Shiho Kosokun Shito Ryu

Kata in Japanese means 'form' so it is essential for every karateka or exponent to practice ever so often the form meant to be executed during his training and this can form the basis for his kumite or free sparring and self defence as and when necessary. Self defence is as is stated is defence of one self if there is an incidence whereby one has to choose between 'fight or flight' scenario.   

This is one of the 3rd Dan Katas which I have learnt and am refreshing from time to time. It combines all the katas from the earlier Kyus into one beautiful form.

I encourage all to practice some form of martial art  or even breathing exercises and poses like Yoga  which combines both respect for culture, every individual and to have harmony with society so that they can fully understand their Ikigai or Raison Dete.  

Shito Ryu Matsu Kaze Kata - a Repost

Clementi Sonatina in C Major Opus 36 No. 3

Another one for the memories ! 

Muzio Clementi Sonata in C Major Opus 36 No. 1

One of the first decent classical piano pieces I learned almost 50 years ago !  The memories come flooding back as I listen to this piece which I learned at Grade 5 (I think), and the memories of me and my brother John going to Butterfly Avenue have our (dreaded) piano tuition come flooding back.

I was, at best, a mediocre piano player, as the interest at those  early to tween years was minimal and my practice (supposed to be at least 1 - 2 hours a day) was always distracted by other pursuits and responsibilities (football, friends,tuition, swimming) so the sight of my piano teacher Mrs. Leong rapping my knuckles after one disastrous tune after another still come to mind.

I am trying to make up for the lost time by learning (my goal) some 20 pieces of both classical and popular tunes so that I will not be remembered as a tone deaf talentless person.

Music has charms to sooth and awaken the senses within. 
   

Zuckerberg and Harari - the Future of Humanity.

All Hail Rui Patricio ; Man of the Match

Rui Patricio, Wolves No. 1 and Portugal No. 1 has won 2 titles this close season, the Europe Championship and now the Asia Premier League Trophy 2019. 

The Wolves team are ready for 2019-2020 season with a ferocity and hope never seen before in my 40 odd years supporting this club.

From out of darkness comes light. 

Premier League Asia Trophy 2019 - Wolves win it on Penalties

Nipai Po Kata Shito Ryu version

Fantastic video of the difficult Nipai Po Kata with Japanese explaination and front and back views ot the kata for the interpretation of the blocks and punches.

Great for my revision. 

How Happy are Singaporeans ? 2019 Reprint (from my answer in Quora first appeared in 2017)

                                                            Venice, Italy Dec 2017

I can only speak for myself. As a Singaporean, I have had the good fortune and opportunity to travel to numerous countries and experience many different cultures.As a result, several things have become clear to me. 

The pursuit of happiness should not be a goal. Why ? Happiness is a transient state of mind and people with adaptive mindsets (adaptable in thought) and good attitudes to performing work tend to be satisfied with life. However, work should not be the be all and end of of one's life, in my humble opinion.

Hence having a Raison Detre or Purpose in Life where work can be a significant part of it should then be the goal. Many artists, sculptors, poets, actors and performers come to mind.Their body of work is their main reason they are living for. The same goes for the businessperson, the professionals such as lawyers, doctors, dentists, engineers, architects and even software programmers. 

We should never shirk from physically hard or brain challenging work - our body and mind ultimately adapts and gets conditioned and our performance gets better the more we keep on doing it. Like crossword puzzles, sudoku, body conditioning and learning new languages for examples.

In fact, the avoidance of a miserable life is a much better Goal or Purpose. Therefore, taking into account the affordable and good quality housing provided by our Government's HDB which provides for a sizeable,easy to access flat, with 99 years lease and up to 90% financing, Singaporeans should be satisfied.

With regard to access to inexpensive food, again Singapore offers numerous food choices in our many food courts, coffeshops, restaurants and malls. Getting by on USD 10 a day is attainable for any able bodied and healthy individual. The truth of the matter is that many basic entry level jobs start at USD 1500, so after deducting say USD 600 for rental (for those starting out), and USD 250 for transport, there should be easily USD 400 for meals and some left over.

To insist on an entitled life, that is a high paying job, with the perks and travel is to just to be solely looking at the result of a person's motivation, years of education and painstaking  life experiences (failures, bankruptcies, personal challenges and health issues)  and then say 

"Yeah I want that ! I am entitled to that ". 

will ultimately lead to frustration and unhappiness because of unrealistic comparisons. 

Many other countries nearby Singapore seemingly give the impression of a good and happy life but then again, many of these stated below do not provide for the immigrant or visitor :

a) personal safety and freedoms
b) clean air
c) clean water
d) traffic free roads
e) clean and green parks and road connectors (many)
f) affordable and high quality public housing (in relation to basic wage jobs)

I would respectfully say that to live a meaningful life would ultimately lead to a person's long term happiness. Developing meaningful relationships with family, friends, colleagues and doing good for the community are all key to one being happy with his life.

Singapore provides all of the above. We can avoid the miserable life. Its upside from then on. 

Carpe Diem 

Hammurabi and the Babylonian Empire BC 1792 - BC 1750

Concacaf Final 2019 Mexico Seals it with 1 - 0 over USA

The Concacaf or Gold Cup 2019 was held in Chicago this morning and I am most pleased to note that the Wolves player Raul Jiminez was given the Golden Boot for his 5 goals and 2 assists en route to his team becoming the Champions of 2019.

Congratulations Raul and Mexico !! 

My Weakness - Not Focussing Enough on Daily Issues

This comic by Tim Rickard crystallizes 90% of the problems are caused by poor focus. 

My one big weakness, apart from Dark Chocolate that is, is the fact that I tend to gloss over and not pay attention. My attention span is quite weak, and I tend to drift away if the conversation does not interest me or the topic is not in my area of expertise, like telecommunications or the latest current affair news in the region. 

I have decided to make it one of my resolutions to pay attention to the topics at hand and learn 5 things each day ; that way the brain gets its input and 'nutrition' to be stored for future use (I hope). 

Meanwhile, enjoy the comic strip, I do not own the rights to this, and it is a one -off ! 

Memorable Quote from Hammurabi

The Babylonian King Hammurabi is credited with this quote : "I know that superiors, commoners and slaves are not inherently different kinds of people. Be if we were to believe they are, it will enable us to create a stable and prosperous society."

Think about it for a while, this was the King who many millions of people, his subjects, historians and people who study history regard him as the King who created the system of Justice. His 282 Laws of Justice were the earliest recorded laws which gave people the sense of what was 'right', 'wrong', 'fair' and 'unfair'.

The Law which paraphrases the words : An Eye for an Eye.... is based on one of Hammurabi's 282 Laws.   

Shitoryu Free Sparring - an old video from the past

This video was taken sometime in 2011 with my friend and sparring mate, Looi Teck Kheong. The blocks and punches were held back and we were 'playing' for the cameras.

Not the best of sparring, as I am over the hill physically :)

Our Karate Club is now 21 years old but sadly, the attendance has dwindled to below 10, a sad reflection of the lack of interest in the martial arts and the rise of the more 'sexy' MMA and shorter impact aerobics which in my opinion lack culture and finesses. Rather they focus on the quickest and easiest way to condition the body.  

Hopefully I can post some more recent sparring videos in the near future.