A case of over-engineering

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alaskanativeson

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Here's the short version:

I have a Cold Steel Slim Stick, when I found out that it was hollow rather than solid I decided to "fix" that little oversight. I got a piece of 1/4 inch T5 titanium rod I'm going to epoxy it in place the full length of it.

Here's the full version:

I am definitely my father's son. He is an engineer-type, a WWII vet who is smarter than any 3 of my college professors combined. I'm a native Alaskan, dad learned early that to survive in Alaska you need to over-engineer things to be able to go far beyond what they were originally designed for. When the 1964 earthquake hit, whose house do you think was still standing and largely undamaged when the shaking was done? That's right, the one he designed and built. I tend to think like him.

I'm a large guy. I used to be much larger. Back when I was a little over 700 pounds (no, that's not a typo) I learned that sofas need to be built up, waterbeds need more stuctual rigidity, and that life as a morbidly obese person sucks really, really bad. After a gastric bypass I have lost over half my body weight and am under 350 pounds. One left over result is that I have a bad back that often needs a cane to help with mobility. Of course, I don't want one that's going to crumble under me, and though all of my Cold Steel walking sticks and canes (a Purple Heart stick, a pistol grip City Stick, and a Slim Stick) all seem fairly sturdy, I want more. I learned that the Slim Stick is hollow, so I went on a search for a piece of T5 titanium rod that I'm going to use to reinforce my Slim Stick. It should still be light and fast if I need to swing it, but I can't help but think I'm going to have the world's strongest cane.

Go ahead. Tell me I'm crazy.
 
That's great that you've lost the weight, I agree. Just a quick tip...semi on-topic...I play a physique/fitness coach on TV sometimes, and I have a client who had the stomach stapling procedure done. A big part of his recovery from being morbidly obese (since the weight pretty much takes care of itself) is doing exercises focusing on hip mobility, glute activation, carrying weight using good biomechanical stride form, and things like that. Being obese destroys your ability to articulate the hips and shoulders (because you become so heavy it's hard to balance while standing still, so you begin to engage the wrong muscles while walking), so the knees and back take a beating instead of the muscles absorbing shock.

Just wanted to mention you may want to seek out a reputable physical therapist with this goal in mind, and discuss it. If you notice, obese people usually have a somewhat shuffling gait and interestingly losing the weight is not enough to make this go away. It is also a cause of the other joint problems.
 
Changes to my cane were preceded by changes to myself:

Changes.jpg

Thanks, conwict, I have seen a couple of PTs. Another part of the reason I occasionally need a cane is because I have ankle, knee, and hip failures on occasion. It's understandable, I wouldn't want to have had to carry around the big fat guy they did for years.

Shoulder problems? Yeah, got them, too. You've probably heard of torn rotator cuffs, I have slap tears in both shoulders (similar injuries, but to different cartilage than rotator cuffs.) A muzzle break on my .338 makes it possible for me to shoot it still, but there's no way I can go through several boxes at a time like I used to.

These annoying limitations I'm gaining with age just add motivation to the efforts I am making to learn new defensive techniques. I doubt that I can put someone down with one right hook like I did when I was 25, but on a recent trip to Nogales, Mexico I learned that a large pen used as a kubotan to a pressure point does just as good a job with less strain on me. Nice thing about the cane is that I won't have to wait until someone gets close enough to grab me like I did in Nogales.
 
Dude, good luck on the weight loss, and I'm glad to hear you are getting a grip on it. It is tough.

I agree that the aluminum would suffice, it would be much cheaper.

I have to use a cane sometimes due to my back and knees being shot from the army. It sucks, but I haven't had any problems with a regular VA issue cane. Just the plain hollow thin tube they use, and it is only bent because I used it years ago to beat something (I forget what now). I weighed at one point 275, 6'1". I'm down to 230 and trying to keep it going down to 190 or 200.

Those canes hold up better than you think because you don't really put all your weight on them for the most part. I have a super light walking stick that is not much thicker than a sharpie and it is hollow. Made from titanium alloy? It won't fail either.

Usually, you put the weight on a cane straight down and that is why they can be made so "weak". Those hollow tubes are pretty crush resistant in that respect. If they get weight put on them at an angle such that it compromises the integrity of the cane and it folds, you are usually on your way down to the floow anyway.

If you do put a rod in it, consider a small piece of lead in the very end, then the titanium or aluminum rod (if that is legal). It will make it hit much harder, but will feel better if you put it in the handle end. If you go with aluminum, I think they sell that stuff at Home Depot.
 
I suggest finding a PT who works with athletes, and explaining to him what you want out of the relationship. Specifically improved gait through improved posterior chain activation and hip articulation. If they say "Huh?" find another one :D

BTW I really dig those pics. The coolest part is how big you're smiling in the last 2.
 
Those pictures, WOW. I bet you feel much better. When you get all the way down, it'll feel like you are floating. Try taking a weight and carrying it around in a backpack for a minute... That was enough to deter me from putting the weight back on for sure.

I used to run 5-8 miles every morning, sometimes two to three times that, on top of PT and training all day everyday. Never felt better, it was like nirvana! Now that I can't do that, life is much more difficult. Body and mind, body and mind, they go together indeed.

If you haven't been told about this yet, you NEED to get to a pool. YMCA is a good place to look, they may hook you up cheap and the pool will allow you to smoke your body without damaging your joints. I need to get back into it, we moved last year and I haven't enrolled yet. Felt so good, for the first time in years I felt like I did after a long run. Believe it or not, you body releases a very strong and addictive chemical into your bloodstream that makes you pretty much high all day long after strenuous exercise every morning. Best high in the world, has to be. When I got disabled and couldn't run, it spun me into depression and anxiety and I put on weight fast --dropping the rigorous exercise was easier than dropping the 6000 calorie per day diet I needed to stay in shape.

But the pool will help you get around all this and it doesn't hurt your back. If you can't swim, just run in water up to your neck. If you can at least tread water, that works best in the deep end. Before you know it, you'll feel much better and the strength added will help with the back pain a lot. Trust me. Been there, done that too.
 
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