Aunkai VA Seminar · 26 days ago

It’s been a week since the two day Aunkai seminar in Fairfax, VA. About thirty people attended, and a wide variety of martial arts were represented: aikido, bagua, taiji, judo, even military combatives. I recognized a number of people from various online forums: aikiweb, e-budo, and internal-aiki. I got a lot of questions about Dan Harden because I was one of the few in attendance who has met him. Putting names to faces, making new friends, and geeking out over martial arts and body training—all fun aspects of seminar attendance, but I was there for the Aunkai training.

I first met Rob and Ark in April 2006 on may way into China. They are both friendly and open. Rob introduced me to several basic training tools: shiko, tenchijin, and ashiage. I worked on them sporadically for just over three months while I wandered through China, and then I stopped by again on my way back to the US, in August. Rob confirmed that I had made some basic progress. I was looking for that data point to confirm that I should continue this training. The body skills this training inculcates are so rare that I was concerned I would be unable to pick them up; at the time I didn’t know if they were rare because they were jealously guarded, only suitable for people certain talents, or what.

Now fast forward to the present day. I’ve been training sporadically with Dan Harden for about 18 months, and in the last 6 certain basics have started coming together, but along they way I’ve developed a desperate curiosity to understand the difference between Dan’s approach and Ark’s approach. This was the context for my visit.

On Saturday, Ark introduced a series of basic exercise, starting with shiko, tenchijin, and moving through several related exercises and variants. He went into surprising depth explaining how to use these tools to identify and train efficient body movement. I went for lunch with several guys to a middle-eastern joint down the street. We continued training through the afternoon, and I ended up sharing beer with Jim Sorrentino and a couple guys at the Capitol City Grill before a big dinner with 15-20 people from the seminar.

On Sunday we training more, and by the end of the seminar we had been lead through push-out, some basic spear work, agete, and some striking drills. Ark pushed us through a little bit of grueling low-stance work, just enough to impress on everyone how hard we should be training ourselves, but not enough to keep me from being able to climb stairs the next day (his previous US seminars are infamous).

I don’t have much comment on the material. Ark’s method, as I understand it, is identify efficient movement and then train that movement into the body and teach the body to be jealous of itself. We didn’t get into breath training.

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Saturday, May 24 · 40 days ago

Two hours of yoga is a great way to kick-off the Memorial Day weekend. Following that workout by three hours of jujitsu, possibly a lesser idea. Don’t get me wrong—I’ll do it again, but next time I’m going to stay hydrated and drink less coffee and be more in shape. Somehow I survived the drive home from the jujitsu workout and lost consciousness for about an hour. I woke up, took a shower, and slowly built up the energy to head into Providence for the first Waterfire of the season.

For the first time in a long time, I was having fun with my camera.

Also, I was hanging out with people!

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T-Minus 106 Days · 46 days ago

I have a ticket…

…and that’s about it. Got a lot of planning ahead!

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I am clearly not normal · 49 days ago

To celebrate my renewed hope for the future, I’ve started re-ripping my CD collection, this time to lossless audio. Also, I’m going to pay off my student loans once and for all on Monday; the payment is already scheduled. It’s very exciting!

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Mother's Day Weekend · 55 days ago

Mom and Dad drove into Providence on Friday, toured the State House, then caught Paris by Night at the Trinity Repertory Company. On Saturday I met them at my place, we chatted, we drove to a Dunkin Donuts, we chatted, and we met my friend Merrilee in Newport for lunch at H20. After lunch we toured Astors’ Beechwood summer season isn’t here yet, so the actors were playing servants, and put us in the role of people applying for summer positions. Later in the year they will be playing the Astor family. The actors are top notch, and can pull in a great deal of periphery information. I much prefer this Interactive theater over the typical museum tours.

On the way out of Newport, we found out that there were white chocolate pistachio pieces at Destination: Chocolate (To Die For). We finished with a terrific dinner at Tiverton Four Corners Grille.

A terrific low-energy hangout catchup day, with sunny spring weather once the skies cleared.

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Shenandoah Day Hike, The Adventure of · 63 days ago

Katie and Joel drove me to the Shenandoah National Park for a wonderful day-hike. First we were sunburned. Then we crossed rivers. Then we got dumped on and stopped caring about keeping our feet wet, and crossed more the rivers again by sploshing through, shoes and all. Then it dumped more, and hailed, too. Then we were halfway done, but the weather cleared up. From there on out it was uphill, exhausting, and physically painful because we were none of us in hiking shape.

Of course I loved it—like being on the Appalachian Trail again.

