It is smart to learn to fall safely

[Steve5380]

Most of us have seen the incident that happened in the US in the city of Buffalo N.Y.   when a group of police advanced in mass to clear protesters,

and two of them pushed an elderly man back. He lost balance and fell back,  and his head banged against the concrete.  He lost consciousness, his head was bleeding, and he was transported to a hospital in serious but stable condition.  

 

 

 

I am bringing up this story because what happened to this 75 y.o. gentleman is not so uncommon, either from accidentally falling or being pushed back.   

When falling backwards there is A VERY HIGH RISK of serious injury and potential death.   And not only the elderly are at risk. 

A young strong person who has not trained in this type of fall will very probably hit his head on the floor and lose consciousness.

 

Falling backwards safely takes just a few principles: 

1) move the head down immediately, chin on the chest and looking at the navel. 

2) go down as fast as possible:  move one leg back and collapse on it,  crunching the body together,  either to come to rest there or to roll back. 

3) if wanting to get away from attacker, then roll back on a shoulder and stand up facing the attacker.

This requires some practice to do so instinctively without having to think.  This can be done on a semi-soft surface like a thick carpet, and with plenty of space.

 

For illustration, here are videos of the practices of falling in Aikido.  It is not necessary to have all this training to be able to safely fall back.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YM1Ps9I_ba8

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YM1Ps9I_ba8

 

Edited June 6, 2020 by Steve5380

[shrugs]

Why did they even need to push him? so necessary. 

[Guest Fit Uncle]

5 hours ago, Steve5380 said:

 

When falling backwards there is A VERY HIGH RISK of serious injury and potential death.   And not only the elderly are at risk. 

A young strong person who has not trained in this type of fall will very probably hit his head on the floor and lose consciousness.

 

Falling backwards safely takes just a few principles: 

1) move the head down immediately, chin on the chest and looking at the navel. 

2) go down as fast as possible:  move one leg back and collapse on it,  crunching the body together,  either to come to rest there or to roll back. 

3) if wanting to get away from attacker, then roll back on a shoulder and stand up facing the attacker.

This requires some practice to do so instinctively without having to think.  This can be done on a semi-soft surface like a thick carpet, and with plenty of space.

 

For illustration, here are videos of the practices of falling in Aikido.  It is not necessary to have all this training to be able to safely fall back.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YM1Ps9I_ba8

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YM1Ps9I_ba8

 

No, though your intentions are good, but these practices are very dangerous for any frail old man. He'll injure himself first before he even get to know how to fall.

 

First you must prequalify that one must be fit first before trying.

The best way to do that is through yoga to strengthen the joints and the bones.

In yoga, we are very careful to start any exercises SLOW and from basics, have 30s recovery between exercises.

Your exercises are like doing advanced yoga from day one. That's very dangerous. Please do not assume that every old man is as fit as you.  Most are very frail and their bones break easily.

[fab]

Why not just share with these seniors to stay away from danger?

[Steve5380]

8 hours ago, shrugs said:

Why did they even need to push him? so unnecessary. 

 

You are right.  And this was also the thought of the N.Y. Governor and the Buffalo Mayor and the authority who suspended those two police officers.

 

 

3 hours ago, Guest Fit Uncle said:

No, though your intentions are good, but these practices are very dangerous for any frail old man. He'll injure himself first before he even get to know how to fall.

 

First you must prequalify that one must be fit first before trying.

The best way to do that is through yoga to strengthen the joints and the bones.

In yoga, we are very careful to start any exercises SLOW and from basics, have 30s recovery between exercises.

Your exercises are like doing advanced yoga from day one. That's very dangerous. Please do not assume that every old man is as fit as you.  Most are very frail and their bones break easily.

 

Yes, one should be fit enough before trying these practices of safely falling.  I really posted this for the readership of BW in mind, which is far from being "frail old men".

And yes,  stretching is important part of the practice of any martial art.  Good stretching is done slowly and progressively, as you write.

Every old man should be able to maintain strength and flexibility.   It is a myth that old age prevents flexibility.  The old we can be as flexible as the young,  it just doesn't happen often. 

