Tori

Tori (取り) is a Japanese term meaning "the one who takes" and is used across multiple Japanese martial arts to designate the practitioner performing a technique. In judo, tori is the thrower — the person executing the entry, kuzushi (balance break), and throw — as distinguished from uke, who receives the technique.

The tori/uke distinction is fundamental to understanding judo training dynamics. In uchi komi, tori drills the entry repeatedly while uke stands and absorbs the movement. In nage komi, tori completes the full throw while uke lands. In randori, roles shift fluidly as both practitioners alternate between attacking and defending.

Understanding the tori role is also important in the context of injury. Shoulder injuries in tori typically occur when a throw is initiated but not completed cleanly — particularly when the technique meets unexpected resistance before the mechanical pattern is fully internalized. This is one of the primary reasons the judo training progression moves from cooperative drilling to live resistance in a structured sequence.

The term tori appears in judo, aikido, jujutsu, and other Japanese budo, where it consistently identifies the person applying or executing a technique.