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Happily Striding On Random and Not-So-Random Thoughts
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Yasuro



Last Updated: 12/19/2009

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Gender: Male
Status: Single
Age: 44
Sign: Leo

City: SEATTLE
State: Washington
Country: US
Signup Date: 10/2/2004

Blog Archive
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Thursday, November 26, 2009 

Category: Sports
As I described in "Dang It. I Am Screwed!" (Friday, September 25, 2009), I have a cracked tooth on the upper right side, for which I had had a filling as a temporary fix. Guess what. It came off this past Friday.

Fortunately I am not in pain. I went to 45th St. Clinic as as a walk-in-basis emergency patient (otherwise they won't even see you). The dentist said I need a root canal about this tooth. She said she could do a part of it, but they are not able to finish it all, and that I need to go somewhere else for it. I chose not to do anything at all, because I'd have to do it all over again at some other clinic.

I called them today again with a faint hope that the particular dentist that I received a treatment from recently might give me the whole nine yards. I knew he works there only on Wednesdays. The receptionist said yes originally, but after talking with him, said he can only do a part of it only. In other words, the same story with the other dentist.

I will try their affiliated clinics elsewhere, which are much farther from here. However, they will not even let me come to them till December. Even then, you do not even know if you can receive any treatment. Great.

This year seems to be a bad year for my teeth. Just recently I lost a half of another tooth --- actually the matching tooth on the left upper side. Oh, I need to start wearing a tooth guard....
Monday, November 23, 2009 

Category: Web, HTML, Tech
Google announced last month Google Maps Navigation for Android 2.0 devices. It basically turns your Android 2.0 cell phone into a car navigation system, for free. Today they announced the expansion of the service to devices with Android 1.6 and higher. These include T-Mobile's myTouch 3G and the G1. There are some limitations on those devices, but there is no doubt that it's great news to those device users.
Saturday, November 21, 2009 

Category: Sports
Recently I am spending more time on side-splits, or, to be precise, mere attempts at them. This is the part I hate most in my workout because it gets really uncomfortable.

Yet I am glad I am seeing results. Today, I was able to bring my right roundhouse kicks even higher than before, "a hole higher" (~2 inches). Currently my record is 22 holes high; those holes are in the four posts in the squat cage for safety bars and bar catchers to go in. "22 holes high" is higher than my own height, when I am standing in a fighting stance. Granted that my actual kicks won't go as high because this record is achieved while I hold on to one of the posts, I cannot be happier with my progress. My left roundhouse kicks went 21 holes high, which is the same with the previous time, but I have no complaints.

I am thinking the difference in height comes from the asymmetry in my hamstring flexibility between right and left. I am quite certain that my right hamstrings are tighter than the left, but it is hard to quantify the difference. I am beginning to think, though, that the difference may actually not be subtle, but fairly significant. I am thinking if my right side got as flexible as the left, then I could spread my legs as much as three inches more.

You get twitching in the muscles after you stretch them well. I am trying to increase the flexibility of the right side of my hamstrings and their peripheral muscles mostly; and yet twitching occurs mostly in the left calf and thigh. No idea why.

Talking of asymmetry, the left side of my torso is far tighter than the right. I do not even notice this disparity in my everyday activities, but when I see it, I am stunned how big the difference is. I have no idea how this imbalance was developed. I am incorporating the QL stretch I found before into my side splits, and hoping that will make it even.

One odd thing I notice after my side-split stretching is that some anterior muscles right below the illiac crests get sore. What are they? Are they the satorius muscles, the tensor fascia latae muscles, or something else? Whatever they are, they should not be the muscles being stretched in this stretching (I would think, from the location of the muscles), so this is just puzzling to me. Or am I flexing those muscles without knowing so?

The shooting pain that used to run along what seemed to be my right gracilis muscle bothered me much; but once I taught my body not to engage the muscle when it does not have to, the pain is almost completely gone. In fact, I am beginning to forget that I used to have this problem. I get slight pain when I throw high left roundhouse kicks, and that happens only when I am kicking at a target. This is the only reminder at this point. Now I get no pain even when I do the same stretching that used to give me the pain. I am just amazed how a little change in the mind can bring about such a dramatic change in the body.

