I've always been very gymnastic and good at tumbling and flips, so I've never really had problems taking most falls. Thru my wrestling career (even in college) & my sanshou experience, breakfalls were taught almost like another technique, and very rarely practiced with any serious enthusiasm.
With my introduction to judo, I learned the humbling importance and grace of good ukemi. My first month of judo was spent perfecting the subtle nuances of good breakfalls. Though I had been doing them in a similar manner before, looking back I'm amazed that I was not seriously injured after some high amplitude throws.
The devil is in the details. and it is not uncommon in my dojo after a very big throw, to congratulate the uke for taking a good throw and doing ukemi with good form. (it's equally as important if not more so, and while I can count the number of times I've used a judo throw "on the street" with one hand, the number of times I've needed to use a breakfall has to be in the scores..)
I have no disrespect towards any other method of taking falls, but I've experienced a very high level of instruction and example in judo breakfalls and I'll continue to use them.