Learning to fall properly

[obyvatel]

This is about stumbling or slipping and falling (literally). Falls are common cause of injuries especially among the elderly. We can learn some techniques to fall properly so that the impact is reduced. It is a skill that needs to be practiced so that it becomes a part of muscle memory. When one falls, it is very sudden and unexpected - so there is no time for a cognitive response.

The key concept is to increase the surface area of contact with the ground and prevent bones from smashing. Larger surface area reduces the impact on a specific part of the body.

Depending on age and physical fitness level, one can learn to get into a roll so as to spread out the time of contact as well. This is valid for stumbling while moving forward so that the entire energy is not transferred to the ground immediately but spread out over time to reduce the impact.

The best way to learn is to practice on a soft surface. Thick mattresses or some other cushioning should work. Start from the ground and get the mechanics right. Then after getting comfortable, simulate actual falling on the soft surface. With practice, this should become part of muscle memory, and in the unfortunate event of having to face a fall, the learning should kick in and prevent damage.

There are fancy martial arts type break falls and rolls but they may not be suitable for everyone. I found a video where there is a 60 year old retired police lieutenant teaching the skill which I thought would be useful for most people.

http://<iframe width="640" height="...kE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[nicklebleu]

Thanks, obyvatel, for posting this. It's a rarely practiced skill outside of martial arts. Good advice on how to fall without injuring yourself and be able to get up quickly - not so much as to continue to fight, but hopefully be able to "get out of Dodge" to live another day. Of course this won't always be possible ...

 

[Mr.Cyan]

thanks as well obyvatel for posting this...great skills to learn when falling. I noticed that it is similar as well to many falling skills thought in Judo, and Jiujitsu - hence really good simple points to learn to avoid injuries.

 

[3DStudent]

Thanks, this looks useful. I think it would be easily practiced on a trampoline.

 

[Buddy]

This is about stumbling or slipping and falling (literally). Falls are common cause of injuries especially among the elderly.

Indeed. And speaking of the elderly, according to a Google search, in 2012, there were 810 million people over the age of 60 estimated to be living on Earth. In 2010, 40.3 million were in the U.S. and by 2020, there is projected to be a billion on the planet. Also interesting for some reason, between 2050 and 2060, Spain and Japan will be vying for the title of having the highest percentage of old people (over 65). Of course these projections are based on current growth estimates and don't take major earth changes or anything like that into consideration.

So, a post with helpful info like this is always timely, I'd say. Thanks for sharing.

 

[loreta]

This is very interesting and I would like to see the guy falling many times, not just one but he seemed a little tired. Surely these exercises are hard to do, I have the impression specially if you are old. And if you are old I think these exercises are too strong. So these exercises are for average age, to prepare ourselves to fall and you need to be in good shape. The younger you are the better to install this sort of body instinct to fall the right way. Thank you!

 

[obyvatel]

This is very interesting and I would like to see the guy falling many times, not just one but he seemed a little tired. Surely these exercises are hard to do, I have the impression specially if you are old. And if you are old I think these exercises are too strong. So these exercises are for average age, to prepare ourselves to fall and you need to be in good shape. The younger you are the better to install this sort of body instinct to fall the right way. Thank you!

Ok here is a 95 year old demonstrating falling.

http://www.startribune.com/95-year-old-shares-tricks-of-safe-falling/294726671/

 

[Voyageur]

This is very interesting and I would like to see the guy falling many times, not just one but he seemed a little tired. Surely these exercises are hard to do, I have the impression specially if you are old. And if you are old I think these exercises are too strong. So these exercises are for average age, to prepare ourselves to fall and you need to be in good shape. The younger you are the better to install this sort of body instinct to fall the right way. Thank you!

Ok here is a 95 year old demonstrating falling.

http://www.startribune.com/95-year-old-shares-tricks-of-safe-falling/294726671/

Yes, good one obyvatel, super important for the elderly especially. The small health unit where we live offers this training to seniors, which comes to play with slipper ice sidewalks and street and around the house - different scenarios are offered.

Good job Elliot Royce!

 

[MusicMan]

Valuable information.
A lot of falls are from people with low bone density breaking their bones /hip /femur and THEN falling.
My son, who is a paramedic, says that people who fall with a bone break, often only last about six months, it is very debilitating, and they need particular care.

So in addition to learning how to fall, which is good - if you ever studied jiu jitsu you are ahead of the game, we need to learn how to absorb calcium into our bones. Vitamin D is free, it is available from sunshine acting upon the oils in the skin.
So skin exposure, for about twenty minutes in the morning and twenty minutes in the afternoon should be enough for you to top up your supplies, this combined with some weight bearing exercise will stand you in good stead.
Being aware of your surroundings helps.

(I'm 69, so I'm in the danger zone).
The problem is that as you age, you still think that you can do the things you used to do when you were twenty..

 

[Seppo Ilmarinen]

Very important skill indeed! I remember few times slipping on winter ice, and finding myself on the ground. Thanks to martial arts training when younger, i few times managed to pull my chin down and smoothed the landing with ukemi (pulling chin to chest and hitting the ground with hand while falling). This needs to happen automatically because there's no time to consciously utilize the skill, so it's important to learn it into your "backbone".

