Fall question

[killax]

Hello all!
http://i.imgur.com/lkEbn.jpg

I got my stilts Friday.  Sadly the weather hasnt been good here, rainning both friday and saturday.  Obviously i couldnt resist trying them, so i ended up sitting on my work bench in my room and put them on and tried moving around in them by hanging onto the wall or my bench (near 4ft high one).  First time doing so was as expected odd feeling and trying to learn balance and avoiding the thoughts of "I'm on little pegs".  got bored later and tried again, and found it more easier, but i was limited to really small space so i couldnt walk much, but i was able to travel from bench to door (in my limited 6ft of walking area) without holding on to stuff.

Anyways.  I just wondered how falling works.  I tryed looking around for videos, and only found one for wooden stilts.  The person im not fully agreeing with.  She said you want to bend  your knees as you fall, keep both hands against your chest and fall to the side so you roll against your leg and finish on your back.  This doesnt sound right at all to me.

I havnt fallen in many many years so i fear my first instinct will be to put my arms fully out.  Since i have the CZ extreme models, theres no bar at the knee, its just the cuff.  So, obviously i plan to wear knee pads, albow pads, helmet, and wrist guards my first time.

I'm just wondering the basics of falling forward, and falling backwards.  What to do, and what to avoid doing, so the landing wont break me.

[Joe Legg]

First of all I would really advise Knee pads for everyone! Because how ever good you are or how you fall your going to hit your knees. I would also advise elbow and wrist guards for at least beginners if not everyone.

Ok falling, don't be scared everybody falls no matter how good you are. I have been using jumping stilts for years and still fall on stupid simple things.

How to fall you will find it will come naturally after a while as I find in a lot of Stilters. But basically it these steps I find.

1. if you know your falling bend your knees and try and make the fall as small as possible.

2. relax, dont tense up it will just make the fall bigger and cause possible injury.

3. slide or roll. Lots of people first fall when running and often slide onto your hands (wrist guards), then your body ie chest or side mostly with your arm pointing forward in the end.

the roll i find is more when jumping. if you know your going to fall from hight, you relax and try to roll out of it to break the fall force of the landing. To be honest fall from hight sucks every time and I just relax and wait for it.

A lot of this will come naturally I find after falling a lot. But the number 1 thing to remember is to "relax your body" when you fall, don't tense your body up. Practice onto something soft like a mattress helps and give confidence.

I hope that helps. Sorry I have no videos to help you.

[Jason]

I agree with every ounce of that Soul rancher

The most important thing when learning are the pads Knee elbow and wristguards

I started with knee and elbow and was undecided as to which wristguards so started without them

Result one shattered wrist (Doc said it was the most bits he had seen  )

Most people think that wristguards are to stop you breaking your wrist (which to a certain extent they are) but the main use for them is to make your hand slide as it contacts the ground thus putting you into a natural Slide/roll which breaks your fall that follows through to your elbow and shoulder

Now if you are experienced in falling like Soul above you do this without thinking but for the likes of you and me we need all the protection we can get

So my advice would be bend your knees as you go (it really helps) wear wristguards and get a hand (or both ) on the ground asap and like the man said Relax

To prove the wristguard bit I had an almost identicle fall 6 months after I did my wrist but wearing wristguards

Yes it stung but the wrist was ok after

Above all enjoy yourself 

Jason 

[killax]

well, I got these friday, the weather finally cleared up so i took my chance and went out.  I used the support of our deck, because the rang rails when on the grass ranges from 8ft to 15+ ft.  So, i praticed on a small slope of grass. going up/down, slowly pulling away from the deck.  after maybe 10-15 minutes i was walking down hill with some help of the deck, and returning up hill away without holding on (travel distance is about 80ft. then shortly after i was walking around the whole house, being able to stop whenever, etc.  I only fell once on accident after like 2 minutes.  Seeing this was grass, i was just in knee pads and wrist guards.  soft, wet, grass/dirt.  So...Call me dumb for no helmet but really, its grass! Anyways, fall one was of course alerting as its the first...Then later i purposly fell because one of my cuff bars was turned too far causing my walk to be off, so i fell to adjust it.  i probably fell on purpose 4 times for the fun of it  But, I know how to get up by VIDEO but not in reality.  I attempted it, but not with well effort, as after 2 hours i was getting tired...and when i kicked my leg infront of me on the ground, i just stop and was like ... "Yeah, I'm not gona be able to do this for awhile..." gave up at the time due to getting tired but ill try again next time. i just felt at that time that with my leg up which is a stretch even though im 6ft and flexible, that it would be rather hard to push up and catch on the back.   I am very well balanced to do it, its just rather i have the strength and so forth.  I do expect to fall the first time i try it =)

