Breakfalling

Jiu Jitsu involves a wide range of techniques, and many of these are based on throwing your opponent to the ground. Before being thrown it is advisable that a person should learn how to fall safely - i.e. how to break their fall. Jiu Jitsu covers a wide range of techniques for learning and developing safe falling and these pages provide a catalogue of these techniques. These techniques are typically one of the first steps in learning Jiu Jitsu as without the ability to fall safely it is difficult to teach someone how to throw (safely).

The Japanese term for breaking one's fall is ukemi. Thus breakfalling techniques are often referred to as ukemi-waza. There are two basic principles behind breaking a fall:

When landing on the ground, try and land with as much body-surface-area at once as possible. This will reduce the pressure on any individual part of the body.

Do not allow any particularly vulnerable part of your body to land on the ground.

This 'generally' boils down to keep your head and other bony bits (i.e. your joints) away from the floor and land on as much of your muscle as possible (i.e. thighs, arms, torso) as it should hurt less. Please note that whoever tells you that breakfalling doesn't hurt is a liar or feels no pain - either way someone to be wary of. The more you practise breakfalling the less it will hurt, and training on mats in the dojo is typically pain free. However try breakfalling on concrete or night club dance floors, and things can soon become painful as you discover uneven surfaces and other problems. The idea is that breakfalls outside the dojo will let you get up again whereas if you can't breakfall - you won't get up again.

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