Tougher Breakfalling

Okay so you think your breakfalling is good... but how good is it really? Shorini Kan Jiu Jitsu produces some of the worlds best practitioners of ukemi, and the following ideas should help jitsuka and instructors keep breakfalling interesting for years to come. These are just ideas, and if anyone has any more, then please feel free to contact us and we'll add in the good suggestions. Some ideas may be familiar, some may not, and some you'll probably think are mental, but that's where the fun really begins....

Diving

Diving is quite a common choice, and is actually required for grading to some levels. People or inanimate objects (or both - sensei on a chair anyone?) can be used, and in a variety of positions. People are quite versatile objects being able to lie down, kneel on all fours, stand bent double (leap-frog position), or even up straight. Multiple people or objects can be used to vary distance and height. Even the choice of allowing a person to touch or not can be used. For example backwards roll from sitting on some's back who is on all fours, or just clearing them totally with a jump over them backwards - into a breakfall of course.

Please remember that people's height and build will have a significant effect on diving breakfalls, and so push jitsuka appropriately - don't try and get a stocky 5'4" jitsuka to clear the same distance as a wiry 6'6" jitsuka of the same grade.

Directions

Front drop break falls are always done with a bit of a jump, but what about adding a 180° or 360° turn before the drop, or a leap-frog over someone bent double into a front drop. In fact many falls can be done in all sorts of different directions. Try forwards rolls from a neutral position in all of the cardinal points on a compass or the twelve hour positions on a clock face. Trying the same thing for some of the other falls may prove a little too dangerous however - so do be careful if you try.

Belts

Have the jitsuka try to untie their belt one or two handed during a break fall. With one hand during a forwards roll isn't too difficult to begin with. Having someone else tighten the belt for you makes it harder, having more rolls to undo it makes it easier.

Belts can also be used as an object to dive over, but this should be done with care as the belt can entangle the jitsuka should it go wrong. In such cases, a bo staff is better and should be held by two assistants so that if the bo is hit, it moves with the jitsuka instead of tripping them up.

Hands

Most falls are typically done two handed, but many can be done one handed or even no handed. Certainly forwards, backwards and sideways rolls can all be done in this way.

Kneeling

Whilst many breakfalls are done from a kneeling position with one knee up, try doing breakfalls from a full seiza position. Pretty much every breakfall can be done from this position, but kick-ups and cutaways are pretty much the holy grail for this one.

Unorthodox

Most jitsuka will have come across unorthodox forwards jitsu rolls, but what about other rolls? What about an unorthodox backwards where you start with one leg and finish with the other? - it must be easy, every one starts off doing that.

Handstands

As well as handstands breakfalls, what about including them in other rolls? For example a backwards roll up into a hand stand instead of a stance, or a handstand into a forwards roll or over the belt.

Stances

Break falling from stance to stance is pretty much restricted for rolling breakfalls, but kiba dachi to kiba dachi is fairly standard, so why not spice it up by going backwards and either turing and reaching (e.g. turn right for a right-sided), or turning and jumping (e.g. turn left for a right-sided) with a forwards roll. A full somersault (forwards or backwards) could also come into this, but you need some real power and gymnastic prowess for those!

There are a few other stances used in Jiu Jitsu, but if you want some real variation, have a look at some karate or tai chi books for inspiration.

Try forwards rolls from and onto standing on one leg.

Carrying

Breakfaling with objects always allows for some fun. Plastic bottles are fairly safe, and the awkward nature of bokken and bo will help jitsuka to learn to co-ordinate their breakfalls a little better. Some instructors have even been known to do rolls carrying their infant children, and how many university student jitsuka have tried for that elusive backwards roll with a pint (and optional kebab) technique?

Pick-Ups

If carrying something becomes too easy, then why not pick it up in the middle of the break fall? It doesn't have to be on the ground - someone could hold it for you. It doesn't have to be still, you could roll a baton along the floor and chase after it. For those who are looking for an edge, have an assistant throw the object out for you to catch.

Combinations

Try following up breakfalls with others of the same or different types. A favourite choice is forwards flowing into backwards into sideways. But we don't want to give you that... what about one lap of the mats doing just one side of forwards or backwards rolls followed by one cart wheel on any side you like!

Three Wise Monkeys

Three wise jitsuka monkeys sat on the branch of a tree - one saw nothing, one heard nothing, and one made no sound. Try doing breakfalls with your eyes closed from start to finish - rolling in a straight line becomes a little trickier. Some falls can be done with 'fingers in ears' (which as every good biologist will know affects your balance). Particularly good to try with your eyes closed. Finally whilst its not too difficult to do a fall without speaking, its harder to do a silent fall - 'ninja-style'.

Boundaries

Try restricting the amount of room for a particular breakfall. For example try fitting in twice as many falls as usual into the usual routine by contracting the rolls, or having a narrow gauntlet to do rolling breakfalls along.

Try rolling breakfalls underneath a bow held at a particular height, or a diving roll between two bokken held horizontally with a good gap between them. One day you may be good enough to dive through those flaming hoops your sensei keeps promising you!

If you do get bored remember you can always combine the breakfalls - who's next for the one handed, unorthodox jitsu roll over four people onto one leg whilst picking up a plastic bottle with the free hand?

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