On the practice of falling: Falling will happen. Even when seemingly certain of self and situation, still unknown variables can change everything at a crucial moment. The practice of falling--often referred to as ukemi--is vital to achieving a hearty willingness to attempt challenges at the edge of perceived personal ability and to armor physically, mentally, and emotionally against catastrophic failure and injury. The act of practicing falling scenarios builds confidence and resilience in multiple ways: - Common possible failures and their responses become well-known - Neuromuscular pathways are built to remain calm and alert while falling - Structural tissues adapt to greater abrasion and impact - Differentiating between rational and irrational fear becomes commonplace - Failures are relaxed and can become enjoyable With a robust falling practice, challenges that may otherwise seem risky or unobtainable can instead be approached using a progressive process of collecting controlled non-successes. The more experience that is gathered around what can happen and what to do about it, the easier it is to respond with a safe solution should a surprise fall or failure occur with little or no time to think, “What should I do now?"Â