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Real Men.. · 76 days ago

What do “Grandma’s Kisses”, “tax exemption”, and “freeform jazz” have in common? This is what you search for when you are hunting down Spongebob quotes (episode 29A)

Patrick: You’re the most adult person I know!
Spongebob: Thanks, Patrick.
Patrick: You know how grandmas are, they love babies. You just can’t act like a baby around her.
Spongebob: You’re right, Patrick!
Patrick: Have I ever not been right? [ cut to shots of Pat next to Sponge who is sitting on a giant rocket with the fuse lit, Pat holding up a giant pumpkin over Sponge, who has a funnel in his mouth, and Pat and Sponge on the beach wearing Speedos ] You’re a man now, Spongebob, and it’s time you starting acting like one.
Spongebob: Yeah! Oh… but I’m not sure I know how.
Patrick: Allow me to demonstrate. First, puff out your chest. [ Sponge does ] Now say ‘tax exemption’!
Spongebob: Tax exemption.
Patrick: Now you must acquire a taste for freeform jazz. [ jazz plays as Sponge and Pat ponder over it ].

I love that sequence, and have been thinking of it each day as I make the beltway commute from Alexandria, VA to McLean, VA. Real men know how to drive in DC traffic. It’s like making it in New York, if you can drive around here, you can drive around anywhere.

These weeks away from my life are great for pulling me… away from my life. I’m putting together a plan for building my life. Hooray for systems engineering: requirements analysis, functional breakdown, &c.

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Supplies for the Driving · 80 days ago

Here’s what it took to get me here:

I spent most of the caffeine rush mentally composing reviews of all my new music and trying to think how I would explain all my Issues over the phone with metaphors to budo training (X = fun euro-pop, Discovery = well crafted party dance, The Black Album = classic mainstream metal. Basically.).

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Travel vs. Travel · 81 days ago

Three months in China? I carry a half-full backpack.
Three weeks in DC? I load up my car.

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TDY:DC · 82 days ago

On Tuesday I’m driving back down to DC. That’s a nine-hour trip, allowing for two refueling stops and some traffic slowdowns somewhere (e.g. I-95 morning rush hour construction-multiplied congestion in Connecticut, or pretty much any major artery in DC remotely close to the 9-5 workday).

I’m staying with an old college roommate in a place one stone’s throw from the Huntington Metro stop in Alexandria, and I’m staying there until May.

Here’s to good times in DC?

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Thirty One · 96 days ago

It’s Sunday. I was home at 5 in the afternoon, aka not at work. How weird is that. This hasn’t happened since February. I’m sort of at a loss. So here’s a list of stuff:

Yeah, that’s it. This will be my one post this month. Where is the win in that?

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What Happened To My Socks During Winter Break · 132 days ago

One of the major problems with marriages in the nineties is the high rate of divorce among couples. But this has nothing to do with socks losing their counterparts.

I do not believe that a sock ever ‘loses’ its mate. There is a telepathic bond betwixt the two that can never be broken (Ommm). There is merely a mere physical separation, so I must assume that this should be the topic of this essay. So then…. to continue where I hadn’t left off:

setting: a small cafe in a small city just a few miles east of Distance, early morning sometime before the Birth of Christ.

characters: a number of minor people including (but not limited to) Innocent Stranger, Suspicious Character, Note, Boppy Waitress, Me, Moral, Sock (1), Sock (2), Literary Critic (read English Teacher for those in school), Random Chinese Emperor, and Small Mongolian Horde.

ACT I

[backdrop: Ancient China, atop The Great Wall, just outside of a rural Chinese village, in a 50’s looking diner (I suppose that’s really part of the setting… sorry). Random Chinese Emperor sits in full ceremonial dress drinking coffee and looking forlorn. Boppy waitress stands behind counter looking boppy. Small Mongolian Horde is seen approaching from Distance. Literary Critic is standing disapprovingly is the shadows, talking to Suspicious Character on a pay-phone.]

(Small Mongolian Horde is screaming and waving about swords (or culturally appropriate weapons) throughout the whole scene.

Literary Critic: (Suspicious Character) You know, I just can’t see how this can develop into anything relevant to socks, but I’d better blow this proverbial joint (?drug reference?) before the Small Mongolian Horde gets here.. bye.

(Literary Critic hangs up and exits through the back door just as the Small Mongolian Horde arrives and sits down next to Random Chinese Emperor. Random Chinese Emperor looks intently into his coffee, pretending not to see the new customer.)

Small Mongolian Horde: Say, Mr.—you aren’t by any toss of the bones Random Chinese Emperor, are you?

Random Chinese Emperor: What?!? NO!.. er, No. no Random Chinese Emperor here. I’m sure I don’t know what you’re talking about.

