Why Judo Students Learn to Fall First

Published July 22, 2026 by David J. Ellis

When joining Brevard Judo Academy, most people expect to be thrown right away. But in judo, every beginner starts by learning how to fall. To someone standing on the sidelines, learning to fall before you can throw may seem backward. Why learn to hit the ground before learning how to make someone else do so?

The answer is simple: Ukemi, or the art of breakfalls, is one of the most valuable skills you can learn—both on the mat and off.

Falling Is Part of Life

Everyone falls.

When people hear the word, they usually think of failure, but in judo, it means something different. Falling means learning. It means getting back up and becoming a little more confident each time you practice. This is a skill that carries into school, the workplace, relationships, and beyond.

Then there are physical falls. Children while playing, adults slipping on wet floors or tripping over uneven sidewalks, even losing their balance on a ladder or stairs.

Most people never learn what to do when they fall, and their natural reaction is often the wrong one. They reach straight out with their hands, stiffen their body, or twist awkwardly. Those actions can lead to broken wrists, shoulder injuries, or head injuries.

Even so, people still ask me if learning breakfalls is useful outside the dojo. For me, the answer is an easy yes.

Ukemi Saved Me

Knowing how to fall has saved me many times throughout my life, but one incident stands out more than any other:

I was working on a ladder in my garage, while looking in the attic. I lost my balance. Before I knew it, I was falling onto a concrete surface below. There wasn’t time to think about what to do, so my body reacted the way it had been trained to through years of ukemi. I wasn't injured and was able to get right up.

Walking away from that fall reinforced something I had believed for years: learning how to fall is not just a judo skill—it is a life skill.

This is why I make sure every beginner at our club learns ukemi before focusing on throws.

More Than a Warm-Up

Ukemi is a skill that continues to improve throughout your judo journey. Experienced judoka know it's never "just" a warm-up. Even advanced black belts practice breakfalls regularly because they understand that keeping the skill at its best is a need you never outgrow.

At Brevard Judo Academy, beginners and black belts practice ukemi together. No one is ever "too experienced" to work on the fundamentals because the fundamentals keep us safe.

Building Confidence

Many new students are nervous about being thrown. Once they realize they know how to land safely, much of that fear disappears. That confidence allows students to relax, learn faster, and enjoy what they are doing.

Understanding how to fall removes the fear and changes the way one approaches training. I had one older gentleman that was very nervous to practice judo, and was especially nervous about falling. By the end of class, he was smiling and said he was glad that he came. He became one of our regular members.

Watching a new student gain confidence after mastering their first breakfall is one of the most rewarding parts of teaching.

The First Lesson in Judo

Ukemi is the Japanese word for breakfalls. It is also the first lesson of every student at Brevard Judo Academy.

Ukemi teaches students how to:

• Protect the head from striking the ground.
• Spread the force of impact across the body.
• Avoid reaching out with a straight arm.
• Relax instead of tensing during a fall.
• Return safely to their feet.

At our club, we introduce breakfalls progressively. Students begin close to the mat and build confidence step by step before moving on to more advanced techniques. There is no rush. Every student progresses at their own pace, and safety always comes before speed. These skills are practiced until they become second nature. Once a student can fall safely without thinking, every throw becomes easier to learn.

At Brevard Judo Academy, our goal isn’t just to teach people how to throw. We teach safe movement, we train with confidence, and we develop skills a student can use for the rest of their lives.

Come experience judo for yourself at Brevard Judo Academy. If you've been thinking about trying judo but aren't sure where to start, we'd love to meet you. Whether your goal is fitness, learning traditional Kodokan Judo, building confidence, or trying something new, we welcome beginners of all experience levels. Contact us today to schedule your free trial class.