Bassai Dai Shitoryu Kata

The Japanese translation of this classic kata, Bassai Dai is to "penetrate the fortress".

This is second in the list during my Circuit Breaker (CB) confinment at home.

Sunday 26th April 2020 7.15 pm.

I will put the steps below, for purposes of completeness.

Carpe Diem ! 




Addendum, This is the same kata done by the world champion Rika Usami. Her moves are so crisp, powerful, aggressive and full of purpose.

I guess I have a long way to go to even be 30% of her standard.

I guess I have to keep practising ! 

A Post after a 5 KM run - COVID 19 new normal

Here I am, sitting in my attic, having done a full 35 mins or roughly 5 km run around my neighbourhood. I am still sweating out the effects of the hot morning run. I take a leaf from the great George Sheehan who used to run 5km to 10km and then pen his thoughts soon after his run when the endorphins have been realeased and the mind is at its clearest. He was a regular contributor to the magazine Runner's World.

I started at approximately 10.20 am and waited till all the people who went past my house to clear before I started my run. Today is April 25th 2020. 

This virus is a big  bitch. Life as we know it will be altered,for some, irreversibly until we can find a worldwide effective vaccine. The current measures which include lockdown in many countries, reduced movement coupled with strict social distancing and use of masks will continue for some time as far as I can see.

Even if we 'flatten' the curve of new infections so to speak,we as a country will still need to have the entire population tested for antibodies (5.5M) which will take about a full 6 months if we can test (for example) 20,000 people per day.Then again, that would cover some 3.5 million. 

2 Sentinels in tribute to Amenhotep III (Egypt Dec 2009)

The suggestion below is purely my own. 

The main issue after we test then, is what to do with the results. For those who have the immunity or antibodies, (I reckon at least 70 to 80%), they can safely move around with the "Green Health Cert" and continue with the New Normal of life. 

The 10% who are deemed 'at risk' will perhaps need to adjust to another shared space, BUT without ostracising them in any way. They may be the elderly frail , those with pre-existing co-morbities or with multiple health issues. Perhaps mandating that they have some special support sevices to buy food, at specially selected times, attend certain essential services like hair dressing or the barbers and other specially designed times for dining and the like.

My only fear is that we MUST NOT ostracise this group. They are the vulnerable and are not just the elderly frail.  

The 10% who have recovered can probably rejoin the workforce, and then some semblance of normal life will continue. It MUST. We as human beings are social animals first and foremost. We are so used to doing things and mingling with each other. That is pre-determined in our DNA. To include and serve everybody regardless of creed, sex, age, social standing and religion. It is enshrined in our National Pledge and we will continue to uphold the value of inclusiveness and rights for every individual. 

Of course, the issue is clouded with the caveat of 'protecting the greater good of society'. Which comes first in priorty ? Human right or the greater collective good of people in society ?    

I believe wearing masks in MRTs and even taxis, shared vehicles (Grab) will continue till the end of this year.    

The things we used to do for fun, in the past, can slowly re-open, such as dining in, provided the 'Green Health Cert' and on site temperatures are taken. Pubs, entertainment outlets and cinemas, theatres, and parks, gyms, pools, member clubs will be re-opened in phases with some degree of maximum seating in all establishments.

The contact tracing should remain, though it should never be invading into person's private identity and space. As can be seen, the Case Numbers normally do not highlight the individual's personal details as this will only cause massive stigmatisation even though he or she did nothing wrong except fall sick.

I am very hopeful that by end of this the 70 odd clinical trials which are ongoing from many countries will emerge at least 5 vaccines for the whole world and we will then be able to live life without masks and engage in the social norms, of course with some restrictions still in place.

We must surely succeed ! 

Sanchin Kata Shitoryu

Since I have alot of time during this Lockdown, I decided to upload some of the more popular katas from the ShitoRyu style of karate which I have been practising for 18 years.

The funny thing for me about middle age is that when I first went to the karate class way back in 2002, it was to give my then 2 young sons some exposure to martial arts and ways of protecting themselves in school or elsewhere.

