There are things that people don't tell you.
For example, did you know that somewhere, far far away, in a place forgotten and so far away that it has lost its name, there is a building. Who built it, no one knows, just as the name of the building is lost to the knowledge of man. But there it stands still, and inside the building, there is a room.
And in the room, there is a cup. And the cup is different for every person, and there is one for every soul that lives.
And the cup is filled. It is filled with the spilled tears of those you have hurt, the ungratefulness you show to your parents and those who care about you, the cold indifference and callousness you treat your siblings and others with, the held-in howling loneliness that no one else knows of those you have forsaken, the petty angers and jealousies that you inflict, the uncaring selfishness that lie behind your actions, the choked-back, torn and stifled cries buried in pillows of those you have abandoned, the myriad evils of your life.
Oh, the cup brims.
But it can hold more, it can hold all the cruelty and pain you inflict.
And be certain, be very very certain, that one day you will have to drink from the cup. And it will be returned unto you tenfold.
And when it passes to you to do so, drink deep. Drink deep and do not whimper.
Wednesday 5 March 2008
Post 59. Horses and Bullfighting
In Hemingway's Death in the Afternoon, he describes the tragedy that is bullfighting. He describes it as not being a sport but rather "a tragedy; the death of the bull, which is played, more or less well, by the bull and the man involved and in which there is danger for the man but certain death for the animal." It's a rather interesting book, 358 pages solely on bull-fighting. Read it, and it may change the way you think of bullfighting.
There are 3 acts in bullfighting. The first act is known as the suerte de varas, the trial of lances, where the bull charges a man on a horse, the picardor, whose aim is to place the pic, a pike pole, into the bull's back to punish him and yet strengthen the bull's resolve at the same time by letting the bull charge successfully and clearing the ring. I will explain more further on.
The second act is the time of the banderillero, men who run the bull with capes to exhaust the bull, and place banderillas, pairs of sharpened sticks into the bull's withers to fatigue the neck muscles so that the matador can kill successfully without the bull being able to raise its head and horns to block the sword.
The final act is the death, where the matador, the only man allowed to kill the bull, dominates the bull with the muleta, a scarlet cape on a stick, and finally kills with the sword.
It takes a team of 5 to 6 men actually to prepare, exhaust the bull before the matador can do his work. But it is the matador alone who faces death.
But the point is not the talk about all that. It's to talk about the horses, the horses the picadors ride to punish the bull. And this is the way they do it.
They allow the bull to charge and impale the horse before sticking in the pic. This usually is fatal.
Sometimes, the bull doesn't kill the horse, and you will see the horse gallop off, trailing its intestines and viscera on the ground, blindly assured by the piacador's knees that all is well. Horses, as you may know, react based on how they are ridden. That is why novice riders and those lacking confidence are more likely to be thrown off, whereas a man who knows what he is doing may convince a gutted horse to continue galloping. And then, sometimes, you will see the same horse being used for the next bull (they kill 6 bulls per fight. 2 bulls per matador.)
How is this possible, you ask, when the horse has been gored before and verily, you saw its guts spill on the ground? Very simple. To reduce the cost of losing two horses where one will do, they stuff the inside of the horse with sawdust and bring it back again. And since each fight is allocated a time span of 15 mins, that is how long the horse can survive with missing organs.
So a horse can survive for a period of time, even though it's insides may be ripped out, gored, torn out and missing. And then it has to go out and perform again.
I think, I, am starting to know what the horses went through.
There are 3 acts in bullfighting. The first act is known as the suerte de varas, the trial of lances, where the bull charges a man on a horse, the picardor, whose aim is to place the pic, a pike pole, into the bull's back to punish him and yet strengthen the bull's resolve at the same time by letting the bull charge successfully and clearing the ring. I will explain more further on.
The second act is the time of the banderillero, men who run the bull with capes to exhaust the bull, and place banderillas, pairs of sharpened sticks into the bull's withers to fatigue the neck muscles so that the matador can kill successfully without the bull being able to raise its head and horns to block the sword.
The final act is the death, where the matador, the only man allowed to kill the bull, dominates the bull with the muleta, a scarlet cape on a stick, and finally kills with the sword.
It takes a team of 5 to 6 men actually to prepare, exhaust the bull before the matador can do his work. But it is the matador alone who faces death.
But the point is not the talk about all that. It's to talk about the horses, the horses the picadors ride to punish the bull. And this is the way they do it.
They allow the bull to charge and impale the horse before sticking in the pic. This usually is fatal.
Sometimes, the bull doesn't kill the horse, and you will see the horse gallop off, trailing its intestines and viscera on the ground, blindly assured by the piacador's knees that all is well. Horses, as you may know, react based on how they are ridden. That is why novice riders and those lacking confidence are more likely to be thrown off, whereas a man who knows what he is doing may convince a gutted horse to continue galloping. And then, sometimes, you will see the same horse being used for the next bull (they kill 6 bulls per fight. 2 bulls per matador.)
