NealFitz 0 #26 July 9, 2008 i also struggled during my aff with the arch- key point is just to relax your body rather than force an arch- (which could lead you to de-arch) treat it as fun and it will come to you ;)Dudeist Skydiver #170 You do not need a parachute to skydive, you only need one to skydive again Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rgaray 0 #27 July 10, 2008 Tony, I watched your videos on your site (I'm on a Mac and Silverlight astonishingly actually worked for me). Dude, you're way, way, way too tense, you need to relax, it feels like you're holding your breath as you fall. I had a problem too with my arch at first, not quite like yours, but to me the problem was that the feeling of arching and falling was un-natural. I went and did 30 minutes of Windtunnel at Perris and I got more comfortable. Another thing I noticed on your videos is that you keep pointing your toes down, that in itself turns your leg work in a bad configuration, tilt your toes up or flat as you fall and just chin up, look at the sky as much as you can. You pelvis will then naturally fall and become your center of gravity after you've relaxed. Good luck man, I just got my A-license, I'm having a kick ass time! You'll get there...--- "It takes courage to walk through the rain on a cold and foggy night, but it is those nights that dawn the most beautiful mornings." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mrbiceps 0 #28 July 10, 2008 I recently failed my stage 4 cause of a dodgie arch. As soon as i let go i concentrated on nothing else but pushing my hips towards the ground. i forgot about my arms and legs and they took care of themselves. good luck buddy. you will get there. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MattMazzocco 0 #30 July 11, 2008 get a few couch cushions and set them up on the floor. Set them up high enough so that your feet or head dont touch the ground.. position your weight on your lower back and just lay there. I did this with a back pack on for 2 weeks before my first aff jump and i had no problems with my arch at all... it actually helped improve my posture as well. Arching is a very un-natural body position and the more you do it the more muscle memory will kick in.. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chrismgtis 0 #31 July 11, 2008 Quotei also struggled during my aff with the arch- key point is just to relax your body rather than force an arch- (which could lead you to de-arch) treat it as fun and it will come to you ;) Yea, you're right. It's sort of your body's natural position when you relax, rather than fight it. I find free fall a very relaxing moment myself. Somewhat like lying down on a soft bed. I was taught on those setups that you lay on, and to me that was very not relaxing at all and somewhat painful, because I'm just not limber like I was when I was younger. In the air, it's so much better. I love it. So when people say "lay on the floor" or something, I guess that might help, but it ain't comfortable and it's not how you should feel in the air.Rodriguez Brother #1614, Muff Brother #4033 Jumped: Twin Otter, Cessna 182, CASA, Helicopter, Caravan Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
anthonyfellows 0 #32 July 24, 2008 I made two more jumps this past weekend. Two 1 instructor CAT C's and failed both because I couldn't seem to arch. More frustration :) Not sure if I'm going to give it another shot this weekend or sit it out, but I have made plans to take a trip to NC and spend some time in the wind tunnel with a coach on the 1st of Aug. ... I'm hoping this will help, because it sure isn't cheap :)Serious relationships turn into work after a few weeks and I already got a fucking job :) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ H.A.F. = Hard As Fuck ... Goddamn Amateurs Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ghost47 18 #33 July 24, 2008 Anthony, Are you able to arch correctly when you're not in the air? If you are, I'm wondering if the problem is mental rather than physical. My AFF 3 and 4 jumps were horrible, I didn't arch at all. However, when I was on the ground, my instructors said my arch was great. Stupid as it sounds, when I was in the air, I think I simply forgot to make sure I was arched. I was relaxed, enjoying the sensation of free fall, and when my body is relaxed, it doesn't naturally arch. After level 4, I went back to the wind tunnel to work on my arch. Not the physical aspect, but the remembering to do it when in free fall, and the returning to it when things go awry. (A non-skydiver's natural instinct when things are going unstable is to "stand up" or ball up, neither of which are going to work in the air.) Before my next jump, the whole way up I repeated to myself, arch, arch, arch. When I jumped out, after the initial second of brain-freeze, I remembered to arch. Five jumps later, it's become natural, such that I no longer have to think about it, it just happens. I'm just a student, so I may not know what I'm talking about. But assuming you're physically able to do it, then drilling it into your brain that that is the one task you are going to accomplish no matter what might help. Good luck! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dreaming13000 1 #34 July 24, 2008 QuoteI made two more jumps this past weekend. Two 1 instructor CAT C's and failed both because I couldn't seem to arch. More frustration :) Not sure if I'm going to give it another shot this weekend or sit it out, but I have made plans to take a trip to NC and spend some time in the wind tunnel with a coach on the 1st of Aug. ... I'm hoping this will help, because it sure isn't cheap :). don't give up now....just not worth it.... you can do it. I know many ppl who failed their AFF 3, many of them were in FJC with me....(if you don't own the SIM, buy it now!) first of all.... MIND OVER MATTER get control...check your own equip..with an instuctor of course but know what is going on with your equip.