The Log Of B

Friday, August 22, 2008

Stoopid chart...

I don't get it. Can anyone explain this to me?!? Does the bracket mean that that shit is 4.6 and the LDAP connector is 6.10?!? What?

Blackbelt'd

Preface: For all of you that have done this already and know this feeling please feel free to skip =) I know it's not really a big deal to you all.

I started dabbling in martial arts when I was about 18 or 19. I really can't remember. I have always been drawn to the Chinese arts as opposed to Okinawan or Japanese. Not that there is anything wrong with those, I just always liked the Chinese stuff much more.

My first experience in martial arts was with my Uncle Robert. Since I wanted to learn Kung Fu, I would drive to his house in Brooklyn once or twice a week and he would show me some of what he knew. He would make me do exercises with large rubber bands, handstand pushups, tiger walking... he would take me to the park by his house and have me scratch at trees to develop strength in my hands (must have looked retarded to the ppl in the park). At the time I was in my teens and really self conscious so I was more concerned about people watching me than actually doing the exercises.

I soon stopped doing that as I started college and didn't have time. I would still practice some of the stuff that he had taught me, but it wasn't enough.

After my first year at Manhattan School of Music, I transferred to CUNY @ Staten Island and lived back at home. That being the case, it was easier for me to devote time to practicing. I joined a Shotokan school and was off and running. I was really good at it, but it always felt sort of wrong to me. It always felt very rigid and very unyielding. Their forms were very linear and really easy to learn. I found that I picked them up quicker than others at my level. In fact, I used to go to this Shotokan website that had the katas written out and I would actually learn them off the site. I know that you are thinking "no way, I'm sure they looked nothing like the way the school taught it". Well, one time I told my Sensei that I had done this, so he asked me to show him. It was a purple belt kata, roughly 2-3 ranks above where I was at the time. When I finished the kata, he looked at me and said "damn, that's pretty close to how we do it here".

As I started moving up the ranks in Shotokan, the classes started getting crappy. There was a lot of goofing around and it just was not going where I wanted it to go. I left the school.

Soon after that, I joined a Hung Gar kung fu school that was close to my house. Finally, I was learning some stuff that was more up my alley. At this school, they did Chi Kung as well as forms, self defense, etc. They were a very traditional school that also did things like the Lion Dance during Chinese new year in Chinatown. The master there was Chinese and made a few trips a year to go back and study. All seemed really well. After about a year, I ended up leaving the school under somewhat dubious circumstances.

<Dubious Circumstances>

At this point in time, I worked at the Cargo Cafe and stated being quite flirtatious with a girl that worked there names Sara. Sara was friends with this guy Adolpho, who was a student at the Hung Gar school. I think you can see where this was going.

I started dating Sara and apparently Adolpho didn't like that. To my knowledge, from what she told me, they were friends. Apparently, he took that as me stepping on his toes with her. I asked before I proceeded. I am not a douche bag. Had she told me, "well, we are kinda dating" I would have not pursued the issue, but when I asked, I was told "oh, no, we are just friends". Rock, game on.

After I started dating Sara, the tension between he and I was high all the time. In light of that, I ended up leaving the school under the mentality that he was there first. May be silly, I know, but that is how I felt at the time.

</Dubious Circumstances>

Finally, I moved here to Austin and found Shaolin-Do, my current school. When I started going, I opted to start in the internal program (TaiChi) as work was stressing me out. About 6 months into that, I started in the external program. I won't bore you with the details b/c most of you that read this have been through them, but after roughly 3 years of busting my ass, I finally, from the first school ever, earned a black belt!

One of the things that I have said before in this blog is that it is only the beginning. Now, the cool stuff happens and well, I know I have said it before, but now being here, I can see that this IS just the beginning. The last 3 years were a preface, so, I say, man, let the good times roll!

Congratulations to everyone else that tested with me, job well done! And special thanks to Sifu Ryon for not sweeping the shit out of me during San He =)

Lastly, click here for some pictures from after the test. I will post some videos of me as soon as I get them off of Victoria's camera.

Monday, August 11, 2008

An open letter to the Texas sun...

Dear Texas Sun,

This is not going to be easy for you to hear, but, I think it's important that you do. We should all be looking to better ourselves and I think this could really help you.

Ready?

Ok...

It's too much. It's just TOO much. You are too much. Can you tone it down a bit please? You are WAY too overbearing.

The New York sun isn't nearly as oppressive as you. What is your deal? Were you beaten as a budding proto-star by your red giant parents and now need to take out your frustration on us tiny people? If that is the case, I suggest you start seeing a shrink because that's just messed up.

Among the aforementioned, my additional complaints are as follows:

I don't even want to go outside, like, ever. I don't want to sit outside, walk around outside, or just be outside. Never in my life have I felt bad for grass and trees, but, I do now feel really bad for them as they have to whether your constant overbearing photon bombardment.
You make me so grumpy and frustrated. Every time I am required to perform an action in your presence, I become a person I don't like. I become short, frustrated, and just general complainy like. You make me do it. You suck.
You cost me money. I keep my thermostat on 78 in the summer, even then, my damn electric bill is close to $150. I have to water my lawn and trees more b/c of you and that is JUST TO KEEP THEM FROM DYING. My grass feels like (to steal from Wendy's blog) shredded wheat or some other kind of shitty cereal. Why the hell can't you just calm down a bit??!?! Jerk.
You make me tired. I can't do shit outside without feeling like I need to take like a 100 hour nap when I get done doing that 3 hour thing. Do you even know what that is like? I am 27 for fuck sake. You make me feel like I'm 90.
You finally get tired and start backing off in like November. NOVEMBER. Don't you know you should start toning it down in like, September? What is there some kind of galactic trophy for "Most People Burned and Irritated Annually"? You suck.

Well, Texas Sun, I hope that the above information has been informative. I am pretty sure you are a self centered asshole and won't take any of this to heart. I still think that it is important for you to know these things. I ask, no... plead... no BEG that you consider the above grievances and take steps to resolve them.

Thank you,

Bryan

Weekend activities...

I will write more about the weekend later, or you can check Victoria's blog @ http://yellowgin.blogspot.com. I wanted to quickly post some pics of some house stuff that we did over the weekend:

New gravel bed, right side: