Tori

Tori (取り?) is a term used in Japanese martial arts to refer to the executor of a technique in partnered practice. The term "tori" comes from the verb toru (取る?), meaning "to take", "to pick up", or "to choose".

In judo and some other martial arts, tori is the person who completes the technique against the training partner, called uke. Regardless of the situation, the principle is that "tori" is always the one who successfully completes a technique. This means that if your partner attacks you, but you counter the attack and throw your partner instead, then you are "tori." Likewise, if your partner holds you down in a pin, but you manage to apply a choking technique that results in submission, you are again "tori" in spite of having been held down. As you can see, the terms "tori" and "uke" are not synonymous with attacker and defender, because the role is determined by who completes a successful technique rather than who initiates one.

In aikido and related martial arts, tori executes a defensive technique against a designated attack initiated by uke. Aikido has alternate terms describing the role of tori, depending on the particular style or situation, including "thrower" (投げ nage?) and "performing hand" (仕手 shite?).