I had been practicing karate on and off since the early 1970s and had trained at the Karate school at Palmer Road under a sensei Stephen. Those days, we trained either at the covered multi-purpose hall outside the Main Building or at the open air basketball court.

How I enjoyed those times, it was the early 1970s, I was 12 years of age. I believe I trained from 1974 to 1978, a total of 5 years attaining a level of full brown.

Fast forward to 2002, and here I was a can-do Dad bringing (no) pulling his 2 young boys  to class and realising that I still had 'it' or the mojo in me.

So, 18 years have passed. I am still at it, practising the ancient art of Shito Ryu. I am past my prime in fitness (easily more than 10 years ago) but still can give decent kicks and punches. 

Here is the first of 25 katas which I had learned and would like to keep for long term memories.

Sanchin Kata ShitoRyu Style.

Thank you for watching.      

Designer Proteins can attach to Cytokines to mitigate the excessive Cytokine Storms - MIT

One of the defining features of Covid-19 is the excessive immune response that can occur in severe cases. This burst of immune overreaction, also called a cytokine storm, damages the lungs and can be fatal.

"Reprinted from Science Daily 16 April 2020, MIT"

A team of MIT researchers has developed specialized proteins, similar in structure to antibodies, that they believe could soak up these excess cytokines.

"The idea is that they can be injected into the body and bind to the excessive cytokines as generated by the cytokine storm, removing the excessive cytokines and alleviating the symptoms from the infection," says Rui Qing, an MIT research scientist who is one of the senior authors of the study.

The researchers have reported their initial findings in the journal Quarterly Review of Biophysics (QRB) Discovery, and they now hope to begin testing their proteins in human cells and in animal models of cytokine release and coronavirus infection.

Shuguang Zhang, a principal research scientist in the MIT Media Lab's Laboratory of Molecular Architecture, is also a senior author of the paper. Shilei Hao, a visiting scientist at MIT, is the lead author of the study, and David Jin, CEO and president of Avalon GloboCare, is also an author.

A molecular sponge

The researchers' work on blocking cytokine storms grew out of a project that Zhang began 10 years ago to develop modified versions of membrane-embedded proteins. These proteins are usually difficult to study because once they are extracted from the cell membrane, they only maintain their structure if they are suspended in special types of detergents.

After working on the problem for several years, Zhang and Qing developed a method for modifying the hydrophobic regions of these proteins, making them soluble in water and much easier to study. Their method, called the QTY code, calls for replacing some hydrophobic amino acids with hydrophilic amino acids that have similar structures. Leucine is converted to glutamine, isoleucine and valine are converted to threonine, and phenylalanine is converted to tyrosine.

Following the development of the QTY code, Jin approached Zhang's lab with the idea of designing water-soluble versions of proteins known as cytokine receptors. These receptors are found on the surface of immune cells, where they bind to cytokines -- signaling proteins that stimulate inflammation and other immune responses.

Jin believed that proteins that mimic these cytokine receptors could help combat cytokine storms, which can be produced by viral or bacterial infections, including HIV and hepatitis. They can also occur as a side effect of cancer immunotherapy.

In April 2019, Zhang's team set out to design proteins that could sop up these excess cytokines like a sponge. To do that, they used the QTY code to make water-soluble versions of cytokine receptors. When proteins are soluble in water, they can travel efficiently through the human bloodstream, while the original, hydrophobic versions of the proteins would likely stick to cells that they encountered.

The researchers also attached an antibody segment called the Fc region to their water-soluble receptor proteins. This region helps to further stabilize the proteins in the bloodstream, and makes them less likely to be attacked by the immune system.

The researchers designed proteins that mimic six different cytokine receptors, which can bind to cytokines such as interferon and interleukin, as well as a class of cytokines called chemokines. In laboratory tests of the proteins' binding strength, the researchers found that their modified proteins were able to bind to cytokines with similar strength as naturally occurring cytokine receptors.

