Goodbye "No pain, no gain".

Let's get to it.  "No pain, no gain," let's throw that away, that's not future talk, it sounds barbaric and inefficient.  I want an exercise that when you finish, you aren't worned out and tired, but instead actually feel more energized than you were before you started the exercise.  I want to be able to do the exercise literally nonstop for a whole day.

Where?  Any where.  What do I need?  No thing.

I don't want to go to some gym.  I want to be able to stand up from my chair right now and start doing it.  I want to be able to do the exercise at work, in the office, in my own backyard, and even in the bathroom while I'm showering.  I don't want to have to go out and shell some money to buy equipment either.  It must be accessible to as many people as possible.

Anyone can do it.  I mean anyone.

Yes anyone.  Young, old, poor, rich, farmers, office workers, and even those in wheelchairs must be able to do it.  I really mean anyone.

Efficient to the Max.

I read somewhere that best exercise today has 65% of the body rotating and moving.  As a result of the moving and rotating, it relieves the joints from calcium deposits, thus giving better flow of the blood to various areas of our body.  This exercise of the future should have at least 95% of the body moving.

No such thing as "bad at it".

Nobody doing this exercise should be "bad at it."  The exercise of the future must be able to be relaxing, and not punishing.  It should be relaxing, and not strict.  It should be relaxing, and not tiring.  In this future exercise, the only way you can be better is if you relax more and more.

Reduce chances of cancer, heart attacks, strokes, tumors, and reduce stress - all scientifically proven.

This exercise must do all of the above.  I want to be able to live longer, and live stronger.  Admit it, we love when things are scientifically proven.  This future exercise must stand the bombardment of doubt and rise above with it's proven methods.

I want it to tone muscles, be stronger, lose weight, look younger, be more beautiful - all scientifically proven.

Exercise to be only stronger?  That's past talk.  This is the future.  I just don't want muscles, I want it to be the most efficient way of looking younger.  I want to throw away those medications and lotions of chemicals that I splash on my face.  I want to do this 30 minutes of exercise and not only be stronger, but also look younger and more beautiful.  And yes, it must be scientifically proven.

When I finish, I want to be better at Everything.

When you do sit ups, your lower torso is being worked.  Weight lifting and it's your arms.  Practice playing baseball and you're good at baseball.  Practice playing ping pong and you're good at ping pong.  I want it so when I'm playing this new future exercise, I will be good at everything.  When I do this exercise, I will be better and baseball, better at ping pong, and better at everything I do. I want to be able to run further, swim faster, and even be more productive at my job.

Are You Up to the Challenge?

Relax, you don't have to.  This exercise already existed.  2000 years ago.

Welcome to Tai Chi.

Ki Rhythms

Morning Sun Ki Energy Form

Ki Rhythms is comprised of slow moving Ki Energy meditation forms, similar to Tai Chi, only better than Tai Chi,.  When I met Dr. Tae Yun Kim, she first introduced me to the Morning Sun Ki Energy form, currently found on the Ki Rhythms DVD and in Jung SuWon.  This Ki Energy form is a quick stress release - if you are in a hurry or want to balance your energy immediately.  The movements in this form are slow and simple, yet when I finish the form I release my stress, and feel more calm and collected on the inside.  There are several different types of slow moving meditation forms in the Ki Rhythms DVD and in other NorthStar products.  I practice these Ki Energy forms in the evening before going to sleep to relax, in the morning to wake up, and throughout the day whenever needed.  Try it, you'll like it.  Have a Great Day!

There are many styles of martial arts, from Karate to Capoeira to Bagua Zhang and all vary in their form and delivery, yet the end result is the same when used in combat.   But, which of these would you choose?  Previously I posted on Good Character being an essential ingredient in the practice of Tai Chi Chuan.  In fact many a treatise has been written on the type of character a person should have when practicing the Chinese martial arts and Good Character was heavily emphasized up until the 1940's when much of this practice began to drop off. 

Good Character is a building block in the art of Tai Chi Chuan and many of the martial arts I have studied.  But, have you ever considered your own personality when contemplating the martial form you wished to pursue?  I once knew a Sifu (Kung fu teacher) in my area and went to several of his classes to observe.  I really believe its important for a potential student to go and observe classes, and the teacher before you make a decision to join a school.  This particular Sifu taught Jiu Jutsu, Bagua Zhang, Xing Yi, White Crane and a few other styles and also had studied Aikido along with being the martial teacher for the local police department.  One day after class I approached the teacher about joining one of his classes.  He was very accommodating and of course said I could join his school, but before I could tell him the style I was interested in, he stepped right in and said he was going to teach me Xing Yi.

Now, I'm not sure how many of you are familiar with Xing Yi, but its is a very straight forward, unrelenting hard hitting art form.  It's said that Xing Yi teaches very little about defense as the best defense in Xing Yi is a great offense and it seeks to deliver a smashing blow to end the combat.  When he said this, I cringed.  I know within myself that during our conversations, and my observing his classes he had not observed me.  One thing he would have known about me, if he would have observed me as I observed him, is despite my bodily stature, which he said was the basis of why he would teach me Xing Yi I am not an aggressive person.  I'm not saying Xing Yi is an aggressive style, but I am not of the personality that fits into the Xing Yi mindset, I don't have the straight forward fighter mind seeking the smashing blow.  Needless to say I never joined his school.

Along with observing a teacher, or a school/dojo, you should also observe yourself and you own personality.  Read about the style you are seeking and see how well it fits into your way of thinking, and personality type.  The martial arts are all ways of expressing externally the internal self, that which makes you, you!  The Ancient Egyptians taught the we should know ourselves, this is is quite a powerful tool when selecting a marital style.

