This year we will be training just as hard as we always have, but hopefully the October dates will allow us to sweat a bit less  ;-)

This year several people have contacted me from outside the United States to attend the Ninja Summit, so we may be looking at a truly international event this year.

We are currently wrapping up some deals with some local hotels and a few other nice details for this years Summit.

Keep coming back here for updates! We look forward to seeing you soon!

Thanks again for your support,

Doug Tweedy, Shidoshi

Bujinkan Shima Dojo

www.rvabujinkan.com

We taught them wrap hands I and II which was good review for me. In addtion these guy were very thick and beefy. In fact their wrists are at least two of mine! So getting the locks to work on them was a challenge. We then reviewed butterfly bores and after that taught them white crane twists its neck.

The big thing I learned last night is that there are five finger chin na that are all related:

• WC nods head
• WC twists its neck
• Lift elbow to break wing (not learned yet)
• Hands embrace guitar (not learned yet)
• WC covers its wings

I will say that WC twists works on beefy guys. Fingers are small and if you know how to lever them size matters not. The main lesson centered on flow and WC twists was used as the illustration: Namely that after a couple years of practicing these five you get to the point that you can transition from one to the next. Why is this important? Say you don't get WC twists locked in, the opponent pulls up, or he drops his elbow. As long as you have those fingers and understand their shoulder and elbow position in relation to your grip, you have one of five techniques that you could potentially use.

I'm too tired and rushed to look for a video today. However, one of DJR's latest posts sorta gets at what I'm trying to illustrate here. Notice how they flow from defense to offense to defense using a series of techniques? Kinda the same thing with these five chin na techniques. They can all be used offensively but they are also counters to whatever your attacker may pull off.

Chin na is a good place to be for the next 1 - 3 years. There are five levels of locks with three certification exams: Beginner, intermediate, and advanced. Getting through all three tests takes five years. My goal is to pass out of beginner then see what's on the horizon.

If we end up staying in the area I may have to look for the next art. I have a short list of arts I'd love to try but most of them are not offered around here:

• Japanese Jujitsu
• Hapkido
• Jeet Kune Do (or some reality varriant)
• Certain styles of kung fu (e.g., Wing Chun, Hung Gar, etc.)
• Certain styles of karate if they better incorporate some sort of grappling

I guess we shall see. Anyhow, I'll close with a video that's kinda fun watch. It's Praying Mantis vs. Hung Gar kung fu. There's a maxim that we repeat in taekwondo: Every block is a strike. Well Hung Gar is a hard style that teaches that same concept.

(They guy with no shirt is the Hung Gar dude.)

~BCP

When asked if the victims were also gang members, a police officer stationed nearby the scene replied, "Nah, they were probably some kids from Oklahoma who started shit with the people who have lived here their whole lives."

While hipsters have multiple tattoos and like to dress "hard," they are not actually skilled with martial arts or weaponry. It is likely that in this case, and many other gentrification-driven acts of violence, hipsters have been wrongfully targeted and blamed by those in financial duress, who confused them with the corporate tools who work so much they don't even have the opportunity to walk around the streets after 10 pm to get attacked.

If there is one thing hipsters hate more than being victims of violent crime, it is being confused with young professionals. I mean, they wear nothing but navy pantsuits and topsiders.

Thus, hipsters view gentrification as a serious issue.

Aside from being offended by mistaken associations, hipsters naturally clash with the corporate-attire wielding market researchers and investment bankers slowly filling the luxury condos and artist lofts. This is not necessarily because hipsters are morally opposed to the corrupt processes that these people willingly feed with their employment, but because their oblivion is soo ironic it hurts a hipster's mind to think about. The whole point of living in an artsy slum is to be able to work 3 shifts a week at a shitty coffee shop and have money for rent, drugs and concert tickets. But the gentrifiers in Williamsburg work 40-hour weeks and listen to bands like Bon Jovi, missing out on the finer points of the location they are co-opting.