"The cytokine receptors that we designed will soak up the majority of the excessive cytokines that are released during the cytokine storm," Jin says.

Driven by curiosity

In March, when evidence began to suggest that the SARS-CoV-2 virus was inducing cytokine storms in some patients, the researchers realized that the receptor proteins they had designed might be able to help. They decided to quickly publish the results they have generated so far, and they are now planning to do additional tests in human cells and in animal models of Covid-19 infection.

The potential usefulness of this approach underscores the importance of "curiosity-driven research," Zhang says.

"As it turns out, our research initiated in April 2019 is directly relevant to the treatment of Covid-19 infected patients," he says. "Curiosity-driven, or even proactive research often leads to preparedness, which is key to preventing future disasters."

The researchers have filed for patents on the proteins that they designed, as well as on their overall approach to creating water-soluble cytokine receptors. They hope to license the technology quickly and to collaborate with pharmaceutical and biotech companies who can help to move it toward clinical trials.

"Obviously this approach will need further animal studies, and potentially human clinical studies," Jin says. "But we have confidence that this discovery will contribute to clinical applications to address viral diseases that involve cytokine storms."

The research was funded primarily by Avalon GloboCare, and also by a fellowship from the China Scholarship Council and Chongqing University, China.

COVID 19 Technical Discussion by a Lung Doctor - Dr Mike Hansen

I don't own the copyright to this video. I am just sharing it for information purposes in the light of this global pandemic where there is no short term solution. 

The short summary is this ; the virus respects no one. However, there are some advantages 

a) Esterogen plays a part in inhibiting some of the effects of the disease. Women seem less likely to fall seriously ill or even ill at all. Males are worse hit.

b) Age and underlying symptoms do affect the severity of the disease 

c) Coronary Heart disease whereby there are calcification of the arteries can accentuate the disease especially when it causes a cytokine storm.

d) Cytokine storm is when the body's immune system goes into overdrive, and the white blood cells create so much more bad than good. No one at this juncture knows why this is so and who has overreacting immune systems.

e) There are many 'tools' to combat this, and tweaking the ventilators as well as the right dosages of medicines at critical times can and do mitigate the disease.

  

The Good Aspect of COVID - 19 Pandemic

Yes, I am not crazy. Yes, like billions of others I am also at home, trying my hardest to make sense and social distance during this semi-lockdown period.

The damage done by the COVID-19 is far from over, USA has over 20,000 deaths, with Italy and Spain not far off.  People are losing loved ones, young and especially old to this horrible pandemic, families are heatbroken,hospital systems are overworked, nurses, healthcare providers and doctors are overwhelmed by the sheer scale and rapidity of its impact.

I am truly saddened and horrified at its force in bringing so many countries, especially in Western and Eastern Europe to their knees economically. S.E.Asia is also badly hit too.

In time, if not now, there is also the social, psychological, economic and political impact to each and every country which will take years to repair. 

Indeed we will rise above this. The collective human will is much stronger than this. I am sure of it. 

This virus is a bitch. 

The best case scenario for an effective vaccine is September, and I estimate only before end of this year, we will get the vaccine. I fear for the lesser off countries and the world is bracing for further mutations and what we need to do COLLECTIVELY to mitigate it and stamp it out TOGETHER. 

If we remain diivided and continue to finger point, I think, this will be with us for a LONG TIME.

Having given a short preamble of this horrible pandemic, what are the good aspects or signs 'green shoots' which can be made out from all this chaos ?

1. Nature is fighting back against human economic development. Industrialising countries in lockdown and staying at home have led to clear blue skies, fresh air never seen before in decades.

2. Birds, and animals are reclaiming their lost territories. I wake up and for the first time hear the birds merrily chirping in the bamboo or frangipani tress in my small garden.

3. Families are eating together, making small talk, re-establishing lost ties through the simplest of things. I am making plans with my elder son to play chess together, something which we never in our wildest dreams thought this would happen in our daily busy lives.

4. People have plenty of time for self reflection. This is the best time to sit back and think where I am in life. What can be improved, whose friendships I really treasure and those who don't matter. 