But, at the end of the session i was walking around a decent speed, sometimes small steps on purpose, long steps, stopping anywhere, turning around, etc.  I felt i had full balanced, and that it was no different than walking on my feet besides the bounce (which isnt there too much) and so forth.  I'm 134 pounds, and i bought the lowest, 133-155.  so it will be a work out to get the springs going. but due to slanted grass i DID manage to hang on the deck and bounce on the left stilt, then right, then left....later i did single leg bouncing in the middle of the yard with no support.  2 legs, i found not possible yet, probably due to the slanted grass.

So!  Conclusion, I'm happy i bought them.  learned fast.  had fun falling on purpose as the fall wasnt near as hard as i expected (when on purpose)  and i enjoyed it...even though it was just walking, i figured "oh lets do this for 20-30 minutes"   2 hours later....I'm done!

I had to laugh, because when i took them off, i was still walking like the stilts, which, i naturally picked up. i tried using them  by walking normally. i guess naturally i learned to pick my legs up, because with the stilts off...I ended up stepping hard on my feet because i was lifting them    Took a few minutes to actually walk normal again.

Happy me!  

[Joe Legg]

sounds like you had some fun keep it up. Let us know how your getting on =)

[killax]

Will see what goes today.  Plan to hit the sporting store to get some elbow pads and helmet.  I was on grass yesterday but i didnt even hit my elbows on falling anyways...But whenever i move to concrete, I'm going to want them!  I also may get some bike treads for adding more layers to the feet...the hoofs i beleive you call them, so I'm not paying $30 for replacements on each leg.  As for the springs, right now,  I just have black electrical tape.  After yesterday's lesson none of it got scrapped up so thats good!

As i would expect, little sore today from the 2 hours i did. Most soreness is actually in my stomach.  Not sure if thats from normal use, or from when i was trying to jump.  Else very very small soreness in one leg =)

[Jason]

Well done mate

Sounds like your a natural

When you fall kneepads and wristguards always hit the ground (unless you fall really wierd  )

Elbow pads tend to come into action when you have a really fast forward fall or when you legs shoot out infront of you after a jump (Basicly sit down  )

I started with a helmet and stopped using it when I had fallen enough times to realise other parts of me  hit the ground first
I have seen experienced bockers headbut the ground but it is a fairly unusual event and all have been ok after
I think once the learning curve is over helmets are only if I try something new but at the begining they are a must

Jason 

[killax]

Not much new for today.  I ended up taking the day off because I have a lot of work this week and its a standing moving job so it would suck to be sore! Today I just ended up with sore stomach abs and thats probably from trying to jump. like i said im not use to much physical activity and bike riding only requires down pushing with leg muscles. so, legs are a tad sore when lifting up of course didnt want to kill myself at work haha

but today wasnt fully wasted, i went to a sports shop and bought a new set of pads and helmet. my old pads were just velcro strap and left my legs red and irritated after the two hours. these have a cushion material and a strechy fabric that goes around your legs and arms so the velcro strap isnt on your skin.  over all they are really nice for wearing for hours. more flexible too, and better wristguards. ready to do more now with all this protection! then like you said ill figure how accidental falling works and maybe not require a helmet unless i feel like doing new tricks or other risky stuff.

will see!

Also when it ever comes to falling backwards, of course it would be due to balance so it won't be hard. Best to hit first with elbows it try to have hands out,  at an angle!  So things just kinda flows together?