Koryu Bujutsu Breakfalls

[gr455h0pp3r]

Do breakfalls vary in technique from Ryu to Ryu?

[Gene Williams]

Do breakfalls vary in technique from Ryu to Ryu?

Yes, they do.

[RA Miller]

Something I noticed is that in ours, when you have the opportunity to roll, you come to your feet facing the opponent.

Edit- We also have throws which are specifically designed to mess with the breakfall.

Rory

[Rasputin]

Something I noticed is that in ours, when you have the opportunity to roll, you come to your feet facing the opponent.

Same here.

[Mekugi]

Another thing to consider here is the reiho of ukemi. There is a method for taking the fall, for protecting yourself on the ground and for getting up- which usually is including or followed by something that could be called 'zanshin.' This is something that really separates one ryu from another in terms of mechanics.

As a note here, a flat-slamming breakfall is a safety measure, but not a good method of escape. To whit something more akin to rolling out is perhaps the advised method. This is because hitting the ground has a great potential to cause damage- whether the breakfall was done properly or not (i.e. slamming onto a rock). "Rolling out" was/is perhaps the best and earliest method for escaping from being thrown without much injury. Even though you may come into contact with the dubious rock in passing, your ribcage would not take its full impact. Really, a flat-slamming breakfall was/is more for the benefit of the thrower and not to the advantage of the one being thrown.

Some examples:

Sekiguchi Shin Shin Ryu has a very unique reiho after the breakfall. Since the thrown usually end up facing away from the thrower, the method is to rise up on one elbow/forearm and look back at the thrower before rising up. This is their zanshin and really a good safety measure that starts from the ground.

Kukishinden Tenshin Hyoho Taijutsu has an "elaborate" method of rising up. Zanshin again starts on the ground, parts of the anatomy are covered where the thrower can stomp or strike, and then there is a specific method of going from the reclined position to the upright.

Takenouchi Ryu Bitchuden has several examples of breakfalls and escapes- sometimes all in one kata. There are rolls out to escape after being thrown which has a counter, to which the thrown counters and so on. This is an interesting method as in the kata not only are proper breakfalls for the thrower executed, but proper escapes for the one being thrown.

[TroyRoget]

We have two variations on the roll, one where you land facing your opponent, and one where you land facing away (ostensibly to run).

[Rasputin]

Really, a flat-slamming breakfall was/is more for the benefit of the thrower and not to the advantage of the one being thrown.

If I might offer my own personal thoughts on this point:

Learning to take a proper breakfall from a technique instead of always rolling out of it is of great importance in our (Heiwashin ryu) jujutsu. This is because our training philosophy/methodology emphasizes maintaining control of uke from start to finish of the technique, including a possible pin or other destruction once they are on the ground.

If uke attempts in the dojo to roll out of the technique, they will most likely end up either separating their elbow/wrist/shoulder or getting a knee dropped on them in an effort by tori to maintain control. That this does not happen is a testament to the cooperative nature of the learning process.

Rolls are for off the mat, outside the dojo.

[rgoad]

We are trained to throw in a lock, maintain it throughout the technique and convert it to submission. If a person rolls out of it he is at best converting the lock to another lock or increasing the severity of the one he's in. Break falls can be used to remove the energy from the situation and stabilize the uke so he can counter. You have to keep moving to fight, but not in the same direction as a roll would take you.

[Mekugi]

This is riai, an agreement that you have between you and your training partner. You're not trying to kill each other but instead learn from the experience. Furthermore, what I wrote earlier may sound like just replacing a breakfall with a roll out- but I would like to add that one cannot merely replace a breakfall with rolling out. There is more to escaping for sure, and sometimes stopping a throw before it happens would overtake any attempts at somersaulting. A good 'ware' learning process teaches both how to escape as well as letting the thrower perform their desired technique, IMHO.

If uke attempts in the dojo to roll out of the technique, they will most likely end up either separating their elbow/wrist/shoulder or getting a knee dropped on them in an effort by tori to maintain control. That this does not happen is a testament to the cooperative nature of the learning process.

Rolls are for off the mat, outside the dojo.

[Abbax8]

This gets to the root of how I was taught judo and try to teach. Tori throws uke with control, and maintains their grip on uke through completion of the technique. In the dojo, tori helps uke breakfall. However, the same grip that helps uke breakfall, quickly transitions into a joint lock in a self defense situation.

In sacrifice throws, I tell tori to ensure that uke can roll by keeping their hands elbow high from the floor. If tori continues the pull to the ground, uke gets face planted or breaks a shoulder or neck.

Peace

Dennis