Desde el punto de vista de la teoría de la medicina tradicional china, estos bloqueos en los meridianos son los que nos causan enfermedades y a su vez distintas emociones negativas como ira, tristeza, obsesión, miedo, euforia, etc. Al hacernos conscientes de dichos bloqueos, podemos deshacerlos por medio de la práctica diaria, tanto de la forma de tai chi, como del zhan zhuang. Así, podremos mejorar nuestra salud.
Por otro lado, el zhan zhuang también tiene aplicabilidad desde el punto de vista marcial, no solo fortaleciendo la estructura corporal, sino que permite que se desarrolle y acumule gran cantidad de qi en el dantian inferior (área situada 3 cms por debajo del ombligo y aproximadamente 5 cms hacia adentro). “Ahora bien, el qi por si mismo es débil. El dantian lo “comunica” a los músculos y huesos. El dantian es el almacén de todo el qi del cuerpo. Los jingluo (canales y meridianos) dirigen el qi a través de todo el cuerpo. Cuando el qi es generado, es comunicado a través de todo el cuerpo. Es muy importante comprender la relación del qi con el dantian, del qi con el músculo, y del músculo con el hueso. La comunicación principal esta dada por el dantian y el músculo.” Esto quiere decir que si el dantian tiene suficiente qi, este puede mandar suficiente cantidad para energizar al músculo y estos podrán ejercer una mayor cantidad de fuerza a través de los huesos para poder realizar un golpe más poderoso. Esta es la importancia desde el punto de vista marcial.
El zhan zhuang es como un tipo de meditación en la que NO debe buscar el dejar la mente en blanco. Cuando la mente esté divagando demasiado, utilice su intención para traerla de nuevo al centro, es decir, corregir la postura y desarrollar conciencia de lo interno y externo en su cuerpo. Manténgase tranquilo y relajado, el 50 % de la intención mental debe estar enfocado en la postura, y el otro 50% de su mente debe estar libre. Esto significa que debe permitirse a si mismo perder algo del control durante el ejercicio. No detenga su pensamiento demasiado en una sola cosa.

Cuando practicamos zhan zhuang, nuestro objetivo es mantener el centro del “qi (chi)”. En la meditación inmóvil, buscamos la percepción del dantian. En lo alto de la cabeza, debe haber una sensación de algo que hala ligeramente hacia arriba. Alternativamente, usted puede sentir como si sostuviera un objeto muy liviano en la cima de la cabeza, pero su cabeza debe mantenerse estable, o este “objeto” se podría caer. El foco de nuestra audición debe estar dirigido hacia atrás. Al mirar hacia adelante y escuchar hacia atrás el qi se equilibrará inmediatamente, y además le dará equilibrio físico. Si mira hacia adelante y escucha hacia adelante, el qi subirá hacia la parte superior del cuerpo, provocando que ocurra un desequilibrio físico. Desde el punto de vista marcial, escuchar hacia atrás le permite estar observando y alerta, con atención a todas las direcciones. Escuchar hacia atrás le asegurará el equilibrio físico.
La espalda debe estar derecha y la columna relajada. El cuerpo debe mantener una linea recta vertical entre orejas, hombros, caderas y talones (figura 1). ¿Y por qué queremos esta linea recta? Porque ella va a mantener nuestro equilibrio. De esta manera no tendremos que usar la musculatura que rodea al dantian. Así, el dantian podrá permanecer relajado, lo cual permitirá que el qi circule por los órganos internos. Después, el qi circulará desde los órganos internos hacia el dantian. Si siente que su pecho está suelto y relajado, y su dantian lleno de energía, sepa que esta es la sensación correcta. El error mas común es contraer la musculatura en torno al dantian, y esto significa que se encuentra “cerrado”. En este caso, como el qi no puede dirigirse al dantian, migrará hacia el pecho, causando una desagradable sensación de llenura en esta área. Si corrige la postura, notará inmediatamente como el qi retorna al dantian, adquiriendo una sensación de estabilidad. Si la postura es correcta, se puede sentir un leve calor en el área del dantian y de los riñones. El dantian se llena y el cuerpo entero es energizado. La barbilla debe estar ligeramente metida. Cierre la boca, y coloque la punta de la lengua en el paladar. Para algunas personas, particularmente los principiantes, cerrar los ojos puede ser una fuente de tensión o desequilibrio. Si esto ocurre, abra sus ojos cada cierto tiempo, o manténgalos abiertos. Evite mirar demasiado alrededor. Recuerde que una de las ventajas de tener los ojos cerrados es que puede enfocar y tranquilizar su mente más fácil, pero como siempre la naturalidad es el principio a seguir.

Los pies deben estar paralelos. La distancia entre los pies debe ser la del ancho de los hombros, excepto para el practicante que permanece en posturas muy bajas. Sin embargo, la postura recomendada para los principiantes es alta, con las rodillas ligeramente dobladas. Hacerlo de manera natural debe ser el principio guía. No permita que las rodillas se extiendan más allá de los dedos de los pies.
Los codos se doblan y las muñecas se relajan. La altura y ancho de los brazos depende de la fuerza del practicante. Recuerde que el progreso debe ser lento y gradual. No se apresure y comience a realizar la postura muy baja, durante 20 minutos. Comience con una postura alta, de 1 a 3 minutos diarios. A medida que pasen los meses, puede ir incrementando poco a poco el tiempo y el grado de flexión. Respete su condición física y edad. (Figura 2)

En el exterior, el peso corporal está distribuido de manera equilibrada entre los dos pies. En el interior, el espíritu está centrado y relajado. Gracias a esta práctica el dantian se vuelve más fuerte y  el qi fluye más fácilmente hacia todo el cuerpo, obteniendo así la unidad entre interno y externo.