Safe falling is good for the bones, preventing them from losing density.  I don't know up to what degree it reverses osteoporosis, since I never had this problem.

After starting with Aikido more than five years ago, my flexibility, functionality, posture have vastly increased and some beginning of arthritis have disappeared.  I am by far the oldest in the class and my teacher, who is only ten years younger than me, points at me as example and is even thinking of forming a group of senior students for me to teach.

After the very basics, the practices of falling take a little bit of courage to overcome the instant when the fall is irreversible.  But even the most vulnerable girls overcome this.

 

2 hours ago, fab said:

Why not just share with these seniors to stay away from danger?

 

I share with EVERYONE this staying away from danger.

If not for the danger of contagion with covid-19,  I would participate in the George Floyd demonstrations that took/take place in my city of Houston. 

Since it is impossible to stay away from all danger,  my interest is in getting myself and others rid of vulnerabilities.  These vulnerabilities include predisposition to sickness and injury due to bad nutrition, lack of exercise, falling (very important for seniors) and lack of ability in resolving a confrontation.

[shrugs]

Their actions have consequences, even though that officer on the left probably didn't mean to hurt the old man.

You can see he was visibly shocked at what happened and even wanted to help the elderly up but was stopped by his colleague from behind. 

 

[Guest Guest]

If I am the elderly gentleman, my first instinct upon seeing the full squad of police officers coming my way is to stand one side and make way for them to “do their duties”.

 

Unless the senior guy is one of the protesters, then It’s a different story ...

[Steve5380]

1 hour ago, Guest Guest said:

If I am the elderly gentleman, my first instinct upon seeing the full squad of police officers coming my way is to stand one side and make way for them to “do their duties”.

 

Unless the senior guy is one of the protesters, then It’s a different story ...

 

This is advisable not only for elderly gentlemen, but for everyone.  Even for protesters,  unless they have the backing of a bunch of other protesters besides and behind them...

[FattChoy]

12 hours ago, Steve5380 said:

Most of us have seen the incident that happened in the US in the city of Buffalo N.Y.   when a group of police advanced in 

 

I do BJJ.  It's one thing to fall on a grappling mat, it's another to fall on concrete.  It's also worse to fall from an unexpected cheap shot of a push.  

 

Still, falling is a fact of life, everyone falls sooner or later.  I'd really,really, really rather fall having learnt how to break fall rather than not having learnt how to break fall.

 

Another piece of advice, learn how to break fall when you're young and your bones are flexible and heals fast.  

Edited June 6, 2020 by FattChoy

[Steve5380]

2 hours ago, FattChoy said:

 

I do BJJ.  It's one thing to fall on a grappling mat, it's another to fall on concrete.  It's also worse to fall from an unexpected cheap shot of a push.  

 

Still, falling is a fact of life, everyone falls sooner or later.  I'd really,really, really rather fall having learnt how to break fall rather than not having learnt how to break fall.

 

Another piece of advice, learn how to break fall when you're young and your bones are flexible and heals fast.  

 

Good advice. And congratulations to your practicing of BJJ!  Here is a video about falling on concrete:

 

 

I haven't done this yet. And I don't have the body padding the guy in the video has.  Once while blowing leaves I tripped and fell forwards on the concrete driveway, turning sideways and breaking the fall with my forearm and arm, and only received some medium scratches.  But to do it 100% on concrete I need to practice much more the break falls...  on a mat, ha ha.  

.

Edited June 6, 2020 by Steve5380

[Guest Hazily Instructor]

On 6/6/2020 at 8:03 AM, fab said:

Why not just share with these seniors to stay away from danger?

 

Because those seniors are not cowards who are willing to let others suffer simply because it's "not their problem" anymore, a concept you can never understand, because you have never had anybody discriminating against you and many of your posts prove you don't care about getting out of your comfort zone and helping others. I wouldn't be shocked if that senior in the video participated in anti-war protests in the 1960s, and possibly Civil Rights and Gay Rights protests as well, even if he wasn't part of those underprivileged groups. Speaking up against injustice is part of what being an American is supposed to be about, and even though it's largely mythology, I'm glad to see many of them believe that mythology.

