IAF lvl 4 failure... with a twist!

[OSOK 0]

Hey all!! Today I repeated my IAF level 4 again... and failed, again. First it was getting my arch right, which I had on my second try but my legs were all over the place. The instructor let me go, and I felt myself stable, but slowly I was losing it. Right before I went to pull he grabbed my leg and held me.

On openning, I had a line twist. I gotta say that even though I failed this level again, getting out of a minor problem like that felt so freaking good! I knew I had failed because I felt him grab me when I went to pull, but when I cleared that line twist man I was screaming all over.

It would've been REALLY cool if I had passed though.


PS: excuse the noobness... but experiencing something that you are trained to counter if exposed to for the first time, and being able to put your training to work is very rewarding, even if its something minor like this.

[OSOK 0]

Sorry... this was IAF level 5.

[mjosparky 4]

About the only advise I can offer is Relax, Relax, Relax. Things will get easier.

Sparky

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[immanence 0]

Congratulations! Celebrate all the small victories and know that if you're jumping at all you're not failing in any way! You have a great attitude! You'll be fine
Blue skies,
ian

"where danger is appears also that which saves ..." Friedrich Holderlin, 'Patmos'

[OSOK 0]

Thanks for the replies, guys.

After failing that level for the first time because I couldn't arch, I had a real nasty taste in my mouth the rest of the day and night. I spent all night here reading about other people with the same problem, reading about stretches, etc. The instructors at the DZ basically told me that all I needed was to relax, which had me confused because I thought I was as relaxed as one could get.

On the second try, I was doing breathing exercises all the way through the climb. Seeing my instructor's hand go from the pelvis down signal to OK was such a relief.

Now I just need to work on those legs...

[RossDagley 0]

I don't want to contradict anything you've been told already, but heres what happened to me
My instructor told me a pretty useful tip - he got me to think of other words rather than the 'official' words. So when I was stiff rather than relax, or arch, I mentally pictured the word 'slouch'. He got me to just flop on the floor in a dirt dive, and said "how do you describe that?" "Slouch" I said. "Right - from now on, think 'slouch'". Worked like a charm. Now, if I was any more relaxed at the door, I'd forget to jump

[Feeblemind 1]

You didn't fail if you learned something, you just need to repeat the skydive to completion (Damn another reason to jump again )

Are your jumps video taped? My instructor videos his students and I found it very helpful in correcting my errors.

phil

Fire Safety Tip: Don't fry bacon while naked

[Ragnarok 0]

Don't feel bad, it took me 5 jumps to get through D.........

_________________________________________
Twin Otter N203-Echo,29 July 2006
Cessna P206 N2537X, 19 April 2008
Blue Skies Forever

[scaryshari 0]

It took me almost 20 skydives before I could solo exit stable.

Now I just take my teammates along with me for these "joy rides."

Seriously, like others have said, don't look at it as "failure." Learn from it and keep on truckin!

As many have told me "if it was an easy sport, EVERYBODY would do it!"

is

[Iceburner 0]

Hey,
Another tip of advice i'll throw out there from one noob to another...if you feel tensed or something isn't going well, say RELAX outloud...shout it if you have to, nobody will hear you, and most likely your body will respond...works for me.
~Ice