Break Falls

Break Falls (ukemi)

From an early age we learn that falling over can lead to pain and take great steps to avoid losing our balance. We now have to ask you to unlearn all that you have learnt and begin to fall again!

Generally, we work on matted areas when we practice takedowns and throwing down actions in goshinjutsu and so it is important that students learn to fall in a way that lets them jump up to ‘play’ again.

Initially many beginners think only in terms of doing the actual techniques – but for every student performing a takedown, someone is on the receiving end!

In Japanese ukemi is the term used to describe a basic series of break-fall techniques practised which minimise the effects of impact with the training mat if properly executed. Remember, a throw or fast take down can raise the body speed significantly before it hits the mat.

Breakfalls are practised after warming up and your instructor will monitor the performance of students for competence before any techniques are attempted which will dump the student on the floor at funny angles.

It must be appreciated that these types of falls are to allow students to get through a training session safely. The higher grades will be exposed to break falls on less absorbent surfaces to remind them that bony bits of the body stick out and cause pain and discomfort during grappling or take downs outside the dojo. Of necessity, falling or being taken down in this case will require modification to the technique!

Break Falls
There are only three major directions that you can be thrown in – forwards, backwards, and sideways so the number of basic break-falls that have to be learnt is limited. In reality, you will find the floor in any number of positions and you will soon learn to instinctively protect yourself.

In all of these the basic principle remains the same.

The body relaxes as it approaches the mat and curls up. Contact and impact with the mat is initially absorbed by the arm (or both arms) striking or “beating” the mat on the side the fall is being made. The hand of the outstretched arm is held flat, palm facing downwards, and the arm itself is uncoiled swiftly from the shoulder to strike the mat flat just before the body reaches it, acting like a shock absorber.

The striking area on an outstretched arm is from the fingertips to just below the elbow. If the arm is too close to the body then the effects are reduced and if too far away then damage may be done to shoulder joints. The outstretched arm should ideally strike the mat in a position best described as four o’clock on the student’s left and eight o’clock on the student’s right as the student is lying face upward, the head being at 12 o’clock.

During the fall the student keeps the chin tucked down onto the chest, looking towards the knees, so that the back of the head is not whip-lashed back onto the mat. The leg on the side of the fall is made more relaxed on contact and is more or less in line with the body. The other leg has the knee raised slightly across the groin to protect against further attack.

Break Falls
The practise of break-falls will be started first with slow and cautious action, either lying on or squatting close to the mat, and gradually proceed towards those which are made quickly and from a standing position – and on to those which are performed during any movement or throw.

Final position will be a scramble to the feet or a feet guard position.

Remember to RELAX!

falling backwards breakfall ushiro
falling sideways breakfall yoko
falling forwards breakfall mae
sideways rolling breakfall jempo-kaiteri

tumbling forwards in mid-air breakfall chugaeri

As a student you might begin by first lying flat on your back with your arms crossed well over your chest to touch each opposite shoulder. Then fling each arm out sideways alternately to strike the mat alongside in the manner described above; you may roll slightly from side to side as you perform this action.

Next you may sit up and fall sideways with a break-fall action, or backwards to break-fall with both arms simultaneously. As you become more adventurous, you can attempt rolling sideways and backwards from a squatting posture and throwing out an arm (or arms) to break the falls.

From there, try a sideways rolling break-falls from a feet-astride posture, bending forwards and rolling over one shoulder or the other. Sideways and backward break-falls may next be performed from a standing posture and then while on the move.

Finally, you will work with a partner and begin to experience break-falling into safe landings after being thrown. From there, we can progress to a front break-fall in which the student lands on flat raised forearms, with feet astride on turned-in toes to raise the hips off the mat, and the head turned sideways to avoid facial injury. The more senior grades will also learn to tumble forward in mid air to land safely on their backs (for use in sacrifice techniques).

Occasionally, a more strenuous approach to break-falls will be practised – pushes from behind, legs pulled away etc. but these will only be allowed when you are deemed competent.

These breakfalls will protect you on the mat during practise, but nobody carries a mat around in the street to provide a soft landing if attacked.

Later, you will also have to practise falling and rolling on a hard floor, moving straight into a counter-offensive posture with the legs against kicks, and recovering your feet quickly and turn to defend yourself again or run.

You will soon find all the ‘bony’ bits that touch the ground and learn to modify your breakfalls to lessen damage. This is in practise with goshinjutsu ideals not to forget the realism behind self-defence tactics.

falling backwards breakfall – ushiro