Telegraphing Movements

How is it possible to generate maximum force and power without telegraphing your moves?

A slight shuffle of one foot or a twist of a hip can destroy your chances of winning a fight. Especially to those who understand the motions. In a boxing or kumite tournament, it is critical to conserve energy while making effective strikes. But the most effective strikes depend on rotation and focus.

So, I wonder how. Someone, please tell me the secret.

Schemes of a Beauty (part 3)

Sigh. People forever love making trouble. Eliminate Concubine Li, please. Empress Dowager Dou, please start trusting your son.

• Concubine Li, you do know your schemes will get you and your son a terrible ending, right?
• Concubine Wang, as long as you don't become evil, I fully support you to be the Empress Dowager. 
• I'm glad that Empress Dou and Empress Bo came to an understanding before she died.
• Both Liu Qi and Guantao are idiots. They buy into Concubine Li's nonsense. I mean seriously? Why would Liu Wu get the throne if Crown Prince Liu Qi was guaranteed it?
• Ugh. The new Crown Prince Liu Rong is so arrogant and selfish.
• Yay! Empress Zhang, now Zhou Yan, is married to General Zhou. I feel happy that Yan Er had her lifelong wish granted. Also, I'm glad that General Zhou feels better over the death of Xue Yuan.  
• Princess Guantao is pretty stupid, but in some ways, she is clever.  So, as much as she irritates me, because she helps get rid of Concubine Li, I can live with her.
• Then again, she was the one who caused her father to have a shock and die. And she was the one who sent assassins to kill her brother. 
• It's always so sad at the end of every drama when all the good people die. 
• Empress Dou, please understand almost everything was not your son's fault. It was his concubine's fault.  Or his sister's fault. 
• I'm glad that Empress Dou and General Zhou have become super good friends. They aren't enemies anymore. It's sad they they are the last two. 
• Emperor Hui/ Dou Changjun truly gave up everything to ensure that Empress Dou would face less troubles in her life. He deserves to be worshipped as a hero. 
• It's sad to say that despite the drama may portray all of this as a happy and easy lifetime, in reality, their lives were very hard. 
• I'm surprised that General Zhou didn't have to commit suicide like his actual ending; but rather, showed him happily drinking tea with Grand Empress Dowager.

I appolgize if I keep changing or not changing the names of the characters as they are in the film, but it drives me nuts. I prefer using one name through the whole review. 

This drama was draggy in the middle, but had a good overall storyline.  It also is the closest to history as possible in all the period dramas that I have watched.

Rate : 6.5/10 

Question of 12/23

Which is more important?

True love? Or wealth?

There is no right answer to this. Even with each individual person, the answer can change.

Schemes of a Beauty (pt 2)

Now that I am some where in the middle of the 25th episode, I can say several things.

• Gahd. Yi Fang/ Yun Xi , stop letting your aunt go. She's gonna cause even more trouble for you later. You should have let Xue Yuan kill her.
• Yi Fang, tell the emperor the truth already. He loves you too much to be overly bothered. Of course he will be hurt that you are a spy, but the truth is always better than the lie.
• Shen Er, sigh, you keep misunderstanding your sworn sister. She only means good and you keep trying to harm her. It's just that she took your good luck and gave you her bad. Just accept your fate and live a low key life. 
• Emperor Wen/ Prince of Dai, you need to look after your children better. They are your future. Yet you allow them to start fights with each other and run amok.
• Eh. Did Yang Mi, Mickey He, and Feng Shaofeng all have to be actors in this drama? I'm tired of them already. And I only watched one drama with them in it (The Place.)
• And the two kids are so outrageous in their mannerisms. It almost matter if you don't like your half brother or Zhou Yafu. You can't just do as you please because you're the eldest children of the king...
•  Empress Zhang, please, don't isolate yourself. Even if you're the mother of the puppet emperor, the grandniece of the dead evil Grand Empress Dowager, the niece of the current emperor and a bunch of other stuff, you need friends. You still have almost two decades ahead of you (according to Wikipedia, she died before she was almost 40). You can't suffer for this long. Of all the characters, you're my favorite. Everyone else just either annoys me or is irrelevant.

So, yes at this point, I'm fed up with the drama. But I will finish it.

Schemes of a Beauty

Yay! More dramas. Especially when I shouldn't be watching them. I should be studying for finals.

Anyhow. It's pretty nice so far.

You got your standard characters :

• Evil empress
• Evil empress dowager
• The protagonist girl
• The person who misunderstands the main character
• The assassins
• The naïve, gullible folks
• The faithful servants
• The emperor
• The prince(s) who want the throne
• The imperial court
• The spy

Gahd. Yang Mi and Mickey He are in this drama too. Stop pairing them together. 

I'll finish my thoughts later on in the drama.

Children

How does one make a child obey?

Sigh. The children at my dojo do not understand respect and discipline. Or, rather, they have been conditioned to run freely. I know I often complain about this, but it's vexing.

As, yesterday, I was requesting for a younger brown belt, about ten years old, to help me with the white belts. But, he stayed put and started whining. It's rediculous. As one person, one black belt candidate, I cannot attend to two or three groups at once. So, I need help.

If they do not obey me, I understand. I'm not the sensei. I'm just a black belt candidate. But these two brown belts, a majority or the purple belts, and more than I can count of white belts refuse to listen to the sensei. (Currently, we have no green or yellow belts because they all disappeared.) Frustrating. I know I have no power to do anything, but, I do have a right to put in a complaint. If the brown belts are not orderly, no one else will be.

Oh, in cause you were wondering, no, I don't teach the class. I just assist at the beggining of class before all the other higher ranks come.

It's so irritating. The young brown belts jump up and down with joy when the class is dismissed. That is not okay behavior. If you don't want to come to class, stay home. We don't need you. Show composure during the bowing in and bow out of class. And all the time in between.

I know I'm being overly harsh, but the young brown belts constantly piss me off. (Sorry for the bad language. ) If the sensei personally lectures you in private to improve your behavior, you better do it. At this rate, they will get kicked out. Especially if they keep up this behavior when we go to our sister dojo next month. If the head sensei and his wife, the other head sensei see how poor they behave, they will get kicked out permanently. Even then, I highly doubt they will take the hint that was shoved down their throat.

I apologize for my rant. I just wish for a way to have these young brown belts understand the extent of their foolishness.

Tortilla Chips

I wonder how the tortilla chips from the store and the ones from the taqueria come out so crispy and tasty. Because I've tried making them at home. It was a failure.

So, could you, my delightful reader, tell me?

Isolation

Everyone has that day where they feel lonely. Where they feel it's all their fault. Even if it isn't. Then, those people have no one to talk to. So, it builds up. And they commit suicide.

So, talk to people today. And reach out to others.

Open Letter to Teenagers of Society

Dear Not Children Anymore,

Please stop whining about being treated like a child. That's childish.

Stop looking down on people like Miley Cyrus when you also try to pull off the same shit.

Please use your manners and be courteous.

You know very little. So don't act like you know a lot. Please.

You're lamer than you think.

So, rethink your actions.

Sincerely,

Samurai

Assumptions

It isn't okay to assume things. No matter what. When you assume, disasters can happen. So don't guess. Ask. But be polite when you ask.

The Stepfather (2009)

It wasn't scary. Even though it was classified as a thriller-horror movie.

It's an interesting concept though. The stepfather goes through many many single families. And he kills all of them at the end. It gives us insight into the minds of serial killers. They do have emotions, but the emotions are all wrong. 

I do recommend the movie. Do watch it. And watch the original movies (The Stepfather 1,2,3). It's on YouTube. 

Rate: 6.2/10 

1,000 Views!!!

Yes! I've passed the 1,000 views mark. That only took more than 7 months. Well, thanks anyways, guys.

Robin Hood (2006)

This BBC series is pretty good. I've watched the first episode. And half of two others.

I do have to say, I'm not surprised about the series ending. Yep. I spoiled it for myself. Unfortunately.

More thoughts later if I decide to watch more.

Rate: 7.1/10

Ranger's Apprentice : The Royal Ranger

Today, when I went to the book store, I saw this book. Unfortunately, this book is the last of the Ranger's Apprentice series. For four years, I have followed Will and his journey. I'm sad that it has ended.

At this point in book 12, Will is about fourty years old. Since he became an apprentice at 15, then the 5-ish years as an apprentice (Since the whole kidnapping thing in books two, three, and four took about a year.) After that, maybe 2-5 years were spent in books 5,6,8,9,10 and 11. Of course, then comes along Maddie. Who is 15 years old at the begginging of book 12.

I'm surprised that Halt, Pauline and King Duncan are still alive. Because they would be older than 70 years old. Crowley already died, and Duncan's clearly on his way.

I think the most tragic thing of all is that Alyss dies. Her selfless act leaves her husband of 15 years alone.

I suppose Will does feel closure when he kills Ruhl. Ruhl did kill his wife, and a friend of his, Liam. I kinda wished that his death would have been more epic than just being set on fire.

