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If you train enough, the affected minifractured BONES will heal thicker, denser, and stronger. Our bones literally work according to the "What doesn't kill us, makes us stronger" principle (as long as they heal correctly aligned). The wood/stone punching some martial arts do? It is to make their knuckel-bones stronger.
the trick is healing in the correct alignment, if a bone scars back together askew then the only option is to just go and break it again and try to heal it right the second time
Depends on how hard the aliens "impenetrable" exoskeleton is. If it's slightly thicker than a lobsters, it would be relatively easy to punch through. If it's rough like a lobsters, you would bloody your knuckles up soon, but if its smooth like a beetles...
Firstly, there's always the possibility with these stories that the aliens in question, while suitably tough in relation to other xenos of this imagined verse, are NOT tough by earth standards. They've got an exoskeleton. Nothing says their exoskeleton is like an earth creature's but adjusted to human size. They might have bio-armor that they're very proud of... but is no harder than maybe thick shipping cardboard.
Secondly... yes we absolutely CAN hit that hard. Even if that exoskeleton is as hard as some might imagine. Not all humans can, but humans can train to the point of smashing through concrete.
Not just strength necessary, as you pointed out you can seriously bash up your hand by hitting hard stuff. The "training" accommodates that in other ways.
First is muscle memory. First time someone punches a heavy bag, they can jack up the muscles in their arm, even if they're wearing proper padding in their hands. Your body needs actual repetitive practice on delivering such blows so it can learn how to absorb them properly. It's muscle memory, it's not something you can reach your body just by reading.
Second is a fun thing called Wolff's Law. Wolff's Law addresses a lot of issues with human bones and their adaptation, but the import thing here is... punch something hard over and over and your bones will get stronger, provided you allow them time to heal. You hit something, the bone gets tiny microfractures. When they heal, they heal sorta like scar tissue, tougher and more resistant to a future "micro" break. Do that enough, and that's how you get guys like on that human wrecking ball show where they can headbutt through walls and stuff.
I'm sure someone can explain Wolff's Law a lot better, but I understand that's the tl;dr version of it as to how "hitting hard things over and over gets you to the point where you can hit really hard things very hard and not shatter the bones in your hand."
Broken bones mean nothing when the adrenaline is pumping, I exploded 4 knuckles on of my right in a fight and didn't notice until I woke up the next day with a hand that was black and blue and had swelled up like a balloon
It only takes approx. 850 pounds of force to crack the skull. That's not hard to reach with training. I've seen people kick baseball bats in half, hit hard enough to dent metal and I've broken 5 bricks in a single strike. The human body is terrifying if you know what you're doing.
This is why Terran animals grow thick fur or scales for armor. Flexible enough to not crack when hit with blunt force, but tough enough to resist claws and bites.
> ouch my funny bone
But you should see what they did to the other guy… Back in tae kwon do, my class were punching boards for a belt test. I elected to use an elbow, and went through it so easily I could have overpenetrated and injured the dude holding the board -- at arms' length -- if I had maybe 5% more go behind that swing. Had I directed that strike at a ribcage, someone would have been having their ribs surgically repaired that evening!
The bones of the human facial structure have co-evolved to *take* an punch(by reinforcing and shaping structure to absorb impact) in near lockstep with the hand/wrist/elbow/ and shoulder changes necessary to *throw* a punch! This is one of the reasons that men’s heads are significantly heavier than women’s, while women have evolved facial skin that heals with less scarring.
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Andrey-Kiladze/publication/336530761/figure/fig2/AS:813933766127624@1571068340266/The-skeleton-of-the-Nile-crocodile-Crocodylus-niloticus-having-osteoderms-on-the-back.jpg
https://www.findingrocks.com/media_uploads/archive/202011/optimized/20201111103402_762.jpg
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/08/a0/e3/08a0e39a6f506f8288a76bddf1e03f7e.jpg
Crocodilians have bony plates in their skin. Are you telling me that with the right combination of drugs and treatment I too can grow osteoderms that will stop a .44 Magnum?!
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we can't actually hit that hard without protective gear. not without breaking bones in the hand anyway.
The adrenaline would probably kick in. Your hand is broken, but you're still gonna beat the daylights out of anyone that you have to.
If we train enough our skin GROWS the appropriate protective gear.
https://preview.redd.it/57l74kpksdoc1.jpeg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5fa493055df711eb5c6bc0dbcc56ab5e2ee69434 If you train enough, the affected minifractured BONES will heal thicker, denser, and stronger. Our bones literally work according to the "What doesn't kill us, makes us stronger" principle (as long as they heal correctly aligned). The wood/stone punching some martial arts do? It is to make their knuckel-bones stronger.
Yep, most broken bones are stronger than they were when broken. The exception is the elderly, but that has a lot to do with diet and age.
the trick is healing in the correct alignment, if a bone scars back together askew then the only option is to just go and break it again and try to heal it right the second time
"Oops, better try again. *crack*" Alien: What the F-
Is it true that you can make the knuckles stronger, but you lose mobility?
Yes.
Or you can just use brass knuckles.
The daftpunk genes at work
Depends on how hard the aliens "impenetrable" exoskeleton is. If it's slightly thicker than a lobsters, it would be relatively easy to punch through. If it's rough like a lobsters, you would bloody your knuckles up soon, but if its smooth like a beetles...
as someone who has punched someone and broke their ribs and only has a bruise, thats cap.
