What Constitutes Breaking the Limb?

After a session of joint manipulation, locks, and breaks, like every other time after a training session, I pondered over my lesson. I was dissecting the arm breaking part of my lesson and I felt that I was using inappropriate terminology in some of the exercises. This is just my take on this and in no way saying that my way is right and other ways are wrong, it's just my way. This blog is going to try to convey my thinking process during my self evaluation. Hopefully I can try to put it into words, but sometimes my thoughts don't always transfer over so eloquently.

When we watch MMA fights and see arm bars go past the "breaking" point, sometimes we think- "aw break", but broken in what way? The arm bars usually end up in bone separations, hyperextensions, and dislocations, not bone breaks; the breaks would more or less constitute the stretching, rupture, or tears of the ligaments and tendons that attach to the bones and muscles. For those of you who follow womens MMA; Rhonda Rousey is infamous for winning by arm bar. If her fight with Miesha Tate ended in an actual bone break, Tate probably wouldn't have been able to fight her next opponent so quickly.

When you look up the word "Broken" in the dictionary it say this: "having been fractured or damaged and no longer in one piece or in working order."

In regards to the human skeletal system, "broken" is either one of two things. Either the function of that part of the body ceases to function or work properly, or it's literally broken and fractured, thereby affecting proper working function. Technically yes, you could say an arm bar would break a persons arm, but in what way?

Within the exercise of breaking the skeletal body we can look at the individual components that lead up to ceasing its proper working function. One component is the literal bone breaking. Ounce for ounce, taking weight and size into consideration, bone is stronger than steel. A cubic inch of bone can bear a load of 19,000 lbs. (8,626 kg) or more. The ability to break bones will depend on the speed and amount of concentrated force, angle delivered, and what bones. The femur is one of the strongest bones in the body and can possibly withstand 4,000 newtons of force. As tough as bones are, some studies also show that as little as 8 lbs of force can break a bone. Once again the type of bone, angle, speed, and concentration of force matters.

Another component that lends to breaking the skeletal body would be dislocating and hyperextending limbs, which would also directly target tendons and ligaments. Attacking the tendons falls into manipulation of the muscular system as well. Take note that many of the body's others systems may be affected by breaks and dislocations, but in this example we'll stick to the skeletal and muscular systems. Tendons are fibrous tissue that connects muscle to bones. A ruptured tendon will drastically affect the muscular strength of the limb; a severing of the tendon attacks the muscle's ability in contracting and extending limbs. How much force a tendon can withstand is debatable, it depends on how much force is being applied, and to what tendons, and to whom? Ligaments are fibrous tissue that connect bones to bones. Like the tendons, ligaments are tough, but ligaments are not elastic and if ligaments are overstretched they don't stretch back and lose their structural integrity, which in turn affects our optimum functioning mobility. Ligaments are vital for an athletes requirements for exertion, mobility, and endurance; damaged ligaments= broken. Broken limbs = bad day!


In conclusion to my self evaluation of the days joint locking and breaking session, I realized I need to be more specific in my explanation of what is happening. It's not just breaking the arm, but what components go into breaking the arm. What are we doing specifically? As an example, a more precise explanation can be- "today we're working on breaking the arm. That means finding ways to cease its ability to work and function properly by doing 1 of 2 things, 1) literally breaking bones or 2) causing a dislocation or hyperextending the joint, and possibly tearing the ligaments and tendons that allow it to operate." Moral of the story is- Don't get your limbs broke!!

Stay Safe!!

The Hitting Hands

Hands have been the most versatile tools our body's have been endowed with. Using layman's language, universal human design says we have five jointed fingers, a palm, back of the hand, and a wrist that connects it to an arm. Using muscles, the fingers can flex or extend, moving independently from each other, bending at the joints. In full flexion the fingers curl and the hand forms a fist and in full extension the hand opens with fingers extended.

For hundreds of years humans have been using their hands in many ways. Pushing, pulling, holding, scooping, counting, grabbing, poking, waving, slapping, hitting, etc.. Hands have the ability to perform the most delicate of procedures, as evidenced by surgeons, and artists. Hands provide a language, signed for those with little or no hearing, or written. Hands have the power to create, divide, condemn, sustain, and even bless a man. Hands can move supplely and dance-like or be rigid and brute-like. Hands have been used to bring nations together as well as push them apart. But for the hundreds of years that hands have aided in the advancement of the human race, one thing is constant, hands have always protected the wearer.

