Beka

Okay, first of all, I don't just listen to the protesters who stand on campus yelling things. In fact, I don't like protesting, and I've never even been in one. Second, I get my news from GLOBAL sources, some very very far away from Berkeley, some that your closed mind will probably never lead you to read. Is it so far fetched to think that MAYBE just MAYBE the victims of war aren't even the people who we intended to kill? I'm fine with an army that's there in case we get attacked. The war against Afganistan is a very big maybe, and the war against Iraq is clearly and obviously a big NO. Iraq had no weapons of mass destruction, they weren't planning to come after us, the Bush administration LIED to the American people and killed thousands of innocent people, Iraqi civilians and American troops alike. OUR AMERICAN SOLDIERS were sent off to die for no good reason, and somehow that sits well with the war-mongers, and I have yet to figure out why. I personally feel that I support the troops when I say 'please, stop making them die all the time by putting them in places they shouldn't be'. Before you try to say 'oh, but the Iraqi people are so happy now that they are liberated la la la we did them so much good', take a look at the fact that 1) we didn't go into war under the pretenses of saving the Iraqi people. If that were the case, why don't we care about saving the other people worldwide who face similar problems? Because they have nothing to offer us. We want Iraq's natural resources, as well as a good commanding point for promoting an anti-Islamic agenda. 2) If the Iraqi people are so happy we're there, why are there so many attacks on American troops? Why are they trying to kill us if they're so happy? Might I also add that the era under the Taliban, while it was an opressive state, was the first time in decades that Afganistan was in relative peace, and one could go outside with reason enough to believe one won't be shot. To be in a state is a give and take. For some security, you may need to give up other certain personal liberties. I don't think that's the *right* thing, but it is historically the case. If I was living in pre-Taliban, pre-stable government Afganistan, would I wear myself a burka every day to avoid getting blown up? You're darn tootin I would. Furthermore, the Burka was originally *not* a sign of oppression, the Burka was reserved for upper class women to wear. I don't recall the exact reasoning of it off the top of my head, but it was indeed the case. There was a time when people *elected* to wear such clothing, so one cannot say that those articles of the sexist oppressive Taliban regime were there only because the Taliban put them there. Do I think they were some dastardly dudes who should have been deposed? Yes, I do. However, the automatic knee-jerk resonse that 'oh, this is a good thing' is ill-informed. Why am I so well informed? Because sometime, a few years ago, I bothered to read a book. Oh, it doesn't happen too often, because we know what happens when the public becomes educated and aware of the world's events.... terrible terrible things. Look out! She bothers to care! 9/11 was a terrible tragedy, but by continuing to support Israel's attacks on Palestinians, by bombing Afganistan, and by starting unnecessary wars on Iraq, we are only asking for more trouble. Right now it seems our current plan of defense against the terrorists is to decimate them. If we drop enough bombs they'll die and then we'll be okay. However, if we let them live, they are just going to get angrier and angrier with the arrogance of the United States of America. If we fight back by resorting to the most immediate response (the blow-up tactic) we are not going to be successful. At least not without punishing millions of innocent people. I have honor and respect for people who do their job to protect this country. I have nothing but respect for World War 2 veterans, as it was perfectly reasonable to think that the Nazis were posing a real threat, seeing as they went invading all over Europe and rounding people up. Nevermind the fact that the United States did nothing for a good long while about the killing of Jews, I don't expect the troops to mobilize on their own. I know it isn't easy to go to war, but if you are indeed doing the right thing, then go for it. I think there may have been a few more dishonest reasons for the country to enter into the war back then, but it was simple to see that there was a real threat not just to other Europeans, but possibly the United States as well. We had an obligation to help protect Europe from Hitler. However, most of Europe this time around is staunchly against the war on Iraq, it's just us, the Lone Wolf of the mighty USA who go out a-fightin'. Is it because Europe is chicken? I don't think so. I think it is because most European countries have much more concern for the good of the world and its people. America wouldn't even *think* of something so horrible as universal healthcare, but European countries are much more concerned with the well-being of peoples health. Is there a reason to fight this war with Iraq? No. Is there a reason to bomb Afganistan? Maybe, if it could be for sure proven that that's where Osama even was. We haven't found him yet, so it's hard to say. But in the mean time, we're just poking sticks at a hill of fire ants. To dishonor someone would imply that they had honor to begin with, and that is the fundamental difference here. I do not think it is honorable to go about killing people. Nor is it necessary. Look at Sweden. EXTREMELY high standard of living, the poor are taken care of. They have health care, free education, they harbor refugees. Do they start wars? Nope. They are doing better than us, they have a much better human-rights record, and they don't think they're just the best dang country in the world or else we'll shoot you. If I could stand the cold and the dark half of the year would I move there? Visst. One more thing. If Sweden came over here and dethroned George Bush, you can bet I'd be pissed. *That* would be a good time to start fighting for our rights. It's an insult to me and my fellow countrypeople to say 'oh, you can't work your problems out yourselves, so we're just gonna come on down and do it for you'. However, if it were the Swedes, it may sound more like "Ni kan inte tar hand om era problem, så vi ska göra det för er". Although Sweden is definately a country I approve of, I would not tolerate another country coming in and forcing a new administration on us, no matter how much I could not stand the old one. I cannot wait for GWB to get tossed out of the white house (and with any luck, it will be soon), but I will not stand for another country to come in and do it for me. None of what I have just 'regurgitated' comes from people that I have met or talked with here at Berkeley. I do a lot of thinking in my free time, and I do all of it myself. I don't need Fox News to tell me what to think, and I don't need some whiney protester who gets in my way as I'm going to class to control my thoughts. If you'd overcome your stereotypes just a teensy weensy bit, you might understand that you have been taken advantage of. And you should be outraged. by the way, if you'd like citations, I would be more than happy to provide them, provided you would actually bother to look, and with an open mind.

