Aikido Techniques: Yoko Ukemi – Putting It All Together 5

Aikido Techniques Author: Dan Kudo Sensei

Aikido techniques, like ukemi, require practice, but as Sensei James Nakayama likes to say “practice does NOT make perfect – practice make permanent.” If you practice a bad habit over and over, the result will be a bad technique done consistently. To lean to throw is to learn to fall so learning ukemi is central to the successful application of Aikido techniques.

Aikido Techniques: An Ounce of Prevention.

The best way to deal with the common errors associated with taking ukemi is to take a physical and mental “step back” and always rely on reinforcing the basics. If one area hurst on a fall, say the elbows or a shoulder, I may mean your are rolling like a brick causing the body to hit the ground asymmetrically. Whatever “pokes out” will be the first to hit just as the tallest nail is the first to get hammered. Remember the term “pride goeth before the fall”? Regardless of your rank, objectivity must take the forefront – so you must go back to the basics to discover what is causing your landings to go awry. Perhaps there is a little fear or apprehension that is subconsciously causing your body to tense up thus altering its position in flight.

To improve your confidence, imagine teaching these techniques to yourself just as you would a new student. Walk yourself through the movements. Begin in the kneeling position and work your way upward. Carefully “observe” your own behavior as you fall – are you touching the mat as you would expect a student to do? Perfect your own technique then work with a partner on getting the trajectory right and you’ll find that things become less and less painful as you sense your level of confidence building.

Swallow your pride. Get a partner to throw you repeatedly. Go back to “Old School” and relearn ukemi just as I did. As you progress, a greater sense of awareness of balance will pervade your consciousness, and you will benefit from gaining the sense that this is what it takes to truly disturb balance. Spend some time before and after practice getting thrown. You will find that the benefits far outweigh the discomfort and tedium of repeated ukemi.

Aikido Techniques: Stay Grounded In Basics

Getting good at anything requires not just practice, but correct practice. So it is with Aikido techniques. Ukemi is a fundamental Aikido technique not just for mat safety – rather, the understanding of what it takes to disturb one’s balance is central to effective throwing techniques. Remaining grounded in basics is key to your progress in the martial art of Aikido.