Two and half minutes in and I SO WISH I WOULD HAVE LEARNED THIS!! I was taught really how to properly fall. Or roll. And I was in a bjj class for 2 or 3 months! Thanks to a program I was in at my Tae Kwon Do gym. I was able to slip over to the room next door after my TKD work out n do bjj. I learned a couple basic things. Proper arm bar. Judo like hip tosses, or the over the shoulder throw? I forget what it's called. My apologies. But that was really it. There wasn't any structure or in my opinion. Proper instruction. This guy didn't believe in getting warmed up or stretching before class. I think he figured once we jump into it, we'll warm up real quick like.
I've been living in Bangkok for the past 14 years, and I'm also an Aikidoka. People ask me have I ever had to use Aikido In the streets. My answer is: "Yes, about a dozen times, my opponents were wet floors, broken pavement stones, and traffic driving on the sidewalk." Good ukemi has saved me a lot of hospital visits.
That's a spot on comment. I know two friends who are both my age and fell over at a slow walk speed and both ended up in hospital, seriously injured. Their ok now but not totally. It's very underestimated, the damage caused to mature folks from a simple fall. Martial arts give you balance, awareness and a very good chance of avoiding serious injury. We're not invincible, but it gives us such an advantage, if people knew, it's worth it just for that.
I agree. My ukemi have saved my neck more times than I can count. The most useful techniques I ever learned. Shoulder rolls especially. I would note that I taught the front breakfall with legs together to avoid being kicked. I like the turn and technical get up though. 👍 We would usually roll out.
Not only ukemi but the technical stand up technique from BJJ should be taught in schools as well. It’s a more efficient way of standing up in case you have an injured limb, otherwise many people just lay there waiting for help.
The way you teach the roll with the hand positions might be better than how I've been teaching. I have trouble with the kids hitting their elbows because I use the "big wheel" arm positioning. It is tough for them to grasp. Thank you, sensei.
Its because if you dont tuck in the arm (forward roll) your natural reaction will be bracing with the arm, and then it might brake when you getting thrown. Also if you tuck in the arm, it will help bend in the head so you dont go for a faceplant
We teach the kids ,and adults, to look at their rear foot while rolling. It automaticly gets the head in the proper position and helps to curve the back a bit better. Another one exercise balls. I teach them to "hug" the ball and listen to it (putting one ear on the ball) and then roll with the ball. It is fun and fives them somthing to hold on to wich makes them feel a bit safer and lets then build confidence and because the ball is round they learn to curve their bodies playfully. I find a very helpfull and fun tool and we al know that making it fin with kids helps a lot.
Ukemi should be taught and practiced in every class, in every dojo. It's that important. Ukemi practice has saved my life, and kept me from injury many times outside of the dojo. I've been practicing ukemi since the 1970's, every class.
Really useful in winter with all the slippery surfaces, ice on pavements and stairs, and also useful with personal mobility devices like e-scooters, skateboards, skates etc. And with parkour.
Ukemi saved my life many times. Including motorcycles dropping. All need to play a soft ukemi. The floor became your friend. Nice ukemi explamation. Good job. 🥋🥋🥋🥋🥋🥋
Ukemi is the most useful skill I learned in dojo. I was once hit by car and knocked off my bicycle, but I only suffered a minor injury because I did Ukemi at that moment. Ukemi saved my life.
Every person approaching 50 needs to see this and learn it! Your calm demeanor and simple demo, shows you are true to the Art w/o ego getting in the way!
When I did aikido the roll was different to what he Jesse showed. What I was taught was to role with front arm forward rather than pointing behind. This creates an arc or a curve going from the hand to shoulder to the opposite hip to the foot. I hope that's understandable.
@@AugustinSteven it is Judo Ukemi. Not Aikido ukemi. only some of them aikido ukemi, but overall judo ukemi I learn aikido and also judo, therefore I know
I went over the bars while downhill mountain biking a few times. Thankfully, I’ve been doing judo and jiu jitsu for years. Bumps and dips in high speed corners are challenging for me, but break falls are not.
@@Bunta1987qwerty same here. One time I hit a small stump and fell over the top of my bike and fell straight on my side, but no head hit or major damage, just sucked for a while.
Thank you, very good. My study through some jujutsu dojo have shown me that the differences in schools ukemi are details that are good to learn to see the oneness of the art. Thank again, "gracias" from Puerto Rico.
Wow these is something everyone everywhere should practice. Bicycles, motorcycles, skateboards, climbing, etc. Learning to fall without injury might be even more helpful than learning to swim ... Must share!
I think that was the best class on Ukemi ever! I've had to go through the classes several times, none were presented as clearly, and honestly it is way harder than you made it look. I'm still not very good at it...
Exactly what I need in my life. I have a mental block , worried about falling wrong and hurting my back so I am fearful of even trying many of the fall techniques. And exactly as you said , prevents me from more advanced training. You’ve explained it so well and so clear here I feel some confidence to try. I’ve been same belt level a little longer than I should.
I fight a dirty Australian HEMA and our usual training grounds are rocky hills and concrete/gravel parking garages; train throws anywhere that isn't a soft mat and you will naturally learn how to break a fall and you will vividly remember every single time you mess it up.
I'm not a karate practitioner but i truly admire the art 👊👊 i currently practice and study wingchun. I can use the ukemi in a self defense situation. Thank you Sensei 🙏👊
I did kempo karate as a kid in a school that ingrained these lessons in me. It might have been a McDojo in the 90s, but I learned some good things to start off my martial arts journey. Recently, I wanted to introduce my partner to BJJ which I've done 17 years ago in another country, but on our first session they simply told her to roll backwards with no instructions, and pressured her to do it right away. That was a red flag to me. I watched one of their students who had been there for longer roll backwards without tilting their head, constantly compressing the back of their neck with their own body-weight, and the teacher was fine with it. All I thought of was, in a combat-sport situation if someone sprawled on top of them while they were in that position, it would crush their neck... So I intervened and taught her how to do it the right way, but after a few more sessions (and more red flags with big ego blue belts who went beyond rolling energy & resorted to scratching me constantly), never went back to that BJJ school.
