Definition of break-fall in English:

noun

• (in martial arts) a controlled fall in which most of the impact is absorbed by the arms or legs.

  Example sentences

  • ‘Failing the above, I can roll with the punch or break-fall, to dissipate the energy.’
  • ‘When we'd finished, he could do a break-fall running at full pace and he could fall properly when I threw him.’
  • ‘In a classification of ju-jitsu movements the exercises and the break-falls are included.’
  • ‘I tell you this now, it's never good to go training whilst still under any sort of influence that's not your own, those forward break-fall rolls really killed me, especially when we were trying to do them backwards.’
  • ‘After some 18 months of training, I was on the wrong end of some karate take downs, but judo break-falls saved me from any serious injury.’
  • ‘He's only a bit winded because he didn't break-fall properly.’