I stumbled across this youtube video today.
順子-星星(I'm not a star)
For a short while I sat there in the approaching evening light caught in a seemingly endless loop of memories of me and my friend Alan.
He was a firecracker of a friend if I ever knew one. He was a hokkien foul language spewing skinny tattooed gangster with a taste for fast cars and quick women. He is absolutely the last person in the world I would ever associate myself with as a good friend. I find in him everything I am not and everything I do not wish to be.
However, I spent almost 8 years of my life including him in almost every aspect of my life. My wedding, the birth of my daughters, setting up a company together, he was there helping out at my grandparent's funerals, (LOL) he advised me when I was buying all my cars (much to Pam's displeasure).
Pam didn't like him very much, well, I don't blame her for that.. nor those around me who questions my wisdom is associating myself with a person "like" Alan. He wasn't exactly a "nice" guy.
But he was a friend. Most importantly, he was my friend. Ever since I was young, I am not exactly sociable in the friendship department. So I only have a limited number of friends I can call close friends.. people whom willingly associate themselves with me despite my quirks.. I think I can limit those numbers with my fingers and toes combined.
Unfortunately over the years, some went our separate ways, some passed away... some disappeared. As I listen to these songs, I want to remember my friend Alan the way we used to... laughed and grumbled and aspired.
Whereever you are now my friend... don't drive too fast.
順子- 寫一首歌
CJ
Friday, September 30, 2011
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Modern Warfare and an open mind
Karate has outlived it's usefulness as a form of modern self-defense. Don't mind me saying that. I love my karate. I will never give it up. I am passionate and obsessed with it until the day I die!
But I say this even as I prepare to celebrate my 23.5 years of karate training. I used to think being a pure stylist but incorporating the gist and best of other arts into my karate, I can somehow work miracles and transform this karate system into something which works for me. Maybe it might, I am not sure.. but one thing I am sure of is that once I opened my mind to the possibilities of training in other forms of martial arts WITHOUT PREJUDICE, I find that I am able to incorporate the best techniques, what works for me, arming myself with weapons of choice for combat.. then using it when opportunities presents themselves. Once the main stay of traditional self-defense syllabus, I find practical combat techniques in other styles of martial arts.
As an education, I believe every person serious in learning martial arts should take up a form of orthodorx style. Sorry by this I mean karate, tae kwon do, judo, silat, muay thai, etc etc. As long as the martial art style has a structured syllabus of training and progression, I believe any dilligent student will get a grounding in basic style of combat arts in due time.
I reckon learning martial arts akin to formal education. Kindergarten, primary school, secondary, tertiary, university and Phd. I suppose you can say these are similar to our belt system.. similar but not restricted to one style of combat arts.
MMA or mixed martial arts, Krav Maga, Systema, etc will be around the level of tertiary or university, you simply need to have a base in some form of martial arts to be able to utilise the techniques which are taught in those sessions. Strikes such as kicks and punches, grappling to submission. If we have not learnt how to strike properly or conditioned or bodies to receive them, or not learnt to breakfall, break grips, grapple, or even get into the half guard position when you are being pinned.. how are you going to be an efficient mma fighter?
Hence my view that a person moving on to mma, krav maga, systema, or any of the practical combat system out there, ought to have enough mastery over his base art that will serve as a fundamental platform where he can analyse and digest his training.
I have no problem where someone picks up muay thai and bjj during his training sessions of mma, but I think the class will be a confusing, boring and indeed a dangerous one for these kind of practioners. It is dangerous for their partners as well. Imagine someone like that doing an armbar on you.. yicks.
Myirritation pet peeves for martial arts are pretty numerous.. I enjoy having discussions with people regarding martial arts.. but I simply don't enjoy having arguments with people with obviously less training and even less understanding of certain techniques but they insist that they are executing it in the right situation and right time.. oh well. For times like these..I simply nod my head, smile and walk away.. nothing lost in not continuing that conversation, nothing to be gained either. Humility is simply lost on them.
So anyways, given anytime and place, anyone trying a sports kumite move would probably be on the wrong end of a take down from me. Its not the art.. its the person. My 2 cents.
