UKEMI (the art of break-falling)

Many beginners take up judo having thought of it only in terms of themselves performing the throws rather than being thrown, but for every judoka throwing, another must obviously fall. How to fall safely and to avoid or at least minimize any shock or injury on contact with the mat, therefore, are very much a part of the art of judo and must rank highly among first things to be learned by a newcomer. 

Ukemi is the term used to describe a series of break-fall techniques which reduce the impact of a fall if properly executed; this enables the player being thrown to land on the mat in comparative safety. Ma-ukemi is the art of falling forwards with safety, yoko-ukemi is falling sideways and ushiro-ukemi is falling backwards.

The basic principle of ukemi, practiced by the player being thrown, is that the body should be relaxed and curled up as it passes through the air. Initial impact with the mat is absorbed by an arm (or both arm) being flung out to strike the mat on the side the fall is being made. The hand of the outstretched arm is held flat, palm facing downwards, and the arm itself is uncoiled swiftly from the shoulder to strike the mat flat as the landing is being made. An arm flung out flatly from shoulder to fingertips prevents those injuries to arms or shoulders which can occur if a landing is made on the points of the elbows.

He bends forward over his bent left knee as his left arm descends in a scooping movement towards a spot between his feet. there is already a smooth curve developing from his left fingertips, up the arm and across his back to the right shoulder

  During the fall, the judoka keeps the chin tucked down on to the chest so that the back of the head is not whiplashes back on to the mat. The on the side towards which the fall is made is relaxed and more or less in line with the body. The Knee of the other leg is raised up slightly across the groin many believe this protects the lower abdomen against further attack. In a sideways break-fall, the outstretched arm should strike the mat in position best described as a four o’clock on the right and eight o’clock on the left as the player is lying face upwards.

The Judoka has collapsed his left knee and allowed himself to roll down on to the mat right round that curve, throwing his right arm straight out behind him

Good break falls don’t necessarily have to be seen to be appreciated; they can be heard loud and clear as those outstretched shock-absorbing arms smack on to the mat. It is not unnatural for beginners to have an inherent fear or at least some degree of nervousness about committing themselves freely to falling, but it is amazing how quickly they abandon themselves to the experience after careful tuition has taken them through progressive stages. As a student you might begin by first lying flat on your back with your arms crossed well over your chest to touch each opposite shoulder. Then fling each arm out sideways alternately to strike the mat alongside in the manner described above; you may roll slightly from side to side as you perform this action. Next you may sit up and fall sideways with a break fall action or backwards to break-fall with both arms simultaneously.

The right arm extends flat to break the fall and absorb the full initial impact of the body landing on the mat

As you become more adventurous, you can attempt rolling sideways and backwards from a squatting posture and throwing out an arm (or arms) to break the falls. From there, try sideways rolling break-falls from a foot astride posture, bending forwards and rolling over one shoulder or the other. Sideways and backward break-falls may next be performed from a standing posture and then while on the move. Finally, you will be put to work with a partner and begin to experience break falling to safe landings after actually being thrown.

As the judoka jumps to clear his feet from the mat and throw his legs up into the air, his body tips backwards to fall upon the mat, but not before those flat arms have made a resounding break-fall on each side of his body and absorbed most of the impact. Note also how his chin has been well tucked in and head held forward to prevent any whiplash effect on to the mat

Junior players are additionally taught to perform forward rolling break-falls. These eventually become safe landings after what is more like a somersault through the air, without the hands touching the mat until the point of impact on landing. Some sensei also teach a forward-falling break-fall in which the player lands on flat raised forearms, with feet astride on turned-in toes to raise the hips off the mat, and head turned sideways to avoid facial injury.

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Balance and Movement

A judoka stands in shizentai (natural posture).

