There's an art to falling on your ass. Yes, it's true. You can fall down correctly or you can fall down and break something. A lot of businesses are required to give saftey meetings on how to prevent accidents and "Falling Correctly" is usually on the agenda (Thanks OSHA).
But honestly, how many of us have taken a sudden spill and actually had time to think, "Oh, I better tuck my elbows, use my forearms, and roll with the intertia?"
Sure as hell not me...
So let's take this time to share stories about times we've fallen on our asses. Sport stories don't count. People fall down in sports all the time--in fact it's encouraged. I'm talking about that sudden, one minute you're walking and the next you're on your face type of fall. Those are funny.
I fall down a lot. It started when I was five. I fell down and split open my chin on the driveway. Scared the hell out of my mom. Blood everywhere. I still have a scar. I fell down outside of Best Buy. I tripped over the curb and landed in the flower bed--right in the bushes. Another time I tripped over the plastic thingy under the computer chair. I seriously thought I broke my back on that one, since me and the chair both went flying and I ended up landing on one of the wheels.
BUT--the 10 on my chart is the time I was carrying the cat outside. It had snowed so the concrete path by our kitchen was slippery. I was wearing tennis shoes, being very careful as I stepped over the ice, cat tucked under one arm. Suddenly I was falling. I don't know how, since I was moving so slowly, but my ass had a one way ticket to the pavement. Somehow I managed to hang on to the cat, lifting her over my head so I wouldn't fall on her. But this left me with no way to brace my fall. I ended up on my back, half on the pathway, half in the flower bed. The cat was hanging over my head, the most astounded look on her face. She didn't even try to get away she was so stunned.
People falling down is funny. I can't help but laugh, even at myself.
Posted by Zoso at March 16, 2006 10:31 PMSee, I've been doing Jujitsu nearly nine years and they teach you how to 'breakfall' so that when someone throws you, you land in a way which avoids breaking your arm or your ribs or whatever etc. It does actually become second nature if you practice it for years! You should tell the health and safety people that! Hahahaa.
I fall over occasionally, though I think you might beat me on number! One time I was walking home from school with two people and suddenly I just fell on the floor. I didn't trip or anything, suddenly my legs stopped working for a second. It was very confusing.
XD @ your cat! Priceless.
Posted by: DR at March 17, 2006 01:56 AMLMAO @ you.
I can only recall falling a couple times. Once in a power outage I missed the bottom two steps and thought I broke my knees.
Then a couple days later we went to the grocery store during a seriously snowy day and I stepped out of the car and confidently thought "I'm not going to fall!" Right before my feet went out from under me.
I'm more prone to strange medical emergencies, like blood clots in my nose, splitting my chin open on the bottom of a swimming pool, Mysterious illnesses that doctors can't identify, passing out on the kitchen floor, and things like that. I like a little variety I guess.
Posted by: Sarah at March 17, 2006 08:37 AM> See, I've been doing Jujitsu nearly nine years and
> they teach you how to 'breakfall' so that when
> someone throws you, you land in a way which avoids
> breaking your arm or your ribs or whatever etc.
Yep. This is pretty much the same in Kajukenbo, which has part of its roots in both Judo and Jujutsu. Honestly, learning to fall correctly (in arts that involve grappling) is the hardest and most important part.
Posted by: Jeff at March 17, 2006 12:01 PMSo what you're saying is I could've been saved a lot of pain and suffering if I'd taken a martial art, right? :P
Posted by: Zoso at March 17, 2006 10:13 PM