5. The humane spirit is alive and strong. I have personally sent masks to 5 different groups of people affected by this and contribute financially (cash gifts) to the less well off through charities.

6.I'm having lots of sleep, I eat a lot more fruits, dine at home 3 times a day, and reduced my snacking (chips et al) down to a minimum. I exercise everyday at home in my small attic room, with phone apps like losing belly fat in 30 days (using High Impact Intensity Training), doing the various karate katas. I am hopeless at getting a 6 pack, so a more gentle goal like losing belly fat seems more achievable to me. 

The body has never felt better. 

Keep healthy and well. 

Wear a Mask when going out. Wash our Hands ever so often.

Don't touch our faces when outside, or before washing.

Stay 2 meters apart. 

Stay Alive. 

Shelter from the Storm - Bob Dylan

Adele Surprises the Other Adeles - Graham Norton

Lovely surprise  from the real Adele and how she surprised the other ladies who were casting to be like her on the Graham Norton Show 

Antibes ; Fishing Village Southwest of Nice en route to Canne

Antibes Juan le Pins

This was the short day trip we took from Nice, to Antibes, Eze, Cannes and back. 3rd December 2018.

Antibes is a beautiful fishing village located roughly 20 minutes by car South West from Nice. There is Picasso museum located there, unfortunately it was closed on the Monday we were there.

Antibes Harbour 

Its picturesque settings and white sea walls make for plenty of pretty pictures. I would highly recommend a stop over when you are ever in Cannes or Nice. There should be some very nice seafood restaurants in the village however we were on a day tour hence did not bother to search for any. 

Rolling Stones - Too Cool for School

This song is so cool, a classic from the Tattoo You album which was one of my favourites in the early 80's. 

There's Jagger, hamming it up for the cameras, a bottle of Jack Daniel's whisky on the piano, followed by his horrible dancing with Keith Richards. Charlie Watts the drummer looks like he is high on LSD or weed, Only Ronnie Wood is actually playing his bass guitar.

The whole video looks like a skit from Monthy Python, but that is the Stones 'devil may care, we don't give a sxxt' attitude which made them multi-millionaires and epitomised their sex, drugs and rock and roll subculture so prevalent in the 60s till the late 70s. 

The 80s was the years of Michael Jackson and his Thriller album. Really, if it comes to choosing, Stones and David Bowie will always be my top 2 acts of my younger days. Queen would probably be in third place.  

Heroes - David Bowie Live

I absolutely love this song by David Bowie. He sadly had passed on in 2017 at the still very young age of 69. All the cool dudes, George Best, John Lennon, Bruce Lee, Elvis Presley, Freddie Mercury, Goo Hara, Jimi Hendrix, River Phoenix, Leslie Cheung, Brandon Lee amongst others died before their time.

The heroes of today are the extra- ordinary workers in the new 'front lines' of the COVID - 19 pandemic, the bus drivers, the delivery people, the medical nurses, receptionists, doctors, the contact tracers, the SAF personnel checking on the sick and those in quarantine. The scientists racing against time for a vaccine and even an antibody test. 

Time is of the essence. 

A big Salute to them now. For they make our world safer. Every day counts. There is no time to waste.


   

Doha 2019

View from the Hotel 

The trip to Doha in February 2019 was to visit our customer. As a perfunctory way of saying 'thank you' , we have to be physically present to assure customers that the support from our company is on-going and we are ever ready to provide our staff and technical expertise.   

The trip from Singapore to Doha by Qatar airways takes about 7 and 1/2 hours direct. There are several other airlines offering this route but there normally will need to be a stopover at either Dubai (Emirates) or Muscat (Oman). This last trip was the direct flight and I normally try to sleep on the flight, (although the departure is normally at some ungodly hour like 2.10 am in the morning) so that I can arrive refreshed the following day. My optimism normally will be dashed and I arrive quite jetlagged (red eye) and needing of some refreshment and sleep. 

