, which translates to "rising block", or "upward block" is the

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

term for a technique used in

martial arts Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defense; military and law enforcement applications; combat sport, competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; a ...

. There numerous variations in how the technique might be executed, and nothing implicit in the term itself restricts its use to unarmed techniques. It is commonly used with regards to the

Karate (; ; Okinawan language, Okinawan pronunciation: ) is a martial arts, martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the Okinawan martial arts, indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called , "hand"; ''tii'' in Okinawan) under the ...

technique that goes by that name, but can also refer to similar techniques in Kobudo. Age-uke may be used to stiffly

block Block or blocked may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasting * Block programming, the result of a programming strategy in broadcasting * W242BX, a radio station licensed to Greenville, South Carolina, United States known as ''96.3 ...

or deflect an incoming high attack. Alternately, it may be used to receive an incoming attack, sweeping it overhead while maintaining contact with the attacking instrument (limb or weapon). The term age-uke is frequently used interchangeably with "''jōdan-uke''" (high-level block). Whether these terms refer to two distinct techniques, or the same technique, depends entirely upon how each is used within any given martial arts school. However, the terms are distinct in that ''age'' comes from the verb ''ageru'', meaning upward, and implying direction and/or motion. In the martial arts, the noun ''

jōdan , which in a martial arts context means something like "high level", is one of the three heights commonly referred to in Japanese martial arts. It refers to the upper part of the body, which includes the shoulders and above. See also *Chūdan *Ge ...

'' refers specifically to a target area of the body, including the shoulders and above. Since the term "age-uke" refers to blocks with an upward motion, there are many techniques called "age-uke" that can also be called "''jōdan-uke''", but some techniques are aimed at the center level, and are referred to as chūdan-uke.

Description

Age-uke in

is executed by bringing the arm up across the front of the body, and rotating the forearm so that it faces away from the forehead. The blocking motion occurs while the forearm rises, pressing or sweeping aside the attack against which it is guarding. Different styles of Karate perform this block with either an open hand or closed fist, but the closed fist is the most common in

Karate Kata Kata ( ja, 形, or more traditionally, 型; lit. "form") is a Japanese word describing detailed patterns of movements practiced either solo or in pairs. Karate kata are executed as a specified series of a variety of moves, with stepping and tu ...

. Other variations of this technique include using the wrist or the hand itself to block. Age-uke in Kobudo varies based on what weapon is being used. When using the Sai or the

Tonfa The ''tonfa'' ( Okinawan: , lit. ''old man's staff'' / ''"crutch"''), also spelled as ''tongfa'' or ''tuifa'', also known as T-baton is a melee weapon with its origins in the armed component of Okinawan martial arts. It consists of a stick ...

, ''age-uke'' looks similar to how it appears in

, with the weapon pressed along the forearm of the blocking arm to reinforce the technique. The term can also be applied to a blocking technique with the Bo.

References

Japanese martial arts terminology Blocking (martial arts) {{Martialart-term-stub