Ukemi's a little ruff
 

Hi yall, just wondering if anybody's ukemi has gotten weaker for say, after a while. I know it is a weird question but i think that i have lost my full ukemi abilities for some reason. Although others will say that it is fine. I just am not getting the air i used to. I think it has something to do wih the car accident i had last year at the start of december. I have worked my back into shape since then, but something still isnt right. Do you guys think subconsiencely i am worried about injuring my back again. and if so what should i do.
I will take any advice i can get.

Re: Ukemi's a little ruff
 

Practise, practise, practise :p

I used to take a lot of big ukemi that was basically unnessecary. I ended up with a lot of aches and pains, so I adpated it and tried to make it as soft and quiet as possible. Much better results. Try and get hold of the donovan waite videos/dvd on soft ukemi. Theres also some clips of Jundoing the folding fan breakfall on here somwhere. the subconscious desire to not hurt your back is probably part of it too. Cant really help you with that, thats a demon you have to work out yourself ;)

Re: Ukemi's a little ruff
 

Thanks nick

Re: Ukemi's a little ruff
 

Hey Justin
We had a guy that busted his knee in class he was gone for some time he was the best UKI ever. Now he is very paranoid about any move you try to pull on him he's so worried that he hurt him self again its kind a irritating to honest with you. My point is he did it in class you on the other hand you had a car accident so light a candle pray a little mediated if you have to relax and enjoy your class.

Re: Ukemi's a little ruff
 

my ukemi isnt what it used to be either, than again I have been away from aikido for 6 years...but its getting there, slowly but surly

Re: Ukemi's a little ruff
 

Justin,
I agree with the thought "give it time". I had a non-aikido injury about 18 months ago with a similar story.

I also rock climb and took a fall that tore all of the tendons/ligaments out of my left ankle. It was a good 2-3 months before I could even start climbing again and when I did go back and got back into the swing of things I felt I was doing things "the same as before" but I wasn't climbing to the level I used to climb before the fall.

I had some friends that had climbed with me for a year or two observe from the ground and realized I was tense on the rocks and not committing fully to some of the more risky moves like I used to in the past.

As I continued climbing though the feel for the rock I used to have came back completely and I am now climbing at a higher level than I was before the fall happened.

I'm sure as you continue to train you will continue to be more comfortable and be able to relax more and before long your ukemi will be as solid as it was in the past.

Re: Ukemi's a little ruff
 

Hell, the drunker I get, the better I used to be. :D

Re: Ukemi's a little ruff
 

I think i will "Take it one fall at a time" uesheiba. thanks everyone

Re: Ukemi's a little ruff
 

some one once told me when you can take a forward roll w/o spilling your beer, than your ukemi is perfect

Re: Ukemi's a little ruff
 

Is getting air an important aspect of ukemi? And if so, shouldn't it be dictated by the technique of tori/nage?

Re: Ukemi's a little ruff
 

Could your partners be trying to "take it easy on you"?

Some of the worst ukemi I have ever taken came from nages who weren't sure I was up to it, so they faltered or pulled back or cut the connection. Ow! It's easier to take good ukemi from a fully committed unhesitating throw.

Mary Kaye

Re: Ukemi's a little ruff
 

Mary you verry well could be right. Josh it isnt that the importance of ukemi was air, it was the fact that i once could perform eutiful ukemi and get real good air. to make it look even better. Now i just dont get as high as i used to. same as Taekwondo i used to get some major air when doing numorouse jump kicks, and now it just isnt the same.

Re: Ukemi's a little ruff
 

I went through the same thing when I first started training. I stumbled in the middle of a technique and slammed by back hard. It took about six weeks before I could even begin to try foward ukemi, let alone anything riskier. I was afraid of tweaking my back or my knee ( riding accident many years before). My sensei was very very patient and allowed me to come to the senior class to work on my ukemi since it was a small class and there was a large mat.

Within fifteen minutes I was being eyed by the odd man out ( in this group there was one other woman who was about to test for her black belt. And soon found my self practicing with every one else. During a technique my partner just plump let me go and bingo, Ukemi. No hesitation, no worry, no broken bones. Never had a problem after that. Break falling was great fun when we got to it.

Try break falling with someone who is about two feet taller then you :D

As always,
Ellie

Re: Ukemi's a little ruff
 

I felt the need to share...My ukemi tonight felt the best it has felt since I have been back....we were doing and iriminage variation and I was rolling with the greatest of ease, I owe alot to my partners who were throwing me very well and not treating me like a beginner like some fo the students seem to

Re: Ukemi's a little ruff
 

No disrespect intended, but sometimes I think we forget that ukemi is about receiving your partners technique (energy) and handling that in an appropriate way. Learning to roll and take breakfalls is one obvious manifestation of that but it has developed a life of its own in Aikido unlike in any other Budo. Of course good ukemi is very nice to see, especially if tori is high ranked, it allows for faster, more vigorous techniques, good PR for Aikido effectiveness. BUT,,,,,
I wonder what uke is learning about the real reason (technically) for receiving tori's energy and technique, which is the possibility of reversal, of kaeshi waza. Mostly we get little opportunity to explore this dimension of Aikido without descending into competition fighting.
By the way before anyone jumps on me I don't mean that competitive practice is a descent, but that within Aikido, due to lack of practice, it usually is. If you can find the right partners, half speed, but committed, attacks can be explored in which the role of uke is not fixed. Both of you are trying to feel the other's intent, balance, suki, etc. Sometimes this leads to a fall, sometimes not, sometimes it would lead to groundwork, sometimes uke would become tori even after taking the fall.
IMHO always thinking about ukemi as falling breeds the wrong mindset for continuous development of Aikido as Budo.