Wonderful video. You teach almost exactly as I do, and you demonstrate many more things than you actually talk about, especially on yokoukemi. Although from your demonstration, you know these things, I thought I'd share some observations for others who might find it helpful. For yokoukemi, my teachers stressed protection of the ankle, knee, and hip joints because you must be able to stand after the fall in addition to survive. The ankle is protected by the shape of the lower foot (curved inward as you demonstrate is my favorite, although pointed toes can work too), the knee by the alignment of ankle, knee, hip, and shoulder into the same plane (this requires you to thrust you hips forward mid-roll but causes the calf and thigh to bridge the knee in most people), and the upper foot lands ball first and pushes up to initially elevate and brake the hip landing. The upper foot also must touch down approximately in line with the other knee so that the leg can also act as a forward brake if there is significant translation as well as rotation in the throw. As a physicist, the ankle-to-shoulder alignment also maximizes the moment of inertia of the body which also slows the speed of the rotation, giving you a bit more time (small as it is) to make adjustments mid-flight. If position allows, you can also start the arm opposite to the forward leg (the one on the mat at the end) rotating backward, palm first, almost as soon as the roll begins. This can be an effective addition to strengthening the torso against the shock of the fall, as well as acting as a sensor to alert your body of the mat proximity. I come from a generation where ukemi had to be demonstrated on wood floors so I can vouch for the importance. However, I see many of these fine details being glossed over or omitted because the matted surfaces are so forgiving these days. While I no longer compel my students to demonstrate falls on hard surfaces, I frequently make them assume the ending position for yokoukemi on a hard floor and ask them to experiment with arm/leg positions to feel the contact points. Finally, thanks for the many excellent videos you've made. I hold a yondan in karate and a godan in aikido, and you make me question if I still train enough, even as I approach 70!
Years of karatetraining have saved my life a couple of times. For exampel when my Eskate decides to hookup with a bump in the road going 45 km/h sending me to the ground. At first full body impact and then up on helmet and steeltoes (work shoes) to save clothes. I was lucky walking after. Found the skate in a bush after a while. So ukemi is good to know! This is one of the videos I come back to sometimes because Jesse sensei explain so good.
As a person over 30 years old getting into this. The mental to throw myself on the ground is hard. Everything already hurts 😂 but thank you for this video. You make it look so easy.
Hello Jesse Sensei, greetings from Zambia. I have done Judo and Jujitsu for the last 34 years. I represented Zambia internationally in Judo for 10 years around the world in my younger days. While I was living in Japan for 7 years I learnt the different ways the Japanese Koryu Jujitsu Sensei teach Ukemi waza. The Koryu Jujitsu Ukemi waza taught in Japan is very interesting to learn,especially the Goshin Jitsu no Ukemi waza. Here in Zambia many of my students over the years have been saved from near fatal death accidents from motorbike accidents to car hit and run accidents. Ukemi waza saved their lives. I thank God all my students made the effort to learn their break falls well. Some of them wouldn't be alive today if they didn't bother to come to the dojo to learn Ukemi. I have a special morning class on Saturday mornings at 8 o'clock in our dojo to teach many Karate Ka their breakfalls here in Zambia. I am so encouraged to see even high ranking Karate Ka willing to learning this amazing art. Your explanation and teaching of Ukemi waza was excellent and easy to understand for beginners. Keep up the tremendous work Jesse San , Best wishes from Zambia. Itsumo Ganbate Kudasai
Thank you Jesse Sensei for your reply. I am encouraged to hear from you here in Zambia. Here is my website about what I do among the youth in Zambia through the martial arts of Jujitsu and Judo. Best wishes from Zambia. www.kodokwanzambia.com
Excellent tutorial on ukemi. I have done Judo and Aikido and your presentation is spot on. My son's and I were taking a Shotokan Karate class and they went to show breakfalls and I damn near had a heart attack. They tried to tell my sons to allow their heads to smack the ground and basically back hand the matt. Needless to say we didn't continue.
First - that's a good stuff you're showing here :) I can tell you that it's scary even for many seasoned judoka to just fall on the back. It's rooted very deep in human nature that falling on the back is a no-no. When I had problems to fall in any direction I've actually used one leg to kick another or pull my whole body and force myself to loose stability this way. One more thing - when you fall completely frontally, if a break is done properly you should be able to stand back like a spring. I can't tell you how, cause I'm unable to do this, but most of the black belt judoka I've met did it. It's kind of a gymnastic mystery for me ;)
Jesse thank you for this simple breakdown.I am 71 and the falls can make me a little uneasy. This has really helped a lot! Sometimes anew perspective helps. I am working on second brown in a self defense course ..Kenpo jujitsu. I love it , but sometimes it takes a little more for older brain to pick things up , lol! Enjoy your videos much ly.
Thanks Jesse. Very helpful . Super appreciate your dedication to the arts. Also like other people, ukemi has saved me a bunch of times from falls from slips and tripping over unseen obstacles.
Sensei Jesse, I think this is the most complete and clearest Ukemi video I've seen so far! And I'm especially glad it comes from a karate point of view! You even did the front and back bump, which I remember using when I did pro-wrestling couple of years ago! 😄 in my opinion, Ukemis should be taught in all martial arts, especially to kids, since in any circumstances it's useful knowledge to avoid injuries. 🙏🥋
Thank you for this tutorial! There are far too many Karate schools that do not properly teach/train falling... thinking it only practiced in the "grappling" arts. They fail to realize that, if you don't survive the fall, the fight is over. As a side note, the front fall/roll is great for when you trip over the carpet in the hallway ;-)
Thank you so much. I had learned the over the shoulder roll before but always struggled with my right side and now this showed me what I was missing: the arm swinging under.
