# Breakfalls and rolls



## Hudson69 (Apr 21, 2009)

I have only had one Kenpo Instructor (an "EPAK" Teacher, Tugi Papatiitele you have fallen off the radar) but was lucky enough to be able to study under him for several years but one of the things I am curious about is the breakfalls and rolls of other martial arts; are they found in EPAK?  We never did any in my class,.... at all.  Is this standard (just curious)?


----------



## Bob White (Apr 21, 2009)

We have them in our self defense techniques. Encounter With Danger and Leap From Danger have this included. I believe both techniques offer very good lessons that can help your survivability. 
At a tennis tournament recently there was a woman who fell on the court and hurt her head because she did not know how to fall or roll. Self defense is not only learning to defend against another person. Years ago a friend of mine who had a studio here in O.C. had his daughter thrown into a car and kidnapped. She was able to jump out of the car while it was moving and escape. Because of her ability to roll when she hit the pavement she was not seriously injured.
Bob White


----------



## MattJ (Apr 22, 2009)

I was taught and taught them in my kenpo tenure. They were on our basics charts, and in the Infinite Insights series, if I remember correctly.


----------



## astrobiologist (Apr 22, 2009)

I don't train in kenpo, but if you want to include rolls and breakfalls you can pretty easily throw them in your warm-up.  They're a great way to loosen and strengthen the body.  I will always include rolls and falls when preparing for a ground fighting class, but sometimes when I teach stand-up classes I still throw in some rolls during the warmup.  Maybe I'll have the students jog some laps with me and then drop and roll while running or maybe we'll do a set or two of rolls up the floor.


----------



## K-man (Apr 22, 2009)

I teach break falls and rolls from the very first day.  You really can't teach even a basic throw if the student doesn't know how to protect themselves.


----------



## Touch Of Death (Apr 23, 2009)

Hudson69 said:


> I have only had one Kenpo Instructor (an "EPAK" Teacher, Tugi Papatiitele you have fallen off the radar) but was lucky enough to be able to study under him for several years but one of the things I am curious about is the breakfalls and rolls of other martial arts; are they found in EPAK? We never did any in my class,.... at all. Is this standard (just curious)?


Your teacher taught to his strenghths. I would explore breakfalls and rolls. One day you may be swept or knocked off balance. There is no discrace in being thrown, only if you get hurt is there discrace to be felt.
Sean


----------



## MJS (Apr 23, 2009)

IMO, rolling and breakfalls are very important and should be taught and practiced on a regular basis.  I've had 3 real life falls, on the ground, 2 of which were on asphalt, and walked away with no major injuries aside from being sore for a day or so.  Other than that, I fell, and got right back up.


----------



## kenpo3631 (Apr 28, 2009)

Hudson69 said:


> I have only had one Kenpo Instructor (an "EPAK" Teacher, Tugi Papatiitele you have fallen off the radar) quote]
> 
> I met Tugi in Revere, MA at a Kenpo Camp hosted by Ms. Cogliandro. He was in attendance. To my knowledge he was a student of Mr. Paul Mills. Awesome guy!


----------



## Dionysianexile (Apr 28, 2009)

My school doesnt spend much time teaching the rolls or falls other then in the two techniques that teach them. I was lucky enough to take an aikido class at my university for a semester that had us rolling across a large wrestling mat at the beginning of a class. Those rolls just happened to come in handy one day when I went flying off my skateboard onto some asphalt. I think the few people who saw me were a little freaked out because as I went flying I turned into a dive roll and sprang right back up. Very practical thing to know how to do!


----------



## Bill Mattocks (Apr 28, 2009)

Breakfast and rolls.  Yum.


----------



## AvPKenpo (Apr 29, 2009)

I feel that teaching breakfalls and rolls are very important, especially when many of the techniques have a take down of some sort.  Learning how to protect oneself when being a good training partner also allows you to train more realistically.


----------



## jks9199 (Apr 29, 2009)

Simplest reason to teach falls & rolls: reality.

Most people don't stand a really big chance of being assaulted -- especially after college age or so.  Maybe mid 20s...

Almost everybody is going to fall down one day.  It's pretty much a given.

Which self defense skill is most likely to be needed by most people: breaking various holds and grips, punching/kicking, or not getting hurt when falling?


----------



## Doc (Apr 29, 2009)

jks9199 said:


> Simplest reason to teach falls & rolls: reality.
> 
> Most people don't stand a really big chance of being assaulted -- especially after college age or so.  Maybe mid 20s...
> 
> ...



Yeah, but how much money can you make teaching people how to fall down?


----------



## Kembudo-Kai Kempoka (Apr 29, 2009)

Buddy if mine rolled out fo laying his bike down on the freeway at 55 mph. There's an illusion when you drop from 55 to 30...it feels like you've stopped. So he stood up. Only then did he actually get injured.

As for myself...some of my most grateful breakfalling moments have been to prevent myself from face-planting after missing a step, tripping down a staircase, and so on. Certainly not "cool" martial arts encounters, but talk about a relief.


----------



## jks9199 (Apr 29, 2009)

Doc said:


> Yeah, but how much money can you make teaching people how to fall down?


It's not teaching 'em to fall down where you make the money...  That comes rather naturally.  (Especially if you choose to use banana peels to weave your mats...)

The money's in selling them the featherbeds to land on! :EG:

And the uber-secret anti-gravity technique that makes falling safe... :wink:


----------



## girlbug2 (Apr 29, 2009)

Bill Mattocks said:


> Breakfast and rolls. Yum.


 
Lol yeah, just seeing this thread makes me hungry!