Kristen Reynolds, 24 who recently moved to Williamsburg from Portland and works at a local restaurant, put the situation nicely:

"I mean, why should I have to take out more money from my trust fund in order to be able to live near some professional stock loser? I would rather be mugged than hear Elton John through my wall."

Torn between living in immediate danger and immediate wet-towelness, gentrification has forced the hipsters to retreat to the north, unofficially designating "red zones" where hipsters are ill-advised to live. These zones can be seen by this carefully rendered map:

Hipsters also do not like gentrification because some righteous hippies on city council are using it as an excuse to close McCarren Pool (and by close I mean spend millions of dollars to make it an actual pool again). See the third thing Hipsters Don't Like for more on this.

The first one is a big scroll for sensei. I hope he'll want it for the dojo as our old standard is getting a little battered. The second is a piece I wanted to do to commemorate Master Shiozaki's death month. I can't believe they both worked right when I needed them to.

"I can't do it" never yet accomplished anything; "I will try" has performed wonders.
George P. Burnham

Seit einigen Tagen ist nun das "Martial Arts Board" online :D !

Wir haben kaum geglaubt, dass es je stehen wird, da uns ab und an ein paar Steinchen in den Weg gelegt wurden. Nun aber ist es geschafft und die Stunden der Arbeit und Planung haben sich meines Erachtens wirklich gelohnt.

Das "Martial Arts Board" steht in der Tradition von 3 Foren, beginnend mit dem "Martial Arts Forum" unter Shaochun. Vielen dürfte dieses noch in guter Erinnerung sein. Eine Gruppe aus dem alten MAF ist in ständigem Kontakt miteinander gewesen und hat nun ein neues Zuhause für Kampfkunst-Begeisterte erschaffen.

Jeder der Lust hat in einem freundlichen, gepflegten Umgangston über Kampfkünste zu reden ist herzlichst Willkommen!

Mich findet ihr dort als "suifeng" ;) !

Liebe Grüße *winke* !

Brock Lesnar will head back to the octagon for the second time and he knows that this fight is a must win. Lesnar is scheduled to face MMA veteran Heath “The Texas Crazy Horse” Herring at UFC 87 “Seek and Destroy” on August 9.

Lesnar, a former NCAA wrestling champion, made his debut in the UFC, February of this year against former champion Frank Mir. Lesnar showed his potential when he exploded for big takedowns and nasty strikes. Even with his massive built, Lesnar moved quickly inside the cage. He bloodied Mir’s face with his huge fists from the get-go but made a rookie mistake down the stretch. After escaping Mir’s armbar attempt on the mat, Lesnar stood up and left his leg open, Mir caught and cranked a tight leg lock which prompted Lesnar to tap out. Lesnar’s anticipated UFC debut ended with a loss.

Herring is a more formidable opponent and Lesnar will likely have his hands full during the fight. Herring’s MMA experience will be a big difference between the two fighters. Herring owns a career record of 28-13 as opposed to Lesnar’s 1-1 record. He has endured several fights against big-time MMA fighters including Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Fedor Emalienko and Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic.

Brock Lesnar must win this fight against Heath Herring if he intends to establish a foothold in the MMA business. The outcome of Lesnar’s fight this Saturday will be the determining factor if he really belongs with the big boys.

Let’s get it on!

-fouledout

]]> http://buddesus.wordpress.com/?p=9 Wed, 06 Aug 2008 09:13:56 +0000 buddesus http://buddesus.wordpress.com/?p=9 I have always been a fan of the martial art's epic. The guy in me can't help but love the violence and awesome kick ass moves that transform man and woman alike into a whipping, whirling, screaming zing of blade and fists. Also, I think that if I watch Asian movies of any sort, Asian women will want to sleep with me. My logic is flawless. Any day now my theory will prove true and Zhāng Zǐyí will be knocking on my apartment door and begging me to take her under my wing and show her all of the carnal desires possible out of a man of my stamina. You wait. It'll happen.

