Ukemi #1 - Martial Arts Breakfalls Tutorial - Dojo to Concrete

[DFCcaptain3]

Hello,

I have been practising Judo for about 6 years now, I'm getting my 1st dan in november, and I have a hard time doing the 'Free Fall' type of ukemi

I also practise Aikido, and that particular type of ukemi is very common in Aikido.

Although I'm not good at it, heck I suck at it....

Any tips on how to do it?

[Jujitsu4u]

@DFCcaptain3 If you're exhaling as you fall and hit the mat, that makes a lot of difference. After six years, you certainly must be falling OK, or you wouldn't have survived that long!

[sparkeones]

I was looking for judo vid

This is good for me.

[marcymanuele]

cute

[Jujitsu4u]

"Cute Ukemi", LOL.

[xXPandaTsubasaXx]

LOL, I love the ending where he rolls and does a pose and did a peace sign xDD

[MeltedKangaroo]

Hello! Great video. I am a practicioner of hapkido and taekwondo. We do very much falls and rolls. On mat it worked, but on concrete it was not so good. I want to say, i learned them for real when i learned it on concrete. Eeverybody should practice these, and when you think you learned it, then test it on concrete. And then learn again..

[kinc1967]

Cool video!

[torresfan101]

that was amazing i just started judo and Ukemi is somethig i'm struggling with. this was eye opening. thank you

[keosintal]

Thank you! This is the first video that makes me really understand how to rolling in parkour. Thank you so much!!!

[Jujitsu4u]

You're welcome!

Feel free to also check out "Ryan Doyle - Parkour Roll Tutorial". I liked that one enough to make it a favorite.

[tgnrogue]

Can definitely attest to this video. A few years ago, when i was still a green belt in Aikido, I was hit by a car on my street. Somehow i managed to breakfall onto the car and then as i went up and over the roof of car diagonally ending up naturally landing in an Ukemi on the pavement on the other side of the street, I only received one injury, a slightly swollen ankle from where my foot was over the curb, but other than that, nothing, no cuts, grazes, broken bones, not even a scratch.

[Jujitsu4u]

Nice testimonial! Thanks for sharing it.

Seems there have been a few comments from anxious new students who can't wait to get from point A to point B. Your story demonstrates that the skills become practical well before black belt if the dedication's put in.

[tgnrogue]

It probably helped, with me especially, as I seemed to just be natrually good at ukemi, was never formally taught how to do them just watched for the first few sessions and then bam, next session did it nigh on perfectly, that and the fact im the kind of nutter who then actually practised it inn his spare tme, at school and college during lunch in the field, in PE on the gymnastics mats, the tenis courts, on the way home in fields, at the beaches sandy and pebbled.

[iSeenthatB4]

Sensei I have also study Jujitsu, what is a challenge is that if you are grabbed by the arms or hands and and a successful throw is made on you what techniques would you suggest for rolling out of that?

Thank u

[Jujitsu4u]

Too many factors (so many types of grabs and throws) to say what to do in all cases. If you can, counter w/ sutemi (sacrifice throw) of some kind to use your partner as a counterbalance since this naturally lessens impact of most falls.

As demonstrated in the video, it is important to be able to execute rolls and breakfalls without slapping the mat / ground. Hate to sound redundant, but this is just a function of lots of practice.

Are you training mainly for self defense (other factors apply)?

[theghost2987]

i'm overweight(106kgs) and 6ft tall...can i learn this sensei?

[Jujitsu4u]

Absolutely. Your weight doesn't seem necessarily too out of the ordinary for your height (depending on your build). Are you studying a martial art now?

[theghost2987]

@Jujitsu4u

Its mostly fat :)

Not learning anything now but want to take up judo

[Jujitsu4u]

Then go for it!

If you really want to get good at ukemi, then make sure to take time to practice consistently on your own before or after class, as your instructor will allow (some schools integrate formal ukemi practice into their curricula more than others).

[theghost2987]

@Jujitsu4u

Thanks Sensei and a Happy new year to u !!!

