Fall Risk

[MetalBoar]

Learn Judo, you learn how to fall, it's very automatic after a while. I learn Judo in the early 60s, in late 90s, one time I was unloading on the truck, I bumped onto something and lost my balance and started falling off the truck. I grabbed a rope, but as I fell, I slammed on the side of the truck and I let go and fell onto the ground. That was quite a few feet high onto the concrete parking lot. Somehow, my Judo "breakfall" kicked in, I landed on my back, I slapped the ground with my hands, I tucked my chin in so my head tipped forward. I landed on the ground on my back, I fell my head snapped back and my hair touched the ground. But I managed to prevent my head from hitting the solid concrete. Actually the only injury I sustained was my bruced ribs when I swing and hit the side of the truck. The company sent me to the hospital and I was released. I couldn't laugh or do anything heavy for like a week because of the bruced rib, but I was fine.

That's why I mentioned in post #7 I started practicing falling about 10 to 12 years ago and do it once a week to remind me how to fall backward and shake my organs to make them get used to it. I still do neck exercise 3 times a week to keep my neck strong.

This really help to fall on flat ground, but nothing can help if you head hit the curb. Falling forward is a lot easier to brace. I am sure in Football and other sports have the same practice how to fall also. Look into it, you don't have to take Judo like me.

Yes! I've often said that I'm not sure that my Aikido training has ever helped me with self defense but it ingrained the reflex to fall safely and that's prevented real injury more than once!

I also really agree that a strong neck helps and not just with falling. I've driven several hundred thousand miles without an accident and then in the last 5 years or so I've been rear ended multiple times by people texting while driving. The first couple really messed me up and I started focusing on neck strength as part of my workout routine to help my recovery. Now my neck is much stronger and the last couple of times I've been hit I've had far fewer problems even though one of those accidents was at higher speeds.

 

[Instructor]

I would also add hiking and jogging in, they may improve balance but the main function is to strengthen all the muscles, bones, and joints in your lower body so if you do fall you will be less likely to break a hip.

 

[Hanzou]

Learn Aikido, Judo, and BJJ so you don't have to worry about falling.

 

[Alan0354]

I would also add hiking and jogging in, they may improve balance but the main function is to strengthen all the muscles, bones, and joints in your lower body so if you do fall you will be less likely to break a hip.

This is so true, for me it's the deep stand and move around inspired by this video:

Hell, forget the hopping forward like them, my knees started shaking and losing balance just stepping forward at the beginning. I have been practicing in slow motion step by step for like 3 weeks already, it's getting better. Funny I have no problem stepping up with the left foot, I have problem balancing with the right foot. I guess because I always on orthodox stand.

I hope I can get better, not that I do deep stands in stick fight, just for balance and strength of the lower body.

 

[Alan0354]

I have been practicing foot work, part of it is deep steps like the video I linked in post #24 above where one foot step in front deep(like around 80deg like the video) and the back foot straight. I just go through the steps slowly like 5 to 7 minutes non stop while swinging the stick slowly concentrating on the footwork. I've been doing this for a month. I notice my balance got better. I feel my knee is stronger, not as wobble as before I started doing this.

Seems like one can practice balancing all they want, but you need strong foundation also. Now I can understand why those old forms require deep stands, not for practical fighting, but more for building foundation.

 

[Gyakuto]

Use a ‘wobble board’. A research paper made a correlation between far fewer cobbled pavements and increasing risk of falls in the elderly.

 

[Oily Dragon]

Seems like one can practice balancing all they want, but you need strong foundation also. Now I can understand why those old forms require deep stands, not for practical fighting, but more for building foundation.

It's all for practical fighting.

People always say, on the ground, standing...like there's only those two options.

What about 12 inches off the ground, how strong are you at that elevation? That's where the deep stancework comes in. Yoga, Qigong,
Sup Ying Kuen, whatever. Ji Ng Ma, or Warrior's Pose.

That previous video is a great example of how people can master their level changes, and it's important to note, both are relatively fit, which is the secret sauce.

 

[Alan0354]

It's all for practical fighting.

People always say, on the ground, standing...like there's only those two options.

What about 12 inches off the ground, how strong are you at that elevation? That's where the deep stancework comes in. Yoga, Qigong,
Sup Ying Kuen, whatever. Ji Ng Ma, or Warrior's Pose.

That previous video is a great example of how people can master their level changes, and it's important to note, both are relatively fit, which is the secret sauce.

I never practice low stands, in my days when I was training, we stood straight up. That's in in the 80s as you can see the WKA and PKA people fight standing straight. So this is the first time I practice low stands. Don't know how low I can go, I have enough injuries already, I don't need more.

That's what I said in another thread that I use weight training to fix the injuries and it's to the point I spend a lot of time just to try to fix the injuries. I am 68 going to be 69 soon, no spring chick anymore. Forget 12" off the ground, I'll just do whatever I can.

There's nothing good getting old, things that were easy are no so easy today. I still work as hard as practical, I am exercising like 6hours a week, that is over an hour a day, 5 days a week already. That's enough, I am planning to scale down in a few months as I get better with the cane fight. There is time for training, but there is time to learn to preserve what I have and keep it instead of pushing and pushing.

 

[Hanzou]

Learn Aikido, Judo, or BJJ ukemi and you'll be just fine.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

I never practice low stands,

The older I'm, the more that I have to train the low stance. This is the one that I have to do it daily in order to maintain my side kick ability - 托天式 (Tuo Tian Shi) Lift the sky.

 

[Alan0354]

The older I'm, the more that I have to train the low stance. This is the one that I have to do it daily in order to maintain my side kick ability - 托天式 (Tuo Tian Shi) Lift the sky.


View attachment 27799

I trained standing up, this is new.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

I trained standing up, this is new.

The lower you can drop, the farther distance your leg can reach to your opponent's leg.

https://i.postimg.cc/ZRQTYwMG/Lin-shin-bite-sweep-slow-solo.gif