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No Opposition

A bit of vocabulary:

In Judo, there, are 2 practitioners.
1 – Tori: This Japanese terminology defines the person who gives the action
2 – Uke: this other Japanese word defines the person who receives the action.

Ukemi is also called a fall in Sports Judo (The opponent fall).
In original Judo, it is called the receiving body So we just say UKEMI

The 5 principles to apply to have a good Judo action:
– Non-opposition,
– Control,
– Mobility,
– Decision,
– Encompassing.

These 5 principles are the tools to study:
1 – Efficient use of the energy
2 – Mutual aid for Mutual prosperity
These are the 2 fundamental pillars created by Dr Jigoro Kano.

During good Judo action, Tori and Uke can feel in their body and mind these 5 key principles.
Tori receives the sensation of the Ukemi
Uke feels this sensation during the Gake.

Non-opposition can be explained through words, but cannot be learned from them.

However, I’m going to tell you a wee more.

It is above all, through feeling that we can learn no opposition and Ukemi provides a good “tool” for this learning.
When an action is performed with respect to these 5 principles, we feel non-opposition provided we accept it.

It’s a feeling that we have when we make no effort to do something.
When we perfectly reach our goal.
We are surprised even astonished about what we have just done.

In Judo, Ukemi brings knowledge.

The knowledge of this projection by the body.
Not by thought, not by intelligence, by bodily feeling.
If we refuse it, it’s a bit like a bad taste in the mouth, it’s not good.

To learn non-opposition, however, it is not necessary to do Ukemi but to go towards the Ukemi.
The other solution, which is very common nowadays during what is so-called Judo, is to move away and to create an opposition.
In this case, we are not doing Judo, but a sort of bad wrestling (because this is even not wrestling).


Practising Judo is doing something with a partner, or a friend. It’s accepting that we progress together.
Accepting an Ukemi is to learn how to work and study freely together.
A judoka can fall ten times, twenty times, it doesn’t matter.
What is important is to learn non-opposition.

The big question is how to remain available for the Ukemi and not fall at the same time.
To understand this, Uke does not oppose Tori’s action.
Uke continues to follow Tori’s trajectory with the principles of Ukemi.
However, at some point, Uke will be able to regain control and take Tori’s action.
Uke thus becomes Tori and can do the projection.
This is overtaking an action.
It’s extending Tori’s action in another direction. Not the other way around, not at a right angle. These directions create opposition. It is a circular movement.
Movements in a straight line create opposition, we come up against an obstacle.

Linear movements in Judo do not exist. It is necessary to circumvent so as not to oppose.
In judo, the movements are done in a circle even if the circles are not in the same plane.
The planes can be vertical, horizontal, oblique or all 3 at the same time depending on the progress of the movement.
They are infinite circles.

It may never end.
Circles help you recover. it is the continuity of the movement. A person who plunges in a straight line cannot recover (See the note below).
On the other hand, if this same person creates a circular action while going up on the other side, this person recovers inside this circle.

During a randori or a shïai, neither of the partners may be thrown because these two people are only moving within the circles they have created.
This is the judo based on respect for the principles established by Dr Kano.

* Note about plunging:
In Martial Art Judo, Tori never ever falls with the partner, never ever drop on his/her knees to do an action. This doesn’t make any sense unless you practice what is called Sorts Judo which is based on the opposition of 2 people.

1 – This is a Martial Art, which means that can be used in real life.
In real life, a person who would fall on the knees might be injured or worse.

2 – Judo is based on keeping your balance. Your physical but also psychological balance. So failing while doing an action is not using the energy in the most efficient way.

3 – This is against the second principle of Judo: “Inter- help for mutual prosperity” Falling that way is desperate action to win a medal, to keep having an illusion of success which may lead to an injury for the other judoka.

So, In original/Martial Art Judo, this is not acceptable.
If someone mentioned the Sutemi as a counter-example, it means this person doesn’t know what is a Sutemi.

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