KO'd but Ok

So I know I've been MIA lately but this weekend was one of the biggest events of the year.  Outside of my passion for neuroscience, my favorite obsession is Taekwondo.  And I really don't mean that martial art you did when you were 7 years old.  My type of Taekwondo is where you gear up in light padding and fight for several rounds against an opponent who could potentially knock you out.

The Texas Taekwondo team of 2011-2012 

And this weekend was the National Collegiate Taekwondo Championships.  My team and I travelled to Boston for a weekend spent full of fighting at MIT against some of the best fighters in the nation.  Everyone's year long training regime really showed through and we were a powerful team to beat.  We came away with 3 silvers (including myself) and 1 bronze.

But I'm not here to just brag.  I also found myself raising the neurological question "what exactly causes a knock out?" At this weekend's tournament I saw a good friend and team member of mine get knocked out. I mean he hit the ground and didn't even try to get up for a good ten seconds.  It was sincerely scary.  Afterwards, I watched them take him to the medic station and put him through several rounds of medical and cognitive testing.  In fact, I was put in charge of keeping an eye out for any concussions.

This is what happened to my friend- though this video is of Aaron Cook and Steven Lopez.

When I asked him about the experience, he said his head was a bit sore now but he didn't remember being hit.  In fact, his memory didn't really start recording again until he was seated at the medic station- he doesn't remember standing up.  So what exactly happened to him?

Well after some internet research, I've come to realize that our understanding of knock outs is a little hit-or-miss.  We know that concussions are caused by the brain slamming into the interior of the skull.  But what about knock outs without the concussion?  Some sources say it's short term damage to the brain stem.  But in truth, I couldn't find much on the topic of knock outs without the concussion.  It seems like this should be an area of more study considering the number of contact sports played.

So in a final word- does anyone know where I could get more information on the nature of knock outs?

Because I had a test today....

I don't really have a detailed topic in mind to dive into.  Instead, I thought it might be fun to bring in a part of my life which has been all-consuming for the past year and a half.  Because yes, while brains are my passion I also hold another activity as my personal addiction.  Here, this'll give you a hint.

I was very excited to score a head shot.

For those of you unaware of the differences in types of martial arts, this is an example of WTF (world taekwondo federation) olympic style sparring.  Since entering college, I've become enamored with the sport of taekwondo and the Texas Taekwondo team here at UT.  We train 6 days a week with the usual weight-lifting and sprints as well as the actual technique required for an effective fighter.

Now I see how this could be mistaken as off the mark from my usual subject.  But a large amount of current research is being done on exercise and its effect on your brain.  Sure everyone knows the old adage, "exercise your mind to stay healthy" but increasing evidence indicates you need a healthy body to house that mind as well.  For example, a study done with rats showed that the animals who got time on the wheel (and were more physically active) had a greater number of new cells in their hippocampus.  This showed both adult neurogenesis and survival of the new cells (provided, there were also other factors involved such as a reduced level of stress).

But simple, monotonous workouts aren't nearly as effective for complex organisms like humans.  Yes getting your heart rate up several times a week will increase your general health,  but the best bang for your buck in terms of exercise is taking up an activity which engages both your body and mind.

My personal sport of choice is taekwondo.  To most, it may seem a brutal brawl where someone is liable to be knocked out with no determining factors besides speed and strength.  But the way that we approach taekwondo at my school, the whole sport is understood as a physical chess match.  Of course you still have to be strong enough to make your kicks perform like you want but there's a much larger element of out-thinking the opponent.  You have to apply pressure, learn to read the signs to discover your opponent's favorite kicks, and then use those against them.

It seems to be simple but things get very complex very fast as you move up in belt rankings.  I started as a yellow belt but currently sit at red, nearly black, and I know I've had to think faster and more efficiently to reach this level.

Cheesy I know, but I think it gets my point across.

Interestingly, instead of my workouts physically and mentally draining me I find myself refreshed and sharper than before.  Taekwondo may eat up over 9 hours a week of my time but I don't feel my grades have lagged because of it.

If you're not already physically active, I highly recommend taking up an activity that challenges you both physically and entally. Don't try just going to the gym to run on the treadmill for a half hour.  It wont give you the same mental boost and you'll be left bored and probably wanting to end your workout regime.  Dancing, tennis, volleyball, basketball, and (of course) taekwondo, all offer an excellent way to stay engaged and fit.

But if you'd like to see more about the strategy behind taekwondo (as well as some sweet fights), check out our upcoming event.  We'll be hosting the Southwest Conference Fight-Offs February the 25th.  I guarantee a lot of excellent fighters and some exciting matches.