Ukemi

The art of falling.

The art of blending with your partner's defensive technique and minimizing the impact on your own body. Done well, it is truly a thing of beauty. Soft falls, smooth falls, gorgeous rolls. No pain, just absorption and distribution of impact. Very, very cool. The best ones make it look so easy and effortless.

But it's not. It's different with every partner because every person is different in how they give and receive energy. After a while, you learn your classmates' patterns, their styles, their aikido, and you blend accordingly. I might go in harder with one person that I trust to throw me cleanly and softer with others.

So, I practice and I practice and I'll practice some more. Someday, I'll get there.

And then I'll practice some more.