Breakfalls - Angle Arm Makes With Body

[JuJido]

Question regarding side and backwards breakfalls: is there an ideal angle that the arm(s) should make with the body?

Our instructor recommends approx 45 degrees, but one of the guys said his judo instructor went for nearly 90.

So what gives?

[Joemoplata]

Closer to the body the better is how I was taught.

[Galaktia]

The larger the angle the more tension and stretch it takes off the neck, but the more pressure it puts on the shoulder blades.

On top of this the larger the angle the more space you take up on the floor.



Preferences for how to do these breakfalls often comes from what is comfertable, and for people with tight necks, or low sudden force resistance in neck muscles a wider angle is less stressful. However a larger space on the floor puts you at risk of extrenuous injury from feet, hands or other falling people.



Try it yourself do 30 break falls with a narrow angle and feel the effect it has on your neck. Then wait a few days and do 30 with a wide angle and feel the effect.

With a narrow angle your neck will be more tired and have more of an after feeling comparative with the narrow angle, but with a narrow angle the shoulders will see less of an effect.



45 degrees is a good base medium for everyone, because it splits the tension between shoulders and neck pretty basically, and you don't have a huge amount of space on the floor.

However as long as the shape and shift of weight is right and the arm movements correct within reason the angle shouldn't effect the impact of the breakfall by too much.

[Chapel]

Less important than the angle of your arm, is how your body is hitting the ground. You don't want, for instance, your shoulder to be up off the ground during the breakfall. Also important, is that you are not trying to keep yourself off the ground during a breakfall. Rather, as you are falling you are actively striking the ground with your arm (but not leaving your arm on the ground after the strike).

[Shinobi_Kokujin]

for training on the mat its ok to have your arm extended out more. but off the mat, not very safe cause theres more risk to injure your arms.

my instructor teaches to keep them closer to your body and gradually rock from your legs to upper body. he's been using this same way for years

when he does his parachute jumps and that was a good way of "field testing" this method of breakfalling.

[WC_Lun]

In my opinion, 90 degrees is the absolute worse for break falls. You are putting energy into your limbs without the ability to disapate it as well as other angles. As far as what angle to use, that depends entirely upon the way you are being thrown, the angle you are landing at, and what you want to accomplish upon impact. Rolls and falls are one of those things you definitley want to learn by the physical experience, not so much what us guys can tell you on a martial arts forum

[Norton]

It's 45 in the book. And 90 is definitely wrong.

[Chad]

45 deof, you want your hand pointing down to the opposite hip.

[ProKarateShop]

Originally Posted by Shinobi_Kokujin

for training on the mat its ok to have your arm extended out more. but off the mat, not very safe cause theres more risk to injure your arms.

my instructor teaches to keep them closer to your body and gradually rock from your legs to upper body. he's been using this same way for years

when he does his parachute jumps and that was a good way of "field testing" this method of breakfalling.

I agree with this, when training in the gym, you want act as if you are outside

[Shinobi_Kokujin]

ive never done the 90 before its usually 45 or closer to the body....this morning i tried the 90 as my Judo buddy's throwing bag for shyts an giggles and even on the mat that didnt turn out too good lol.

[Joemoplata]

Just keep it close to your body, you'll be fine.

[Shinobi_Kokujin]

gonna work on that after lunch

[JuJido]

Thanks for all the replies.

Roughly 45 feels most comfortable for me and I can also pull my arms back up faster (I'm not sure about the biokinetics behind this, but perhaps it is because you pull more with your biceps as opposed to shoulders and chest when hitting out at 90).

My body still tries to override my brain when I'm falling (instinctively trying to stop the fall by sticking out an arm etc etc...I know...BAAAAAAD) but it's getting better.

I guess the only way to sort this out is to fall, and fall, and fall again, and then to fall some more...

[03youngd]

45 degrees is perfect, anymore or any less your not transferring the force across your whole body, for example at 90 degrees a lot of force is put on your hips

[Joemoplata]

Originally Posted by 03youngd

45 degrees is perfect, anymore or any less your not transferring the force across your whole body, for example at 90 degrees a lot of force is put on your hips

You're trying to transfer the force across your whole body, that's the idea.