As this was a routine courtesy visit to the customer ASpire, my local agent cum partner company picked me up at around 5.30 am. Doha is a modern city and their neighbours are Saudi Arabia and Jordan. 

At Souq Waqif 

My meeting was scheduled the following day, so the first day was rather leisurely and I was basically checking and replying to emails from customers, vendors and staff. The second morning my partner met me and we did the perfunctory visit to customer to discuss any particular issues on the equipment (fortunately all was good) and subsequent followup visits or support in terms of spare parts etc.

That afternoon, I was free to roam the city, so I took a cab to the Corniche or Souq Waqif. A Souq is another name for market, or bazaar. In the old days all the vendors would assemble at the market and the daily life would centre around the Souq. Qatar has the world's highest per capita GDP and there are only 0.5 million Qataris and another 2.5 million foreign inhabitants, expatriates and workers from all over the world.  

Artist at Work 

This Souq is more like a tourist centre, housing hotels, numerous shops selling anything from pet birds, spices, restaurants, cafes and artists. It is well worth spending half a day at this iconic Souq.

  

At the entrance of the Souq

Qatar is fast aspiring to be the sporting centre for the Middle East and that is why the Aspire group of companies is employing many researchers for sports science and sport rehabilitation and their Aspire Hospital is the only FIFA approved Hospital for top football players from South America and Europe. Their facilities are truly impressive, and their bid for the FIFA World Cup 2020 was successful, so the entire city is vibrant with many worksites and construction taking place. 

Villas at Ring Road 

As it is beside the Sahara Desert, the weather in Doha fluctuates widely from day to night. In the spring time when I went, it was a cool 20 to 23 deg C. At night, that temperature drops rapidly to the mid teens.  

I once went in July and the temperature was 45 C and sometimes even 50 C. The scorching weather made many construction companies issue a stop work order from 12 to 3 pm during the summer.   

The third day I spent checking out the longest shopping centre I have ever come across, called the Villagio and it is next to the iconic Torch Hotel. A picture of the exquisite section of the Villagio shopping centre is shown below. There are many international brand of shops and restaurants there such as P.F. Chang, Paul's, Ladurie, LV, Chanel, Boss, Zegna and Hermes just to name a few.  

This year (2020), even in the midst of the worldwide pandemic crisis impacting practically every country, my company has put up a bid to set a beachhead in Doha for purposes of marketing our brand of equipment and test services. 

While we await some good news, I pray that this is indeed the correct move in this most perilous of times. 

Fortune favours the brave. I certainly hope so in my case. 

Athletic Chamber Equipment at Aspire Hospital 

Eat Hummus as a Healthy Snack

Eaten as a Starter before the main course meal of meat in many restaurants in Middle East 

The dish at the center of the picture above is Hummus. Made of Chick Pea, Tahini (ground sesame seeds),olive oil, some lemon, garlic and onion and then put in a processor, the product is  a fine paste and sourey to taste. It taste delicious and should be kept in the refrigerator between each snack. You should be able to buy them from your supermarket, most probably at the dairy produce section. 

It is best eaten as a snack before each meal, usually as a dip, with Naan (oven leavened bread), or crackers.

I did some research and found that each 100 g of Hummus comprises of :

> Calories : 166 

> Fat : 9.6 g 

> Protein : 7.9 g 

> Carbohydrates : 14.3 g

> Fiber : 6.0 g

> Manganese : 39% of RDI (recommended daily intake)

> Copper : 26% of RDI

> Folate  : 21% of RDI

> Magnesium : 18% of RDI

> Phosphorus : 18% of RDI

> Iron : 14 % of RDI

> Zinc : 12% of RDI

> Thiamin : 12% of RDI

> Vitamin B6 : 10% of RDI

> Potassium : 7% of RDI

I never knew we needed so much 'metal' elements as our recommended daily intake ! 

Eaten as a snack or as a meal, together with fruits, it is packed with plant based protein and has a lot of fibre.

One good aspect which has come out from the 1 - 3 month lockdown at home, that is I have started to eat as healthy as I can, fruits and hummus with biscuit as a snack instead of other much more sinful (and heaty most definitely) potato chips, nachos and chocolate !

