You never know when what you practice in self-defense will save your ass.
In the huge wind, snow and ice storm we had recently, I needed to get off the farm and visit a few friends at the local tavern. Several Beers later I left to pick up a couple of things at the store and head on back up the hill. There was a very nice, thick patch of ice on the ground and it was pretty dark out. Even with good boots on, I hit the ice just right and slipped forward towards a full-frontal faceplant.
Fortunately, we practice front, side and rear falls as well as rolls. I landed in a perfect sprawl position, forearms flat, up on my toes.
The first thing I did was look around to see if anybody saw me wipe out, then I laughed my ass off. It reminded me of when you see drunks fall down at parties and they protect their drink glass first and foremost, never spilling a drop.
So all you drunken martial artists out there; keep practicing your falls, and never spill a drop!
4 comments:
Of everything I've learned in the martial arts over the past 35 years, the techniques I've used most were breakfalls and rollouts.
They've saved me from injury or possible death more than any self defense I've learned.
I hear ya. The Hapkido falls I learned from my very first MA teacher some long (yet seems short) 25yrs ago have saved my ass soo many times. several times I have even gone backwards, rotated in the air and landed just as you did. Then said "whoa, how did that happen?" Finally stopped being surprised. I even taught my daughter how. She fell this summer and broke her wrist. Then commented "and you even taught me how to fall dad, but I did it wrong".
The only time ice really scared me was last fall when recovering from shoulder surgery. I gyrated and kept from falling, then realized what could have happend to the 3week old repair if I had done the correct fall. And then a glimpse of what it will be like to be 80 in the winters.
Just remembered, I blogged it
http://pokingthetiger.blogspot.com/2010/01/perspective.html
"Slipped on ice..." Wink-wink. I'll have to remember that line the next time I leave the local tavern.
;-)
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