How to Tweak Your Side Breakfall for Really Hard Throws

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How to Use Your Whole Body to Improve Technique

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5 Ways of Treating Muscle Soreness

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Another Neck Saved by Breakfalls

One of my students came to me before class to let me know that Jiu-jitsu saved his neck over the weekend. Unsurprisingly, it was a breakfall that saved him from injury.

The student had been on top of a tall truck, loading it up for a move. He was in the process of pulling a holding strap tight when he lost his balance and fell straight back off the truck onto the pavement. He landed in what he described as a perfect back breakfall, with his chin tucked down, arms slamming the ground to distribute the shock as his back hit the ground.

It always pleases me to hear that breakfalls are serving to prevent serious injuries in my students. In a previous blog post about breakfalls, I wrote of another student who saved herself with a side fall, as well as my own story of having breakfallen my way out of an end-over on my bike.

Funky Shorinjikan Jiu-jitsu Breakfalls

After having started to get the hang of some of Shorinjikan breakfalls, last night they showed me a few more funky ones, including the ones in the above video.

I was able to do the second one, having done it before long ago, but nowhere near as well as this guy did it. He gets some serious air time. The behind the back belt grab breakfall I was able to do on my right side fine. My left side was another story. You're really not supposed to let go of the belt under while attempting this breakfall. Holding the belt is what saves you if you screw up. But somehow I was going over in a weird way and I accidentally let go, slamming myself face down into the mat. Other than a bruised knee and pride, I was okay.

It may seem weird that this style of Jiu-jitsu has so many varieties of breakfalls, but one of the Senseis explained to me that when you mess with your head and change up your breakfalls in so many different ways, you're better able to adapt to any situation that results in your being thrown to the ground.

I'm convinced that the man who said this could be flipped from a moving truck and come out of it unscathed. Wait a minute, I think that might be a breakfall they're gonna introduce to me at their Sunday "psycho" training session coming up this weekend. :P

Now I know a few of my students may be reading this blog. You guys up for trying a few of these new breakfalls out?

Memoirs of a Travelling Sensei

I normally post every other day, so you might have been wondering where I've been. I've actually been on a bit of a training holiday in Ottawa, my home town. In addition to visiting my family, I've been visiting two Jiu-jitsu dojos frequented by Chris, one of my former students who is a brown belt in the style of Shorinjikan Jiu-jitsu in addition to having trained in my style.

Even though I'm a black belt in a style of Jiu-jitsu, this does not mean it isn't a humbling experience to walk into a dojo of another style. There are always differences to learn from. In Shorinjikan, for example, they do a wider variety of throws and subsequently a wider variety of breakfalls.

The first class I went to I was thrown in with all the students to do their regular breakfalls with the caveat that I can opt out of any of the falls if they look unfamiliar. There was this one very simple-looking roll they do that they call a judo roll. It looks very similar to the roll that we do except one leg is kept straight during the roll. This one difference makes the roll very different. Of course, instead of opting out of the rotation to learn the technique of it first, I just threw myself in there. The yellow belts were doing it and I couldn't help but be affected by foolish pride. As a result, I completed the roll, slamming my heel into the mat causing a nasty bruise.

The next class, I requested to be taught the fall off to the side as I ought to have done the first day. I'm happy to report that I'm now starting to get the hang of it.

When you get to a higher rank as I have, it is easy to expect more of yourself than is reasonable. As a result, some people in my position will tend to dismiss techniques or training methods that prove difficult at the onset. It's important to keep an open mind and learn something new fully before making any kind of judgment. This is true whether you're a white belt or a high-ranking Dan. But, in a lot of ways, the more years of training under your belt, the harder it is to do.

Thankfully, the dojo heads have not judged me harshly for my lack of ability with their breakfalls as I have been invited to teach at one of their classes this evening. :)

The One Way Jiu-jitsu Training Will Most Likely Save Your Neck

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