Kotegaeshi Breakfalls

Used in Aikido and Ju Jitsu

Kotegaeshi Breakfalls are how you escape from a very nasty arm break in Aikido or Ju Jitsu.

If you don't know how to leap over your own arm quickly, and land with a good side breakfall, your arm is going to snap like a twig when someone hits you with a Kotegaeshi throw at full power.

The Kote-gaeshi breakfall is not a technique for raw Aikido beginners. That's why the Kotegaeshi throw is the 12th technique in the Tomiki Aikido training curriculum.

You already need to have built up your Ukemi skills (your breakfalls) well before you try this one.

You start learning Kotegaeshi breakfalls by practising with a partner in the dojo.

You stand facing each other, and grip each other's hands.

The first few times, the assisting partner holds your hand lightly. He then turns and kneels as he places your hand palm-down on the dojo mat. (This makes it safe for you to do a rolling breakfall.)

And then you then do a gentle forward roll using your captured arm.

This gets you used to timing your breakfall to the actions (and placement) of someone else.

It is a strange feeling at first, but you will quickly gain confidence.

The second stage is much more of a challenge...

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