Of all the martial arts and self defense techniques in the world, nothing can be more fundamental than hitting with the hand. Learning to hit with the hand is one of the first things you learn in self defense. How you hit depends on who's teaching and what you're hitting. The following is a list of some of the more common hitting hand forms.

Let's look at the basic punch. You'd think that making a fist is an innate gross motor skill that we have embedded in our physiology, but considering how many people break their hands in fights makes me beg to differ. Well, maybe making a fist is gross motor, but making it to suit the purpose of hitting needs to be learned.

I've seen many different ways fists are made. The most common way is to curl the four fingers starting from the tips into the palm of the hand, joint by joint. Then place the thumb over the index and middle finger.

It's important to keep hand relaxed up till the point of contact, just before impact clench the fist. Proper alignment in the hand, wrist, and arm is important to make for a powerful strike and less chances of spraining or breaking the wrist on impact. Steer clear of punching hard bony parts of the body. The chances of your fist coming out with the win over the head or elbow is slim; remember, the hand is made up of many tiny bones and will more than likely lose against one hard solid bone.

There are some key points to keep in mind. These points will help in preventing possible breaks, sprains, and less than powerful punches.

• Make a proper fist.
• Ensure proper alignment of hand, wrist, and arm.
• Choose targets wisely- stay clear of hard bony areas.

Next is the almighty Slap. This is one of my favorite tools to use. The power generation is just as powerful as a punch, and with less chances of injury. Imagine touching something hot, that quick flick of the wrist can generate quite a bit of power. The kinetic chain in the slap is generated through the body, to the arms, and out through the hands. Much like the chain of a flail, the arm is relaxed up to the point of impact and the energy is force out through the hand. The great thing about the slap, you can hit soft and hard targets with little to no injury to the hand.

• The most important part of the slap is to- RELAX and let it whip!

Let's now look at the heel palm. Like the slap, the heel palm is a very powerful strike with very little risk of injury. You can use the same alignment rules as the punch but the contact is made with the heel of the palm rather than the knuckles. Striking with the heel palm can also be delivered like a slap, but rather than whipping the hand, strike is made with that heel palm instead  A bonus with the heel palm is having the use of the fingers to rake and gouge the face on impact. 

When doing the heel palm, you can either bend the fingers or keep them extended. The point of contact is on the palm just above the point where the wrist meets the palm.

Next is the hand sword or edge or blade of hand strike. Extend the fingers of the hand and tuck in the thumb. You're using either the meaty part of the pinky side of the hand or the bony part by the thumb that attaches it to the hand. This hand position makes it very effective for chopping at the neck of your opponent. The chopping action, much like the motion of a hammer fist is very powerful and with little risky of injury to yourself. 

Last, but not least is my favorite- the mighty hammer fist. The hammer fist is given its name because the action resembles the swinging of a hammer. The fist is the same as the common punch, but instead of making contact with the knuckles, you make contact with the meaty part of the side of the fist next to the pinky. The hammer strike is an extremely powerful strike, and can be used to hit soft and hard parts of the body with little to no risk of injury to your hand.

Here's a last bit of advice. In order to create a more powerful strike, you should soak the target, which means to follow through as though you're hitting through it. By doing this, it forces you to commit to the strike, so be careful to not leave yourself open and exposed to a counter. As opposed to quick snapping and jabbing strikes, which aren't as powerful. Although, the faster strikes do allow you to recover quicker and keeps you less exposed to counter. They definitely have their place in the arsenal of tools. Depending on your target, you may not need so much power. In the end, use wisdom in your striking, use the appropriate strike and appropriate pressure for the appropriate target. 

These are but a small list of the tools that are in the combatants tool box, hopefully they may prove useful to you one day. Be Safe!

The Oceans Breath

Ocean activities were a big part of my life growing up in Hawaii. Free diving, surfing, body boarding, spear fishing, the list goes on. The ocean gives life. To Hawaiians, the ocean is an integral part of the aina. Aina means land, but it encompasses all the natural elements that surround and make up the land. There's a deep, almost symbiotic connection the locals have with the aina, and with that comes a very humbling respect.

The ocean is revered for its beauty, bounties, as well as its dangers. For as much as it provides life, it can quickly and violently take it away. I personally have lost relatives and friends to the ocean. My Hawaiian grandmother was very strict as to what you should and shouldn't do at the waters edge. My Tahitian native father, an avid free-diver is also very much aware of the power and dangers of the ocean, and made it a point to teach his children at an early age the do's and don'ts of ocean safety.  Respect the ocean, or it will drown you!

