NEW OBSESSION!!

HOLY CRAP! Talk about simple games that can get you hook. Try this out and you will know what I mean....

HTTP://WWW.PUZZLEFARTER.COM

The Chronicles of KarTia (Leg-pain) - The pain! The pain! The pain!

Erm.. it seems I am hobbling around alot these days. I wonder if I will become a permanent cripple.

Seow asked if I will be interested in competing in the Pesta Sukan. I think I answered, "Maybe.." I guess the reason being I think I am going to leave the kumite to the younger ones and I might want to fight for a place in Kata. There are no senior kata players around anymore and since we have so many up and coming kumite fighters, I might as well have a head start in the area of OLD MAN KARATE.

Traditional karate and competition karate katas are slightly different in the sense that competition karate are more flowery and flowing *(Power and speed is a given constant hor).

Traditional karate katas have a more practical feel to it and involves a lot of bunkai practice. Important note on this is that I think we should always preserve what our masters' legacy. As time goes on, we should pass these katas on in their purest forms to our next generation. As for bunkai we should spend time observing how it corelates to our changing times.

No longer are we dealing with empty hands or samurais with katanas... Modern conflicts involve brutes with plastic chairs, beer bottles, metal rods, stilleto blades, parangs, choppers, oversized ego and common sense of a roll of toilet paper.

We don't deal with opponents who show honour and courage by competing in individual combat but rather we are faced with "Ah Bengs" and " Ah Sengs" who turn up in the truckloads, they poke you in the chest and ask you for your *number (For those not in the know, number means which gang you belong to and so can call everyone in the gang who is not watching the Euro finals at the moment to turn up at an appointed time to "Pia Chiu!"-"Gang fight".

In this type of confrontation, it is no longer a matter of whether I will prove myself the better martial artist, it becomes a matter of survival... by virtue of doing the right things... like the ability to swallow our ego and pride by apologizing to the little bastard who happen to think you are staring at him.... even though you are really just looking at how ugly he is. Therefore, humility training in karate is very important and a very neglected part of our curriculum.

Next, the 10 kilometre run we do regularly is also very important because when you apologised and failed to appease the little bastard, RUN. Let's see that little bugger chase after you for the next 10 kilometre... well, if he manages to chase you that far, stop, turn around and beat the living daylights out of the remaining few who arrives.. wahahaha!!

Another school of thought for those who are reading this blog, BUNKAI WORKS. Whether you believe it or not, it works, so please practise deligently..over and over and over and over... you get the idea...

Well, if I limp so more, I guess there is nothing more I can do except maybe run for the presidency of SKA?

~Outz

The Chronicles of KarTia (Leg-pain) - The pain, the grading and the belt

SANDAN!

Wahahahaha.... I got it liao..so what's next? I think sleep is immediately on the top of my list.. gonna sleep through this Sunday because I cannot take the stress already and the sleepless nights I had due to my knee treatments, constant training without rest and fitful nights because my knee hurts sooo much.

Next on my list will be make upgrading all my karate skills a priority Nothing more needs to be said about this topic already because my opinion is not important.

My eyes are going to sleep as I type this... Zzzz.....

The Chronicles of KarTia (Leg-pain) - The grading and the examiners

Sensei T. Arai

Sensei K. Sakamoto


Sensei K. Kawata


Sensei Y. Morooka


Sensei George Tan


Sensei Wong Tuang Seng

Hmm...I have not idea whether I pass of fail for my grading... only time will tell....
But I must definitely thank Mr Seow Kwee Yong for all his expertise and help in getting my knee to heal in time for the grading. Although it must have been quite distracting for him, he still tried his best to help me mend my knee.. :) Thanks!!

The Chronicles of KarTia (Leg-pain) - The knee, the TCM and the grading

*Sung to the tune of K Sera*

When I was just a white belt,
I ask my Sensei what will I be...?
Will I be champion? Will I be black-belt?
This is what he said to me...

Oeeei! Sim you see....
whatever will be, will be...
the future's not yours to see..
just keeping training and see...

When I just got my black-belt,
I ask my Sensei what will I be...?
Will I do kumite? Will I do kata?
This is what he said to me...

Oeeei! Sim you silly...
compete in every event...
you still have potential you see...
just keep training and see...