[Jujitsu4u]

You too. Have a great 2010!

[noskatermag]

Good for skateboarding too, let me testify to that.

[1closedown1]

If i practice every day. Will i grow up to be as good as you?

[Jujitsu4u]

Probably better. Based on your age, you've got a head start.

[chris22452245]

i used to take judo classes....

no good if the guy your attacking isnt wearing a bath robe

:P

i moved on to taiquondo (spelled right?)

now im freerunning

(that wont help my self defence ): )

[Jujitsu4u]

You lie! . . .If you're ever attacked by Hugh Hefner, judo will work against a smoking jacket. :-D

[Fupper16]

Sensei, is chi real? If it is, what is it? OSU.

[Jujitsu4u]

Yes. One translation from Japanese means "earth."

In jujutsu and similar arts, this is where we want to plant the bad guy in most cases (and why good ukemi is important).

[RobotFather]

I'm a white belt and I really hate breakfalls. This video makes them look super cool. Is practise the only way to get better, or is there some kind of serum I can drink? Heeelp!

[Jujitsu4u]

Yup. Practice proper form, relaxation, breathing to the point all of the rudimentary falls / rolls are automatic on the mat (and should be automatic when thrown as well).

Some people seem to innately take to ukemi, while others struggle with it for awhile (me, I'd go to the dojo during lunch breaks and take 200 falls to iron out the rough spots in my technique -- took awhile for me to get good at it).

Best wishes with your ongoing training.

[sanucesMMA]

Actually, if you know how to fall on the mat, it is really not that bad in concrete, I tried it many times.

[Jujitsu4u]

For anyone reading this comment and the previous one by plalelal, I recommend interpreting learning to fall on mats as practicing ukemi on mats to the point you feel even distribution of impact over your body whenever you fall, and you've reached a point that you can just fall without thinking about how to fall.

Even then, injuries are possible. If you find yourself lying on the concrete wishing you'd graduated to something firm but softer first, know that you were warned in advance.

[plalelal]

The odds of a confrontation are quite small. Learning to fall on mats is sufficient. If the technique is right it will work onj the street as well.

[Jujitsu4u]

Agree with your first comment, but respectfully disagree that falling on mats is enough (or I wouldn't've made the video). Harder surfaces are the litmus test for whether or not "technique is right." I know many diligent students who didn't know there were adjustments they needed to make until they at least left the dojo and tried falling on grass (most people at a minimum learn to not slap the ground as hard as they can get away with on the mat).

[1codcod]

Nice technique on concrete, I like it! =D

[hakoyanagi]

I totally agree. While I taught martial arts- there were several cases where a student avoided injury from horse riding accidents to slipping on ice in the winter because he or she knew how to land.

[Jujitsu4u]

Good to hear, and thanks for sharing!

[LmfaoAha]

yes...the art of falling

[joluks]

ah se hace mierda xD

[Jujitsu4u]

So . . . You have a problem with this topic and the documented techniques for addressing it? If so, let's hear from you what doesn't qualify as "mierda"

[Shadowglimt]

That rolling shit aint hard at all.. but pretty bad to fall on the ground without protection tho :)

[ProAudioFanatic]

Great video! Were doing something similar out in the company parking space and some passers by called the cops and they came, intending to haul me to a mental institution...

[Jujitsu4u]

Now THAT's reality-based training if the cops show up!

[ProAudioFanatic]

I've been "playing around" on solid tile floor for a little bit... and i swear the pavement feels soft(er)..... wooden floors are cozy and martial art mats feel like tempurpedic. Am I crazy, just imagining it.... or am I really feeling a difference between density of seemingly, ridiculously dense surfaces?

[Jujitsu4u]

I've fallen on tile, so I think I know what you mean. Perhaps it's the non-uniform surface vs. concrete? I've fallen on grass that had lots of divots and I felt more hot spots along my body than falling in a parking lot.

In the same way that some people take naturally to breaking / tameshiwari, perhaps other rare folks just have a knack for ukemi regardless of surface.

Hey, if you have video of your ukemi, please post as a video response. Would love to see it.

