# I need help perfecting my breaking falls



## whall (Aug 8, 2014)

I need help perfecting my falls. To me this is the most important part of the white belt and the foundation of everything to come so any tips will be tremendously helpful.


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## donald1 (Aug 9, 2014)

I'll tell you how I learned,  actually I learned on concrete and until I got it right it hurt...  Sometimes a lot.  But a good idea would be to practice on a mat if you hear any noises like feet hitting ground or side or back hitting the mat.  If it's a noise it will probably hurt on concrete.  I take a deep breath before i practice falls.  Also don't go to long without falls if it's been a long time since practice it may take some practice to get used to it again


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## K-man (Aug 9, 2014)

Learning break falls takes about 10 minutes, training break falls, a little longer. Start on your knees for front and side falls. Start from sitting for the back. Make sure you hit the floor with the arm flat from hand to elbow. Lift your head for front falls, tuck you chin if falling back ... simple.
:asian:


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## donald1 (Aug 9, 2014)

K-man said:


> Learning break falls takes about 10 minutes, training break falls, a little longer. Start on your knees for front and side falls. Start from sitting for the back. Make sure you hit the floor with the arm flat from hand to elbow. Lift your head for front falls, tuck you chin if falling back ... simple.
> :asian:



Yes,  definitely tuck in the chin i hit my head sooo many times because I didn't tuck my chin and will probably do it in the future too


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## Chris Parker (Aug 9, 2014)

whall said:


> I need help perfecting my falls. To me this is the most important part of the white belt and the foundation of everything to come so any tips will be tremendously helpful.



Well, you're right that break falls are very important&#8230; without them, it's not really possible to develop the skills in the rest of the art, especially in terms of throwing.

However&#8230; the only answer that can really be given here is to talk to your instructor. Different systems will have different methodologies involved, with different ideals and concepts as to how things should be done "correctly"&#8230; the way break falling is done in Aikido, or Judo, are very different to the way they are done in my systems, for instance. It doesn't mean either is right, or wrong, but if you are doing a Judo-style ukemi then I'll point out why it's not done that way with us&#8230; beyond that, there can be personal preferences from one instructor to another&#8230; another branch of the systems I train in have certain beliefs/ideas when it comes to break falls that, honestly, I don't agree with. And again, neither are "right" or "wrong"&#8230; just different approaches with their own reasons.

You've given your art as "Jujitsu white belt"&#8230; without a particular system, that could be almost anything, really. As a result, any advice given, no matter how well meaning or seemingly logical, will need to be run past your instructor to check whether or not it works with the approach your system/school has. K-man's advice, for instance, on the surface is good&#8230; but it's not really accurate or appropriate necessarily to anything other than the forms of break falling he does&#8230; there are a range of things that I'd change for our schools, for instance. And that's not a failing of his advice, just an illustration that the only person who can actually answer in a way that's useful for you is your instructor.


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## jks9199 (Aug 9, 2014)

I'm going to have to go with Chris...  There's not a lot of advice or critique or even tips that we can give online.  Falling safely is just one of those things that you have to do in the real world, and you need someone there to correct you in person.  You can find a lot out by practicing, but you really want to be sure that you practice properly.  For example, some uses might have long, ground covering roll, while in another situation, you want one that's very tight, and doesn't cover much ground at all.  You may want a break fall that stops you, you may want one that carries the momentum in a particular way.  A fall is different if swept or tripped or thrown or even an intentional dive to the ground to avoid something.  All of that is particular to your art, and to the circumstances of the exercise.

About the only tips I can give are to listen closely, watch even more closely, and ask for guidance if you don't understand how to do something.


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## tshadowchaser (Aug 9, 2014)

the only thing I have to add to what has been said is practice, practice, practice.  That is the  only way to learn them.
And as has been said listen to your instructor and those of higher rank in the art


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