I studied Budo jujitsu w/Master Al Thomas from 1985 -1988. He also had us fall in that manner so our knees didn't "klunk" together! In 2006 I joined a Judo dojo here in Albuquerque, NM. When I demonstrated the fall he said, "We don't do that here." He was kind enough to refund my month's class. I was totally blown away when you said some don't teach you how to fall! Police officers should learn this as well. I've seen many slam their heads on concrete! I was diagnosed w/late-on-set Multiple Sclerosis in 2014, at the age of 54. Since then my left leg just decides, now and then, to stop working and I fall. The 1st time was in 2017. I fell like it was 1985! Imagine, 19 years after my last class and a perfect fall! My husband said, "You bounced!" I told him, "I'm suppose to!" The only bruise was to my ego! You explain in a simple manner w/o the "macho" attitude. I think what you're doing is wonderful and will share it on my FB page. Thank you. May joy be yours!
When I was a little kid the gymnastics I used to go to didn't teach how to fall but were perfectly fine with teaching kids how to loop around on bars and not having enough chalk.
This is a very comprehensive demonstration on the concepts of soft and hard break falls! To take it to the next level, I'd add/propose: fall hard on soft ground, fall soft on hard ground: these tatamis are "soft", a wooden floor or asphalt I consider "hard" (and sheer concrete or stone - close to what sumo wrestlers are facing on their clay dohyo - is yet another level, requiring not just technique, but also physical condition - a protective layer of just enough fat or muscle, to soften the fall even more).
Thank you ,thank you so much ,I have been really struggling to learn the falls and never nailed them, now with a few tries I finally got them ,thank you so much!!!
I'm having a lot of trouble with this. I keep ending up incorrectly after the roll. I think I'm perhaps trying to roll too slowly. This is great, Jesse-san. Thank you for making content I didn't know I needed until I watched it! I'll get it eventually.
This is a great video, most people who want to learn martial arts don't care about this but this is what helps keep you in the fight. The only time I've ever used martial arts in real life is when I was on a dead sprint to the other side of the court playing basketball and I got tripped from behind, it was weird because everything slowed down and I had 2 choices. I could just fall flat forward and get scrapped up and possibly injure my wrists or roll, I rolled and only lost a step. It came from practicing the techniques you're showing here. Thanks again for the videos, you're doing the martial arts community a great service!
Very good tutorial there. As a Judoka i have alot of tweaks here and there to make it perfect, but it is very good for a karateka. I remember my days in karate training it that way ;)
From a Jujutsuka, very good video. Our jujutsu classes do ukemi with the warm ups. All beginners start with basic ukemi (forward, back and side) to give them confidence as well as protection.
I started doing BJJ last month. After a couple of standing throw focused classes, I learned to just skip those classes because I have no idea how to get thrown. This video's really helpful! Getting thrown super sucks.
This looks awesome! I started training when I was fairly old (47) and now - well 10 years later. I also have really bad knees. I've never been good at breakfalls but I know I really should be working on this (because OLD!). I see a lot of interesting things here that I think I can work with. Thank you!
Great video. What I've learned over the years is to pick up different methodologies to teach ukemi, as students will grasp some methods better than others. BTW, nice quiet rolls. Shows excellent technique.
Falling is worse than getting punched. Breakfalling is so much fun that I try to apply it on grounds harder than the tatami. It's good to see you do it. You have great ukemi
Great video for the new students in my Aikido class who were taught to slap the mat about one second after they roll back, for some reason. This is before I joined the class. Hopefully this will help them correct the break falls.
Many of your videos are really good, but this one I really, really, really liked. You've got a strong opinion (breakfall techniques are crucial for every martial artist) and then you go ahead and explain basic and advanced techniques, explain them really well and make them see so easy that I want to go outside in the garden now to practice them on concrete.
Additionally, I also like your idea of including the technical stand-up. I've been a karateka who has been visiting other martial arts once in a while, too. And I remember once visiting a BJJ dojo, where they explained the technical stand-up but didn't really care for it: after all, BJJ is supposed to be all on the ground, right? Boy, were they surprised when one of my karate friends and me showed them in sparring what the use is of being able to get up really quickly. (Side note: this is not to dis on BJJ or any other martial art - it's just this particular BJJ sensei who wasn't really curious to learn about the relevance of other martial arts)
Thanks for adding those break falls Jesse, as I child I did judo and I remember all we first learnt was break falls and they have come in handy during my years in karate. It was a nice refresher for me again as as you get older and start to forget some of the important points. I think I may start instructing some of our students as it is an important part overlooked in karate training.
the timing of this being a suggested video is awfully amusing. making my yearly visit to vancouver, a friend of mine and my fiancee likes to greet me with hug-tackles. as such, she got me today and i just sorta out of habit did a soft fall. there's nothing quite like having a 145 lb. bundle of energy just nail me in her utter happiness. :P
I've been mountain biking for 15 years now with no proper knowledge about how to fall and it has cost me a lot of pain that could have been avoided had i watched this video sooner. This video applies to much more than just martial art
Both types of fall protection save me twice when I was a kid and they had nothing to do with fighting. 1st time I was on my skateboard when it got stuck on a small rock. I went flying forward in front of an oncoming car. I tucked and rolled like I had been taught and came rolling up on the other side. I can only image the look on the drivers face. The 2nd time I was in p.e. class in school and somehow got knocked over, I think we were playing basketball. I fell backward and once again did as I was taught. I lifted my head and slapped the ground with my arms. Saved myself from a massive concussion that day. This skill is, to me, one of the most important we can learn.
