steve1 5 #1 February 4, 2003 I'm just wondering if anyone has any good ideas on avoiding brain lock. I know there are lot's of tricks to memorization. (I'm wondering if any of these can be applied to skydiving.) This can be a real problem in four and five way RW. I know you are supposed to go over and over things in the dirt dive and I try to visualize things on the climb to altitude, but we still mess up on occaision. Or I should say, I mess up. And then we get on the ground and someone dreams up a whole new dive plan to relearn. There must be some helpful hints to remembering. (Sometimes I miss the old days where all you had to do was look for something round and get in.) Steve1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
quade 4 #2 February 4, 2003 Simon or one of the many variations on it.quade - The World's Most Boring Skydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Brianflian 0 #3 February 4, 2003 The first step is in recognizing why you had a brain lock. The most common cause is "being over the line", or amped, or over aroused. Skydiving requires a calm mind. When you are calm, your awareness expands, you see more, and you remember more. If you are only looking for grips to pick up, or to present to, you will not see the whole picture. When you brainlock, look to see what formation is being built bythose who are not brainlocking. If you see 3 people sitting in a donut, it is probably supposed to be a donut. By cross referencing, you can see the picture and respond. Often people use the dirt diving process in the wrong way. It is not a time to perform, rather a time to build in muscle memory, pictures, and anticipation. When you are dirt diving, go through the skydive with pauses at each point. During that pause, anticipate the next point. See the next formation in your mind. If you brainlock during the dirt dive, don't stop, deliver expletives and start over. You don't have the opportunity to do that in the air, why do it on the ground? Instead, calm your mind, look at the formation being built, See your slot, then respond by going to your slot. Then, anticipate the next formation, and go on. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Albatross 0 #4 February 5, 2003 I agree with the point of trying to analyze why you brain lock. The concept of working though the brainlock on the ground is good as well. However, be careful of focusing on the point that you brainlock. If you have a brainlock on the ground review the transition in your mind so that yuo can see it happeneing over a nd over again. But make sure that you also insert it back inot the dive flow. I often find that peope have a brain lock on the ground then do fine on that point in the air but either lock the one before or just after because they were focused on the the middle on. Most often the brain lock occurs from poor distraction control or poor mental prep. For mental prep visualize the transitions from both the on level view and the camera view. Visualize the other peoples move as well as your own. For the distraction control folow the Airspeed PEDL philosophy. Plan on the ground, execute in the air, debreif on the ground, then learn. If you try and debreif in the air mistakes happen. Fianlly don't get flustered if you are last into the formation. SOMEONE is always last even if it is just by a heartbeat. It is better to be last into the formation than to get flustered and mental try and play catch-up and then rush. As you can tell I have brain locked quite a bit and thought about it a bunch.Chris Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
weid14 0 #5 February 5, 2003 all good responses, I might add that sometimes people may focus on the one thing they are worried about (i.e. dont' go low, turn right instead of left, etc). then when they get beyond that point, mentally they are lost. flow the whole dive, without stopping in one certain area. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Squeak 17 #6 February 5, 2003 that's pretty cool I got to 17 b4 going blankYou are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky) My Life ROCKS! How's yours doing? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mjasantos 0 #7 February 5, 2003 Hi, Reading these articles will help you as well: Visualizing in Airspeed Formation Skydiving Advanced Skills Camp Work Book © 2001 – Airspeed http://www.mariosantos.com/docs/visualizing.htm Your Optimum Arousal Level in TunnelCamp.com - Coaches Corner © 2001 – Alan Metni, TunnelCamp.com http://www.mariosantos.com/docs/your_optimum_arousal_level.htm It's All in Your Head - a conversation with Craig Girard in Parachutist, February 1999, pages 36-39, by Nancy J. Koreen © 1999 – USPA Copyright Blue Skies! ----------------------------- Mario Santos Portugal Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zoltan 0 #8 February 5, 2003 yep, smart comments above mine :) i would like to say few additional but not technical things: 1. do not smoke during training jump. Nicotine predicts the blood to carry proper amount of oxygen to your brain 2. drink before the jump, your body needs water in order to act fast and precise 3. Do not eat too much :) your brain needs the blood not your stomach, but eat enough to support your brain with energy. 4. rest and enjoy the life before the jump, stress makes no good but brain lock 5. No arguing with team mates before jump, love your team it gives a lot energy to concentrate 6. In the plane do proper mental training with thinking the sequence very slow and very fast. 7. Do not train over your brain. and the last and the worst :) knowing the formations by heart, knowing where you are knowing also the place of the other 3 is maybe the best against beginner's_4way_brainlock. z Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
harryskydives 0 #9 February 6, 2003 All good advice: 1) do your home work, know your A slots and use that continuity plan. (10 minutes before a skydive is not the time to learn a photon.) 2)Do a proper dirt dive. puzzle, angles, grips, keys, pauses, at speed. 3) don't get distracted in the plane. visualize. 4) Relax in the skydive. The Key person should know that everyone is ready to go, not just that a grip is complete. 5) Attend an Airspeed skills camp. Don't run out of altitude and experience at the same time... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
