Thread: Ukemi 101
View Single Post
Old 11-21-2001, 09:47 AM   #16
Aikilove
Dojo: Lunds Aikidoklubb
Location: Lund, Sweden
Join Date: Dec 2000
Posts: 273
Sweden
Offline
Quote:
Originally posted by akiy

I usually encounter the most trepidation about ukemi from people learning how to breakfall. What seems to happen is that:
  1. Person tries to do some breakfalls.
  2. Person starts doing falls which they're not too ready for.
  3. Person does something "wrong" which hurts.
  4. Person develops natural fear for breakfalls since they hurt.
  5. Person tenses up when they're afraid.
  6. Person, being tense, lands harder in their next breakfall.
  7. Go to 3.
It's a vicious circle which I think a lot of people get into, both for rolling and breakfalling.
This is when I think thick crash mats will do the trick. If used right from the biginning (doing high forward falls, not rolling ones or obvious reasons) they never feel anything but a soft thud (no hurting there).

Practice with e.g. two senior students throwing the beginners á la 2 x kakari keiko with e.g sumi otosh, having the instructor watching and correcting each individual. Do this for a looong time, so that all may be thrown a lot of times. Specially point out that the the back leg should rise as the body goes forward and down (let them "almost" go over a few times before the actual throw, making sure that back leg goes up). Then gradually let they who wishes be thrown on the tatami (or whatever you have as mat). Then if they wish to go back to the big mat... let them.
We in our club have found that big mat very valuable in high fall training.

Jakob Blomquist
  Reply With Quote