Hi Jesse, it's a pretty good ukemi tutorial. I have a little tip for getting up from ushiro ukemi (roll backwards). If you want to be in a defensive position after getting up, like Kokutsu dachi, then your line is good. If you want to attack aggressively immediately after getting up, for example with a Mae Geri, then in your case I would pull the stretched leg forward and thus you can go straight into an attack. Greetings from Salzburg (Austria) Alex
Jesse your videos are very knowledgeable . Through your teaching I came to understand the proper way of falling. It is a very useful video for me. In fact I saved this video so that I can watch it later too. Although, keep it up Jesse
Shorinji Kan Ju-Jitsu taught me outstanding ukemi kata, it has it's roots in aikido Very nice demonstrations, I like your movements, slightly less 'fluidic and circular' but very very effective
It’s crazy how similar the techniques we teach are! You had some awesome pointers here that I can’t wait to add to my instruction of these. Thanks as always!!
Jesse Enkamp haha idk if I can take credit for how I teach it. Simply passing along the knowledge I was given!! It’s cool to see how consistent it is despite being so incredibly far away! Lineage is awesome.
Brings back memories of my minna ju jitsu classes 30 years ago when I was in high school learning to break falls in Ohio at the old dojo. But now I fence these days living in another state. However, this video is such a great refresher so it's good to remember them. I can already hear the dojo mats in my head from doing these.
One cool anecdote was that my late sensei used to be a fencer long before he taught karate immigrating from Hungary. He had two foil weapons and a mask hung on the dojo wall and I never understood why. Not until years later when I took up fencing in Vermont and visited back Ohio, realizing things have come full circle. To this day, they still hang on the wall and I'm completing what he started.
It is so hard to impress falling safely on a new or old practioner of any art. I like tui shou, pushing hands, and it's amazing how falling and rolling tends to be ignored as a basic skill when hitting the ground in a grappling setting is so common.
So great to see this explained in this way. We learned almost identically but this way of presenting is so straight forward. One question I've had: when you do a hard fall and you throw down your arm: do you hit palm-first and then arm, or try to hit everything together (hand + forearm at exactly the same time)? I found that I usually prefer trying to take as much energy out of the fall by having the hand hit hard just before the entire arm hits (just a split second). Thanks again! this was awesome.
Hey Jesse love the video I did judo for long time and the best way to break your fall tuck your chin down shoulder to the side and when you flip slap the mat to absorb the shock
to add some knowledge from aikido there is also the tombu ukemi when there is joint lock involved and there is the special extension(superman) ukemi used in competition judo that prevents execution of the throw of the opponent
Your comments are much appreciated!! 👍 Visit my website to learn more about Karate: www.karatebyjesse.com 🥋
Two and half minutes in and I SO WISH I WOULD HAVE LEARNED THIS!! I was taught really how to properly fall. Or roll. And I was in a bjj class for 2 or 3 months! Thanks to a program I was in at my Tae Kwon Do gym. I was able to slip over to the room next door after my TKD work out n do bjj. I learned a couple basic things. Proper arm bar. Judo like hip tosses, or the over the shoulder throw? I forget what it's called. My apologies. But that was really it. There wasn't any structure or in my opinion. Proper instruction. This guy didn't believe in getting warmed up or stretching before class. I think he figured once we jump into it, we'll warm up real quick like.
Your ukemi demo suits beginners. I can do a nage or Tori waza that would make your ineffective.
In our dojo, we do ukemi like falling feathers.
Thanks. Am also a JKA black belt kuro obi also in Aikido Aikikai. Started my JKA in 1968 & Aikido in 1997.
Ossu.
But here's wishing you more power & success in your karate journey. Ossu.
One of the first things we learn in Goju-ryu 剛柔流 the way of the hard and soft 😉 🥋
I've been living in Bangkok for the past 14 years, and I'm also an Aikidoka. People ask me have I ever had to use Aikido In the streets. My answer is: "Yes, about a dozen times, my opponents were wet floors, broken pavement stones, and traffic driving on the sidewalk." Good ukemi has saved me a lot of hospital visits.
I love it! In a nearby city, a fellow taichi group does specifically a vlass on falling and rolling geared for older folks.
That's a spot on comment. I know two friends who are both my age and fell over at a slow walk speed and both ended up in hospital, seriously injured. Their ok now but not totally. It's very underestimated, the damage caused to mature folks from a simple fall. Martial arts give you balance, awareness and a very good chance of avoiding serious injury. We're not invincible, but it gives us such an advantage, if people knew, it's worth it just for that.
I agree. My ukemi have saved my neck more times than I can count. The most useful techniques I ever learned. Shoulder rolls especially.
I would note that I taught the front breakfall with legs together to avoid being kicked. I like the turn and technical get up though. 👍 We would usually roll out.
@@DMKleinArts older gentleman I work with is 80, used to practice judo, says his practicing falls have prevented many a broken bone. 👍
Not only ukemi but the technical stand up technique from BJJ should be taught in schools as well. It’s a more efficient way of standing up in case you have an injured limb, otherwise many people just lay there waiting for help.
The way you teach the roll with the hand positions might be better than how I've been teaching. I have trouble with the kids hitting their elbows because I use the "big wheel" arm positioning. It is tough for them to grasp. Thank you, sensei.
Its because if you dont tuck in the arm (forward roll) your natural reaction will be bracing with the arm, and then it might brake when you getting thrown. Also if you tuck in the arm, it will help bend in the head so you dont go for a faceplant
We teach the kids ,and adults, to look at their rear foot while rolling. It automaticly gets the head in the proper position and helps to curve the back a bit better. Another one exercise balls. I teach them to "hug" the ball and listen to it (putting one ear on the ball) and then roll with the ball. It is fun and fives them somthing to hold on to wich makes them feel a bit safer and lets then build confidence and because the ball is round they learn to curve their bodies playfully. I find a very helpfull and fun tool and we al know that making it fin with kids helps a lot.
@@mauricematla1215 excellent points, Maurice. Judoka thumbs up! 😉👍🏼
What?! You can't fall on the streets, man! There's broken glass and Ebola condoms everywhere!