How is this possible, you ask, when the horse has been gored before and verily, you saw its guts spill on the ground? Very simple. To reduce the cost of losing two horses where one will do, they stuff the inside of the horse with sawdust and bring it back again. And since each fight is allocated a time span of 15 mins, that is how long the horse can survive with missing organs.
So a horse can survive for a period of time, even though it's insides may be ripped out, gored, torn out and missing. And then it has to go out and perform again.
I think, I, am starting to know what the horses went through.
Tuesday 4 March 2008
And in conclusion...
The woman hit the owl over the head.
The woman hit the owl over the head.
The woman hit the owl over the head.
But if the bird wanted to be with you, it would come back to you.
The woman hit the owl over the head.
The woman hit the owl over the head.
But if the bird wanted to be with you, it would come back to you.
Sunday 2 March 2008
post 58. calling Zhou lao shi
so, was feeling in the shits, which more discerning readers can pick up from the previous posts. and heck, i wanted to talk to him anyway cos i do kinda miss him.
it's kinda lonely practising on my own. we used to talk during our short breaks, and now all i have for company is my water bottle and mobile. not the most communicative of partners.
so i called him cos i missed him and cos i was feeling in the shits too. haha. intention was to talk a bit to him about my problem, but just hearing him talk to me prepped me up lots already, so in the end i didn't talk to him about it.
had a moment of shock though, when he actually called me by name. it was the first time he did so, and i always thought he doesn't remember my name cos he has so many students. when he called my name, had a brainfreeze and was frantically wondering what obscure chinese term he was using before i realised he was saying my name. maybe because i also don't allow many ppl to call me by my full name. (it's a thing with me: i only allow those people i really like to call me by my full name. or you have to be an elder. hah.)
for some obscure reason, i was quite touched.
but yeah, we yakked for almost an hour! thank god for phone cards. lol, he was quite chatty so i was wondering if he misses having someone to talk to. (hehe. my ego at work here). turns out things didn't work out as intended for him too.
but it's okay. we both can take it. (it being our respective problems. lol, in case that wasn't clear) ^^
it's kinda lonely practising on my own. we used to talk during our short breaks, and now all i have for company is my water bottle and mobile. not the most communicative of partners.
so i called him cos i missed him and cos i was feeling in the shits too. haha. intention was to talk a bit to him about my problem, but just hearing him talk to me prepped me up lots already, so in the end i didn't talk to him about it.
had a moment of shock though, when he actually called me by name. it was the first time he did so, and i always thought he doesn't remember my name cos he has so many students. when he called my name, had a brainfreeze and was frantically wondering what obscure chinese term he was using before i realised he was saying my name. maybe because i also don't allow many ppl to call me by my full name. (it's a thing with me: i only allow those people i really like to call me by my full name. or you have to be an elder. hah.)
for some obscure reason, i was quite touched.
but yeah, we yakked for almost an hour! thank god for phone cards. lol, he was quite chatty so i was wondering if he misses having someone to talk to. (hehe. my ego at work here). turns out things didn't work out as intended for him too.
but it's okay. we both can take it. (it being our respective problems. lol, in case that wasn't clear) ^^
Saturday 23 February 2008
Once upon a time.
Once a upon a time, people used to say, "I'm hungry."
It was all you would hear.
Nowadays, all you hear people say are, "I'm bored."
Who do you think was happier?
It was all you would hear.
Nowadays, all you hear people say are, "I'm bored."
Who do you think was happier?
Thursday 7 February 2008
post 57. Happy Chinese New Year
Lol, just got off the phone with Zhou lao shi. Prepped me up heaps. We didn't meet today cos it's a "rest day", but that wily old man went for a run! Cos he's scared of falling behind. Oh no! And I been slacking off. Need to get me act together or else will be his punching bag again!
Hahah. On another note, he asked me to eat durian cos it will make me miss home more (it's a word play: the Chinese word for durian has the same sounds for "leaving thoughts behind"). When I said he was cruel, he laughed so happily.
Anyway, here's to having a better year for everyone, including the both of us. Better wishes for the new year!
Hahah. On another note, he asked me to eat durian cos it will make me miss home more (it's a word play: the Chinese word for durian has the same sounds for "leaving thoughts behind"). When I said he was cruel, he laughed so happily.
Anyway, here's to having a better year for everyone, including the both of us. Better wishes for the new year!
[MV] Jay Chou - A Secret I Cannot Tell (不能说的秘密)
Ah.
How did you find me here?Still, in case I didn't say it, I'm glad you called.
Tuesday 5 February 2008
Star Wars: Father and Son
MUHAahhahAHha. Imagine trying to live up to that kinda dad's expectations.
(click on image to start gif. for some reason, which i am too tired to dig up now, it wouldn't run by itself.)