Para finalizar la sesión de zhan zhuang, baje lentamente los brazos, colocándolos a ambos lados del cuerpo de manera natural, sin perder la sensación que tenía durante la realización del zhan zhuang. Coloque una mano sobre la otra, cubriendo su dantian. Si es hombre coloque la palma izquierda en contacto con el abdomen y la derecha sobre la mano izquierda, formando una línea con las cavidades laogong (punto 8 del meridiano maestro del corazón situado aproximadamente en el centro de la palma) y el dantian (ver video). Si es mujer coloque la mano derecha sobre el abdomen y la izquierda sobre la derecha. Relaje ambos codos, relaje el dantian, y relaje ambas manos.

Realice un masaje de 12 rotaciones (36 rotaciones si ha permanecido por 20 minutos o más) en sentido antihorario y luego 12 rotaciones en sentido horario sobre el área del dantian. Cuando termine el masaje, permanezca unos segundos con las manos sobre el dantian, para luego terminar con la práctica, sintiéndose fuerte y relajado a la vez.

En resumen:

• Coloque sus pies en paralelo, ancho de hombros.
• Coloque sus brazos como si estuviera sosteniendo una esfera y sitúe sus manos frente al pecho (si está enfermo, tiene poca condición física o es una persona mayor, puede colocarlas frente al dantian).
• Mantenga la cabeza derecha, como si estuviese suspendida por un hilo desde arriba.
• Relaje hombros, codos, muñecas y manos.
• Relaje pecho y caderas.
• Doble las rodillas y relájelas. No baje demasiado si está enfermo, si es principiante o si está físicamente exhausto..
• Relaje los tobillos y pies.
• Tenga presente que el peso debe estar distribuido de manera equilibrada entre ambos pies.
• Enderezca la espalda y relaje la columna.
• Alinear orejas, hombros, caderas y tobillos.
• Escuchar hacia atrás.
• Mitad de la mente concentrada en la postura, la otra mitad libre.
• Respiración NATURAL.
• Recordar que en tai chi, relajar se conoce como FANG SONG, lo cual significa “suelto y extendido”, y no flácido y débil”.

Autor: Dr César Escalante

Referencias:

1. http://www.taiji-bg.com/articles/taijiquan/t79.pdf
2. http://www.taiji-bg.com/articles/taijiquan/t96.pdf
3. http://www.taiji-bg.com/articles/taijiquan/t91.pdf

Many writers will offer suggestions about how to manage stress. But wouldn't it be preferable to conquer it altogether? Here are a dozen things to try to do just that.

Yoga, Tai-Chi and similar disciplines from Asia have been effective for centuries in helping to relieve stress. The physical techniques limber up the muscles and help focus the mind into relaxing thoughts.

Meditation has also been practiced, in Asia and elsewhere, for centuries. It's easy to learn and has multiple benefits. Taking as little as a few minutes per day (though 15-20 is preferable) can go a long way toward relieving stress symptoms. The focus on any one thing helps move the mind away from the stressor. There is also evidence that, practiced properly, it can have numerous beneficial physical effects as well.

Deep breathing exercises can be a terrific first step toward getting stress symptoms under control. And lessening the symptoms is often a good first step toward curing the longer term problem. Try this: lie face down on the floor on a large towel, elbows bent with your hands flat on the floor. The backs of your hands should be under your chest. Now breath deeply, three or four times.

Dietary supplements can be helpful. The difficulty is that there are so many, and so many that are useless, that recommending specific ones is prone to error. Anything which helps elevate serotonin levels is likely to help. Beware those that promise miracle cures.

Some mild drugs, such as a sleeping aid can be useful on occasion. The risk is becoming dependent on them, not in the narcotic sense but simply as a crutch to avoid dealing with the underlying problem. But as part of a well-rounded program of stress relief they can be very beneficial. A proper sleep is essential to lowering stress.

Several newly popular (and some traditional) techniques have proved helpful for many. Aromatherapy, often combined with 'mood music' does actually work in a lot of cases. There's little scientific evidence that aromatherapy has any sort of deep significance, but memories are often associated with certain smells. It can certainly do no harm.

The old phrase from Congreve: 'Music hath charms to soothe the savage breast' still has a place in contemporary society. While the effect shouldn't be exaggerated, it's nonetheless true that the right kind of music can help shift mood. Both because of its memory associations with pleasant events and for reasons not well understood, music can alter feelings.

Often a good massage, particularly in conjunction with relaxing music, can be an adjunct to a larger program of stress relief. One of the most common effects of stress is severe muscle tension, particularly in the neck, shoulders and calves. Massage helps solve this physically and it has psychological overtones of doing something good for oneself that contribute to the effect.

In extreme cases, psychotherapy may be called for. The variety of schools and techniques employed make recommending a therapist harder than choosing a good dietary supplement. Trusted friends can often be a good source to turn to in this arena.

I started to put some stuff on paper so I can reflect on what I wish.  Apart from writing it down so i can see it, I am trying to keep my mind empty.  I have been thinking way too much and it has made me very sad and depressed because I am not getting answers that are right now and crustal clear.  I know better than this: I know I need to be patient.  It is just very difficult to fight over anxiety when it has become a daily habit.