Carpe Diem. 

St Paul de Vence 4th December 2018

The video above shows the entrance to this small and beautiful village. The slopes leading up to the church at the top have many small artisan and boutique shops on both sides. There are also cosy cafes, bookshops and art galleries. 

A great way to spend 1 full day just soaking in the medieval atmosphere.

Would I come back here for a repeat visit ? Most certainly ! 

Capture the Joie de Vrie in the narrow alleys of St Paul de Vence 

Beautiful Village in the Hills of Vence near Nice ; St Paul de Vence

Cote D'Azur Map with Vence to the NW of Nice 

This is another lovely memory of our 13 day trip to the Cote Azur, Nice, Antibes, Cannes, St Paul de Vence and then on to Italy, Florence and finally Turin before heading back to Nice and onward to Singapore. We left Singapore on 2nd December and returned on 13th December. 

We visited St Paul de Vence on the 3rd day of our trip where we had based ourselves in Nice. The main city of the Cote d'Azur. Taking a tip from the tour guide on the 2nd day, we took the bus from the main city square for approximately EUR 2 and after 30 minutes reached the small village perched on the hilltop. 

Bus with departure times from Nice and to /from St Paul 

It was practically empty the day we visited it, and headed to the Touriste Bureau for directions. Below is the clock tower and the narrow alleyways show how life was like living in close quarters (some 2 meters at best) to the opposite house. December is low season and with few tourists, we had the town most to ourselves. 

Bell Tower of Church at Town Centre 

Beautiful late autumn leaves 

The town is small, perhaps with 100 inhabitants, and many are arts and craft people, I recall buying 2 fabulously good pieces of 3D art from a German couple called Filo and Tess. Their shop is called Atelier Filo Tess. 

Atelier Filo-Tess

8 Monte de la Castro

06570 

St Paul de Vence.

Here below is one of the 2 pieces of 3 D artwork which i bought from them. They are very warm and hospitable people from my short interaction time with them. 

At the top of the village stands the church and now converted to a museum. Inside are displays of some Freemason artist and it was an oasis of calm.  The hand and the dove symbolises peace and love, and unlike many of the churches and cathedrals we visited in the past years, was absent of anything symbolising the Roman Catholic faith so prevalent of Europe in the last 600 years. 

Artwork inside the church at St Paul de Vence.

We also ventured inside the castle of St Paul de Vence to see the history of this small village. Apparently it was fortified to protect against any attacks by the neighbouring county ruled by the Grimaldis, if my history serves me correctly.

St Paul de Vence exactly on the Map 

View of St Paul de Vence Fortifications 

Nov 1981 to May 1983 - Armoured Artillery

Our Reservist Training in Taiwan circa Nov 1992.

I recall I was posted together with quite a number of NCO colleagues to C Company in 46th Singapore Armoured Regiment, in Sungei Gedong. We were the Artillery Battery Unit which was to provide artillery support fire to the entire company. 

Captain Tan was our Battery Commander and we also had 2 artillery support officers, Lta Chan CY and Lta William Wong.

It was finally the time when we had our trainees fresh from school. We had to train them for a period of 12 weeks for them to graduate to be Mortar Men. Our unit was the Self Propelled (on M113 Armoured Personnel Carrier) 120 mm Mortar Battery. Indeed a mouthful.

The new boys were a torrid bunch. They were mainly Chinese by ethnicity and most had primary education, or at best Secondary 2 education. Some were gang members, and some had been to jail before. They were not an easy bunch. 

We the NCOs who were supposedly educated (most of us were going to University) had to shape up this motely bunch of stragglers to be listening to our commands and obeying every word. In addition, when we went out to field exercise, we were going to be sharing the same vehicle out in the jungles.

I had the toughest of mental and physical challenges during my NCO training, and I was determined to give them the toughest physical and mental challenge they ever had, just as I was treated.