@@tojiroh dreaded Ebola condoms
Ukemi should be taught and practiced in every class, in every dojo.
It's that important.
Ukemi practice has saved my life, and kept me from injury many times outside of the dojo. I've been practicing ukemi since the 1970's, every class.
It is in aikido.
Really useful in winter with all the slippery surfaces, ice on pavements and stairs, and also useful with personal mobility devices like e-scooters, skateboards, skates etc.
And with parkour.
Ukemi saved my life many times.
Including motorcycles dropping.
All need to play a soft ukemi.
The floor became your friend.
Nice ukemi explamation.
Good job.
🥋🥋🥋🥋🥋🥋
Ukemi is the most useful skill I learned in dojo. I was once hit by car and knocked off my bicycle, but I only suffered a minor injury because I did Ukemi at that moment. Ukemi saved my life.
Every person approaching 50 needs to see this and learn it! Your calm demeanor and simple demo, shows you are true to the Art w/o ego getting in the way!
Everytime he says "Pick a side" I feel like I'm picking between good and evil
You are.
As long as it's not the Lesser Evil
I’m a black belt aikido student and must tell you: EXCELLENT VIDEO. Congrats. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
When I did aikido the roll was different to what he Jesse showed. What I was taught was to role with front arm forward rather than pointing behind. This creates an arc or a curve going from the hand to shoulder to the opposite hip to the foot. I hope that's understandable.
@@AugustinSteven
it is Judo Ukemi.
Not Aikido ukemi.
only some of them aikido ukemi, but overall judo ukemi
I learn aikido and also judo, therefore I know
I remember this first lesson from my childhood. I made sure to teach my daughter after watching her fall in soccer and basketball.
I got my Falls and Rolls from Aikido and Hapkido. It's Truly Amazing that this Karate has it too.
This is not only useful for karate or judo,but also for cycling in case you lose balance and fall of your bike
Yeah! And regular life 😄
I went over the bars while downhill mountain biking a few times. Thankfully, I’ve been doing judo and jiu jitsu for years. Bumps and dips in high speed corners are challenging for me, but break falls are not.
@@Bunta1987qwerty same here. One time I hit a small stump and fell over the top of my bike and fell straight on my side, but no head hit or major damage, just sucked for a while.
and walking home from the pub.
@@Bunta1987qwerty What combination do u use? The soft to hard fall?
You just gave me Aikido ptsd from the rolling drills.
😂🙏🌟
@@KARATEbyJesse ive got judo PTSD now thanks alot😂😂😂
I also have aikido ptsd from practice withdraw - I haven't practiced for a month. Luckily, practice resumes next monday.
Oh god I miss aikido. At 39, I think my knees have given up from all the times I sat in seiza and did shikko (knee walking)
@@rumblefish9 look for a good aikido sensei that respect your injuries.
Love the way how you lay down instructions! You'll make a total opponent of karate want to train with you.
Thank you, very good. My study through some jujutsu dojo have shown me that the differences in schools ukemi are details that are good to learn to see the oneness of the art. Thank again, "gracias" from Puerto Rico.
@Alex Gemi Thank you. Please, do not leave your medication
Edgardo, donde es la escuela de jujitsu que tu atiendes?
Her: so what do you do first thing in the morning?
Me: 00:11
Her: say no more....
I sprawled every morning on hard concrete floor. Once, I hit the knee to the floor so hard now I don't sprawl anymore
Wow these is something everyone everywhere should practice. Bicycles, motorcycles, skateboards, climbing, etc. Learning to fall without injury might be even more helpful than learning to swim ...
Must share!
This saved my life more than anything else I learned in Karate.
I think that was the best class on Ukemi ever! I've had to go through the classes several times, none were presented as clearly, and honestly it is way harder than you made it look. I'm still not very good at it...
best rolling ukemi explanation, even judo and aikido teachers
1:29- Forward Ju-Ukemi (soft)
3:04 - Back Ju-Ukemi (soft)
4:47 - Forward Go-Ukemi (hard)
6:24 - Back Go-Ukemi (hard)
7:51 - Side Go-Ukemi (hard)
9:15 - Combo Roll
Exactly what I need in my life. I have a mental block , worried about falling wrong and hurting my back so I am fearful of even trying many of the fall techniques. And exactly as you said , prevents me from more advanced training. You’ve explained it so well and so clear here I feel some confidence to try. I’ve been same belt level a little longer than I should.
Baby steps! Start close to the ground and gradually increase height. Good luck! 🌟
I fight a dirty Australian HEMA and our usual training grounds are rocky hills and concrete/gravel parking garages; train throws anywhere that isn't a soft mat and you will naturally learn how to break a fall and you will vividly remember every single time you mess it up.
I'm not a karate practitioner but i truly admire the art 👊👊 i currently practice and study wingchun. I can use the ukemi in a self defense situation. Thank you Sensei 🙏👊
I did kempo karate as a kid in a school that ingrained these lessons in me. It might have been a McDojo in the 90s, but I learned some good things to start off my martial arts journey. Recently, I wanted to introduce my partner to BJJ which I've done 17 years ago in another country, but on our first session they simply told her to roll backwards with no instructions, and pressured her to do it right away. That was a red flag to me. I watched one of their students who had been there for longer roll backwards without tilting their head, constantly compressing the back of their neck with their own body-weight, and the teacher was fine with it. All I thought of was, in a combat-sport situation if someone sprawled on top of them while they were in that position, it would crush their neck... So I intervened and taught her how to do it the right way, but after a few more sessions (and more red flags with big ego blue belts who went beyond rolling energy & resorted to scratching me constantly), never went back to that BJJ school.
You are such a good teacher, Sensei Jesse! Thank you for this, and God bless
Wonderful video. You teach almost exactly as I do, and you demonstrate many more things than you actually talk about, especially on yokoukemi. Although from your demonstration, you know these things, I thought I'd share some observations for others who might find it helpful.
