A book by Bryan DePhillip
APPLIED UKEMI
Real Life Fall Protection for Confidence, Independence, and Safer Landings
Fall prevention matters. But not every fall can be prevented. APPLIED UKEMI explores practical fall-protection principles for what happens when balance is lost and a fall becomes unavoidable — building confidence from the ground up.
Paperback + Kindle available on Amazon
Fall prevention matters.But not every fall can be prevented.
Fall prevention
Works to reduce the likelihood of falling — strength, balance, vision, footwear, medication review, home safety. Essential work, and worth continuing.
Fall protection
Asks an additional question: what can we learn about protecting ourselves when a fall cannot be avoided?
APPLIED UKEMI is an exploration of that missing piece. It does not replace fall-prevention work and it is not medical treatment. It complements broader prevention strategies by addressing what may happen in the moment balance is lost.
Inside the book
A different way to think about falling
Rooted in the principles of ukemi and adapted for real life. Each idea in APPLIED UKEMI is built progressively, from the ground up, at a pace that stays comfortable.
The Protection Pathway
A progressive route from prevention to protection to recovery, so each skill has a place to build from rather than being practiced in isolation.
Slowering
Instead of thinking of a fall as one sudden drop, the book explores ways of giving the body more time and more contact on the way down.
U and X Stance
Two simple reference positions used throughout the book to organize the arms and body when balance is lost.
Three Principles of Safer Landing
The recurring ideas behind protecting the head, spreading contact, and managing momentum as a landing happens.
The Fear-Inactivity Cycle
Fear of falling often leads to moving less, which can make movement feel even less secure. The book looks at how practice can interrupt that loop.
Building protective responses through gentle practice
Skills are developed from the ground up, at a comfortable pace, before any speed or height is added.
Paperback + Kindle available on Amazon
Who it's for
Written for real life
Adults who want to protect their independence
If a fall — or the worry about one — has started shaping what you do, this book is about keeping your confidence and your daily life your own.
Families and caregivers
A shared language for talking about falls with someone you love, without fear tactics and without taking away their independence.
Senior-living communities
A practical complement to the prevention programs already in place, written in language residents and staff can use together.
Also read by
- Martial arts instructors and coaches
- PT / OT and health professionals
- Workplace safety professionals
- Movement and fitness professionals
No martial arts experience, athletic background, or special equipment is assumed anywhere in the book.
Meet the author
Bryan DePhillip
Bryan DePhillip has spent his career on two sides of the same question: how people move, and how they recover when movement goes wrong. His background spans wrestling, judo, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and mixed martial arts, along with years of coaching movement as a NASM-certified fitness professional.
On the mat, learning to fall is a first lesson, not an advanced one. Bryan founded Ukemi Health Partners to translate those protective-falling principles out of the training hall and into practical fall-protection education for everyday life — taught gently, progressively, and for people of every ability level.
Credentials
- Author of APPLIED UKEMI
- Founder, Ukemi Health Partners
- USA Judo Shodan Black Belt
- NASM Certified Personal Trainer (CPT)
- NASM Senior Fitness Specialist (SFS)
- NASM Corrective Exercise Specialist (CES)
- More than 1,000 students trained safely
Paperback + Kindle available on Amazon
Not sure yet?Start with Chapter One.
Read the opening chapter and begin exploring the ideas behind APPLIED UKEMI before you buy. Chapter One is shared through a short request form, so you'll enter your details first and receive the chapter by email.
Preview Chapter One
From the page to the mat
Bring fall protection training to your community
Bryan and Ukemi Health Partners provide fall-prevention and fall-protection education and guided movement experiences for communities and organizations, including:
- Senior-living communities
- Caregiver organizations
- Community organizations
- Professional groups
Programs are led by Ukemi Health Certified instructors.
Signed copies
Get a Personally Signed Copy of APPLIED UKEMI
Order a signed paperback directly from Bryan DePhillip through Ukemi Health Partners.
Order a Signed Copy of APPLIED UKEMIFor community quantities, events, or bulk orders, contact bryan@ukemihealthpartners.com
Questions & answers
About APPLIED UKEMI and fall protection
What is ukemi?
Ukemi is a Japanese term used in judo and other grappling arts for the art of receiving a fall. Rather than resisting the ground, ukemi is about organizing the body to meet it with more control. APPLIED UKEMI takes those principles and adapts them for everyday life, with no martial arts background required.
What is APPLIED UKEMI about?
APPLIED UKEMI is a book by Bryan DePhillip about real life fall protection: practical, evidence-conscious principles for what happens when balance is lost and a fall becomes unavoidable. It covers protective body positions, progressive practice from the ground up, and the relationship between confidence, movement, and independence.
What is the difference between fall prevention and fall protection?
Fall prevention works to reduce the likelihood of falling, through strength, balance, vision, footwear, medication review, and home safety. Fall protection asks a further question: what can we learn about protecting ourselves when a fall cannot be avoided? The two work together. Fall protection complements fall prevention rather than replacing it.
Can adults learn principles for falling more safely?
The book presents fall protection as a set of movement skills that can be practiced progressively, starting close to the ground and at a comfortable pace. No outcome can be guaranteed, and the book does not claim to eliminate falls or injuries. Its aim is to build body awareness, protective responses, and confidence through gentle practice.
Is APPLIED UKEMI only for martial artists?
No. APPLIED UKEMI is written for readers with no martial arts experience and no requirement for athletic ability. The principles are rooted in ukemi and adapted for real life. Martial arts instructors and coaches may also find it useful, but it is not a judo instruction manual.
Who is APPLIED UKEMI for?
Adults who want to protect their independence and confidence, families and caregivers supporting someone they love, and senior-living communities looking for a broader approach to falls. It is also read by martial arts instructors and coaches, PT and OT and other health professionals, workplace safety professionals, and movement and fitness professionals.
Who is Bryan DePhillip?
Bryan DePhillip is the author of APPLIED UKEMI and the founder of Ukemi Health Partners. He is a USA Judo Shodan black belt and a NASM Certified Personal Trainer, NASM Senior Fitness Specialist, and NASM Corrective Exercise Specialist. He has trained more than 1,000 students safely and teaches practical fall-protection education to communities and organizations.
Does APPLIED UKEMI replace traditional fall-prevention programs?
No. APPLIED UKEMI is intended to complement broader fall-prevention strategies, not to replace them or to serve as medical treatment. Readers are encouraged to continue prevention work and to consult appropriate professionals about their own health and movement.
Where can I buy APPLIED UKEMI?
APPLIED UKEMI is available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle editions. For signed copies, community quantities, events, or bulk purchases, contact bryan@ukemihealthpartners.com.
Can Bryan teach fall protection at my community or organization?
Yes. Bryan and Ukemi Health Partners provide fall-prevention and fall-protection education and guided movement experiences for senior-living communities, caregiver organizations, community organizations, and professional groups. Scheduling and program details are available at ukemihealthpartners.com/scheduling.
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APPLIED UKEMI
Building Confidence From the Ground Up.
Gentle Practice. Lasting Protection.
Paperback + Kindle available on Amazon