Firstly, there's always the possibility with these stories that the aliens in question, while suitably tough in relation to other xenos of this imagined verse, are NOT tough by earth standards. They've got an exoskeleton. Nothing says their exoskeleton is like an earth creature's but adjusted to human size. They might have bio-armor that they're very proud of... but is no harder than maybe thick shipping cardboard. Secondly... yes we absolutely CAN hit that hard. Even if that exoskeleton is as hard as some might imagine. Not all humans can, but humans can train to the point of smashing through concrete. Not just strength necessary, as you pointed out you can seriously bash up your hand by hitting hard stuff. The "training" accommodates that in other ways. First is muscle memory. First time someone punches a heavy bag, they can jack up the muscles in their arm, even if they're wearing proper padding in their hands. Your body needs actual repetitive practice on delivering such blows so it can learn how to absorb them properly. It's muscle memory, it's not something you can reach your body just by reading. Second is a fun thing called Wolff's Law. Wolff's Law addresses a lot of issues with human bones and their adaptation, but the import thing here is... punch something hard over and over and your bones will get stronger, provided you allow them time to heal. You hit something, the bone gets tiny microfractures. When they heal, they heal sorta like scar tissue, tougher and more resistant to a future "micro" break. Do that enough, and that's how you get guys like on that human wrecking ball show where they can headbutt through walls and stuff. I'm sure someone can explain Wolff's Law a lot better, but I understand that's the tl;dr version of it as to how "hitting hard things over and over gets you to the point where you can hit really hard things very hard and not shatter the bones in your hand."
Brass knuckles FTW. They transmit the impact to the heel of the hand, so you can hit much harder without injuring your fingers.
Palm strikes and elbows, and you don't need to carry around a pound of metal that way! Elbow strikes are fucking _gnarly…_
i guess that is why they are illegal weapons in so many places.
Broken bones mean nothing when the adrenaline is pumping, I exploded 4 knuckles on of my right in a fight and didn't notice until I woke up the next day with a hand that was black and blue and had swelled up like a balloon
palm strikes knees elbows
It only takes approx. 850 pounds of force to crack the skull. That's not hard to reach with training. I've seen people kick baseball bats in half, hit hard enough to dent metal and I've broken 5 bricks in a single strike. The human body is terrifying if you know what you're doing.
And add to the training addendum of, adrenaline, or reason to kill...you think mama bear mode is rough, trained mama bear is exponetially worse.
Aw damn that’s nice chitin unfortunately our species are all unarmed specialists
This is why Terran animals grow thick fur or scales for armor. Flexible enough to not crack when hit with blunt force, but tough enough to resist claws and bites.
H4: Get some melted butter!
H5: Make that garlic butter!
H6: I got some chili...
H7: I got the bibs and cutlery. We're eating good tonight.
H8: I've got Bubbly!
H9: I got the microwaved honeybun
I've got the shell crackers.
Don’t forget we have elbows which if you use it right you have no nerve tissue there hit it wrong ouch my funny bone
> ouch my funny bone But you should see what they did to the other guy… Back in tae kwon do, my class were punching boards for a belt test. I elected to use an elbow, and went through it so easily I could have overpenetrated and injured the dude holding the board -- at arms' length -- if I had maybe 5% more go behind that swing. Had I directed that strike at a ribcage, someone would have been having their ribs surgically repaired that evening!
And that’s the reason there are so many rules against using it in most sports
Yup. That's for when you *really* want to fuck a motherfucker up.
Funny bone shmunny bone [UFC elbow knock outs](https://youtu.be/hnZKOrRu-mA?si=bCfztVFt-PWx3k3s)
There's an argument that our hands are specifically evolved to be effective as fists, and our faces are evolved to withstand the punches.
It is also the possible reason why men grow beards. A cushion to soften the blow.
I once read that they think a decent beard can cushion a punch’s force by up to 30% which is just insane.
It's amazing how effective it is.
The bones of the human facial structure have co-evolved to *take* an punch(by reinforcing and shaping structure to absorb impact) in near lockstep with the hand/wrist/elbow/ and shoulder changes necessary to *throw* a punch! This is one of the reasons that men’s heads are significantly heavier than women’s, while women have evolved facial skin that heals with less scarring.
Also, Myositis Ossifican is a real thing. Basically, if you keep damaging a muscle (corked thigh eyc.) Then bone can form.
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Andrey-Kiladze/publication/336530761/figure/fig2/AS:813933766127624@1571068340266/The-skeleton-of-the-Nile-crocodile-Crocodylus-niloticus-having-osteoderms-on-the-back.jpg https://www.findingrocks.com/media_uploads/archive/202011/optimized/20201111103402_762.jpg https://i.pinimg.com/originals/08/a0/e3/08a0e39a6f506f8288a76bddf1e03f7e.jpg Crocodilians have bony plates in their skin. Are you telling me that with the right combination of drugs and treatment I too can grow osteoderms that will stop a .44 Magnum?!
Hey men, you got him You want what he's having? No? That's what I thought, JUSTICE FOR GOTHAM
Of course we can use our fist. However I prefer to use the Chankla, simple, effective, and traumatic.
Alien: what! How? Human: adaptive physiology son. The human body grows stronger in response to trauma.
"Get Nemean Lion'd idiot."
H1: Tonight I dine on crabman! A2: You can't say that anymore! It's specist!