Whenever a judoka stands upon the mat, a straight leg (or legs) is not recommended. A supporting straight leg locks the joints and can in itself prove tiring. Being caught on a straight leg by an opponent in either practice or contest can not only be defeating but injurious too. Shizentai (natural posture) is the basic posture in Judo, and there are three positions. In shizen-hontai the judoka stands relaxed with arms hanging loose. The legs are not rigidly straight, but neither are they fully bent. Body weight is spread equally over both feet, which should be positioned apart somewhere in line with your own shoulder width. Toed point slightly out wards. In migi-shezentai, the right foot only is placed slightly forward of the left foot. In hidari-shizentai, the left foot only is placed slightly forward. There are also three forms of jigotai, the basic defense posture, which can also be used so effectively in attack when performing, say kataguruma (see post  no xxxx36xxxx) the main and obvious changes in posture from shizentai are the widening of the feet and the increased bending of the knees to drop the hips and thereby lower the body’s center of gravity.

Both players in natural right side posture take hold of each other in the standard fashion – left hand gripping the underside of the opponent’s right sleeve while the right hand grasps the left lapel with the thumb inside at a point about mid way between shoulder and waist

The feet, with toes pointed slightly outwards, are clamped firmly on to the mat to share the body weight and form a sound and solid base. In migi-jigotai you take one step forward with the left leg only. Almost all the throwing techniques demonstrated in this blog are referred to as being executed from ‘a natural right side posture’. It is form this natural right side (or right handed) posture that you first take up the normal grip on your partner or opponent in the basic and traditional manner. Grasp the underside of his right forearm sleeve with your left hand. Slide the thumb of your right hand inside the left lapel of his jacket at about mid chest height and grip with a clenched fist, fingers on the outside. When tightening this grip on the lapel, do not forget to use your little and ring fingers to maximize the strength of your hold.

As you progress, not only through this blog, but also later in any competitive career you may embark upon, you will find many variations within the rules on this basic manner of grasping your opponent’s jacket. Sometimes it may be a sleeve and the back of his jacket or even his belt, both lapels and perhaps both sleeves/. These changes are determined by the type of throw being executed, the need for some counter action to an opponent’s movement or (in many cases) the evolution of any individual’s particular style of Judo. Remember that you may only hold on to your opponent’s belt in the course of executing a techniques and that you must never hold any part or parts of one side only of his jacket for longer than three or four seconds. Also, you must not grab the inside of an opponent’s sleeve or screw it up at the end. Nor are you permitted to hold on to the inside of your opponent’s trouser leg either when standing one when engaged in groundwork. Your gripping hands should be held firm but not clenched hard until the instant you attempt to break your opponent’s balance in order to apply a technique. When you and your partner have learned to get hold of each other correctly in the basic manner, you must next master walking each other forwards, backwards and sideways in every direction. An advancing and retreating movement is called sintai; a turning movement is called tai-sabaki. In shintai (moving forwards, sideways and backwards) you should walk from the hips, retaining the distribution of your body weight equally over both feet. Then slide rather than take deliberate steps with your feet.

Tori (on the left) senses instantly that he can break balance to Uke’s rear right corner. Tori sweeps with his left foot. Tori throws Uke with kosoto-gari (minor outer reaping)  

As you begin to experience movement over the mat with a partner, so ca you begin to feel or sense points at which he will be vulnerable and in a position for you to execute kusushi (to break the balance): that is, a position in which he will have tipped his body weight too far over a supporting leg and be exposed to a pull or push off balance in one direction or another. Generally throughout this book Tori (the attacker) is referred to as breaking the balance of the Uke (the defender) to the front or rear, to left side or right side. Additionally, there are right and left front corners and right and left rear corners to which balance can be broken. A partner’s balance forward is broken basically by pulling him up and forwards on to his toes and simultaneously tipping him to left or right by pushing and pulling on his jacket lapel and sleeve in the required direction. When doing this, your arms should be bent and rotate in a steering-wheel action is used to break balance to the rear, but in such cases, of course, your partner is first pushed back on to his heel or heels.

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