*helps with nerves* be a nut like me, check those handles like your life depends upon them (which it does in a sense) who cares what those "skydivers" think...you are learning and they were there at one time as welll... have your dive flow planned out completely....every second accounted for...over and over....muscle memory visualise every move you will make at 120mph appox. before you even get into that airplane. in the plane, I begin deep breathing exercises at about 8/,000 ft jumping at 13,000....breathing is part of relaxing.... then as the SIM says "altimeter, arch, LEGS, relax" ps. I went to the wind tunnel before my level three, told them I had no idea what my legs were doing, they made me fly around in that thing with no arms only legs.... just helped me find awareness..... BLUE SKIES don't ever give up on a dream! jess"A man only gets in life what he is believing for, nothing more and nothing less" Kenneth Hagen Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dnhump 1 #35 July 24, 2008 Like 'Dreaming13000' said... Visualize and RELAX! This is just Earth... You are no longer an 'earth-bound missfit'. You are a skydiver! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RoryJ 0 #36 July 24, 2008 The tunnel is amazing, but all you really need to do is: 1) Relax 2) Get those knees together 3) Actively point your toes out to the horizon What about your arch have you been practicing at home? Have you been practicing correctly? Some hints that I give my students: You already mentioned the clench the silver dollar method. Also, think about Thanksgiving dinner and how you sit on the couch after you eat. THAT is the arch that we are looking for, pelvis forward. Has anyone emphasized that it is not arch, but HIPS DOWN that we are looking for? The problem with guys is that you ask them to arch and they push their chest out, which is not what we are looking for at all. Squeeze those butt cheeks, keep that chin up and arch for glory! Another thing that you can try to dial in the knees a bit: stand up nice and straight with your knees shoulder width apart, where they belong. Now, go down onto your knees, then onto your belly. Lift those knees off the ground while pointing your toes as hard as you can and you will have a better idea. Add the resistance of a couch under your feet, pushing down to get the feeling of the wind pushing up and how that will pitch your body and you may get a clearer picture. If any of this helps, please let me know. AND RELAX!Not again! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sxc 0 #37 July 24, 2008 I am a complete newbie, so what do I know, but I did practice my arch in the swimming pool for the last couple of weeks and I think it helped. Try it in the shallow end of the pool - big deep breath, hold the arch, drift to the floor of the pool and see which part of you hits the bottom first. I am guessing from the video it will be your feet. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
anthonyfellows 0 #38 July 31, 2008 Yes ... I can arch on the ground just fine. It very well may be a mental thing. As far as practicing at home ... I've been doing it every day for a month. Tomorrow is my trip to the tunnel. I think if I can get a feel for it in the tunnel, it may be easier for me to do it in the air. I don't think I'm totally forgetting about it in the air because I recall thinking about it and hoping that it's being done correctly ... Then I get to the ground and am told that my arch is still not good. Thank you all for the encouragement!Serious relationships turn into work after a few weeks and I already got a fucking job :) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ H.A.F. = Hard As Fuck ... Goddamn Amateurs Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
danielcroft 2 #39 July 31, 2008 I've got a bit over an hour of tunnel time. I don't know if the more experienced people will agree with my statement but I think the tunnel feels quite different to free fall. I'm sure it'll work really well for you to learn to arch there (get video!) but the air feels very different to me. Good luck, let us know how you go. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
anthonyfellows 0 #40 August 7, 2008 Yeah ... It felt much different than freefall ... It sure worked though. I've made another jump since and my body position issues were all worked out :) YAY!!!Serious relationships turn into work after a few weeks and I already got a fucking job :) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ H.A.F. = Hard As Fuck ... Goddamn Amateurs Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
danielcroft 2 #41 August 7, 2008 Congratulations! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dreaming13000 1 #42 August 7, 2008 Good job Tony!"A man only gets in life what he is believing for, nothing more and nothing less" Kenneth Hagen Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
farmgurl 0 #43 August 7, 2008 I won't offer you any skydiving advice, as the extent of my expertise is having completed one tandem jump If it's any added bonus, I didn't make a complete idiot of myself. However, I do a lot of yoga. You can't beat it for flexibility and mental focus. Do a search and try a week of doing at least cobra, cat, downward dog and corpse poses. Pay attention to your breathing while you're doing it. By the end of the week, you should be able to notice more flexibility and you'll know if you're into yoga. Seems to me skydiving and yoga would go hand in hand. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sxc 0 #44 August 8, 2008 So Anthony, to summarize so far, we have you in a Wind Tunnel, swimming and doing yoga!! You will be so fit and busy and flexible that you won't have time to tense up and your arch will be perfect!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
popsjumper 2 #45 August 9, 2008 Quote Yeah ... It felt much different than freefall ... It sure worked though. I've made another jump since and my body position issues were all worked out :) YAY!!! Scratch up another tunnel training success story. Good job, man. You're on a roll. Keep it going!My reality and yours are quite different. I think we're all Bozos on this bus. Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
humanflite 0 #46 August 9, 2008 Your body position looked loads better in your last jump. Well done and good one for uploading them to youtube as well Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
