Ukemi.....yoko kaiten, randori....

[Spinedoc]

So, how many of you practice ukemi on a regular basis? I'm not talking during class or techniques, but even at home. Over the years in Aikido and the little bit of Judo I've done, I've gotten fairly good. Ukemi is interesting, I often tell new students that their progress in Aikido is not only related to how they progress executing techniques, but also how they progress in taking ukemi....IE; can't practice shihonage koshinage if you can't take the fall.

However....at least for me, one side is ALWAYS better than the other......and it doesn't seem to matter whether it's front or back falls, breakfalls, yoko kaiten, etc. I've been really focused recently on picking apart my yoko kaiten or side fall, and dissecting it....I can fall to my left side with a beautiful, high side fall, but when I go to my right.....well, it's definitely not beautiful. LOL. I definitely prefer the side falls as I age.......

On side note, I was uke for an ikkyu pre-test last week and during the randori (3 attackers at ikkyu) I was thrown towards another uke......I saw him as I was going over, and thought...."Oh, he'll move".......well, he didn't, crashing happened, my ankles slammed together, and now I have a nice giant bruise.....Sigh...the joys of training.

Anyway, tell me about your ukemi practice.....what does your art teach you, and how often do you practice it?

 

[kuniggety]

We practice front and back rolls every class and usually side falls too... I'd say probably 50/50 on those. This is BJJ.

I don't practice my ukemi a lot at home, but I do my stack stretches sometimes which helps with being used to having a contorted body. Stack stretch is where you lay back with your feet over your head and your toes on the ground. Then walk side to side on your toes.

 

[Ironbear24]

Never. Only the dojo.

 

[Spinedoc]

Of course, there is always this......LOL

 

[Ironbear24]

I want to try that.

 

[geezer]

I want to try that.

What? Falling on hard surfaces? OK till you mess up. Then I ended up going to my local "Spinedoc".

What was easy 40 years ago ain't practical today.

 

[Spinedoc]

Might want to practice a lot.....like a WHOLE lot...here's some jujutsu on wooden floors...

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=766066803525287

 

[Spinedoc]

I see serious, very serious and precise ukemi here!

 

[Spinedoc]

We practice front and back rolls every class and usually side falls too... I'd say probably 50/50 on those. This is BJJ.

I don't practice my ukemi a lot at home, but I do my stack stretches sometimes which helps with being used to having a contorted body. Stack stretch is where you lay back with your feet over your head and your toes on the ground. Then walk side to side on your toes.

In my BJJ class we do a lot of stretching and cardio warmup, but no real ukemi practice.....I like the stack stretch as it just feels good....

 

[Tony Dismukes]

When I teach (BJJ) I usually include a bit of ukemi as part of the warm ups. Probably not as much as I should, though.

When I was younger I use to practice a lot of ukemi outside the dojo, including dive rolls on concrete and hard wood floors. These days my body is less resilient, so I mostly stick to mats or soft grass for ukemi practice.

 

[Hanzou]

Yeah, we do ukemi in my gym, but its not a very frequent occurrence. Maybe a few times a month tops.

 

[Spinedoc]

@Tony Dismukes , that makes one wonder if BJJ classes should incorporate more Ukemi training? I don't know that answer as I have not been in BJJ that long, but what are your thoughts?

 

[Tony Dismukes]

@Tony Dismukes , that makes one wonder if BJJ classes should incorporate more Ukemi training? I don't know that answer as I have not been in BJJ that long, but what are your thoughts?

It depends on the individual school and instructor, but I would say that in general a large percentage of BJJ schools don't spend as much time as I would like starting from the feet and training takedowns. Ukemi practice goes along with practicing throws and takedowns. If you hardly ever get thrown in training you aren't going to feel the need to spend much time practicing ukemi.

 

[Xue Sheng]

Of course, there is always this......LOL

Waaaaay back when I trained Jiujutsu, as a kid, we did not use mats or pads, we had a carpeted floor and (believe it or not) fencing foils and masks lining the walls of the dojo (it was also a fencing school) and the kids I trained with and myself would occasionally get together outside of class and throw each other around... in yards, on play grounds, or wherever we were. And I think this has saved me more than once falling outside and even once falling down some basement stairs onto a concrete floor

 

[Flatfish]

Might want to practice a lot.....like a WHOLE lot...here's some jujutsu on wooden floors...

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=766066803525287

This is inspiring. I'm gonna roll across campus to my car this afternoon....

 

[Spinedoc]

And I think this has saved me more than once falling outside and even once falling down some basement stairs onto a concrete floor

My Sensei and we senior students will often tell many, if not most of our students, that the SINGLE most important physical lesson you can learn from the martial arts, not talking about self confidence, relaxation, conditioning, etc., is learning to fall safely.

Look, you might be in 1 or 2 physical confrontations in your adult life unless you work in a high risk occupation like law enforcement or protection services (bodyguards, bouncers, etc.).....If you are in more than that as an adult, then you need to seriously look in the mirror.....because...yes, most likely, you have an attitude problem, and yes....the problem is you.

However, as we age we will all fall...especially those of us living in more northern climates. It's inevitable...YOU WILL fall.....I see so many elderly patients with compression fractures, hip fractures, etc. from falls. Learning to fall safely can save you a great deal of pain and misery.

 

[Tony Dismukes]

My Sensei and we senior students will often tell many, if not most of our students, that the SINGLE most important physical lesson you can learn from the martial arts, not talking about self confidence, relaxation, conditioning, etc., is learning to fall safely.

Look, you might be in 1 or 2 physical confrontations in your adult life unless you work in a high risk occupation like law enforcement or protection services (bodyguards, bouncers, etc.).....If you are in more than that as an adult, then you need to seriously look in the mirror.....because...yes, most likely, you have an attitude problem, and yes....the problem is you.

However, as we age we will all fall...especially those of us living in more northern climates. It's inevitable...YOU WILL fall.....I see so many elderly patients with compression fractures, hip fractures, etc. from falls. Learning to fall safely can save you a great deal of pain and misery.

Totally agreed. This is why I include ukemi as part of the warm-ups for every class I teach, even if I don't spend as much time on it as I probably should.

 

[MAfreak]

my whole living room is full of mats für sparring and exercises like falling. its all for keeping in shape even without a "dojo".

 

[Buka]

Used to practice break fall all the time, not as much any more. I've slipped on ice a couple times over the last few years, past training really saved my butt. I've done a lot of break fall training on concrete. It's not so much the concrete that's been any problem, it's those little pebbles that you just didn't notice.