Uke to Receive

The recent NHK Report on Okinawan Karate is a special find. First there are great views of Okinawa that should not be missed. While the training focuses on Shorin Ryu and Uechi Ryu, Everything there in is important.

 

  

The idea of Uke presented by Kenyu Chinen was interesting to me.  Allow me to highlite this discussion.

 

 

Shorin Ryu-  Kenyu Chinen

 

Uke To receive – How to defend against an opponent

 

Never initiate the attack,

 

Receive first, then go on the offense.

 

Attacking always comes last.

 

Literally Uke means to block an opponent’s attack

 

But in Japanese sense of the word is subtler, receiving also mean to catch, or to accept.

 

Kill the force of the attack and he can not advance.

 

Blocking skills are not only about preventing an opponent’s attack.

 

The force that is received from the opponents strength is redirected into the counter-attack that follows.

 

Receiving is the starting point of the counter-attack.

 

The skill of receiving lies in reading the opponents attack very swiftly.

 

When the leg moves you can start too, get his leg and its over.