From: jfrost@crash.cts.com (Julian Frost)
Newsgroups: rec.martial-arts
Subject: Dangers In Falling
Keywords: aikido ukemi falling
Date: 21 Dec 92 01:58:02 GMT
Organization: CTS Network Services (crash, ctsnet), El Cajon, CA

I have been practising martial arts for many years.  I started out in 
Judo and stuck with it for nine years, but Judo wasn't what I was 
looking for.  Towards the end of my time studying Judo, I also 
practised Karate and Daito Ryu Ju Jutsu.  At the age of 16, I stopped 
doing Judo and started Iai-do (Drawing, cutting and re-sheathing the 
Japanese sword) and Muso Shinden Ryu Jodo (Staff against sword)... 
both of which I still study today.  It was while studying Iai-do, 
that I first met an Aikido instructor... and I have been studying 
Aikido ever since.  I have been lucky enough to train as uchi deshi (a 
student who lives in the dojo with the Master) for a number of years 
with one of the best Aikido Masters in the world, Kazuo Chiba Shihan, 
that is why I moved from England to the USA.

Chiba Sensei always emphasizes the art of falling correctly, called 
Ukemi, in Japanese.  Most martial arts teach some kind of throwing, or 
tripping techniques, but few teach ukemi, or how to receive such 
techniques *correctly*.  This, I believe, is one of the dangers in 
martial arts practise.

It is easy to teach someone to throw, but is very difficult to teach 
someone to be thrown!  The important point in ukemi, one which really 
isn't taught anywhere except in Aikido, is RECEIVING someone's 
technique.  This doesn't mean getting hit, or being injured -- quite 
the opposite, it means FULLY absorbing the opponant's (ie your 
partner's) force so that s/he believes that attack has succeeded and 
therefore doesn't want, or is unable, to launch another attack.  At 
the same time, for the receiver of the attack, this means that you 
have absorbed the energy of the attack in a way that you can handle it 
(as opposed to receiving it in the form of a fist in the face, for 
example!).

I have seen many martial arts classes where someone is taken to the 
floor with what I will call here "an Aikido throw" and the instructor 
teaches the uke (receiver of the technique) how to fall "correctly".  
In reality, the M-A instructor is teaching a very dangerous way to 
fall.  To take ukemi from throws which use joints such as the wrist or 
elbow, it is important that the uke roll towards the center of the 
motion... that is TOWARDS THE THROWER.  If the uke rolls away from 
the center of the motion, s/he is going to be applying the technique 
to his/herself, which may cause even more damage.

A basic rule for ALL backward ROLLING breakfalls:
Most people are taught to place one foot behind the other, then to 
drop down onto the knee of the same foot, then to sit, then to roll.  
This is fine, but it must be more specific to avoid injuries...

When being thrown backwards, one hip will be closer to the thrower 
than the other.  It is ALWAYS the foot of this hip that should be 
placed behind the other.  This will ensure that you roll into the 
center of the movement.  When the foot is placed behind the other 
foot, do not place to foot "flat" on the floor (ie, as if you were 
sitting in the traditional kneeling posture, Seiza).  The toes should 
also be used for ukemi.  This is for two reasons:

a) If you place your foot flat (on the instep) without curling the 
toes underneath (like a Karateka pull his toes back for a front kick), 
you can break your toes... the top knuckle bends well in one direction 
only!
b) If the thrower decides to "walk" with you, how can you keep up with 
him/her if your toes are in danger of breaking if you put any weight 
on them?

It is difficult to train the body to react this way EVERY time you 
are thrown - but, not doing it correctly once could be the time when 
you get severely injured.  This kind of ukemi is more difficult to 
practise, but if your training is difficult, you get more out of it, 
more sense of having accomplished something, and if you ever have to 
use in "on the street", you will survive.

Safe and happy training.  Julian