Judo principle

Keiko

Rei

Ukemi

Shisei

Kumi kata

Shintai

Throwing phases

• Ushiro ukemi
• Yoko ukemi
• Mae ukemi
• Mae mawari ukemi
• Ushiro mawari ukemi
• Jiyu ukemi

Ukemi waza - Falling techniques

Yoko ukemi

falling sideways

The fall to the side (left or right), in Japanese martial arts as Yoko ukemi (Hidari/Migi) known, is used primarily when techniques are used witch break the balance of UKE to the side, or a leg of UKE will be blocked or swept or moved away. Here is primarily important, that the head of the falling partner is not hitting the ground. Yoko ukemi also belongs to the group of "hard falls".

Execution:

One kneels a bit while standing and pushes the foot of the side where you want to fall, in front of the other foot (leg), as if you want to sweep something slightly away with the sole of the foot. At the same time you go deeper in the knees and fall on the side of the standing leg. The body longitudinal axis (spine) forms an arc, so that when the body gets in contact with the ground a rolling movement is produced. After the initial contact of the hip with the ground hit the tatami with a straight arm and flat hand. The hitting arm is located at an angle of 20 ° up to 40 ° to the body axis.

For young judoka and/or beginners, it will be useful to carry out the first fall exercises to the side from the crouch. At the beginning of the fall exercises from the crouch, the hitting arm can grip in the opposite own collar to suppress the natural shore reflex. This exercise is carried out to both sides of the body. The judoka must also pay attention on his head so that it is not hitting the ground.

Experienced judoka can fall these technique with the help of a partner to perform in such a way that the not hitting hand holds in the collar of the standing partner and then performs this technique from a lateral jump. The partners supported the fall accordingly (Nage). Here increases the impact energy also to an essential factor.

Common mistakes:

• The angle between the hitting arms and the body axis is too high (risk of injury in the shoulder joints)
• The head is hitting the ground (risk of injury to the head and neck vertebrae)
• The arms are not stretched, they hit the ground only with the forearms (risk of injury to the elbow)
• After "landing" rolling into a backward position (injury of the vertebrae)
• No arc tension (arc body axis), thereby hard impact
• The legs are not open, this will make knees knock against each other (knee injury)
• The sweeping foot is moved behind the standing leg (twisting the knees)