When I saw Bill "Superfoot" Wallace's videos, I thought his (left) foot was dangling. As my overall leg/hip flexibility increased, each of my feet started to feel to be dangling also when the corresponding leg is raised. This is a completely new sensation for me. This is both a good sign and a bad sign: a good sign because it indicates increased flexibility around the ankles, and a bad sign because unless I strengthen muscles around the ankles, I will easily sprain them.

By the way, today I trained with D. also. I can see he is bringing in more techniques when we spar. This means I am improving. It must still be a walk in the park for him, but a progress is a progress. I am happy about it.
Thursday, November 19, 2009 

Category: Fashion, Style, Shopping
Banya 5 is doing an early-bird half-price promotion. Arrive before 2pm on Wednesday, Thursday or Friday, and you have 50% off of the entry fee, which is $35. With tax, you'll still be looking at ~$20, but I might consider it when I am really fatigued or something.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009 

Category: Food and Restaurants
I was sick till the end of last month. I finally started to feel better at the beginning of this month. I went to ID on Monday, November 2nd, and I believe that's when I got groceries and started having a good diet again.

Every time I stop having a good diet, I get health issues, especially in digestion. This time also, I was feeling that there was unwanted stuff still left in the gut and felt bloated. This happens every time without fail.

I think it was yesterday when I finally felt that I have got rid of that kind of stuff and got my completely flat tummy back. So it seems that it takes about two weeks for a good diet to take its full effect.
Sunday, November 15, 2009 

Category: Life
Quotes from Think and Grow Rich by Napolean Hill:

Self-Confidence Formula [p. 54].
First:
I know that I have the ability to achieve the object of my definite purpose in life: therefore I demand of myself persistent, continuous action toward its attainment, and I here and now promise to render such action.
Second:
I realize the dominating thoughts of my mind will eventually reproduce themselves in outward, physical action, and gradually transform themselves into physical reality; therefore, I will concentrate my thoughts for thirty minutes daily, upon the task of thinking of person I intend to become, thereby creating in my mind a clear mental picture.
Third:
I know through the principle of autosuggestion, any desire I persistently hold in my mind will eventually seek expression through some practical means of attaining the object back of it; therefore, I will devote ten minutes daily to demanding of myself the development of self-confidence.
Fourth:
I have clearly written down a description of my definite chief aim in life, and I will never stop trying, until I shall have developed sufficient self-confidence for its attainment.
Fifth:
I fully realize that no wealth or position can long endure, unless built upon truth and justice; therefore, I will engage in no transaction which does not benefit all whom it affects. I will succeed by attracting to myself the forces I wish to use, and the cooperation of other people. I will induce others to serve me, because of my willingness to serve others. I will eliminate hatred, envy, jealousy, selfishness, and cynicism, by developing love for all humanity, because I know that a negative attitude toward others can never bring me success. I will cause others to believe in me, because I will believe in them, and in myself. I will sign my name to this formula, commit it to memory, and repeat it aloud once a day, with full faith that it will gradually influence my thoughts and actions so that I will become a self-reliant, and successful person.
[p. 56]
If you think you are beaten, you are,
If you think you dare not, you don't,
If you like to win, but you think you can't,
It is almost certain you won't.

"If you think you lose, you're lost,
For out in the world we find,
Success begins with a fellow's will--
It's all in the state of mind.

"If you think you are outclassed, you are,
You've got to think high to rise,
You've got to be sure of yourself before
You can ever win a prize.

"Life's battles don't always go
To the stronger or faster man,
But soon or late the man who wins
Is the man WHO THINKS HE CAN!''
In the past I wrote ""What the Bleep" and "The Secret"" (Monday, November 20, 2006) and "More on 'The Secret'" (Friday, December 01, 2006). Some say what those movies say are essentially same with what Think and Grow Rich says. Unfortunately I cannot judge for myself because I stopped watching What the Bleep half way, and I did not even start watching The Secret.
Saturday, November 14, 2009 

Category: Life
From How to Win Friends And Influence People by Dale Carnegie:
When dealing with people, let us remember we are not dealing with creatures of logic. We are dealing with creatures of emotion, creatures bristling with prejudices and motivated by pride and vanity.
Saturday, November 14, 2009 

Category: Web, HTML, Tech
Today was an unusually good day, because there were two good things. If there's just one good thing, I am a happy camper, but two things? I am in cloud nine.

Both happened in the gym, and both are in the context of martial arts.

I trained with D. today. One of my agenda ever since I started training with him has been how to deal with his charging. When he does, he charges in a straight line, with his right side facing me. He uses the same right hand combination, i.e., backfisting at the high line and the middle line consecutively. He sometimes throws in a big outside punch, depending on how I respond, which comes in following a big arc from the side. This is not a typical karate punch; that is from some Chinese system. Then he finishes it off with a side kick. 

I knew the pattern very well, and yet every time he did it, I ate it. I just could not do anything remotely effective against his pressure. Today, I could handle it slightly better. I think countering his initial punches with a straight kick to his torso helped in stopping his flow, albeit momentarily.

I am not stupid enough to think that now I can keep him at bay. He is a powerful man with great skills. If he means it for real, his forceful punches and kicks can easily penetrate my feeble defense. But considering I was feeling completely helpless, even a small fraction of hope is a very welcoming change.

I think I was finally able to react with something effective because he and I had done some "sticky hand" practice over a few sessions. We call it that because we do not know any better way, but this is not as formulated as Tai Chi's push hands or Wing Chun's sticky hands. We do not grab, and we constantly move around. The purpose is similar, I believe, in that we try to feel each other's center and try to create an opening by applying a small amount of force through the touched hand/arm or, better yet, by just finding it while going with flow.

I was also reminded how important breathing is. I had already confirmed it when I trained with T last Sunday, but I confirmed once again that breathing makes a noticeable difference in the impact of my roundhouse kicks. I am getting more and more interested in how breathing can affect our movement in general, not just kicking. Will I be able to move more effortlessly and more agilely by controlling my breathing? Systema seems to be big on breathing, so I am planning on looking into it.

Another great event today is that I was finally able to bring my left round-house kick as high as my right.

When I started seriously practicing for high kicks, I first focused on my right kicks. The idea was to perfect them, or at least make them usable, first, and then transfer the technique to the left. I have since become reasonably happy with my right round-house kicks, so now I am spending more time on the left ones. One of the problems with the left ones was that it was always about two inches lower than my right ones, and I could not figure out why for quite a while.

After I realized the importance of not contracting the muscles you want to stretch, I am making a faster progress in side splits. Well, relatively speaking; this is a slow, slow process, none the less. I am becoming more and more aware that my right hamstrings, especially the inside part, are tighter than my left hamstrings. After stretching the right hamstrings particularly well today, my left round-house kicks went as high as my right ones. Hooray!
Friday, November 13, 2009 

Category: Sports
In "Is It Gracilis or Some Pinched Nerve?" (Saturday, November 07, 2009), I talked about the shooting pain I get along my right gracilis muscle. Then I wondered if it was sartorius. After further experimentation, I confirmed it is not sattorius; it's indeed gracilis.

Ok, so it's gracilis. But why the shooting pain? I read up on this muscle, but it did not seem to affect the nervous system, like the piriformis muscle does to the sciatic nerve. I found it most puzzling that I get that shooting pain when I take my right leg off of a bar that was propping it up; that's when the abductors are engaged, but how can the gracilis muscle, one of the adductors, be involved in any of this?

So I hypothesized that I had formed a bad habit of engaging the gracilis muscle when there is no need. I then started stretching with this awareness, and repeatedly made sure that the gracilis muscle is not engaged when it does not need to. I did it either by gently rocking the inside of the right thigh, or by gently tapping the same part, or both, before and during the stretch.

The result is simply astonishing. Now the shooting pain, which have annoyed me for years, is almost perfectly gone.
Thursday, November 12, 2009 

Category: Sports
Did you know Hapkido is written 合気道 in Chinese letters? Which, we Japanese read, yes, you guessed it, Aikido. The founder of Hapkido learned in Japan 大東流合気柔術, under the same teacher who taught the founder of Aikido. So it's natural there are a lot of similarities between the two. To be precise, Koreans would write 合氣道. But 気 is only a simplified form of 氣.

In many Japanese martial art systems including Karate, they call yelling kiai. This is written 気合. Notice these two letters are the same first two letters of Aikido/Hapkido, just in the reverse order. Koreans use exactly the same word; they just read it kihap.