Story by Maribel Z K

May the 4th be with you!

A simple physics lesson: Force = mass x acceleration.

Here are 4 ways that can help you increase the centrifugal force of the blow / strike against an approaching zombie. (NOTE: centrifugal force does not actually exist, according to physicists. However, it can still be applied…  very Jedi, don’t you think?)

1) Increase your arm and shoulder strength so you can lift a heavier weapon for your strike. While it might be easier to swing a lighter weapon faster, a heavier weapon swung at the same speed will hurt more (think George Foreman’s cross punch versus Manny Pacquiao’s). The weight of the weapon should preferably be at the business end (the part that hits the target). We’ll cover more about this in the future.

2) Improve your ability to estimate spacing and distance so you can swing something long (yes har har), without hitting yourself in the face and hitting your target with the sweet spot of the weapon. By swinging a longer weapon, you increase the force of your  strike. Stay tuned for future articles on this.

3) Increase your legs AND abdominal/core/back strength so you can swing a weapon faster.  Contrary to what you might think, your arms do not determine the force of your blow. The force of a circular strike starts from the center, which is you, starting from your feet, through your core to your arms and weapon (which is an extension of you). If you watch a  pro golfer or baseball player, you will see that their feet move before they twist their body. By starting your twist from your feet, to your core, to your arms and  hands, you can maximize the amount of force you can generate. If you think you’re not that strong, improve your strike speed. Stay tuned for a future demo video on this.

Mass x acceleration = Force, 4 X 2 = 6 but so is 2 X 4 = 6.

4) Increase your grip strength (lower arm muscles and fingers). It’s no good to be able to lift a heavy weapon or swing a weapon fast or slow, if you can’t hang on to it. Unless you’re an avid climber or body builder, this is a weak point for most people (especially if you work on computers all day). We’ll address ways to improve your grip strength in a future post. While a strong grip may not massively increase the force of your strike, it will help you execute more than one strike with the same weapon. Good grip strength will also come in handy when you start to get sweaty, bloody hands and arms and your weapon starts slippin’ and a-slidin’.

P.S. being a person of smaller stature and weight, I’m a huge fan of the use of acceleration to increase force. In my opinion, there’s only so much mass that my skeleton can handle or that I can accumulate from body building. With acceleration, not only can you deliver a hard blow, you can also get more blows in when the zombies attack.

Image of zombie lego clone. Source: http://leg-godt.tumblr.com/post/2911814596/lego-zombie-clone-trooper-or-is-he-a-clone