Monday 4 February 2008
random thoughts: irony
irony:
a) ironic that I seem to be in better physical condition than when I was in the army. I can do almost twice the amount of chin-ups, and my endurance running seem to have improved as well. Just came back from a run that I used to need to in 2 segments. Guess I perform better when not under excessive stress. I do not like people pushing me all the time.
b) the world is going out of whack. Weather patterns are changing world-wide, animal species are going into extinction at an unprecedented rate (even the koala's future is uncertain), and all the news seemed to be focused on is the coming election in America and the local price of living. I guess that kinda shows what kind of outlook we, humanity as a whole, have.
c) irony = the tangy taste of iron. usually can be sampled when delivered a good sock to the face.
a) ironic that I seem to be in better physical condition than when I was in the army. I can do almost twice the amount of chin-ups, and my endurance running seem to have improved as well. Just came back from a run that I used to need to in 2 segments. Guess I perform better when not under excessive stress. I do not like people pushing me all the time.
b) the world is going out of whack. Weather patterns are changing world-wide, animal species are going into extinction at an unprecedented rate (even the koala's future is uncertain), and all the news seemed to be focused on is the coming election in America and the local price of living. I guess that kinda shows what kind of outlook we, humanity as a whole, have.
c) irony = the tangy taste of iron. usually can be sampled when delivered a good sock to the face.
post 56. Chen Ziqiang Tui Shou
More TJQ (Chen-style), this time showing push-hands (tui shou). Looks painful, eh? Wouldn't fancy to be on the receiving end.
Sunday 3 February 2008
Post 55. Chinese Martial arts Performance --taijiquan（太极拳）
Watch the first 30 seconds. Probably a good indication of how taiji can be used as self defense against common attacks. Notice it's the same movements except performed at speed. Quite ouch at the 32 second mark.
post 54. meeting another CMA practitioner
So I had a recent meet-up with an local practitioner of Chinese martial arts (CMA), and it's quite frustrating.
1) Why play the game of seeing who's tougher? I'm didn't come by to test how strong or tough you are, even if I am heaps younger than you. Getting me to try to crush your hand, honestly, it's a far cry from Zhou lao shi's hand. I'm quite sad that someone of his age had to actually try that.
2) Please speak clearly. Don't try to throw out terms that I don't understand, and when I ask, do not answer. Why? Is it supposed to impress me? It doesn't, especially when you do not even know what xing yi. Gosh. Fine, maybe you are not exposed to it, and you are a practical kind of person who doesn't read a lot of books. But then don't start throwing out terms like "Do you practise gong," and when I say I don't exactly understand the question, smile smugly and don't clarify. Are you asking about fali, or yunqi, zhan zhuan or what? Just say it. Don't try to hide behind mystique and think it makes you appear wise.
3) Yes, xing yi has tiger form. Just because I'm only learning the five element fists doesn't mean xing yi doesn't have it. Also, pi quan is part of tiger form. And fancy not knowing the five element fists and five element theory are linked. No, honestly, get your facts right before showing off your superior knowledge. Else, it's just sad. And I don't care if you have 5 tigers at home. Cos you know what, you don't explain what it means, and you are obviously not willing to share. If you want to show off, fine. You know what, I have a bear back home in Australia too. His name is Pooh and he's real mean if you deny him his honey. My bear against your 5 tigers anytime.
Sigh. If a man's action reveals his character, I'm glad I'm learning from a non-Singaporean. No, honestly, I don't understand what he was trying to do. I only wanted to talk, but obviously, he doesn't and was off on a tangent.
But I'm pretty pleased with myself. Lol, I think I'm getting quite good at hiding contempt and disdain behind a smiling mask. Getting devious in my old age. Hahaha. I think if it was a younger me, I would have just gotten up and left. Proabably threw my drink in his face if he really pissed me off. Must congratulate myself for a good job sitting there, smiling and listening. Well done!
But seriously, if that is the caliber of practitioners here in Singapore, then it is quite sad. But okay, just one person. We'll see.
1) Why play the game of seeing who's tougher? I'm didn't come by to test how strong or tough you are, even if I am heaps younger than you. Getting me to try to crush your hand, honestly, it's a far cry from Zhou lao shi's hand. I'm quite sad that someone of his age had to actually try that.
2) Please speak clearly. Don't try to throw out terms that I don't understand, and when I ask, do not answer. Why? Is it supposed to impress me? It doesn't, especially when you do not even know what xing yi. Gosh. Fine, maybe you are not exposed to it, and you are a practical kind of person who doesn't read a lot of books. But then don't start throwing out terms like "Do you practise gong," and when I say I don't exactly understand the question, smile smugly and don't clarify. Are you asking about fali, or yunqi, zhan zhuan or what? Just say it. Don't try to hide behind mystique and think it makes you appear wise.