Here are some of the things I wrote down last night: I want to create, have fun, explore my senses, experiment, remember and transmit, design, see people, share, collaborate, read, learn, dress up, express, write books, illustrate books, altered books, multiverse, love, rest, meditate, trance, craft, dance, music, djembe, yoga, tai-chi, listen, poets, message, intuition, vibrant, flow,  receptive to the moment, spirit, total presence, powerful, resonate, mindfulness, deep, dare, whole, unique, consciousness, life force, kundalini, performance art, videoclip, art for art sake, sublimate, divine, sensuality, ecstasy, charisma, adventures, beauty, lovers, bliss, freedom, smile, cosmic, healing, I grow, I am loved, journaling, integrity, potential, key, journey, seduce, mirror, simplicity, awake, joy, delightful, temple, movement, believe, truth, imagination, dynamic, challenge.

The Onyxx

at Lullaby on Daydream Road

http://lullabyondaydreamroad.wordpress.com/

]]> http://redlineryder.wordpress.com/?p=36 Thu, 04 Sep 2008 01:55:59 +0000 redlineryder http://redlineryder.wordpress.com/?p=36 Ok, here's the follow up to the previous blog. After a knock down, drag out fight, I finally got ole girl to open up and say what the fuck was on her mind. And it's OFFICIAL, you women are c-r-a-z-y! I say that with all the love I can muster. I need each and every one of you to keep taking your crazy pills.

Turns out, her problem is that I came home and told her about Shawty Big Hair. According to her, I can flirt, but I aint supposed to come home and tell her about it...HUH?! I'm sorry, say what?!

What happened to open lines of communication, no secrets, trust, honesty and all that other gay shit you Venus inhabitors claim to love and want in a relationship?

My old lady tells me she has some trust issues. *duh, really?!* Apparently, she has a problem with 99% of my female friends. Now these female friends aint never done anything to ole girl, but she's "threatened" by them for whatever reason *side note* Please reference my "Boogie Man" comment in the previous post...

Some of these female friends are just that...FRIENDS. Some are co-workers. And some are exes...that's right women I used to date. See, I try not to part with pussy on bad terms. LMAO But seriously, there are a handful of women I dated and we are still cool.

I don't know about you, but I don't really talk on the phone. I am the Text Msg Master. Without exagerating, I am well into the thousands of texts when I get my bill each month. I gets busy on my Treo.

I'm getting off track. So these female friends (as well as male friends) all primarily text me. Ole girl has taken issue with this. We've talked about it and she (I think) realizes that the friends aren't going anywhere. I've even broke a cardinal Man Law and let her see my phone! Yep, I care about her enough to try to ease her fears by letting her go thru my phone. Again, I don't have anything to hide. I let her see the texts. They are all harmless. "how are you?", "how was your weekend?", "what are you doing for your daughter's birthday?"...silly shit like that. All superficial and casual; nothing inappropriate. Still she has an issue. What's a brutha to do?

But back to the talk from last nite...she's sitting there telling me she was upset about me being open and honest with her about my actions and I'm thinking: "Your Grown999 *inside joke* ass can't find a more CONSTRUCTIVE way to voice how you're feeling?! I mean damn, you're an adult, I'm an adult but you're walking around here like somebody stole your fucking big wheel!"

I will give her some credit. She did EVENTUALLY say she will check herself. So, hopefully this will be the end of this episode. But I aint gonna fake, I am HOT as fish grease on August asphalt that she deleted the pic of Shawty Big Hair!

Anyway, I need to thank you guys for your input, comments, suggestions and prayers. I came THIS close to catching a charge! I swear I did. Sometimes you gotta put a nigga in a headlock and noogie some sense into their ass. LMAO

El Tai Chi Chuan es una rama del Wushu Chino Tradicional y forma parte del gran patrimonio cultural de China.

Según Confucio, la base de una sociedad justa reside en el ejemplo de los individuos virtuosos.

Por esta razón, es importante que los practicantes de artes marciales obedezcan un Código Moral de las Artes Marciales, conocido como Wu De (Wu = Marcial, De = Virtud).

A continuación, ofrecemos algunas frases de Confucio, a propósito de la Virtud:

"La sinceridad y la veracidad son las bases de toda virtud."

"Quien gobierna a un pueblo dando buen ejemplo se parece a la estrella polar que permanece inmutable mientras los otros astros dan vueltas a su alrededor."

"Nada es más digno de admiración en un hombre noble, que el saber aceptar e imitar las virtudes de los demás."

"Si el gobernante se impone por sus cualidades y mantiene el orden en armonía con las buenas costumbres, el pueblo sentirá vergüenza de actuar mal y avanzará por el camino de la virtud."

There is clearly something wrong with ole girl but I figure, let me steer clear of her and try to enjoy my Labor Day. If only I knew the "labor" would be in trying to figure out the madness of you females. I'm getting off track. Anyway, the day goes on, we are lounging around the house, watching tv, playing with the dog, sleeping, etc. There's obvious tension on her end, but I feel I did my required checking on her to see what was wrong. It's real childish to be sitting around the house sulking and not talking about the shit. But I figure she'll come around, we'll talk about whatever imaginary Boogie Man is in her head and keep it moving.

