Thread: soft breakfalls
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Old 04-15-2003, 10:57 AM   #1
kensparrow
Dojo: Methuen Aikido
Location: Massachusetts
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 97
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soft breakfalls

I was at a seminar a couple of months ago and I saw an uke who was able to do breakfalls with virtually no impact. It was one of the coolest things I have ever seen but I'm at a loss as far as understanding how he did it. When I breakfall, my arm contacts the mat first and then everything else makes contact at pretty much the same time after that. When this guy did it, it looked as though one leg hit the mat first (softly) and then the other leg followed until it also hit the mat (again softly). I overheard someone say that he had trained with Donovan Waite. I have since seen Waite Sensei's Aikido Ukemi tape and his movement did look something like that. Unfortunately the Aikido Ukemi tape only dealt with rolls and not breakfalls (I know, I know, they are supposed to be the same thing!) My question is this: does anyone out there know how to do what I described and/or know where I could find information about how to learn it? I know there is another Aikido Ukemi tape but is unclear to me whether or not it deals with breakfalls.

Thanks.
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