I wondered, it FINALLY happened, and I'm SO excited!!!!

[Aikikitty]

I have been wondering for years what would happen if I fell unexpectedly. Would I hurt myself or would the muscle memory kick in and I'd go into a breakfall or roll???? Well, today it finally happened!!!!!!!! I was walking my dog at a quick pace and before I knew what happened I slipped in a big patch of mud and I did a breakfall!!!!!! I'm not hurt at all (although I might be a little sore tomorrow because it was mud and cement) and the pattern of mud all over the leg of my jeans proves that I landed correctly! I had no time to think or plan. I just did it!!! :bangahead:

If anybody saw me after that they would have wondered about the mud all over my jeans and the huge, silly grin on my face. Now all I need to do is unexpectedly trip forward so I can see if I will automatically do a forward roll or not. :uhyeah:

How about all of you out there? Have you had the chance to see whether the muscle memory kicked in or did you not have the space to fall or roll correctly?

One of my previous instructors told me once that years ago, when he was riding his motorcycle in Italy, he got in an accident and a judo roll saved his life.

Please, share your stories and experiences!

Robyn :boing2:

 

[arnisador]

Heh, that's great! I know exactly the feeling.

 

[terryl965]

Your training will always kick in if you train the right way. Glad to hear you are not hurt.

 

[Gordon Nore]

Similar thing happened to me years back, coming out of the dojo one night. The parking was surface was uneven and iced over, and I went for a slide as I was getting into my car. I ended up executing a back break fall. The only injuries -- minor abrasions on my hand from the ice and a slight bruise where my ankle slipped against the car. The first thing I realized was that my head hadn't hit the ground.

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

Glad that you are safe Robyn and unhurt! Most of us that have been doing this for a long time at some point have had a minor spill, fall or a major one that a breakfall or roll definately helped out! Glad your breakfall made the differeance!

 

[Kacey]

I've done the same thing - I'm glad it worked for you too!

 

[Kennedy_Shogen_Ryu]

Congrats on your first successful fall, definately something to be proud of. Have done it multiple times myself, which means that either I train well and muscle memory kicks in, or I don't train enough and I'm just really clumsy.

 

[morph4me]

Robyn,

Congratulations on your muscle memory kicking in for you. Since I've been training I've taken a front roll from the back of a moving station wagon (when I was young and stupid), a back fall on black ice in my driveway, a side fall on a slippery ramp, and a front roll off a step and then a front fall into the wall as I stood up because of the limited room. All in all I'm a klutz, and have used my ukemi skills more than any other skills I've learned in aikido. Hopefully you're much more graceful than I am, and won't have to use yours as much

 

[ejaazi]

Congrats! Haven't had the chance to test my ukemi skills outside of the dojo. But I hope I make out as good as you did.

 

[bdparsons]

Why so suprised??? Sounds to me like you've had good instruction and practiced hard. Keep it up.

Respects,
Bill Parsons
Triangle Kenpo Institute

 

[grydth]

The joy with which you folks anticipate, indeed long for, disaster is very scary. This is especially worrisome for one like me, who is ambiduncestrous - equally clumsy on both sides.

I did have a small ladder fly out from under me - and by falling as I had been taught, avoided serious injury. I can now see that I should have treated this event as if it were something from the Old Testament instead of simply being scared silly.....

I drive off today with new purpose, expecting, nay, daring catastrophe to strike..... and, who am I kidding? doing my best Dr Smith from Lost in Space at the thought!

:wah:

 

[theletch1]

The joy with which you folks anticipate, indeed long for, disaster is very scary. This is especially worrisome for one like me, who is ambiduncestrous - equally clumsy on both sides.

I did have a small ladder fly out from under me - and by falling as I had been taught, avoided serious injury. I can now see that I should have treated this event as if it were something from the Old Testament instead of simply being scared silly.....

I drive off today with new purpose, expecting, nay, daring catastrophe to strike..... and, who am I kidding? doing my best Dr Smith from Lost in Space at the thought!

:wah:

That is just too funny! I like the ambiduncetrous comment and am sure that I'll wind up stealing it at some point in the future.

My youngest daughter saved her face from pavement on the way to the bus stop with a front fall when she was still training. I took a tumble off of a two story building and did a breakfall as I hit the ground. I compressed one vertebrae and injured my rotator cuff on that one. The great thing was that the kiai (which I'm sure sounded more like "Oh, Shhhhiii-whump) and the falling posture kept me from breaking more bones and collapsing lungs. I didn't think about what I was doing til it was over and it was, indeed, a great feeling.

 

[Aikikitty]

Thank you all who posted thus far! :supcool: Thanks for the concern for my well being. My right ankle is the only part of me that's a little sore, which makes sense since that's the foot/ankle that got jolted when I slipped.

I proudly told my sensei yestereday after class what happened and he was glad it worked out okay, but laughed at my enthusiasm.

I am very thankful that you guys---Gordon Nore, Kennedy_Shogen_Ryu, Morph4me, grydth, theletch1 (thank God and your training that you are okay after falling off a building!!!), and everyone else who has had this opportunity-- are alright and were not hurt! Or at least, not near as hurt as would have been without training!

Keep the stories coming!

Robyn :asian:

 

[Cruentus]

Heh... break falls have saved my *** so many times that I can't even count. And I only did Aikido a for a couple of years, and that was years ago.