They don't make the policy, and I think it was disrespectful to treat drafted vietnam veterans so terribly. Some people are drawn to the army for a lack of money, a lack of structure, a lack of options. But I lack sympathy for people who join the army in hopes they get to fight. Woo, let's party, lets go kill some people who don't deserve it. Oh, yeah, that's honorable. But at the same time, can I blame people for falling into the propaganda traps? Well, yeah, kinda. If you choose to keep your eyes closed to the truth, then you're still choosing to do the wrong thing. What's the old line about martial arts? That we learn to fight so that we never have to? To me that implies that fighting is deranged and barbaric. Do I see the irony? Of course I do.

I really don't need to convince myself that Iraq or Afganistan isn't my place. I don't need fame, money, or adulation to tempt me away. No, all I need is a brain.

I have to do the splits on my knees. It hurts my ankles too much to bend them the right way. I'm not quite split-worthy, even if I did them on my feet, but you know, I'm improving in flexibility. when doing the hurdler's stretch over my right leg, I can just about touch my heel, reaching over my toes. my left leg is getting there, but slowly.

I've already got my tickets!!! I'm going crazy having to wait like this!!! I'm so excited. I've got volume 1 on my computer... maybe I should watch it for the 5589034483903rd time before I see volume 2 so I'm up on every little detail? aw man, I'm going nuts over here....

Cuong Nhu rules! Try and get back into it if you can!!! There's a lot of Cuong Nhu schools down in Florida (it got its start down there), I'm sure there's a good one! I'm glad to see that there's another person here who has at least *heard* of it and done it (however few times you went!)! yay! represent!

I eat a surprising amount of mushrooms and bananas. Usually at least one or two bananas a day, and maybe about 1/2-1 pound mushrooms at least 3 days a week. But I think the protein might be a good idea, I'm a vegetarian and I don't think I always get enough. I used to not need very much (americans eat far too much protein in the first place), but now that i'm working out 3-4 days a week, I should probably get to it more often. Protein is probably the only thing my diet could use more of. I eat mad crazy vegetables and whole grains all day long. speaking of which, I think it's dinner time! (eggs and soyrizo!)

My choice was pretty arbitrary. I didn't have much knowledge of the martial arts, and I didn't really know where to start, or what to start with. I looked into the martial arts program at UC Berkeley, but it looked huge and annoying. The rate is low ($100/semester), but I wanted to start right away, in November, and I wasn't going to start for a week, paying $100 for that week, to only have to stop in a few weeks for winter break. Also, at least in their Hapkido program, they promote people at the end of the semester no matter what, and that idea doesn't fly well with me. I don't do well with big classes, so I stayed away from it. I did a yahoo search for martial arts schools in my area. What I found was mainly just yellow-pages listings for schools, and I didn't find that very informative. So then I decided to type things into google, and I found the Berkeley Parents' Network message board. Some mom had been looking for a good place to send their kid, and a bunch of other women replyed that My current school was the way to go because the instructor was so good with kids. I figured that if they're good with kids, they'd be good with me, too (even though I'm 20). So, I called them up to ask about rates and all that. The offiec girl insisted on signing me up for my first (free) class the following tuesday night. I tried to say 'oh well, i'm not so sure yet if i'm going to go and blah blah blah' (basically I was trying to avoid buying something too fast and commiting myself). But she just kept saying she would keep me on the list for that night and that if I wasn't going to go I should call and cancel. Well, I didn't cancel, and I went. My first night, I accidentally walked into the dojo with my shoes on. I didn't notice all the signs to make me take my shoes off. I filled out a little questionnaire that asked me about previous experience in martial arts, what I do in my free time, all that kind of stuff. The class was small (like usual), and I was getting a lot of individual attention from the sensei. I had such a good time punching and kicking and chopping things that I came back the next day and the next day and the next day and the next day and the next...