Out of nowhere, she asks me: You got something you wanna tell me? *I smell a set up* I say NOPE. ~side note~ I went out last nite, rode my bike, hit up Frozen Palace flirted with some chicks, took some pics and then went home to my nutso girlfriend. She knows when I go out, I'm gonna get my flirt on. But I leave it at that....honestly.......I swear......stop laughing, I'm serious! So as I am sitting on my bike, I see this girl with the biggest hairdo I've ever seen. It was like a combo of Chaka and that Badu wig. Hairdo aside, shawty had a banging body! She had on a wife beater, low rise jeans; her lil pelvic bone was peeking out of the top of the jeans and winking at me. She was one sexy mutha....I'm shutting my mouth. Shawty Big Hair is making her way thru the parking lot, weaving around the parked bikes, drooling men and ice dagger stares being thrown by the women. SBH makes her way to my bike on her way into to Frozen. I feel compelled to say something. Blame it on ADD, OCD, Turret's, whatever. So I say: Hey, you don't know me, but I think I love you! Corny, I know. But keep in mind, I can't hit her with the real Pimp Talk, cuz I flirt and leave it alone....for real...all that giggling has got to stop! Anyway, Big Hair gives me a polite giggle and comes over shakes my hand. She introduced herself and I returned the favor. Then she says: What part of town you stay on? Bad grammer aside, I was thinking: Why you wanna know that, you trying to come over?!

We talk for another 2-3 mins, take a pic together (I had to get proof of the big hair!), and she goes inside Frozen and I stay outside, posted up on my bike and do what I do. SBH's face was about a 6, but her body was a12.5! I wish I coulda got more pics of her. But she got devoured as soon as she set foot inside Frozen Palace. She was never to be seen again.

I had a pretty good nite, so I finish my ride, meet up with my ole lady and tell her about my evening, Shawty Big Hair included. Even showed her the pic. *See, I aint got nothin' to hide. I flirt and keep it moving* Ole lady and I talk some more about our day/evening, watch some tv and go to bed. No signs of drama or craziness.

Now, back to set up question...I can't act like I aint never asked a chick the very same question, but when I do it, I'm waiting to see if she's gonna lie or not. Please believe I don't just ask, I got PROOF! As soon as she comes out the mouth wrong, I pull out the smoking gun and be like: What the fuck is THIS?! Like Oran Juice Jones, singing I saw you and him, walking in the rain.

After I assure her I don't have anything to tell her, she hits me with a secondary set up question: When you're out flirting, is it appropriate to give your number out? The obvious answer is NO and that's what I said. She pretty much dropped the topic and went back into that sulk/scheming mode. I was confused, but I figure if she wants to talk, then she'll open her mouth.

Fast forward to about an hr ago. I'm laying in bed, she's sleeping or pretending to sleep or whatever it is you women do when you're plotting. I try to not go to bed with beef in the air, so I tap her on the shoulder and ask if she's grown the fuck up and wants to talk now. She gives me more bullshit, then FINALLY says some shit about me hanging out last nite, flirting and showing her the pic........really? stop playing. We spent the whole day not speaking and avoiding one another over THAT?! you can't be serious. I need you to stop playing...not now, but RIGHT NOW!

What is the problem here? What am I missing? I know she's from Venus and I'm from Mars, but dammit I consider myself fluent in Venetian. She's speaking a language I am unfamiliar with. She's speaking "female".

I think there's more to what she's tripping off of, so there may be a part two to this blog entry.

Oh, I almost forgot, here's Shawty Big Hair...keep in mind, It like 10pm and my boy Steve doesn't know how to work my camera.

*UPDATE* I go get the SD card out of my camera to post the pic and the pic is deleted from my camera/card. Of course I wake ole girl up and ask her what happened to the pic. She said she deleted it, cuz she was "mad".....what part of the game is this?! What's really going on here. I need two things: 1) I need one of you Venus types to explain to me what I am missing and 2) I need you to hold the hand of the person next to you and say a prayer in agreement that I don't catch a charge tonite...

Thank y'all for coming out. God bless. Good nite.

He reminded me of Sho Nuff from The Last Dragon. What's really on a nigga's mind thinking it's ok to walk around a Wendy's parking lot, shirtless, carrying a Moses stick?! I'd hate to be the cop that answers the 911 call for a crazy, shirtless, stick wielding nut job behind the Wendy's. Dude looked like he would beat a cop's ass if it came down to it. I shoulda hung around to see if dude got tasered or something. *side note* You ever see somebody get tasered? Man, that is THE funniest shit ever! Unless you're the one getting the 50,000 volts of police brutality shot in your ass, that is. Go to Youtube and do a quick search for "taser" and watch the madness.

Ok, where was I? Let me think...Old Nat....Wendy's....crazy dude....oh yeah, I was actually headed to Infamous Tattoos to consult with my man Smoke about some work I want done. As I'm waiting in their "lobby", I start flipping thru a lil photo album showing some of their work. They do some pretty good work. Check them out if you're in the area. Ok, back to the photo album. I saw some of their custom work, some "typical" shit (rose, Tupac cross, wings on the back, etc), but I also came across one of the craziest tats I've ever seen. Some chick shaved her...wait, let me just show you:

Who is this chick?! I need to see this in person. I wanna ask her man (or girl...u know how they do in the A!) how he feels about that. Does she let her hair grow back sometimes? If she does, I wonder if going down on her makes u feel like there's someone staring @ you from behind the bushes. If anyone knows this chick, tell her to call me. I'm listed.

Ball, Jesse. March Book.
Beckett, Samuel. Collected Shorter Plays.
Brock-Broido, Lucie. The Master Letters. 
Donnelly, Timothy. Twenty-seven Props for a Production of Eine Lebenszeit.
Lorca, Federico Garcia. Poet in New York.
Mullen, Harrytette. Recyclopedia: Trimmings, S*PeRM**K*T, and Muse & Drudge.
Rankine, Claudia. Don't Let Me Be Lonely.
Rankine, Claudia. The End of the Alphabet.
Roubaud, Jaques. some thing black.
Whitman, Walt. Leaves of Grass. 