Good for Maddie to grow up. The thing I wonder most is that if she will decide not to be Queen. But instead remain a Ranger. I mean, that is likely. I wonder how Cassandra and Horace would deal. Well looks like they're going to be busy making another kid. And they better hurry because they're also in their forties. I guess, they may have to adopt?

Rate: 9.1/10

So lovely of a book.

$2 Bill

Hey guys. In case you didn't know. There's such thing as a $2 bill. It has a Picture of President Jefferson on it.

More Manners

Please people. Courtesy is key. I'd rather have a million people constantly apologizing than one person being rude once.

• Don't throw the stuff that someone kindly gave to onto the floor and walk away. Please. You've ruined their good will.
• When people talk to you, please respond. Even a grunt to show that you're listening would be appreciated.
• When asked to do something go do it.
• If you need/want someone to do something, please directly ask them to do it. Don't yell commands halfway across the room. 
• Please don't butt into conversations that are not yours.
• Please watch your language. 

I guess that's all I have to say for today.

Samurai Returns

Hi. I'm back. I apologize for my absence again. The internet was down at my house up until now. So, I couldn't do much. I do have my phone, but it has such terrible 4G service, so there's no point in trying to use my phone.

It's amazing how we are so dependent on things, like the internet.

What can you not survive without?

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween my fellow readers.

I apologize for not posting. Don't worry. Nothing happened to me. I'm fine.

Group Projects or Individual Projects

Which do you prefer? Individual Or Group?

Personally,  I like individual because group members are irritating.

Guide to Manners

Please, My fellow readers, use your manners.

• Don't address people with : "Oi. Hey you. You. Boy . Girl. Hey. Wei. " Or any other types of noises.
• Please say please and thank you and excuse me.
• Don't yell "WHAT!?!?" when someone talks to you or you didn't hear what they asked. Please. Either say what more calmly and not sharply or say pardon or could you repeat that?
• Don't cut in line.
• Leave things cleaner than you found it when you finish. 
• Clean up after yourself. 
• Don't spit. Or pick food or boogers out of your mouth and/or nose and flick it away.
• When you drop things, pick it up.
• Shut your mouth when someone is speaking. One floor, one mic.
• Avoid saying retard, shut up (I know I just did.), fuck, bitch, or any other curse or derogatory word. Other forms of the word do apply.
• When you have conversations, don't yell your conversation to the world. Talk quieter. 
• On the other hand, when speaking to all, speak LOUDER.
• Oh yes, don't abuse the periods and exclamation marks. (Pet peeve of mine. Lolololol or just even too many lol's drive me nuts too.)
• Don't cut in line. Please. 
• Worship the golden rule like it's a god. ( You know, treat others as you want t be treated.) 
• Also, if it's not yours, don't touch without permission. 
• Don't start fights or arguments of any sort. Odds are, both of you are wrong. Or at least one of you is wrong and the other one is a person with bars manners. Or you both are wrong and have bad manners.

I guess that's it for today. Maybe another manners reminder some day soon. 

AP Biology is Torture

APBio is seriously a handful. I've been considering not to go to karate practice because of it. Every time that there's a lab report due, I will stay up until four in the morning trying to finish.  And that's kinda why I haven't posted in a while. Too much AP homework. Don't take it if you procrastinate or are lazy.

Book Review For Sammy Keyes

Sammy Keyes and the Killer Cruise is the most recent of all the Sammy Keyes books. They're all mysteries.

Not really much of a review, but basically, Darren Cole, her father invites her on a cruise. And on this cruise, we meet the Kenningstons. Who are some ultra rich family that has its kids fighting for the inheritance. Kenningston Sr. is fed up with his kids' behavior and decides fake his own death as a test. Which everyone fails. Except for his adopted grandson, Kip. So, Sammy, her best friend, Marrissa, her father, and Marko, the drummer in Darren's band, all try to help Kip to find the truth about the "death". No one knew he was actually alive, except for Grandma Kate.

Kinda somewhat cliché, but not bad. I love Sammy Keyes Mysteries. Did I say that already?

 Rate: 7.2/10

Gi or Not to Obi

Oh god. My next complaint.

All the new students wear their uniform wrong. Most tie their belts wrong. Others have the right side of the gi over the left. Or some don't even have their gi tied. There is just an open front. And neither sensei fixes them.

I've Lost the Way

At practice today, I've realized that I've lost the Way. I don't have that fighting spirit that I used to have. It's been beat out of me. I've become just like everyone else. All of them soft and without a spark. So, I've instead have "improved". My stances are better, my kime is better, my kihon is better. But I have no spirit. No more as I did at the beginning. I've become a shell of what I was.

Pan's Labyrinth Review

This was a pretty decent movie. Except for the part that it's in Spanish. So, the subtitles were nice.

I was wondering the whole length of the movie why that the Captain wasn't dead yet. They had so many opportunities to kill him. Yet they didn't. Or he was still living after loosing so much blood and not being treated for his injuries. He just insisted on getting rid of the rebels.

I wonder why the mother decided to marry the Captain. Sure, it provided security and wealth, but still. She's crazy. She would have been better off selling her late husband's stuff, than marry this cold hearted bastard. She burned the mandrake root that was keeping her alive. She killed the good intentions of her daughter. Gahd.

Orfeila is a generic character. Nothing's really special about her. Sure, she's some princess of another realm, but so what? She's your standard brave little girl who has a kind heart. And believes in fairies. She didn't put enough sedatives in the captain's drink. Seriously. Put a quarter into the glass. And maybe put another half of the sedatives into the bottle of whiskey or what ever it was. She needs to run faster and stop staring. I was surprised that she didn't die from being so slow and hesitant.

Mercedes and the Rebels were a hilarious bunch. They aren't really good at what they did. It was just that the soldiers were lame, so that these Rebels got to live. And Mercedes needed to be more careful. She was a bit too careless at times. I still wonder why the Captain didn't die from being stabbed twice by her and sliced in the mouth by her.

Despite my rant, I give it a 6.5/10.

100th Blog Post

Yes. I'm finally here. It only took me about five months...

100 short posts that consist no more than 10 sentences. If even ten sentences. With the exception of a few posts.

So, let's all celebrate!

Personality G

The Immature Jerk Jock

He is athletic. Loves to flirt with girls. Has a wandering eye. Has very little patience for school. He is irresponsible and not dependable. Will often be late. He loves using his phone. He will have a girlfriend(s). If stuck in a group with him, expect him to do nothing. If he does do work, it will be of low quality. He loves cracking jokes at the expense of others. Will be friends with other Jerk Jocks. He has the alpha male mentality.

Personality F

The Nice Kid

This doesn't really have a specific gender tied to it. This kind of person is nice to everyone. They never get mad. They will never do a mean or evil deed. It's a rarity, but a valuable friend not have.

Mistakes in Reflection

Sometimes, when demonstrating a technique, you don't realize that you do it wrong. Unless someone points it out to you or you see the other students do it wrong.

This is often times true with the class and with me in the dojo and outside in the real world. It provides a learning experience, which is nice.

Under the Dome, Season 1

Kinda late to post this, but anyhow:

I don't like cliffhangers. They annoy me.  So this ending annoys me.

The character I dislike the most is not Big Jim, but rather Linda. She's been bought over by Big Jim, not consciously, though. So, she's become his puppy. Following everything he says and going with him, wherever.  She even believes him without a second thought. No no no. You're a police officer, you must think for yourself.

As for the whole egg connection thing with Norrie, Angie, Joe and Junior, it's rather confusing. How did they become the chosen ones? Why did Julia become the monarch? And why did dropping the egg in the lake make "the pink stars are falling in lines" become true? Why?

Through this event, we see the true character of everyone.

Rate: 6.5/10

Glasses in Sports

A total no-no. But, if you're half blind without them, what can you do? Buy expensive contacts or expensive goggles? Heck no. Goggles wouldn't work in Martial Arts.

So, I'm stuck with my glasses for the time being.

Romance Town, Part B?

So, I'm somewhere in the middle of episode 9.

Dang, Mr. Hwang is super rich. If he has more money than all the houses on First street, then how much would that be? Let's see. Maybe 15 houses. Each worth 15 billion won. So, 625 billion won. Plus the 10 billion that he gave to Soon Geum, the main character. And let's say that's only one thirtieth of what he has. So, 19.05 trillion won? Or about 18-ish billion American Dollars? Oh dang. Rich.

I wonder when Gun Woo and Young Hee will find out they like the same person.

Excuse me for the misspelling of names. I still can't remember what their names are.

Romance Town

Yep, the Korean Drama with the maids. I honestly forgot all of the characters' names. But, I do like the drama. I have to say, the main character doesn't get the full amount of money in the end. She only gets like a fraction of the 1.4 billion won ( or 14 billion won, the translations aren't uniform and so I don't know which.), but she makes friends and has a boyfriend. So that is good. And she goes through a lot to get the 10 or 100 million won...

Well. I shouldn't be too judgy. I haven't even finished the third episode.

