Learning to fall--any tips?
#6
How long will it be before somone posts that horrible link to that guy?
Seriously, try not to fall. rolling out of a fall presumes that you're clear of the bike, and that's a big assumption.
for example, I crash on a skateboard, and the board stops, shoots out, whatever. I am now an independent body, able to roll, I hope.
or, I crash on a bike, and I'm still straddling the bike, or I have a foot clipped in, and now I'm trying to cushion my fall attached to my bike.
Seriously, try not to fall. rolling out of a fall presumes that you're clear of the bike, and that's a big assumption.
for example, I crash on a skateboard, and the board stops, shoots out, whatever. I am now an independent body, able to roll, I hope.
or, I crash on a bike, and I'm still straddling the bike, or I have a foot clipped in, and now I'm trying to cushion my fall attached to my bike.
#8
crotchety young dude
Joined: Jan 2005
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From: SF, CA
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Get used to knees and elbows that hurt for days.
#10
If your just laying the bike down on it's side, like in a slick turn or such, keep your hands on the bars and let the bike take the impact. You'll have a very very strong instinct, almost unconscious, to put your arm down as you go down, but you need to just fight it. This is how I broke my wrist. It's better to have a ton of road rash than to have a broken wrist AND road rash.
#11
META
Joined: Aug 2005
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From: Madison, WI
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As a student of the Martial Arts I definitely second the opinion that you should/could check out some classes in any martial art that does alot of throws and rolls. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Aikido, Aiki-jutsu or Judo would all be choice options.
Edit... I realize that my addition of named arts gets you no-where....
As for falling? The best thing you can do is train your body to curl up rather than splay out. Our natural reaction when falling (which may or may not have something to do with our late great ancestors having grown up in trees) is to throw our limbs out to catch hold of something, anything, that will stop our fall (perhaps a precipitous one from the top of a ginko tree where we have, until recently, been eating/fornicating/napping/grooming). This is a BAD idea. Splaying out, especially while on a bicycle does things like put arms and legs in car-roll-over territory (etc). Unless you're on a mountain side and need to deploy your climbing axe the best thing you can do is to get as few of your limbs sticking out as possible and allow yourself to bounce.
Edit... I realize that my addition of named arts gets you no-where....
As for falling? The best thing you can do is train your body to curl up rather than splay out. Our natural reaction when falling (which may or may not have something to do with our late great ancestors having grown up in trees) is to throw our limbs out to catch hold of something, anything, that will stop our fall (perhaps a precipitous one from the top of a ginko tree where we have, until recently, been eating/fornicating/napping/grooming). This is a BAD idea. Splaying out, especially while on a bicycle does things like put arms and legs in car-roll-over territory (etc). Unless you're on a mountain side and need to deploy your climbing axe the best thing you can do is to get as few of your limbs sticking out as possible and allow yourself to bounce.
Last edited by Severian; 04-27-07 at 10:12 AM.
#12
Originally Posted by Severian
As a student of the Martial Arts I definitely second the opinion that you should/could check out some classes in any martial art that does alot of throws and rolls. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Aikido, Aiki-jutsu or Judo would all be choice options.
Edit... I realize that my addition of named arts gets you no-where....
Edit... I realize that my addition of named arts gets you no-where....
I disagree; "Martial arts" can mean a lot of things to people. I study Arnis, and it surely won't help me roll out of a fall.
#13
I agree with Nouia. Yeah, keep your hands on your handlebars. The "best" way to learn how to fall is in the winter when there is ice out. If your bike is simply sliding out from under you my plan is: take off as much speed as possible with my legs, say a prayer...then put my shoulder and thigh out as far as possible (not hand/wrist or hips), close my mouth and turn my face away from the ground (I have nice teeth
and just ease into it.
This method is of course best of skid/slide outs. It might sound stupid, but the more you crash, the better you get at it. Well, some people who skate talked about this up above. But yeah, try to remain calm and let muscled parts, not bony parts, absorb the impact. I'm sure race car drivers are better at crashing than a person who just got their license. And, this is kind of like driving in snow. Someone from Buffalo is better at it than someone from Richmond.
As for getting hit by cars or sudden accidental falls I guess the only method is to say a prayer and kiss that arse of yours goodbye. I've been hit twice and thankfully my kiss bounced back
and just ease into it.This method is of course best of skid/slide outs. It might sound stupid, but the more you crash, the better you get at it. Well, some people who skate talked about this up above. But yeah, try to remain calm and let muscled parts, not bony parts, absorb the impact. I'm sure race car drivers are better at crashing than a person who just got their license. And, this is kind of like driving in snow. Someone from Buffalo is better at it than someone from Richmond.
As for getting hit by cars or sudden accidental falls I guess the only method is to say a prayer and kiss that arse of yours goodbye. I've been hit twice and thankfully my kiss bounced back
#18
Senior Member
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Originally Posted by dijos
I disagree; "Martial arts" can mean a lot of things to people. I study Arnis, and it surely won't help me roll out of a fall.
#20
Originally Posted by br995
He specified "check out some classes in any martial art that does alot of throws and rolls."
#21
META
Joined: Aug 2005
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From: Madison, WI
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Originally Posted by dijos
sorry, I was speaking to his statement that his naming of various arts did not help. I think that it helps a lot.
My problem with my initial post, and hence my edit, was that the OP was asking WHAT he can learn in order to survive a fall from a bicycle with some chance of retaining the use of his limbs. When I named the martial arts that he could investigate I wasn't telling him what he could learn but where he could learn it. So we're all nutz ;P
#25
He drop me
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I will have to third or fourth or fith or whatever we are up to the Martial Arts suggestion. In my youth I got up to green belt in Tang Su Do (sp) and I think it helped me in both cycling and in snowboarding and skiing.
Tuck and roll is the symplistic way of saying what you want to do...practice does make perfect. I have taken some pretty big falls and have never broken anything during them. It helps.
Tuck and roll is the symplistic way of saying what you want to do...practice does make perfect. I have taken some pretty big falls and have never broken anything during them. It helps.
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