SAFE FALLING TECHNIQUES
Date/Time: Monday, 11 September 2006 12:00-2:00 pm (20th of the Series)
Contact: Phone 842.5642; Fax 841.2564; www.hawaiiacademy.com; director@hawaiiacademy.com
Instructor: Max
Vercruyssen, PhD, Ergonomist
& Human Performance Specialist;
Director of Hawaii Academy, Elite
Trampoline-Tumbling Coach,
and Senior FlexFit Exercise Program Head; Safe Falling Program Creator
Assistants: Trampoline-Tumbling & Gymnastics Coaches and Safe Falling Instructors
Attire: Bring a notebook for the academics and clothing to roll on soft mats.
Audience: ALL AGES and ALL Abilities—Everyone benefits from learning to fall safely
Lecture: Classroom discussion of problems and possible solutions
Orientation/Introduction/Significance of Injuries from Falls/Causes/Fixes
Investigation of Existing Methods of Safe Falling
Development of Essential Principles of Safe Falling and Landings
Practical: Practicing Fundamentals of Safe Falling Techniques to Minimize Injury
Essential Skills Training: Breakfalls, Rolling, and Fitness
Practice Maneuvers for Falling: Forward, Backwards, Sideways, Other
Help in recognizing greatest vulnerability to a fall injury
Cost: $30 per session for participants to receive Certificate of Participation
$75 for three sessions to attain the Instructor’s Training Certificate
(All proceeds
go toward production of materials, manuscripts, and a book on safe falling)
Limit: 30 students per
session, maximum
2006
Workshops: Jan 30 12-2p, Feb 26 6-8p,
Mar 11 6-8p, Apr 23 7:30-9:30p, May 28 7:30-9:30p, Jun 12 12-2p,
Jul 23 7-9p, Aug 7 12-2p,
Sep 11 12-2p, Oct 16 12-2p, Nov 13 12-2p, Dec 28 6-8p
Position: All children should learn how to fall safely and
practice falling techniques throughout their lives. However, the current focus on falling is almost entirely on
senior citizens. Probably because the
consequence of falls by children is much less expensive than the costs of
fatalities and medical care of the elderly caused by falls. Our seniors of tomorrow are our children
today so it only makes sense to simultaneously teach fall training to young and
old alike. However implemented, the
sooner we start teaching techniques in safe falling the sooner we will see
reductions in medical care needs (read this as cost to everyone). The loss prevention rationale should be
sufficient grounds for arguing this case.
Having families exercise together and having shared multi-generational
activities is a social bonus.
Safe falling should be
required training in schools according to national and local strategic plans
but it may be some time until this happens.
Meanwhile, parents should be encouraged to enroll their entire family in
programs that teach rolling and falling in some form, if even for a only a
short exposure. There are many private
gyms, studios, and dojos that provide lessons in gymnastics,
trampoline-tumbling, martial arts, acrobatics, and stunting. Everyone in the family should benefit from
finding a nearby program and learning techniques of safe falling that helps
prevent or reduce injuries from future falls.
Those that are already participating in such activities must be vigilant
in maintaining safe falling habits. If
anyone can recall a fall-related death or injury that could have been avoided
by safe fall training should feel guilty about not doing something more when
seeing it happen again. Hawaii Academy
is acting to prevent future guilt by initiating a safe fall training campaign
in Hawaii. If the reader shares such
guilt, please join the campaign to make available safe falling education. Someday we will have educational curricula
for improving falling ability. If
Hawaii currently has the worst fallers in the US, wouldn’t it be gratifying to
reverse this statistic? It’s possible
with a commitment to this one single educational mandate.
Because we stand and move
upright, on a very small base of support, stability is easily compromised,
especially as we get older. FALLS ARE INEVITABLE but
INJURIES ARE PREVENTABLE! Do what you can for your
family, NOW!