[Jon and Ari P]

this way has always worked for me.

let them just get the arm lock on you a few time to make sure they can do it well. after they can perform it fairly well, tell them that you are going to attempt to roll out of it and they should attempt to not let you. if they don't feel comforatable with it yet, they will probably say so.

this way the student gets to practice on a ragdoll to get it right and also uses practical application without feeling shown up.

[idai]

Hi there

Depends on what you are trying to achieve. For example if you are helping your uke perfect their technique then you should probably not roll out of the lock and go with it.

On the other hand taihen jutsu was designed for keeping you safe and for countering locks so when you re performing randori or henka then certainly roll to escape as best as you can. Be polite and ask uke which they would prefer you do?

Personally i would always try to escape as conforming to a partner all the time isn't real training but there are times when you have to work on the kata together to break it down so that you can correctly understand the principles that its try to teach. In all the grappling arts you have to work together in order to learn.

So it depends on what exercise you are training in at the time Kata or Randori as to which one you should use. And always respect your ukes wishes.

Best wishes

idai

[sthetx]

Very good question - one I faced myself when I started aikido training.

The best answer I can give you (one that was given to me when I asked this very same thing) is that a good uke is aware of the level on which his nage can perform at. When working with lower kyu ranks, offer only minimal resistance (if any), so that they can learn the moves. When dealing with yudansha rank, increase the resistance, but only to the level that both you and nage are mutually comfortable at.

Being too resistant (to lower skilled partners) can make you come across as a jerk. Being too soft (to higher skilled students) will make you come across as a rag doll. Some may even resent that you don't respect them enough to resist a bit.

Treat each encounter with each individual differently.