Ukemi is the Japanese term for the skill of falling or receiving a technique safely, most often translated as breakfalling. It covers a set of techniques for absorbing the impact of being thrown or knocked down, including how to slap the mat, tuck the chin and round the body to spread out the force of a fall rather than taking it on one point, such as an elbow or the back of the head.
Because judo, aikido and several other arts involve being thrown regularly from early on, ukemi is usually one of the first skills taught to new students, often before any actual throwing technique. Forward rolls, backward falls and side falls are typically practised on padded tatami mats until they become automatic, since a student who has to think about how to fall is far more likely to be injured than one who reacts instinctively.
Good ukemi is also what makes randori reasonably safe to practise at speed. Our mats and flooring guide covers surfaces suited to regular falling practice.
