Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

You're right.  Gymnasts don't, but some martial artists do practice falling on hard surfaces once you get good at it on the mats.  My instructor had us use the asphalt parking lot in front of the "do jang".  He said we probably weren't ever going to use our falling skills on mats so we better learn to do it the real way, too.  I'm glad he did  (kinda) because I believe all that training saved my bacon when I came off of a bucking run away in a dry, river rock/boulder strewn, creek bed.  Witnesses said I went up about 12-15 feet in the air, turned as I came down, hit the ground hands first as I did two forward rolls before the momentum/energy was dispersed and I rolled up to a standing position with my arms over my head reminiscent of those gymnastic routine finishes.  That part was muscle memory, too.  Yep, a helmet is another insurance policy (and let's not get back on that discussion), but so is learning to fall appropriately.  I say this with much conviction as I am one of the clumsiest, bad luck laden women you will ever know.  : )  

 

abigail

Chico, CA 

 

Lynn Kinsky <lkinsky@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

I have yet to see gymasts or martial arts people do their falling
practices on concrete-like, rock-laden adobe clay! The times
I've come off I would have dearly loved a mat to fall on. (I fall
reasonably well and haven't broken any bones -- but the back of my
helmet has saved a skull fracture or two).
--


Lynn Kinsky, Santa Ynez, CA
http://www.silcom.com/~lkinsky/

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