Sunday, March 30, 2008

Friday, March 21, 2008

My 90 days challenge has started!

My second day into my journey... I am making small tiny steps in the right directions, hopefully in the right directions...
This is what I will be doing for the duration of the 90 days... Sanchin kata for breathing and strengthening exercise. When done correctly, it engages your entire body and activates almost all your muscle group....



Hmm..... I feel lighter already... Bwahahahahahaha.....

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Quest for 6 Packs!

Someone asked me why I have a round tummy even though I train everyday.

Grrrrr.. TU LAN!

Ravindha (A friend at SKA) challenged me to get 6 packs within 3 months. The one with the better 6 pack showing at the end of 3 months will have to buy the other party a Nokia N95.


The challenge has been issued. I have accepted!

I have 90 days to transform from this...

to this...


You say its impossible? Well, one of my senior sensei said the same thing of me when I was weighing in at 112KG in Sept last year, my waistline was 44inches. She told me it was impossible to lose at least 6 inches off my waist in 6 months. She said she will give me a reward if I did it. Well, 4 months later, I was 6 inches off my waist. (My waistline now is 36 inches). Lets just say I am still waiting for my reward... (She acting blur leh, how?)

As for this goal that I am going for, I have made some measurements here for the record, so 3 months down the road, I will link back back to this post and lets see the results (with pictorial proof of course, LOL).

Waist: 36 inches
Chest: 42 inches
Hips (including butt): 41 inches
Thigh: 25 inches
Calf: 16.5 inches
Biceps: 15 inches
(Quite pathetic by any standards but I am training as a martial artist not a body builder so give and take lo)... LOL

These people keep giving me challenges that they deem is impossible...

TSK TSK TSK.. you guys keep forgetting I am the Committed One.

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

New Blood vs Old Blood

I hate to say this but I feel old. Not that I am old or my psyche is screwed up. But the facts remain, time and tide waits for no one. Look at the pictures I posted together, you will notice that the "generation gap" within the group.

We are training for the National Interschool Tournament hosted by the Singapore Karate Federation on this Sunday 16 March 2008 at Jurong East Sports Complex (Right next to Jurong East Swimming thingy with the slides, nearest MRT is Chinese Garden) from 8am in the morning to 6pm in the evening.

This next group of upcoming karate players from our association is good and I see bright future for them. As for me, well, I still have a few good fights left in me, so I will be in everyone's face so very often. LOL!

6 PACKS

I am starting my quest for a 6 packs tummy. I really hope I can make the "cut". Literally. LOL! I am doing 200 cruches.. S L O W L Y... these types of exercise cannot all do like lightning speed one... *swish *swish then Ahh... done. Cannot. Slow builds up the muscles, many reps makes the cut. I like to play "Jump Around" by House O. Really gives me that "Ommph!" to complete my exercises. By the way, specifically targetted crunches will not get me what I want, I also need plenty of cardio exercises to burn off excess fats...

The following picture may cause nausea in some viewers..and in extreme cases, violent fits and repeat nightmares, so before you scroll down further, have your breakfast/lunch/dinner first. Ok ar? Warning given ar... dun say I din warn you...

I have plenty of those as you can see in the before pix.. Also I will have to watch my fat intake as well, so more lean meals for me.

"Wah, this kind stomach... Eeeeee...... really cannot make it...."

Oh yar, I have two ardent supporters now for my quest for 6 packs, namely Jennifer and Sharon. Let's do it!!! I will keep updates here so we will all know where I gone right AND gone wrong. Wish me luck hor.

Friday, March 7, 2008

Capital Radio 95.8 FM

I tell you... sometimes life is so full of coincidences. Just yesterday, I had an interview with Mediacorp radio, Capital Radio 95.8 FM. When the radio presenter and myself met face to face, it was like... "Eh? It's..it's... YOU!!!" LOL. OMG. She turned out to be my classmate back when I was in Ngee Ann Poly Mass Communications.

Wei. I am pretty well connected de hor. I know Cheryl Fox lar, Dominic Loh lar.. but unfortunately, I don't think they will remember me.. LOL

Anyway, Carine Ang was pretty nice about the whole thing, and I think I might have been her worst interview ever. I was pretty much stuttering throughout the entire interview, I guess I used English every other word or so, and this is to be broadcast in Chinese! LOL

Anyway, if you catch this blog in time, it will be aired over radio next week on 95.8 FM. Heh heh.. Paiseh..Never get on radio, must plug plug abit. *blush

If you missed it, then you can find the recorded interview on the link in this blog when I get around to it. :P

Thursday, March 6, 2008

My Body Mechanic

All of you heard of a car mechanic, plumber, electrician, etc, etc, right? I have my own body mechanic. I mean not the "Doctor, I am sick, wanna take my temperature...?" type.. LOL I mean one who actually repairs my body.

