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| Swollen, but hopefully not fractured. |
Every fighter I've met loves to take pictures of their injuries, and then show them off to other people. I guess it's proof that we'll live to see another day, or a visual sign of our toughness. Whatever it is, I embrace it. It's part of the sport, so if you can't take a hard hit, don't throw a punch. In any event, hands and feet have tons of small delicate bones that crack easily. It's actually legal to fight an MMA fight with a broken hand, because it's taped up anyway.
I remember having swollen feet after a season of brutally hard kickboxing classes, and I queried the teenager working behind the counter at the dojo about it. It was an enlightening few seconds—there's nothing one can do for it anyway, but tape it up and let it heal, and the substance that grows back over hairline fractures is stronger than bone anyway. That was awesome to hear, and I never forgot it.
In my ridiculous case, I was having some free form fun punching and kicking a standing bag at the office where I work, precariously perched right next to a set of files and a door. I knew it wasn't right to do it, but I was having too much fun, dancing around and throwing hay maker hooks. I hooked the door jamb, and the fight was over. Door jamb wins! This time....
I always throw them wide, because voluptuous women have a harder time keeping their arm close to the body; we have to actually squish into our bosom, which feels really weird. Every guy that's ever seen me swing feels the need at some point to give me “pointers” about something every female fighter I train with already knows, but they're late to the game anyway. Trials started for the next season of The Ultimate Fighter, and there's a women's team on it.
Have at it ladies.