For yokoukemi, my teachers stressed protection of the ankle, knee, and hip joints because you must be able to stand after the fall in addition to survive. The ankle is protected by the shape of the lower foot (curved inward as you demonstrate is my favorite, although pointed toes can work too), the knee by the alignment of ankle, knee, hip, and shoulder into the same plane (this requires you to thrust you hips forward mid-roll but causes the calf and thigh to bridge the knee in most people), and the upper foot lands ball first and pushes up to initially elevate and brake the hip landing. The upper foot also must touch down approximately in line with the other knee so that the leg can also act as a forward brake if there is significant translation as well as rotation in the throw. As a physicist, the ankle-to-shoulder alignment also maximizes the moment of inertia of the body which also slows the speed of the rotation, giving you a bit more time (small as it is) to make adjustments mid-flight. If position allows, you can also start the arm opposite to the forward leg (the one on the mat at the end) rotating backward, palm first, almost as soon as the roll begins. This can be an effective addition to strengthening the torso against the shock of the fall, as well as acting as a sensor to alert your body of the mat proximity.
I come from a generation where ukemi had to be demonstrated on wood floors so I can vouch for the importance. However, I see many of these fine details being glossed over or omitted because the matted surfaces are so forgiving these days. While I no longer compel my students to demonstrate falls on hard surfaces, I frequently make them assume the ending position for yokoukemi on a hard floor and ask them to experiment with arm/leg positions to feel the contact points.
Finally, thanks for the many excellent videos you've made. I hold a yondan in karate and a godan in aikido, and you make me question if I still train enough, even as I approach 70!
Years of karatetraining have saved my life a couple of times. For exampel when my Eskate decides to hookup with a bump in the road going 45 km/h sending me to the ground. At first full body impact and then up on helmet and steeltoes (work shoes) to save clothes. I was lucky walking after. Found the skate in a bush after a while.
So ukemi is good to know! This is one of the videos I come back to sometimes because Jesse sensei explain so good.
Love practicing break falls and rolls. Great video Jesse Sensei. Thank you.
As a person over 30 years old getting into this. The mental to throw myself on the ground is hard. Everything already hurts 😂 but thank you for this video. You make it look so easy.
The way you explain these things, they seem so logical and easy to understand. I wish I could try my hands on Karate.
Hello Jesse Sensei, greetings from Zambia. I have done Judo and Jujitsu for the last 34 years. I represented Zambia internationally in Judo for 10 years around the world in my younger days. While I was living in Japan for 7 years I learnt the different ways the Japanese Koryu Jujitsu Sensei teach Ukemi waza. The Koryu Jujitsu Ukemi waza taught in Japan is very interesting to learn,especially the Goshin Jitsu no Ukemi waza. Here in Zambia many of my students over the years have been saved from near fatal death accidents from motorbike accidents to car hit and run accidents. Ukemi waza saved their lives. I thank God all my students made the effort to learn their break falls well. Some of them wouldn't be alive today if they didn't bother to come to the dojo to learn Ukemi. I have a special morning class on Saturday mornings at 8 o'clock in our dojo to teach many Karate Ka their breakfalls here in Zambia. I am so encouraged to see even high ranking Karate Ka willing to learning this amazing art. Your explanation and teaching of Ukemi waza was excellent and easy to understand for beginners. Keep up the tremendous work Jesse San , Best wishes from Zambia. Itsumo Ganbate Kudasai
Thank you very much! Would love to learn from you one day 🙏
Thank you Jesse Sensei for your reply. I am encouraged to hear from you here in Zambia. Here is my website about what I do among the youth in Zambia through the martial arts of Jujitsu and Judo. Best wishes from Zambia. www.kodokwanzambia.com
You are such a great teacher. Great explanations and demonstrations. Simple and succinct video, with every remark relevant and to the point.
Excellent tutorial on ukemi. I have done Judo and Aikido and your presentation is spot on. My son's and I were taking a Shotokan Karate class and they went to show breakfalls and I damn near had a heart attack. They tried to tell my sons to allow their heads to smack the ground and basically back hand the matt. Needless to say we didn't continue.
Just clocked this one Jesse. Great exactly how I was taught in Aikido in 1986. 🙏🙏🙏
First - that's a good stuff you're showing here :)
I can tell you that it's scary even for many seasoned judoka to just fall on the back. It's rooted very deep in human nature that falling on the back is a no-no. When I had problems to fall in any direction I've actually used one leg to kick another or pull my whole body and force myself to loose stability this way.
One more thing - when you fall completely frontally, if a break is done properly you should be able to stand back like a spring. I can't tell you how, cause I'm unable to do this, but most of the black belt judoka I've met did it. It's kind of a gymnastic mystery for me ;)
Jesse thank you for this simple breakdown.I am 71 and the falls can make me a little uneasy. This has really helped a lot! Sometimes anew perspective helps. I am working on second brown in a self defense course ..Kenpo jujitsu. I love it , but sometimes it takes a little more for older brain to pick things up , lol! Enjoy your videos much ly.
Thanks Jesse. Very helpful . Super appreciate your dedication to the arts. Also like other people, ukemi has saved me a bunch of times from falls from slips and tripping over unseen obstacles.
I learned this in my Aikido Class before.
I never thought that Ukemi is also practice in Karate.
Yes that’s right.. I learn those ukemi in Aikido and Judo class,
Therefore I can’t understand why karateka teach us to learn those ukemi
Sensei Jesse, I think this is the most complete and clearest Ukemi video I've seen so far! And I'm especially glad it comes from a karate point of view! You even did the front and back bump, which I remember using when I did pro-wrestling couple of years ago! 😄 in my opinion, Ukemis should be taught in all martial arts, especially to kids, since in any circumstances it's useful knowledge to avoid injuries. 🙏🥋
Thank you!! Makes me happy 😄
Thank you for this tutorial! There are far too many Karate schools that do not properly teach/train falling... thinking it only practiced in the "grappling" arts. They fail to realize that, if you don't survive the fall, the fight is over.
