spicyricecracker's journal
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[contemplating:Kung Fu Notes: Zuiqan ("Drunken Boxing")]
[presently:09-11-11 11:07]

Comment - from here on I'm going to start posting my random notes on martial arts here. These will generally be pretty technical musings, usually analysis. They're not meant to be of interest to everyone in general - but I thought some of you might find them interesting.

--------------

For some reason, I was thinking about Drunken Fist the other night.

"Drunken Boxing" is usually thought of as a component of a larger system. Choy Lay Fut (Cai Li Fo), for example, has a "drunken" form. There are a few people who claim to have learned a "system" of Drunken Boxing. Can't vouch for historical truth of their statements or training.

Seems to me that Zuiquan is a highly misunderstood (sub-)system that even many of its practitioners don't get or begin to understand.

My quick analysis of Zuiquan:

- "Staggering": deceptive footwork (obvious); rapid full-body approach into the opponent from different angles, and escape ("hidden")

- "Weaving": rapid structural reangling and shoulder/torso blows (obvious); fa-jin and shen-fa in the manner of xinyiba and spinal wave mechanics ("hidden")

- "Tipping": fa-jin from "awkward" angles to maximize usability ("hidden")

- There is a lot of opportunity to extract plyometric training from any of the typical non-"wushu" Zuiquan forms, it seems. ("hidden")

- Based on the forms I've seen and the extrapolations above, the applications and tactics of Zuiquan seem to be:
- Distance game played, looking for an opening. No engagement until then.

- Rapid entry into the opponent's close range using deceptive footwork and body angling

- Powerful close-range impact strikes using xinyiba and spinal wave. Emphasis on elbow, shoulder, and body strikes.

- Lots of really nasty joint locks and "grand overhead" shuaijiao throws are pretty explicit in most of the forms, not really seen in demos or "partnered" forms. The hand shape alone suggests that the hands grab, not strike (see above for striking surfaces).

- The famous "lifting a barrel of wine" movement is most likely a German suplex and a plyometric exercise posture when isolated.

- Some of the "landed" postures suggest ground submissions. I remember one particular submission from BJJ looks exactly like one of the zuiquan landed postures.

Using this video as a reference. Ignoring the demonstrator's applications, which are crap except for the back blow at 00:22.



- Ground submission posture at 00:33

- Pretty obvious throw at 01:33

This video shows how not to fight with zuiquan.



Using the staggering footwork as shown in the form is highly inefficient. Hell, fighting like the form is performed is very inefficient. Another example of the visual overtaking the meaning.

5 synaptic misfires | bang your head



[contemplating:The works of author “the firm pen is indignant”:]
[presently:09-11-11 10:29]

I got wind of a new compendium of Shaolin forms and was shown a link to a site that sells the books. Since I don't quite have the Chinese character set working right on the machine yet, I figured I'd have Babelfish do its thing. Boy, did it ever. ;)

1 synaptic misfire | bang your head



[contemplating:Two worst martial arts techniques]
[presently:09-09-16 08:55]
[Mood:bwahahahaha]

"So I'm walking down the street, and I see a guy dressed in a gi. That should be my first sign that there's something wrong." <--- my favorite line :)

1 synaptic misfire | bang your head



[contemplating:A Marley Story]
[presently:09-09-15 09:24]
[Mood:tired but amused]


Doggies048

Doggies051

The Story of the Hungry Dachshund


4:00am
Marley: Excuse me, but I am out of the bed now!

Me: [waking up] Marley, get your ass back into the bed.

Marley: Excuse me, but I would like to go out of the bedroom now!

Miso: [wakes up] Oh hai! Wat's going on?

Marley: I have woken up Master so He can let us out of the bedroom!

Miso: Yay! I laik being out of the bedroom!

Val: [snore]

Me: Goddammit.

[Dogs are let out into the back yard, whereupon they immediately paint the grass yellow.]

Marley: [re-entering kitchen] Excuse me, but I would like to be fed now!

Me: Marley, we're going back up to bed.

Marley: Okay!

Miso: I laik peeing! Oh wait r we going back to bed? Yay!


4:45am
Marley: Excuse me, but I am out of the bed now!

Me: [waking up again] Wha?

Marley: I would like to be fed now, please!

Me: Marley, get your ass back into bed.

Marley: Okay!

Miso: Blanket is snugglee!

Val: [snore]


5:30am
Marley: Excuse me, but I am once again out of the bed!