Here's Aikido sensei doing very smooth ukemis:

http://<iframe width="420" height="...z0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[hesperides]

Thank you Obyvatel for these videos. When I first read the title of your thread I thought it could be about falling psychologically, like something along how to avoid lasting bruises after one crushes down emotionally. :)

Although I´m not anymore in a shape now so as to train myself in these falling techniques, it´s true that all the years during which I´ve been training in figure skating and skying helped me a lot in learning not only how to fall, but more importantly to not fear sharp falls. Later in life, whenever I knew I would inevitably end down on the floor, automatically I´d center all my attention on how to fall -which happens in slow motion mode thanks precisely to absence of fear which in turn favours spontaneous maximum attention-, instead of trying to avoid it at all cost.

Here some unfortunate falls in spite of years long training, surely mostly out of psychologic fear from falling and losing points during competitions. See how many falls have no explanation other than too tense attention which in the end tends to provoke what one most fears, without including the difficult springs:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YPG3BNmYeI

 

[loreta]

This is very interesting and I would like to see the guy falling many times, not just one but he seemed a little tired. Surely these exercises are hard to do, I have the impression specially if you are old. And if you are old I think these exercises are too strong. So these exercises are for average age, to prepare ourselves to fall and you need to be in good shape. The younger you are the better to install this sort of body instinct to fall the right way. Thank you!

Ok here is a 95 year old demonstrating falling.

http://www.startribune.com/95-year-old-shares-tricks-of-safe-falling/294726671/

Wow! This is incredible! And I can see a fantastic idea for old people. What a good idea. I would like that my husband, who has MS and sometimes fall and sometimes it is dangerous how he falls, to learn how to fall. Thank you very much.!

 

[sitting]

This is about stumbling or slipping and falling (literally). Falls are common cause of injuries especially among the elderly.

So, a post with helpful info like this is always timely, I'd say. Thanks for sharing.

I'm exceeding my own post limit. But I sincerely hope this illustrates my point about analytical discipline (effort.)

Your reply (to obyvatel) was a compliment, nothing more. I had a very different take. Please allow me:

This falling issue is critical. My next door neighbor -- lady in her late 60's -- died from a fall. (Rushing to pick up ringing phone.) I know numerous hip replacement victims. It's so widespread that it's scary.

I believe I know something about falling. Eight years of karate, 18 years of taichi, 45 years on the ice, 45 years on the slopes. Plus close observation of judo (Olympic caliber) and jujitsu. (This may sound like bragging -- but it's a fact.)

The techniques in the police video are actually dangerous.

It's all from judo. The hard hand slap is for (kinetic) energy dissipation. Great on a judo mat, bone breaking possibly on any hard surface. For non-believers, just try it. On concrete (sidewalk), or hard wood (home.) And do give it a real good whack!

That 95 year old (demonstration) was indeed impressive. But it's all done on a mat (mattress,) or trampoline. It isn't real life. (And I'm in no way downplaying his obvious agility.)

What caught my eye, was his other quality. Relaxed & loose. That's the real life saver!

I've seen this quality over and over again, on the ice. With children and with adults when they go flopping over on skates. The relaxed & loose ones sort of "flutter" downward. The tensed & rigid ones often will have frightening head impacts. (Thank heavens for helmets.)

Anyone (advanced in age) falling, will face unknown risks. And that brings up the subject of prevention. A greater balance awareness can reduce (not eliminate) the chances of falling. That needs to be stressed as well.

And I think taichi, with its gentle movements (relax & loose) is very useful in that regard.

But I could be wrong.

FWIW.

 

[Gaby]

This needs to happen automatically because there's no time to consciously utilize the skill, so it's important to learn it into your "backbone".

Skilled learned. I hope I'll never have to use it though!

 

[know_yourself_1234]

_http://www.startribune.com/95-year-old-shares-tricks-of-safe-falling/294726671/

Elliott Royce takes practice falls at least five times every morning.

Elliott Royce estimates that he has fallen down at least 15,000 times over the past 10 years.

;D

What would such a discipline develop in one own's mind! BEK and window fallers ought better to stay away

I remember a famous French artist saying: "To avoid getting tricked, I trick myself every morning!"

I also read somewhere that a good way for uplifting oneself during a moment of big bad mood was to go in front of a mirror and laugh at one's self. I practiced it and it helped me to unwind a bit what was currently "tormenting" my spirit, would it be questions, loops or bad events. It took me momentarily out of my current preoccupations, but I do not do it too often, so I do not know if this is something one would like to "train".

Thanks obyvatel for your post, it's really interesting. Thanks sitting as well :

What caught my eye, was his other quality. Relaxed & loose. That's the real life saver!

From The Bringers of the Dawn :

If something is not being done effortlessly, then forget it. If it looks like if is too much work, something is telling you it is not the way. Only when something comes together effortlessly and simply fits, with no one doing too much to it, is it right. If you all begin to live like this, you will completely change how the species of consciousness approaches life. It is not irresponsible or a cop-out-it is a new way of carrying bricks from one place to another.

Do you think it is the same idea?