Page 55 - Martial Science Magazine Dec/2014 #6

General features to be considered to carry out the Ukemis

• When falling one must avoid adopting powerful; one must do just the opposite, to hit
a square position, rather it is suggested to roll the ground with the hands to reduce the impact.
down like a ball. It prevents from injury in the arms.

• The body will turn to an almost relaxed • The impact of the hands against the
tension, but with a complete master of the body. ground to deaden the hit, must be sharp, it
• The head must never touch the ground, avoids to keep the hand rigid and stretch but it
one must never forget that the training sessions keeps contact with the surface and favors the te-
are developed in a tatami, but its objective is to chnique as a whole; it also prevents from injury
get prepare for real life situations where there in the arms and shoulders.
will not be a tatami and a head injury might be • The elbows, knees, ankles and head must
lethal. be protected from hitting the ground, since the
• The chin must be taken to the chest (the risk for injury is real.
practitioners are always taught to look their be-
llybutton or the knot of the safety belt). It pre-
vents from neck motions and head injury, in
this way, the neck is also protected from hitting
the ground.

• When falling front, support never oc-
curs following the back’s central line, since the
spinal cord is located on this anatomic area, the
right way to carry out this movement is from
the shoulder to the opposed hip or viseverse.
This technique lessens the risk of injury by pro-
tecting the spinal cord.

• When the ground is hit with the arms
to cushion the fall, the arms must not be exces-
sively separated from the body; they must be
about 45º from the body. A greater opening will
provoke a greater impact against the ground and
it may considerably affect the articulation of the
shoulder; so, it will reduce the effectiveness of
the movement and increases the risk for injury.
Consequently, the movement of the hands turns
slower and less vigorous, and the vibration of
the impact will not be absorbed.

• When the downfall is gentle, the arms
must be the last to touch the ground . It is

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