Enter Mr. Seow Kwee Yong. He is one of the longest buddy I have met. Coming close to 18 years now I think.. LOL! Anyway, during that time he has made traditional medicine his forte and so now he is quite the man when it comes to TCM at my dojo. I have come to trust his advice on general health matters and most importantly, value his concept on what works and what doesn't in our training.

Anyway, he repairs my battered body from damage. That's the gist of this post. He does it with a combination of cupping, needles and moxibustion. Best of all other than the fact that it worked wonders for my joint pains, ligament sprains, and tendon strains, it doesn't hurt.

My current damage is my shoulders. They hurt like ****! I just had my first needle treatment last night, so I am going to give it a good workout until this Saturday when I will go through moxibustion. More on that to come.

I am not saying this is wonder treatment but if it works for someone like me, who is abusing his body and getting advanced in age (CONTRARY TO BELIEF, I AM NOT EVEN AT MY PEAK YET!), it should send a message that with proper followup and enough rest period, TCM should work for most people.

I forgot to mention he is also a 5th Dan Shitoryu Karateka... did I? LOL

Monday, March 3, 2008

Kuro Obi - Black Belt

I saw this posted on youtube and must share! I hope this comes out soon, and reaches Singapore's shores. the website says 25 March 2008 out in DVD.

KURO OBI - Black Belt


No special effects. No wires. No CGI. A real karate movie.

Sunday, March 2, 2008

Power Breakfast

I was appointed coach again for my association's team for the Singapore Inter-school Karate Championships. Previously was for the 11th Asia Pacific Shitoryu Karatedo Federation Championships held in Hong Kong.

So later I have to trudge down by 1.30pm, and EXERCISE... sigh.. Sunday is my veg day. No.. not vegetarian diet, vegetarian lifestyle....

Pammy made us a power breakfast which we call it, "Pammy's Omelete Pancake". Here's how it look like...


It should should provide me with the energy to lead my charges through their paces through the day. Accompanied that with my mom's "secret chilli in a tub", it was wonderful... *slurp

Anyway, I have to lug my full battle gear to SKA, Not heavy, but cumbersome lor. Not that it has seen much action ever since I have returned to the scene, I think it is only fair to say, I have been "dying" to put it to good use.. heh heh heh heh heh..

I am never good at ball games

Maybe it is because I have been left out out of my school's soccer team, time and again. Or maybe it is because as a child I was deprived of any team game effort. I don't know. I am just never any good with games that involves BALLS.

Yeah well, I was actually playing soccer when I was in primary school once. They had these "PE Lessons" which will involve the entire class divided into two teams and play against each other, whether you like it or not. Quietly I guess that was how the physical education teachers took it easy on themselves, you know, get a few balls from the store and let the class play a game of soccer... good on team work, great on the cardio vascular.. yeah well,

"TEACH! OPEN YA EYES! SOME OF YOUR CHARGES WERE TRAUMATISED FOR LIFE!!!"

I remembered like it was yesterday... I was in primary 6... I was unfortunately forced to play, they will start with picking the 2 best soccer players in our class and they will then take turns and alternatively choose team members for themselves. I WILL ALWAYS BE THE LAST TWO. Why caps? Because I want to make a point, you see... I was always the last 2...

*sniff sniff

Well back to the flashback... so anyway, I was the last two and almost always there will be a little give and take going on between the 2 captains, they will want to take the other one, and give me up... ~siiiiiigggghhhh

The game will start and I will always be either the goal keeper, or one of the numerous defenders... what will happen is that I will be reduced to just watching the action because everyone will be playing the ball and I will be cheering... and cheering.. until the final whistle.

ONCE, I managed to play myself up front.. by ignoring my captain's advice. Why? I still don't know, but I will alwyas remember this moment for the rest of my life.. LOL I got the ball deep in the other team's half.. I was right in front of the goal mouth, and the ball was flying towards me.. I turned, took the ball on my knees (I was actually trying to chest it down.. LOL), and send the ball hurtling between the goal!! GOAL! Then there was a lot of yelling and shouting, after which of course I found myself staring at the blank face of my own goal keeper... I have scored an own goal.. yeah well, that would be my first and last contact of a soccer ball in a looooong time...

There were other times of course when I would be in various contacts with soccer balls, notably once, when I was in secondary one, a bully kinda smashed the ball right into my head front behind... GRrrrr.. furious... angry.. seeing red.. murderous... would be more appropriate for my reaction. Anyway, I will leave that memory in my head for the moment.. better to talk it then to type it.. I am going to smash the keyboard any moments now... GRrrrr...

Nowadays, I still suck at ball games... so if you ever think you are going to beat me up, carry a soccer ball.. LOL...