Notes on web development (and a few other topics)
Martial arts, which for me means karate, goju-ryu, kubodo, and aikido, is so much more than “fighting.” It’s discipline of the body first, which leads to the discipline of the mind. It’s friendship, respect, and learning to be a better person. But yes… it also means learning how to punch hard!
Why do we bother to train in martial arts, anyway? We don't face constant physical danger (most of us at least), so there's got to be other reasons. After training for nearly five years, and with so many other demands on my time, I've started to ask myself why do I continue to go to the dojo?
Read MoreFor years I've studied multiple martial arts. At one point, I was training in kei-shin kan karate, shin shin toitsu aikido, and goju-ryu karate, which is heavily influenced by feeding-crane kung-fu. Though I had to give up one art—aikido—due to time constraints when my daughter came along, the two styles of karate alone are different enough to present a challenge. It's a challenge familiar to any martial artist who's studied more than one art simultaneously: how to keep them separate in one's head, and more importantly: in one's muscle memory. In this post I'll share three points that have helped me.
Read MoreAs my daughter Emma gets older and begins to form her personality, I think about the concept of improving oneself by the company you keep. It's one of life's not-so-obvious facts: one of the best ways to improve yourself is to be surrounded by those who are better than you. Obviously, that's a simplification; taken at face value it can even sound a bit negative by implying you're not as good as everyone else. But perhaps a few personal and professional examples will clarify my point.
Read More
Japanese martial arts includes a lot of terminology. Most practitioners know the basics, like tsuki for strike/punch, and the more esoteric—but no less useful—terms like described in this post. I should point out again that I'm far from an expert and that the information below comes from my own memory of training with my senseis. Be sure to double-check anything that you plan to use in a scholarly article!
Read More
I noticed how newer students at our dojo perform the post-class chore of sweeping the tatami mats. They swept vigorously, swinging their shoulders, and bounced along with that tired energy that comes after a good workout. Certainly nothing wrong with their sweeping, but it was as though their training mindset ended when we bowed out to end class. By contrast, experienced students kept that training mindset and approached the chore differently. In my opinion, even sweeping a mat can be martial arts practice.
Read More
"Half" is this the watchword in this past year's martial arts training. In Feb. 2010, my beautiful little daughter was born and that's the best reason ever for reducing the time in the dojo. But as I started training in Sept. 2007 and my daughter was born at the end of Feb., that's half a year. And during that half a year, I've only been able to attend class about half as often, and even then only half as long. In effect, I've had to prioritize my training and I'm focusing on karate only; aikido will have to wait until time (and energy) returns. But there has still been plenty of advancements.
Read MoreNone
The Player of Games (Culture) by Iain M. Banks