How to Do a Back Fall in Judo

A Back Fall is an essential skill for even basic judo practice. Because judo involves a large number of throws, it's important that you know how to fall correctly when someone else throws you in order to avoid injury. There are many types of falls--to the front, side and back--but the Back Fall is one of the easiest and most important to learn.

Instructions

1. Stand up straight with your feet slightly apart in a comfortable standing position. Hold your hands out straight in front of you so that your arms are parallel to the floor.

2. Bend your knees so that you can lower your body straight down into a crouching position. Your body should still be upright and your hands in front of you.

3. Roll backwards and curve your back slightly to allow your body to roll more comfortably and keep from hitting the ground flat on your back.

4. Bring you arms down by your sides and slap the ground hard before you begin to roll up onto your neck or complete a full back roll. Your neck and head should never touch the mat because your hands should stop your motion.

Tips & Warnings

• Always be careful to stop the fall or roll before your neck and head hit the floor. One important purpose of the back fall is to protect the neck and head from hitting the floor, so make sure that you stop the fall properly with your hands.

• Never reach out behind you with your hands to break your fall. Reaching behind you will cause you to fall on your hands, wrists or arms and potentially cause a major injury. Keep your hands in front of you until the fall is nearly complete.