~CJ~
But I say this even as I prepare to celebrate my 23.5 years of karate training. I used to think being a pure stylist but incorporating the gist and best of other arts into my karate, I can somehow work miracles and transform this karate system into something which works for me. Maybe it might, I am not sure.. but one thing I am sure of is that once I opened my mind to the possibilities of training in other forms of martial arts WITHOUT PREJUDICE, I find that I am able to incorporate the best techniques, what works for me, arming myself with weapons of choice for combat.. then using it when opportunities presents themselves. Once the main stay of traditional self-defense syllabus, I find practical combat techniques in other styles of martial arts.
As an education, I believe every person serious in learning martial arts should take up a form of orthodorx style. Sorry by this I mean karate, tae kwon do, judo, silat, muay thai, etc etc. As long as the martial art style has a structured syllabus of training and progression, I believe any dilligent student will get a grounding in basic style of combat arts in due time.
I reckon learning martial arts akin to formal education. Kindergarten, primary school, secondary, tertiary, university and Phd. I suppose you can say these are similar to our belt system.. similar but not restricted to one style of combat arts.
MMA or mixed martial arts, Krav Maga, Systema, etc will be around the level of tertiary or university, you simply need to have a base in some form of martial arts to be able to utilise the techniques which are taught in those sessions. Strikes such as kicks and punches, grappling to submission. If we have not learnt how to strike properly or conditioned or bodies to receive them, or not learnt to breakfall, break grips, grapple, or even get into the half guard position when you are being pinned.. how are you going to be an efficient mma fighter?
Hence my view that a person moving on to mma, krav maga, systema, or any of the practical combat system out there, ought to have enough mastery over his base art that will serve as a fundamental platform where he can analyse and digest his training.
I have no problem where someone picks up muay thai and bjj during his training sessions of mma, but I think the class will be a confusing, boring and indeed a dangerous one for these kind of practioners. It is dangerous for their partners as well. Imagine someone like that doing an armbar on you.. yicks.
My
So anyways, given anytime and place, anyone trying a sports kumite move would probably be on the wrong end of a take down from me. Its not the art.. its the person. My 2 cents.
~CJ~
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Breakthrough!!!!
Day 61
Yes!! Finally, after yo-yoing around 112kg and 114 kg.. finally the scales show me 110kg today!! YESH!
So I finally get to incorporate skipping and sprinting into my exercise regime without the fear of damaging my knees.. well if I over do it.. I will still damage it. But it was my target to hit 110kg and below before incorporating these exercises into my regime.
I am currently nursing a sore left shoulder, right calf muscle stress and left back hip pain. I also think I picked up a sore left wrist from Judo sparring on Sunday.. grrr... but at least as a white belt I got throw a brown belt.. and during ground sparring, I managed to reverse pin 2 black belts wakakaka.., well maybe they were just being nice to me.. but still.. not bad for a white belt eh?
Once I break 100kg, I will be resuming full karate training. Once that happens, there will be no turning back, I will NEVER..
NEVER..
see 100kg again...
NEVER..
EVER..
I don't think I can don this fight back to fitness from flab again.. this time it was from 136kg some more.. buay tahan.. feel like an eternity and my joints, muscles and cardio system feel like it is going to break down anytime like that.. kena sai.. pui..
ok lar.. I am on cloud nine now.. going to take a hot shower and wash off today's workout before deciding with Pam how to celebrate... hee..
CJ
Yes!! Finally, after yo-yoing around 112kg and 114 kg.. finally the scales show me 110kg today!! YESH!
So I finally get to incorporate skipping and sprinting into my exercise regime without the fear of damaging my knees.. well if I over do it.. I will still damage it. But it was my target to hit 110kg and below before incorporating these exercises into my regime.
I am currently nursing a sore left shoulder, right calf muscle stress and left back hip pain. I also think I picked up a sore left wrist from Judo sparring on Sunday.. grrr... but at least as a white belt I got throw a brown belt.. and during ground sparring, I managed to reverse pin 2 black belts wakakaka.., well maybe they were just being nice to me.. but still.. not bad for a white belt eh?
Once I break 100kg, I will be resuming full karate training. Once that happens, there will be no turning back, I will NEVER..
NEVER..
see 100kg again...
NEVER..
EVER..
I don't think I can don this fight back to fitness from flab again.. this time it was from 136kg some more.. buay tahan.. feel like an eternity and my joints, muscles and cardio system feel like it is going to break down anytime like that.. kena sai.. pui..
ok lar.. I am on cloud nine now.. going to take a hot shower and wash off today's workout before deciding with Pam how to celebrate... hee..
CJ
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