Miso: Oh boy is it time for out of beds now?

Me: Wha' happen?

Marley: I would like to be fed now, please!

Me: Marley, if you don't get back into bed and let me sleep, I'm going to stick you in the Crock Pot.

Marley: Okay!

Miso: Oh boy I laik sleep!

Val: [snore]


6:15am
[alarm goes off]

Me: [mumbling, eyes not yet open] Okay boys, time for food.

Marley: I thank you, Master, for I like food!

Miso: Is there food for me? Is there food for me?

Me: [serves kibble, turns around, collapses on couch]

literally 1 second later

Marley: [leaps onto my groin]

Me: Oof!

Marley: That was excellent food! I lick your face off, because I love you!

Me: Marley, get offa me!

Marley: My saliva is an excellent exfoliant!

Me: Marley, I've got the oven pre-warmed...

Miso: [leaps onto me] Oh hai I finished eating oh boy is it time to play now?!

2 synaptic misfires | bang your head



[contemplating:More cuteness]
[presently:09-09-13 17:08]
[Mood:cavities]


Miso in Ruffles

Marley in Ruffles


Val has asked me to write up some Miso stories, a la [info]arafel. Here's one from a few weeks ago.

Oh Hai I Laik San Serif Fonts


Me: [working on presentation, laptop on the bed]

Miso: [on the bed, wanders over] Play?

Me: No Miso, I have to work on this presentation.

Miso: Play?

Me: No, Miso, I have to work!

Miso: [sniffs laptop] Can I help?

Me: Miso, stop sniffing the laptop, please.

Miso: [sticks out paw and hits "A" key] Look I can help!

Me: Miso, stop helping!

Miso: [types] aaaaaaaaaqqqqqqqqwwwwwssssss

Miso: I helped! Can we play now, please?

Val and Marley: [snore]

1 synaptic misfire | bang your head



[contemplating:On one of the charms of New York]
[presently:09-09-11 18:37]

Last night, after my board meeting, I met up with Vivian for drinks. We ended up at this hold-in-the-wall dumpling house in K-Town called Mandoo. Because of the crowd, we ended up sharing a table with a German tourist and his Spanish girlfriend.

What I want to remember from last night was the charming bi-lingual experience of their romance. On many occasions, he (the German) spoke Spanish to her, while she (the Spaniard) spoke German to him.

What a lovely way to put yourself out for your love. :)

bang your head



[contemplating:First real publishing credit!]
[presently:09-08-03 16:29]
[Mood:chipper but busy busy busy]
[Music:Ryan Adams - "My Blue Manhattan"]

As some of you know, I spent a good part of the late winter and early spring working on Stacy LoAlbo's (of Incogneeto) book of vintage accessories. Several hundred photos, a thousand+ pieces, and a baker's-dozen-or-so sessions later, the book is on track to be published in December.

I just checked the pre-order page on Amazon, and they finally uploaded the REAL cover! That's my photo of the lovely Christina Signorelli gracing the front of this monster of a book. I'm really excited - aside from a couple of event photos in Gothic Lolita Bible, I've never been legitimately published before!

Can't wait to get the book and see what pics made the cut. Perhaps we'll see a certain [info]snuzzlebunnies in those pages...? :)

8 synaptic misfires | bang your head



[contemplating:Airbender Gripe]
[presently:09-06-25 20:43]

[disclaimer: I've had a couple of bad, stressful days. So I'm going to vent about something completely irrelevant in general.]

So. Avatar: The Last Airbender. Never actually watched the show. Seen a few clips. Seems cute enough. For a fantasy show claiming to base its combative styles on actual, well-known systems of kung-fu, it's pretty okay, from what little I've seen.

So then news that M. Night Shyamalan is casting a ton of Caucasians for his movie adaptation. Now, even a casual viewer can see that the show is clearly set in some sort of fantasy version of Asian, with clearly East and Southeast Asian ethnicities for the main characters. So already, boo.

It doesn't get any better when Jackson Rathbone - who is so white that he can easily play a Twilight vampire without makeup - is cast as the lead. It gets even worse when he says, "I think it's one of those things where I pull my hair up, shave the sides, and I definitely need a tan. It's one of those things where, hopefully, the audience will suspend disbelief a little bit."

Which all reminds me of crap like this:




Sadly, Jasper, even Mickey Rooney and David Carradine looked more Asian than you ever will. Even if you put on a conical hat, saffron robes, and insert false buckteeth into your stupid, stupid mouth.

