This time, we’ll talk about Ukemi, especially as they relate to the Weekly Goals. Again, as I mentioned the first time, I’m going to use my templates (PDF or XLSX). If you have Excel, I suggest downloading the XLSX file (if you don’t have Office 2010, you can still use it, you just have to get the patch from Microsoft to open the file), otherwise use the PDF and hand write out the guide. One more suggestion before we get on to the meat of the project: keep records of your guide it can help for future classes covering the same or similar topics or as necessary in other situations.
AnnMaria once (I know, I know, I take forever to write my blogs. ... ) said to me, “I have always considered ukemi a necessary evil.” If you look at ukemi this way as well, that’s your prerogative. My take on ukemi is that ukemi helps the student’s safety and ability to take any throw that comes at them.
This is my smallest section because I don’t personally feel that an instructor should devote all their time to ukemi in any one class. I believe, however, that they should devote some time to ukemi in every class even if they only teach ground work during a class. The flexibility and reaction development from ukemi help tremendously.
Now ukemi should be taught in a progressive manner developing skill without creating excessive trepidation. My method of teaching ukemi sees the greatest success when I start from the ground up. I start all of my students on ukemi, at least the back and side falls, by having them lay flat on the ground with their arms crossed over, but not touching, their chests. Once they have this position I have them swing their arms to slap the mats to get the feel of the slaps.
The next stage of my progression is from a sitting position. Here is the first real coordinated motion. From the seated position, the student’s hands are in the same position, chins tucked and all, then they roll back while simultaneously swinging their arms for the slap. This helps their body get the timing right for the motion and position of their bodies.
Subsequent stages, in progressive order, include squatting, standing-to-squatting, standing, and finally leaping. You may ask why I require my students, by green belt, to learn leaping falls. I do this because I want my students at green belt or higher to be able to save themselves in any circumstance, competitive or otherwise, where the very real possibility exists that if they don’t jump they may get hurt. I would rather they lost the match because they jumped than broke a knee or an elbow because they couldn’t.
Front falls are a fall of a different design. Competitively, you can’t throw someone on their face, deliberately. But it does happen, especially with turnouts and such. No one wants to fall on their face and the injuries are frequently to the wrists or hands of someone falling to their face. Instead, at my club, we teach front falls from the knees first, leaning forward at the knees. As students gain greater confidence with front falls the altitude gets greater starting with very wide legged front falls and eventually with leaping front falls.
A note on the wide legged aspect: people can adjust their height two ways: bending their knees or spreading their legs. Bending the knees is not helpful for front falls, but spreading the legs is. Early stages of front falls, after being on the knees, should have very wide spread legs. Once the student gains greater confidence, the spread should narrow progressively.
The last instructional element of ukemi is zempo kaiten ukemi (rolling falls). Everybody has a different style of teaching these. My personal favorite, with which I see about a 90% success rate, starts from a kneeling position with a specific hand placement and knee width. After the student is comfortable with the kneeling method, I have them straighten their back leg and perform. Eventually we add two-step then roll, walking then roll, jogging then roll, running then roll, and, you guessed it, leaping rolls. The reason for the leaping remains the same throughout, although it can be quite impressive to see someone leap over an obstacle 5 feet high and land safely.
These are the ways I teach ukemi. However, there are a lot more ways to make ukemi fun and interesting for students and I highly recommend them, especially if you view ukemi as a necessary evil.
My students like games. I bet yours do too. Anytime you can make ukemi a game you will find students having fun. One game we like is “bouncing ukemi” where the students start in a squatting position and bounce a little. On command they slap hands and do whichever fall they’re supposed to do. This can get to being a race against the clock to see how many they can do. With slight modification to standing it can even be a race for zempo kaiten ukemi, as well!
One game that works really well is ukemi tag or ukemi dodge ball tag. The principle on these is the same the difference is that with dodge ball the person who is “it” can reach out and touch someone. Essentially the game is freeze tag, but to unfreeze a frozen player (and I got this idea from the 2008 Judo Forum Clinic and Camp), another player must crawl through the legs of the frozen, pat hands, and do whichever ukemi you call for.
There are a host of other games and you can certainly make up your own. My advice is very simple, whatever you do or want to do for a class, write it down so you don’t forget it or use too much time on one topic to the exclusion of another.
Next time: Technical Instruction!
What do you think of it so far?
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