skribs
Grandmaster
This is a falling technique I've learned in TKD and HKD, and seen in instructional material for BJJ and Judo. The front breakfall. In my experience, there are two main ways that martial arts deal with the front fall. The front breakfall (shown above) and the front roll. The biomechanics of the front roll are very similar to the side and rear breakfalls that are common in many arts. But the front breakfall is (in my mind) more akin to the way you're told not to fall to the back or side.
I do think this is better than falling on your hands, as your forearms can help dissipate the impact. I also think it's better on your shoulders and elbows than if you were to fall backwards and land on your elbows, due to the rotational direction of your arms in the fall.
Is there a use case for the front fall over the front roll? Is it less dangerous than I think? Reason I ask is I wonder if it's worth excluding from curriculums if it is more likely to be a problem over the front roll.