I swear, I'm always sore it seems. When I first started my karate lessons, I was so sore I could hardly move (of course, I hadn't done any formal exercise for like, 4 years). It went away for the most part, but it's starting again. My theory is that I'm always learning something new, so I'm always having to re-adjust my muscles and body, and of course I'm getting sore. But dangit!!! Is my pinan kata so hard that it hurts me!?!?! It doesn't feel that way when I'm doing it, but yow! today I want to just stay in bed.

I posted it there, one of the moderators or whatever moved it here. DON'T BLAME ME!!! I THINK IT'S MISPLACED HERE, TOO!!!

yeah, but i'm sick of dating.... I just want my ex back and then we'll get married and make babies.

Dang. He lives too far away. It's not that I'm trying to limit myself to only martial artists. It's just that I'm sick of having to explain myself to other people, and I'd like them to understand me as much as possible right off the bat... Sigh... I know I'm asking for too much sometimes...

Is that weird? I'm not talking about dojo-cest, cause that's bad news. I can't date people I go to normal school with, let alone something as intimate and physically demanding as karate class. So that's not an issue. I just want someone who won't give me trouble when I can't hang out with him because I've got to go to karate class. I have a friend who is a black belt in ueichi-ryu (did i spell that right?), and when we hang out, we do kata together, he shows me some of his moves, I show him some of mine. We discuss the advantages and disadvantages of our styles, we make karate movies and we do a slow, weird, sometimes drunk, kind of sparring. Basically, we do karate together, we discuss the issues together, and we both understand each others' dedication. I'm not looking to make this guy a boyfriend, but those are some things I'm looking for in a man. I was dating this one guy a while back and he kept giving me lip about it. I have class from 6-7, then I have to take the bus all the way home, then shower, then I would be able to hang out after that. He kept asking me why we had to meet so late, and why I had to go to my practice. I was so confused because I didn't understand how he could even ask that question. To me, asking 'well, why can't you skip it?' is hardly a string of words I can put together. There *are* days when I can't make it to class (give me a break, I'm in 18 units in college right now), but a guy will *never* be picked over karate, unless there was a VERY good reason (like, our wedding or something). He's welcome to come with me of course, but I just can't do something as frivolous as act flirty and do my hair for some dude, in place of something that takes so much real work. Yesterday I was at the wushu tournament at UC Berkeley, and I'll be honest, I was checkin' out guys. Yes, I was watching the contest, too, but I couldn't help but notice a few of them and think how irresitable I found them with their little foil swords and flippy-kicks. I'm on that permanent quest to find someone who understands me. And right now, a big part of understanding me is knowing why I have to wake up early Saturday mornings for kata class. I want someone I can do karate with, someone who won't think I'm crazy for loving it so much. I want someone who can understand just how special this is to me, someone who won't get in the way of it, and someone who won't be insulted, mainly because it means so much to him, too. It's one thing to say 'oh, i understand' it's another to be actually involved. I want someone I can share this with. Ah... I'm so mushy. Well, I just felt like venting a bit in a forum I felt it fit in. Thanks.

OOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHH PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEASE! Like guys don't pull the "I need to find myself" junk all the dang time. 'find myself'.... please. You say that again and you'll find yourself at the business end of my foot... I'm bitter right now, can't you tell?

EW!!!!!!!! CHIPOTLE!?!?!?!?! I don't think you realize the disgusting nature of your suggestion! However, I notice you say you are from Ohio, and I recognize the difficulty of finding a real burrito within 300 miles. Please, for your own sake, move to California and taste the real thing! (Mexico may also work, of course, but at least in California a fair number of us speak English) I don't mean to insult your taste buds, but I feel so bad about your situation. Aw man, I sometimes forget how good I have it living in burrito-ville.

I PASSED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was the first one announced (since I am [i mean, was] the lowest rank) and I was so excited (still am, can't you tell!?) and everyone told me afterwards that I had the biggest grin ever on my face. I couldn't stop smiling until afterwards when I ate a celebration burrito. I was so excited, having my sensei shake my hand and tell me congratulations, and standing in front of my whole class, and everything, oh it was amazing. Part of it wasn't so much the personal achievment (although I do think my hard work and constant presence at the dojo and practicing at home and early saturday mornings and all helped me to advance faster than usual, of course), but I think that progressing in rank shows I'm dedicated to the style. So many people say they'll come take a lesson, then they never show. So many people come to the first lesson then don't come back. I wanted to show my other classmates and my sensei that I am, in fact, quite interested in sticking with this and giving it a lot of time and energy. And I think I've done that. It was probably evident before, but the test and promotion and everything makes it pretty concrete. okay so i'm really excited and happy and everything hooray!!!!!!!!!!