How wrong it turned out to be. My batch of 4 soldiers (see the first post) decided after one torrid training to 'pakang' or rebel against my tough as nails training. I had a talking to by my officer, and after some soul searching, I changed my man management style and decided I should adopt the team player cum leader role rather than the strict stand aside role, as we were supposed to be a detachment of 5 soldiers working together as a unit and subsequently as a mortar self propelled unit in part of a battery supporting the company.

We had tremendous camaderie after that, we went through a lot of exercises, and I am proud to say that our coordination as a team to camouflage and get ready for the Fire Mission set my detachment apart from the rest of the unit.

Some time later in 1982, our detachment was crowned the Best Detachment out of 6 for overall competence in commander role, camouflaging and fire mission readiness.

My team of 4, Loh Swee Chuah (driver), Yeo Ah Seng (Layer), Goh Gek Piaow (No. 4) and Tan Beng Chong (No.3 ), I have the greatest respect for and the fondest memories of.

Tan Beng Chong in particular, I recall, became a father at 19 years of age. I was honored to attend his wedding and to call him a true friend. 

I hope I can meet them again soon.   

Section Leader Course and Artilerry NCO course ; Brutally tough

A rare smile during training 

After the first 12 weeks BMT course, we were given a passing out parade, where our parents were invited. It wasn't anything special, and I believe both my Mum and Dad came to witness it. The BMT was a real change from the civillian me to the soldier me. The first 2 weeks of BMT we had 'confinement' where we had to stay in our bunks or confined on Saturdays and Sundays instead of having the privilege of 'booking out' of camp which most soldiers or NSMen get to do. 

During our time (early 1980s till 2000s) we had the 44 hour work week, so we had training for the full 5 and a half days, Saturday being a half day. In fact it was more than 44 hours a week, as most evenings we had night training. The schedule for every company was rotated so every company did something different during the same time of the day, so that the camp's resources were used effectively.

Soon after BMT, I was posted to SISL or Special Infantry Section Leader's course at Pasir Laba camp in Jurong for 12 weeks (if I recall correctly). Somehow during the callup for the various companies, my name was missed out and I ended up in Lima company.

Again the training was psychologically tough, and we had many practices, such as Standard Obstacle Course, the Physical Fitness Test,Rifle Ranges, camoflaging, marching drills, bayonet fighting, FIBUA, FIFO everything which the combat soldier was trained to do. 

At the end of the course, I was posted to the very tough Artillery NCO course. This was 12 weeks of brutal training where, the first part was to toughen us up with the basic Arty drills, to boost up our physical fitness. I had slimmed down even more, another 10 pounds, or so, and could easily do 8 to 12 chin-ups by that time.

The 12 weeks course was split into 2 segments, the first 4 weeks were spent at Kangaw camp, and the remaining 8 weeks were at the 21 SA in Mandai camp.The date was around end June 1981 till early October 1981. 

I will not go into details but it was the toughest mental and physical challenge I have and ever had to go through. I was just 18. 

We finished the toughest training all in one piece. Some of our trainees did not complete, I believe about a quarter (perhaps 4 to 5) could not complete the course due to injury or just mentally too tough to handle. 

By the end of October  1981 I was a newly minted Artillery NCO. 

   

My National Service Days 1981 - 1983 ; Basic Military Training ; Chin Up Torture

My Detachment No. 4 ; Callsign 34 F4 

L to R : LCP Goh Gek Piao, LCP Loh Hwee Chuah, Me, LCP Tan Beng Chong, LCP Yeo Ah Seng

I was enlisted to serve in our National Service (NS) from 26th December 1980 till our Run Out Date (ROD) of somewhere in May 1983. 

I had just turned 18 years, and 1 month, and was called up. Lucky me. No deferrments, no medical boards where the less than healthy 18 year old boys were checked for physical impairments or congenital defects. A good friend I know Au Mun Heng and my cousin Rick Phoon were totally exempted from NS as they had heart 'murmur' or one aortic valve did not close properly.

