Good friends of ours mentioned how they'd gone to a series of Aikido Safe Falling Classes. There was a demonstration at our local library so we went to see it.
The fellow giving the talk said they were all volunteers teaching kupuna (Hawaiian for grandparent, ancestor or honored elder) how to minimize injury from a fall. He demonstrated how to roll and avoid hitting your head, hip or boney areas.
Since I've taken several falls and several of my friends have also had some very nasty falls it seemed like a good idea. I've broken my foot and my shoulder.
Still...I wondered if it was possible to learn how to fall when it happens so quickly that you often don't have time to think.
Art and I decided to take the class and find out.
We've had several sessions now and we've learned to make it instinctual to tuck your head when you're falling and to spread your arm out to cushion your head. It is VERY important to protect your head.
One of our teachers is a professional stunt person as well as a martial arts expert.
We've been falling onto the mat during our lessons over and over.
Another thing they stress is DHS.
If you fall, you should not let people get you up immediately. You need to ask yourself, "Am I Dizzy? Am I Hurt? Do I feel Strange. This is to prevent further injury.
I'm keeping my fingers crossed that when I fall again (and I'm afraid it will probably happen someday) I will remember what they're teaching us.
What a cool class!! SO needed...
ReplyDeletehugs
Donna
I’ve never learned it fall, but I have learned how to get up, and you are right that it should not be hurried, which is exactly what people want to do — help you up immediately.
ReplyDeleteThis is as smart as it is fascinating, good for you & Art. Every time I take the stairs in my building (and see double when I look down because of my glasses) I wonder if this is it. And it seems like every month in my apt building, an older tenant has fallen outside or in the lobby. A broken shoulder sounds very painful :^(
ReplyDeleteYou know, during times of emergency, I think our instincts DO kick in. I've never heard of learning to fall, but really, it seems a very sensible idea.
ReplyDeleteThat is a great idea. My mother gave me falling lessons when I was little since she noticed early on that I was quite the clumsy child. A refresher course would be a good idea.
ReplyDeleteThe joys of growing older! This sounds like a helpful class. Combine it with practising balance and it would be really helpful.
ReplyDeleteVery good advice.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing, we should all take this.
ReplyDeleteA cousin of my grandmother served in the Dutch military before immigrating. He was trained in parachute jumping, which starts with learning how to fall without injuries. The training stayed with him.
ReplyDeleteOne day he's up on the roof doing a bit of maintenance. The neighbor across the road sees him fall off and out of sight. She calls his wife. He walks in the back door without an issue.
Woooow! That is amazing! I'd better practice some more.
DeleteWhat a great class. Hope we can get one here.
ReplyDeleteI think even practice falling might hurt and be hard right now. I'm walking softly and carrying a big stick :-)
ReplyDeleteBefore retiring, I took a series of balance therapy sessions, paid for by my health insurance. One of the exercises was to fall. The therapist gave directions before the falling and after I had a series of lessons about HOW to get up. I still do some mock falls on the carpet when doing my regular morning routine. When I fell in the dentist's office a couple of years ago, the staff was amazed at how I was able to pop up, but I had paid attention to how and when I was falling and then pulled myself together and remembered how to rise again. Yes, these are very valuable lessons for all of us.
ReplyDeleteHmmm... I'd better do the same because I am forgetful.
DeleteInteresting class. Something I bet is more often seen in Hawaii where they seem to be more concerned about their elders. And I agree that when you fall (has happened but not often) it happens so fast that your instincts had better kick in quickly.
ReplyDeleteKay, have you heard of Project Dana? I volunteer with this organization and they have a Fall Prevention Program for your home that’s free. Here is a link to the program. In collaboration with the Honolulu Police Community Foundation, they also can provide fall alert devices. https://www.projectdana.org/post/homes-safety-assessment-program.
ReplyDeleteIzsmom
Thank you so much for all your wonderful information, Izsmom! I haven't heard of it, but we did join a ZOOM thing where they talked about fall prevention and caring for seniors. We are in the process of making some modifications for mom and looking into (shudder) the cost of some bathroom renovation.
DeleteWow! I've heard of balancing classes but not falling instructions. So many of my patients fall with their faces into the nearest corner table or counter and end up with horrid bruising or eye injuries. Others have broken wrists or arms catching themselves. For those in walkers (usually not positioned correctly and close,) I'm not sure they'd let go in order to safely fall. Yep, I've got 14 skydiving jumps in my college days and we were first taught how to land, fall and roll by jumping off a practice platform. Hope I never fall that far! I must check into this class. I presume it talked about falling up or down stairs? Mahalo, Linda in Kansas
ReplyDeleteThey said it's hard when you're taking a fall on the stairs but you should try to aim for the side walls to break the fall. We have installed handrails on two sides of our stairs and it DOES help. They also said to please hold the hand grips on the escalators and just use a hand sanitizer when you get off. Sigh... I AM guilty of not wanting to hold on to it.
DeleteI 'never' hold the hand rails on escalators... yuck! but you do make a point.
DeleteThat's a good class. Last time I fell, I broke 3 toes and my arm.
ReplyDeleteMy friend Wandaful took a session on falling at a temple in Kalihi. She said it was very helpful and that I should take it. I told her that I just won't fall so I better be very sure footed and careful from now on. Broken bones and head injuries are no fun.
ReplyDeleteThat's an excellent class. My younger daughter learned how to fall in gymnastics. Even onto mats, one can get easily injured. As oldsters though, we're very much at risk!
ReplyDeleteTake the class and learn, she says, broken tibia, femur, and shoulder later.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely has helped me when I know I'm in a bad position
ReplyDeleteThat is important, not to get up too quickly after a fall. Me, I jump up and hope that nobody noticed. Now I am older, I say to myself, "Who cares? Make sure you are okay before you get off the floor/ground!"
ReplyDeleteJust FYI Kay, but I can't get your post about a trusted contract... the page just comes up empty.
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry, Rian. I was moving scheduled posts around and posted it by mistake. So I had to erase it and move it to this coming Monday. Sorry about that.
DeleteWhat a great idea! Right now we have lots of snow, and I don't worry about falling. I'm pretty careful indoors. Elite athletes learn it, as well.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea! I have done some spectacular falls and would love to take a class like that. So far I have been lucky and be oaken nothing but it’s gonna happen!
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