Is there a correct way to fall?

[Trek420]

Hi Deidre,

....In my Tae Kwon Do class we did a lot of falling exercises there, to avoid doing things like putting our wrists out (they break pretty easily) with the idea of building in an automatic response. It worked, because I still naturally fall the way I was taught. Hard to describe online, though...basically you want to spread the impact over a wider area, rather than just the wrist (or the neck!). One of my instructors used to have us make a 1 story jump onto gymnastics mats and roll properly. I thought it was nuts, who can throw you like that?!? but he got hit by a car on his bike and thrown and he probably saved his life by knowing how to land properly...

Anne

Good thread here with some more info on falls and practice. Glad you're instructor ok! And ... there are people who throw that hard

My Aikido teacher was descending from Old Tunnel Road when a PGE truck backed into her I hear tell from the student riding with her she pretty much brushed herself off. Good falls take years of practice and are an art by themselves.

But you can learn some basic techniques that will help even in an F.U. Artie Johnson type fall. And it's good to know, I've read that falls for elderly people are a leading cause of death or a life changing injury like broken hip.

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=6697