Not much else to tell. I'm working on a long prose poem (by long I mean one page) called "The Party," which is loosely based on that dream I mentioned about my dad doing Tai Chi in someone's backyard to calm himself from being slipped drugs at a party. The last paragraph also pays slight homage to Alex & Angela Dezen's cat, though it's subject to change, because this is a poem in the works: 

Since I fucked off the government plan I go back to the party. Everyone’s gone but Mom Dad Jack noodles. There’s noodles on the walls bar ceiling fan. Mom says he wont lay down unless we put something on the ground like a dishrag or even a post-it. Dad is curled up on a college-ruled sheet of paper lapping from the foodbowl Mom scraped off the jukebox. Back in her cereal doghouse Blackberry is scrolling Sorority draped by wrong Sorority stuffed owl Sorority fears serious business and even Jack is stumped. 

I realize without the previous four paragraphs there's no possible way for the fifth to make sense. I think I just want to prove I'm doing something here besides going to the Foxhead.

Today is my second day teaching. I'm doing a lot of internet stuff--asking my kids to deconstruct the University of Iowa website and a couple of people's Facebook profiles to see how posturing is a type of argument. I need to start getting my teaching shit together because it's much harder to enjoy my night if I have tomorrow's class in mind.

There was a SICK thunderstorm last night which kept me from sleeping. When I woke up it was mad sunny out and I keep wondering whether I made the whole thing up.

Lastly, 

Bodily decrepitude is wisdom; young
We loved each other and were ignorant.  

XVII. After Long Silence
Words for Music Perhaps 
W. B. Yeats 

El uso de la espada es más complicado de lo que parece. En realidad es más sencillo el sable, porque sólo tiene un lado con un filo. Con el sable podemos pasarlo cerca de nuestro cuerpo, empujarlo con la otra mano y apoyar la mane en el sin mayor problema. La espada que se usa en Tai Chi Chuan es de doble filo.

En la práctica no hay mayor problema, pero en la práctica real (o más bien realista) hay que tener en cuenta que pasar la espada muy cerca del cuerpo, puede considerarse como peligro de corte real sobre uno mismo. Es un ejemplo, pero si uno practica la espada con un fin marcial hay que tener muy en cuenta estos detalles.

Además, si lo que queremos es realizar la practica más marcial posible, deberemos de añadir a nuestro entrenamiento algo de sparring, y dedicar un tiempo en exclusiva a la espada. Esto se debe a que las técnicas de espada son completamente distintas a las de mano vacía. De hecho, las técnicas principales de la espada no tienen nada que ver con las de la mano. Aquí no son peng, lu, ji, an... Estan todas relacioandas con la espada y hay que dedicar un tiempo a comprender e interiorizar cada una de ellas.

No recuerdo las trece técnicas, en los próximos días editaré el post para poner cuales son y, si me da tiempo, una somera descripción.

Dear Reader,

The last nights of winter have been so spitefully cold that Princess and me've been waking up to bedroom windows literally running with condensation.

Two warm-blooded mammals respiring all night long in a room surrounded by frozen air will do that to glass.

Being hyperconscientious, i decided to mop all the water up. Stop it mildewing the curtains, that sort of thing. To make it easier to mop the winder-window, i removed the flyscreen. Well, all the flies are frozen, so it couldn't make any difference, right? I propped up the flywire in its rigid metal frame in the corner against the reading chair, and left it there. I figured just leaving it there was way easier than taking it off and putting it back on again every morning until the cold snap passed into spring in a few days' time.

Tonight, as NCIS was about to come on, i was feeling a little cold, so i left the girls on the couch and went into the bedroom to put on a jumper. The curtains were still open, and i figured i'd better close them, to stop the little bit of heat left in the room from the day leaking out. So, pulling my jumper on over my head, i ambled over toward the curtain-pull in the dark.

I've been a little under the influence of the manfluenza the last few days, so my usual cat-burglar's sense of my position in space and objects around me was a little off, i guess.

My hand popped out of the sleeve of the jumper just as my arm's downward swooping arc brought my delicate fingers into a pointy reckoning with the savage steel corner of the flywire frame.

Yeah. Ouch.

You can tell it hurt by the number of adjectives i used to describe it happening.

When i got up the courage to let go of the place where all the hurt suddenly was and look at it in the light, there was torn skin and blood everywhere.

I presented it to the girls like a dog that's just killed a possum presents the mangled corpse to his master. Princess didn't pat me on the head, but she did start dressing it for me, and Sybylla started talking about it.

Sybylla: «So, if that was a Tai Chi move, what would it be called, smashing your hand on a flywire frame like that?»

Gully: «Um, 'Swooping flamingo tears wing on metal rectangle'?»

Princess: «They don't have flamingos in China, do they?»

Sybylla: «They have everything in China nowadays. It's because of the Olympics.»

Gully: «'Mountain tiger futzes up paw'?»

Sybylla: «Close, but no. I think it'd be called the 'Moulin Rouge'.»

Princess: «Because Nicole Kidman was in the movie and so therefore it was a bloody mess?»

Sybylla: «No, because of the red windmill. His arm was windmilling around, and now it's all red.»

Princess: «You do know that 'moulin rouge' just means 'red mill', don't you? It doesn't have to be a windmill. Just a mill.»

Gully: «Have you seen the Moulin Rouge, Princess? It's got this bloody great red windmill on the top.»

Princess: «Be that as it may, the words translate as 'red mill', not 'red windmill'. 'Windmill' would be 'moulin-vent', or something.»

Sybylla: «Then why is there a windmill on top?»

Gully: «Better question: why 'red mill' at all? In fact, why 'mill' at all?»