[ProAudioFanatic]

Hi, i'm not skilled enough to be cam worthy.... My form is crude, with experience from breaking shit, i attacked this the same way as breaking.... start out soft, then progress to hard surface.... "all" it takes is a lot of practice... i do 50-100 rolls a day which really isn't very time consuming when you do it all in rapid succession, in which case it can also count toward your "cardio time".

[ProAudioFanatic]

When i roll in rapid succession to a sitting possture i start getting dizzy at the 5-6 roll.... so after 10 i have to roll to roll to just laying down for about 10 rolls. Not that there is any practical application to rolling 10 times to sitting, but any suggestions on how to avoid getting dizzy? As like keeping your head level when turning your head quick when kicking. Let it be know my standing forward roll is horrible.

[Jujitsu4u]

Yes, good point regarding practice! I was so frustrated when I started learning ukemi that I'd go to the dojo on lunch breaks and do 200+ reps a day until I got all of the basic rolls and falls right.

As for dizziness, remember to keep breathing / exhaling as you roll (also important in general for executing any martial arts techniques). Can't guarantee you that you won't get dizzy after that many rolls, but it should help reduce the amount of dizziness or delay onset of dizziness at least.

[ProAudioFanatic]

Notice A lot of this rolling and falling that can be very hard on adults, I what kids may do all day every day when they play.

Wish I had started this stuff when i was a little kid.....

It's been soo much harder to get into shape and get all flexible and stuff now.

[skykicker1600]

lol bro real talk

[robinlowemi7]

lol... Seriously?!?

[honest4truth]

my only problem with this is wearing a white gi while rolling on the street or grass.

is buying a black/blue gi considered obnoxious, especially if you are a beginner white belt judoka ?

i tried doing something between a roll and a break fall at home on our carpeted concrete floors and my ass bones (or is it hip) hurt a lot.

could you perhaps post a serious video about all the rolls and breakfalls, specifically where you land, as in what bones or organs shouldnt come into contact. thanks.

[Jujitsu4u]

it doesn't matter what you wear when practicing ukemi outside the dojo.

I'm traveling a lot for work, so I haven't posted new videos in a while. But for now I'd suggest you continue to diligently Improve your ukemi on your dojo's mat. Focus on relaxation, so that if you're caught between a roll and breakfall, you lessen severity of the impact. Developing a feel for distributing impact across your body takes a lot of time.

Based on your questions, do you feel your ukemi instruction is lacking?

[honest4truth]

Slightly, yes.

We practice the forward and backward ukemi, not much sideways. and i feel the instructor isnt preparing me mentally enough.

A bit of my MA background, started doing karate at 13, progressed into boxing and now at 21 doing muay thai. Falling in striking arts is a knockdown, BIG PROBLEM.

Started grappling just a month ago, so while intentionally doing ukemi i am okay, when sparring my instincts take over not to fall, the instructor assumes i will just get it eventually.

[Jujitsu4u]

Your teacher as far as practice and perseverance (also mentioned in the video) are the key. Keep in mind also that in judo, the rules typically don't favor going to the ground either (e.g. ippon from a throw), so in that sense, just allow yourself to focus on ukemi as a means to be safe (once your balance is gone, better to lose the match than fall right on your head if possible).

I'll send you a message to your inbox w/ more thoughts on all this.

[ExionSlade]

Hmmm, this could prove useful in my pro wrestling training. I'll have to keep jujitsu in mind, looks like a good backround to have.

[mindakota1]

These are identical to the Hapkido falls and rolls we practice yet have not taken to the concrete.....nice job.

[gablgablxxxaaa]

Nice job. I learned how to roll on Aikido, but I never learned how to be thrown and how to fall, so that could be a problem for me in real life fights:P

Anyway, nice video

[Jujitsu4u]

Thanks for the comment. Quick question for you since you're familiar with aikido ukemi.

How well do the soft / blending ukemi work on hard everyday surfaces? In particular, I'm thinking of the fall that looks like it might be useful if clotheslined or your feet slip forward out from under you and the uke rolls across his / her shoulders vs. taking a hardcore regular back fall.

