Reducing Risks of Injury from Falling

Class Description

Falls are responsible for a similar number of deaths as motor vehicle accidents and are the primary cause of accidental deaths for people in their late 60s and older.

This class, offered by the UC Martial Arts Program (UCMAP), part of UC Berkeley Recreation and Wellbeing, adapts martial arts practices to help people to avoid falls and to reduce the risk of injury when falling. Our classroom is equipped with soft mats to support safe practice of controlled falling.

The class is open to all, but is designed for people with higher risks of dangerous falls.

Location Information

The class will be held in room 145 of the Recreational Sports Facility (RSF) at 2301 Bancroft Way, Berkeley, CA 94720 (see map below) on the UC Berkeley campus. For this class, RSF management requests that you do not enter through the main RSF entrance, even if you are a RecWell member. The internal door connecting RSF 145 to the RSF atrium will be locked before the class starts.
Enter RSF 145 through the external, Bancroft-facing door that is west of the bike racks (see photos below). We will be checking participant registrations at this door.
Google Maps estimates a 12-minute walk from the Downtown Berkeley BART station to the RSF.
Multiple AC Transit lines (6, 7, 51B, 52, 79) pass near the RSF.
There are a large number of bike racks available in front of the RSF, facing Bancroft Way.
There is nearby street parking available and there are public spots in the RSF garage (enter on Bancroft Way on the west end of the RSF; the UC Berkeley Parking and Transportation website notes that in the RSF garage, there is "Hourly Pay Parking at all times only in Gold Zone on east side of garage").

Looking left towards the RSF 145 exterior door from the bus stop outside the RSF main entrance.

The door on the left will be open and is the designated RSF entry for this class.

Photo credit: Jeffrey Lambert, UC Berkeley Recreation and Wellbeing

Important Class Information and frequently asked questions

Know before you register

This class is intended as a learning experience and not as a workout. However, you might be sore afterward. All class activities are optional, and we ask that you only do what is comfortable for you, and at a pace that is comfortable for you.
I have physical limitations. Should I still attend this class?
- Class activities will require a variety of physical abilities. Balance exercises require standing, perhaps with limited support. Stepping exercises require walking, perhaps with limited support. Exercises for getting up from the ground require some arm, leg, and core strength. Falling exercises can be done with a range of different abilities, but at minimum, some arm strength is required, and being able to sit upright on the ground and to kneel or squat is necessary.
- This class involves movements that some participants are physically unable to do. Time permitting, our instructors will work with you to try to adapt techniques for individuals' specific physical needs, but due to our large class sizes, individual assistance might be limited.
- Please feel free to skip any class activity in which you do not feel comfortable participating. However, we still encourage you to watch and ask questions for your future benefit.
Some drills will involve physical contact with a partner, and instructors will provide physical assistance when needed (such as when a participant needs assistance in getting up from the ground).
Footwear is not allowed on the mats. Participants are encouraged to go barefoot on the mats because socks tend to be slippery, but socks specifically designed with grips to prevent slipping are acceptable.
The registration process involves agreeing to a waiver of liability, so it is not necessary to bring a printed waiver to the class.

Before you arrive

Please arrive wearing clothes in which you will be comfortable exercising and lying on the floor mats.
For convenience, we encourage participants to wear footwear that can be easily removed. As mentioned earlier, footwear is not allowed on the mats. This is to keep the mats clean and to protect them from damage. Participants are encouraged to go barefoot on the mats because socks tend to be slippery, but socks specifically designed with grips to prevent slipping are acceptable.
We recommend trimming and filing your fingernails and toenails before arriving to protect yourself and other participants from minor injuries. If you prefer to keep your nails long, we strongly recommend that you do not participate in activities requiring a partner.
To protect yourself from injury and to protect your belongings and the mats from damage, rigid or fragile objects (including jewelry) must not be worn and must be removed from your pockets during class. We cannot accept responsibility for your belongings.
Please arrive early so that you have time to check in, remove your shoes, and stow your belongings. We will open the external door 15 minutes before the listed class time, and we aim to start the workshop on time.

During the class

To keep the mats clean and to protect them from damage, footwear must be worn outside of RSF 145 (including in the rest of the RSF) but is not allowed on the mats.
Water fountains and restrooms are available in the RSF, and the inner door from RSF 145 to the rest of the facility will be opened once class starts.
This class is not intended as a workout. Please listen to your bodies and take rest breaks whenever needed. Please participate only at a level that is comfortable for you. This includes drills that involve physical contact with a partner.
All class activities are optional, although if you decide to skip an activity, we encourage you to observe and to gradually work toward practicing these activities later.

After the class

The techniques that are taught in this class must be internalized in order to be useful. We encourage you to practice these techniques regularly after taking this class, and to refresh your skills at future classes.
Detailed class notes and frequently asked questions that may be redistributed under a Creative Commons license are available here:https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vT5YZZ5nJViM3qejQxHM7M0OJnNNtMTRQePjV3q2WJA3q6AddR957ssl_fIPRvgGKV9e7aEl-q6wVS2/pub
Could a "Falling Safety" class be arranged at another location?
- Our classroom in the RSF is equipped with a large mat-covered area, as well as with crash pads that further soften practice falls. Unfortunately, it would be difficult to recreate a comparable practice environment in other locations.

Class instructors

Kenny Higa holds a shodan in judo and practices regularly with the UC Berkeley judo club. He is a scientist at Berkeley Lab and occasionally a lecturer at UC Berkeley.
Randy Vogel is a 4th dan in yongmudo with UCMAP, where he began training in 2001. In addition, Randy has trained regularly with Professor Chris Peterson in Danzan Ryu/Small Circle Jujitsu since 2011. He holds a B.S. in Physics and an M.A. in Education from Stanford, and an M.S. in Mathematics from the California State University at Hayward. Currently, Randy works as an independent business consultant, helping California public charter schools with financial reporting and fiscal compliance.
Ting Vogel is a 4th dan in taekwondo, a 2nd dan in yongmudo, and serves as a national taekwondo referee. Ting works as a technical program manager for a gaming company.
Han Feng is a 2nd dan in yongmudo with UCMAP. He has been practicing martial arts for over 5 years. He is a data scientist at a logistics firm.
Jaclyn Louie is a 2nd dan in taekwondo and a 2nd dan in yongmudo with UCMAP.