3) Yes, xing yi has tiger form. Just because I'm only learning the five element fists doesn't mean xing yi doesn't have it. Also, pi quan is part of tiger form. And fancy not knowing the five element fists and five element theory are linked. No, honestly, get your facts right before showing off your superior knowledge. Else, it's just sad. And I don't care if you have 5 tigers at home. Cos you know what, you don't explain what it means, and you are obviously not willing to share. If you want to show off, fine. You know what, I have a bear back home in Australia too. His name is Pooh and he's real mean if you deny him his honey. My bear against your 5 tigers anytime.
Sigh. If a man's action reveals his character, I'm glad I'm learning from a non-Singaporean. No, honestly, I don't understand what he was trying to do. I only wanted to talk, but obviously, he doesn't and was off on a tangent.
But I'm pretty pleased with myself. Lol, I think I'm getting quite good at hiding contempt and disdain behind a smiling mask. Getting devious in my old age. Hahaha. I think if it was a younger me, I would have just gotten up and left. Proabably threw my drink in his face if he really pissed me off. Must congratulate myself for a good job sitting there, smiling and listening. Well done!
But seriously, if that is the caliber of practitioners here in Singapore, then it is quite sad. But okay, just one person. We'll see.
Friday 1 February 2008
post 53. Heng quan (横拳) and more
Ah. Heng quan, usually the last of the five element fists.
When Zhou lao shi first said Heng quan had a bit of difficulty, I confess I did doubt him a bit. Come on, it looks simple: just keep your fist facing forward and walk from left to right, right?
Right, it's the things that look easy that are not easy.
First, the footwork. Looked a bit iffy but picked it up after 2 or 3 reps. Basically, from san ti (left foot forward, right foot back), swing left foot to right, turning it 45 degrees inwards. Rear right foot follows, but stops facing forward. So both feet form a rough triangle. Bring left front foot foward at 45 degrees, and bring rear foot up and facing in same direction as left so that both feet are parallel. Sink. Now, swing rear right foot across and around to the front, stopping with foot hooking in 45 degrees. Rear left foot (which was the front foot before) now goes to the back and follows, facing front. Repeat.
Basically, it's moving from a rough triangle to parrallel, swing and cross to form triangle, to parallel, swing and cross, etc etc. The swinging bit I find hardest, cos it's hard to balance and control the position of the rear foot when stopping.
It's easier with a vid, but then, hmmmm. Pondering taping Zhou lao shi doing the forms, but lack of digital camera. Still, something to consider.
So that's the footwork. Moves you left to right while still advancing. Heng = horiszontal in Mandarin. So, that is what the footwork achieves. Moves you side to side but still advancing towards oppoenent.
The upper body now. So, from san ti, when moving left front foot to right, close fists, and as in zuan quan, left hand jerks down and right hand drills up. Position: left foot forward, right hand forward. When moving to parallel, right hand still faces forward. Now the tricky bit. When swinging and crossing right foot to the front, twist body to the right and send the hand foward a bit more; do not passively allow the arm to follow the body movement of left to right. When right foot touches ground, left hand pulls down and right arms drills up, right foot stomps into foward facing position. All in one instant.
I find the twisting of the body hardest. Zhou lao shi suggested thinking of a S-shape , but then he also said that muscles in the curved-in region (quadratus lumborum, i think) should also push upwards. At the same time, the shoulder and upper limb should be sent forward, as if someone was pulling on it.
Lol, if that sounds complicated, try doing it. It is. I wonder if Heng quan is usually taught last cos it's the hardest to learn.
And you know what's the most irritating thing? That a middle-aged man can make it look so effortless. Zhou lao shi got me to feel his back whilst he was doing the motions, and yeah, I wouldn't have thought it possible that someone's small back muscles can be so developed. Lats, traps, yeah, that's normal, but quadratus lumborum, I would have said it's dodgy if I haven't felt it myself.
Zhou lao shi empahsized the twisting motion helps to massage the viscera and work the back muscles as well. That's a simple way of possibly explaining how internal martial arts mantain organ health. I just find it bloody hard to do.
He also mentioned something that makes sense to me though. It's important to work on the internal (organs, viscera) as well, not just the external (nice big muscles), because it helps with abosrbing force. It's a matter of conditioning, I think. The Chinese have a saying, which when loosely translated means, work on the internal, so that strength stems from the inside. Makes sense to me. Can't get strong without good lungs and heart.
And then possibly because we didn't fulfil our quota of hands-on, he set about showing me how to show different parts of the body to smack someone around. I wouldn't have though a chin could be used in that way, or that it could be that painful or effective. And he also did do the stomach thing when you shove someone with it. It's like being lifted up by a big solid mass of air. No, really. It's an up and out motion, basically breaking your root/centre of gravity. And he was doing it slow. If he did it fast, I really think I would have been hurled far away. I can see how it would work in a fight.
