Judo techniques teach elderly and vulnerable people how to fall safely
BBC One West reports that judo instructors are teaching elderly and vulnerable people how to fall safely to reduce injuries and the impact of falls.
How it was covered
- BBC One was the only channel found covering it, concentrating on practical judo falling techniques, personal testimony and NHS costs.
- Channel 5, BBC News, Channel 4, GB News, ITV and Sky News: not found in tracked broadcasts.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story. Facts only one channel reported are attributed to it.
BBC One West has reported that judo techniques are being used to teach elderly and vulnerable people how to fall safely, with the aim of reducing injuries and the impact of falls. The report, by correspondent Fiona Lamdin, said judo is famous for its throws but that one of its most important skills is how to land.
The BBC One West report said century-old traditions were being put to a modern use. It said participants were learning how techniques designed to improve balance could help in everyday life. One participant said, 'I had no idea that there was a way to fall.'
A woman in the BBC One West report described missing a step outside on a slippery surface and injuring her knee. She said she had to have an operation and that recovery took three months. Watching the session brought some things back, she said, and she would know what to do next time.
The BBC One West report set out three golden rules: look after your head, do not put your hands out to break a fall, and relax. It showed a fall in slow motion on the mats, with the chin kept in and the palm flat to the floor.
The BBC One West report said falls cost the NHS an estimated £2 billion a year and that around one in three over-65s has a serious fall each year. An instructor who runs the course for coaches said their grandmother fell in the kitchen at home on Christmas Day and was never the same person again. The instructor said they had seen the social impact.
The BBC One West report also featured a participant waiting for a new knee who said they were prone to falls because the knee gives way. They said learning how to start to fall was useful because the instinct to put hands out can lead to a shoulder injury. They planned to practise the elbows to fingertips technique at home until it became instinct.
The BBC One West report concluded: 'This is not simply about staying on your feet it's about knowing what to do when you lose them.'
Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |
|---|---|
| Only on one channel | |
| Falls cost the NHS an estimated two billion pounds a year. | |
| Judo-based safe falling techniques are being used to help elderly and vulnerable people reduce falls and injuries, with rules including protecting the head, not putting hands out to break a fall, and relaxing. | |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
BBC One West gave the story a warm, explanatory treatment, using a practical demonstration on the mats and first-person testimony from older participants. It linked the judo techniques to everyday falls, NHS costs and the emotional impact on families. The segment was framed around prevention and confidence rather than policy or research.
- “Judo famous for its throws, but one of its most important skills is how to land”
- “there's three golden rules to follow One look after your head to Don't put your hands out to try and break your fall like that And the final one is and it sounds a little bit bizarre, but to relax”
- “This is not simply about staying on your feet it's about knowing what to do when you lose them”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.