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Old 06-02-2009, 11:09 AM   #42
Jonathan
Dojo: North Winnipeg Aikikai
Location: Winnipeg, Canada
Join Date: Oct 2001
Posts: 265
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Re: Very {Extremely} frustrated with Koshinage Ukemi

Quote:
Either way, Im trying to work through this, got a better hand of it, but honestly, its not second nature yet, and Im by far not comfortable...Im still landing improperly on my forearm despite trying to reach out...habit I suppose.

Practice, practice, and more practice.
Usually, when I've seen my students landing on their elbows from a high breakfall it is because they are not allowing their body to relax while in the air. When I say relax I don't mean become noodly. You should be extending your energy outward as you fall, but without significant muscular tension. If you are tense as you fall, the force of nage's movements will not be dissipated by your ukemi and so you may over-rotate and land on your elbow (and sometimes on the point of your hip as well). Think of draping yourself over nage or winding yourself around nage's body during the throw; look at nage and reach for the floor with your free arm. And, as you say, practice, practice, practice.

Take 'er easy!

Jon.

"Iron sharpens iron; so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend."
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