Help on Falling in Aikido

One of the first lessons students of the Japanese martial art of aikido learn is the art of falling. The techniques that allow practitioners to fall safely and recover their balance are called ukemi. Ukemi runs counter to the perception many people have that getting thrown and falling means losing. Mastering ukemi is an important part of practicing aikido without suffering injury.

  1. Active View

    • Ukemi isn’t about passivism. Some martial artists new to aikido presume that when they become uke, or the defending person, they should give up and resign themselves to whatever maneuver the nage, or the attacker, is attempting. Rather, aim to take an active view of the situation even when you’re being thrown. Don’t just go with the throw -- follow it through by moving into it yourself. This helps you stay balanced immediately after you're thrown, and it also improves your recovery time.

    Resistance

    • You may not want to walk straight into an opponent’s maneuver, but once a throw begins, don't try to prevent it. You’ll end up in a confused state with an upset sense of balance. Instead, go through the maneuver without trying to resist it. Adopt the same speed the nage is using, and simply take a few steps to ensure you’ve got the correct balance before lowering yourself to the mat. The aim is to retain control during the whole maneuver.

    Breathing

    • You can adapt your breathing to suit the act of ukemi. Your aim is to stay relaxed so that the ukemi process, from maneuver to recovery, is as seamless and comfortable as possible. Don’t hold your breath; keep breathing normally so that your body doesn't get stressed out. Holding your breath during ukemi won’t help; doing so reduces how limber your body is, making ukemi tiring.

    Falling

    • When learning the art of falling, there’s no concept of winning and losing in aikido maneuvers. If your opponent succeeds in throwing you, then you’ve not lost anything. Accepting that will allow you to move into maneuvers that your opponents perform without trying to counter each time. Counters performed in a desperate bid to prevent a throw often result in sloppy technique.

    Overreacting

    • When reacting to a nage’s maneuver, be honest. This means more than just not trying to resist; it also means not overreacting to the throw being performed. If you fake the result of a maneuver, then you risk making yourself and the nage look silly, and most dojos won’t permit this behavior.