So already, I'm irritated, and I have no connection at all of any sort to the show.

However, I am curious enough to watch the teaser trailer. I figure that the choreography might be interesting. Given that the original show was reasonably faithful to its martial arts roots, I thought that the movie might at least get some of that right.



Excuse me? Wasn't airbending supposed to be based on baguazhang? 'Cos I don't see it at all in this little solo form segment. If anything, it looks like bastardized old-school "Shaolin."

Wow. Normally, my Schadenfreude doesn't go beyond a snarky thought or two, but I now really want this movie to fail. I want this movie to bomb so hard that careers are ended. Because it gets so much so wrong so badly. Fuck everyone involved in this movie.

13 synaptic misfires | bang your head



[contemplating:The Mens of CPB]
[presently:09-06-01 17:47]
[Music:some goddamned Kanye West song]

Last winter, we did a shoot at the house for some calendar that hasn't materialized yet. It turns out we had four photographers in the house. I stuck to simple shots against the backdrop with my ringflash.

Pictures of the ladies are forthcoming. In the meantime, here are two of the mens!

Cosplay Burlesque Manliness )

Both outfits by [info]snuzzlebunnies. The pinstripe kimono is her original design and creation.

2 synaptic misfires | bang your head



[contemplating:Can you guess what this is? (Not my photo)]
[presently:09-06-01 11:36]

I didn't take this. I found this on one of the LJ photography communities. I think it's neat. :)

Huge weird pic behind the cut! )

Tell me what it is, and you might get a prize. :)

9 synaptic misfires | bang your head



[contemplating:Turner Classic Movies Young FIlmComposer Submission - 2004]
[presently:09-05-15 00:23]

In the summer before I finished 24 Hours Later, I took some time to submit a piece for the TCM Young FilmComposer competition, which was held annually through 2007.

I'll be the first to admit that my piece wasn't stellar - but goddammit, it was more interesting than the winning pieces from previous years.



Overwrought? Perhaps. Interesting? Definitely.

bang your head



[contemplating:Dear Rutgers students]
[presently:09-04-29 17:40]

Please stop inquiring about a position that the job posting makes clear that you will not be considered for. Calling me and trying to argue your way into an interview will not impress me. In fact, it may just annoy me. I have many other things to do today besides tell biology, economics, and electrical engineering majors why they're not qualified for a position that explicitly requires a chemistry major.

Go find someone who wants your skills and leave me alone.

Love,

Me.

15 synaptic misfires | bang your head



[contemplating:Quote of the day - Communists vs Fascists]
[presently:09-04-24 12:07]

"A communist is just a fascist without a sense of fashion."

- my coworker and myself, just now, 2009 ;)

bang your head



[contemplating:The weekend in other people's pictures]
[presently:09-04-20 10:48]

Saturday

Sat Apr 18 09 White Choco

Sat Apr 18 09 Cupcake

Sat Apr 18 09 Watch

Sat Apr 18 09 Tea

Sat Apr 18 09 Cheese

Sat Apr 18 09 Yakitori

Sunday

Sun Apr 19 09 book

Sun Apr 19 09 ElmSt

Sun Apr 19 09 footfist

bang your head



[contemplating:General Tso, Beef & Broccoli, and Chop Suey = Food for Whitey ;)]
[presently:09-04-17 16:54]

I grew up in a Chinese restaurant where my mother was waitress/hostess/manager. I spent many days after school and during the summer there, playing outside in the Texas heat on a concrete apron, drinking tons of soda and iced tea, and eating huge amounts of Chinese food made for white people.

To this day, one of my favorite snacks is a bowl of egg drop soup, a spring roll, and some fried wontons. I order beef & broccoli on a regular basis. General Tso's chicken is eaten regularly in my house. Yet, as a Taiwanese-American who grew up eating American, Chinese, and "Amerinese" food on a regular basis, I recognized how alien most of the food served in the restaurant would seem to my relatives overseas.

So I find the following video fascinating. I hope you do, too.

3 synaptic misfires | bang your head



[contemplating:Maine 1996]
[presently:09-04-15 11:26]

I'm tired and stressed. So I'm thinking about this picture:


Maine 1996


I've only been to Maine twice, and only once during daylight hours. This was taken with my old point-and-shoot, which had amazingly good optics for a $25 POS. When I shot with film, I preferred Fuji to Kodak because I liked the color saturation more.