 

Here we are in the middle of a deadly pandemic where people should be coming together to help each other stay alive, but America's President and police are spreading hatred and harm, as if they are the types of dictators the country was founded to get rid of. America and the world have been oppressed by the 1% and their greedy idealogy for the last 40 years. Now the pendulum is swinging in the other direction. It's as though 1932 is meeting 1962 and folks who want life to be like 1912 meets 1982 are about to get steamrolled. People are protesting police brutality, and the police answer with more brutality, thus proving their point. Technology has exposed them and Americans of all colors are standing up for justice.

[Steve5380]

22 hours ago, Guest Hazily Instructor said:

 

Here we are in the middle of a deadly pandemic where people should be coming together to help each other stay alive, but America's President and police are spreading hatred and harm, as if they are the types of dictators the country was founded to get rid of. America and the world have been oppressed by the 1% and their greedy idealogy for the last 40 years. Now the pendulum is swinging in the other direction. It's as though 1932 is meeting 1962 and folks who want life to be like 1912 meets 1982 are about to get steamrolled. People are protesting police brutality, and the police answer with more brutality, thus proving their point. Technology has exposed them and Americans of all colors are standing up for justice.

 

I am in awe by the amount of humanity we see coming out after the killing of George Floyd,  and it seems sincere.  It seems that the short video revealing the abomination of the struggle of the black man with the policeman's knee on his neck and his life being drawn out of him has triggered something unique within us. I had to cry from that image. 

 

About the source of police brutality, an active policeman who is part of our Aikido group has explained to us several times:  a regular policeman is helpless without his gun.  These men have no particular defensive abilities, even after a little training. They often are not in good physical shape and are of dubious character.  They may be intimidated by black men when they are not in their police gear and with partners around.  But when empowered in their function, they feel more powerful and protected by all the laws that exempt them from liability.

 

This policeman, a nidan black belt with 15 years of practice, supports with us the idea that the police force should be trained with Aikido or equivalent to prevail in a confrontation using minimum force. In Japan, policemen are trained in Aikido and/or other equivalent martial arts.  These arts are not well learned in a couple of months but they take years of training.  But why should this be a problem for professionals in law and order.  They don't need to learn English literature...

.

Edited June 8, 2020 by Steve5380

[Guest Dizzy]

Looks critical.  Blood flowing out of his ear,  could be brain injury as a result of the fall.  The police are not doing anything at all.  I wonder why is America trying to save the world and yet couldn't save its own citizens.   I fear if he managed to survive, could not be able to live normally again at his age after a fall.

[upshot]

On 6/6/2020 at 10:15 PM, shrugs said:

Their actions have consequences, even though that officer on the left probably didn't mean to hurt the old man.

You can see he was visibly shocked at what happened and even wanted to help the elderly up but was stopped by his colleague from behind. 

 

Life has consequences. In the midst of a all the madness happening and brewing from both side and the solution is unclear and you are told to react quickly, shit like this happens. The will suffer the backlash if it is not a right thing to do or they will be rewarded if it was. This is how explosive the situation is when you are on the ground. Before we judge in HIND SIGHT who is right or wrong. No one will dare say they know how to deal with anything with another human in any interaction but if you are over zealot and let emotion guide you by bias then you suffer for it. Be it a cop or an elderly person. Why he approached them and why the first reaction by the officer was to shove him. At this point we see a video in hindsight we are only thinking the cop is wrong. Yes he was. But take a macro view and zoom out and do we ask ourselves WHY this is even happening. Not just today or yesterday or last month but decades ago. Or is this a virtue signal here just to show you judge someone correctly like we are wining some quiz show.

 

I am very sorry as many are only seeing what they want to see to make a virtue sign and then move on to some other news to get likes. That is not being part of the solution OR the answer. I hope we Asian learn from this and not just take a virtue signalling westerners view just, so he can find validity among us to show he is righteous while those in his country, he is falling on his and his brand of SJW are falling on their  knife at this point as the left is beginning to east itself.

 

The sad part about this is .. it the cops or the elderly guy or anyone else, this is hurt THEN ALL but both side refuse to sit down to talk like adults. Especially the Left as they want so bad to win the election to get back power and they are getting desperate as their candidate really has no chance this time of winning.

[Guest Being Less is More]

13 minutes ago, upshot said:

Life has consequences. In the midst of a all the madness happening and brewing from both side and the solution is unclear and you are told to react quickly, shit like this happens. The will suffer the backlash if it is not a right thing to do or they will be rewarded if it was. This is how explosive the situation is when you are on the ground. Before we judge in HIND SIGHT who is right or wrong. No one will dare say they know how to deal with anything with another human in any interaction but if you are over zealot and let emotion guide you by bias then you suffer for it. Be it a cop or an elderly person. Why he approached them and why the first reaction by the officer was to shove him. At this point we see a video in hindsight we are only thinking the cop is wrong. Yes he was. But take a macro view and zoom out and do we ask ourselves WHY this is even happening. Not just today or yesterday or last month but decades ago. Or is this a virtue signal here just to show you judge someone correctly like we are wining some quiz show.

 

I am very sorry as many are only seeing what they want to see to make a virtue sign and then move on to some other news to get likes. That is not being part of the solution OR the answer. I hope we Asian learn from this and not just take a virtue signalling westerners view just, so he can find validity among us to show he is righteous while those in his country, he is falling on his and his brand of SJW are falling on their  knife at this point as the left is beginning to east itself.

 

The sad part about this is .. it the cops or the elderly guy or anyone else, this is hurt THEN ALL but both side refuse to sit down to talk like adults. Especially the Left as they want so bad to win the election to get back power and they are getting desperate as their candidate really has no chance this time of winning.

You can simply put the above rambling in one liner "STOP JUDGING OTHERS AND BEING SELF-RIGTEHOUS"  and settle for your view.

[upshot]

43 minutes ago, Guest Being Less is More said:

You can simply put the above rambling in one liner "STOP JUDGING OTHERS AND BEING SELF-RIGTEHOUS"  and settle for your view.

 Nah.. I think  let vid speak for themselves and hopefully some with an intellectual bend can see thru all the BS that is swimming about today and slowly sipping to Asia.

 

 

 

 I promote people to THINK before they act or bitch. See the bigger picture and not just nitpick bias examples to make a personal bias point. Read WIDE and DEEP on both sides.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xkzvOfrYVY

 

Edited June 9, 2020 by upshot

[Guest Hazily Instructor]

If Upshot had been able in 1955, he would have told Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King and the other courageous Black Civil Rights leaders: "Don't be a virtue signalling SJW. Don't fight for anything righteous. Don't be desperate to win over public opinion. Just let white people keep oppressing Blacks. My life is fine. I don't care about your struggles."

 

If Upshot had been able in the 1960s, he would have told America's anti-war protesters: "Don't be a virtue signalling SJW. Don't fight for anything righteous. Don't be desperate to win over public opinion. Just let the government keep sending your generation to die in a war that should not be happening. My life is fine. I don't care about your struggles."

 

If Upshot had been able later in the 1960s, he would have told Gloria Steinem and the other leaders of the feminist movement: "Don't be a virtue signalling SJW. Don't fight for anything righteous. Don't be desperate to win over public opinion. Just let men keep oppressing women as long as they want. My life is fine. I don't care about your struggles."

 

If Upshot had been able in 1969, he would have told the drag queens and other patrons at the Stonewall Inn: "Don't be a virtue signalling SJW. Don't fight for anything righteous. Don't be desperate to win over public opinion. Just let straight people keep oppressing gays with prejudice and police raids. My life is fine. I don't care about your struggles."

 

If Upshot had been able in 1989, he would have told the East Germans at the Berlin Wall: "Don't be a virtue signalling SJW. Don't fight for anything righteous. Don't be desperate to win over public opinion. Just let the Soviet Union and their collaborators in your government keep oppressing East Germany. My life is fine. I don't care about your struggles."

 

If Upshot had been able in 2011, he would have told the Egyptians at the Tahrir Square: "Don't be a virtue signalling SJW. Don't fight for anything righteous. Don't be desperate to win over public opinion. Just let your current political leader and his heavily-armed allies in your government keep ruling Egypt. My life is fine. I don't care about your struggles."