And then he really got into it, showing me the butt-shove, the head butt, the shoulder stroke. We both had a laugh when he showed me how to use the head to attack continously. Looks funny, but bloody painful if used on you. Basically, they all adhere to the principle of xing yi: attack continously, using every part of your body, until your opponent is totally vanquished. Or to put it in a nicer way: Overcome your opponent with such an overwhelming force that he feels like he cannot possibly fight against it.
Hehe. I still remember the continous head butts.
When Zhou lao shi first said Heng quan had a bit of difficulty, I confess I did doubt him a bit. Come on, it looks simple: just keep your fist facing forward and walk from left to right, right?
Right, it's the things that look easy that are not easy.
First, the footwork. Looked a bit iffy but picked it up after 2 or 3 reps. Basically, from san ti (left foot forward, right foot back), swing left foot to right, turning it 45 degrees inwards. Rear right foot follows, but stops facing forward. So both feet form a rough triangle. Bring left front foot foward at 45 degrees, and bring rear foot up and facing in same direction as left so that both feet are parallel. Sink. Now, swing rear right foot across and around to the front, stopping with foot hooking in 45 degrees. Rear left foot (which was the front foot before) now goes to the back and follows, facing front. Repeat.
Basically, it's moving from a rough triangle to parrallel, swing and cross to form triangle, to parallel, swing and cross, etc etc. The swinging bit I find hardest, cos it's hard to balance and control the position of the rear foot when stopping.
It's easier with a vid, but then, hmmmm. Pondering taping Zhou lao shi doing the forms, but lack of digital camera. Still, something to consider.
So that's the footwork. Moves you left to right while still advancing. Heng = horiszontal in Mandarin. So, that is what the footwork achieves. Moves you side to side but still advancing towards oppoenent.
The upper body now. So, from san ti, when moving left front foot to right, close fists, and as in zuan quan, left hand jerks down and right hand drills up. Position: left foot forward, right hand forward. When moving to parallel, right hand still faces forward. Now the tricky bit. When swinging and crossing right foot to the front, twist body to the right and send the hand foward a bit more; do not passively allow the arm to follow the body movement of left to right. When right foot touches ground, left hand pulls down and right arms drills up, right foot stomps into foward facing position. All in one instant.
I find the twisting of the body hardest. Zhou lao shi suggested thinking of a S-shape , but then he also said that muscles in the curved-in region (quadratus lumborum, i think) should also push upwards. At the same time, the shoulder and upper limb should be sent forward, as if someone was pulling on it.
Lol, if that sounds complicated, try doing it. It is. I wonder if Heng quan is usually taught last cos it's the hardest to learn.
And you know what's the most irritating thing? That a middle-aged man can make it look so effortless. Zhou lao shi got me to feel his back whilst he was doing the motions, and yeah, I wouldn't have thought it possible that someone's small back muscles can be so developed. Lats, traps, yeah, that's normal, but quadratus lumborum, I would have said it's dodgy if I haven't felt it myself.
Zhou lao shi empahsized the twisting motion helps to massage the viscera and work the back muscles as well. That's a simple way of possibly explaining how internal martial arts mantain organ health. I just find it bloody hard to do.
He also mentioned something that makes sense to me though. It's important to work on the internal (organs, viscera) as well, not just the external (nice big muscles), because it helps with abosrbing force. It's a matter of conditioning, I think. The Chinese have a saying, which when loosely translated means, work on the internal, so that strength stems from the inside. Makes sense to me. Can't get strong without good lungs and heart.
And then possibly because we didn't fulfil our quota of hands-on, he set about showing me how to show different parts of the body to smack someone around. I wouldn't have though a chin could be used in that way, or that it could be that painful or effective. And he also did do the stomach thing when you shove someone with it. It's like being lifted up by a big solid mass of air. No, really. It's an up and out motion, basically breaking your root/centre of gravity. And he was doing it slow. If he did it fast, I really think I would have been hurled far away. I can see how it would work in a fight.
And then he really got into it, showing me the butt-shove, the head butt, the shoulder stroke. We both had a laugh when he showed me how to use the head to attack continously. Looks funny, but bloody painful if used on you. Basically, they all adhere to the principle of xing yi: attack continously, using every part of your body, until your opponent is totally vanquished. Or to put it in a nicer way: Overcome your opponent with such an overwhelming force that he feels like he cannot possibly fight against it.
Hehe. I still remember the continous head butts.
Wednesday 30 January 2008
Tuesday 29 January 2008
post 52. Lessons with Teacher Zhou
Zhou lao shi taught the basics of Heng quan today, so that means I've almost finished up the 5 elements fist. Only left the turning and closing for Heng quan, and then it will be the linking form.
