Musashi

Well got back on the workout train. Getting ready for when I'm back in martial arts class (should be any time now as soon as I get my wheels. have cash for a car, just finding one is proving difficult.). Started doing a bit of a modified p90x. Btw, P90x is good shit. the instructor may be a bit of a douche, but he knows his shit. It's really a great program, even if just for guidelines and reference points. Anyway I decided to do instead of the daily cardio program (roughly about 45 minutes), I'm replacing that with daily kenpo x. By which I mean using that as a guideline and timer (I actually practice kung-fu so it's not exactly the same, but it counts the same). After an hour of martial arts practice I can do either yoga or lift weights. I haven't tried the yoga yet, but I hear it's amazing to supplement with martial arts as it increases strength, flexibility, and endurance. I also hear it's mega hard if you've never done it before. So today, I did an hour of cardio before breakfast, then after breakfast did a 17 minute ab/core routine (mason twists are hard!!) Tomorrow I'm gonna step it up with an hour of cario, then an hour (after eating of course) of more martial arts practice or oen of the weight programs. Or maybe yoga. Haven't decided yet. Either way I'm gonna be getting a great quality work out. Just not enough time in the day to do everything I want. If I had it my way I'd do an hour of light martial arts practice before breakfast, then an hour of more intense practice after eating, then an hour or so of weight and/or core training depending on the day and how spry I'm feeling. My overall goal is to be strong with very defined muscles while being flexible and durable for martial arts. Basically I wanna be like bruce lee when I grow up. Perfect package. Strong, fast, flexible, and focused. I mean the guy only weighed 135# at his peak and could do push-ups with 2 fingers on one hand. He could also make a 300# heavy bag hit the ceiling with a side kick (p.s. that's the kind of kick that could kill you). Anyway, a little light headed so gonna stop babbling. If anyone has any advice for me I'm happy to listen. Oh, also, I see a lot of people arguing whether cardio or weights are better for burning fat. The answer is if you really want to do the best you can, do both. Stop overthinking. Think about what you're doing/going to do, yes. But overthinking is just going to give you a headache.

Started working midnights a few weeks ago. Stocking produce/unloading semi-trucks in the produce department (I work with fruits~)

Isolated. Like I'm trapped in a cave. The midnight schedule is clearly not for me. Guilty that I've been so lackadaisical lately. Guilty that I've been smoking cigarettes again. Need something to change.

HIIT is AWESOME! Super short workout that is way effective and continues to burn throughout the day. You'll be ravenously hungry all day. Try not to resist the temptation to eat. That's actual hunger you're feeling. When doing HIIT the whole small meal/snack every 2-4 hours is very effective and it keeps the metabolism working (that's why you're so hungry). As for myself I've been slacking hard core since I've been on midnights. Just have no energy for anything, I never see the sunlight, I haven't been to martial arts class in weeks and it's so hard not to just eat whatever terrible crap I can get my hands on whenI get home. I need to get back on track or I'ma lose all the great progress I've made. I actually sort of have a 6 pack now. At least I'm getting very close...and I'm about to lose it. Sigh. Sometime this week I'll get my weights and inversion table inside (currently in the cold garage) and start up the martial arts again when I get my auto problems handled. I just hope I can get off the midnights soon. I think it might be fucking with my head a little bit.

There is a book called "the Art of Expressing the Human Body". All about Bruce Lee's excersise philosphies and practices. It's old but way ahead of it's time. And as far as accuracy goes, just look at any picture of bruce and say that whatever he did didn't work.

thinking today i quit cigarettes for the 4th time this year........sigh.

I like playing fast-paced video games like tekken 6 or bayonetta to stuff like that. Gets the blood pumpin'!

