Issue 089

June 2012

Learning to fall to the floor without injury as they do in judo is vital to avoiding damage in MMA. After all, you don’t have nine lives…

Learning to fall properly is the first and most critical skill in judo – referred to as ukemi within the grappling discipline. Without the ability to minimize the impact of throws and orientate yourself in midair you will pick up serious injury. These drills are designed to help you learn and perfect this physical skill safely.

JUDO FORWARD ROLL

You must always learn to walk before you can run and understanding judo’s forward roll method (which differs from that of jiu-jitsu) will underpin your break-falling.

1 Begin in an ordinary stance. 2 Step one leg forward. 3 Post one hand on the mat (rear-leg side) and make a ridge hand on the lead-leg side. Point the palm on the lead-leg side to the floor and the fingers towards the rear foot. This arm is bent, creating the wheel edge the body will roll over. 4 Tuck in the head and roll over the lead shoulder to avoid pressure on the spine. Maintain a straight rear leg. 5 Keep the body, head and lead leg tucked in as you roll through. 6 Maintain momentum throughout the roll. 7 Stand back up on the heel of the straight leg and walk on.

JIU-JITSU FORWARD ROLL

The critical difference between the forward roll executed the jiu-jitsu way is that both legs are allowed to bend and the wedge stance is maintained at the end of the roll.

1 Start in an ordinary stance 2 Step one leg forward into a wedge stance. 3 Post one hand on the mat (rear-leg side) and make a ridge hand on the lead-leg side. Point the palm on the lead-leg side toward the floor and the fingers towards the rear foot. This arm is bent, creating the wheel edge the body will roll over. 4 Roll over the shoulder and allow the body to align, but maintain the tuck. 5 Bend the trail leg in as you roll. 6 Come back up on the lead leg and keep turning the trail leg until it sits straight behind. 7 Return to stance.

BREAK-FALL PROGRESSIONS

Prepare yourself for safe drilling and landing safely from throws during combat. Doing this properly is critical to avoiding injury when on the receiving end of a throw.

One person makes a table position on all fours. The other walks close to the body, lead leg touching the hip of the ‘table’ and grasps around the ribs to give some grip to slow the flip. Maintaining the friction, throw yourself over the table and slap the mat on the other side.

BEGINNERS

Prepare yourself for safe drilling and landing safely from throws during combat. Doing this properly is critical to avoiding injury when on the receiving end of a throw.

INTERMEDIATE

Approach your tabled partner and headstand against their body, with the head placed between the shoulder and hip of the table. Lower your legs over, and use their back to maintain your back arch, landing on your feet on the other side.

ADVANCED

This time, the table should be more compact, tucked into the turtle position. Approach at speed and jump over the back, rolling through to finish safely. Maintain the tuck to protect the neck. Make this drill more difficult by adding more people side by side, or higher obstacles to leap.