When I am going for my grading,
I ask my Sensei what will I be...?
Will I be Sandan? Will I be failed?
This is what he said last night...

Oeeei! Sim your knee...
Seow (The TCM) you can just burn his knee...
Like that I don't think you see...
Most likely you'll fail...*

Sim: "tsk tsk tsk.... my dearest Sensei, after so many years, you should know me better... I would rather fight standing up than lose lying down..."

Wahahahahaha!!!!!! Okay, so now that is settled, I have attached a youtube clip I find so amusing that I think I should share.. ENJOY!

Weight loss ad?

Weight Loss Ad A - By a very expressly popular and "rich" weight loss company...


Weight Loss Ad B - By own individual effort

Would anyone pay for this? Look at figure A. Then look at figure B.

Let me give those who would give Ad A a try... Who needs to be ultra slim? It makes men look like wimps... YEAH! WIMPS!

...*ahem.. anyway, I digress...

...don't want to end up looking like a wimp, you need to supplement your weight loss with some...EXERCISE!!!

Muscle toning??? what muscles??? Build em first then tone mah.. This is like comforting guys that they have muscles that can be tone WITH EXERCISE... C'mon, we can do that on our own already... LOL

Flabby skin treatment... Hmm..same therapy as a face lift huh? Otherwise how to tighten skin??... hmm?...Orrrh... WITH EXERCISE AGAIN ORH??? ..no?..then? DIETING ORH? ...no?...then SECRET RECIPE ARH??? WAAAAAAH..... yar right... I heard from somewhere rubbing horse sh*t on you face can make you beautiful, wanna try?... what a load of rubbish... *grumble grumble...

BEER BELLY THERAPY...*What a load of cr*p! I know a few of my friends go for beer belly theraphy almost every night after training and you know what happened? While their beer belly got bigger, they don't seem to get any healthier or happier... go figure...

As for rubbing lar..massaging lar... apply "special" super uber herbs and spices.. ala marinating meat... The last time someone did that successfully, they called him Colonel Sanders... nowadays all these people masquerade as weight loss specialist companies.. LOL

PLEASE LAR...don't want beer belly, stay away from Beer lor... cannot stay away orh? Don't have the determination orh? Then too bad lor. Waste money on "BEER BELLY THERAPY", then you think suddenly your beer belly gone for good har??!! Won't come back de meeeeh?

**PLEASE READ THE NEXT LINE**

****Companies like that are depending on your lack of self-determination and self-esteem to earn money. You will gain back what you lost and go back to them for more punishment to your wallet. Look around you, there are people.. no, families who need your financial help more. Go on, just look around.. maybe you might just feel a little guilty enough to start losing weight on your own...****


And if any of you young 'uns (read here... macho little WIMPS!) out there who think you are macho enough to give this old uncle a try at Contender style punch out, just drop me an email and name the time. I have got the perfect fighting arena ready 24 hours.

YEAH. I am proud to declare that I lost weight in under 3 months under my own steam. 26KG to be exact. FREE OF CHARGE. Want to know how? Ask me, I just might tell you, but remember, if you are sincere, I promise to help each other all the way, if you are just asking for the sake of asking, don't waste my time...

~outz

Needing a miracle to happen

I need a miracle to happen.. like this picture. Who would have ever thought that I will carry my nephew Gareth on my lap one day...He so small, so damn cute lor...sigh~

ANYWAYS....
I have exactly 8 days before my big day - my dan upgrading.

Certain emotions are running high in my life now.... stressed, depressed, anger, disappointment, regret... mostly disappointment.

Anyway, which ever angle you look at it, to recover from a MCL injury to full functionality within 19 days is POSSIBLE. Either that or I MUST believe it is.. so that IT WILL BECOME SO for me in 8 days.

The swelling has gone down a fair bit since the first day, but internally it is still swelling otherwise I will not be feeling these FR**KING pain!!