Tonight fate (and a loving girlfriend who completely understands the Ms Zhāng thing. Honestly) dropped a Korean film by the name of The Legend of the Shadowless Sword or, for those of you who speak Korean: Muyeong geom. This film was not only full of action and information. Did you know that when you slice a man capable of firing several arrows the size of your average icbm in half with a poleaxe that he will explode violently into a mist of white chalk and random jello flingings? Did you also know that there is technique that will cause your opponent to be shot several times by invisible assassins with rifles using nothing but an up close stern look? Not only that, but when two people know the technique it makes green crap run through their veins after having a showdown in a more serene version of Constantine's hell? Also, ancient Koreans could more or less fly. Not to mention that you can cut multiple people in half with the harnessed power of motion and buoyancy.

Neither did I. See, we're learning together.

Warning: Things get spoilery from here.

So here's the skinny. It's sometime before time as we know it hit quadruple digits and there's chaos in the land and someone keeps killing the crown princes so that there can't be a king and the people can't unify and do things that unified people do, which in this case is charge at a castle on horseback even though the have siege weaponry. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

We come to find out that only one prince is alive and they send Yeon So-ha (soldier, badass and all around hottie) to drag his exiled ass back to the kingdom and make everything into Peachysville again. Only he's not so keen on going. Except he has to or he'll probably end up being killed by this warlord's army and it's homage to the Korean Dark Age's femme fatale and the soft spoken villain. Running ensues. Them from the killers. Him from her. Her from a couple of people. There's a bunch of fighting and we come to find out that the reluctant king is some old badass from back in the day when he was fifteen. When I was fifteen, I was busy wondering what a boob felt like and I still hope to find out. When he was fifteen, he was kicking people's asses in full armor and saving little girls from the bad men. Could there be a link?

The movie continues, there's more fighting and running and some shit that happens underwater because people in martial arts movies can not only do things better than us mere mortals, but they can do it for longer. Like holding their breaths. All of this eventually leads to a final showdown where people die. But wait! This movie isn't from America or one of it's derivatives. So people you don't want to die manage to eat a chest full of steel or get shot by invisible assasins. But also, the bad guy dies. The end.

This movie had the makings of being absolutely ridiculous. In fact, there were several times that it made me laugh, but then I laugh at a lot of inappropriate things. I just can't hate it. I tried. I sat back at a distance so I could take in all 17" of awesome telling myself that it was stupid and contrived and the story was predictable...and it was. But still, there is something about it that just won't let me hate it. It seems to know that it's a little bit out there. Plus, if I hate it, I hurt my chances with all Asian women in the future.

Buddesus awaits, Ms. Zhāng.

In 1973, the Korean government recognized the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) as the legitimate governing body of sport Taekwondo, and the first World Championships were held in that year. Taekwondo became a demonstration sport in the 1992 Olympics and a Medal sport in 2000. [caption id="attachment_161" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Jack Bobrow, Jhoon Rhee, Mitchell Bobrow Early USA Taekwondo Pioneers."][/caption]

1. you lose a point when hit once.
2. you lose three points when hit two consecutive times.
3. you lose five points when hit three consecutive times.
4. you gain a point when you evade a kick.
5. when two unsuccessful consecutive kicks were made and you made no attempt to counter-attack, you lose one point.
6. when three unsuccessful consecutive kicks were made and you made no attempt to counter-attack, you lose three points.

Great Grandmaster Tae Yun Kim said to me once:

 “Do not pray for an easy life, prey to be a strong person”.

This meant a lot to me… see below:

If you get knocked down, get up.

If you are stiff, stretch.

If you feel weak, decide to be strong.

If you are tired, move into “second-gear” and get your “second wind”.

If you are facing someone stronger than you, never show your fear.

If you make a mistake, try again.

If you feel like giving up, don’t.

If you feel down, pick yourself up.

If you are in a hurry, be extra careful.

If others are in your way, go around them.

If you are in someone else's way, step aside.

When you are attacked, block.

When you are blocked - counter attack!

When the board doesn’t break the first time, break it the second time.

When your room or office is messy, clean it up.

When someone speaks to you, listen.

When you want to speak to someone, do it after that person is done speaking to you.

