View Single Post
Old 11-04-2011, 02:25 PM   #32
graham christian
Dojo: golden center aikido-highgate
Location: london
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 2,697
England
Offline
Re: More on High Break-falls

Quote:
Katherine Derbyshire wrote: View Post
You started the thread with the claim that almost everyone seems to be lacking in a basic understanding of what a "high breakfall" is and what it entails:

So it's *your* understanding that people are interested in.

*shrug* My own view of ukemi is that it isn't really helpful to spend a lot of time categorizing different types. Work on relaxation and harmonizing with energy (yours, your partner's, gravity) and trust your body to know what to do. Especially in ukemi, committing to a particular form often just picks the place where you're going to store tension.

Katherine
In that case discuss my presented understanding no? Share your perspective no? First and foremost try to understand the words and concepts I have presented no?

Just coming in saying I wanna see a film of it makes no sense to me. A film of which particular point? Just coming in with no particular contribution or indication of whether you agree, disagree, or whatever makes even less sense to me.

If they are interested in my understanding as you put it then a little explanation with their request might help or do they think I've got a library of demo videos at hand? Or even that going making a film is normal to a thread? I don't get it.

However you have given a view of how you see break-falls here. That's good. I'd find it strange to ask you for a video myself.

In a past thread you said you liked an experiential example and the one of me falling off a ladder should fit that I hope.

I too don't see the point in spending lots of time categorizing all types and forms and some I have done in the past I've never seen anywhere else. That's why I stuck to the two basics that apply to all types. One where you have the opportunity to roll or turn with the ground and one where you don't.

These two things if understood then I would say the person wouldn't need any precise film for they would be able to watch any film and see if the person was either a) rolling, turning with/on the ground or b) relaxing into the ground with no roll. You could even spin sideways in the air or flip over and land on your knees but the whole point is the landing. Did you roll off the knees or did you sink down through the knees, a) or b)? Did you land and roll or land and disperse the energy.

They are the points of breaking the fall thus they are the important bits.

That's what I'm giving import to and that's what I haven't seen mentioned or given import to before. That's all.

These to me are two basic principles that need to be understood in order to even ask yourself the right question when seeing someone fall or be thrown.

From this you would therefore be observing how the person got up from the fall. This and only this will tell you if those basics were in at least 905 of the time anyway.

Once they're in then you can work on form of break-fall or even necessity or not of such forms.

I think I have the right to point this out and also to say what I have observed in past discussions for I have witnessed there and in my experience emphasis too much on form and virtually none on those basics especially in Aikido. It's as if 'we don't do that it's judo' type mentality or just plain and simple 'I don't like them'. 'Them' being the harmonize with the mat without rolling times.

You do a nikkyo and the persons complaining ouch my knees. That's actually an example of bad break-fall.

How many have ever looked at it that way? I doubt many so I think my original observations in the op are quite correct.

I also hope people see the difference and have someone show them how to apply it properly and thus prevent injuries rather than cause them through blaming wrong things.

Sorry to go on there but I do know many have never considered these things. In fact one student it was quite amusing to me that I kind of rescued him from an Aikido place that is very good at damaging bodies with their 'solid' break-falls.

Regards.G.
  Reply With Quote