As a side note, the front fall/roll is great for when you trip over the carpet in the hallway ;-)
I train Japanese jiu-jitsu in England, it's so brilliant to see a Karateka teaching Ukemi. Oss!!
Thank you so much. I had learned the over the shoulder roll before but always struggled with my right side and now this showed me what I was missing: the arm swinging under.
perfect explanation of basics, the same way i learned it.
The most funny thing is that ukemi waza is most actual technic in my life outside the dojo.
I studied Budo jujitsu w/Master Al Thomas from 1985 -1988. He also had us fall in that manner so our knees didn't "klunk" together! In 2006 I joined a Judo dojo here in Albuquerque, NM. When I demonstrated the fall he said, "We don't do that here." He was kind enough to refund my month's class.
I was totally blown away when you said some don't teach you how to fall! Police officers should learn this as well. I've seen many slam their heads on concrete!
I was diagnosed w/late-on-set Multiple Sclerosis in 2014, at the age of 54. Since then my left leg just decides, now and then, to stop working and I fall.
The 1st time was in 2017. I fell like it was 1985! Imagine, 19 years after my last class and a perfect fall!
My husband said, "You bounced!" I told him, "I'm suppose to!"
The only bruise was to my ego!
You explain in a simple manner w/o the "macho" attitude. I think what you're doing is wonderful and will share it on my FB page. Thank you. May joy be yours!
When I was a little kid the gymnastics I used to go to didn't teach how to fall but were perfectly fine with teaching kids how to loop around on bars and not having enough chalk.
This is a very comprehensive demonstration on the concepts of soft and hard break falls! To take it to the next level, I'd add/propose: fall hard on soft ground, fall soft on hard ground: these tatamis are "soft", a wooden floor or asphalt I consider "hard" (and sheer concrete or stone - close to what sumo wrestlers are facing on their clay dohyo - is yet another level, requiring not just technique, but also physical condition - a protective layer of just enough fat or muscle, to soften the fall even more).
Great review on the Ukemi!
It reminds me of my childhood Judo years, back in the nineties.
Really useful, thanks a lot! 🙏🏻
Thank you ,thank you so much ,I have been really struggling to learn the falls and never nailed them, now with a few tries I finally got them ,thank you so much!!!
I'm having a lot of trouble with this. I keep ending up incorrectly after the roll. I think I'm perhaps trying to roll too slowly. This is great, Jesse-san. Thank you for making content I didn't know I needed until I watched it! I'll get it eventually.
This is a great video, most people who want to learn martial arts don't care about this but this is what helps keep you in the fight. The only time I've ever used martial arts in real life is when I was on a dead sprint to the other side of the court playing basketball and I got tripped from behind, it was weird because everything slowed down and I had 2 choices. I could just fall flat forward and get scrapped up and possibly injure my wrists or roll, I rolled and only lost a step. It came from practicing the techniques you're showing here. Thanks again for the videos, you're doing the martial arts community a great service!
Very good tutorial there. As a Judoka i have alot of tweaks here and there to make it perfect, but it is very good for a karateka. I remember my days in karate training it that way ;)
From a Jujutsuka, very good video. Our jujutsu classes do ukemi with the warm ups. All beginners start with basic ukemi (forward, back and side) to give them confidence as well as protection.
I started doing BJJ last month. After a couple of standing throw focused classes, I learned to just skip those classes because I have no idea how to get thrown. This video's really helpful! Getting thrown super sucks.
I teach jujutsu and the first thing we teach beginners is ukemi. Every class starts with warmups then ukemi.
Thanks a lot. I didn’t realize before that my head wasn’t supposed to touch the ground at all. Your instructions are very clear.
Har håller på med Japanskt jujusto. Så jag känner igen mycket av detta då jag tränat för någon timme sedan. Bra jobbat Jesse 😊👍.
Best Fall Tutorial I have seen. Thank You.
Excellent tutorial.
Similar to Hapkido break falls.
Thank you Sir.
This looks awesome! I started training when I was fairly old (47) and now - well 10 years later. I also have really bad knees. I've never been good at breakfalls but I know I really should be working on this (because OLD!). I see a lot of interesting things here that I think I can work with. Thank you!
Great video. What I've learned over the years is to pick up different methodologies to teach ukemi, as students will grasp some methods better than others.
BTW, nice quiet rolls. Shows excellent technique.
Thank you! I totally agree 😄👍
Falling is worse than getting punched.
Breakfalling is so much fun that I try to apply it on grounds harder than the tatami. It's good to see you do it.
You have great ukemi
Good instruction saved my life more than once in the dojo and on the street.
Fantastic, I was never taught these while I was learning karate.
Your forward breakfall breakdown was phenomenal, definitely going to integrate that into my teaching, thank you sensei!
Great video for the new students in my Aikido class who were taught to slap the mat about one second after they roll back, for some reason. This is before I joined the class. Hopefully this will help them correct the break falls.
These free lessons are quite awesome.
One of the more valuable lessons you've taught.
Domo arigato
Many of your videos are really good, but this one I really, really, really liked. You've got a strong opinion (breakfall techniques are crucial for every martial artist) and then you go ahead and explain basic and advanced techniques, explain them really well and make them see so easy that I want to go outside in the garden now to practice them on concrete.
Additionally, I also like your idea of including the technical stand-up. I've been a karateka who has been visiting other martial arts once in a while, too. And I remember once visiting a BJJ dojo, where they explained the technical stand-up but didn't really care for it: after all, BJJ is supposed to be all on the ground, right? Boy, were they surprised when one of my karate friends and me showed them in sparring what the use is of being able to get up really quickly.