[Steve5380]

10 hours ago, Guest Being Less is More said:

You can simply put the above rambling in one liner "STOP JUDGING OTHERS AND BEING SELF-RIGTEHOUS"  and settle for your view.

 

It could be a natural inclination, hard to keep under control.  Most of his posts reveal that.

 

 

9 hours ago, Guest Hazily Instructor said:

If Upshot had been able in 1955, he would have told Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King and the other courageous Black Civil Rights leaders: "Don't be a virtue signalling SJW. Don't fight for anything righteous. Don't be desperate to win over public opinion. Just let white people keep oppressing Blacks. My life is fine. I don't care about your struggles."

 

If Upshot had been able in the 1960s, he would have told America's anti-war protesters: "Don't be a virtue signalling SJW. Don't fight for anything righteous. Don't be desperate to win over public opinion. Just let the government keep sending your generation to die in a war that should not be happening. My life is fine. I don't care about your struggles."

 

If Upshot had been able later in the 1960s, he would have told Gloria Steinem and the other leaders of the feminist movement: "Don't be a virtue signalling SJW. Don't fight for anything righteous. Don't be desperate to win over public opinion. Just let men keep oppressing women as long as they want. My life is fine. I don't care about your struggles."

 

If Upshot had been able in 1969, he would have told the drag queens and other patrons at the Stonewall Inn: "Don't be a virtue signalling SJW. Don't fight for anything righteous. Don't be desperate to win over public opinion. Just let straight people keep oppressing gays with prejudice and police raids. My life is fine. I don't care about your struggles."

 

If Upshot had been able in 1989, he would have told the East Germans at the Berlin Wall: "Don't be a virtue signalling SJW. Don't fight for anything righteous. Don't be desperate to win over public opinion. Just let the Soviet Union and their collaborators in your government keep oppressing East Germany. My life is fine. I don't care about your struggles."

 

If Upshot had been able in 2011, he would have told the Egyptians at the Tahrir Square: "Don't be a virtue signalling SJW. Don't fight for anything righteous. Don't be desperate to win over public opinion. Just let your current political leader and his heavily-armed allies in your government keep ruling Egypt. My life is fine. I don't care about your struggles."

 

And here is one more:

 

If this member  had been able around 0 A.D.,  he would have told Jesus Christ:  "Don't waste your smartness on these ordinary people.  Go to the Temple and befriend the Pharisees.  Use your intelligence to flatter the highest priests and be their most dedicated servant,  and you will rise in their ranks and become a high priest yourself.  You will live into old age, enjoying the plush life and good food they are given.

 

Unfortunately, there are today many people with this member's mentality around.  One more or less makes little difference, although even one is one too many.

.

 

 

 

[Steve5380]

10 hours ago, upshot said:

 Nah.. I think  let vid speak for themselves and hopefully some with an intellectual bend can see thru all the BS that is swimming about today and slowly sipping to Asia.

 

 

 

 I promote people to THINK before they act or bitch. See the bigger picture and not just nitpick bias examples to make a personal bias point. Read WIDE and DEEP on both sides.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xkzvOfrYVY

 

 

This video perfectly clarifies why you think the way you do.

 

Rarely do I see videos more vile, more cynical, more tendentious. This is so OBVIOUS that it becomes AMUSING!

But if you don't immediately see through the evil in it,  it can become brain washing  (or rather, brain POISONING).

 

It is not difficult to understand why those who suffer different kinds of victimization bond together:  being victimized brings out in us empathy, understanding, compassion.

Maybe this is how this stupid word "intersectionality" can be defined?

 

[Steve5380]

11 hours ago, upshot said:

 

I am very sorry as many are only seeing what they want to see to make a virtue sign and then move on to some other news to get likes. That is not being part of the solution OR the answer. I hope we Asian learn from this and not just take a virtue signalling westerners view just, so he can find validity among us to show he is righteous while those in his country, he is falling on his and his brand of SJW are falling on their  knife at this point as the left is beginning to east itself.