[gablgablxxxaaa]

well actually, i dont know anything about aikido. i went there a couple of times, so all i do know is how to roll

[TENNSUMITSUMA]

ha ha noticed you didnt try that lei wulong 'tekken' elbow drop ( 1:24 ) on the concrete ( 3:09 ) HA HA you basically slid into it

[Jujitsu4u]

Yeah, wouldn't advise taking an exaggerated aerial side fall on concrete just for demo purposes.

Hey, and good point about sliding into side falls (too many new students timber like a tree instead).

[TENNSUMITSUMA]

heh heh, well yeah, but if you trained enough like youve been preaching in the video wouldnt you be able to do that straight elbow drop on the concrete

[Jujitsu4u]

The purpose of the exaggerated side fall was simply to underscore the benefits of a lot of practice in the dojo (including the experience to know what falls are safe to take on a given surface and which aren't).

[sifusocky]

Dude, on a lot of these it looks like you're smashing your elbow into the concrete. That's got to hurt, hasn't it?

[Jujitsu4u]

What's demonstrated is the arm rolling and/or making flat contact with the concrete. Again, practicing on a mat in the beginning makes you aware of flaws in your ukemi (i.e. too much contact on a given part of the body), and you adjust accordingly as you move to progressively harder surfaces.

Again, people smash ice blocks, cinder blocks and other hard objects a single point of contact (such as the elbow) and walk away OK. Props to my brethren in the martial arts who do breaking!

[wawisan]

Excellent demonstration. I believe that ukemi practice done properly coordinates and strengthens the musculoskeletal system. If you can land on concrete, you could probably break somebody's arm if you block it.

[Jujitsu4u]

Thanks for the compliment. I agree with your first point about strengthening the body.

While I don't feel the ukemi itself facilitates limb destruction, the jujutsu body mechanics and tactics that lead to sound ukemi, as well as sound atemi, certainly can do a lot to turn an arm strike into a liability for the attacker (in jujutsu, that would involve a premium on inducing kuzushi and using the attacking arm to manipulate the attacker's body [and yeah, it might go a bit numb in the process]).

[KuRnZ]

im sorry, but when that little kid walked in...it had me laughing hard.. ( i had no sound on) that baby should have been thrown though. he was on the mat with shoes.. lol jk.

[Jujitsu4u]

Yeah, we went easy on him: a little kuzushi to give him a hint. Definitely sutemi next time!

[rcressurection]

my experience falling on concrete happened by accident one afternoon after class. I had been studying Aikido for about a month. I knew I was falling and was quiet calm and relax about the situation. When hitting the concrete, I had no fear because in my mind I was already done with the break fall. I found falling on concrete to be easier due to my shoulder was less likely to get collapsed due to soft mats.

[rcressurection]

I love this video. I found it personal easier to fall on concrete than on pads. The pads cushioned my fall to much. I am not advocating to take beginners out and make them slam themselves or others on concrete. I have a very high tolerance to pain, and believed that all training should be realistic and truthful. Learn the pain early so it will not be a shock to your system.

[Jujitsu4u]

Thanks for taking the time to comment, and welcome to YouTube! Would you mind describing your experience with falling on concrete vs. pads / mats a bit more: i.e. what made falling on concrete easier, and how long had you trained before you discovered this?

[ArK50]

Very good teaching and very good technique. If you have the time, please watch my video of my ukemi and give me tips, I would be much obliged =)

[Jujitsu4u]

How's your ukemi now? Any recent revelations?

[ArK50]

Actually, yes =) I have worked on what you said about falling without placing my palm on the ground (I try to make it a surprise fall, like tripping) and I have practiced a lot on the pavement. I'll be making a video soon to show you =D Thanks for asking. =)

[Jujitsu4u]

Excellent! Look forward to seeing the video, and congrats on your improvement.

[Dinkytoy89]

i love your ending post.

[scopeophile]

The best piece of training advice regarding martial arts ever....

