In brief: In pairs, one faller performs a short fall on 1 catcher.Intensity: Medium
Introduction: Let us start by building trust between 2 persons and progressively move on to include the rest of the team.
Image: <
Prop(s): None
How to play:
- Each person pairs up with someone of a similar size and build.
- Position of a ‘faller’:
- Fists should be clenched as shown in the pictures (i to v), to prevent the reflex action in releasing the hands and slapping the catcher.
- The head should be tucked in to avoid the possibility of whiplash.
- Feet must be placed together to form a small ‘V’.
- The body must be kept rigid. This will make the ‘catcher’s’ job easier.
- The position of a ‘catcher’:
- The ‘catcher’ should stand behind the ‘faller’.
- He/she should be standing with legs apart, with one leg positioned forward while the other behind the body for stability.
- The hands should be held up near the shoulder blades of the ‘faller’, palms facing outward, so that when the ‘faller’ falls, the ‘catcher’ holds him/her at the shoulder blades.
- The fall
- Get into the position as shown in the picture.
- The ‘faller’ (left) must keep his/her body rigid during the fall. The ‘catcher’ (right) should stand with legs apart, with one leg forward and one leg back for stability.
- As a start, have the ‘catcher’ standing close to the ‘faller’, lightly touching the ‘faller’s’ shoulder blades.
- Start the cues to initiate the fall.
- The cues
- Faller: “Are you ready?”
- Catcher: “Ready!”
- Faller: “Falling!”
- Catcher: “Fall!”
- The ‘faller’ lifts up his/her toes and allows himself/herself to fall backwards (see picture).
- The ‘catcher’ will support the ‘faller’s’ weight and subsequently bring the latter back to the starting position.
- The ‘catcher’ will tap on the ‘faller’s’ shoulders to signal the end of the fall.
- The angle of fall should be kept small for the first few times. The degree of trust must be built a little at a time. Some people need more time to become comfortable.
- Intent must always be communicated: every fall must start with the same sequence of cues.
- Swap the roles between faller and catcher.
Caution:
- The ‘faller’ and ‘catcher’ must be in position before cueing each other.
- Increase the angle of fall by a little each time. This will enable the ‘catcher’ to estimate the limit of his/her catching ability.
The ‘catcher’ must do everything within his/her capacity to prevent the ‘faller’ from falling to the ground.