Thoughts on the Interaction between Uke & Nage by Rory Ramig Quotes integrated in this article are attributed to O-Sensei's communications to his students from the book The Art of Peace by Morihei Ueshiba and translated by John Stevens. The following perspective is mine at my current stage of practice in AIKIDO and my current stance in life. Training in AIKIDO is the path I choose to follow for personal development, peace of mind and self protection. Always practice the Art of Peace in a vibrant and joyful manner. Upon every awakening day and upon entering the dojo it is important to greet Uke with a positive attitude geared toward enrichment of both. Be open and cheerful to everyone and they will most likely respond in kind. A good stance and posture reflect a proper state of mind. Whenever I am on the mat or have recognized a potential hazard in daily life, assume the hanmi kamae position. Hanmi kamae originates from the sword arts 'on guard' position. The front leg is bent.The body is turned sideways to uke or foe. The stance may be left side forward ( hidari ) or right side forward ( migi ). This stance shows that you are balanced and not an easy target and that you will have to be reckoned with in a dignified manner. Project a visually calm outer appearance and voice. Eventually, through confidence in training, you will develop an indomitable spirit around you ( KI ) that will be veritable in itself. Once this perfect posture for counter attack is present the opponent may have the notion of communicating with you instead of using violence. Then it is the time for you to listen to their point of view in earnest and see if there is a logical peaceful outcome to be offered. To injure an opponent is to injure yourself. To control aggression without inflicting injury is the Art of Peace. Be grateful even for hardship, setbacks, and bad people. Dealing with such obstacles is an essential part of training in the Art of Peace. To me hardship and setbacks in the dojo mean injury to yourself or uke. After one year of training there came a time that my wrists were very tender. Movement in any direction brought pain and distracting focus upon my wrists and those who applied the stimulations to quickly or forcefully. It is easy in the dojo to blame someone for injuring you if you have the mind set that uke is just the crash test dummy for nage. In the beginning phases of practice Uke doesn't always attack as expected or may stop the attack midstream altogether. Nage then may think that he needs to apply the technique more forcefully or quickly. Result = pain or injury. Uke at this time needs to be acquainted to the practice of relaxing - excepting the technique and permitting Nage to carry it out to fruition.   By staying relaxed and by paying close attention to your own center and the distance between nage and yourself you can limit the amount of stimulation you are experiencing. This is an example of blending with your partner and will lead to the realization of possible counters in more open practice format. As Nage do you notice how Uke reacts to the Ikkyo pin? Does he brace himself going to the mat? Do you notice a stiffness in the shoulder area? Uke  explores their limits in their own range of motion and then - Ouch! - sometimes comes face to face with it. These are implications that Nage must be concerned about. O-Sensei often gave counsel; Hold your partner as you would cradle a baby. In the dojo, feel empowered to communicate freely with your partners regardless of rank or persona. If Nage is being to aggressive and you are paying the price, it is your duty to yourself and Nage to stop and communicate to Nage what problems they are causing you.     Be responsible to yourself to see that you are not going to be a victim in the dojo or out of the dojo. In the outside world hardship and setbacks can take the form of a lost job, client or contract or troubled relationships with co-workers and family. To deal with these setbacks positively is to go forward leaving the pain behind. Be concerned with things that you have control and don't worry about things you don't. When an opponent comes forward, move in and greet him; if he wants to pull back, send him on his way. When confronted with an adversarial point of view stay calm. Intently listen and seek common ground that you both share. From that starting point explore the options. Blend with and become a partner in dialogue. If you detect your partners facial expressions change such as flexing of jaw muscles, raising of an eyebrow, vocal pitch changing, then immediately counter with a question that refers back to an established point of view that is in agreement. Ask "Is this how you feel on this issue? This lets your partner clarify and gives them time to regain their own control. Then after they have calmed down rephrase your intended position and continue. Blend with your opponent as in Kokyu Tanden Ho. Use the energy that Uke brings and use it to control them. If Uke starts to muscle, you lead them in that direction until he pulls back. Then that is the correct timing for a counter technique. Kokyu deals with deep breathing from the belly that sets the Ki in motion. It is a culmination of synchronized breathing and proper timing of a technique.