Zhou lao shi was emphasisng a lot about yi, intention, today. He was emphasising that during xing yi practise, one must be as a tank, unstoppable and overwhelming. No matter how big or tall your opponent is, just crush him like a tank; if even a house can't stand up to a tank, what matter flesh and bone? It's true though - I don't have the killing intention.
A lot of it has to do with one's environment. For better or worse, I come from a good family background, and for personel reasons, I have an abhorrence for physical violence. To me, physical violence indicates a failure to achieve a compromise through reason and sense.
It's different for Zhou lao shi. He grew up in an era of turmoil, going through the Cultural Revolution and the Great Chinese Famine. It's hard for me imagine what it must be like to live in a time where someone will kill you for a bowl of rice. That's probably another difference of why we practise martial arts - survival. For Zhou lao shi, it was a means of survival.
So why practise xing yi, then?
One, it's a skill. Sometimes, it's better to be prepared for violence, rather than be helpless when trouble comes knocking. It's really up to you to decide how safe today's society is. Maybe in Singapore it's fine to get by with just knowing how to dial 999. But I don't like the feeling of danger I get when I walk down Northbridge at night, because I know I don't have the necesaary skills. Sure, I can run, but sometimes running is not an option, alcohol or drugs has precluded the option of reasoning, what are you going to do? Stand there and be helpless?
Secondly, it's something to work on for a life-time. It's an open-ended system - you can never be too good. The only restriction is yourself. And to pursue the perfect quan...well, it's like if you punch a 1000 times, but the last one is perfect, ahhh, the feeling is indescribable.
Also, well, one shouldn't restrict yourself because you don't like it. Just because I don't like violence doesn't mean I should shield away from it. Hey, violence is a fact of life, even when it's not physical or obvious. Only through continous exposure to different experiences, especially those we do not like, can we learn and grow.
And lastly, because it's fun. Lol, it is! Well, it's not everyone's cup of tea, but then again, I don't drink coffee. ^^
Zhou lao shi was emphasisng a lot about yi, intention, today. He was emphasising that during xing yi practise, one must be as a tank, unstoppable and overwhelming. No matter how big or tall your opponent is, just crush him like a tank; if even a house can't stand up to a tank, what matter flesh and bone? It's true though - I don't have the killing intention.
A lot of it has to do with one's environment. For better or worse, I come from a good family background, and for personel reasons, I have an abhorrence for physical violence. To me, physical violence indicates a failure to achieve a compromise through reason and sense.
It's different for Zhou lao shi. He grew up in an era of turmoil, going through the Cultural Revolution and the Great Chinese Famine. It's hard for me imagine what it must be like to live in a time where someone will kill you for a bowl of rice. That's probably another difference of why we practise martial arts - survival. For Zhou lao shi, it was a means of survival.
So why practise xing yi, then?
One, it's a skill. Sometimes, it's better to be prepared for violence, rather than be helpless when trouble comes knocking. It's really up to you to decide how safe today's society is. Maybe in Singapore it's fine to get by with just knowing how to dial 999. But I don't like the feeling of danger I get when I walk down Northbridge at night, because I know I don't have the necesaary skills. Sure, I can run, but sometimes running is not an option, alcohol or drugs has precluded the option of reasoning, what are you going to do? Stand there and be helpless?
Secondly, it's something to work on for a life-time. It's an open-ended system - you can never be too good. The only restriction is yourself. And to pursue the perfect quan...well, it's like if you punch a 1000 times, but the last one is perfect, ahhh, the feeling is indescribable.
Also, well, one shouldn't restrict yourself because you don't like it. Just because I don't like violence doesn't mean I should shield away from it. Hey, violence is a fact of life, even when it's not physical or obvious. Only through continous exposure to different experiences, especially those we do not like, can we learn and grow.
And lastly, because it's fun. Lol, it is! Well, it's not everyone's cup of tea, but then again, I don't drink coffee. ^^
Monday 28 January 2008
Best Bruce Lee Book Ever
I almost died laughing when I saw this. I wonder how the boys will take it. Lol. Hey, only 3 dollars, man!
Saturday 26 January 2008
post 52. happy australia day 2008
It's Australia Day again.
Two years ago, or was it only a year ago, we went to the river front to see the fireworks because she loves fireworks. I wish I could remember exactly how long ago it was. We had an argument, most likely because I didn't want to be there. It was hot. We went to the Gelare at Mill Point for ice cream and to escape the heat. When walking along the river-front, an Aussie teen stopped us and asked us to pose for her pic, demanding that we do the Japanese peace-sign thing with the fingers. It was funny because I was sulking moodily at the time, and also because Aussies can't tell the difference between Chinese and Japanese.
She was right to drag me out though. The fireworks were beautiful.
Happy Australia Day.
