From: pae@blackcat.stortek.com (Phil Earnhardt)
Newsgroups: rec.skate
Subject: Re: Suggested protection & skates?
Summary: The Theory and Practice of Falling
Date: 19 Aug 92 00:35:44 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: StorageTek, Louisville, CO

In article <BsuApt.AA6@news.cso.uiuc.edu> davidw@vista.atmos.uiuc.edu (David Wojtowicz) writes:
>In article <1992Aug10.002111.5798@stortek.com> pae@blackcat.stortek.com (Phil Earnhardt-x8236) writes:
>>When I fall, it's typically a complete suprise -- it generally doesn't come
>>about from panic in a situation. I'll usually do an after-crash analysis to
>>figure out what happened. The point is that falls are not something to be
>>avoided, but are learning tools in the game called Being Relaxed while
>>Skating. For me, wearing protection is a tool to keep me relaxed.
>>
>> [....]
>
>I can't say that I agree with this completely.  My worst falls also
>come as a complete surprise. However, I blame this on being *too*
>relaxed at the time.  My worst falls are when I'm real relaxed just
>cruising along thinking about how cool I look (as if that were
>possible :-) and I'm not paying enough attention to that really uneven
>piece of sidewalk up ahead.  Granted being relaxed doesn't necessarily
>equal not paying attention, but it makes it easier to do.

You have a particular interpretation of what I meant by relaxed. You're
equating relaxation with a lack of awareness with the environment. Quite
often, relaxation means the exact opposite: you're keenly aware of what's
happening around you!

>Falls that come as a complete surprise are also the worst kind since
>you have extremely little time to prepare yourself to fall in a
>controlled manner.

Well, you really don't need all that much time.

Have you ever seen how quickly a cat is able to twist to land feet-first when
it falls? It's quite impressive.

Almost always, there's plenty of time to prepare yourself. What there isn't
time to do is to mentally prepare yourself.

>Falls are indeed a part of learning.  You do have to take the risk of
>falling in order to learn to do new things.  However, these kinds of
>falls generally are less serious than the complete surprise kind
>because you are half expecting to fall the first few times you try
>something new and are more prepared for the fall in advance.  In this
>case, being just a bit tense helps.  Not so much that you can't
>concentrate, are afraid, or move stiffly... just enough that you're
>really alert and all your protective reflexes are on standby mode.

I think you've got a Theory of Falling that's way too complicated.

I have not found -- in myself or in teaching others -- that tension (even a
little bit) is not at all helpful. Fear is the mind killer.

Relaxation has nothing to do with a lack of awareness to your environment.
Relaxation and awareness are distinct. True relaxation will enhance your
sense of what's happening around you.

If you are going to fall, you need little time to prepare yourself. You just
have to learn to react instantly. This is a skill that anyone can develop.
One way to master this is through martial arts training.

Try this out, Dave, and see if it works for you. (See if it has an impact on
your Theory of Falling, so to speak.)

>d-wojtowicz@uiuc.edu

--phil
pae@blackcat.stortek.com