October, 1996. Cold as a witch's tit. I think I was woken up that morning by a half-frozen FWB slipping into my sleeping bag. She had jumped into this lake the night before as part of a club custom. Ah, college.

bang your head



[contemplating:An oldie - San Angelo, 1999]
[presently:09-04-13 10:39]

On occasion, my various interests collide. Here's such an expression from 1999:


San Angelo Kung Fu 1


Shot on Kodak TMAX film with my old Canon EOS Rebel, which was stolen in 2004, right before I moved in with Val.

This particular snapshot doesn't capture any particular form - I was just messing around with some staff work and the burst function on the camera. This must have been shot during the winter or early spring - in San Angelo, one didn't often go outdoors in this much clothing.

2 synaptic misfires | bang your head



[contemplating:Urinal Wars II - The Paper Towel Strikes Back]
[presently:09-03-19 15:11]
[Mood:First digusted, then amused]

It's been a few days since the first salvo was fired in our little battle of bathroom etiquette. The urinal thankfully remained paper-towel-free for a few days, which is great, since I hate it when the urinal (or any toilet plumbing) clogs up.

Well, my most recent trip to the bathroom revealed that the Paper Towel Bandit has struck again. Apparently, our lone hero arrived on the scene before I did. I love his signage.


Urinal II

Urinal II - detail

Urinal II sign


This sign reads:

"Are you kidding me?

"Are you seriously stupid enough to throw more paper towels in the urinal? Why would you do that?

"Are you trying to break the plumbing in this building?

"Maybe you just hate urinals. Did one steal your lunch or cut you off during your commute?

"Help me understand you. We can work through this together."

1 synaptic misfire | bang your head



[contemplating:Best thing of the day: The Indignant Urinal]
[presently:09-03-17 01:41]
[Mood:amused]
[Music:Vivaaaaaa Las Vegas!]

The men's room in my complex is often a mess. It's as if all those Ph.D's are afraid or incapable of doing simple things as flushing, putting trash in the trash can, etc. On occasion, anonymous signage has appeared, taking the general men's room populace to task for their uncouth behavior. Today, such wall markings appeared above the urinal, and the message was truly awesome.


Indignant Urinal

Indignant Urinal Sign


The text reads (yeah, I know my cell-phone camera sucks):

"If you are dumb enough to put paper towels in the urinal, then we suggest you go outside and dig a latrine.

"That way, you can throw as many papers towels into your hole as you like, and the rest of us can enjoy a clog-free urinal.

"Everybody wins.

"Sincerely,
"Men who know how NOT to destroy communal plumbing"

I heart the mysterious bathroom vigilante. :)

UPDATE: The sign was still up when I left the office at 8pm. I was the last one out. By the time I got in this morning (just after 9am), it was gone.

1 synaptic misfire | bang your head



[contemplating:The weekend in 3-minute reviews]
[presently:09-03-16 01:10]

Terra's Exotic Harvest Sea Salt and Mediterranean Chips: in a word, delicious. The inclusion of Kabocha in the Exotic Harvest chips was surprising and welcome.

Zombie Strippers: Couldn't tell you much, since I fell asleep soon after Jenna Jameson's strip act. She's looking pretty scary these days. Val says it was hilarious; I'll watch it all the way through when she buys it.

Injinji Black Tetrasoks: wonderful for long days on your feet or just just lounging around the house. Great black stretchy fabric that's not too thick. The spreading of the toes feels natural and comfortable. Bit on the expensive side at $12/pair, but the Injinji basement is running a great sale of $9/pair for product in the "old packaging." Ed, I specifically recommend these things to you.

Ronin Warriors: cute. Entertaining in limited doses, or when lubricated with artisan beers and good bourbon.

Scott Smith's A Simple Plan: a great suspense novel. The basic premise - how the simplest of plans can go awry when enough money is involved - gets progressively more twisted, dark, and devastating as the novel progresses. If not for the language, I could easily see this being taught in high-school English classes.

Panera's French miche: delightfully crusty and dense. The perfect bread to make French or cinnamon toast with, great unadorned, almost sublime with a spreading of apple butter.

Let the Right One In: one of the best vampire stories I've ever experienced. I'm currently reading the novel, but the film well stands alone. Wonderful work. I'm totally in agreement with AVClub.com's assessment of, "Why the fuck is Twilight getting all the attention when Let the Right One In is the better vampire story, the better novel, the better movie, etc.?"

1 synaptic misfire | bang your head


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