BREATHING DURING UKEMI EXAMPLES OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF FALLS BREATHING DURING UKEMI ====================== From: Claudia Wollstein <100670.430@COMPUSERVE.COM> --------------------------------------------------- While we are discussing the ukemi problems, here's another one that was recently brought to my attention by the question of a beginner: Could you describe your breathing during ukemi? I know it's a bit dangerous if you land on the mat with empty lungs. (It might at least make you feel like a flat bicycle tube for some minutes.) But how you actually breathe during the fall and the landing phase? (Particularly in breakfalls.) My sensei stresses that the moment you land you must hold your breath. I'm not quite sure, though, whether I understand him correctly. I can take falls from most techniques without getting hurt, and I think that I pushing air out during the landing.(This is a bit like a quantum mechanical problem, though: Once you begin to think about it and try to test it, it's not the same any more.) From: "J.P. DIESCH" --------------------------------------------------------> > Could you describe your breathing during ukemi? > > My sensei stresses that the moment you land you must > hold your breath. AAAaaaaaHHHHhhh!!!!!!!!! Dont hold your breath!! thats the easiest way to a) damage yourself horribly b) get REALLY winded when you land hard. You should breath out continuously, both when making the technique, and when receiving. This enables you to be properly relaxed, and thus helps your technical performance as well as keeping you safer!. With proper breathing any technique can be performed, or received in a single breath, so no standing about panting afterwards!! :) From: Larry Novick --------------------------------------- At 3:35 AM 11/23/95, J.P. DIESCH wrote: > > My sensei stresses that the moment you land you must > > hold your breath. > > > AAAaaaaaHHHHhhh!!!!!!!!! > > Dont hold your breath!! thats the easiest way to > a) damage yourself horribly > b) get REALLY winded when you land hard. Yes - do NOT hold your breath when landing. You can cause severe damage on a hard breakfall. In the old days of my Judo and Hapkido training, in which we would take about 200 breakfalls a class, we learned quickly to Kiai on every landing, thus ensuring we didn't take the shock of the fall and hurt our lungs etc. From: Laura Hague --------------------------------------- >My sensei stresses that the moment you land you must >hold your breath. I'm not quite sure, though, whether >I understand him correctly. I can take falls from >most techniques without getting hurt, and I think that >I pushing air out during the landing.(This is a bit >like a quantum mechanical problem, though: Once you >begin to think about it and try to test it, it's not >the same any more.) > >So: Any suggestions? > >Thomas Wollstein, 100670.430@compuserve.com > Holding your breath when you land is exactly what we are told not to do. When we first learn breakfalls, we kiai when we hit the mat. I know that when I forget and hold my breath instead of exhaling that I feel much less relaxed. I'm also a lot less likely to do something stupid, like bite my tongue, if I exhale. From: Michael Martin ------------------------------------------ At 11:35 23/11/95 GMT0BST, Jon wrote: > > You should *****breath out continuously*****, both when making the >technique, and when receiving. This enables you to be properly >relaxed, and thus helps your technical performance as well as keeping >you safer!. WARNING: The following is complete and total jest . . . Wow! That's amazing. I'm still inhaling every now and then. Maybe someday I'll be able to only exhale while on the mat. From: Alan D Bell ---------------------------------------------- > > Could you describe your breathing during ukemi? > When I first started perform ukemi I didn't really appreciate how to breathe (there is always a lot of attention brought to how to breathe while performing technique but not when falling) and then I changed class (due to work pressures I had to move from Scotland to England) and style. My new Sensei is very adamant that uke should be exhaling while performing ukemi and has "drummed" this into me over the past couple of years. I can't say that my ukemi have improved drastically because of this *but* what I would say is that it paces the body better and allows me to continually perform ukemi for a longer period before I collapse in a heap - breathless !! From: Lee Escobar ----------------------------------------------- >While we are discussing the ukemi problems, here's >another one that was recently brought to my attention >by the question of a beginner: > >Could you describe your breathing during ukemi? > >My sensei stresses that the moment you land you must >hold your breath. > >So: Any suggestions? > >Thomas Wollstein, 100670.430@compuserve.com > There is a difference between holding your breath (sniff, ahhhhh, lungs moving) and kokyu "breath" that you must be aware of during the entire practice. I try to tighten into my center, a conscious muscular effort, allowing my body to get smaller, taking ukemi that is very close to nage so we can remain together. If you practice in a continuous manner, your lungs will do their work, and your kokyu will allow you to go on and on... It's when you stop the exchange between yourself and your partner that you both bend over huffing and wheezing. Studying movement as a series of "breaths", asking why this movement is inhaling, and this is exhaling is important to remaining firmly rooted (grounded) and moving correctly. EXAMPLES OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF FALLS ==================================== From: KwolekL ---------------------------------- I recently joined a new dojo in Prague, Czech Republic, and I am = learning three falls here that I have never seen before. Now, I'm just a = newbie (going on my third year of Aikido) but in my travels I've visited = several dojos, so I thought I knew the various warm-up exercises pretty = well, but two of these I think are pretty unique, while the third is a = nice modification of a standard exercise. I'm wondering, does anyone else practice these? 