If you meet someone, introduce yourself.

When you leave someone, say good-by.

If you like someone, be nice to them.

If you don't like being with someone, don't be with them.

If you want to learn from your mistakes then learn from your mistakes.

WISDOM SUMMARY:    If you want to feel good, then choose to feel good!

Kaleo says: Aloha! Blessings to you all!

Check out the latest video of Kaleo Ching with his maskmaking students.

Elise Dirlam Ching and Kaleo Ching are the authors of Faces of Your Soul: Rituals in Art, Maskmaking, and Guided Imagery with Ancestors, Spirit Guides, and Totem Animals, and Chi and Creativity, Vital Energy and Your Inner Artist.

CLICK HERE to view Kaleo's photo collection
CLICK HERE to learn more about Kaleo and Elise
CLICK HERE to read about Kaleo and Elise on the Blue Snake Books Blog
CLICK HERE to order their books from Blue Snake Books
CLICK HERE to order their books from Amazon

In the end it all went well. I fell my Jodo and Iaido have progressed immensely and passed the exam successfully, plus there was lots of beer going around. We didn't visit anything besides the area around the Eindhoven station while looking for a place to have dinner, but that was not the purpose of the trip anyway.

Can't wait for the next one, if nothing weird happens I will be in Brighton next year for another round !

Just started a new unit of study called web production. Thus I need to start dusting off photoshop and the tablet of doom! A new chapter and a new layout awaits! I'm thinking of the name Pistachio Funk

So what else has been happening? Well I'm going to start doing Taekwondo at uni:

In other news:

What's going on/went on in BSG:

1. Fat Apollo. Too funny. He's so bloody porky. I love it. LOL!
2. Final Five??? Is you-know-who really a cylon?
3. Episodic feel. Although I reckon it works quite well for Firefly and Doctor Who, it doesn't seem to work quite as well for BSG. It's way too fragmented for a show that seems reliant on cohesive, continual character and thematic development. It also kills the suspense somewhat and the idea of the race against time and the Cylons we see in the first 2 seasons!

Anyways I will hopefully chew through season 3 quickly so I can FINALLY catch Season 4. At the moment I've just finished The Passage and started watching The Eye of Jupiter episode 11; season 3.

It must have rained over the weekend because the glen we practiced in was still muddy. So I literally left the park looking like I had been in a fight and my white shirt did not help matters! I was covered in sweat, mud, and grass stains and had to chuckle because the yoga group looked very scared of us as we walked out with our gear.

During sparring Tornado I caught a reverse side kick to my knee. Consequently I think my knee is a little hyper-extended. It's the same feeling I've experienced from someone taking an arm bar farther than they should. Anyhow, the ground was too slick to try evasion and rather than down block I did something illegal (at least in a TKD match): I raised my knee to protect my mid-section. Well it worked but I got to tell you that I would not advise a knee/shin block on a kick that has a lot of power behind it!

After class both Sabum and I were telling Tornado how he's grown exponentially. After next Monday he'll be halfway to black belt. Right now we can barely contain him in sparring. I made the comment that in real fight I'd have to use every dirty trick I know and even then I'm not so sure I could hold him in check. He responded: "All it would take is one good shot to put me down."

Looks good on paper I suppose...

I suppose I should be sentimental because last night was probably the last practice I'll have in taekwondo. Next week is testing so aside from being the stand-in dummy for step sparring, self-defense, and sparring I'll just be watching. Truth be told I'm damn tired. I've been putting in nine and 10 hours days since about April. Just as I get one dept. through a systems upgrade we get stuck with another one. It's been nothing but a struggle to keep everything running and this is on top of getting ready for the usual semester pain. All the upgrades have gotten me behind on lecture preparation so I ended up working over the weekend on that. In addition part of the last upgrade did not take and records came over corrupt. So now we have to scramble to fix the records before the students and professors return.

I guess the good news is that aside from my knee all my other injuries have healed. I'll also be on vacation during the last week of August so I have that to look forward to.