Legend of Korra

Yes, season 2 came out today. The first two episodes. I have a to say, the premier hour disappointed me. It wasn't very anything. The only thing that made me rise an eyebrow was, Uncle Umalac, not sure how to spell it, was shown to be a man of peace and understanding. But that turned out to be false. He wants a war with the Southern Water tribe. And he used his niece, Korea to get what he wanted. The Southern Lights do exist in real life. I do have to agree that the Southern Water Tribes are a bit more of a modernist society.

Ooo... So, we're going to have the history of the avatars, that's pretty cool.

Laws of Life

I swear that there is some Murphy's law or some other theory that states teachers secretly plan to make their tests and assignments all due on the same day. If not, well... Its not possible.

The Lessons of AP Classes

• "Caution, due dates are closer that they appear." 
• This is a true statement. People do, your work early.
• Budget time and supplies.
• Things take longer than you expect to do them. And, you often need more stuff to do it.

Tardiness

Is isn't good to be late to something. Most of the time. Sometimes, being late cold save your life. But, if you are late and people are waiting for you, then that is not good. Yeah, so, people, be dependable and show up on time.

Left and Right Hand

It is quite frustrating to have to teach a fourth grader which hand is which. Maybe I set my bar too high, but by eight years old, you should know left from right. But, then, I would be a hypocrite since I confuse my left and right when giving out directions. But when doing kata, you must know which way to turn. So, how can we teach the kids to turn in the correct direction with the correct foot or arm forward? Someone tell me a possible solution or a good method.

The Palace (2013 Movie)

Yes. The C-Drama with Chen Xiao and Zi YiLing. That was basically why I watched this movie. Since they did an awesome job in Female Prime Minister,

Okay, anyhow, I find this movie ironic if compared to Female Prime Minister.Lu Zhen insists on one husband, one wife, but in The Palace, as Liu Li, she has a husband and a lover. You're really going against yourself here. Not to mention, she plays a scheming and friend stabbing wife in this film. More opposites...

All these characters in the story are flat and static characters. Mostly one dimensional.

I've not even mentioned the main lady, Chen Xiang. She can stand physical and mental pain. She likes 13th Prince. But, because of her lack of a backbone, Liu Li steals 13th from her. Seriously, is 9th not enough for you? Even if you don't marry him, having him willing to your bed at night is pretty good already. Poor Eunuch dude, I think his name is Bao Bei Er, but I could be wrong, his name never stuck with me. Eunuch dude was beat up under Liu Li's orders as a way to prevent 13th and Chen Xiang to get together.

So, that horse ride scene at the end was pathetic. Really? It's the same thing as the one in Female Prime Minister. Couples riding off into the sunset... In this, I had no feeling for that final scene.Please, directors, make your scenes more original, especially when you got the same actor(s) in your films. It has become a cliché.

13th goes blind in his attempt at killing the emperor. So, he spends the next ten years blind. With Chen Xiang accompanying him. Stupid people.

Oh yeah, and one actor that I was surprised to see was Dick Cheng or is it Dicky Cheung? Anyhow, when I was younger, I was a fan of all of his kung fu movies or anything he starred in. He plays a senior eunuch in the film.

Rate: 4/10

Despite this being a long post, this movie sucks at being a movie. Just saying...

Personality E

The I Love My race Type

These people get offended easily when their race or ethnicity is mentioned. Even when people mean well. It's quite bothersome. I know, having pride in your background is good, but too much is not good.

Personality Post D

The Awkward Girl:

She's viewed as a weirdo by the other folks in society. She maybe lonely or only have a few friends. She wants to be like the Fab-Bitches. She does well in school. She's friendly and helpful. She has dreams of being someone but herself.

Personality Part C

The Fab-bitches:

Smarter than the Airheads. But otherwise very similar. Except this group is totally not very pleasant to others outside of their circle. Maybe even mean to those in their circle or level. This one will be texting even more than the airheads. They are smart enough to take advantage of the Shy Guys who may find these Fab-Bitches pretty. Probably dating a guy in the immature-jerk category.

Personality Post B

Yes. Definitely a series.

Airheads or Low IQ girls:

Most of them are pretty stupid. Not stupid to the point where the peoples would say they are not normal. So high 80 to 90 IQ points. They can function but don't get very good grades. They often times care about fashion. So, they'll dress up ad wear makeup and the like. Often will be carrying a purse or tote bags. Never a backpack. They will have a total interest in all the hot guys and possibly have a boyfriend. Will no doubt have all the social networking accounts and use them every minute possible. Lots of selfies... Ugh. Selfies... They will be part of the  C+ listers or better. (A+ listers are the most popular or highest rated kids in school.)

Personality Type Post A

I've been wanting to do a post about personality types for awhile.

Shy, quiet guy:

These guys are wallflowers. Very quiet, you never really notice them. These guys are really nice people. Often times this group of guys are pretty smart and hardworking. They often keep to themselves.

Pop Culture.

Gosh, the hip culture these days. It's moving at such a fast pace. It's at the curved part of the J in an exponential growth graph. Very soon, everything will change by the day or week, not just by the week or month or year. It will change fast. You probably won't even know what someone is saying to you until the word is out of fashion. Then also, it will bring in more idiot minded actions and movements. Oh dear. Get me an ibuprofen please.

(I apologize about my random rants. )

The Help

Heck. I loved this movie. It's very inspirational.

One of the things that I find most ironic was that charity fundraiser. Hilly's society group was willing to raise money for the "poor African children in Africa", but aren't willing to give a cent towards the African Americans at home. I mean seriously? You could give your maid that $75 to pay for her son. But noooooo..... You spend it on some baked goods that may or may not be filled with some feces or urine.

Hah. That chocolate-poo cake scene was hilarious. Hilly got what she deserved.

"You is kind. You is smart. You is important." See, the African American housemaids raise the white children to have confidence in themselves. The thing is, after they grow up, they treat their nannies like shit. I would think that they could extend some kindness to the the people that raised them. Like Skeeter and Constantine. Gosh, Skeeter is truly unique. If she was real, I'd nominate her for the Noble Peace Prize. She deserves it.

Rate: 8/10 (It's almost impossible for me to give high scores. I'm picky.)

Tournament Results

Sigh. I lost. Again. Both in weapons and in individual kata. I do say, I am surprised that I did the best in weapons compared to everyone else in my dojo. It's difficult to win when you go up against these people that should be black belts already, but aren't. Sometimes due to age or time, they are still at a lower rank. As a black belt candidate, my performance should be better, but it isn't. So, how can I improve? I have improved, but it isn't enough.

Tournament Again

Odds are, I'm not going to place again. Oh Well. I've lost count of how many times I have gone to this tournament. I'd guess between the April youth and August adult tournament, this will be the 8th time I've been to that dojo's hosted tournament. I wonder why we don't go to any other tournaments? Besides the ones hosted by our sister dojos in our organization. Life is life. I've gotten third place once and that's it. Unless you count those times I got third because there were only three teams. Eh. Wish me luck. I must get a prize this year. (Was it really four months ago when I started posting on this blog about being a brown belt and that spring tournament?) I hope that the Senseis do not spring another "you're competing in this event" in the morning again. Since last time, we got told that we were competing in team kata 5 minutes before the doors opened for registration. God that was a mess...

WOOT!!!!!

Bu Bu Jing Qing Official Theme Song Yeah, if you haven't clicked that link, you should. So, the sequel of  Scarlet Heart, also known as Bu Bu Jing Xin, is coming out in March of next year. Or so they say. I'm super super excited. But, as with the previous two trailers, it seems a bit disappointing of a drama. I won't make an final opinion until I finish the series when it comes out and is subbed in English. Sorry, my Chinese isn't that great.

The Legend of Korra season two, is coming out in four weeks on September 13th. So another thing to be excited for. Korra's going to learn some spiritual responsibilities. She's sure going to mature.

Revolution  (September 25th) and Elementary (September 26) , both also with their second season is coming out. Yay! More TV to watch instead of doing my three AP classes worth of work. Or practicing for my black belt exam. Or for the tournament on Sunday... Life!

On Helping New White Belts

Honestly, in our dojo, we could help the new students a bit more. Although, they say it's traditional for the beginners and the advanced all train in one group, it's very disorienting for the newcomers. Sure, doing basics, warmups, cool downs, and whatever else together is a good way to learn. But, if at some point in the class, the newcomers don't get a time for instructor, junior or senior, to make them feel welcome by explaining them to them as a smaller group of newbies, then, often times, those folks will leave. When the new students leave, it is a disaster for the dojo. Okay, well, not disaster, but it still isn't a good thing. Even as a black belt candidate, I have no say over this. I understand that we don't have the time to pay special attention to these new folks.

So, how can we retain the students?

Taking Notes

I don't like taking notes. Period.

Yet, every single day, notes must be taken. Cornell notes are a useful way of taking notes. So is outline style. I personally like outline style better because it takes more time to write Cornell notes in a sense due to the questions and summary parts of the notes. The paragraph/sentence method makes reviewing and digesting information quite difficult since it's just all in one chunky thing.

What are your favorite type of notes?