Gravity - show it the respect it deserves (or demands).

[hikarijay]

:) is there any way you can tell me what im doing wrong, i have been doing aikido for a while now and i can ukemi quite confidently, but when i get onto concrete i bruise my shoulders and my back, is this a common problem?

[Jujitsu4u]

Does this happen on all your ukemi, or only on certain rolls or falls?

Does this ever happen on the tatami / mat, or on semi-hard surfaces like grass?

Also, do you have video of you doing the ukemi (whether in the dojo or outside)? If so, please post it as a response to this video as reference, and we can further discuss.

[hikarijay]

Could you help me out, i do aikido so i can forward ukemi confidently, but when i do it on concrete, my shoulders and the bottom of my back gets bruised, what am i doing wrong?

[vtninjutsu]

I enjoyed the video, well done. Question: It kind of looks like he is slapping the ground with the open hand...I have been trying to get out of that habit in my falls...what are oyur thoughts?

[Jujitsu4u]

Experience falling on increasingly hard surfaces teaches how much to use the arm and hand as part of a given breakfall. As mentioned earlier, taking breakfalls typically causes the arm and hand to slap naturally as part of completing the the landing.

You may want to experiment using less slap in the dojo going forward (I demonstrate breakfalls at 2:06 using minimal, then no slap), then practice on grass to develop a feel for how much to use the arm and hand outside vs. inside the dojo.

[vtninjutsu]

Great, I will work on some of that.Thanks for your contribution to the arts.

[Jujitsu4u]

You're welcome! All the best in your training.

[theuglyninja]

great vid thanks 4 sharing

[takeninjcanada]

That was absolutely incredible I really enjoyed this video 5 + stars and I subscribed . AskHandsomeThomas recommended you and I am glad he did . AWESOME.

[Jujitsu4u]

You're very welcome sir! Very kind of Thomas to refer you here as well.

Thank you for the comment and subscription. I will certainly be taking some time to visit your channel as well.

[samo314]

Awesome. I'm a few months into judo and enjoyed your extreme ukemi. Ukemi is pretty much the center of my world right now. I started in a park on grass so I'm part of the way there, right?

haha, thanks for the vid

[Jujitsu4u]

You're on the right track, yes! Hey, if you get a chance, post a video response of you doing ukemi on the grass!

[Jujitsu4u]

Bleach, hehe. . . . What's wrong with some grass, motor oil, coolant / antifreeze, and transmission fluid to complement the traces of embedded rubber from training knives and blood stains??

[skykicker1600]

we teach this at my school it really works it absorbs the impact when u fall or you are being thrown to minimize injury

[zDSpider]

Keeping it real ? Hmmm... Have you ever tried it in street wear ? For instance a tshirt and a pair of shorts ? How about a tank top ? Or topless ! Wait... Forget that last bit. You might get arrested for public obscenity with that tugboat. :D

I had to once, not too long ago. It wasn't pretty I'll tell you that... Blood and guts leaked out ! It was horrible ! I sometimes have nightmares at night because of that stupid pebble.

[Jujitsu4u]

LOL, your comment made my day! Even if it's the facetious cowardly act of a troll, thanks for the opportunity to underscore the need to clear the landing area when practicing, especially outdoors.

Since we're in SoCal, I usually practice in jeans or shorts and a T-shirt. Sometimes slacks, a dress shirt and a tie (i.e. day-to-day work wear).

No arrests. The local constables train with us.

Got any videos of you training? I'll look forward to providing a thoughtful comment in return if so.

[jadeamazon]

this is excellent, clear , beautiful made training film, it is very , very , very well done bravo to you, i have taken kempo, so i understand how a good teacher teaches you are excellent, thank you for sharing this video i am honored to know you, thank you again

jade

[Jujitsu4u]

Thank you Suzie. As you surely know from your training, not everything can be conveyed in a video. But if this video has communicated the need and value of students focusing on and sincerely striving for the the true goals of self-defense training, then it's been successful.

I appreciate your compliments as well. I truly love teaching, and I am extremely fortunate to have a superlative teacher!

