Sunday, March 8, 2015

The Purpose of Hard Falls

Safety is the only reason for doing hard falls in aikido.  If uke apprehends he is about to be thrown hard, and if he rolls the ball he forms will just crush, he ought to roll out in the air and take the hard fall.

If nage notes uke will hit a wall or another aikidoka in practice mid-throw, nage ought to pull uke up short so uke will roll out mid air and hit the mats hard fall.

In these instances the fall is judo-style (still an aikido fall though) with the legs separate and spread, not crossed as though uke were going to roll and stand.

Sometimes in dojo as though for "safety sake" they will carefully direct people into very formal constraints so injury is not possible.  Well, optimum training is not possible, if so.  All aikidoka should be able to take and give hard falls at any time for safety's sake.  If safety is the point, then learn aikido, do not constrain practice.  Hard falls are an aikido fundamental.

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