Kung-fu, Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, and tai chi! Though I haven't been able to get to class in a while due having to adjust to me new work schedule (midnights) and getting used to the physicality of the job (loading/unloading/sorting many heavy boxes all night)...and financial issues. Gah! Why can't I pay for lessons by washing a car or something like Ralph Macchio? So I suppose I've still been getting a good workout. Been working the last 6 days in a row and good god am I sore in every part of my body. Thank god for 2 days off for recovery! Gonna get back on track soon though. I really miss kung-fu class :(

Ok. Put that way, it does make more sense. I am glad that there are people that view it in such a way. There are, however, many, many people that view mma as the culmination andnew way of martial arts. I suppose that more than anything else is what upsets me. The people that don't know the difference between MMA and "Martial Arts". Thank you for your input on that. Very well said.

The thing about MMA that just bothers the living hell outta me (you guys are gonna hate me for this) is the greater emphasis on athleticism and and the fact that it is a sport. There have been some who say things like "with MMA the world is finally being introduced to martial arts on a large scale." That is entirely untrue. Most of the fighters have little to no respect for the arts (from what I've seen) and the UFC is slowly but surely becoming the new WWF. It's become more about who has more defined muscles and can talk the most crap than it is about the martial arts themselves. Granted, being in peak physical shape is important, but what everyone seems to have forgotten is that the technique, the understanding, and the mental alacrity required for true martial arts is the core of all "true" martial arts. I hear about twice as much about fighters' physical stats than how they are at the art style they practice. Even watching these fights (disclaimer: there are some phenominal fighters with amazing technique that I have seen), many of these fighters have extremely sloppy technique and use just plain stupid strategy. I mean how can this guy (random fight I saw, don't know who it was) possibly think that a sloppy roundhouse kick aimed at the head would be a good first strike to use? I almost never see anyone following through. Just a punch or two then back off. Or one (badly aimed and poorly balanced) kick then back off. All until the grappling starts. There doesn't seem to be any finesse or flow. Just who can overpower who. Raw strength should not be placed above technique and strategy in order of importance. I know, I know. I'm sorry for being that guy. The way martial arts are starting to be viewed though is just starting to make me sick. Thousands of years of tradition and proven technique taking a back seat to muscles, tatoos, talking smack, and media hype. I'd like to see some of these guys who have bee in the circuit for two or three years get in the ring with a real master who's been practicing for 30 years, but looks like he could get crushed by a sneeze. Rant over. Again sorry. Not meaning to be inflammatory. Just throwing it out there that americanized martial arts have strayed from a true path to...well WWF I guess.

I think I love you. FF8 had a lot of sentimental value for me so that whole Rinoa costume just melts me.

+1 to that.

Yay, chaotic neutral! My best character ever was a chaotic neutral drow fighter/thief/nage. In a later incarnation just a fighter. His nickname was Kain the Madman. He quite literally ended up being a physical manifestation of pure chaos. Pretty much was chaos itself (long story). Darkmatter was DM...we've been wishing we could find people and start a game up one day. The version only matters in so much as a point of orientation really. Rules are made-up and discarded as the flow of the game dictates. Not as loose as it sounds, but makes for flexible game mechanics and gives things a bit more of an organic feel. Thing is, I've never actually FINISHED a campaign. As in story is over. The End. Group always craps out just when we're starting to get to the low to mid teens levels. I would love to find a group that wants to really get a serious campaign going. I already have a DM even! A good one! Though I think he should leaf through a few newer monstrous manuals (we just have the old 2.0. The Only ta'nari are balor and merilith, so..yeah.) and maybe some random other infos. Best thing about it being the future is that we can get it all on teh interwebs!

Question about the healing process: How long does it take to heal? Just a few days? Also, if you take them out for some physical activity such as a wrestling class etc, is it going to be a big pain in the ass and heal up within an hour like the lebret? or can you take it out for an hour or two and put them back in with no problem? That might be a deal breaker.

Dunno. No $. Maybe a karate ghi. Maybe just normal clubwear. Maybe shirtless. Either way I'll be drunk!

