Ouch! My Head Hurts

Break-fall


There is technique we learn in martial arts called the break-fall. It is just, what it sounds like. It is learning to break your fall when doing sweeps, throws, or most anything, that takes you off our feet. Breaking the fall means executing techniques to dissipate or spread the energy when hitting the floor. With hip throws, you will see the person slapping the mat with their entire arm rather than letting the shoulder take all of the impact. When you are falling directly backwards, you tuck your head to your chest to avoid bouncing your head, and slap both arms to the mat as you hit on your back. Again, you are distributing the energy of the fall.

We fall in all phases of life. Whether it is being thrown practicing judo throws or a baby learning to walk, we fall. Falls are not limited to the physical in my opinion. We fall emotionally with the breakup of relationships, friendships, and jobs. We fall mentally sometimes when life overwhelms us. We fall spiritually and question faith. Falling is just another part of life. To me, it is not about falling and is all about how you recover from the fall. There is a choice. You can stay on the ground, or you can get up, brush off the dirt, and start moving again.


So when you fall, do you end up with big knots on your head or knots in your heart, or do you know how to break your fall? If you feel battered and bruised, maybe you need to work on some break-fall techniques. Give me a call. I’m a pretty good teacher.