~BCP

When I first started formal Martial Arts, I was there every day I could be. "You want me to do what? No I'm sorry I have Karate tonight" I would train 4 to 5 days a week and on some days when there was a noon class I would go to that and the evening class. I know it can get hard when Dad owns the school and all you want to do is go and play with your friends but you are stuck helping Mom and Dad, but come on is it that hard all I want out of them is two classes a week! I have had this fight so many times with my kids that I stopped counting.

My oldest boy is the biggest culprit. I try to be easy going with him and instead of gratitude I get Can I have more please? I want more video games, I want another bike (He already has 2) I want this toy or that computer. What happened to the old days when you received the hand-me downs because that was all there is? Once my oldest gets going then I have to look at my youngest too. If he is not getting into trouble he is trying to find out how to get the oldest in trouble.

Is is the wrong that you want your kids to be happy but you cant find the way to do it? I have tried treats, trips to their favorite place, surprises, and even threating them, and none of that works. I have tried positive re-enforcement, Negative re-enforcement, verbal support, and grounding. None of that works. Oh well I will go back to the 1,2,3 Magic program and move forward. I like this program because I don't have to yell to make it work.

The biggest problem that they have is that they don't know the resources available to them. Instead of playing computer they could be practicing their forms, and sparring and trying to increase their physical shape. But Alas no they will sit and become couch potato and be perfectly content with it. So I have made it my mission to get rid of the Laz-y Boy look on not only myself but my family too.

My oldest now gets to help at the school, now keep in mind this is not forced labor and he is doing what the is asked to do but with a paycheck! I told him simply, that we would not tolerate his a Attitude when helping in the school, or interacting with customers. So I pay him $12 a week for 2 hours of cleaning/organizing/ and general odd jobs. This may seem like allot but this is what is great, I have him in the mindset that he can save for the next 5 years and when he is 16 he can have a pretty nice car! Now most kids would be jumping with joy for the kind of money (I will match what he puts in the pot) he should be running out of things to do at the school, but he's not instead he works on his favorite pastime (Being an Instigator) and trying to raise his 7 year old brother with his infinite wisdom, and his loud and overpowering voice.

Then there are the days where he is an Angel, He does his forms and above to make sure that he knows them and has time to practice. Did I mention that my Wife signed him up for Foot Ball? Yes this is her idea of the "sport" that a boy should play. So I went along with it, and maybe my feelings were jaded from my own experiences and it was the bad taste that freshmen football left in my mouth, or the taunts that the others made when I sat the bench? Either way I was never overly popular, but I had the Band and Choir to rely on instead of the traditional sports as a source of friends.

Now we have to go on and watch a child play football on at least Saturday afternoons, therefore adding to an already hectic schedule that seems to have no mercy. In the end I do feel it will help him in his conditioning and his wind, Practices run from 5:30-7 three days a week and Sat afternoons. Now the only questions is, if I can't get him to come to class how am I to drag him to Football as well?

Oh well in the end I am sure I can make it all work but I just wish my kids would have the same kind of drive I do. When there is a trophy or medal on the line you can't find a more focused kid, but when it is normal class they spend more time working on making faces in the mirror than on their curriculum.

I know that they are young and have all the time in the world to grow up but, just the other day I was dropping off my oldest to Kindergarten and now he is in Middle school! Then I reflect back to when I was a kid and the hard time I gave my Dad when he would try to teach me anything. It sometimes makes me smile just a little thinking of him saying to me "you know one day your kids are going to do the same thing to you, only worse" and after all these years I can finally look at my Father and say "you were right old man, boy were you right on the money!"

In the end I just hope that when I send my boys out in the world that they have a fighting chance at being whatever it is they want. I also hope they look back like I do and remember all the time my Dad spent with me trying to make me a better shot, a better woodsman, a better Martial Artist, and really a better person overall. For while I am not perfect, I know I turned out better due to the influence that my father has had on me. Well that is all for today, I will see you when I see you and if you see the kids out running the streets send them home they have chores to do.

