# Ukemi



## Mickey Mullins (Jun 5, 2005)

Hello everyone,

I am posting a thread in regard to ukemi,specifically ju nagare and gyaku nagare,also a few yokonagare henka,my motive is the same as Don Roley's in the ashidori thread,to see how often you guys practice these manuevers and on what basis.I recently went to train with a group,and the sensei had never heard of these two manuevers and held a sandan rank.He only had ever been shown your most basic rolls.There were a few minor details also but all in all who's heard of or practiced these rolls?Also would like to get a count by average of those that practice handsprings and flips-as he was too terrified to even attempt anything remotely gymnastic.

Mickey Mullins


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## saru1968 (Jun 5, 2005)

HI Mickey



In each and every lesson we run through all the standard ukemi as well as all the flowing ukemi. which includes cartwheels 1 and 2 handed and occasionally when i'm feeling energetic handsprings over kickbags. We just use the practice as our warm-up.



Gary


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## Mountain Kusa (Jun 5, 2005)

Yes I have and do know these. We begin every class with Ukemi and Kaiten. It is part of our warm up and gets us focused on the training at hand. Good thread.


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## Kizaru (Jun 5, 2005)

Mickey Mullins said:
			
		

> I am posting a thread in regard to ukemi,specifically ju nagare and gyaku nagare,also a few yokonagare henka,....to see how often you guys practice these manuevers and on what basis.


 
One of the Japanese shihan I train with here begins every class by going through forward, back and side rolls, leaping rolls, "cat drops" (forward ukemi, no roll), the "flowing" kaiten ukemi", ju and gyaku nagare.




			
				Mickey Mullins said:
			
		

> my motive is the same as Don Roley's


To me, that sounds like Austin Powers saying, "my motive is the same as Dr. Evil's"...


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## theletch1 (Jun 5, 2005)

I don't study ninjutsu but thought I'd add my 2 cents worth.  At the beginning of each and every class in my aikido school we go through front and side falls, back falls, front rolls, back rolls.  It's part of our daily warm up and class just wouldn't be the same without it.


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## Grey Eyed Bandit (Jun 5, 2005)

Ukemi and taihenjutsu is practiced pretty much every time at our place. Also with weapons in our hands or belts.


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## Mickey Mullins (Jun 5, 2005)

This is how I train everyday also as well as feeling the rolls out and "adjusting" them.I have heard many great things about the Shihan Kizaru is talking about.Truly magical ukemi and henka.I was simply blown away by someone not practicing/or knowing these things and making it to Sandan.There were other things also but I'll let his ears rest:whip: for now.
Mickey Mullins


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## Kizaru (Jun 6, 2005)

Mickey Mullins said:
			
		

> I have heard many great things about the Shihan Kizaru is talking about.






















			
				Mickey Mullins said:
			
		

> I was simply blown away by someone not practicing/or knowing these things and making it to Sandan...


This could be the topic for a whole other thread, but if one takes a look around, this is just the way rank is presented in the Bujinkan. I'm sure there were things I knew at _sandan_ that some _sandans_ didn't know. I'm sure there are things that some sandans know now that I don't.


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## Don Roley (Jun 6, 2005)

Kizaru said:
			
		

> To me, that sounds like Austin Powers saying, "my motive is the same as Dr. Evil's"...



Would that make you Mini-me?  :idunno:

My Japanese teacher does ukemi like is described at the top of this post at the beggining of every class. Jun Nagare is a bit rare, but we go through taisabaki and ukemi drills. Dale Seago can tell you of his experience.

He says that after seeing people do it, he can pretty much tell where their level of experience is. And if some people have trouble with some points, things tend to be less damaging for the night.


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## Mickey Mullins (Jun 6, 2005)

Kizaru wrote:


>


I apologize as I had made an assumption that now I realize maybe incorrect.As I don't know Kizaru and he doesn't know me I'm sure I came off rather ignorant.Let me state here now I have NEVER been to Japan nor met any of the Japanese Shihan therefore my remark is unwarrented.Be careful.
                  Mickey Mullins


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## Shogun (Jun 6, 2005)

well, (when I can get to class) we start with Junan Taiso then get in lines and practice Ukemi (defined as rolling in this thread) for about 25 minutes. we have practiced those mentioned but Zempo kaiten, yoko nagare, koho kaiten, and their henka seem to be the norm.

IMO, however, Ukemi isnt limited to rolling and handsprings. any type of yielding movement is Ukemi.


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## Mickey Mullins (Jun 6, 2005)

Shogun wrote:


> IMO, however, Ukemi isnt limited to rolling and handsprings. any type of yielding movement is Ukemi.


Yes,physically,AND to be technical there is also mental ukemi,spiritual ukemi,etc.,etc.....but for the sake of this thread we are talking about the aforementioned manuevers,the kaiten and nagare family.How do you practice?Is it only in the dojo,your garden,your roof,against opponent/s,the wifes cat/s,the BarB-Q grill,etc.Do you jump out of moving vehicles like airplanes and boats?Do you practice underwater? In snow,sand,OR glass?
:jedi1: 

Just having a little fun.
Mickey Mullins


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## Grey Eyed Bandit (Jun 6, 2005)

www.teamukemi.com


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## Shogun (Jun 6, 2005)

> but for the sake of this thread we are talking about the aforementioned manuevers,the kaiten and nagare family.How do you practice?


I know, I was just saying....in case there are some who didnt know this.

I practice Ukemi all the time (daily). I did Gymnastics for several years when I was younger. I also wrestle pro sometimes (my buddies are pro, so we train together) and Ukemi comes in handy for that.


