One of the first things they teach you when you learn to ice skate. In figure skating, this means putting your arms out when you fall forward. When your hand hits the ice, you will discover that it is not smooth at all, but very rough. Sometimes, you will become aware of this as blood comes out. Ice skaters who think they will fall often wear gloves. This also means putting out one knee if you are falling backwards. This usually is not a big deal, because you were doing some sort of jump to get in the position in the first place, and were kind of expecting to eat it anyway. If you were just learning a jump, especially a toe jump, you might want to wear knee pads.