Mr. Chuck

]]> http://elvislawsonreviews.wordpress.com/?p=144 Tue, 05 Aug 2008 00:45:54 +0000 Elvis http://elvislawsonreviews.wordpress.com/?p=144 [/caption]

I must admit that i am a big fan of MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) and was intrigued yet cautious when i heard about this film. It ended up being pretty much what i expected, a modern day Karate Kid. It gave me more than i expected in some areas though. I was pretty happy with the MMA aspects of the movie. it was not entirely true to life (well some things were way wrong) and that bothered me   times. One in particular was when a fighter was in a triangle choke he picked up the other fighter and slammed him on the concrete and the other fighter had no major ill effects from it. If you were to really be slammed on your back like that onto concrete you would be hurt badly and bleeding from some pretty bad road rash. If you don't understand what i just said, just know it is not all realistic.

When i say this is a modern day Karate Kid, know that i am not exaggerating. At times it really seems like the movie studio hired the writer and told him to write The Karate Kid with MMA. Judging from the writers credits he seems like a write for hire kind of writer (this is not a bad thing by the way) so this is most likely true, but he honestly did a pretty good job with most of it. If i were a young person i might like this more than i liked Karate Kid when i was a kid. The movie follows Karate Kid plot lines all over though. Boy moves to new town, meets girl he likes. Said girl's boyfriend is a bad ass jerk that kicks our hero's ass. Hero trains with awesome guy that offers sage advice. Boy enters tournament to fight jerk and put him in his place. Boy gets injured in the tournament but continues on. Any of this sound familiar?

All those similarities aside I really did enjoy many parts of this film and never really thought about stopping it.   scenes were done pretty well with some being done very well. i really liked the idea of on-line video sharing playing a big part since i think it would in real life if such a story happened in real life, although i think if real names and fights were posted on-line the police might get involved. I think the MMA stuff was much closer to real life than the Karate was in old movies like Karate Kid and the like and that helped my enjoyment, but i would still like to see an even more realistic approach and show the real pain and heartache real fighters go through. I really hope this leads to more MMA movies and with the rise of UFC it might very well do that. So in the end it wasn't in any way the best action movie i have seen this year, it was very watchable and perhaps even rewatchable.

My rating 7 out of 10

Here is the trailer.

It is not a secret that martial arts have really advanced over time.  Numerous years ago, Bruce Lee made the martial arts become even more known, when he formulated his style that he called Jeet Kune Do.  He acted in many films, demonstrating his speed and finesse to the world .  Since then, films have became  a favorite means to display martial arts skills.

Back in the 1990s, something called the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) appeared to move matters even farther.  Although there have been other  similar competitions to the UFC, none of them possessed the style and the commitment as the UFC managed.  When it first started, the UFC matched assorted styles and various weight classes.

The final result was energizing bouts with variable consequences.  The 1st ever superstar was a gentleman from Brazil named Royce Gracie.  Gracie was the 1st to present Brazilian Jui-Jitsu in this way, opening up the eyes of everybody who saw him fight.  After the first UFC, Brazilian Jui-Jitsu was immediately deemed the best martial art. Royce weighed below two hundred pounds, and he was altogether dominating fighters near 2 times his size.

Gracie would also win UFC 2 and 4 as well.  He was the most commanding in the sport, and opened the eyes of everybody around the world.  In UFC 3, he did not lose, although he come across a tough fighter who just about beat him.  Gracie returned in UFC 5 for a superfight with Ken Shamrock, which would go the distance and end in a draw.

Other fighters have done exceptionally well in the UFC, although none of them had the impact as Royce Gracie.  Fighters like Ken Shamrock, Dan Severn, Oleg Taktarov, Matt Hughes, and Matt Sylivia have also done very well.  Matt Hughes is also regarded as one of the best, as he fights in the Welterweight class and is considered pound for pound to be the best fighter in the world.

In the world of MMA (Mixed Martial Arts), the UFC has made a big impact.  In the beginning, there were no rules and no judges, just one on one fights until someone either tapped out, got knocked out, or the ref through in the towel.  Fighters also fought in a tournament style as well, which took 3 fights to win the championship.