[cityterraceboy]

Hey Mert, you look like Mr Miyagi with that beard ,good work.

Dave

[Jujitsu4u]

Ha, thanks Dave!

But I still can't catch flies with chopsticks (yet ;-)

I also need a cooler hachimaki.

[ceethat]

i believe you that practices makes all the difference...couple of years ago, i was a riding a horse in tall grass when the horse fell into a small hole falliing forward...plain and simple..i did the forward and came out w/o injury. the horse was okay...but u never know anything can happen...espicially when its not related to martial arts...that was an outstanding video...

[Jujitsu4u]

Great to hear your story! Yes, life is random, and knowing ukemi can be the difference between walking away unscathed and not walking away at all. Thank you for dropping by.

[mikeqigong]

5 stars.

[AskHandsomeThomas]

awesome video sir 5 stars love the humor as well

i did jiujitsu for a while but never got really far its great to see someone with such a high skill

thank you for sharing

[Jujitsu4u]

Thomas --- You're welcome! I dedicated time to learning to fall on hard surfaces because doing so was an easier goal to approach than the quixotic goal of believing one has attained the ability to respond to any scenario of violent attack. A pleasant benefit of developing practical ukemi, since the applications are real (gravity does not pull its punch over concrete), is that I've gained confidence as a result in my reality-based training since no one can hit as hard as the concrete.

[traceurhero]

together we can fight the problem of those people who this its alright just to fall on their ass and look like a fool hahaha

nice work

[Jujitsu4u]

Excellent! Yes, together we will continue to uphold this oath. Thanks for helping keep the parkour world safe from damaged bodies and damaged pride.

[dardrex777]

good lesson I do that in my films and land on concrete all the time

[Jujitsu4u]

Hey Darren, thanks for chiming in. Making it look easy while doing it safely doesn't happen in a few minutes or a few days, does it?

[dardrex777]

definitely not... it's very hard indeed.

[Theokondak]

hahahaha at 1:35

[avancenajohn]

exelent video we have to do that in my jiu jitsu class in Leeds evry lesson might be painstakingly boring but i guess this proves its worth it however no offence to the guys who made this video or any one else but how can you breakfall properly when you get kicked in the head and lose unconciusness especially in the street where people carry knives youre better off with counters, blocks and offensive moves that pack a hell lot of power. would be usefull competiton wise such as ground based arts

[Jujitsu4u]

Oh, I largely agree with you: you didn't think we just plan to let people knife us or throw us onto the tarmac, did you? :-) This is only one aspect of training, though again, eminently practical since people usually lose balance just living life day to day, rarely from a violent attack. Now, if you do get attacked and are dazed, all the repetition on the mat, concrete and other surfaces will serve you well reflexively, vs. someone who doesn't have ukemi as a conditioned response.

[DreamingMonkii]

wow O_O looks like that can come in handy. haha nice ending pose! haha if only i learned how to roll a bit earlier. (in PE we had to roll, then sprint to the end) i didn't do it quite right... landed flat on my back XD good thing my friend next to be told me some pointers for next time. :P

nice video!!

[Jujitsu4u]

Yup! In general, staying rounded (vs. flat) and relaxed are very important.

Glad you survived P.E. to tell us about it. :-D

[DreamingMonkii]

HAHA why thank you XD

[Jujitsu4u]

BTW, you mentioned in a comment for another vid that you might take aikido in college. If you do, then you're ukemi will definitely get dialed up. There's some very sophisticated aikido ukemi.

[fancylad2006]

Great Ukemi!! that is for real and it works! they train for REAL in that dojo! I know!

[Jujitsu4u]

Yeah, and outside the dojo too, hehe. Appreciate the feedback.

[NYKgjl10]

Well said fl2006 =)

[darkeffect1]

hilarious stuff. ^_^ i like it. i would love to learn this.

[Jujitsu4u]

It actually IS fun to learn, and gives people an overall sense of more confidence / less vulnerability -- that is once, you get over the initial uneasiness (most people have anyway) of rolling on and flipping onto the mat.