Unless you're half fish or have the aid of an underwater breathing apparatus, you can't breathe underwater. You rely on holding your breath in order to function and survive under water. So holding your breath is one factor, and that can be developed, but it's not the only thing. There are many physical, psychological, and environmental parts to holding your breath underwater. It's one thing to hold your breath standing in the shallow part of a pool with your head underwater, and another when you are 100 yards from shore tethered to a board that's sucking you under while being tossed around at spin cycle in the Maytag of the surf. Breathing is an important part of life and knowing how to breathe or not to breathe by necessity or design, will make a difference in whether you live or die, win or lose.

Let's first look at the environment. Where you are and what you're doing matters. Snorkeling in a protected cove is different from a surfer paddling out in swells and duck diving huge waves to get out past the breaks. Razor sharp reef and pounding surf slamming up against the rocks make for grade A human hamburger. The environment will physically and psychologically affect your body's ability to breathe. The more factors in your environment that work to unstable your balance, breathing, and safety, the more it will affect body function and performance. Familiarize yourself with the environment.

General studies prove that bodies function better when they are in good physical condition. So physical conditioning aids in a body's function to perform optimally, coupled with proper breathing exercises to task, you can along with the proper training, start to measure performance.

We hear a lot about task specific exercises. Your activities and practice should mimic the real environment as much as possible. If you're learning free-diving, depth and pressure have to be involved in the training. Having only a few pieces to the larger puzzle will inadequately prepare you for what to expect. Free-diving with a weight belt and wetsuit will impact you differently than if you were without the weight belt and wetsuit. Add fins to the mix and your performance for depth range will increase as opposed to not having fins. A surfer with a surfboard and a sponger with a bodyboard are in quest for similar rides, but the tools provide their own unique challenges. Basically, your ability to hold breath at your task will be directly proportionate to the training, tools, and environmental challenges emphasized and prioritized.

Know your craft, equipment, or the activity in which you engage in. To attempt to jump head first into the ocean without checking it's depth can kill you; same with the activities you engage in. Understand the workings of the gear you use, have them in proper operable condition. Disregarding the importance of understanding your gear can put you in a compromising position, and the ocean doesn't compromise!  You shouldn't rush big waves if you haven't surfed before. You shouldn't go deep if you haven't prepared and tested your limits in free-diving.

It all begins in the mind. If you're afraid, fine, but how you deal with that fear is important. In the ocean, fear can kill you. Fear can turn into panic and panic will turn into death. BUT, fear can also knock sense into you and trigger that instinct to survive and do what's necessary. Fear can mean survival, and survival could pull you back to rational thinking, but more often than naught it does the opposite. We also have to look at what fears are triggered. If you're on a kayak and it capsizes, the event can trigger fear in different ways. You may be afraid of sharks and the fear of being bitten overwhelms you so you curl up into a ball and stop thrashing about, because you heard that's what attracts them, or you might not be a good swimmer and you fear drowning. Sometimes that reflex action of get me the hell out the water will overcome all rational thought and instead of swimming away from shore beyond the breaks, you swim in desperate to get to shore, and if it's a rocky shoreline with large sets of waves coming in...good luck, but you'll probably drown! Here's a tip, if you're trying to exit the water and the current and waves are strong, you need to swim out pass the breaks and allow the sets to die down first before you head in. If heading in isn't possible due to strong current, swim with the current parallel to the shoreline just outside of the surf. When the current and surf lets off, swim towards the shoreline if it is accessible.

 We fear that which we don't understand or have no or very little control of; so by getting the proper education we should be less afraid if something happens, right? Maybe. Education and preparation beforehand will help, but it may not take the fear away. What it should do is help by producing the proper reflex actions and reactions needed to deal with the probable problems (I like to call them "probablems").

There are many ways and techniques used to develop holding your breath. I'll cover some that I've learned in a future blog. In the meantime, there are websites and tons of videos on breathing you can find on the internet.

Have fun! Be SAFE!

So let's review:

• Respect the ocean! Otherwise it's going to chew you up and spit you out...head first!
• Know your environment. Take the time to familiarize yourself with the currents and layout of the shoreline. Count the sets of waves. Know where your access and exit routes are. Talk to the locals about the area.
• Keep yourself in good physical condition.  
• Know your craft, equipment, and the nature of what you're doing. 
• Train accordingly. Emphasize and prioritize your training and replicate the training environment to mimic actual conditions. 
• Educate, educate, and educate yourself in order to prepare for the coined: "probablems". By educating yourself, hopefully you'll have better control of your fear and react accordingly to produce a total positive outcome.
• Have fun!!