This is health related, kind of. In an art than likes pumelling people to the floor, how can you condition your body to take harder impacts? Building up to it helps, but is there anything you can do with exercise and maybe strength training to help a little more? I'm after being able to work with the senior grades without them having to always go really easy on me.
We do breakfall practice on the mats, at different levels depending on one's experience. I'm told that one of the reasons is to help condition the body for impacts.
Building your muscles *might* help provide more padding on the falls, but your best bet is to just learn to fall better. It hurts, but you learn.
Hi Rhea, There is no reason why "most" people male or female can't break fall. The biggest problem that I have noticed is that break fall is not being taught correctly in many schools. Falling wrong is a VERY bad thing to to experience. I noticed that you mentioned "working your way up" I think that this is the safest and best way to learn to fall. If there are any hapkido or aikido, etc. folks in your area perhaps they could give you some tips?
Rhea, I have the same question and that's as I've progressed. You can throw me whichever way you want, I'm a good uke but I don't feel that breakfalling properly is enough. Lower back - So far no injury as I have included strengthening and flexibility exercises for this area Knees - some injury but minimal due to strength work Shoulders and neck - some minor injury but this again can be targeted through strength work. I suffered a few whiplash injuries in my early days but again this is much less with the work I've done to improve these areas. Rhea, not sure if you agree but I find that the most impact from being thrown repeatedly affects my rib cage front, back and sides. I've started a weights program but to be honest I have no idea how to build up any muscle to cushion the impact in this area. I can feel my ribs pretty much all the way around and my rib cage takes a hammering. I've fractured and dislocated them a few times. I find that the guys in my dojo all have a good amount of muscle/padding around this area (I did hands on research ). Not sure if women can develop much muscle around this area...will have to do some research in the H&F forum. Another point is that as you progress the throws/falls seem to get faster and harder, if you're training with resistance this will add another factor of risk. What sort of strength training program are you currently on?
none right now! Can't do that much. But good suggestions guys, probably it will be a case of making them throw me harder, even though a lot of the guys don't want to because of my height and build.
That might be part of the problem. If the thrower hesitates halfway, it hurts more when you land because they are throwing you off your, well, throw. They need to be just as committed to the throw as you are to the landing.
Not so much hesitating, but they're always going easy. By that I mean slower and softer. None of them want to throw me hard as they seem scared of hurting me.
Rhea - why can't you do strength training? Existing injury or time limitations? Trust me you'll need it as you progress in JJ. With the guys you just have to work each one of them and convince them you can take it. I spar hard, I roll hard, I throw hard and I tell them to do the same to me. I find bringing out their competitive edge when I hand them their ass makes them go harder with me as they know I'm able to take it (it hurts but I don't tell them). Aren't you sick of being coddled by the boys? I know I was so I took action to fix that Of course they'll always treat me better than they treat each other, look out for me, handle me with care and I appreciate that. Anytime they revert back to going easy I will take it out on them so they don't repeat the behaviour. Plus I use the line with them that if I don't learn to really handle a bigger, committed attacker in the dojo, then what chance do I have outside. That changed their perspective and its happy but painful days in the dojo now. You have to do the foundation work to build up your strength so you will be included as a full member at your dojo and treated as one. Plus outdo them where you're strongest whether its cardio/agility/speed/flexibility/technical knowledge
Injury right now. Am going back when I can. You're right about the guys, some will go harder than others. I think I may have been given a slightly harder time in parts to allow me to prove myself. I think I've been accepted by most people now, as I reached orange, and won my award, I've noticed it more. Trouble is, I can't really hand anyone their ass, but I've done a few things that shock. It's great fun! Any time people go easy on you it makes it a lot easier to shock them! I'm good on the knowledge front, I can be a right smartass apparently. So what exercises for strength would you recommend?
For you I would suggest a combination of traditional weight lifting and sports related strength training. Start out with the lifting and core/balance work then go into the sports type movements. You might want to start looking into getting a trainer. You can usually find a decent trainer for not too much and they can really help you get more out of your sessions.
As a gym instructor I have my own ideas, but space and equipment is limited. I'd like to do bodyweight work mostly, as I'm having trouble with losing too much weight in a gym.
The Internationl Teuk Gong Moo Sool Assoc. has a pretty good video tape on falling. This might help you.
Building up muscles for women is harder as you have more ligaments, this does not mean its the end of the world. Parctice makes perfect, ask for extra time with your teacher or other students. Muscles are good but build them up too much they becomme heavy and harder to use, its best to do a gym programme by doing cardio then stretching, next day do cardio and weight lifting. If you find that the weight is becomming too easy just do more reps, take it easy as your body needs to get use to training it does not happen over night. Perhaps introducing protien into your diet could help also red meats, don't eat too much meat though or this can lead to illness. Try eating loads of rice, also take some yummy nuts to work and nibble with a fruit juice and enjoy! Don't over do it!its not worth teh injury look after your body. Tans
Actually, doing more reps doesn't help. That takes the body more towards toning instead of building. Decreasing the reps and increasing the weight is better. Erm, I'm vegetarian so don't eat meat, fish or dairy. Actually Lily, this thread made a breakthrough. I think some of the guys muct lurk on here, I went back to training on Monday, and am not being given any quarter now! Really need to work on my other half though, he's the only one going easy left.