Me ? I was 'only' severely myopic and apart from that, I was classified as PES 'A' which was fit enough for combat duty. Suffice to say, the 2 and a half years were one of the defining moments of my life, and I served out the service as a 3rd Sergeant. My last posting during 'active' days was in the 46th Singapore Armoured Regiment then located in Sungei Gedong Camp all the way South East of the island some 45 minutes by car.

The first 12 weeks were called Basic Military Training (BMT) for us new recruits. We all had the 'botak' hair cut, the automatic shaver cutting off our wavy locks or Bangs. The Bald Look made every recruit look the same. Like tortoises staring out of our thick glasses. The rationale for shaving the hair off our heads (at least for the 12 weeks) was that we would be wearing a helmet and be rigorously exercising in the hot sun some 8 - 10 hours a day. Our heads would heat up like  hot potatoes :). Every night, in the camp, before we had 'Lights Out' we would have a Water Parade where all of us recruits (40 to a platoon) had to drink 1 full plastic cup (some 300 ml) of water.

The logic was to cool our bodies down, and prevent 'heat stroke'. I still practice drinking 2 cups of water at the start of each day. I also squeeze half a lemon into the cup, as this apparently cleanses the liver and detoxifies the body. 

My son Andrew's enlistment first day at Pulau Tekong 10 weeks BMT on 4th October 2017

The 12 weeks BMT  training was held at Terror Camp in Sembawang, I have driven past it of late, and it is now a vehicle camp for supporting the brigade. The 12 weeks were physically tough. I had great stamina to run, but my arms were weak like a girl's (no disrespect to those fierce MMA fighters), so the greatest challenge I had before each meal was to summon the strength to do as many chin-ups as possible. That was the precondition each and every recruit had to perform, do as many chinups as you can before you can go to the cookhouse to eat your breakfast, lunch or dinner. The absolute minimum was 1.

Chin-ups are essentially stomach core and whole body exercises whereby you pull yourself from a hanging position under the bar till your chin literally crosses above the bar.

At the start of my BMT, I couldn't even do a single chin-up. Yes, I started at 0. By the end of the 12 weeks, I had lost weight (over 20 pounds, I am serious) and gained muscle that I could muster 6 chin-ups relatively easily.

The motivation to do chin-ups were like this. Chin Ups were conducted by the NCOs before each meal, you had to do at least 1 ; so if you didn't you would hang there and the whole platoon would look at you like you were the worst idiot who held up the remaining 39 for their breakfast, lunch or dinner. So I learnt pretty quickly not to 'sabotage' the entire platoon and trained so very hard, with my mates help by pushing my backside up and slowly I got the hang or the coordination right. 

You start by using your upper arms, the biceps, and then your core muscles will tighten to jerk you upwards. You then glide over the chin-up bar. That is counted as 1 chin up.

In my case, I was a clumsy recruit, so the first one, I always 'cheated' by jumping up from the side base, and getting over the first chinup. The eagle eyed NCO or corporal would pull me down and shout 'No count' recruit.    

So I would then hang forlornly under the bar, like some pathetic puppy denied his biscuit, look up at the bar as the goal and will my puny arms and flabby stomach to get over the bar.

It was horrendous, the first few weeks, when I managed to clear one, I was allowed to go to the cookhouse for my meal, and we all had like only 10 minutes to collect the messplate from the rack, queue up for our food, wolf it down, drink some tea or milo, wash the messplate and show it to the Duty NCO for cleanliness inspection and then assemble back at the barracks all in 10 minutes.

I recall throwing up most of the meals I ate in those days. The strenuous chinup had me out of breath and with absolutely no appetite. Eating the cookhouse food those days was like eating something inedible and shoving it down your throat. Then slurping some black tea or milo and then rushing back to the barracks for some serious training either in the parade square or in the jungles adjoining to the camp. So, the combination of throwing up, and profuse sweating from those 12 weeks resulted in my losing 10 kg or over 20 pounds.  

To be honest, after those 12 weeks, I looked pretty good. 

I was a rather plump teenage kid. The Army changed me to a man.