Ukemi: The Art of Falling and Rising

Use the metaphor with care

The opening reflection draws on ukemi as a metaphor for meeting disruption and remaining able to participate. It is not instruction in martial arts, physical recovery, or personal safety. Nor does it imply that every loss can be prevented by a better attitude. Some impacts exceed the resources available, and recovery may require outside help, time, or a change in what is expected.

For an organization, the useful question is what preparation makes a setback less likely to become a lasting loss of essential capacity. That question directs attention toward support, alternatives, and the conditions for recovery. It also helps distinguish resilience from asking people to absorb ever more strain.

An example: the event that loses its venue

Imagine a volunteer group learns that its usual meeting space cannot be used on the day of an event. If every arrangement depends on that room and one organizer’s private contact list, a small disruption can spread quickly. Guests may arrive at the wrong address, equipment may be inaccessible, and volunteers may spend their time reconstructing information.

Preparation could include a shared list of essential contacts held with appropriate permission, a named person authorized to make changes, and an agreed way to tell participants whether the event will move or be postponed. An alternative venue would also need to fit the purpose and the people attending. A room that exists on paper is not a useful fallback if it is unavailable, inaccessible, or beyond the group’s resources.

These are ordinary arrangements, not evidence that the event could withstand every disruption. The example illustrates how a team can protect its ability to respond before it needs to improvise under pressure. Any actual plan would depend on the setting and the responsibilities involved.

Recovery includes learning and limits

After the event, the group can ask what helped and what created extra difficulty. Useful learning is specific: which contact information was missing, which decision could not be made, and which assumption proved wrong. “Everyone needs to communicate better” is less helpful than identifying who needed what information and when.

Recovery can also mean deciding not to restore the old arrangement exactly. If the same few people repeatedly provide emergency effort, returning to normal may restore the very conditions that caused the strain. A smaller event, clearer responsibilities, or a pause may preserve more capacity for future participation. Continuing responsibly can require changing the activity, not simply increasing endurance.