How to do Rolling Breakfalls safely

(These are also known as aikido Forward Rolls)

Rolling Breakfalls are sometimes called Forward Rolls in other martial arts. Ukemi is the Japanese word for the art of falling safely, and Gymnasts call it Tumbling. It's all about not getting hurt when you fall down.

Forward Rolls are very important because they get you back up onto your feet immediately, so you can continue defending yourself.

But before you try Rolling Breakfalls, you should already know how to do Back Breakfalls and Side Breakfalls.

If you have not learned the preceeding material, please, go read it now.

Learn your Back and Side breakfalls first. These are your most basic and important techniques.

ROLLING BREAKFALLS

Rolling breakfalls are spectacular to watch, especially during the excitement of an aikido martial arts demonstration. But they take considerable practice.

When your body falls at speed, you need to protect your head and neck from getting broken; also you need to spread the shock and save your arms and legs.

You accomplish this by making your body into a hoop, or at least part of a circle.

Do this right, and your body rolls like a rubber tire that is thrown across the floor.

The energy that could hurt you and break your bones is absorbed along the perimeter of the circle, and nothing gets damaged.

Do it wrong, and you can end up hurt or even crippled. This is why you need a proper class and a qualified, experienced instructor.

So much for the theory... You need to put this into practice, but you need a safe place to train with a trusted friend. Somewhere without spectators.

Tatami, gymnasium mats, wrestling mats will all help to cushion the bumps as you start. If you cannot use a hall with mats, then try a grassy lawn or even a sandy beach somewhere.

Think of your shoulders, arms and hands as a hoop or a circle. There is also a second and bigger "circle" for you to envision. It is made up of your extended hand and arm, shoulder, the center of your back, your spine, buttocks, legs and feet.

You must train your body so it touches the ground all along this pathway each time you do a rolling fall.

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