Vomiting

Vomiting is not fun. Ever. Especially as a side effect. At least I don't feel as terrible because of my teeth. But the mouth rinse tastes terrible beyond horrid. Eh. If you ever have a choice, don't get your wisdom teeth pulled out.

College is Expensive

To think that the most expensive school in the United States costs about $67,000 with everything paid for, including tuition, food, room and board, books and the odds and ends is depressing. Federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour... So, to pay for that year, you'd have to work 9,241 and 23 minutes. Or 231+ 40-hour weeks. That's more than six years of work for one year of education. Well. Ponder on. Samurai leaves you with that thought of costs.

Final Thoughts On New My Fair Princess

There was indeed a happy ending for Yong Qi and Xiao Yan Zi. I feel sorry for Benjamin. He spent nearly five years knowing that he would be alone. Yet he didn't mind as long as his love was happy. Man, he is stupid.

I wonder if Gao Ming and Liu Hong get married. As, they also get an unresolved marriage ending like Fifth and Yan Zi.

Well. Rate: 6.5/10. Better than Gong, but still kinda poor quality.

Bye Bye Wisdom Teeth

I no longer have wisdom teeth. But I do have a headache. And in a few hours will have teeth pain. I feel like vomiting again. Removing offending wisdom teeth is expensive and unavoidable. But it's better in the long run. So, looks like no karate practice tomorrow. Sigh. Speaking of which there's a tournament on the 25th.... Ugh. Bad time to miss a class. Oh well. My health is more important than my preparations for a tournament.q

Not Posting

I apologize for not posting often enough. I need to start posting some post every day. And maybe two a day to average out some post per day for the whole blog life of the blog. I should do that. But now, off to procrastinating on homework.

Wisdom Teeth

Getting wisdom teeth pulled out is painful. I don't really understand why the teeth is called wisdom teeth. The teeth don't make you wiser or smarter.  I guess it's something to do with age.

On Procrastination

I am guilty of being a procrastinator. With a week before school starts, I have a lot of summer AP homework. I do wonder how I will survive 3 AP classes. Plus, PSAT, SAT, Shodan Ho examination, and a mountain load of other crap. Sigh. Stress and life. Well. Stay steady and press on.

On Princess Xin Rong

I take back what I said. I think Xin Rong doesn't deserve to exist. She's so bitchy. Why did they even right her in?

Currently Watching: New My Fair Princess - Season 2

Sigh. I still like the original series better. But this one is tolerable.

I don't like Princess Xin Rong.  She's so one dimensional. Then again, I sorta wish there are more people like her. Minus the whole thing with the Fifth Prince, which I cannot stand. So. Xin Rong would be great as a character in some other separate drama. In New Huan Zhou Ge Ge, she should kill herself so that she would have never married Fifth Prince.

No TV

For the last week, I've been without TV. It's hard for me to be without my beloved television. It's not  the antenna tv (you know rabbit ears?). We have cable.... Sigh. Such a great wonder isn't present for me to cherish. Even the sluggish Internet isn't enough of a comfort. I must have my tv.

Fanfiction

Fanfiction often is a ridiculous attempt at recreating the story in a new light. But there are some who do a good job. Chenguang does a good job with her Scarlet Heart( also known as Bu By Jing Xin) and so you should read this. Yeah. Click it.

Memory Loss

I had a great topic planned for today. But I forgot what it was. Next time, I'll write it down.

Question : How can you improve your memory?

Question On Monday

Although Wednesday is question day, I decided to was a question today

What can you not live without? And what can you live without? Ideally, we should live with less and be able to have more of ourselves. But this isn't true. Just think.

500 Views!

Yay! I feel so accomplished! I got 500 views! I should totally host a celebration.

Kidding aside, it took awhile to get these 500 views, I'm sure that soon enough, I will be seeing 1,000 views. And in another blink of a eye, 1,000,000 views.

With that, Samurai says: "Cherish the good. It is your good fortune to have it. Cherish the bad. You'll learn from it."

Lax Early, Suffer Late

Black belt conditioning is quite difficult. It occurred to me yesterday how the senseis do not push the lower ranks hard enough. But then, at ikkyu, we get poked to death with preparations and conditioning and such. Or maybe it's just me. Since sensei Leo constantly singles me out and yells at me. No one else is always constantly under hot water .

Outside In and Inside Out

It's interesting that different styles will name blocks differently. In the style that I study, the name for middle outside block is middle inside block. And the same reverse applies to middle inside block. It's strange. One is named from where the block orginates. And in other styles, the block is named after which side it blocks.

Then, a kick of my interest lately has been front inside kick and front outside kick. It's a fusion between a front snap kick and a front cresent kick. The leg kicks like a standard front kick. But the foot curves/points inward or outward depending on the kick. This kick is quite fancy in my opnion.

Finished Watching: Palace (2011)

I always have this feeling of sadness after finishing a drama. This is no exception. 

It's quite amazing that in the whole story, there was a point where a character was falling short of my expectations. Each one did something despicable or idiot headed. There has been no exceptions.  So, I can say that Qing Chuan did mature. The biggest surprise in this drama would have to be Consort Liang. She was also a person that had to unfortunately get sent to the past. At the first few meetings, I thought she was the rare nice people. Then, she became a bitch toward Qing Chuan because she wanted her son, the eighth prince, to marry someone of a high rank. Consort Liang changed her mind because she saw that she couldn't change her son's unwavering love towards Qing Chuan. And I guess the thing that drove Liang to throw her full support was when she found out that QC was also from the future. So, we know that she was successfully able to go back to the future. My question though, is how is her life back in her correct era? Since it only tells us of what happened to QC and 8th. So, yeah, this is a spoiler, but, QC and 8th, both get reunited at the end. I'd say that without a doubt, Consort Liang is my favorite character. 

Then, there is the whole 4th Prince gang. Composed of Longkedo, Su Yan, Jin Zhi, Xiao Chun (also known as Nian Gang Yao after accidentally being mistaken for the real dude. That I'll explain in a bit.) The whole group is working to make 4th be Emperor. They succeded, of course, because QC didn't try to change history and make 8th or 14th become a prince. Su Yan's pretty clever. You could say, because of her in the drama , 4th became emperor. Also, you could say it's her fault that Concubine Xi got killed. And she was the one who causes Xiao Chun to be against 8th Prince over the death of his mother. So, Su Ryan exploits that to make him her chess piece. Then, there's poor Jin Zhi. She committed suicide because she was blackmailed to kill herself to save her 4th Prince. Jin Zhi, is quite a selfish person who doesn't want any other woman sharing her prince husband. I don't blame her endless love, but still.... All the annoyances that she caused. Long Ke Duo is the loyal minister to 4th and also the father to his illegitimate daughter, Jin Zhi. 

8th's camp would be the biggest resistance against 4th's crew. Sadly, for them, they were unsuccessful. 8th, 9th, and 10th suffered at the end. I pity those three. 

All in all, this drama was a bit cheezy and doesn't come up to par with Scarlet Heart(aka Bu Bu Jing Xin). All I can say that this drama was way happier than Scarlet Heart. This drama passed, because it at least was decent enough to keep my attention from wavering. 

Rate: 6/10

Silence

Question: How can you keep people from unnecessary chattering?

I'd like to know this answer. It would make my life more peaceful.

Currently Watching: Palace

Palace (2011) - Mainland China - (also known as Gong; Jade Palace: Lockheart.)

This drama is very irritating to no end. Ugh. For the first 12 episodes, I have to say, I am very disappointed if not very much on the verge of going to give the main character, Qing Chuan, a good hundred beatings with a pole like they did in the old days. Qing Chuan is so naive and impolite. Her guard is constantly down at all times, making her easy pickings. It's more unfortunate for her, because she has caught the attention of various concubines and princes, even the Emperor himself. It's been pointed out, time and time again, that whenever you have a better standing, someone will be jealous and try to harm you. So, the multitude of evil bitches constantly harass Qing Chuan. One for example is Xin Lian; the actress played Ling Long in Female Prime minister, Ling Long was wayyyy nicer; she and her crew always try to get rid of Qing Chuan, but, every time fail or at least don't get what they expected. So Qing Chuan is so lucky. She should use her friendships with the princes to get rid of this vile girl and her entourage. This Xin Lian needs to get her eyes stabbed out with some wires and slowly die by a thousand cuts...  I hope her person improves later on... (I doubt it.) Qing Chuan constantly stutters with "wait... no.... heyyy... ect" instead of saying what she needs to say. If she would stop the time wasting statements, she'd save herself from so many problems. Then, there's the whole princes problem. Three (at this point,but later I think it's supposed to be more.) Princes ( second, fourth, eighth) all like her, and she doesn't like any of them, yet they constantly insist on pestering her with their love. I don't know if Qing Chuan isn't making herself clear enough, or the Princes have stone ears. She says she doesn't want any of them a billion times in each episode.  Then, Ninth and Tenth Princes are also two mud brains who think they are doing good for their brother Eighth, but, they don't seem to understand any thing at all. After my rant, I have to say that all the characters in the story are idiots. Or they will be by the end of the drama...

