Falling Down

Dydd Gwener, trydydd, Ionawr 2014               Friday 3rd. January 2014 

Hey! First blog of 2014. Blwyddyn Newydd Dda I chi gyd. Look for the good things…you never know…..

Falling Down.

We all fall down. It is inevitable; unless your name begins with G and ends with D and only has one other letter between them….no, not X. And, we fall down in many ways. I do it most often when I let the hand brake off my mouth before my brain is in gear.

One of the first and most important things to learn in Aikido is how to fall safely. If falling is inevitable (and we do it all the time, on the mat) then it is better to make a good job of it. Most beginners are afraid of being hurt when falling. Their fear is what makes their bodies tense and it becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy. Falling down for most people is a negative thing. If you can see falling down as a positive thing then you need not go and hide in the corner and cry about it. We have to get on with our lives sometime; it may as well be sooner rather than later. It is just part of life. Learn from it. Try and avoid falling down for the same reason again (try to not make the same mistakes, over and over).

 So, the analogy I make with ukemi (break-falling) is a useful one. Learn to fall safely; don’t let it even break your stride; keep rolling and get up quickly; carry on. Never lie on the floor feeling sorry for yourself; you’ll get kicked to death.