Small Mongolian Horde: (noticing Random Chinese Emperor’s dress): You know, I just could but help to notice your dress, and, well, you look an awful lot like Random Chinese Emperor.

Random Chinese Emperor: No, I don’t.

Small Mongolian Horde: Yes, you do.

Random Chinese Emperor: Look, it’s not that I don’t like a good argument, but Random Chinese Emperor will always been seen with matching socks.

(Random Chinese Emperor pulls up his dress-thingy and shows the un-matching Sock (1).)

Small Mongolian Horde: (looking impressed) Oh… I see.

Random Chinese Emperor: Unless, however, he is pretending not to be Random Chinese Emperor.
(Small Mongolian Horde nods thoughtfully)

Random Chinese Emperor: (continuing) In that case he would have the real matching sock hidden underneath the fake un-matching one… like this…

(Random Chinese Emperor pulls up his dress-thingy again and shows how a real matching Sock (2) is hidden there.)

Small Mongolian Horde: (In agreement) Yes, I agree.

(A Thought occurs to Small Mongolian Horde. It takes up a look of blank amazement for a moment.)

Small Mongolian Horde: (slowly, as if what he is say is occurring to him as he says it) Wait a minute… if you have matching socks… hidden… then… (gasp) you’re Random Chinese Emperor!

(Small Mongolian Horde takes the weapons it has been previously waving around a bit and uses them to kill Random Chinese Emperor.)

THE END.

Innocent Stranger: Hey, what about me.. I haven’t said my lines er… doh. never mind.

Me: I suppose that goes for Me, too?

Moral: Don’t take too long to write pointless things, leaving little time for the real work, and forcing a hastened deux ex machina.

Note: This does appear to demonstrate what I believe happens to unmatched socks. They end up in wild places far away from where they started, doing weird things usually. But on the other hand this whole thing is pointless. Socks will biodegrade. We’re all going to die.

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Dubstep Rave · 137 days ago

Here’s a video on youtube that shows you how to dance to this innovative music called “dubstep”:

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Emusic Downloads, February 2008 · 138 days ago

It’s winter; I’m in a mood for really bad music:

1.

TITLE = Untrue
ARTIST = Burial

First up, It’s something the kids across the pond thought up a couple years ago: dubstep. I guess this is what you get when you get sick and tired of 2-step and garage. Kind of like what happened to the fun beats and basslines of early UK jungle turning into everything Dieselboy produces (Oh, snap!).

2.

TITLE = All That Glitters
ARTIST = MRI

We call this “microhouse”. If you can’t rattle of the 4 kinds of techno and the 6 variants of deep house, then just think of it as boring German dance music without words, which is a descriptive phrase so aptly and redundantly respective that it fits perfectly. One eMusic reviewer says, “No – didn’t like this one myself. It’s a bit too bang bang bang and not enough bleep, squidge, clip if you no what I mean,” and is cut down with, “bleep squidge click is boring… dont listen to him.. this album is lush and sexy and gogreous listening.. get it!”

Gogreous music, indeed.

3.

SERIES = Global Underground
VOLUME = 33
LOCATION = Rio
DJS = Layo and Bushwacka!

I haven’t listened to this all the way through; I’ve been downloading it in parts over the last couple months to spread out the opportunity cost of downloading 44 tracks, only to find that I only needed to download the last two, which are continuous mixes of the rest. Try this google search if you are desperate for an opinion; I don’t have one yet.

4.

TITLE = Spirit of the Jaguar
LABEL = Underground Resistance

This EP contains two tracks, “The- Jaguar” and “The- Ascension”, originally released by Underground Resistance, then promptly almost stolen by Sony. The story is documented. Sony: you suck. I am very happy to buy very little of your music. I will despise you in particular if I ever have to buy a PS3.

5.

TITLE = The Prodigy Experience
ARTIST = The Prodigy

Yay! An old school classic. If you don’t know anything about the music of rave, this is a decent start for you. Please enjoy the listen.

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Python + Flickr = <3 · 144 days ago

It took less than three hours to go from zero to a python script that iterates through all my Flickr pictures from Japan and China last year, automatically adding links back to this blog in the description.

It’s hideously hacky code, but what fun!

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The Babel Myth · 153 days ago

“…when earth was new and men not given to the climbing of inaccessible places”

Excerpts from a short story by H. P. Lovecraft, The Other Gods, and then
Peak Performance by Nicholas Gurewitch.

(This being the wondrous world of internet and digital, you can find a short film that is claimed to have been made almost a century ago by Peter Rhodes, a man who, if existed, kept company with Mr. Aleister Crowley, and who is not to be confused with the American journalist slash Russian spy of the same name.)

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