1. "Little Fish" (rybyka in Czech). This fall mimics a shove or kick = from behind where you can't roll out of it (obstructions, bad guys, = whatever). Instead, you do a 3/4 handstand, that is you fall forwards, = allowing your body to come up between 45-60 degrees while you hold your = weight up in a modified inclined pushup for a split second. Then you = arch your back and lower yourself to the ground downward from your hands = to your feet. It in some romantic way might appear to be the move of a = fish or a dolphin as it jumps and dives. 2. Next is a defense against a "clothes line" technique , where = something (an arm, stick, rope, etc.) comes suddenly at a height between = your head and your chest. To simulate this two pairs of two students = line up facing the class with their arms outstretched from their sides at = shoulder height. Then the rest of the students line up and run through = this "gauntlet" at their own speed. To accomplish the fall, the student approaches perpendicular to the = outstretched arm, then reaches and looks backwards over one shoulder. = Arch the back and throw the hips and the opposite leg upwards. As the = hand and arm touch the mat, the body begins to rotate in the air with the = other leg thrown upward. The energy of the fall dissipates in a circular = motion as the uke rolls sideways onto the other shoulder, much in the = same way a plate, dropped on its edge, starts to spin around in a = flip-flop motion, always touching its rim and the rest lifting in the air = as it follows its energy around the point of contact. In the beginning, students can use the assistant's outstretched arm to = support the backwards fall, but the advanced students are able to take = incredible backward break falls as if they had been hit with a baseball = bat with elegant softness. I have seen this used particularly well when = Sensei executed a very fast iremi-nage and the uke falls almost straight = down and backwards using this technique. 3. The last is a kote-gaeshi practice fall. Three students assist by = getting down on their hands and knees to present a support, as in the = standard exercise of rolling over an obstacle. Instead of outstretching = the lead arm to make contact with the mat, the uke places the arm on the = back of the assistant and reaches backwards with the palm of the hand = facing up in the air. Next the uke rolls over the back of the assistant = and takes a nice controlled (partner assisted) break fall. As the = student progresses they learn to rely less and less on the assistant and = to roll in mid air instead. I like this training as it taught me to get over my fear of not getting = a hand on the ground when I fall. The hand stretched backwards gives the = same angle and body dynamics of a kote-gaeshi, but without the chance of = someone pulling too strongly or twisting the wrist too much. It also = relieves the beginner of the stress of having to begin kote-gaeshji style = break falls in the first place. From: Joseph Toman ---------------------------------------- KwolekL writes: > 3. The last is a kote-gaeshi practice fall. Three students assist by = This one sounds like our basic fall from a leg sweep (What's the japanese term for this throw? Nage falls into the side of uke's legs?). From: Jon Capp ---------------------------------------------- On 24/11/95, Larry Kwolek inquired... >(Judicious editing ensues...) >...I am learning three falls here that I have never seen before... >...I'm wondering, does anyone else practice these?... >...1. "Little Fish"... >...2. "Clothes Line"... >...3. Kote Gaeshi practice... Yes! I do. Well, I practice 1 and 3 and a couple of variations which I think give a similar experience to 2. I practice Tomiki Aikido, and we use the 1st breakfall in 1 (possibly more) of our Kata. I know it as "Floating Leaf" breakfall. I use the kote gaeshi practice for all new comers and white/yellow belts (6th/5th Kyu), because the big breakfall is very intimidating. It is also very good for correcting poor landing posture in more advanced students as you can get them to repeat this pactice more times than you would get them to do big kote gaeshi breakfalls. The two variations I mentioned are: Side breakfalls. For this you swing one leg across in front of your body (as if you were kicking a ball sideways). At the same time, the hand on the same side as the leg sweeps across the body following the movement of the leg. For the basic fall, just allow the other leg to gently collapse, as you start to fall sideways the swinging arm is brought down into contact with the mat to absorb the energy of the fall. For the advanced breakfall, you allow the supporting leg to lift off the mat, as the other leg and arm swing by. The resulting fall is the same but a little more vigorous. Back breakfalls. The basic fall is performed from a squatting position. Allow your body to rock backwards, as you start to fall backwards, kick both legs out in front of you and slap down with your arms. This again is a good one for beginners, it gets them used to the back breakfall while reducing the whiplash effect that can occur from higher, though more sedate, breakfalls because they forget to pull their heads to their chests. The advanced version of this is from standing. Allow your body to arch back, as your balance starts to go, kick your legs out in front. This should send your body backwards as you fall down. Again, you need to slap down with the hands as you go down. I am intrigued by the sound of the "clothes line" breakfall, I think I will give it a try tonight. By the way, what style of Aikido are you practicing Larry? All the best! Jon Capp Eastleigh Aikido Club (BAA) Southampton England