Over the years, there were several changes.  The UFC would start with judges after a few years, along with eliminating the tournaments.  The fights would eventually go to one on one, which was great for the fans.  Although the fights didn’t have time limits in the beginning, they do now.  The non title fights are three 5 minute rounds, while the title fights are five 5 minute rounds.

If a fight goes to the judges, the judges decide the winner.  There are three judges, which normally change with each different UFC.  Judges are there do determine the winner if there is no knockout or submission, while the ref is there to protect the fighters.  The referee can stop a fight as well, if a fighter is unable to defend themselves.

With all the changes in the rules of the UFC, it’s only a matter of time before the UFC gains a lot more popularity.  It is more popular today than it ever has been, which tells you that martial arts have come a long way.  Martial arts is very popular these days, with competitions such as the UFC being one of the most popular sports in the world.

If you would like to learn a little street efefective bjj, I would suggest starting with the Army Combatives Groundfighting.  It was taken directly from Gracie Jui-jitsu (BJJ) and is a good beginning place.  The manual is easy to follow and the videos are free. You can find the materials to study the army groundfighting systemat www.combatives101.com. It is a membership site, but it is free to sign up.

Got to go will write more tomorrow

I admit it. I have no excuses. I pulled an Autumn and just didn't post. Also, there will not be a new post in the next week, after that however there will be many of them but first thing's first.

The last three weeks have been big for me.

I can finally say that the yearbook is done. It took awhile, but I love it. Each and every page makes me proud when I look at them. I can't wait to have the final product in my hands but more than that, I can't wait for everyone to see it. I put my soul into that book. I hope everyone else loves it as much as I do.

The other big thing to happen to me during the last little bit is that my braces came off. Most of my current friends have never seen me without them and no after three long years I can't wait to smile at everyone when the semester starts.

Having some time at home after wrapping up the yearbook has been fantastic! I've gotten in more training recently than I have in months. I love my martial arts as much now as I ever have and going to last these past few weeks have reminded me why I have continued in the art for 13 years.

So that's what I've been up to. Now on to where I'm headed next.

In just over twelve hours I will be boarding a flight to England. To celebrate graduating, my mother and I will be spending a week in London. We've got a rough list of places to see and things to do while we're there but for a lot of it we will be going with the flow about when we want to do things. I'm sure we're going to have an amazing time.

(On a related side note, I'm tired and have to get up in a few hours so I'm betting there are several mistakes in this post. Please ignore them. I'll do better next time.)

I'll be checking my e-mail a few times while I'm over there so, reach me that way if you need anything. I'm sure there will be a lot of posts with tons of pictures when I get back. Until then...

Have fun!

Today I ran for the first time in 8 weeks. Four miles in a little over 35 minutes. Slow, but for me it was a total victory. I'd been sidelined with a knee injury that was brought about by over-training and left me limping for weeks. I didn't listen to my body and paid the price when my knee gave out during a boxing class. I saw an orthopedic surgeon shortly after the injury who took x-rays, saw nothing serious and prescribed taking it easy for a few weeks. He specifically prohibited kickboxing, running and anything that involved lateral stress on the knee joint. So I grumpily obeyed, going to the gym occasionally to use the elliptical machine and lift some weights. Boring.

I forget how much I really need to run and fight to keep happy, but this forced layoff sure has reminded me. Glad to be back.

"..officers have no time to waste with useless techniques in their martial arts training. What they need is something that works and the conditioning and stamina to execute these techniques in a high intensity confrontation....

Martinez. further wrote "...It is the obligation of a marital arts instructor to prepare not only police officers, but also the general public, for such unhealthy or life-threatening confrontations. Unfortunately, some martial artists are making a lot of money marketing a lot of empty promises..."

I agree %100 , let us uphold these obligations.

Source-Martial Arts Schools for Law Enforcment Officers Posted: 02-08-2008

Physical fitness and flexibility – martial arts are a great form of exercise. They train our bodies improve cardiovascular performances and our flexibility and have the advantage that of not being routine like a session at the gym.