I've fallen a bunch since I learned this stuff, but fortunately I haven't had to use my other jujutsu skills (as much as the ukemi ;-)

[darkeffect1]

awesomeness. you look all confident and such doing it and all and it looks like so much fun. ^_^ looks like something i would be comfortable doing and stuff. theres like a certain grace to it. XD

its great to know it pays off, too. ^_^ you're still alive. woot! lol.

[Jujitsu4u]

Yeah, even though we go to the dojo to learn a "serious" martial art, we have a lot of fun along the way on and off the mat. Developing comfort and grace with the skills -- you got the right idea!

From your comments here and your vids, I can see that you have a go-with it and go-for-it attitude: that goes a long way toward making your skills part of you (vs. just something you know how to do).

[darkeffect1]

^_^ you think so? woot!! lol. i always thought that it was mostly brute strength combined with...common sense and logic and stuff that was needed. things i am seriously lacking. XD anywho, thx! ppl tell me i wouldnt be able to make it in these kinds of things. i would love to prove them wrong. which i think i will soon enough. ^_^

[Jujitsu4u]

Short answer: YOU CAN DO IT! (I'll share some vids w/ you of our female students, etc.)

As for common sense, LOL! I'm a fairly rational person (I study jujutsu 'cause crime happens); but when I first talked about doing falls on concrete, a lot of people thought I was nuts (despite the fact that urban crime happens on concrete). When I was new to jujutsu my teacher did a breakfall demo in the parking lot (like in this video). He's a big guy, so I knew it was just a matter of effort and time.

[SudoJudo1]

Awsome ukemi,great technique on your kata falls.

Can i ask you why you do not use your toes to get up out of a forward roll?

[Jujitsu4u]

If you're referring to the trailing foot, it depends on the momentum. Typically if there's enough momentum coming out of the roll (which is most of the time in my experience), then there really isn't a need to plant the toes of the trailing foot to get back to a standing position.

[gnurou]

Loved how the left foot smashed on the ground at 2:37. 0_o; Don't tell me that this is safe. Ukemi on concrete is different from the mat - you try to roll and amortize as much as possible, but doing like that part of the video is just exposing oneself to severe back troubles and other injuries.

[Jujitsu4u]

gnurou --- A tight throw may not allow for a roll-out. But your point is well taken, and I'll expand on it: one learns to roll and side-fall before harder breakfalls so relaxation and rounded form become second nature. At 2:37 the leg rolls as it lands (vs. being stiff and the foot taking full impact). I just got up and finished the rest of the outdoor demo (shown in order in the vid) as I've done for years. Now, in a real self-defense situation, I'd have shoes on and could use atemi, LOL.

[penyot]

:) I agree Sensei Adams, Practicing live with throws in my opinion is the best way to learn how to fall. I learn how my body reacts with my own structure. Everybody is different in movements and Ukemi, Sensei is great at finding and developing strengths and form, Practice Makes Perfect and perfection seems like a lost art/skill. Arigato Shihan Adams

[Jujitsu4u]

Thanks penyot.

A clarification for viewers/readers: Adams Sensei is tori at 2:37, and I'm uke (I'm a shodan at our school).

Even though I tried to stress the need for repetitive practice, it's impossible to capture the thousands of falls on mats, hundreds on grass/wood/carpet/sand/ other semi-hard surfaces, and several dozen on concrete/tile/asphalt/other hard surfaces needed to reach the proficiency shown in the video. I studied for 3 years before attempting my first breakfall on concrete.

[penyot]

Thanks for the clarity, I look forward to the next video coming up.

[Jujitsu4u]

Hehe, I knew what you meant, just wanted to ensure everyone properly appreciates it.

Yeah, I've been promising DivaSatanica1988 a video on atemi-waza for weeks, but it's a fairly heavy editing project, so other videos keep getting uploaded first. In any case, we'll have something new up shortly.

[penyot]

Love Ukemi, Its nice when you can make the hard floor soft, Its nice when the hard hit loosens the bones. Its best when you get up and feel the Sun.

