In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti. Amen.


Faye Wong in Wong Kar-Wai's 2046.

Was so tired today. I don't know why. Lack of glucose, maybe? Had a good dinner after kendo with fellow kendoka. But I should eat more. My mum will complain I lost weight again.

Kendo was quite cool today. It seems easier to do kiri-kaeshi with kote on. So I spent my spare energy correcting footwork, posture and ki ken tai ichi. I'm getting used to better posture now. It feels good to maintain posture. Helps with my readiness and confidence. But I realised just now that there wasn't much 'snappiness' in my cut. Not enough, anyway. My do cuts require practice too.

I see quite a few friends have improved too. This is way cool. Has it got something to do with wearing kote? Hmmm... Next week, most of everyone's gi and hakama will arrive. By the time I come back from the holidays, we'd finally look like a proper club.

Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam.

In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti. Amen.


Practitioners of kyudo (uncredited).

For some reason, I find the subjects in this photograph very graceful. Maybe it's the uniform. It could be posture. I guess posture is always an important point.

Been watching a lot of anime recently, thanks to Ruoxin (an absolute babe!). Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex has got to be one fo the best series I've seen. If watch GITS: SAC, The Matrix trilogy is utter rubbish. Sorry, but westerners have a long, long way to go if they want to catch up with anime themes. In my own opinion? No way, man! (I'm definitely biased.)

People who enjoy looking at pretty things should not be condemned as superficial. People who want to look pretty should not be condemned as vain. Because we'll never know the real reasons for their actions. They might not know the reasons too. In the end, everyone chooses to be what he or she strives for. Well, maybe not everyone. But most people can make their own choices today. They all have their own reasons. Sometimes, these reasons cannot be made known to others. Therefore, who are we to judge them on their actions? If we persist in thinking that their wrong, then the truly vain and superficial ones are us.

Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam.

In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti. Amen.


Mentsuke!

Check out some photos from Matsuri Grain.

For today's kendo training, we went through a mock grading test. The kendoka who fared better will train in full bogu (armour) from next Monday on. This includes me! But I had to admit I was a little nervous today.

My mistakes:
* My kiai was weak (was described as 'gooey') at the beginning. This is my biggest fault.;
* My right hand should be further up the tsuka, contrary to what I was told by the same person a few months ago;
* My fumi komi ashi was either not catching up with my cut or coming in too early;
* This last one is from a fellow beginner (a good comment): after the cut, I'm not following through far enough. I should move about five steps, instead of just three, which is what I'm did today.

Frankly speaking, they shouldn't segregate us in two groups half training in full bogu and the other in just do and tare. It kinds of encourages those training in full bogu think that they are better than those who aren't training in full bogu. As far as I am concerned, I am still only as good as any beginner who hasn't been selected to train in armour.

Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam.

In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti. Amen.



I was just talking to a friend about my life currently being a trainride to nowhere. I guess it's really much more to do with fear than anything else. But then I realised that I'm not alone on this train. There are others too. People I don't know. People I know. We are all on the same train, even though we don't talk to each other, in case we do convince each other to get off the train.

There is one person, though, on the train who is sitting next to me. Someone I'm glad to be next to...

You don't know this, but just being by your side makes me happy. One day, if I ever get off this train, will you follow me?

Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam.

In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti. Amen.


Click here for more kendo photos.

When I first heard that phrase from the Cowboy Bebop anime series - "Knocking on Heaven's door", my first thought is that it referred to one being so close to death, so close that one is knocking on the gates of Heaven.

But now when I think about it, it's got several elements to it:
- This is quite duh but if you can knock on Heaven's door, it means that you've got to be pretty close to death.
- The word "Heaven" is used, not "hell". That means that the opening of the door determines whether the person is a good person or not.
- The fact that someone is "knocking on heaven's door" means that the person wants to go to heaven and is forsaking his earthly life for that cause.

Now when you think about it, it gets pretty serious. In Cowboy Bebop, the main character, Spike Spiegel, is a reckless bounty hunter who 'tries' to bring justice to his employers. That's all nice and wonderful until he decides to throw whatever little stuff he has left away and seeks vengeance by attacking his all-powerful nemesis (can't remember the name - ask Tessa). This brings to question how much our hero's got to lose and how personally committed he is in seeking his vengeance, hoping that a tiny-eenie bit of chance is all he needs to accomplish his task.

How far will we go to commit to a personal cause? How much can we sacrifice for one singular goal?

Is it possible to sacrifice everything, including our existence?

Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam.

In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti. Amen.


Nice bicycle from Muji.

Saw a pic at a friend's website. It was a photo of a beach with white sands and clear water. The moment I saw it, I knew I had to get there. Didn't matter where it was and what else it had. And so, the decision is made. I am going there.

Why? I don't know. There are certain places that draw me unrelentlessly, almost as though something is calling me towards that place. Melbourne is one of these places.

This beach seems to call me now and I want to see it. And I will go there alone.

Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam.