"The old advertising slogan "Guinness is Good for You" may be true after all, according to researchers."
All about martial arts training and how it affects the way I lead my life: martial arts as personal development. You'll find tips on all aspects of martial arts training such as techniques, fitness, philosophy and history. Shorinji Kempo | Tang Soo Do | Iaido
Wednesday, 29 July 2009
Tuesday, 28 July 2009
Killing Machine
I have a deep, dark and for a martial artist, a terrible, terrible secret. It's ok though. I'm happy with myself. I can say it... I'm a martial artist and I don't like martial arts films.
Gasp.
I know.
I've even had some people say to me that the reason they started practicing martial arts was because of the Bruce Lee films they saw! Dutifully I've tried. I really have but the best I can say about them is that they're crap. None of the fancy choreography or fight sequences do anything for me.
Sadly the latest film I watched called 'Killing Machine' (1976) didn't really change my mind either. It's fairly rough and ready and quite badly put together and cliche is piled upon cliche so I hardly warmed to it. There is, however, quite an interesting story underpinning the whole film, that this is the (unofficial) biography of Shorinji Kempo. So for me to say the fight sequences are lame might put me on thin ice. There's plenty for kenshi to enjoy in the film but you'd think that the only technique in Shorinji Kempo was gyaku gote!
The actors are quite obviously trained kenshi and this raises the film somewhat but it can't mask the true nature of this film and that is as a corporate video. OK so it's the way they might do corporate videos in 1976! The film shows the development of Shorinji Kempo after the war and the hot-headed Doshin So's efforts to create a dojo for the betterment of the common people. These are fine fundamentals and they still remain at the heart of kempo. As such the film does have a certain inherent value but I'd say only for the die hard Kenshi or maybe martial arts film geek. Sonny Chiba is 'good' in the film.
Bit cheesy, good kempo moves from Chiba, interesting as a training/research 'aid' or insight.
Monday, 27 July 2009
Iced coffees 'a meal in a drink'
"Some iced coffees being sold on the high street contain as many calories as a hot dinner, a cancer charity warns."
Another nutrition/dietary article from the BBC website.
(and just in case you were sitting there feeling smug while tucking into some 'healthy' dark chocolate...think again:
Stressed and strained
I seem to be having a stressed couple of weeks. Modern life sometimes goes at a billion miles an hour. But we have to find a way to get on, carry on and push through the mist.
Part of this process involved a long barefoot run along the beach. 5 miles of firm sand and a salty bite to the air. It was sunny but I kept my running jacket on as the wind was chilly.
View Long Seaton Carew run in a larger map
Wednesday, 15 July 2009
The British do not like to fart
or...
Are lentils the perfect food?
This article outlines one journalist's love of lentils and the wonderful benefits they can bring to our well being. Professor Jeya Henry explains why the British tend not to eat lentils, mostly because post war food production was geared towards meat but also adds because, "The British do not like to fart". That's a matter of opinion.
And in an attempt to balance this healthy article, you should check out the heart attack grill. Beware, as their website states, "None of the women pictured on our website actually have any medical training, nor do they attempt to provide any real medical services".
Monday, 13 July 2009
So you think you have a strong punch?
A man has been ordered to pay 1,950 euro to the owner of an amusement arcade for striking a punch-bag after it swung back and hit him on the jaw.
Sunday, 12 July 2009
Olympic Tae Kwon Do hopeful opens NZ brothel
How far would you go to raise money to fulfil your dreams? Logan Campbell, a New Zealand Tae Kwon do hopeful was sick of tapping up his parents for money to fund his Tae Kwon Do training so he started his own business. He's opened a 14 room 'gentlemen's club'!He's hoping to raise $NZ300,000 to help towards his Olympic dream but the selectors may well take a dim view on the way the money was raised.
Logan says, "I'm an owner of an escort agency [not a pimp]."
Semantics?
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