adaptation, photography, and mixed martial arts... connected? Today, yes.

 
You'll have to pardon this v. random post, but this amused me.

This morning I wanted to take a photograph of my right fist since it now looks like this, after my first night of mixed martial arts (MMA) fitness class.

Note the thickly muscled wrist... (not!)

When Bear saw my band aids he suggested I wear gloves in class.

I wore gloves in class. =)

I have the knuckles of a desk jockey.

NEVER have fought in my life, was only punching a bag (the big body bag things), and not that hard, but apparently my body is adapted to NO STRESS in the knuckle department.


This is something the body can do which continues to amaze me; adapt to what is asked of it.

I saw a special on MMA and these guys traveled ALL OVER the world to find the biggest gurus in martial arts. One gentleman they studied with, an older, tiny Japanese man, told them they were going to work on toughening up their fists.

Full of enthusiasm, the guys said "Great! How?" 'cause they'd noticed his fists were like rocks.

High Sierra rocks

He said "by punching a rock."

?!?

 (a rock. Note tiny toddler for scale, as if the trees weren't enough...)

They look at each other, then back at him, and realize he isn't kidding.

NERD ASIDE: Repeated stress (weight bearing activities (running, jumping, punching)) makes the bones build up so, in the case of punching, your knuckles/hands become more dense and hard and tough. This study showed female boxers had higher bone density than non-boxing but otherwise similarly lean women (despite super low body fat which can lead to bone density loss).


He took them out to his punching rock (I know, ow!), and he starts slugging it.

And then they have to. Looked TOTALLY unfun.

I was stunned. And it's SO low tech it makes me insane. =)


Want fists of stone? Punch stone.

To become tough, you must BE tough. Kinda deep...

Like how my husband's grandpa had HUGE hands 'cause he'd been a farmer all his life and constantly did really hard work with them. He required a lot of his body, and it responded by getting bigger and tougher. SO COOL!

This amazing photo of farmer hands is from the Christmas River blog.

I e-mailed the author but it bounced back (an aol.com account) so if it's yours and you want it attributed any other way or removed, just yell at me (biobabbler at g mail dot com).

ANY how, in order to share my tiny badge of toughness (one knuckle oozed last night!) that I'm exceedingly proud of, I wanted to take a picture of it for facebook.

Take the photo, that is, via my Nikon D50 using my left hand without the view finder.

The fist picture at the start of this entry is the best of the 12 shots I had to take.

Here are just some of the other attempts...

 

Complete and total miss. But nice shot of quilt my friend made for my wedding. =)

Nice shot of biobabbler's burly wrist...

Closer view of quilt/couch, TINY smidge of actual target at extreme bottom of frame.

And a flash-washed fraction of my fist, and my livingroom.

=)

So, I guess today's message is,

in MMA as in photography,

If at first you don't succeed,

Try, try again.

(Bear as zen master, on a rock)

And you will grow stronger.

There's another class on Thursday.

I'm TOTALLY there.

=) 

xobb

What I wore INDOORS Jan 4th: ectomorph, c'est moi

  

That's a fuzzy hat, down coat with faux-fur lined hood, and who knows how many layers underneath.

IN THE HOUSE.

I thought about this today because despite having Zappos box in room, I cannot bear to try on shoes until I'm warm enough. Still wearing fuzzy slippers, 11 a.m.

Anyhow, recently I reviewed the wikipedia definition of ectomorph (and endomorph and mesomorph). Apparently these 3 body types were described by a psychologist named William Herbert Sheldon (circa 1940s, now not such a popular idea) and he claimed they were associated with 3 different temperaments.

THIS was news to me, the link to temperaments.

And then I read this:
"Sheldon proposed that the human physique be classed according to the relative contribution of three fundamental elements, somatotypes, named after the three germ layers of embryonic development: the endoderm, (develops into the digestive tract), the mesoderm, (becomes muscle, heart and blood vessels), and the ectoderm (forms the skin and nervous system)."

Holy back-to-college-developmental-physiology time. Wow. I'd forgotten about all that.

Then read the description of ectomorph:  "characterized by long and thin muscles/limbs and low fat storage; receding chin, usually referred to as slim."

Yes, that's me generally, save for the receding chin. The "receding chin" gave me a first whiff that I was possibly going to be called a geek...

Then the personality zone?

"Roughly the three corresponding personality types proposed by Sheldon are somewhat akin to Jung's categorization of thinking, feeling and sensing types. As such they correspond quite closely to popular stereotypes of the skinny nerd, the jolly fat man, the slow-witted tough guy."

Oh, not a geek, a NERD. Ah. Thanks. SO much better. =)

But wait, there's more.

"There is evidence that different physiques carry cultural stereotypes. For example, one study found that endomorphs are likely to be perceived as slow, sloppy, and lazy. Mesomorphs, in contrast, are typically stereotyped as popular and hardworking, whereas ectomorphs are often viewed as intelligent but fearful.^[2] Stereotypes of mesomorphs are generally much more favorable than those of endomorphs. Stereotypes of ectomorphs are somewhat mixed." [bb bolded]

I must admit, if any one in a room is, in response to an unexpected loud noise, going to leap a la Warner Brothers cats and land claws-in-the-ceiling, it's me.

A trifle jumpy, sometimes.

ANYhow, SOMEwhere on line (cannot find it now) I read that ectomorphs are supposed to be poor thermoregulators (my words). Apparently they get too hot AND too cold easily. That's TOTALLY me. I get heat rash before anyone I know (at the gym when running, etc.) and my fingers turn yellow from cold if I'm in normal clothes and it's less that 74 in a room.

Anyhow, I just thought those descriptions and links to supposed temperament were interesting. I'm sure they're WAY off in many instances, and I'm not 100% ectomorph-y (can be outgoing, known to gesticulate wildly while talking, have broad shoulders, and WISH I had delicate ankles), but it's fun to think about.

And reminds me of the doshas. Just took an on-line quiz 'cause I forgot what I am: I'm vata, almost 100%, per this "what's your dosha" quiz. Once I'd first learned of this way of looking at people and their trends, I told a friend I thought I was vata. He actually knows something about Ayurvedic stuff (I don't) and without hesitation he replied "I can't believe how vata you are." Alrighty, then. Take your whirrd for it.

"Because of this [bb'ed: general thin-ness], Vatas have very little energy reserve and can tire easily and get themselves out of balance. Vatas need to get sufficient rest and not overdo things, stay warm, and keep a regular lifestyle routine."

SO ACCURATE.

Repeated point of advice for vata: stay warm in winter. Ah, we get back to my inability to try on these shoes, despite enthusiasm.

=)

I totally married a mesomorph: muscular, quiet, calm, hard working. And as if being hyper muscular wasn't enough, he got his ankle MRI'd a few years back, turns out he has an "accessory muscle." Yeah, an extra that most people don't have. I've never HEARD of this.

LITERALLY muscles on muscles. Good Lord.

At least I'm married to someone like that. =)

And can watch him toss logs as I stand outside, in a sunny patch, in my parka and gloves, clutching my giant mug of hot coffee.

=)

xoxobb

P.S. Any comments on your type (endo-meso-ecto or doshas) are more than welcome. It's fun to think about. And I won't be the least bit hurt if you think any or all of it's bunk.