The Benefits of Being an Uke for Belt Tests
Dec. 10, 2013 By: Filed in: Psychology & Success | Tests & Preparation
On the surface, being an uke or “beat-up dummy” for a belt test can seem like tough gig. The role of uke (Japanese for one who receives) involves holding pads for strikes and attacking the student testing so they can demonstrate their knowledge and abilities. But if you look past the surface, there are a number of benefits the uke receives while being hit, thrown and submitted.
- Curriculum review. While your partner goes through all the techniques for their test, you get to see them all in action, serving to cement them in your mind, even if you’re not practicing them directly yourself.
- Technical feedback. As the student who is testing receives corrections during their test or test preparation, you’ll get to learn indirectly what to do yourself, or what not do.
- Physical conditioning. Whether you’re sparring, grappling, or performing set attacks and being hit/taken down, being a belt test uke can be a physical challenge in itself, and in some ways is more demanding than being the one testing.
- Mental preparation. Seeing other people go through the mental challenges of testing, such as nervousness/anxiety, keeping cool while being pressure tested, or even just keeping from getting flustered when errors come up, helps the uke think about the challenges they themselves will face and how they will cope when their next test comes up.
- Camaraderie. While it is a commitment to volunteer to uke for a belt test, there is also a sense of camaraderie that comes with the act. The student testing knows you don’t carry any malicious intent when you throw a punch at them, but at the same time they know you won’t just give it to them if you don’t get it right. The uke is often the first one to congratulate the testing student after they receive their belt, and tell them their thoughts on the test (after the instructor, of course). It is not unheard of for testing students to buy their uke a drink or bite to eat at post-grading celebrations. Plus, when it’s your turn to test, you’ll probably find it easier to find volunteers to be your uke.
Have you ever been an uke for a belt test? Do you think there are any other benefits? If so, please feel free to share in the comments.
We're proud to announce that Lori O'Connell Sensei's new book, When the Fight Goes to the Ground: Jiu-jitsu Strategies & Tactics for Self-Defense, published through international martial arts publisher Tuttle Publishing, is now available in major book stores and online. More about it & where to buy it.
I was just an uke for a brown belt test and I found it to be an incredible learning experience. I was pretty nervous because this was the first time I was an uke for someone who was not a lower belt than I am (I am a purple belt). One of my current goals is to learn how to take harder throws. Helping the tori get ready to test and the test itself, gave me a really great challenge that I think really helped me improve my falling.
In our Federation we hold multiple gradings back-to-back, so it is the norm when you are grading to also act as uke for other candidates. I eventually discovered that it was particularly rewarding to go along to the gradings to act as an uke when not grading myself. Firstly, it felt good to do something out of generosity rather than reciprocity. Secondly, I found that I obtained more of the mental benefits than you cite when not distracted by anticipation for (or relief having completed) my own grading.