In Seishin Freestyle karate break falling is employed to prevent injury and minimize the pain when you fall or are thrown by an opponent. Break falling includes front, back, right, and left break falls, and a forward roll break fall. In addition to being a basic component of throwing techniques, break falling is also a fundamental part of many Seishin Freestyle techniques, and is therefore of high importance.
Break fall drills begin gently and from low postures, and are gradually performed faster and from higher postures. Finally, they are performed during actual movement. Break falls are practiced on mats but we must recognize that there are no mats in a self-defence situation.