Are Lower-Belts Used As Training Dummies For Upper-Belts?
No. If anything, it’s the reverse. Being able to uke is sometimes called “the other half of the art.” Students need to learn not just to perform techniques, but also to receive them. The uke serves an important role in technique feedback for the tori (e.g., if a peel doesn’t feel right, if a block seems too high/low/soft, etc.). Through practice, an uke learns to stay relaxed, improve their reaction times, and to “give” at the right moment, providing not only a more realistic target for the tori, but improving their own skills as well.