But I tell you, put a lot of gear of and run around in the woods, or insist on running or jogging with a rucksack in the ice and snow, and you'll bust *** more often then you would like to admit to your friends. I won't even mention building clearing practice and rolling down a flight of stairs. :rofl:

lol, lets just say that depending on your profession and training schedule, break falls can be invaluable..

 

[Bill Sempf]

Two stories:

My sensei was in the marines, and he speaks of getting into a truck carrying a pile of books, a canteen and an M-16. He slipped on a large patch of ice juat as he stepped in, performed a PERFECT backward roll, and returned to Shizen having spilled nothing. I aspire to this level of skill.

Secondly, I have a two year old son who has a sense of adventure. I am teaching him to forward roll out of him more ill-conceived ideas, and it has so far gone very well. I will report more in the future on this experiment!

S

 

[Drac]

Nothing can equal what you feel when the training automatically kicks in and saves you from damage...Either from a fall or an assault...

 

[Yari]

I...... Well, today it finally happened!!!!!!!! I was walking my dog at a quick pace and before I knew what happened ...... I just did it!!! :bangahead:

Please, share your stories and experiences!

Robyn :boing2:

Congrates. It's a great feeling!

I think that learning to duck while a bokken comes flying is probably the best thing ;-)

/yari

 

[ATACX GYM]

I have been wondering for years what would happen if I fell unexpectedly. Would I hurt myself or would the muscle memory kick in and I'd go into a breakfall or roll???? Well, today it finally happened!!!!!!!! I was walking my dog at a quick pace and before I knew what happened I slipped in a big patch of mud and I did a breakfall!!!!!! I'm not hurt at all (although I might be a little sore tomorrow because it was mud and cement) and the pattern of mud all over the leg of my jeans proves that I landed correctly! I had no time to think or plan. I just did it!!! :bangahead:

If anybody saw me after that they would have wondered about the mud all over my jeans and the huge, silly grin on my face. Now all I need to do is unexpectedly trip forward so I can see if I will automatically do a forward roll or not. :uhyeah:

How about all of you out there? Have you had the chance to see whether the muscle memory kicked in or did you not have the space to fall or roll correctly?

One of my previous instructors told me once that years ago, when he was riding his motorcycle in Italy, he got in an accident and a judo roll saved his life.

Please, share your stories and experiences!

Robyn :boing2:

3 instances really stand out in my mind.

1) I was in the supermarket and a Latin boy no more than 3 but round and chunky with those baby fat cheeks that make you want to smooch them was sitting in his mother's cart as she was trauling through the aisles when suddenly he saw a box of cereal he loved and excitedly jabbered in Spanish:"Maman,maman!! Por favor compremelo! Por favor maman!" and repeated it like 60 times in 3 seconds with that hyperspeed specific to excited babies."NO,Jaime!" Maman said:"Sientate y callate la boca ahorita!" Which made Jaime lapse into a smoldering silence.Jaime tried to make a swipe for the cereal box as soon as Maman turned her back,but Jaime's older sister--about 8 years old and precious--pounced upon him and foiled his plan.Jaime shrieked in angry defiance,which promptly brought a smack upon his hand from Maman followed by a deadly serious:"Si gritas otra vez voy a decir tu padre." Immediate silence followed and for the next few minutes all was well.Maman and Jaime's sister moved about ten feet away,busily stockpiling stuff from the shopping list...and Jaime suddenly went for it.It was mutiny,Mr.Christian.Lol. Heaving himself from the front of the shopping cart where he'd been assigned so as to be the more easily seen by Maman,he swiftly waddled his way toward the back of the shopping cart.Climbed atop the groceries already in the cart,his eyes fixed straight and true upon the prize:his cereal.He was SO determined upon his prize,he didn't know that he was unbalancing the cart and causing it to pop a wheelie like Evil Kanevil.Maman saw him and belatedly reacted,but I'd watched this whole thing and took a running start and vaulted over Maman's outstretched arm,the wheelie of the shopping cart,and neatly snagged Jaime as he--and various assorted groceries--spilled from the shopping cart.Pulled a neat left shoulder rolling breakfall with Jaime tucked safe and sound in my arms.Up to my feet easy as you please.Jaime didn't even have time to cry.

"Graciasthankyousomuchothankyousirthankyou!" I returned Jaime to Maman,and Maman closely inspected Jaime for injuries."Nice move there," a smiling blonde and her Black girlfriend complimented me."You do gymnastics?" The pretty Black girl asked."Martial arts." "Oooooh couldjoo teach us?" they practically chorused.As we were swapping numbers,Jaime suddenly howled.Maman completed her inspection,determined that Jaime was fine,so now it's time for some discipline.Mutinies get punished.Lol.


2) The second one I scooped a little girl out of the way as she burst excitedly from her father's grasp and directly into the path of a SUV as it backed up,then immediately had to hit 2 dive rolls to get out of the way with the little tow headed girl.

3) The third is most dangerous.Got caught in a driveby that turned into a near shootout as rival gangs engaged in a running battle near King Park.I never even paused to think.Bullets started flying and I dove,rolled,and took 3 people down with 3 quick rolls in succession.Bullets flew right through the space that the 3rd person--a mother who was coming to pick up her kids--occupied a moment after I tackled her,and the bullets shattered a window and set off car alarms.Top to bottom the shooting wasn't even 15 seconds long.