Two years ago, or was it only a year ago, we went to the river front to see the fireworks because she loves fireworks. I wish I could remember exactly how long ago it was. We had an argument, most likely because I didn't want to be there. It was hot. We went to the Gelare at Mill Point for ice cream and to escape the heat. When walking along the river-front, an Aussie teen stopped us and asked us to pose for her pic, demanding that we do the Japanese peace-sign thing with the fingers. It was funny because I was sulking moodily at the time, and also because Aussies can't tell the difference between Chinese and Japanese.
She was right to drag me out though. The fireworks were beautiful.
Happy Australia Day.
Friday 25 January 2008
post 51. a bit about Teacher Zhou (周悅文)
well, been sort of motivated/inspired/kicked-in-the-ass to write a little bit about Zhou lao shi (Teacher Zhou), after reading this post at Jianghu. The author of Jianghu was kind enough to point me in the direction of Zhou lao shi, who also happens to be his ba gua teacher, when I was looking for a xing yi teacher, so I do owe the author a fair bit. Thanks, E, wherever you are now! China?
Zhou lao shi is quite an interesting figure and the bare outlines of his background are described at Jianghu, so I will not go over it. Interesting thing, Zhou lao shi is not as old as I thought he will be. The first time I had contact with Zhou lao shi was when I called him from Australia, and from his voice I constructed an image of what he will look like: probably 60's, balding, of middle height, strong but not gym-chiselled, rather of the stocky build that comes from labour, face is a bit square and broad with piercing eyes, and because he is a martial arts master, probably has a wispy moustache and/or beard.
Boy, was I wrong.
For one thing, Zhou lao shi still has all his hair, is clean-shaven, and is probably in his late forties or early fifties if he was born before the Cultural Revolution and was old enough to be a Red Guard. He looks younger though. I thought he was in his late thirties when I first met him, and his body is probably stronger than most men half his age. He likes to do a fair bit of hands-on, and once he was showing me how to tense up the entire body when doing the opening stance, and he got me to feel his legs, and I was quite surprised to feel how solid yet springy his thighs were. It's not the same feeling as someone who does weights and squats, which feels thick but dead, like a block of wood. Probably is the elastic strength that Zhou lao shi is always emphasizing. Surprisingly, he is not against using weights or body-building, but he does warn about "dead" (useless) versus "springy" strength. To wit, the explosive power in xing yi comes from the elastic strength in the muscles.
During our last lesson, he was more talkative than usual. Not that we don't talk normally. Come on, I am such a talker. I got him interested in coming to Western Australia with my incessant yakking about the peacefulness of Perth (there's nothing to do at night), the wide-open spaces (at night, I'm king of the roads due to lack of traffic. During the day, barring rush hour, the number of vehicles on the road at any one time can be counted on 2 hands) and the fine weather (not counting the 40-odd degreees Celsuis summers). He was even musing about buying a piece of land and rearing horses. Hehe. Of course he sorta changed his mind when I mentioned the hordes of summer flies.
Anyway, last lesson he was talking quite a fair bit about his background, some of it quite personal. It all stemmed when I was asking him about China cos a friend's been asking me to visit her in Shanghai, and I was wondering if it was safe. Also, we were discussing the various virtues of people from different parts of China at the same time, because we were talking about how some of the Chinese labourers here in Singapore like to fight. Our conversations do tend to get tangential at times. Anyway, he started sprouting a whole lot of horror stories about the thugs and scam artists in China, from which I drew some valuable lessons.
A) People from the North East have a fiery temper and like to grab you when having an argument. I should try to incorporate some of that angry, twisting quality when turning fists. Also, they like to fight.
B) Thugs and con artists still abound in many regions of China. The recent increase in wealth has only meant that these organisations have better equipment to carry out their activities. They tend to gravitate towards mugging, kidnapping, extortion, and numerous interesting behviour that involve much physical use of body parts, such as fists, and creative use of useful tools, including knives and iron bars. They are also good at fighting.
C) People from Shanghai are the best. Zhou lao shi is from Shanghai. Incidentally, Zhou lao shi is very, very good at fighting. So I must believe him.
D) To conclude, I will be robbed shirtless if I go to China alone.
But one interesting thing that did stand out was the different reasons why we learn martial arts. To me, of course self-defense is an important attribute, because like Zhou lao shi said, even if you only ever use it once in your entire life, and it saves a life, it justifies all the hours you put in. But the other aspects of internal martial arts are quite important to me as well - namely, the way to cultivate your mental and internal self, what the Chinese call "xin" (heart). Hmmm, strength of heart/will? Sigh, sometimes Chinese conveys some meanings better than English.
But for Zhou lao shi, it was because martial arts was the only thing in his life as he came from a poor background, and everyone around him was practising it. It was a means to protect himself, and even though he didn't say it, I got the impression that it also represented a chance at a better life. It was only through martial arts that he was able to leave China, which is a big thing, as it's not like they just let anybody leave China. He did tell me a bit about how difficult it was for him leaving China, which really opened my eyes a bit.