Since Monday, I have been feeling stray firing of pain shooting through my knee joints... hmm, that means my nerve endings are alive...
THEY ARE ALIVE!!!!!
-sic Dr Frankenstein

I am still hobbling, although I can bend my knee joints at right angles already and apply strength to it, but it still hurts. For those who will take reference from this blog on self treatment of minor knee MCL injury, this is what I am self-administering:

DANZEN (Serratio peptidase) - 10mg, 2 tabs, cute itsy bitsy lil pills

FASTUM (active ingredient ketoprofen) - 5cm, external only, contrary to stupid beliefs ingesting it does not help to work faster although it DOES kill you AND take away the pain

TRADITIONAL CHINESE KOYOK (too many to list)- 2 pieces per day, anymore and it will cause my skin to itch and hair to grow in places where they don't belong...

KNEE GUARDS - 2 to rotate daily, so that I can wash the other one and let it air eeeeeee


Self-administered physio-theraphy:

1) Walking the stairs.. SLOOOOWLY...
2) SQUATING.. SLOOOWLY....
3) DOING MY KATA...SLOOOWLY....
4) *GOING THROUGH MY KARATE DRILLS...SLOWLY..
*(Although this part of the theraphy involves a lot of @#$%$# cursing and swearing because I will be in constant pain...)

~Word of advice: Don't get injured lor... bummer

WANTED!!!

My ELEMENTAL Self

To take my mind off my injuries, I have re-channelled them into creating my mental image of who I am and what I am...

This is a series of elemental image I have of myself when I am in training mode.

Train passionately burning like FIRE

Be relentless, unstoppable and move like WATER

Swift, flexible and strike ferociously like WIND

Stand firm, an immovable force like EARTH

*Copyright me hor. I am okay if you use these cool logos... but let me know.. heh

My injury got scientific name one

It appears that you have partially torn your medial collateral ligament (MCL). Luckily, the vast majority of people who injure their MCL have a complete recovery once they have been properly rehabilitated.

The MCL is actually a complex of ligaments, hamstring muscle attachments, and a thickening of the lining of the joint on the inside part of the knee. The MCL is one of the strongest ligaments in the body. It protects the knee from opening towards the outside. It is most commonly injured when an athlete sustains a direct contact injury to the outside of their knee (such as a clipping injury in hockey or football). Injuries to the MCL are graded I, II, and III. Grade I injuries are mild sprains, Grade II are partial tears of the MCL, and Grade III are complete tears. While the majority of athletes who sustain MCL injuries do not require surgery, occasionally we see athletes with a Grade III MCL tear who have torn their anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) or medial meniscus. It is important to make sure that you have not injured either of these structures, as you may need treatment for them prior to returning back to hockey.

-text info source from Sports Medicine Institue, University of Minnesota Orthopaedics

The meniscus is a c-shaped cartilage pad between the two joints formed by the femur and tibia. The meniscus acts as a smooth surface for the joint to move on. The knee joint is surrounded by fluid-filled sacs called bursae, which serve as gliding surfaces that reduce friction of the tendons. Below the kneecap, there is a large tendon (patellar tendon) which attaches to the front of the tibia bone. There are large blood vessels passing through the area behind the knee (referred to as the popliteal space).

The large muscles of the thigh move the knee. In the front of the thigh the quadriceps muscles extend the knee joint. In the back of the thigh, the hamstring muscles flex the knee. The knee also rotates slightly under guidance of specific muscles of the thigh.

The knee functions to allow movement of the leg and is critical to normal walking. The knee flexes (bends) normally to a maximum of 135 degrees and extends (straightens) to 0 degrees. The bursae, or fluid-filled sacs, serve as gliding surfaces for the tendons to reduce the force of friction as these tendons move. The knee is a weight-bearing joint. Each meniscus serves to evenly load the surface during weight- bearing and also adds in disbursing joint fluid for joint lubrication.

-text info and diagram source from eMedicineHealth

Dilema

A knee... a knee...
My kingdom for a knee...
I wonder if I should withdraw from the grading....
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!
It should heal in time.... shouldn't it?

But enough of this defeatist talk... I don't like to post this kinda of talk on this blog...

Starting today I am going to start a whole new series of crappy topics starting with ROBERT PREDICTS... LOL Hope you like it...

