SLC MMAExploring MMA and Jujitsu in Salt Lake City Utah

Body Mechanics of Ukemi RollingFiled Under: Classes, Instruction

If you’ve never done it, the body mechanics of proper Ukemi (the art of falling) are a bit tricky, but learning to fall and roll correctly are vital in MMA or Jujitsu practice. Ultimately, it’s a self-preservation thing -you’re going to get tripped, thrown, and pushed to the ground. If you don’t know how to roll properly you’ll get injured when you meet the ground. Second, the body kinetics of ukemi are used in several jujitsu submission escapes and sweeps.

I present two videos showing the basic forward and backwards rolls. There are a few variations, such as starting from standing position or having an arm extended instead of tucked in … but these are great to start off with.

A few notes to look out for -notice how the back is curled, not sharply angular. The roll happens in one smooth fluid motion. The chin is slightly tucked in. The roll is over the shoulder, not the neck (like a pure somersault would be).

Tags: Ukemi