Swords

Someday, I wish to learn Fencing or Iaido (I had trouble spelling that.) Sword fighting seems very intriguing and powerful. It's a mystical force of the ancients. As, no one uses swords anymore. Fencing seems very graceful. I am not a graceful person. So, in learning this, I shall be able to move more fluidly instead of my usual stop and go motions. Sword making in itself is a art of its own. Each one has its own subtle signature. Fencing looks as if it cannot kill people. I'm sure it can. But, the image that it gives is of people poking each other with the fencing foil. I shall one day learn these arts and understand their true nature.

Outside Class

I know what would make for a interesting class. We should have class outside. Not that it's new idea, but it would make for an unique lesson. The ground outside isn't flat and smooth like the hardwood floors of the dojo. We could try having class on the lawn. One thing that suprises me about lawns is that grass is very uncomfortable to walk and lay on compared to the movies. Grass stains green. So, more dirty feet. This, is also assuming that we're having class on a sunny day. Not a rainy or windy one or a class when it's getting dark. So many variables, so many experiences, so many things account for and learn. I totally forgot about shoes. Hmm. Something for all of you to ponder.

How would it be like to have a class that's not at your home dojo?

Food

I'm hungry. Lately, I haven't been eating much at all. I don't know why though. It's so strange. As a martial artist, you must have a balanced and nutritious diet, just like any other athlete. But, I'm not eating at all. I should go see a doctor.

Sensei Responsibility

Sensei are responsible for their students. If there are classes missed, students must be notified beforehand. Also, if possible, the missed classes should be made up for. Furthermore, if the sensei(s) miss two or more classes in a row. How do they expect the students to have good attendance? How do they expect their dojo to look good to the newcomers? The answer: it absolutely shouldn't be tolerated.

Sorry. Just a random rant since the last three classes, the sensei and senpais were not present. I know it's not their fault that there was a holiday and that they have full time jobs that must be put as a first over holding class. But still. Three classes in a row.

Then, there are the students who disappear and reappear all the time. Or the students who only attend class once a week. I'm one of those folks, unfortunately. I must work to not miss class.

Midterm and No class

Today, I have a midterm for summer courses. It's crazy that in high school and college tests and projects and exams have a higher weight than the homework and class work. So if you aren't a good test taker, you're bound to fail.

It's a holiday tomorrow, so there's no class. It's a bit ridiculous to think that if there is a holiday,  that it means you don't have to practice. You must practice regardless of holidays.

Question: Is it better to have more new students in a dojo or more students who understand martial arts?

Enjoy the Fourth of July!

Meditation

Meditation. I admit to falling asleep during mediation. It's not that I mean to, of course. It just shows my short concentration span. And how peaceful mediation can be. I'm not a person who can fall asleep easily. Meditation is always helpful in bringing calm whenever stressed. I should do more meditiation. In my dojo, we rarely ever do meditation. One of the signs of lacking a traditional dojo.

What is traditional? There is no true traditional dojo. I suppose the better term to use is old fashioned. That sounds impolite. Uhm, maybe less contemorary? Then, that would be traditonal. Even the most "traditional" dojo will have something that doesn't fit the template dojo idea.

Oh, and by the way, this is the 50th blog post, for anyone that cares.

Kicking

I  know this is random, but does anyone else have this problem? Whenever I do a roundhouse kick, my toes point skyward instead of at the target. I don't know why this happens.

As for front thrust kicks, I find it difficult to thrust kick higher than mid thigh without leaning back or losing balance. Of all the kicks, this is the one that I struggle to do.

Although karate doesn't focus on kicks as much as taekwondo, there are many kicks. I've learned maybe nine of them. I wish to learn more kicks and improve the ones I know. I have no idea where to start. Sigh.

Summer Vacation

As, it is summer, many students have been going on vacation. So, yesterday's class had no white belts or no-gis.  I don't know what to think about missing class to travel. I guess, it's your choice and not mine, so, I don't need to care. But, still, missing classes isn't a good thing. 

So, enjoy your summers.

300+ Views

Although minor, having more than 300 views is a mile stone.

Two questions:

1. What gets you motivated to do things everyday?
2. How do you relax after a long day?

Thanks for reading and have a nice day. 

Blog is Slow Going

I know haven't been posting lately because I'm taking summer classes. If you read this blog, share it with other people. I haven't had a single comment or subscriber. Oh well. Thank you for reading.

Remember to take a moment to stop and enjoy the flowers!

Chasing Rabbits

Don't ask me why I was chasing rabbits today. But I did. I couldn't keep up. Sure signs of an unfit person. Then again, rabbits being prey, will run-hop away from any predator. So, being able to catch a rabbit would be a godsend.

Time to count

Since they say that less than 1% become black belts, I'm going to see the truth of that. In some dojos, there are reports that one in 1:25 becomes a black belt. Quite high. Others will say one in two hundred. Who knows. I'll begin to count every kid and adult.

Calf Pain

Agh. I'm feeling pain in both of my calves. I believe I strained it yesterday during practice. I can't stand, walk or move without feeling pain. God, it hurts. And strangely enough, I'm not doing anything to help myself heal. That's a bad thing to do. Or rather, not do. Eh. I'll suffer in pain for a while. Hopefully it'll go away.

Horseplay and Staying Silent

I guess this generally applies to younger children, but adults do this too. They will not stay silent. They continue to chatter on nonstop despite being asked to keep quiet. Then, at this point, the Sensei, if he chooses, may punish the child/adult by making them do exersize (push ups, jumping jacks, running, ect.) or have them sit out. But, never are they kicked out. It's become a pain in the behind with this group of children. They will constantly talk or run around every single class. AGHHHH!!! Well, what can the sensei's do? Nothing, I guess. Sigh, I don't know what to do anymore. For sure, we have to do something about all the students in the dojo, including me, and including the instructors, to make all of us become better with respect, discipline and resisting the urge to play or talk.

More writer's block

Please excuse the lack of posts due to my writers block. I have failed my dream of writing one post everyday. I don't know how I will make it up.  But, I do know this, this blog is what gives me hope to go on.

Grades

Why is it critical in some dojos to have a 2.0 gpa or higher?

Why do they need to do well in school?

Parents will take kids out of martial arts because their grades are failing. The problem with that, is martial arts is often a grounder that keeps people going. So, martial arts can help children with their abilty to improve in their work. Sometimes it isn't the time spent on martial arts is what affects the child. It  maybe something else. Martial arts does build confidence.

I personally think that grades shouldn't affect whether or not a child should practice martial arts, is unrelated. Then again, it could reflect the work ethic and ambition of the child, but not always. Sometimes, there are biased teachers that give the child a grade that is different from what they deserve. Or the teacher is terrible at teaching, so the child doesn't understand the concepts.

I should stop here before my nonsensical ramblings get out of hand.

Brown Belt Burnout

How do we cope with brown belt burnout? Do we take a break from martial arts? Do we continue on?

I personally am feeling bored with everything in life. I've lost my purpose. It's just so boring. I need to find something to do with my life instead of sitting here on the floor in my room and staring at the wall. WHAT SHOULD I DO?!?!??!?!?!?!?!?

Music

Do you believe that music has a part in your dojo?

If yes, what kind of music? Modern music? Or traditional music? Or zen music?

I personally have no opinon.

Most Dojos Are Being Watered Down

Again, one of my random rambles.

Most dojos today are becoming soft. Practitioners are unfit. They cannot do twenty-five push ups or sit ups. Now, I'm not saying the dojos should solely focus on fitness and neglect Kata, Kumite, Kobudo, Disclpline, Respect, or anything else. That's just as important as fitness. Without being fit, the three K's are not going to look very good. Without discipline, the students will not do anything except run around and talk. Respect is important in the sense that the seniors will be able to run the class without the juniors calling them out for everything. I should do a post about how the Juniors and Seniors are bad at this respect and compassion thing. Back to being on topic. When I say push-ups, I mean standard straight body push ups. No modified push ups. Or push ups done with spaghetti backs or mountain butts. And sit-ups are also standard with no modifications. I'll admit something here. I can't do twenty five standard push ups without a rest in between every 5-10 push ups. I can't do a single pull up. I can't run a mile in ten minutes or less. I'm not very fit.

Then, comes formality and respect. Some students are so comfortable around their Senseis and Senpais, to the point where they are in a relationship or best friends inside and outside of the dojo. Outside the dojo, it doesn't matter. But when you enter the dojo door, your life outside shouldn't be part of the dojo. The dojo is to learn and to train. Not to have a house party.

Then, comes discipline. Seriously. There are way too many kids that every single practice are running around in the dojo and they are not being stopped. Higher ranks (brown belts and the lower ranking black belts) cannot stop them. They refuse to listen. The Senseis themselves have to constantly yell at the trouble children to keep quiet and stop from fidgeting. It makes me feel so sad. Adults have no power over children.

This makes me feel so sad that I constanly have to repeat myself about the failings in my own dojo where I practice, that I have no idea what to do. Someone please help me.