Well, in California, I was picked on by the mexicans both for being white and anytime you simply looked at them the wrong way. I don't care what anyone says, Cali mexicans are freaking dangerous. Also I had really bad acne when I was a teenager. There was a student written and published newsletter that the school was doing where kids could write about things like a newspaper and it'd be circulated around the school. There was a section in the first issue where people were quoted saying whatever they wanted anonymously. The entire section of course was people just talking shit about those lower on the social food-chain. I was one of those mentioned and it was for my acne. Also had the whole no fashion sense/money grubbing parents so clothes were hopeless. After I moved from Cali to michigan, I thought I'd be safer. My mom swears to god that before we moved from cali there was a mexican gang after me. Apparently it was common knowledge to everyone but me. Still not sure if I believe it. Just cause you stand up to someone once...Anyway, got to Michigan. No more mexican problems, but ironically, being half-mexican myself the white kids were quick to take over. So fucked with for being white by mexicans, fucked with for being mexican by white kids. Wtf. Around puberty time, I started growing a lot of facial hair. But only side burns. My grandparents being insane old-people christians, for some reason both didn't allow me to shave, and I could only wear clothes they approved of. Naturally those clothes did not look good. I was picked on for everything and anything. I had maybe one friend all through 8th grade. But I was never allowed to leave the house except for school. If anyone was ever paying attention to me, it was to pick on me. Sometimes just some stupid girls giggling about how ugly I was. Sometimes guys taking my backpack and pushing me on the ground etc. Sometimes entire classrooms laughing at me because of something or other. Teacher's never even really did anything about it. I guess they just figured it was normal kid stuff. Looking back I really still can't believe how horrible my Jr. years were. When I got to High School, things started to get better once I made friends with some stoners and metal heads. Started smokin weed and cigarettes, my grandparents were doing the old people travel in an RV thing a lot. I think my pre-high school years are probably a major factor in the issues I have with confidence. Such is life I guess.

Just got Castlevania: Lords of Shadow. Only a few hours into it, but so far it's pretty awesome. Very cinematic.

Ha! This made me Lol. In a good way. Awesome.

Feeling sluggish and a little sad. Not been to martial arts class in over a week due to being sick, and won't be able to go for another couple weeks due to my new jobs training schedule. So been very lazy and not been getting any excersise. Not despairing though. Just need to let the new job settle in with my permanent schedule and get the money rollin back in and I'll be good to go. The job will be low stress, steady hours, insurance/401k etc. And working midnights will allow me to get to class pretty much 5 days a week if I want to go. Patience, Chris. Patience. Also a little bummed that I had to lose my glorious goatee, but it's not as terrible as I thought it'd be. I just don't like change!! Also, someone hug me.

Not looking forward to waking up at 3am-sh to be at work at 5am for the rest of the week.....but thank god it's only for this week during training.

I would most likely agree with this, given my current contempt, but the problem is that the first date never happens. I meant that I was getting stood up on first dates. If we went out once then nothing happened it'd be one thing. But I don't even get a chance.

Too many bones!? Not enough cash!? Call CASH BONES!

<3 pale-skinned girls. Yummy.

Seems like the last...let's say 5 or so girls that I was supposed to hang out with/talk to all seemed interested, but when they say they're gonna call they never do. Just nothing. I'll call once or mayyybee twice to find out what's up, usually don't get an answer or a call back. Clearly you aren't interested, so instead of messing with me, making me set aside time, getting my hopes up, just leave me alone. I've pretty much given up and stopped caring. I don't even ask anyone out any more. They'll just stand me up. Least you all get to the second or third date. Literally the last 6 or 7 girls I've talked to CONSECUTIVELY stood me up. On first dates.Every. Single. One. Maybe it's a conspiracy. Maybe I smell bad. All I know for sure is I'm done chasing. I'm done looking like a dumbass for being excited about something that just never happens. And I'm done pretending that it doesn't bother me. I'm worth more than that. Sorry if I derailed an old ass thread. Been wanting to rant about this for a while now.

Very nice. Been wanting better stuff for grip work myself. How much was it?