Aikido Ukemi 2

On the first volume of this series, Donovan Waite Sensei demonstrates his own system of falling, which is based on seven rolling techniques. On this DVD, he turns his attention from falling technique per se to general principles of ukemi – the art of receiving. To stay safe while providing good practice, he argues, uke must (1) maintain contact throughout the entire interaction, (2) offer a committed “attack,” (3) remain relaxed, and (4) be sincere.
Waite Sensei also discusses “high falls” from throws such as shihonage, koshinage, and jujinage. Admitting that these falls do have a place in Aikido practice, he suggests alternatives in which uke “rolls on the mat rather than in the air.”
The two-DVD set offers a complete, thoughtful, and sometimes novel study of Aikido ukemi — a system that should interest those who practice Aikido, students of other martial arts, and others concerned with developing a friendly relationship to the ground.