Princess: «Maybe it's ... You know how the girls cancan? That would be the windmill, their legs going 'round. And it's red because ... they wear red underpants. You know, all sensual and erotic in red.»

Sybylla: «I thought they didn't wear any underpants. That way it'd be certain to be red. Or a lovely deep shade of pink, at least.»

Gully: «But a mill is a machine to grind things up...»

Sybylla: «Maybe it's some sort of a vagina dentata thing.»

Gully: «Somehow i can't see a bunch of Paris dudes putting on tuxedoes and monocles and strutting off to a place that promises to grind their manhoods into bloody mincemeat for them.»

Sybylla: «I don't think the Paris dudes ever expected to get their manhoods into the girls. I think they just wanted the thrill of what might happen if they did. Perves, but limpdick perves. You know, your basic strip club audience.»

Gully: «Paris dudes? *pfft* They'd be getting themselves organised, don't you worry. French girls are, by general consensus, the most elegant, beautiful and sexually desirable females in the whole fricken world. Present company excepted, of course.»

Sybylla: «A girl i knew once a while back was going over to try out for the Moulin Rouge. They're mostly Australian girls, apparently. From Dubbo, she was. Nice tits.»

And the discussion about the Moulin Rouge continued from there, but my L finger is too sore to type much more about it.

I will say, though, that Sybylla treated us to a cancan - with her underpants on, i hasten to add - using one of Princess's old netball skirts, just to show us how good at fanning her vagina region an Aussie girl can be.

But we never solved the mystery of the red (wind)mill.

We tried wikipedia, but that didn't help much.

Have you got any clues? We're stumped.

Yours,
Gullybogan

Alrite! Enough about work! I feel so harrassed just by talking about it.

Anyhoo, just a little update about what's been happening so far, Pretty exciting stuff been going on for me! Tai Chi classes started last week, been going for classes on Monday evenings at Yio Chu Kang CC, with me Dad and Laura, just had our second lesson last night. My aim is to progress to the level whereby I can be like the other senior Tai Chi masters or students at the CC who dances around gracefully with their sword. So COOL!!! I WANT MY OWN PAIR OF SWORD TOO!!!!

Besides having started my Tai Chi classes, Jono and I have been religiously waking up at 8.30am every Saturday mornings, to go for Tennis lessons with Jono's gang - Adam, Gewei and Raymond. Bob, our coach, is pretty patient and calm, considering that he's got to take me for a student. Hahaha...I can't deny that I am indeed a slow learner when it comes to sports, other than running. I have very bad co-ordination and psychomoto ability. I'm not quite the agile type. I probably look pretty disjointed when I'm running around, trying to get my posture rite, while swinging my tennis racket, combining all that just to get a good swing at the DAMN ball, and then missing it altogether!!! AHahaha...takes quite a good effort for me to get a swing at the ball, even though it doesn't make it past the net in the end.

We've gone for 3 classes so far, we were told that, it'll prolly take about 10 lessons to be able to at least play a match properly. But I think it's going to take me double of that!!! I need more practice and more lessons!!! I mean, hey! I find it hard to co-ordinate my body, and limbs during Combat classes, and I don't have to hold a racquet for that, talk about Tennis. But I haven't quite been the best at all racquet sports to begin with, no foundations on the footwork thingy which will definitely help you get from one end of the court to another, thus its a lot harder when you are trying to pick it all up at the age of 26. Still, being old and disjointed doesn't give me an excuse to stop me from learning. Besides, we are never too old to pick up new skills, and begin to do something useful in our lives. There's more regret than anything else, that I haven't started earlier. What have I been doing? I guess I wasn't able to support my leisure activities years back.

I mean who can? Its $72 for 24 lessons for Taichi, at least $24 for 2 hours of tennis only when there are 5 of us learning every Saturday, $120 for one month of Gym which I go at least twice a week, and at least $25 for 6 games of bowling every Friday nite. Hahaha.... Wow! thats quite alot of dollars spent on my leisure activities!! OH Gosh!!!, not forgetting the couple of other marathons I've taken part in and spending like $40/each at least. But I am not complaining at all. In fact, I am absolutely enjoying it all!!! My life couldn't be better without all these, now, if only I could just teach myself to shop less, and spend lesser on eating. That's gng to be hard!!! Hahaha...I love to eat, so I've been trying to scrimp on weekdays, having only packed bread for lunch, so that I could indulge a little more over the weekends. As for shopping, I am still trying to cut down and buy only what I need or can be sure I'd be able to wear for a long time. But I can never resist buying over the counter facial products!!! Gotta control somehow. Gotta learn it. Gotta learn to save me more 'Yusof bin Ishaks'!!!

Besides having to spend on the games themselves, there is also money invested on the gears required for these activities, such as appropriate and comfortable attire for each individual sport, and their necessary gears and accessories. I've settled my bowling ball already, might intend to invest in another heavier ball soon. Luckily for me, my Very-First-Tennis-Racquet was sponsored by Jono, who offered to get it for me, for being a "good girl"!!! Hahaha.... Chose me a Babolat racquet, because Nadal face was on it!!! :P

Every week I'd look forward to Tennis on Saturday, to get a swing at the racquet and try my bestest best to get a good hit on that green ball!!! I'd look over from Yio Chu Kang mrt station to the Sports Council to ogle at how some people play, how great they look and play, and hope that one day soon enough I'd be able to WHACK!!! the ball like them. Besides that, I'd try to catch any tennis matches on Cable at Jono's, namely those that Nadal or Federer is playing in. Keke...Jono says I'm obsessed with Tennis or Nadal. :D What can I say? He is really good.

