Front Rolling Side Fall

Front Rolling Side Fall (diving)

Start from a standing position, with feet shoulder width apart. In one smooth motion:

• Forward with the left foot.
  • Turn head to the right looking over the right shoulder. If the head does not remain turned, but tucks into the chest, it may impact the floor.
  • Push forward with the right foot, push off the left foot and dive forward, reaching out with the knife-edge of left hand out in front of the body, with fingers of knife hand pointed back toward the body.
  • Roll along the outside of the left arm, diagonally across the back, and finish in a right side fall position. Keep the body curled like a ball throughout the roll.
  • At the end of the roll, slap the mat with the right hand, kiai, and roll forward to a standing position.
• Repeat with right leg forward, rolling into a left side fall.
• Repeat until the movements become smooth and powerful.
• Beginners usually throw themselves forward, landing heavily on the shoulder instead of rolling gently along an unbroken arc. They have not learned to maintain a sense of "center" around which the sphere of their body will roll. They leap forward with their upper body with the rest of the body trailing along. In a correct forward roll, the entire body moves at once as it revolves around the center of gravity like a wheel.To avoid injury, contact must be maintained with the ground throughout the movement. Pain results from the impact of body surfaces with the ground. The greater the distance between a body surface and the ground, the greater the impact and the greater the pain. If there is no distance between them, there will be not impact and no pain. Your body must roll along, not "fall" onto the floor. Contact should be smoothly transferred from the shoulder to the back, the hip, thigh, and finally to the feet. There should be no interruption of the flow.