Improved coordination, body movement and muscle's movement are among the advantages of martial arts on the bodily level.

Learning tools for self defense are the second line of reasoning. No matter if you learn martial arts for the fun of it or just because this is the course that fits best with your schedule you are bound to acquire some important tools that would be of great service in real life situations if you are ever attacked.

It is not only the ability to move and counter aggressive attempts it is even the mere knowledge that you are not helpless that turns the way you cope in situation of fear and anger.

It might seem paradoxical but the better training you have the less you'll feel the need to act in a violent way. I call it the vibe of the confident one. It works both ways you carry yourself better in risk situations but mainly it influences people not to pick on you. When there are other options that inner knowing is received by others and they would usually stay out of your way. As with animals and other forms of life, our communication is based on body language and telepathy at least to a degree so when you know you can cope with someone, he knows it too no words are necessary.

The third group of reasons is of a more holistic nature and deals with the spiritual aspects of the martial arts, being at one with your body, your mind the world and others. The result is usually much more inner peace and energy flow.

Being connected is a great way to live one's life and martial arts offers at least part of the mental training and conditioning that is necessary for this connectedness and flow experience to occur.

Many traditions complete the martial arts with mediations and other ways of getting in touch with the world, but even otherwise it is a great way to feel alive and in touch with the inner master that sits and observes the flow of life.

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This is a guest post by Jennifer of Bushido Code Club

My taekwondo school is literally in the last proverbial days. This week we are reviewing test materials and next week we are testing the remaining students for the belts. It will probably close one of the following weeks after the last test. This will end a five year legacy--three of which I was a part of.

This weekend I found the time to record my Korean short stick form. I've informally practiced it since that seminar back in winter. The video really showed me that it's not ready to display on here! I'm annoyed to see that I'm making a bunch of sloppy mistakes including: Not chambering, not following through, not fully extending on a kicks, etc. So to focus on these things I have to practice the entire form at about 2/3rds speed. Give me another few months and I'll see about posting it.

I'm suspecting that once I semi-retire from taekwondo and practice it at home some of my skills will degrade. So I plan to occasionally video myself and then critique. I know how the forms, techniques, etc., need to look and I think that will be an excellent way for me to not get into bad habits. For sure I plan to video at least one form per month and work on polishing it. I'm think once at the top of the month and once at the end to see if things improved.

As for chin na, well I finally ordered Analysis of Shaolin Chin Na this weekend. It was recommended to me by my chin na instructor as a good supplement. Hopefully it and the DVD of the same name will be a good addition to my weekly chin na reviews. (I'll order the DVD next month)

I also need to invest in a cheap digital camera that I can keep in the car. I am constantly seeing things that are worth blogging about and the photo would only help. We have a very expensive camera but I don't want to carry it in my vehicle. So, I'll have to see what Mr. Wal-Mart has in the way of $20 models. Case in point: Last night we ate at a new strip mall (Indianapolis is the strip mall capitol of the world) and I see a brand new karate school. What did they name it? I kid you not. "Kid Lightening Karate School"! Mr. Patterson where do you train? At Kid Lightening Karate School! Ki-yap! :roll: A photo would only enhance that sarcasm! :mrgreen:

Speaking of local martial arts schools...

When I was searching for the above link that takes you to the Wallace bio. I accidentally found a video of another local martial artist having a friendly sparring match with none other than Bill Wallace. His opponent is James Theros who owns Level 10 Martial Arts which are located in the Indianapolis area. In fact, one of his schools is about three miles from my home. Anyhow, here's the video:

Despite the match being light contact and friendly there's still a lot learn from it. Notice how many more hand techniques a tournament karate fighter like Wallace throws than a taekwondo master? Also notice how the taekwondo master has trouble defending against those hand techniques? This because when you spar taekwondo style--for the most part--you do not have to worry about hand techniques. Thus, you do not develop the muscle memory to slip head shots much less throw them! (or at least as well as a tournament karate fighter)

~BCP