Money

Money is powerful. It can buy you many things. As long as you have money. Money. Money. Money.

I am on a search for Scholarships. One scholarship that have come across is from the organization that my dojo belongs to. Hmm. That's pretty nice if I could get that scholarship. It's up to $5,000 a YEAR!!! How nice is that? Unfortunately, the tuition at a local state college is at least $17,000 a year. Or, if I want to go to Stanford as I dream of, will probably be $44,000 a year by the time I'm there. Ouch. The $5,000 will be helpful. Not to mention the estimated $15,000 room and board cost .... Imma be broke for quite awhile. Four years for just these two things will be about $240,000. Not even counting basic essentials like food, clothes, supplies, textbooks and whatever else. Ew. More scholarships and grants, please.

And lots of it. :)

Let's say I get that $5,000 for four years. So $20,000. That's still a lot of money that I'd owe.

So, $240,000 + (5,000 in expenses * 4 years) = 260,000 then subtract the scholarship money = The tuition and room and board. How do I pay that off?

Well, at least my parents saved me some money for college. I have no idea how much. Maybe $10,000? Plus they would both use some money from their own savings to pay for my college. Another $10,000? Ouch. I'd still have $220,000.

Looking for scholarships are a huge headache though. I must keep on searching. Use the discipline that I've learned through the years.

And for now, keep searching for the truth and practice on!

Question of May 29

I apologize for not posting for a week due to my writer's block. I still have it.

So my question:

Does your dojo do enough to keep its practitioners fit?

Lack of Topic

I am out of things to say. So, what shall I say? Nothing I guess. I guess I have a case of writers block.

Books

I need more books to read. I must enrich myself with knowledge.

And a poem to books:

Books are a source of knowledge,
They open eyes and charge brains,
They show us what we will never see in our lives,
I love books,
They are the center of my heart.

Sleep

Sleep is critical for basic functions. Going without sleep for a long enough period of time can cause death. So, get some sleep. For, those of you that only get two to five hours of sleep, remember this: Being awake for twenty to twenty-two hours is the equivalent of being drunk.

So, go and sleep if you haven't got any sleep. Or take a nap.

Aslo, when you don't sleep, your motions become slower and your brain becomes less sharp.

Video Editing

Video Editing is quite difficult. I wonder how some people can do it so well.

Today, for my history final, my group and I recorded stuff to make a video. And the editing process is headache causing. Not to mention that each video clip is more than 10,000 KB EACH!!!

Then, the videos that we record of ourselves doing kata in the dojo or a tournament also could use some touch ups. But how? Most videos on youtube and everywhere else looks very neat and professional. How do they do it?

Finals

Well, finals are next week. Oh, the stress.

I'm disappointed that we won't be attending a tournament that will take place next weekend. Oh, well. Per usual, we only go to this one tournament every year. So, I'm not suprised.

Modern Martial Arts

How often do the modern forms of martial arts actually prove useful for self defense?

The answer: Only a few.

Most of the others take time and a good instructor to prove its use.

But some, are practically unusable.

So, practice on and stay strong!

Reflections 5/14

Time for a reflection.

But, a question first: What kinds of games do you play to in your dojos? Do you play games to improve skill sets?

Yelling at students don't always prove beneficial. If you yell at the students, it sometimes make them less productive. Sometimes, explaining it step by step is better. And with kata, breaking down the kata is definitely helpful. Not just doing the whole kata in one go.

In my dojo, because of the lacking of my senseis, it forces all of us to step up. It makes leaders out of everyone. It builds character, to patch holes in their lessons.

Allergies

In a dojo, generally speaking, allergies wouldn't be a problem.

But, dojos DO cause allergies. The ones with matting, if not cleaned often, can retain dust and other allergens.

In the ones in my dojo, we have folding mats. These mats have been here for five to ten years. These have not ever been cleaned. So, ten years of sweat and germs. I wonder how many sick people have come in contact with these mats. The matting is not designed to be cleaned. On the mats, there is residue from who knows what. Even gum is stuck on it. Eh.

And, whenever we use the mats, the result is me constantly sneezing and blowing my nose.

The mats have never been aired out or sun dried/ sun washed. I'm surprised that there is no mold or mildew on the mats. 

We need to replace the mats.

I know, each 4 ft by 6 ft mat costs about $100. So, it's a huge expense to replace. But, we absolutely need to replace them.

What controls your life?

Which do you regard as more important? You martial arts career or your schoolwork/job? Well, if you run a dojo an/or sell martial arts equipment full time, it doesn't matter. In most cases the answer will be your work. But, then again, there are times when we skip or take a leave.

I ponder this for the next school year. In the fall, I shall be taking three Advanced Placement classes. Boy, that will be a lot of work. And as I have probably mentioned before, I will be going up for shodan ho. I foresee a lot of practices and lots of homework. Not to mention that there will be more tournaments soon. With tournaments, especially the ones that are more that two hours drive away, require time off from your careers. And with most tournaments, there are seminars and demonstrations (practices for them included.) . Those which are often a day or two before the main events. And more than not, these pre-events happen on a Thursday or Friday. If you're a person with a career or classes where it is a hassle to take time off, these tournament/seminars/events are a humongous problem.

So, what shall I do?

Promotions

I have a question for all of you.

Do you think that people should be promoted by time or by acheivements?

Dojo Rules

Continuing on with my fictional style series, I will discuss dojo rule and etiquette.

1. No eating or drinking in the dojo. (Water is okay. But only in spectator area or dressing rooms.)
2. Bow before entering and bow as you leave.
3. Absolutely no running or playing anywhere in the dojo. (including spectator/waiting area and dressing rooms.) You will be dismissed immediately.  Second offense results in dismissal for rest of class. Third offense results in permanent dismissal.
4. Do not talk when the sensei or senpai is addressing the whole class or just your group. (Third dismissal rule applies.)
5. When asked to do so, do it immediately.
6. No put downs and/or horseplay.
7. Do not practice a technique or weapons without Sensei consent.
8. No sitting allowed unless instructed by instructor or if unable to stand. (First warning, Second warning results in standing in back of the room for rest of class, third warning is a dismissal, fourth is expulsion.)
9. If injured, notify Sensei/ Senpai immediately.
10. No talking about things not related to the dojo when in training hall, unless necessary.
11. Go to the bathroom before or after class.
12. Get water before or after class.
13. Pay attention at all times.
14. Respect the equipment.
15. Respect the people.
16. Respect the Dojo.

I guess this is all for now.

Suggestions

Do you guys have suggestions of any good youtube videos/channels?

I'm also searching for fiction martial arts stories. All suggestions would be loved.

Self Defense is Hard

It takes time to learn how to defend yourself. It takes even more time to do those techniques correctly.

In our dojo, the white belts' and yellow belts' basics are incorrect. Yet, the Sensei's don't fix it. Or don't think it's important to fix it. Or don't see the mistake. Then, as brown belts or even junior black belts, we're not allowed to fix their mistakes. We get yelled at if caught. I suppose, the Sensei's don't want to look bad or something. It looks worse if the kids aren't fixed at all. So, because of sloppy basics at lower ranks, the green, purple, and brown belts look like trash. Well, more so the the green and purple belts, but still. Then, there is no kime. And lots of foot, then hand motions; or hand then foot. It doesn't stop at the same time.

Self defense also depends on focus and discipline. Both senseis' aren't strict enough. They let everyone talk. If caught, the talkers are separated. That is the punishment. Nothing more severe. Sometimes Sensei Jon makes them do push ups or jumping jacks, but this is rare. Sensei Leo's strategy is to make them sit out for a little bit. THESE METHODS DO NOT HELP KEEP CHILDREN IN LINE. I apologize for being a bad student by critiquing you two, but, it needs to be said.

Also, with self defense comes time and practice. I admit, I don't usually practice my kata and such outside of the dojo.

So, successful self defense is not possible when you are an undetermined, untrained, undisciplined person.

Soreness

Since I didn't post a question for yesterday, here is my question.

What do you do to relieve soreness?

Team Kumite

What is team kumite?

I've often heard the term, but am not totally clear on the concept.
After watching a few youtube videos, I've found that it is individual vs. indviduals on opposing team.

Still not sure how that works. Someone help me clarify, please.

Nails

I have a question for my female audience. Generally speaking, your nails should be kept short as a practitioner. So, if there is the occassion where long nails or decorated nails are neccessary; what do you do? Do you let your nails grow out? Put in fake nails? Any other suggestions?

Team Kata

What tips do you have for team kata?

What I think we should try:

• close our eyes when we practice
• record that
• record us with eyes open
• play music/metronome
• the basic, one count one motion
• do kata facing different directions
• follow the leader
• adjust the speed of the kata
• do it  slowly ten times
• do it quickly ten times
• try dancing together
• tapping and clapping at the same rate
• look at the mirror
• stare at the sun (I'm kidding.)
• play follow the leader/Simon says
• practice regularly
• get opinions from other people

There is way too many to list. Oh well. I guess this is list one.