I started a few months ago, so I'm still a white belt. I'm testing for my first green stripe in a few hours. I'm so nervous. I know my sensei wouldn't ask me to test unless I was ready for it, and I feel like I am, but this is my first time doing this, and you know, I have those unreasonable fears that I'll slip on ice or something on the way there and break my leg (even though it was 72 degrees today). eeek!!! so nervous!!!

yeah, get yourself a taebo tape.

I know some schools may not have them (lucky devils ), but many of us do have these dang things. Mine are $20 a test, until Brown belt, and then i think brown belt and above tests are $25, but black may be more I think. I can understand test fees for black belt tests, since they take several hours, and the tester may have to travel a far distance to administer the test. Brown belt tests also take a couple of hours, but below that, they're done just fine in the normal hour of class. It's business, I guess, but why?? I'm testing tomorrow, so I should probably have other things on my mind

that was fast! good luck, and don't blow it! Not to make you nervous and uneasy and unconfident or anything.... Seriously though, it'll be fine, I promise. I'll bring it up at this wednesday's secret women's meeting where we discuss the fastest way to deflate a man's ego and world domination. I'll set your date straight. Now that I've thoroughly outed myself as bizarre, I'll go eat my whole grain cinnamon bun.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA It reminds me of the pathological liar boyfriend I had when I was 14. He said he was a black belt, and that his uncle was his teacher. He would send him letters with diagrams and written instructions on how to do the moves. Somehow, through this method he got all the way to his black belt.... Right. He was also a Navy Seal (at 15, no less!), so it was totally believable.

blitzcraig- You can't go into a relationship with fear. You shouldn't stay away from them because of fear, either. Every now and then people need time to themselves, and that is normal, and good to recognize. But don't let past events sour your future prospects. Learn from them, of course, but never assume that the next one will do as the last. I'm sorry to hear about your break-up, but you're strong enough to get through it, and you're strong enough to stand on your own. That's something that I've learned from karate. I broke up with my ex the same week I started taking lessons, and it hardly phased me. I realized I didn't need the man, and since then, I've refused to waste time on men who aren't good enough for me. So hopefully, you're also able to realize how strong you are and recover from the heart break. Boy howdy have I been there, before! Let me tell ya!! Okay, since I'm getting all feminine, I think it's time to stop typing...

What!? You mean this stuff takes WORK!?!? NO WAY! Seriously though, I know what you're talking about. I was thinking about white belt retention recently, since in the classes I usually go to at my dojo, there is (at any given time, usually) one other white belt, 2 green belts, and 3-8 brown or black belts in a class. I'm testing next week for my first stripe (yay!) so I know I've made it over that initial hump. In our style it tends to take a good long while to get to green belt (the second belt) because we want to make sure you're really serious about it. I got all excited when this other girl joined because I wanted another white belt girl with me. She was there for a couple of lessons, then she left. I saw her last week in the drugstore and I asked her what happened. She said "Uh, I'm more of a yoga person". So it's true, we are a special bunch . I think people go into it and expect to automatically turn into super kung fu master after their first lesson. They think they'll be pulling moves from Street Fighter in a matter of minutes, but that is just not the realilty. My mom was shocked to find out that, yes, I do work up a sweat practicing karate. I don't exactly know why doing kata over and over and over is so hard, but my hour-long kata class is just painfully difficult sometimes. I think in a lot of ways people don't respect the martial arts because they think it is easy. But, uh, no, honey, it ain't.[/i]

I pay $85 a month for unlimited classes. At my rank, there are 7 1 hour classes a week I can attend (not like I can attend *all* of them), and that comes out to about $3 a lesson? PLUS the karate students get to attend the cardio kickboxing classes for free, so that's 3 more classes a week. I go more like 3-4 times a week, so it's a little more, but I can hang around the dojo in areas people aren't using when I want. Yesterday I was there 3 hours, 1 in class, 2 practicing with a classmate. I'm still allowed to ask my sensei for pointers and instructions while I'm there, and it's not like he asks for more money. I live in an expensive area (San Francisco bay area), so I expect I'll be paying more a month than some guy in Idaho, but NY and SF have similar costs of living, and I say you got ripped off.

I agree with you there. No, I am not Christian, but I think men often want the *benefits* of marraige without the work. I'm not referring to premarital sex, but to the other aspects of a relationship that only occur when a couple has dedicated themselves to each other, and taken vows to stay with each other (whether that be through conventional traditinol marraige or otherwise). Anyone can get mindless one night stands when they want them (you just have to know where to look), it's the connection with another person that takes work to build. And not everyone is always wanting to work to keep and maintain that connection. I have all sorts of random talking that I do about relationships, so I'll leave this one short.