In this section I will describe what I am aiming for in my daily practice -keiko- and what I have noticed.
There are various styles of Aikido, and each dojo is slightly different. I will introduce the aims of Azusagawa dojo.
12. "Shoulder first uke"
When you perform UKE you should lead with your shoulder.
It is most important that your head does not get injured because your shoulder is behind it.
You must also learn to receive techniques such as ikkyo and shihonage, which put your shoulders forward. In those cases I arch my back. It creates a hollow on my front.
I leave the position of the shoulders to the front of my body.
There is no need to take uke gracefully and elegantly. As long as the shoulder comes out in front and moves the opponent's power smoothly and moves in tandem with the opponent’s strength it will appear to be a natural
Learning how to use your body like this is one of the reasons for keiko. (2019.02.09)