sunny liberti

I'd like to add to Rob's drill that the extended arm would be behind you with palm up while walking. It feels (and looks) really goofy! As you tuck your head and flip, keep the arm stationary out behind you and relaxed - DON'T TRY TO SLAP THE MAT!! That arm is "feeling" for the ground. Let it make contact due to your movement. If you slap, your elbow will be at great risk, especially b/c you won't have a good sense of how far away the ground is.

And know that you may have to do it in controlled circumstances for a long time before you can handle doing it in action. Build your muscle memory to do it right. We ususally need that ukemi for getting out of a tight spot quickly, so you'll want your body to do it correctly without thought when you need that ukemi.

Good luck!