(Side note: this is not to dis on BJJ or any other martial art - it's just this particular BJJ sensei who wasn't really curious to learn about the relevance of other martial arts)
Thank you so much!!
Thanks for adding those break falls Jesse, as I child I did judo and I remember all we first learnt was break falls and they have come in handy during my years in karate. It was a nice refresher for me again as as you get older and start to forget some of the important points. I think I may start instructing some of our students as it is an important part overlooked in karate training.
Great, all you need in 10 minutes! (ok, plus years to learn it ....) Excellent video who brings everthing together. Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it!
7:30 *135°
0° it's with the feet on the ground. After 45°, that it`s between 0° and 90°. After 90°, 135°, 180° with the leg standing...
Favorite video!
Totally practical information, and no air quotes!
When you said "like a sprinter" your body position made me think of THAT move from Kusanku!
slickx82 oh no...THAT move... ;) jk
the timing of this being a suggested video is awfully amusing.
making my yearly visit to vancouver, a friend of mine and my fiancee likes to greet me with hug-tackles. as such, she got me today and i just sorta out of habit did a soft fall. there's nothing quite like having a 145 lb. bundle of energy just nail me in her utter happiness. :P
You just earned yourself a like and subscribe from a judoka! That was the best demonstration and instruction of break-fall I've ever seen!!!
Thank you! 🙏
I've been mountain biking for 15 years now with no proper knowledge about how to fall and it has cost me a lot of pain that could have been avoided had i watched this video sooner. This video applies to much more than just martial art
Thank you for sharing!
The best tutorial to learn how to do ukemi to al the karate practicioner...domo arigato Enkamp Sensei
Both types of fall protection save me twice when I was a kid and they had nothing to do with fighting. 1st time I was on my skateboard when it got stuck on a small rock. I went flying forward in front of an oncoming car. I tucked and rolled like I had been taught and came rolling up on the other side. I can only image the look on the drivers face. The 2nd time I was in p.e. class in school and somehow got knocked over, I think we were playing basketball. I fell backward and once again did as I was taught. I lifted my head and slapped the ground with my arms. Saved myself from a massive concussion that day. This skill is, to me, one of the most important we can learn.
You do a great job. You deserve the respect of the fans. Sending some love from Brasil.
Muito obrigado 👍
4 years old and still an awesome video1 Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Great video. And many times we teach other students the throws and takedowns before we teach them how to fall.
Hi Jesse, it's a pretty good ukemi tutorial. I have a little tip for getting up from ushiro ukemi (roll backwards). If you want to be in a defensive position after getting up, like Kokutsu dachi, then your line is good. If you want to attack aggressively immediately after getting up, for example with a Mae Geri, then in your case I would pull the stretched leg forward and thus you can go straight into an attack. Greetings from Salzburg (Austria) Alex
In our club we don't do forward or backwards rolls. In Aikido we did. I was terrible at rolling. Best demo of a forward roll. Will practice.
Man this was an excellent tutorial. Your teaching style is so easy to follow. 👍
Glad it was helpful!
Jesse your videos are very knowledgeable . Through your teaching I came to understand the proper way of falling. It is a very useful video for me. In fact I saved this video so that I can watch it later too. Although, keep it up Jesse
Superb and very helpful tutorial!
Shorinji Kan Ju-Jitsu taught me outstanding ukemi kata, it has it's roots in aikido
Very nice demonstrations, I like your movements, slightly less 'fluidic and circular' but very very effective
It’s crazy how similar the techniques we teach are! You had some awesome pointers here that I can’t wait to add to my instruction of these. Thanks as always!!
Great minds think alike, eh? 😄
Jesse Enkamp haha idk if I can take credit for how I teach it. Simply passing along the knowledge I was given!! It’s cool to see how consistent it is despite being so incredibly far away! Lineage is awesome.
Brings back memories of my minna ju jitsu classes 30 years ago when I was in high school learning to break falls in Ohio at the old dojo. But now I fence these days living in another state. However, this video is such a great refresher so it's good to remember them. I can already hear the dojo mats in my head from doing these.
One cool anecdote was that my late sensei used to be a fencer long before he taught karate immigrating from Hungary. He had two foil weapons and a mask hung on the dojo wall and I never understood why. Not until years later when I took up fencing in Vermont and visited back Ohio, realizing things have come full circle. To this day, they still hang on the wall and I'm completing what he started.
This is so important in training and almost always a forgotten aspect.
It is so hard to impress falling safely on a new or old practioner of any art. I like tui shou, pushing hands, and it's amazing how falling and rolling tends to be ignored as a basic skill when hitting the ground in a grappling setting is so common.
great job demonstrating Jesse!
Im going to teach you how to break fall
**BADOMPHF**
KABAM! 🔥
@@KARATEbyJesse oss!
I am watching this to learn how to break fall for SKATEBOARDING. And now I kinda want to train karate with you! 😂 Great instruction!
Haha awesome 😂🙏🥋
Well explained, THX. When I fell over the bike, it helped me too. Falling, getting up, laughing, going on...
So great to see this explained in this way. We learned almost identically but this way of presenting is so straight forward.
One question I've had: when you do a hard fall and you throw down your arm: do you hit palm-first and then arm, or try to hit everything together (hand + forearm at exactly the same time)? I found that I usually prefer trying to take as much energy out of the fall by having the hand hit hard just before the entire arm hits (just a split second).
Thanks again! this was awesome.
Hey Jesse love the video I did judo for long time and the best way to break your fall tuck your chin down shoulder to the side and when you flip slap the mat to absorb the shock
Break fall really saved me. I slipped on ice twice during the winter at a parking lot and at work I slipped on a mop water.
Jesse: Teaching ways to do rolls properly.
Me: Rolling on my head my entire life !
to add some knowledge from aikido there is also the tombu ukemi when there is joint lock involved and there is the special extension(superman) ukemi used in competition judo that prevents execution of the throw of the opponent