Breakfall Safely

If you can't breakfall safely, then you can't do Aikido.

I know that this is the last piece of advice most beginners want to hear, but it's true.

You want to do those cool Aikido throws and locks you've seen Steven Seagal do in the movies. But even Steven Seagal had to learn how to breakfall safely (perform Ukemi) when he was first starting out.

It's these basic building-blocks of Aikido which keep you safe. (Being able to fall down safely was a skill the stunt actors had to have to play the part of the baddies in his movies.)

The same applies to most martial arts films. The guys who get thrown by the hero have to know how to breakfall safely ... otherwise they'd be stretcher cases.

Whoa! Bad career move...

Steven Seagal had to learn basic Aikido moves before he became a senior student (Sempai). And eventually (after more years of very hard work) he became a teacher (Sensei) of Aikido.

He's a very skilled Sensei, even if the image he presents through his movies is more aggressive than necessary. (Remember, the aim in Aikido is to do minimum damage!) Learning to fall safely means you have to do some serious training.

I'm talking months of hard work just to be able to breakfall effectively.

You can't gain tumbling skills in a crash-course lasting a few days. And it takes many years of really dedicated work to reach teacher status.

Consider this. You can't learn Aikido without having training partners. And you'll run out of partners pretty darn fast if they don't know how to breakfall safely (do Ukemi).

Since you and your training partner(s) have to take turns to throw each other - that's how we all practise fairly - you are going to take turns to be thrown too.

It's time for some tumbling skills, then! You've got to be able to breakfall safely because Aikido training sometimes means doing a hundred or more throws (and falls) in a single session!

If you strain, sprain or break something, you're going to be hospitalized, and then you'll be out of action for months.

That will slow your training schedule right down.

If you injure your training partners, they're going to get annoyed at you pretty quickly. They're much more likely to hurt you the next time it's their turn to do a technique to you, just to teach you what it feels like!

Trust me. You have to be able to breakfall safely to learn Aikido (or any throwing martial art, such as Judo or Ju Jitsu).

The sooner you learn Ukemi, the sooner you can progress to the more "glamorous" stuff, such as dramatic Aikido throws, arm locks, wrist locks, and Aikido elbow and shoulder locks.

These locks are also called Immobilizations, because they are used to end a fight or a physical confrontation, by pinning your attacker to the ground so he cannot move.

Any attempt to escape causes the attacker (Uke) intense pain - so he has to lie there quietly. If he struggles too much, he will end up with a broken arm, or wrist or elbow or shoulder.

That's how these Aikido locks work, and that makes them excellent arrest techniques for police and security work.

The journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step.
Ancient Oriental Saying

So. You're ready to learn Ukemi? Then work your way through these types of breakfalls:

• Back Breakfalls
• Side Breakfalls
• Forward Rolls (Rolling Breakfalls)
• Advanced: Kotegaeshi Breakfalls

Aikido Breakfalls Description