Ukemi
/uːˈkɛmi/noun
A judo or other martial-arts technique for falling safely by absorbing impact and protecting the body.
Did you know?The Japanese word also refers to the grammatical passive voice, linking the martial-arts idea of receiving an action with the linguistic idea of having an action received by oneself.
Etymological Timeline
Classical Japanese
Japanese
受く (uku)
“To receive, accept, or undergo”
Classical Japanese
Japanese
身 (mi)
“Body, self, or person”
Medieval Japanese
Japanese
受け身 (ukemi)
“A receiving or passive condition; literally, a receiving body/self”
19th–20th Century
Japanese
受け身 (ukemi)
“A safe-falling method developed and formalized within Japanese martial arts”
20th Century
English
ukemi
“A martial-arts technique for falling safely, especially in judo”
Explore more surprising origins