Enough said! Else I'll definitely sound obsess! I just hope I get to catch most of his matches on cable while at Jono's, else i'd get his permission to arrange to bunk in to catch the live matches lar...When did I even become a sports fanatic??? What have become of me??? I am even watching EPL matches sometimes lar...(when Man U are playing of cos)....For Now....its Tennis....

GO NADAL, WIN THE U.S OPEN!!!!

These basic movements all represent a kind of energy. When you're pulling someone off balance, you're using cai or "pulling" energy. When you suddenly expand your arms to block a hooking punch, you're using peng or "ward-off" energy. There are distinct moves in Taijiquan forms that implement these basic movements; in fact the forms are pretty much exclusively made up of variations on them. But the thing is, we can't get attached to the actual movements themselves. We want to implement into our minds, as if some kind of full-body hermetic tantra, the ideas behind these various energies.

So the eight basic movements really exist symbolically. That means, every time something expands, it is peng energy. Every time something is efficiently shrouded and deflected, that's lu or "roll-back" energy. Within these definitions, the movements work like the Hermetic ideas about the elements -- that fire represents expansion and the notion of heat, whereas water represents contraction and the fundamental notion of cold. Similarly, in Chinese five-element philosophy, the elements are (obviously) symbolic. For example, metal symbolizes things rendered and removed from direct association with the earth or elements (tools, technology, and so forth).

The movement of various energies becomes a mental exercise. After training with physical structural concepts for a while, one practices with others, and here one becomes adept at maintaining utmost single-pointed concentration side-by-side with sensitive "listening" skills. By harmonizing the basic energies with the body movements, one begins to respond appropriately to physical engagements by perceiving the duifang (uke, opponent, whatever) intimately in the mind -- as a subtler mental manifestation. This is where one begins to "see into the 4th dimension".

What really kicks ass about all this is that one gets to the point where the physical senses no longer are the primary sense faculties. They certainly are in so much as they indicate immediate qualitative distinctions in the immediate physical environment to the individual's brain. But they cannot project onto our minds the bigger cosmic picture, they cannot sense predators or impending catastrophe. It is only as these peripheral, intuitive mental faculties increase in sensitivity from our training (again, not necessarily MA or Taiji), a greater awareness of the universe opens up.

Aside from the above public display of self-gratification, I spent the weekend with my brother (a long story which I will get into in another post) and my family enjoying wine and each others company, while my wife and her mother enjoyed a helicopter ride around Niagara Falls. Elisabeth, my wife's mother, is really learning more about herself as a person as she tries these new activities. Soon, she will be able to take on the world, which is what Anna and I are hoping for. We look forward to being a part of it and will keep you posted.

Stay tuned -- This weekend...Ghost Walking Tour in Niagara-on-the-lake. Should be good!

Cheers -- D.

ON THE DUCK TOWN GREEN THROUGHOUT THE FALL

Duck, NC –    The Town of Duck is continuing its successful morning exercise program throughout the fall. 

Tai Chi will be offered on Tuesday mornings at 7:30 a.m. through Tuesday, October 28.  Tai Chi is an exercise using slow, relaxed, and graceful movements and is appropriate for people of all ages.  Julia Daniel from Outer Banks Yoga and Pilates in Kitty Hawk is the instructor.

Pilates will be offered on Thursday mornings at 7:30 a.m. through Thursday, October 30.  This class is for all fitness levels. Participants should bring a Pilates/yoga mat or a beach towel. Patti Waller is the instructor.

The classes will be held on the Duck Town Green, 1200 Duck Road.  They are free of charge and are open to the public.  No registration is necessary.

Since the classes are being held outside, there is a risk of cancellation due to weather.  For additional information on these classes or any other Town of Duck event, please visit www.townofduck.com or call the Town events hotline at (252) 255-1286.

So despite saying goodbye to Qigong for a while (though I imagine I will still practice Qigong on my own), I am ecstatic to be getting back into Tai Chi. But first - end of the month craziness at work, a mad push into the first week of September and a much longed for trip to Costa Rica... I will blog accordingly... God-willing!

Este tipo de entrenamiento es indispensable, tanto en Taiji como en otras artes marciales, si uno quiere darle cierta aplicación marcial. Nuestras manos son nuestras armas, y por lo tanto hay que prepararlas para su uso. Este ejemplo es perfecto. Ejecutar las técnicas contra un objeto que ofrece resistencia.

El hacer las formas nos ayuda a aprender el movimiento, pero si no se practica de forma realista, no servirá para nada el intentar aplicarlo en la realidad. No podemos preveer como será el dar un golpe a algo si no lo hemos hecho antes, y una situación "de riesgo" no es la forma más adecuada de comprobar si sabemos o no manejarnos con golpes reales.

Supongo que este tipo de prácticas se puede realizar perfectamente con un saco, pero un árbol provee de una mayor resistencia y firmeza. Aunque creo que sería más práctico empezar con un saco o algo de menor resistencia, por eso de no romperse ningún hueso.

Seguramente mucha gente desconocía (además de la faceta marcial) la práctica de este tipo de ejercicios. Es fácil imaginar a practicantes de Karate, Taekwondo, Muay Thai... practicando con sacos, protecciones... Sin embargo, por la imagen, en cierta medida, deformada del Tai Chi Chuan, nos hace imposible el imaginar que este tipo de herramientas se puede usar también para el entrenamiento de TCC.

Yo por mi parte me voy a comprar unas vendas para las manos para empezar a practicar algo, contra un árbol o un saco. Hay que empezar a practicar de forma realista, no quiero acabar bailando.