 

The sad part about this is .. it the cops or the elderly guy or anyone else, this is hurt THEN ALL but both side refuse to sit down to talk like adults. Especially the Left as they want so bad to win the election to get back power and they are getting desperate as their candidate really has no chance this time of winning.

 

I started this thread with a strong example of how the knowledge of falling safely  (especially falling back safely) can be life saving.  The purpose was not to show police brutality but to bring in an awareness that learning to fall safely can be an intelligent move, for people of any age.  This poor old man in the video is younger than I am, and if it had happened to me I would have walked away with minimum harm.

 

But as the TS of this thread,  I don't mind that you come on strong with a different topic of political issues, Left vs. Right.   These issues are also worth discussing, and maybe one day we can straighten out your thinking and bring you to our side.  You will be welcomed.

 

Donald Trump may have read your mind, because he also had to open his mouth (tweet) about this episode:

 

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-buffalo-protester-conspiracy_n_5edf83abc5b645921dbc8401

 

"Trump Floats Conspiracy That 75-Year-Old Buffalo Protester Pushed By Police Was ‘A Set Up"

 

He tweeted: "Buffalo protester shoved by Police could be an ANTIFA provocateur. 75 year old Martin Gugino was pushed away after appearing to scan police communications in order to black out the equipment. @OANN I watched, he fell harder than was pushed. Was aiming scanner. Could be a set up?"

 

There you have it!  The US President,  the "most powerful man in the world"... is a lunatic 

[Guest Overdosed Yourself]

16 hours ago, Steve5380 said:

Trump Floats Conspiracy That 75-Year-Old Buffalo Protester Pushed By Police Was "A Set Up"

 

He tweeted: "Buffalo protester shoved by Police could be an ANTIFA provocateur. 75 year old Martin Gugino was pushed away after appearing to scan police communications in order to black out the equipment. @OANN I watched, he fell harder than was pushed. Was aiming scanner. Could be a set up?"

 

There you have it! The US President, the "most powerful man in the world" ... is a lunatic 

 

Trump is disgusting. The so-called "scanner" in the old man's hands was clearly his phone. I don't even think a hand-held police communications jammer has been invented yet, and certainly not anything a regular civilian can get, furthermore there is no actual organized group called Antifa, which stands for Anti-Fascists, in other words good guys.

 

Trump, OANN, and the Buffalo Police must think everybody is stupid. The video is clear. The police pushed the old man down, and then ignored him while he lay on the ground bleeding from his ear. This is the kind of behaviour people expect from tin pot dictators in so-called third world countries. Things almost never end happily for those types.

[Steve5380]

5 hours ago, Guest Overdosed Yourself said:

 

Trump is disgusting. The so-called "scanner" in the old man's hands was clearly his phone. I don't even think a hand-held police communications jammer has been invented yet, and certainly not anything a regular civilian can get, furthermore there is no actual organized group called Antifa, which stands for Anti-Fascists, in other words good guys.

 

 

You make very good points.  Even if the man had a police scanner, what was there so important to scan?  Were the police talking to each other? To scan he did not need to come so close to the policemen.  And to jam? what was there so important to jam?  Wouldn't a jammer be bigger than that little phone the man was holding?  Some authority should have picked up his phone and looked at it.  If it was a scanner, jammer, this would have been made into a big issue. The media should bash Trump with these questions too, and show again what an idiot he is.

[Guest Loquacious Larry Laminator]

Trump thinks that old guy is part of the semi-imaginary Antifa? More like Antiquefa.

 

Sorry. Couldn't resist the low-hanging humour. I hope he recovers as best as he can.

[Steve5380]

5 hours ago, Guest Loquacious Larry Laminator said:

Trump thinks that old guy is part of the semi-imaginary Antifa? More like Antiquefa.

 

 

Antiquefa is better than Antifa.

Did you know that antiques increase in value the older they are?  😊

[Guest Guest00]

On 6/11/2020 at 1:00 AM, Guest Loquacious Larry Laminator said:

Trump thinks that old guy is part of the semi-imaginary Antifa? More like Antiquefa.

 

Sorry. Couldn't resist the low-hanging humour. I hope he recovers as best as he can.

LOL antiquefa xD