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I practice 合気道. We do a lot of break falling that we call ukemi. I was led to
believe that it meant safe escape from a technique. However, I started looking
at the Japanese and found I only had part of the answer. I believe that ukemi
can be translated as receiving body (受け身). It is what uke (受け, whoever
receives the technique) does when nage (投げ thrower?) or tori (取り, grabber?)
applies a technique.

Am I correct in my assumptions?

Are my kanji correct?

* * *

Cross posted from **[Martial Arts
SE](https://martialarts.stackexchange.com/questions/2942/etymology-and-
meaning-of-ukemi)**.
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2014-07-29T07:50:43.137
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2021-04-28T02:05:22.540
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etymology terminology sports
Etymology and meaning of ukemi (受け身?) as part of 合気道
Your kanji are correct. [受]{う}け[身]{み}. You can also write it [受]{うけ}[身]{み}.

The general meaning of 受け身, however, is not "receiving body" but "passive."
Thus, the passive voice "it is written by him" (vs. active "he writes").

I am not familiar with your martial art, but I would guess that it means you
take a passive rather than active role in the combat -- receiving the action
of others and responding to it.

* * *

I could imagine this being understood as "safe escape" if there are Buddhist
overtones that imported in seeing actively fighting as being interested. But
it's definitely not a very natural translation.
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2014-07-29T07:56:46.123
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2014-07-29T19:57:34.200
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You might also translate it as "receptive" body, as in a body prepared to
receive a blow, strike or onslaught. Judo techniques, as I remember in my
distant past, are primarily defensive, or "receptive" techniques, using the
opponents' force and action against them.
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2015-02-10T16:53:06.513
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Here is how the relevant terms are defined in the _Kodokan New Japanese-
English Dictionary of Judo_ :

![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/6eu2g.jpg)

And here are the respective English language entries:

> **uke** ( **" receiver"; the thrown; uke**) The person who receives a
> technique during repetition (uchikomi) or controlled (yakusoku) practice.
>
> **ukemi** ( **breakfall** ) General term for breakfalls designed to protect
> the body when thrown.
>
> **ukeru** ( **to receive** ) To receive a technique or attack from your
> opponent, or to have a technique applied to you.

Note that these are the definitions of these terms in a judo context, and 受け身
( _ukemi_ ) and 受ける ( _ukeru_ ) more generally mean "that which is passive"
and "to receive".
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2020-02-19T14:35:09.113
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