weid14 0 #10 February 6, 2003 Quote All good advice: 1) do your home work, know your A slots and use that continuity plan. (10 minutes before a skydive is not the time to learn a photon.) 2)Do a proper dirt dive. puzzle, angles, grips, keys, pauses, at speed. 3) don't get distracted in the plane. visualize. 4) Relax in the skydive. The Key person should know that everyone is ready to go, not just that a grip is complete. 5) Attend an Airspeed skills camp. well, this degenerated into 4way (not that it's a bad thing), but (before Kallend gets in here Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kallend 2,106 #11 February 6, 2003 Quote Quote All good advice: 1) do your home work, know your A slots and use that continuity plan. (10 minutes before a skydive is not the time to learn a photon.) 2)Do a proper dirt dive. puzzle, angles, grips, keys, pauses, at speed. 3) don't get distracted in the plane. visualize. 4) Relax in the skydive. The Key person should know that everyone is ready to go, not just that a grip is complete. 5) Attend an Airspeed skills camp. well, this degenerated into 4way (not that it's a bad thing), but (before Kallend gets in here Hey - I've done 17 points on a 4-way . 10-way is so relaxing in comparison.... The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
harryskydives 0 #12 February 6, 2003 there is more to flying than 4way I suppose so. ANd when i LO i still try for A slots. I try to ask people to go to the slot they want and then build the next few jumps based on the preceding skydive. I still dirt dive and creep (Yes 20 way) untill i see the light come on in everyones eyes. Of course this pisses off those that hate dirt diving. Don't run out of altitude and experience at the same time... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
weid14 0 #13 February 6, 2003 wow, you creep 20 ways? that's a big creeper pad!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
harryskydives 0 #14 February 7, 2003 well we try, realistically only about 12-16 fit on our pad. But creeping ups your level of play. Often brain lock is a function of overload. So the more things that are familiar, (ie sight pictures, transitions), the easier it is to stay ahead of the power curve. Don't run out of altitude and experience at the same time... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skybytch 273 #15 February 7, 2003 Quote Of course this pisses off those that hate dirt diving. Guess they're so good they don't need to anymore I like to dirt dive - exit to breakoff, angles, etc. - any RW jump. I don't mind creeping either. I fly my slot better when I've had the chance to break it down on the ground first. That's true whether it's a 2 way or a 100 way, or anything in between. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wmw999 2,534 #16 February 7, 2003 Quote I like to dirt dive - exit to breakoff, angles, etc. - any RW jump. I agree. And I even like to go through it kinda slow a couple of times. It gives me a chance to really visualize it, and imagine myself in the air doing it. Maybe some people can remember all those formations in a hurry; not me! Wendy W.There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zoltan 0 #17 February 11, 2003 Well :) i have seen folks with locked brain in a 2 points 20 way dive... And yeah, dirt dive is cool, nothing is as sexy as RW suit. z Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kallend 2,106 #18 February 11, 2003 Quote Well :) i have seen folks with locked brain in a 2 points 20 way dive... And yeah, dirt dive is cool, nothing is as sexy as RW suit. z Oh Yeah! I've seen someone brain lock on a 1 point 10-way.... The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zoltan 0 #19 February 12, 2003 :) i think we can go down to the solo hip-hop jumps and we will experience brain-locks :) z Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
masher 1 #20 February 12, 2003 I've had a brain mal on landing after a solo. Does that count?-- Arching is overrated - Marlies Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zoltan 0 #21 February 12, 2003 yes it does :) the worst brain lock i have ever had was after a training 4way jump.. i was just racking and tracking and tracking... ohhh yes it was the pull_time :) and once i had a packing job brain lock :) you know..."only human" :) z Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skr 1 #22 February 13, 2003 > I'm just wondering if anyone has any good ideas on avoiding brain lock. I avoid it by designing dives that have simple, repetitive dance patterns. I'd rather focus on feeling the flying than remembering random sequences of meaningless formations. I further avoid it by not going on dives that other people are organizing when I know they are going to organize that kind of dive. I don't enjoy the meaningless string of formations form of activity so I just don't do it. If I do organize a formation type jump it's more like a drill dive, alternating donuts or whatever. >Sometimes I miss the old days where all you had >to do was look for something round and get in. :-) :-) I was thinking about that at Eloy this Christmas, standing around watching the endless, elaborate creeper diving, and the thought passed through my head: "I'm a one point skydiver. This stuff is too much like work!". Maybe that's one reason I'm drawn to wing suits. You don't have to do anything, you can just fly around. Skr Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kallend 2,106 #23 February 13, 2003 Quote > I was thinking about that at Eloy this Christmas, standing around watching the endless, elaborate creeper diving, and the thought passed through my head: "I'm a one point skydiver. This stuff is too much like work!". You can come jump with our 10-way team any time you wish!... The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skr 1 #24 February 13, 2003 >You can come jump with our 10-way team Thank you John, I'll take you up on that some time if you guys have the patience for a nice, recreational swoop, well savored, followed by a relaxing circle of just hanging out, digging it. You know, I really understand some people's need for pushing and accomplishment and performance. I just object when they and USPA act like that's what skydiving is all about when it's really just one small thread woven into a much bigger picture. Recreational skydivers of the world unite! Or something. Well, that sounds like a lot of work. Screw it. :-) :-) Fortunately I have plenty of new jumpers to jump with. Skr Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mouth 0 #25 February 14, 2003 One thing that helps me is to do at least one run through with suits on. If you are with a large group of people you don't know it is hard for me to remember and see what that person looks like after putting on the suit, helmet, etc. Craig did that with us in Eloy thankfully. I knew exactly which side of his a$$ I needed to be on and got there safely and efficiently every time. I could pick out that jumpsuit anywhere. Of course this won't work on a 4 way team with matching suits, sorry. Hopefully you'll know your 4 way team well enough not to need that extra visual. -- Hot Mama At least you know where you stand even if it is in a pile of shit. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
