Any tips for forward rolls?

Question

It looks so easy but lots of people who train have problems with this. I can do a normal playground style forward roll but the karate style one seems as though you're just gonna end up crashing into the floor! Has anyone got any tips on how to do one well?

I'm talking about the one where your head cant touch the floor and you roll over with your arm making contact with the floor. Looks so easy and no doubt it but i'd appreciate some help, only tried several times and i end up on my *** most of the time!

Answer 1

Ok here is my step by step guide. I am a Judo dan grade and know all about foreward breakfalls/rolls. The important thing is to get your head out of the way and create momentum from your supporting/pushing leg and the the arm that you throw underneath you. This example is from a stationery position. Follow my steps and you will be fine.

1. put left knee on the ground with the right foot slightly forward

2. Your left hand shoud be about on foot length infront and to the left of your foreword facing right foot.

3. With your left knee initialy on the ground, now lift it of the floor so that ou are putting more weight on your left hand and you are tipping slightly upwards and forewards

4.Now, touch your left biecep with your forehead (this will put your head to the left so that when you roll your shoulder will take any of the initial contact with the ground rather than your head!)

5. Throw your right hand/arm through the gap between your left arm and left supporting leg so that is is going behind you (this adds to your momentum, ensures you do not hurt your arm and puts your body in the right posotion) and at the same time push foreward with your left leg (this gives you the momentum and speet with which to roll)

6. As you roll onto your back hit the mat with your outstretched left arm (it must be fully flat) and the palm of your hand

Now rpt this till you feel comfertable. Then do it from a standing/crouching position and last of all from a foreword motion i.e. a run up.

Dont be worried about the run up as once you have the basics you will find that it is actually easier that way than doing from stationry.

Answer 2

I had problems with this when I first started ninjutsu. It's important for you to learn forward and backward break rolls because then you can safely exit a technique when training and if you get in a fight in the street you can land on your feet rather than face first into the asphalt.

1) Kneel down and sit on your heels
2) Make a T shape with your hands. Your right hand forming the horizontal part and your left hand, the stem.
3) Place the T-shape on the floor in front of you and lean over.
4) Tuck your chin in as you push forward off your toes.
5) Continue the forward push until your right shoulder is on the floor.
6) Push a little more and you will roll over the right shoulder onto your knees.

When you have mastered this you can try it from a crouch, then a half crouch, then standing.

Hope this helps you, good luck!
6)

Answer 3

I landed goofy so many times learning to roll and break-fall that I began to realize it was more a lesson in humility than anything else. I dumped my ego and practiced my tail off falling all the way. I eventually got my body to do what I wanted it to do.
You want to stay compact during the roll. Enter the roll with the blade of your hand hitting the ground first, roll on the outside part of the arm up to the shoulder , follow the natural curve of your compacted body until you get your hips above your shoulders. The momentum will carry you the rest of the way through.

Try to imagine being a ball or water.
You are just rolling on the earth not against it.

Answer 4

Your hand should make contact with the floor first. It should be turned so your palm is facing outwards and your little finger is foremost. Keeping your head tucked in you roll down your arm, and diagonally across your back (so if youstood with your arms in the air and drew a line down the parts of body that made contact with the floor it would go from your right hand to your left hip or vice versa).

And keep practising. Took me a while to get it but I can roll out of almost any throw performed on me now.

Answer 5

you must overcome your fear first. the best way to learn is to watch someone that is good at it and then try to copy what they did. start from a standing position and slowly lower your head until you feel your body wanting to go forward. as you fall forward tuck you head down and to the left (or right depending which arm you are using). as your butt goes over your head remember to tuck you leg under (bend at the knee) so that when you come full circle you can end up in the standing position. after you have mastered that you can start taking a few steps before you roll. later you can do it from a running start.

Answer 6

Start simple by going short distancces tuck you haed in and have your arms streched out, as soon as your hands make contact with the floor roll your back and the rest of your body. Be careful the first few times you might land hard on your back.

Answer 7

Roll at a slight angle.

Aim your shoulder at a specific point.

Look beneath your shoulder towards an imaginary point just behind your feet.(This is to keep your head tucked just enough to soften the landing, no matter how big of a jump you are taking)

Try to roll off one side of your body only. Do not let yourself roll over your spine to prevent all injuries which occur when you strike a hard surface or excessively twist your vertebrate.

Roll from an inch behind the top of your shoulder to your blade to your upper back to your lower back to your obliques to your buttocks to your heel to your toes. Try to allow as much of your body to contact the ground as you roll.

Answer 8

Avoid the chocolate 'flavoured' (less than 20% cocoa) coated ones there not as good as the jam and cream ones ... What ? Oh ! Sorry thinking 'Swiss roll'

Right that kind of roll - think you want to try a shoulder roll, a Judo guy tried to impress/ teach me this rolling onto one shoulder typically the dominant hand (right typically) saw him doing it down hill that why I thought it gimmicky at the time. Best of luck

Answer 9

I tend to think of it as a half cartwheel, but instead using my legs to push the upper body forward and almost sideways as you would in a forward roll. but I aim the shoulder of the side that i'm practicing on toward the mat to allow my momentum to carry me into it.

try doing a cart wheel first and using your hands then once you get that down, try doing a cartwheel with out using your hands to push off of in your follow through.

again when you do the shoulder roll aim the side of the shoulder you're using toward the mat, and let your legs give the push you need for the momentum to carry you into it.

It seems difficult and scary to pull off, but with a little practice you'll get it.

Answer 10

my speciatly is rolls :]. i can do a dive roll pretty good. I guess the best way of rolling is tucking your head in and making your arm like half a wheel and then rolling onto it. Practice on mat things first and then on ground. Rolling is fun :]