Problems w/ Judo Rolling

**XXIV** · Posted On: 7/25/2012 4:43pm

Recently I've taken up Judo and the first lessons are, of course, all on how to fall and roll. The class warms up with a somersault type front-roll where you lean over and make your palms face each other and I am having the hardest time with it. This will be easier to explain with drawings.

The General Position:

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What happens when I try to roll. I am very apprehensive:

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I always seem to fall to the left side and smash my shoulder instead of being round. I get pretty scared when I'm about to roll, I've never been able to do it even as a kid.

Luckily I've got the backward breakfall roll down and the one where you roll on one arm and land in a side breakfall. At least it's progress.

Now my left shoulder is killing me and that's bad so I was wondering if you guys had any advice on how to get used to those motions?

**CrackFox** · Posted On: 7/25/2012 4:51pm

Why do you have your hands turned in like that?

**ermghoti** · Posted On: 7/25/2012 4:51pm

Disclaimer: poster is not a judoka, but can do somersaults. Do you have the strength to lower your head and shoulder all the way to the mat? Even starting from the knees? If you can do that, you're past the fear point, and you can kick yourself over. Do it a little faster as you recognize how it feels to do it properly, eventually you'll hit the full pace.

**XXIV** · Posted On: 7/25/2012 4:59pm

Originally Posted by CrackFox

Why do you have your hands turned in like that?

Well I'm willing to admit that I'm most likely doing it wrong.

**CrackFox** · Posted On: 7/25/2012 5:03pm

The problem is that there are several different rolls you could be trying for that all kind of fit the description you gave.

Is this roll supposed to be straight over your head, or over one shoulder? Is it supposed to end in a thump or not?

**goodlun** · Posted On: 7/25/2012 5:03pm

While this is much more geared for gymnastics it still has lots of great details on how to do the forward roll.
http://tumblingdrills.com/archives/69

**XXIV** · Posted On: 7/25/2012 5:08pm

Originally Posted by CrackFox

The problem is that there are several different rolls you could be trying for that all kind of fit the description you gave.

Is this roll supposed to be straight over your head, or over one shoulder? Is it supposed to end in a thump or not?

Oh, apologies. It's supposed to be straight over my head and I'm (eventually) supposed to be able to get right up from it, not thud - though I'm sure that is what will happen at first. I can do the stuff better that goes over one shoulder.

**judoka_uk** · Posted On: 7/25/2012 5:09pm

Originally Posted by XXIV

Well I'm willing to admit that I'm most likely doing it wrong.

Are your right and left hands placed level or with one in front of the other?

**XXIV** · Posted On: 7/25/2012 5:11pm

Originally Posted by judoka_uk

Are your right and left hands placed level or with one in front of the other?

I have been placing them level/parallel.

**lordbd** · Posted On: 7/25/2012 5:11pm

When I was learning forward rolls for aikido I had to work hard to really push off with my legs once I was in position, so that I had the momentum to actually roll all the way over instead of falling to the side and just wobbling around. They taught us to sort of kick out with our legs.