So that was our session. Of course, he did teach me a new form, Pao Quan (Cannon Fist, so that makes 4 out of the 5 element fists), and he did apologize for talking too much. Gosh, I'm lucky to actually hear his stories and he's apologising for taking up my time. But that's the kind of person he is.
Zhou lao shi is quite an interesting figure and the bare outlines of his background are described at Jianghu, so I will not go over it. Interesting thing, Zhou lao shi is not as old as I thought he will be. The first time I had contact with Zhou lao shi was when I called him from Australia, and from his voice I constructed an image of what he will look like: probably 60's, balding, of middle height, strong but not gym-chiselled, rather of the stocky build that comes from labour, face is a bit square and broad with piercing eyes, and because he is a martial arts master, probably has a wispy moustache and/or beard.
Boy, was I wrong.
For one thing, Zhou lao shi still has all his hair, is clean-shaven, and is probably in his late forties or early fifties if he was born before the Cultural Revolution and was old enough to be a Red Guard. He looks younger though. I thought he was in his late thirties when I first met him, and his body is probably stronger than most men half his age. He likes to do a fair bit of hands-on, and once he was showing me how to tense up the entire body when doing the opening stance, and he got me to feel his legs, and I was quite surprised to feel how solid yet springy his thighs were. It's not the same feeling as someone who does weights and squats, which feels thick but dead, like a block of wood. Probably is the elastic strength that Zhou lao shi is always emphasizing. Surprisingly, he is not against using weights or body-building, but he does warn about "dead" (useless) versus "springy" strength. To wit, the explosive power in xing yi comes from the elastic strength in the muscles.
During our last lesson, he was more talkative than usual. Not that we don't talk normally. Come on, I am such a talker. I got him interested in coming to Western Australia with my incessant yakking about the peacefulness of Perth (there's nothing to do at night), the wide-open spaces (at night, I'm king of the roads due to lack of traffic. During the day, barring rush hour, the number of vehicles on the road at any one time can be counted on 2 hands) and the fine weather (not counting the 40-odd degreees Celsuis summers). He was even musing about buying a piece of land and rearing horses. Hehe. Of course he sorta changed his mind when I mentioned the hordes of summer flies.
Anyway, last lesson he was talking quite a fair bit about his background, some of it quite personal. It all stemmed when I was asking him about China cos a friend's been asking me to visit her in Shanghai, and I was wondering if it was safe. Also, we were discussing the various virtues of people from different parts of China at the same time, because we were talking about how some of the Chinese labourers here in Singapore like to fight. Our conversations do tend to get tangential at times. Anyway, he started sprouting a whole lot of horror stories about the thugs and scam artists in China, from which I drew some valuable lessons.
A) People from the North East have a fiery temper and like to grab you when having an argument. I should try to incorporate some of that angry, twisting quality when turning fists. Also, they like to fight.
B) Thugs and con artists still abound in many regions of China. The recent increase in wealth has only meant that these organisations have better equipment to carry out their activities. They tend to gravitate towards mugging, kidnapping, extortion, and numerous interesting behviour that involve much physical use of body parts, such as fists, and creative use of useful tools, including knives and iron bars. They are also good at fighting.
C) People from Shanghai are the best. Zhou lao shi is from Shanghai. Incidentally, Zhou lao shi is very, very good at fighting. So I must believe him.
D) To conclude, I will be robbed shirtless if I go to China alone.
But one interesting thing that did stand out was the different reasons why we learn martial arts. To me, of course self-defense is an important attribute, because like Zhou lao shi said, even if you only ever use it once in your entire life, and it saves a life, it justifies all the hours you put in. But the other aspects of internal martial arts are quite important to me as well - namely, the way to cultivate your mental and internal self, what the Chinese call "xin" (heart). Hmmm, strength of heart/will? Sigh, sometimes Chinese conveys some meanings better than English.
But for Zhou lao shi, it was because martial arts was the only thing in his life as he came from a poor background, and everyone around him was practising it. It was a means to protect himself, and even though he didn't say it, I got the impression that it also represented a chance at a better life. It was only through martial arts that he was able to leave China, which is a big thing, as it's not like they just let anybody leave China. He did tell me a bit about how difficult it was for him leaving China, which really opened my eyes a bit.
So that was our session. Of course, he did teach me a new form, Pao Quan (Cannon Fist, so that makes 4 out of the 5 element fists), and he did apologize for talking too much. Gosh, I'm lucky to actually hear his stories and he's apologising for taking up my time. But that's the kind of person he is.
Sunday 6 January 2008
Apache Ultimate Re-Remix (Prodigy - Breathe)
don't really feel like updating much lately, so enjoy the clips. hah. at least they are funny.
hippies + native american chicks + cheesy dancing AND Prodigy = awesomeness!
this is a work of genius. lol.
first post of the year
It really is a sad thing to realise that the place you grew up in is no longer your home.
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