Injury Prevention and Management of the Consequences of Falls in the School Environment and in Daily Life

Abstract

School is one of the environments where many accidents occur, as children spend a very large part of their day there and come into contact with many other kids of the same age as well as with groups of different age. Individual self-protection, through educating minors to manage their bodies in such a way that in the event of a fall potential injuries are minimized upon landing, is imperative. However, whether children could be trained-through physical education classes—to know how to prevent a fall, to use the appropriate equipment each time, and to know how to fall safely, has not been the subject of scientific research (despite the fact that thorough studies on the use of safe fall techniques from judo in middle-aged and elderly people, without prior experience in combat sports, provide tangible evidence). Nevertheless, learning how to fall safely, so as to reduce accidents caused by falls in everyday school life as much as possible (both during physical education lessons and during recess in the schoolyard), is not an unachievable goal, but rather a feasible reality through specific teaching methodologies of falling techniques in combat sports (judo – pankration).