# Dizzy when rolling.



## jezr74 (Apr 15, 2014)

Any advice on how I can mitigate getting dizzy when doing forward rolls?


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## Dirty Dog (Apr 15, 2014)

Minimize the time the head spends moving. Move you head, and keep your eyes fixed on the same spot for as long as you can, then move it as fast as you can to the next spot. This is how dancers and skaters spin forever without puking.


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## jezr74 (Apr 15, 2014)

Dirty Dog said:


> Minimize the time the head spends moving. Move you head, and keep your eyes fixed on the same spot for as long as you can, then move it as fast as you can to the next spot. This is how dancers and skaters spin forever without puking.



Thanks will give it a try tonight.


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## aedrasteia (Apr 16, 2014)

Dirty Dog said:


> Minimize the time the head spends moving. Move you head, and keep your eyes fixed on the same spot for as long as you can, then move it as fast as you can to the next spot. This is how dancers and skaters spin forever without puking.



Hi Dog    (smile) 
well, sometimes dancers _do_ barf but _'spotting'_ on turns helps. 
I taught some guys  at the dojo this for fast jump turns in kata.   I used a very big red  X on a poster board:
(if you are color blind try a NEON Yellow  X)  the  X  was 15"  tall and bars were 4" thick; taped to a wall at *eye level.* The level is critical, so for a roll the distance from the floor should match the level of your head/eyes when you come out of  the roll, *before *you stand/roll up. Keep your eyes on that  X as you tuck and roll and immediately re-focus on the  X as your head comes around.  

It helps to get accustomed to that fast head-whip and eye focus by starting at standing height, 
w/ the  X at eye level, step and turn the body keeping vision focus on the  X  as you
turn the rest of the body.  Your head will be 'whipping' around faster than your body but the eyes focus 
on that red X.  Practicing this slowly, slightly up on the ball of the feet, arms slightly curved in front or elbows bent and chambered at your side.  Your goal is strictly on the head/eye  movement. 
It will be hard at first.

When that action feels familiar, re-position and move the level of the  X down and slowly do a roll - again, your form is less important than teaching the brain/eyes to re-focus on the red X.  With practice, make the X smaller,  then black on white. Then a smaller  X. Eventually the brain learns to pick a 'spot' and use it for a visual focus.

Turns in ippons and kata never bothered me, I guess it looked like magic.
But I had perfect deep second position and port a bras as a terrible beginners horse stance. (smile)

these might help:




Beautiful girl: chaine turns, watch her head! : - >  ( chaine = 'cha' as in _she_pherd, 'ne' as in nay)

and when a guy does it ??    



(note @ 30 seconds and @ 1:12) 

see the MA moves in this??  spotting?   



you're welcome.


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## Tony Dismukes (Apr 16, 2014)

In addition to the good advice above - make sure you aren't holding your breath.


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## Carol (Apr 16, 2014)

Watch allergies and irritants like dust and dirt.   Make sure the place where you roll is scrupulously clean.  Avoid stinky classmates.  

Sounds silly but all this stuff can lead to minor nasal congestion, which easily becomes a major contributor to dizziness when your head is spinning around.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2


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## Brian R. VanCise (Apr 16, 2014)

Relax, do not hold your breath and move smoothly.  That and a lot of practice and in time you will not feel dizzy as quickly as you do now.


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## Brian King (Apr 16, 2014)

Good advice above- tup.

Just a little different perspective that you might consider until your falls, rolls and breathing smooth's out. Sometimes "bad" falls and rolls give you the same or nearly same reaction as taking a hit. Get used to the feeling. Remember the feeling. Start doing something right after a fall- immediately. Head for an exit (which might mean finding it during the roll), do some math problems, access a weapon, throw a knife...
Learn how to respond or act even while 'incapacitated' with dizziness or knocked out wind.

Many lessons to be learned. Failure is only when we do not learn. A bad fall is not necessarily a failure.


Good luck on with your training
Regards
Brian King


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## Dirty Dog (Apr 16, 2014)

Brian makes a good point.
I assumed that your question was regarding repeated rolls. If you're dizzy after a single roll, something is not right. Start by getting a referral to a good ENT.


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## jks9199 (Apr 16, 2014)

Dirty Dog said:


> Brian makes a good point.
> I assumed that your question was regarding repeated rolls. If you're dizzy after a single roll, something is not right. Start by getting a referral to a good ENT.



And make sure you're tucking your chin...  If you don't tuck your chin, you're basically punching yourself in the head with the floor.


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## jezr74 (Apr 18, 2014)

Thanks for all the good advice.

I think practice and improving my technique will help, can feel the difference already from working on it.




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## Brian King (Apr 18, 2014)

An interesting way to practice rolls is to do a single roll VERY slowly. Tai Chi slow. Even if you start on your knees or from a squat. Take 20 or 30 seconds to do your roll. Lots of lessons to be learned by taking it slow and just as important it helps to reprogram the bad habits learned forcing rolls or allowing momentum rather than skill complete the roll.

A fun and interesting rolling drill is to stand on one or two small medicine balls or basket balls and do squats. When you have to step off the second that your foot or any part of the body touches the ground do a roll. This helps you learn to roll from most any position without first setting yourself up for the rolling. A fun way to do this drill if you have a partner is one or both of you standing on the medicine balls and do some pushing drills, sticky hand, of kicking work. The idea is not to push so hard that your training partner falls off the ball but rather to force their body to move, losing and regaining balance is the goal with the benefit of adding rolling when anything at all touches the floor. Blindfolds can add to the drill but only after people have learned not to reach with straight arms.

Good luck and let us know how your training is going 

Regards
Brian King


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## jezr74 (May 1, 2014)

It's early days, but I'm finding no rhyme or reason to how I go. Some days are great, some are not so good. But I think outside of technique, hydration and tiredness plays a big role.

But I'm fining I'm getting used to it anyway, but when I pull of a good roll, I don't think I get as dizzy.


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## Brian R. VanCise (May 1, 2014)

jezr74 said:


> It's early days, but I'm finding no rhyme or reason to how I go. Some days are great, some are not so good. But I think outside of technique, hydration and tiredness plays a big role.
> 
> But I'm fining I'm getting used to it anyway, but when I pull of a good roll, I don't think I get as dizzy.



Glad to hear that!  Be smooth, don't hold your breath and relax plus practice and you will be there in no time!


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