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## rutherford (Jun 7, 2005)

Most of our Ukemi practice is done as an incidental to a different training focus.  Our training group hasn't lined up and focused on solo ukemi all together in several months.  We did have a new guy join 2 weeks ago, so if he sticks around I assume we'll have some classes where a lot of time is spent on Ukemi in the near future.

However, you will often see somebody just practice a few rolls during spare moments.  Recently, we've been spending the first hour of class twice a week on various sword waza, so I've been learning to roll with different sized bokken in my belt, in hand, and picking up off the ground.

We train outdoors full time during the warm six months of the year (and once a week in the winter) so there's always a good variety of terrain.

Kaiten is much more common than Nagare.  Handsprings / cartwheels are not regularly done in class.  Hell, there are lots of folks who don't practice Sokuho Kaiten as often as they should.


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## Henso (Jun 7, 2005)

Ukemi/Taihenjutsu, is practiced at our training group, along with the Sanshin No Kata and Koshi Kihon Sanpo, after which we focus on waza from the TCJ or ryuha specific waza, along with random henka of these.


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## Don Roley (Jul 3, 2005)

Finally found this story that I had posted elsewhere.



> So anyways, as some of you know I work for the local board of education in Japan. As part of my job, I show up about twice a week at some elementary schools. My wife complains that I have turned down several more profitable jobs because to do so would mean I would have less time for training and I would also stop being the most mature person in the room most of the time.
> 
> So today I am playing a game with some of the kids and I am tearing after them across the gym. As everyone knows, ten year olds move like greased lightning so I was moving fast, and streched out to reach out and down to get the little booger. Then he stumbles and goes straight down in a dead stop.
> 
> ...



Ukemi has probably kept more Bujinkan members from getting hurt than punching and kicking.


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## Bujingodai (Jul 4, 2005)

Jun Nagare and Gyaku nagare were a regular part of the drills at the start of class with Hill Sensei, still something i regularly do. Took me a long time to make them anything recognizable though  :idunno:


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## Floating Egg (Jul 4, 2005)

> Ukemi has probably kept more Bujinkan members from getting hurt than punching and kicking.


Have you ever used Ukemi while falling downstairs? I'm surprised by how painless it is. You'd think that the stairs would dig into your back and give you all kinds of problems, but as long as there isn't a wall at the foot of the stairs it's okay.


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## Shogun (Jul 6, 2005)

> Have you ever used Ukemi while falling downstairs? I'm surprised by how painless it is. You'd think that the stairs would dig into your back and give you all kinds of problems, but as long as there isn't a wall at the foot of the stairs it's okay.


Instead of a yes or no, I'll give you a hint... I skateboard.


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## Bigshadow (Jul 6, 2005)

I will admit that most of my ukemi training is incidental to the regular class.  We don't normally focus on ukemi in class.  Actually, it is expected of us to practice it on our own time (once shown how).  I am guilty for not practicing it enough on my own.

 However, in light of my much less than perfect ukemi practice schedule, it did prevent me from having an injury in a recent paintball game.  I was running and got tripped up in some taller grass.  Well, instead of crashing to the ground I rolled through it and jumped back up onto my feet and continued running to my objective.  The only thought that crossed my mind was mid point in the roll where my only thought was that I didn't crush the paintball pods that were on my hip.  It just happened without any forethought, so I know it was my training that did it.

 Lastly, I am honestly trying to make ukemi, sanshin, and junan taiso part of my morning workout routine when I return from the gym.


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## Shizen Shigoku (Jul 6, 2005)

*Mickey Mullins: "How do you practice?Is it only in the dojo,your garden,your roof,against opponent/s,the wifes cat/s,the BarB-Q grill,etc.Do you jump out of moving vehicles like airplanes and boats?Do you practice underwater? In snow,sand,OR glass?"*

Most of the variety of skills I drill on my own at home or at parks. In the dojo - sometimes, especially to help out beginers; depends on the lesson. My garden? As long as I don't damage the plants too badly. Roof - not lately, but I've practiced a little _shige gaeshi_ in the past. 

I mountain bike (there aren't any mountains in Florida, so it's not too strenuous), and rollerblade. Ukemi skills have saved my hide on several of those occasions. Real fights I've been in sometimes involved ground rolling skills. & I like wrestling with my Mom's dog (pitt bull terrier).

I have also taken gymnastics lessons in the past, so enjoy practicing taijutsu applications of handsprings, cartwheels, etc.

Jun and gyaku nagare, specifically, are done once in a while - in the dojo and for solo practice, but are rare. More common are the following types of ukemi skills that I have used or practiced both on my own and at dojo:

zagata zenpou ukemi  seated forward break-fall
zagata kouhou ukemi  seated backward break-fall
yoko nagare  sideways flow
shizen tatte zenpou ukemi  natural standing forward break-fall
kouhou ukemi  backward break-fall
yokonagashi zenpou ukemi  sideways flowing forward fall

zenpou kaiten, ryoute  forward roll, two-handed
kouhou kaiten, ryoute  backward roll, two-handed
naname zenpou kaiten  diagonal forward roll
zenpou kaiten, katate  forward roll, one-handed
outen, ryoute  cartwheel (barrel roll), two-handed
kouhou kaiten, katate  backward roll, one-handed
sokuhou kaiten  sideways roll
yoko nagare kaiten  sideways flowing roll
zenpou kaiten, mute  forward roll, no-hands
kouhou kaiten, mute  backward roll, no-hands
outen, katate  cartwheel (barrel roll), one-handed
naname, happou kaiten  diagonal, eight-direction roll
hicho tobi kaiten  flying / diving roll
zenpou / kouhou kiten  forward / backward spirit flip handsprings 

Could anyone describe _tare nagare_ for me? I don't know if I've ever done it, and I rarely see anything about it.


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