Master or Champion?

There are two types of Martial Artists, generally speaking.

Master-types, the folks that aren't that great and don't win tournaments too often, but understand the way of the Art.

Champion-types, often win most if not all the time. Mostly gold/first.

Of course, there is a spectrum of this. Most people start off in the middle, then will gravitate towards the Masters side or towards the Champion side.

When I say Master and Champion, I refer to this story:

A long time ago, in a land  far away, there lived two boys. The two boys were friends, and they were seen together every day.  They did everything together.

One afternoon, while the boys were down by the river skipping stones, some older boys came walking by. They saw the two boys, and decided that since no one was around, they could do as they pleased.

They asked the younger boys for money. But the littles refused to give the money. The older boys were shocked that they were refused.  The older boy said, “You should not have said that!” And he ran at them. The two boys tried to fight back, but the older boys pushed them down and began kicking them.

The two boys screamed for the older boys to stop kicking them. The older boys laughed and continued kicking until they could not fight back. Then the older boys took their money, and walked away.

After that, the two boys decided that they would learn karate. They walked together to the home of  a master instructor of karate. They knocked on his door, and waited.

The door opened and and old man inquired about why they were here. The two boys looked at each other,  and then said that they wanted to learn Karate. The old man asked about their intentions. And the boys told him their tale with the older boys.

The old man agreed to teach them. They were taught in a large empty room in the back of the house. Every day, the two boys would come to the old man’s home, wait on his porch, and go inside his house when he let them in. Sometimes, while they were waiting, they would help clean and repair the old man's property.  

Then the two would then practice karate with the old man. He taught them toeverything that he knew. After a few lessons, it became apparent  that one of the boys was naturally gifted at karate, for he only needed to see someone else perform a move or technique to learn it . The other boy,  however, struggled through each and every lesson to keep up.

The boy who was talented began to feel as though his friend was holding him back, because the old man gave him so much attention. Perhaps he was also a little jealous, too. The boy who was not talented began to feel as though he was being left behind, because he had to struggle so much to keep up. And, maybe he also felt a little jealous.

The old man simply grinned at the two boys and ignored either of them if they complained about the other. He knew they had been friends their whole lives and had done everything together, and that they were growing in new ways and would have to learn to accept these changes and understand them. When they asked him questions about it, he answered them honestly.They asked about why the other was fast and the other was slower.

As the months went by, the boys continued to train together. The very talented boy would always win any match between the two. This would cause untalented friend to spend long time alone practicing on his own, writing notes, and thinking about his karate so that he could keep up.

The boy with talent would beat him again . The boy without talent would struggle , and then would think about why this had happened and what he could do . Sometimes, he would ask the old man about different ways to practice when he was alone, and the old man would advise him on what he was doing.

The years went by, and the boys grew into young men. One of them was always learning things as if he already knew how to do them, the other was always struggling, analyzing, struggling some more, and thinking.

More years passed, and the two young men became fully grown men, got married, and moved into their own houses. But they still visited the old man’s house every now and then to practice karate with him watching and coaching the weaker of the two.

Eventually, the old man died. The two men were very sad to have lost him. “I cannot believe our master is dead!” The strong one said.

The weaker one said, “Yes, it is quite terrible, and nothing shall ever be the same again.” And they were both mournful, and they grieved by not practicing karate any longer. They had grown up, and were both strong, and everyone knew that they had mastered the art of karate . They no longer had any need of constant practice, for no one would bother them now.

Time passed, and the two men no longer lived near one another. The stronger had moved off to find his fortune, and the weaker had stayed behind in the village. Eventually, the weaker had children of his own, and his children eventually asked him to teach them karate. He agreed. And so the village helped him build a dojo. The villagers agreed to build it and also wanted lessons.

After a few days, the dojo was built. As he taught the children, he noticed that some learned faster than others. And some, like him, learned slower.

Eventually, one of the weaker children he was teaching approached him and said, “I am very weak at karate, and I always lose. Everything I try is not as good as the others. This seems hopeless. I am no good at karate, and I will never be a great teacher like you.”

The weaker of the two men stared at the child for a moment, and then he smiled and said, “One day, I will introduce you to my friend, who is very strong, and he will tell you the secret of becoming the greatest expert. He is a great fighter, and he has never lost. He is  fast, strong, and impressive. Will you wait until you meet him to decide?”

The child agreed, and sulked as he walked back to his lessons.

Every day the children came to his house to learn karate. Every day, the strong defeated the weaker , and the weaker man taught them and his children all of his tricks, strategies, special practices, and understanding of karate so that they could overcome their weaknesses and reach their potential.

One day, the weaker of the two man opened his door to let in the children, and he saw his front porch was the stronger man, with two young boys standing next to him.

The eyes of the weaker of the two men opened very wide in joy and surprise and he yelled, “Ah! My friend! How I have missed you these long yers! You look well ! I have so looked forward to you coming to my home and teaching my students the secret of becoming a great karate teacher!”

The stronger man said, “Indeed, I shall teach your students that secret right now. I am a great champion of karate. I am gifted with talent that was given to me on the day that I was born. There is no other who can oppose me in a match of karate fighting and hope to win.”

The children stared at the strong man standing with the two boys.

“When my two sons became old enough, they asked me to teach them karate.” he continued.

The children looked at the boys, envious that they were learning from the greatest karate man.

“But my sons did not inherit my gift. They cannot move without thinking. So every time they move, they must think about it. They ask me many questions, but I have no answers. They ask me how to do things, and I answer. I never struggled. I never thought about how to move, because I could move without thinking.”

The children looked at the boys, sad for them that they did not have the great champion’s natural talent.

The champion continued, “I realized yesterday that I cannot teach karate. I can only do karate. I have brought my sons here to be taught by you. I am the champion, but you are the master. It is you who struggled through many problems. It is you who thought deeply about how to move best. It is you who knows the many mysterious ways to overcome obstacles and improve despite having no talent.

“The greatest karate teacher in the land is you, because you cannot move without thinking. I beg of you, please teach my sons.”

And the master agreed.

Well. This is true. It really does apply to us all. I am the Master type of student, always weaker and always slower.

Cost of Running a Dojo

After yesterday's post about creating styles, I wondered about how much it would cost to run a dojo. And how much I would need to make to have this be a full time job.

So, I'll show you the calculations:

Bare bones dojo (per month):

• Run in garage or living room or hall with at least 400 square feet of space - $0 (Assuming you or some one you know owns it and lets you use it for free.)
• Insurance - $450
• floor/mat cleaning- $199
• bathroom and other cleaning supplies - $50
• Blog, Youtube, webiste - $10
• Other advertising/notices (home printer, black and white) - $10
• Miscellaneous equipment - $100  

Total is $819.

If I were to charge $69 a month, I would need 12 students to just cover costs. Then, I would need at least another 15 students join my dojo and to pay for my daily expenses. Meaning I would need maybe 30 people in all. Quite a lot of people. 

Habits

I have many bad habits. It certainly hurts my health and well being. For example, I spend many hours on the computer. My eyesight is so poor.

So, what bad habits do you have?

My New Style

Someone asked me if I were to make a new style, what would it be called and what would be its basics.

No, I won't be putting this into action anytime soon.

Name: Victory-Ka

Main Stances: Natural Cat Stance (wider that standard cat stance), Bench Stance (fancy way to call horse stance,

Blocks: Open hand upper block, open hand block cut, flicking lower block

Attacks: Open hand block cut, vertical punch, downward punch, horizontal chop, double ear cut

Well, that's the basics for now.

Poem-ish-ramble: Winning

When you win, everyone else looses, so, does that make you the champion of the losers or the sole winner?

Or neither? What good is it to win over the losers?

Does that mean you really didn't win?

Or were you just lucky? Did your skill really affect the results that much? Or was it your colors or fancy stuff that made this win? Hmm?

When you win, you are the Best of Losers.

Losing doesn't mean you are a loser, it just means that you suck more than the winner. The winner still sucks just maybe not as much. Who knows.

With that said, is winning really winning and is losing really losing? Or is it just a term?

Exercise Besides Martial Arts

Do you guys do anything else outside of Martial Arts?

I don't. It's the only exercise I get. Well, if you don't count PE. Next year, I won't even have PE, so I will be solely relying on Martial Arts. So next year, I must start doing more walking. I look forward to doing so. That documentary inspired me to do so. I will keep my word on this.

Watch This Documentary !

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpLQwWKb3l8

This isn't exactly a martial arts topic, but it is worth watching. It's inspiring. This is a documentary called: Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead. It talks about health. As a martial artist, you must be healthy and fit. So, go and watch it.

Disclamer: I don't own the video, am not related or affliated to this. Also, do this AFTER you consult your doctor.

Black Belts and Minors

Personally, I don't have a problem with a black belt under ten years old.

BUT.  Only if they can pass the following :

How many seven year olds understand how to lead a class? I don't know any. Most at this age are still depending on their parents or the sensei. When you become a black belt, you must be able to lead a class. Teaching a class would be ideal for the Shodan to be able to know how to do. In reality, being a leader is a huge thing already.