[SudoJudo1]

Wow awesome ukemi waza. Im only just getting the kata falls now myself :D.

We roll on gravel , concrete and tar mack, dunno about being thrown just yet tho lol...

[Jujitsu4u]

If you're comfortable doing the rolls on the surfaces you mentioned, then you're not too far off from being able to do the breakfalls, which in turn prepare you for being thrown. Thanks for the feedback!

[Piotrek830324]

Well done! nice mixed rolls and talk. I have done only in forest ukemi. my film is called "some ukemi". I felt down from motorbike and from bike and I save my body only thanks ukemi!

5/5 Stars

[Jujitsu4u]

I'll check it out Peter. Thanks for your thoughts. Interestingly a place like the forest may be as challenging or more challenging than concrete. A forest floor is more unpredictable (as anyone who's fallen when hiking can attest), whereas concrete is typically flat.

[Piotrek830324]

one is sure! all wrong ukemi hurts :D

[plainhal]

@Piotrek:

That's for sure, but falling without the use of ukemi hurts even more.. ;) trust me..

[Jujitsu4u]

That's the truth! When I first learned about ukemi, I wondered "why don't they teach this in school?" I remember taking some gymnastics in jr. high as part of required P.E., and they taught sommersaults (rolling over the base of the head and neck [of course, on fluffy gymnastics mats]).

Add ukemi to personal finance, interview skills, threat management / basic self defense, etc. that should be taught vs.getting steered toward higher math that very few will use after graduation.

[aibuwarrior]

BRILLIANT! Very well made and ditto the part with the toddler! I almost fell out of my chair! I guess I would've had to do a side fall! Keep 'em coming!

[Jujitsu4u]

Great idea for an indoor practical ukemi video! Let me know if you make one or there's one out there.

[js8619]

the part w/ the lil boy was cute and funny.. lol..really great video..i've done ukemis before..its not all that easy at first..5 *'s!!!

[Jujitsu4u]

I like how the little guy recovered from the kuzushi (but at least he got the hint :-)

[sacblade]

Practical and honest.

One will probably never face a true life or death situation on the dojo mat.

Real training for real-life situations.

Makes sense to me.

Outstanding...

[Jujitsu4u]

Well said. Yes, it's pretty simple. Those of us who profess to be training to deal with "reality" (i.e. self defense) need to incorporate the actual environments into our training where we'd need to operate if the need arises.

[HapkidoJosh]

Great video. This is a concept that has not been touched upon enough. Thanks for the inspiration.

[Jujitsu4u]

You're welcome Josh. I'll likely expand on it more in the future.

[stickplayer2]

Awesome. Great ukemi. Good points about the practicality.

[RodrigoVanilla93]

great video, im glad you guys brought this issue up

i think this is the first video ive seen in youtube showing proper breakfalls on concrete

thanks!

[Jujitsu4u]

Thanks Rodrigo. There's actually a decent video a BudoSeek! member pointed out to me by Team Ukemi that covers basic and advanced rolls on grass and concrete. No breakfalls, but it's a good, entertaining video that goes into details of proper technique and shows some cool diving and jumping applications of rolls. Check my favorites if you're interested.

[KerosAohco]

I recognize most of those rolls and break falling. Even though I execute them a bit differently at my school the principles are the same. This is a great video. I hear from many people that falling and grappling on hard surfaces such as concrete is crazy and unsafe, but this video proves them wrong. It's a necessary skill that everyone should have, not just martial artists.

[Jujitsu4u]

Agreed! Thanks. Personally, I think some of the martial arts breaking I've seen presents much greater risk (i.e. relatively small points of contact like fist and elbow against a hard target vs. a large area of the body in ukemi), but the good breakers also demonstrate what seemingly amazing results dedicated training can produce.

[Obsidian1392]

very well done mate, I'm just starting to learn some of these myself and they're not easy

[Jujitsu4u]

They'll get easy buddy. All in good time. The better your ukemi, the easier it is to learn the technique at hand (vs. consciously worrying about falling so much).