----------



## Sigung LaBounty (Apr 29, 2009)

DANG! I haven't written on here in quite a while, I feel like I should say something really succinct...... Nope, got nothing!!
So, I require falling. Not in the sense that we do it every class, but that we do it often enough that the student sees and feels the other end of the spectrum. As Professor White has said, Kenpo contains takedowns, strikedowns and just people who'll knock your knickers into the dirt. I require, as do other Kenpo teachers to "feel the ride" (As Namjura, my Judo teacher, would say) so as to understand the dynamic from attacker/defender standpoint. In addition to that NO ONE LIKES TO GO TO THE GROUND ALL THAT MUCH, IF EVER!!! So I find that it is a confidence builder as well for those who feel only the "vertical ritual" of combat and of Kenpo. 
To be sure its an acquired taste, but its a toughener, as well as great warmup for class. Once you've been tossed upon your keester, you're ready for anything. 
One camp I ran, I also included rappelling for Brown and Black off a two story building. That's another confidence builder for sure and a story for another time. Hey, its your fight and your training for that fight, prepare for everything if you can...


----------



## Aikicomp (Apr 30, 2009)

Ukemi!...I love ukemi!
I teach them at every class, because you could not survive the techniques we do at class without them. Very important part of our training. 
If you want some advice you should incorporate them into your training as well, as others have said, if not only for the martial arts techniques that require them but, they also come in handy at the most unsuspecting times. While riding by mc I had some lady turn left in front of me and I went over the bars, jugaried a couple of times and stood up. I recieved a leg laceration (from the mirror) that required 7 sutures and that was it. Had I not had the confidence to leave the bike and jugari my injuries would have been much worse.

Michael


----------



## BLACKDESTINY09 (Apr 30, 2009)

Sigung is absolutly right. On the other hand at what Mr. Chapel said "How much money can you make teaching someone to fall down", we all know running a martial arts school you need to make money for an honest living but how you worded you comment explains alot about you and your teaching methods (Turn Off) with all do respect senior. Wouldn't you want your students to be more well rounded in all aspects of self defense or let me not teach them how to roll or to break a fall cause i will be loosing my money.

Back to the basics

" I would like to state that it is an honor Sigung Labounty to be in this forum with you"


----------



## Kembudo-Kai Kempoka (Apr 30, 2009)

BLACKDESTINY09 said:


> Sigung is absolutly right. On the other hand at what Mr. Chapel said "How much money can you make teaching someone to fall down", we all know running a martial arts school you need to make money for an honest living but how you worded you comment explains alot about you and your teaching methods (Turn Off) with all do respect senior. Wouldn't you want your students to be more well rounded in all aspects of self defense or let me not teach them how to roll or to break a fall cause i will be loosing my money.
> 
> Back to the basics
> 
> " I would like to state that it is an honor Sigung Labounty to be in this forum with you"


 
It might be worth it to learn a little more about Mr. Chapel's teaching values prior to calling him out. Methinks you might be missing one of the legs you're hoping to stand on.


----------



## yorkshirelad (Apr 30, 2009)

BLACKDESTINY09 said:


> Sigung is absolutly right. On the other hand at what Mr. Chapel said "How much money can you make teaching someone to fall down", we all know running a martial arts school you need to make money for an honest living but how you worded you comment explains alot about you and your teaching methods (Turn Off) with all do respect senior. Wouldn't you want your students to be more well rounded in all aspects of self defense or let me not teach them how to roll or to break a fall cause i will be loosing my money.
> 
> Back to the basics
> 
> " I would like to state that it is an honor Sigung Labounty to be in this forum with you"


If you go to the "Kenpo/Kempo General" section and scroll down to the "Kenpo JuJitsu connection" thread, you will understand what Mr Chapel is alluding to. As I understand it Doc's SL4 teaches everything you would ever want to learn in a JuJitsu class, including ukemi-waza. I can understand why you made your comments, but you were reading the comments in question from the wrong angle. Do some research in the Kenpo/Kempo section and you'll see what I mean!

Regards
Dom

I'm a young pup with a slightly deviated compass too, just do your research and learn from your mistake.


----------



## yorkshirelad (Apr 30, 2009)

Kembudo-Kai Kempoka said:


> It might be worth it to learn a little more about Mr. Chapel's teaching values prior to calling him out. Methinks you might be missing one of the legs you're hoping to stand on.


Does Doc's SL4 teach leg amputation techniques? After what little I've seen on utube it probably does. Doc, could you please post a link to that video? Great, I'm gonna have my enemies hopping away from me in terror.


----------



## BLACKDESTINY09 (May 1, 2009)

Please don't take it  as i was trying to call him out, i was just shocked as to how Mr. Chapel said that (Blunt and Careless). As far as learning more about Mr. Chapel i think i know quite enough, i been a historian EPAK for many years even though i'm still young, i did my fare amount of research on the man. Anyway don't take what i said the wrong way and i apologize if i took what Mr. Chapel said the wrong way. "I have nothing but love for all of my kenpo brothers and sisters".


Peace love and hair grease-


----------



## danahallenbeck (May 12, 2009)

I took up Kenpo about 2 years ago, and we had to learn them in order to get a yellow belt.  Now we review rolls and breakfalls frequently, but don't spend a ton of time on them overall.

When I was about 6 I took a martial arts class for a year with my father.  They spent a lot of time on breakfalls and rolls.  Later in life I took up freestyle BMX and skateboarding, and can't tell you how many times that ingrained knowledge saved my skin, bones and brain.  While other guys were breaking their legs & arms and tearing ligaments, I was rolling out of most falls (again, most falls).

Good stuff to know... for martial arts and life in general.


----------