How many third graders can organize and direct people effectively? Again, I don't know any.

How many little children can spot errors of themselves and/or others by themselves and be able to correct them?  Still, don't know a single young soul who can.

Can this kid defend themself against a fully grown men?  Or against two or three people that are between 13 to 50 years old ?

Or the alternative question: How many children can think fast enough to avoid a bad situtation? Some Adults can't think fast enough, so, a kid is a huge suprise.

How many kids would be taken seriously enough to keep order in a dojo? This one makes me laugh really hard.

Just to make this clear, I'm not saying that these young children cannot. I'm sure some can. But only a few can. Like I just mentioned in one of the questions, a huge armful of adult black belts can't do this.

So, I guess, the thing is, every single black belt must be able to do this regardless of age in order to pass their first test.

Questions Day

I guess I will make Wednesdays become Questions Day. Where I ask you, my audience questions. And I answer yours.

Only one question today:
What do you do to have faster kicks and punches?

Why do students quit?

There are probably several articles on this already, but I have to state my opinion on this. Personally, as a brown belt, I see a horde of kids who come on the first day of the session and by the third class a few of them poof. Then, as time goes on, more and more poof. For example, the now Shodan Ho, Matt is the only black belt that is in our dojo after about ten years. TEN YEARS. So, I guess, what I was saying about ten students isn't true. I've seen over fifty or sixty kids in my five years at my current dojo. Only about ten are still here after at least four years of training. Half of them are brown belts that are lower ranking than me. We don't have any brown belts that are senior to us (me, Selena, and Laura). So, we are the senior brown belts. It's sad.

Students quit because the beginning is to hard for them. They expect to be able to do the fancy stuff that the higher ranks can do, such as weapons, right away. Unfortunately for them, they have to learn basics first. Basics are critical for being able to kumite, do kata, have good kime and discipline.

Stereotypes also are a factor in what makes people think that it is easy to learn martial arts. Those movies ruined us all. It gives the newbies this attitude of : "I can beat anyone." Of course, this isn't true. For example, at my school, we have a Martial Arts Club. No, I'm not a member, unfortunately. Anyway, on with my story. The club often receive new members. Some of these new members will walk in with their "invincible" attitude. So, they end up having a sparring match with the club's president who has been studying various martial arts since he was in kinder-garden. He beats them all. It's a hit to their pride, but it shows how many people assume that they can, or rather, can't do martial arts like the movies.

Some folks who understand martial arts isn't easy will stay on and continue to work, but it is also a waiting game. So, those who put effort in the beginning often peter out and decide to leave. Some times, these folks leave because _____ is not their martial art. Some leave because the instructor(s) do no suit them. Sometimes, they leave because they do not have enough attention paid to them from the instructor(s). Others, get injured and never return. Some folks have other activities in their life and can't find a way to fit these classes in. And in some undesirable cases, the students are made to feel uncomfortable by the sensei(s) or another student.

There are so many reasons why they all leave. Some, that I can't even think of.

To become a black belt, two things are most critical above all factors: effort and time.

Reflections 4/22

I woke up with a cold this morning. I feel very groggy right now.

Other than that, well I shall continue with reflections and insight to things. (Not ranked in importance, just written as I remember.)

1. In order to be a good sensei, you  have to be good with children. I am not good with children. I guess I have to learn and live. 
2. It's amazing how many new people you can meet along your journey of martial arts. Along the way, you also meet people that you previously knew, but never knew that they did martial arts. It can be a humbling and enriching experience. It's amazing how many people in the world do martial arts.
3. Every time that you meet and talk to people, it increases your people skills. Same applies to teaching someone about what you know in martial arts.
4. A lot of the younger children will mirror your actions. So, if you make a mistake, they will make a mistake. Or, if you have a bad characteristic/habit, they will emulate you. That forces you to change to become a better role model.
5. Of course, karate (martial arts in general) makes you more sensitive and observant.
6. At some point in your training, the art gives you this attitude or this mindset that makes you seem a bit arrogant or proud. Not quite sure what it is, but it exists in most practitioners.
7. With martial arts, your personality can be curbed in a sense. It becomes more proper and less wild.
8. Martial arts gives you a deeper insight to people's character and habits. It helps you judge character.
9. It sharpens your "sixth sense".
10. Back to the judgement of character, that can help you judge whether or not this master/sensei/sifu/etc. is worthy of training under. I have been to a few dojos in my life and seen the different styles of each teacher. I've had a sifu who sat on a chair all class long and just chewed gum or was eating the whole time. (Isn't there a rule of some sort that we can't eat or drink in the dojo/dojang/hall/etc.?) He'd have his high ranking students teach the class. They were two girls, maybe 14 or 15 years old who were purple belts. In that system, a purple belt is four ranks away from a black belt. So, they weren't suitable for teaching. This man did not know how to teach. He never showed us proper stances or technique. He even threatened us to give him five stars on the survey that we had to fill about how his teaching was. If we didn't ,he would kick us out. This is an example of a McDojo.
11. This isn't a solid statistic, but it generallly goes like this:  Ten people enter the dojo on their first day. By the third class, about seven/eight are left. By the time that the first promotion comes around four or five are left. And the ones that are left that become a black belt? Often one student. Occassionally two. Kind of a sad statistic, but it's what generally happens.

Black Belt Essay Topics

Knowing that I will be going up for Shodan next year, I shall begin to ramp up the preparations. A requirement to get the black belt is to write an essay.

 

The topics are usually:

• What have I learned
• How has Karate changed my life
• How do I use Karate in my life
• How will I use my knowledge to benefit others
• What is a black belt
• What makes a good student
• What makes a good teacher
• What is karate to you

And probably a billion more topics and variations of this. So here I will begin.

I suppose I'll do reflections first.

What I have learned as a brown belt (so far).

To be a brown belt, it is neccessary to have a way higher standard for everything you do. Mistakes are not tolerated as well as before. You are responsible to keep order in the class where possible if the black belts are occupied. Your kime, form, and concentration must be more sharper than a purple belts.

And so many other things that I shall continue tommorow.

Youth Tournament 2013

Well. I got last place in open hand individual kata. That sucks. I guess I did so poorly was partly because of my belief that I would fail and the other part was because I didn't really care to win and I suppose the third part was because we didn't have any time to practice.

As for Team Kata, we got third place out of three teams. Which is of course terrible. This was partly because we found out that we were in the team THIS MORNING...... So, therefore, no practice at all. And this also has a third reason, because this time, we had a new teammate.

I question Sensei Jon and Sensei Leo's judgement in this. Who makes their dojo attend a tournament with a three/four week notice ??? I know I shouldn't question them, but really? How do you expect us to do well? Geez. I need some chill pills right now.

I also wonder why I did open hand and not weapons... I wonder why I am here complaining and ranting. Yeah, I should stop here before I annoy anyone else.

Three cheers for Ikkyu! HIP-HIP-HOORAY!

Today is a good day.I've passed the test and have been promoted to Ikkyu.
The promotion ceremoney consists of formally recieving the certificate and a belt tying ceremony. For Sankyu and below, there is a belt tying ceremony. As for Nikyu, two strips of red tape are added to the brown belt. For Ikkyu, a piece of tape removed. I have to say, the tape thing is a bit cheesy. I suppose this is still better than some dojos, where the students have their mark/stripe drawn on.

I have to say, I am suprised. There was only one black belt canidate this time. Well, Matt passed. So, that was great for him. And as for the other four, they also passed. Selena, unfortunately had to do Wanshu three times in order to satisfy the judges. There certainly were a lot of other folks who went up for their next belt. I think it was about 35 people from three dojos. The other people passed too.

Lack of Preparations

I have a bit of night before jitters.

I have faith I will pass.

As for our black belt canidiate, Matt, he is showing the effects of being not ready. I think he will pass, but will look way sloppier than the canidates from our sister dojo.

It's amazing how much better our sister dojo is than us. It's mindblowing.

Oh well. Wish the six of us luck.

Two Days Until Ikkyu

     On Saturday, I will hopefully be promoted to Ikkyu. The highest "student" rank in Karate.
    
     In martial arts, even the instructor is still a student no matter how long you have been there. Just, the instructor has mastered the basics and now can be called a sensei or sifu or master.

     Today, we are having one final practice before the Promotion and the tournament that is on Sunday. Why did they make two events in the same weekend???? Why not have the Promotion this weekend and the tournament next weekend? So much stress. Not to mention that I happen to have two sensei's that ALWAYS prepare for a tournament/promotion about five weeks before(9 to 12 classes) . And the last 5 or 6 classes will be totally devoted to the prepartations. I won't be suprised if the black belt canidates do not pass their tests. Not many other schools do that. WHY? Senseis Leo and Jon this is why we never win in the tournaments. We need more practice and stuff...

    Oh well. Wish me luck.

Blog Day One

Well, today's my first day on this blog. I hope I can keep posting here regularly. My journey to black belt will be a long one, but no matter. It begins here. On this blog. Right now.