Ukemi

[Hardball]

This thread/poll is inspired by an incident that just happened to me a couple of minutes ago. I was distracted coming into my building and fell down the steps. It was very dramatic (he He), the building security was all upset saying I should file a report and going on and on and on. I told them that I take Judo (really JJJ) and I fall all the time. I didn't feel a thing and I popped right back up on my feet. Ha Ha Ha

[jubaji]

I've fallen and...

Did you have one of those old people 'Life Alert' things so you could call for help?

[Hardball]

Ha Ha Ha Ha, Too funny dude!!!!

[Hikage]

I hear ya dude.. most martial artists I know who have been in the arts for a while can tell you some story where ukemis have saved them from a nasty fall...

Mine came from when I fell out of a moving (band) truck. When i was in college, I was a member of the drumline. After every performance, we had to pack our stuff up in this truck and then haul it back to the auditorium where we stored it all. We also packed ourselves into the truck because we didn't feel like walking. BTW, it looked like one of those bread trucks. Since there was so many of us, we coulnd't close the doors, so we just hung on with whatever I could. Well, the truck shifted, so did the people and I was the closest one do the door. I could have hung on and probably drug myself for a coupla yards, but instead let go, fell out head first, executed a dive roll, stood back up, and ran back over to the now stopped truck.

One of the ways we train ukemis is to blindfold people and have them walk on the edge of a curb. We make them fall off and, well, you either fall well, or you get hurt. That's the lovely thing about Ukemi, you get instant feedback. When you do it wrong, it hurts.

Congrats on not hurting yourself.

-Hikage

[Uke]

I've never had the opportunity to use ukemi to save my life like my brother has. The most I've ever had to use ukemi was when I slipped on ice on the pavement. But ukemi saved my brothers life in a pretty bad motorcyle accident. He was thrown forward and when he hit the pavement he instinctively rolled out. He had to roll twice due to the momentum, but he didn't break anything. He had a lot of scratches and scrapes on his legs and arms, but he walked away on his own.

[The_Judo_Jibboo]

I slipped in the kitchen of a restaurant i used to work in while carrying a big tray stacked with dirty dishes. i didn't exactly ukemi, but as my heels shot out from under me in a cartoonish manner, i slapped the counter next to me and popped right back up. it started the crap out of everyone 'cause i banged on that metal surface so hard, but i didn't lose so much as a plate