THERE IS NO NEED TO LEARN THIS LESSON THE HARD WAY
I wanted to take a moment to explain what makes the Kamikaze drop one of the most dangerous drops in silks to aerialists of all levels and to call for a community/cultural response to this drop..
What makes the Kamikaze drop so dangerous is not what you might expect. Without knowing about it, you might guess that maybe it is extremely complex, or requires immense strength, or even requires great height. But in reality, even an intermediate-beginner aerialist could successfully wrap this drop. It requires only the strength and coordination needed to invert, crochet, and cross fabrics behind the back.
So What Makes it Dangerous?
It is the combination of its accessibility and the likelihood of wrapping it wrong that makes it so dangerous. For example–someone might watch a youtube video of this drop and think they get the gist of it. But without understanding the nature of the drop–without understanding the theory, when they go to try it out they are risking their life without realizing it. The alarm bells that one might have when wrapping a higher-risk drop are totally absent–and therefore so are the appropriate precautions.
Easy to get into+easy to get wrong+upside down & vertical = extremely risky drop
The Theory Behind the Danger: Crossing and Uncrossing
To wrap this drop you would invert, crochet, cross the fabrics behind your back. Create slack by wrapping the knees, and then cross the fabrics again behind your back.
But which way did you cross?
One way makes a safe foundation to land into.
The other way uncrosses the first cross and leads you to a fall straight onto your head.
Even if you know which way is which, you might do something different if you are performing, because nerves. Or, you simply forget.
The drop COULD be made safe by incorporating a third crossing. According to the videos I’ve seen online it appears that this is not common practice.
Rebekah Leach explains it verbally and visually here.
How can we get the word out? Explain the drop to students. Report youtube videos that demonstrate it even if they have a warning on them. Other ideas? Please share. There is no need to learn the lesson the hard way.