Robert predicts: The Top Ten likely questions from the grading examiners:
1) Why is your face like that?
2) Why are you so fat?
3) What do you do when someone insults you about your mother?
4) Can you go lower? (Refering to cat stance and shiko dachi)
5) How come you shout so softly?
6) "...your dogi is very dirty..."
7) Wong san, is this your student?..."Er...no..."
8) You! *pointing to a brown belt* Go home!!
9) In this bunkai, you think we can get some yakuza to attack them?... No?
10) Start with your left! Right! No, no, I said your left. Yes that's right. No. Left. Right. Lef....

...so you still think karate begins and ends with respect? I think it begins and ends with the language barrier.. LOL

Remember to bring your fistgaurds and wear a CLEAN DOGI down for your grading.

Good luck and till my next blog.. ~out

Knee problem..so..grading how?

Er...
Hmm...
lemme see....*glancing longingly at my right knee*

Uh-huh...*gingerly moving it up, down, left and right*

...yep...yep...

It's official then... I cannot manipulate my knee.

...so......

Grading how huh?

15 days to go...

Uh-oh...

&#*@&$^!

Nevermind...nevermind... cool down... cool down...

Phwa! $&(@&$*(! +#&$*! !&*#*$(!

GRRRRR!!!!!

Never back down from a fight

Most fighters (physical, mental, psychological, whatever the choice of battleground) already lost the fight before they even started.

How far are you willing to go?

Halfway? All the way? Beyond your limits? This is where the fight is won or lost. You decide where your commitment level is and then you go in. I mean let's face it, if you are not already physically ready and fit, and possess a certain level of fighting ability, you will most probably be sidelined during the selection process.

So if physical is not the key to success, then what is?

I am on my way to a doctor's now...I will be back to complete my blog....
~Back from the doctor's... it seems to be a inner knee ligament problem.. Doesn't look good :(

Anyway, like I care.. LOL

...now where was I?... oh yeah... what is the key to success if not physical prowess?

You are what you THINK you are... nothing more.. nothing less... really..really...

If you think you will win, then you will win, if you let yourself think you are going to lose, then most likely, you will lose.

HOWEVER, be true to yourself, never let yourself be deluded into over-confidence. OVER-CONFIDENCE & ARROGANCE have the distinctive smell of failure. Failure to recognise fear in itself is a major contributor to the ultimate fall.

Be afraid... be really afraid. That is a sign you are human. It is okay to be human. Only then you can fail...only then you can die... human is a survivalist in nature, we will fight to survive.

I will be back! This time even stronger and better.. but for now.. *yawn.. I want to go and sleep, have not slept a wink last night because my knee was giving me so much pain, it was a wonder how I was able to move around when I couldn't even put weight on it... ewww...

Maybe it was adrenaline... maybe it was because I was afraid... maybe it was both...

~Outz

Expandable shoes for children!

Children's feet grows very very quickly! Do they not? Sigh~

Fret not! The solution is here!! Featuring Children's Shoes (Available in School Whites) with an in-built expansion mechanism. It is able to adjust to 3 sizes at the touch of a button.

Eg. Euro size 34 --> 34.5 -- 35


It is made from Polyutherane(PU) upper body and Rubber-soled(Better grip). Easy to wash and clean, more durable and lasting then canvas material shoes. It's main feature is a 3 sizes-in-1 shoe expansion function that a parent is able to adjust according to their child's feet growth. So basically you are buying 3 shoes for the price of 1. Isn't that cool!?

What is even cooler is the price, unlike other shoes, it does not cost you an arm and a leg. It cost only SGD29.90 (excluding gst)**{That means including gst will be SGD32.00, for those who are mathematically challenged}. By pricing it economically, we aim to make it affordable for everyone to get one...or two.... or three.... you get the idea.. :P

Available now only at store located at No.22, Geylang Lorong 21A, Prosper Industrial Building, #01-01B. (It's on the left side of Sims Ave). We are open 9am to 8pm daily.

Visit our website at

Here is a video demo of what our shoes can do.


PLEASE DO HELP SPREAD OUR PRODUCT TO EVERYONE ABOUT US. REWARD OUR EFFORTS FOR TRYING TO BE INNOVATIVE ENTREPRENEURS... just trying to make a living :)

Thank you and GOD bless!

PS: To all my team-mates who will be fighting in this Sunday's tournament, rest assured I will still do my best for you guys even though I am kinda reduce to a storekeeper these couple of days.. wahahahahahahaha!!!