My anti-trap device
It’s only natural to train your grip when you grapple.
Especially since research shows an inverse correlation between grip strength and all-cause mortality. Not because strong hands save you, but because they’re an indicator: you move, lift weights, eat well, and take care of yourself.
The most accessible training tool is a simple bucket of rice. There’s enough resistance to “kill” your forearms and fingers. Plus, plunging your hands into loose grains is a kind of massage.
The only mistake is limiting yourself to the gripping motion. Yes, in everyday life our hands mostly grab things, hold them, and pull. However, overuse leads to injuries: spasms, strains, tears.
Inhale implies exhale, nutrition — hunger, wakefulness — sleep. In other words, for Y to perform its function, you need -Y.
So, besides gripping the rice, you need to practice letting go. You plunge your spear-shaped fingers into the bucket and spread them like a fan. You’ll be surprised how weak the antagonist muscles are.
I love the metaphor of the little monkey that keeps herself in the trap. She sticks her little hand into a jar, grabs the rice, and her fist gets stuck. Even when the hunters are close, she cannot let go of what is dear to her.
Perhaps consciously practicing “letting go” of the rice quietly teaches the psyche: “See, there’s nothing scary about it. It even feels good. So let go more, and let go more often. To live!”
Sincerely yours,
-Alexander
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