Monday, May 16, 2011

Do you let people help you up?

Back in the day...


I've gone back and forth on this since day 1.

The first time a guy got up and offered me his hand after a roll, I took it. The second, fearing I'd look weak, I didn't. Well, after judo month I have a new policy.

Why? Well, because during the month of judo and all the falling down and getting up, I learned that a lot of people don't know how to help other people to their feet. I got my arm contorted, had my body yanked well past standing, my shoulder stretched and all kinds of lovely things. Some guys I think just don't know the difference between helping someone up and dragging them to their feet by their pinky. After that happened a couple times, I started turning people...ok...guys...down. The ladies and a choice couple of guys know how to offer a hand/pull without interfering with the standing process.

My policy was confirmed tonight. My foot's still tweaked and getting up takes a moment of negotiation. I was partnered with one of the bigger guys today and twice he offered to help me up. I ignored his hand both times, but the second, I gave him a solid tap on the bicep and a "thanks". 

8 comments:

Tree Frog said...

Reach up and grab their triceps. You can simultaneously work the arm drag and get better support for being pulled up.

Be productively lazy, yo...

Rollo said...

The proper way to help people up off the ground is to offer your hand as support so that the person can pull themselves up off of a solid base. It's not to pull them up from the ground with a yank. At least that's how I've been taught.

Georgette said...

Ugh! I usually get up by standing in base, and usually they don't offer...

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Megan said...

Productively lazy...that's a nice one...

@Rollo...yeah...there are some people out there that really...really don't know that.

Georgette...see...that set off my insecurity alarm. I always felt like the offering was a sign that I was still "the new chick". Only one of the higher belts still offers, but I think he's just the kind of guy that will never be 100% comfortable fighting a woman. The last guy who did it...new, but he's still in that stage of telling the "don't hurt me" jokes and making hyperbolic comments about me beating up all the guys. I'm hoping he grows past it soon.

Ashley said...

Most of the time, the feeling that I get from an extended hand is that they are just being a buddy. I see guys lend a hand to other guys and I'm pretty sure I have offered a hand to guys. I'm not saying they're less of a man by offering to help them up, at least not intentionally! haha

Anonymous said...

Stand up in base!

Liam H Wandi said...

I often offer my hand so they can use it for support while getting up, as described above by Rollo. The sooner people got up, the sooner we could get on with the next technique :)