Close Call

General
21

cool video?

…As if we needed to be remembered how much uni can hurt :angry: :stuck_out_tongue:

Glad you’re OK Jackie, when I saw the vid I just thought “how deep was the snow layer arround the landing spot?” and i chilled.
Be sure to “fix” your neck before riding again, traumas in this area can be nasty and pain can wake up later if you don’t heal well (I’m no doctor, though).

22

Your the f************ man Jackie.

23

pretty sure that’d be very painful… as long as your ok all good :smiley:

24

Wow Jackie, respect.
Wear a helmet though?

25

But mine was videoed!!!
So take that!!!

Haha, my boyfriend pointed out last night that:

  1. only a unicyclist would video something like this
  2. only a unicyclist would post this on the internet
  3. only a unicyclist would jump off a shed in the snow.

Haha

Thanks guys. It’s actually cool. I don’t have to do any work or chores today. XD

26

HAha you must have seen the reply I left on youtube for this video!

27

hey glad ur ok, but take it from an crippled woman here, being busted up isnt fun! neither would not being able to uni ever or being stuck in a wheel chair. seriously, if u love to uni, go for the long haul. slow down pushing some tricks. ive lost 7 months of my life showing off, a year by the time its all over, it aint cool now! im going to be old and gray when i quit having fun.

28

woah man youve got balls of steel
glad your ok though that looked nasty

29

Such a fall must not incline you towards pleasantries. :roll_eyes: I felt for you as I watched the vid.:slight_smile:

Get well soon!

(Chiropractors are helpful) :sunglasses:

30

No offence, but are you gay?
It’s either that, or I missed something

31

haha, yeah.

otherwise I’d probably have a girlfriend… :stuck_out_tongue:

32

He’s the only gay in the village.

33

Man… Get well.

34

There is a lesson. Learn to fall. Luckily, Jackie didn’t have to break anything to learn this lesson. The slow-motion video (thanks!) illustrates two potentially bone-breaking habits that people must learn to avoid when falling.

  1. Don’t look at your landing! On a hard surface, Jackie would’ve sustained either a hyperextension injury, or he would’ve broken his neck.

Instead, you’re best off tucking your chin into your chest. This allows the forces of the fall to be absorbed by the shoulders and back, instead of the head and neck.

  1. Don’t reach out with straight arms! This is how Evan (and others) dislocated his shoulder. This is also how you can break your elbow or arm.

Instead, keep your arms curved in a semi-circle as you fall. See the graphic below for an illustration of a backwards fall. This deflects the full force of the fall from being taken by one point on the body, and ensures the body’s joints are in an orientation that allows them to bend further if necessary.

The best way to learn these techniques is to practice falling. Find a flat, grassy area, go for a ride, and fall off! Try to stay relaxed as you fall, wear your safety gear, and experiment with various body positions, keeping the above-mentioned tips in mind.

If you’ve got the time, money and patience, I’d recommend (as I have many times before) a few months in an Aikido or Judo dojo. Tell the instructor all you want to learn is falling. You don’t need much time to learn the basics, and the students will love having someone to throw around.

35

Thanks Jason!
That was very helpful and informative.
It’ll come in handy in the future.

But I won’t be trying the roof in the snow again anytime soon…

36

Dude, ur awesome! any more pics landing sideways cause i broke my arm falling sideways w/ head coming down to ground. it sucked!

37

On sideways falls I sort of swing my top leg up and slap the ground with my forearm, simultaneously hitting the ground with my side, shoulder, and leg. I wouldn’t suggest it for too big a fall but I’m comfortable doing it at pretty much anytime anywhere(unless the ground is spiky):slight_smile:

38

thanx man, i checked into aikido classes here and they are free for 1st 3, $10 after that for each class. beginners class teaches stance/rolls. :smiley:

39

maestro8 has some great advice on falling

I rode xc/downhill mountain bikes and rock climbed/mountaineered for years and 99% of the time you have at least some warning that you are about to fall. It’s those 1% you don’t see coming that really hurt.

It is important to be able to recognize early on that you are “falling” - or “about to fall”. At this point forget about landing the trick or your unicycle - accept your fate and deal with the fall the best you can.

Often I’ve found that it is best to launch into your fall preemptively. You can often pick where you will land, jump off, tuck/roll through it and pop up onto your feet with not even a scratch. Those are the good ones… :smiley:

I’d rather not write about the other 1% :astonished:

40

I second that… It can save you a few curshed bones.
I’ve been practicing judo for more than 15 years and was surprised to see how reflexes are still there when you need them.
Once I rode (with my b*ke) through a car door, nastily opened while I just passed a parked car.
I flew for 3.4 meters and made the perfect “forward fall”. People in the car were really sorry and they couldn’t believe I was all fine (except a little bruised spot on my hand due to the impact with the car door).

BUT
Uni falls are not judo or aïkido falls. For sure it helps to know how to fall but despite all my years of judo, I don’t think I wouldn’t land on my arms/elbows on a nasty high speed gliding UPD. This would mean broken bones ore dislocated joints but there are bad habits you just can’t avoid.