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Welcome to The Most Interesting Thread Ever, The Interests Thread!!!
In this thread, I want you to talk about one thing that interests you. But, I have a challenge for you. Make your post really, really interesting. I want to see in your post not just what you're interested in, but why you're interested in it. I want to know when you started being interested, what you love most about your interest, where your interest's taken you, and everything else you can possibly imagine. If possible, give us some extra material to work with - pictures, stories, links, or videos which are relevant to your interests are great.
Here are some guidelines of what I mean:
Spoiler:
So your interest is...
Photography.
-when did you start taking an interest in photography?
-why did you develop this interest?
-what was your first camera?
-what is your current camera?
-tell us about both of these. Use and explain technical terms.
-have you ever made any money from your photography?
-can you show us some examples?
-is photography a study, a hobby or a profession?
-where do you go / hope to go to take pictures?
-what do you tend to take pictures of?
-which photographers do you admire?
-etc.
Cookery.
-how long have you had an interest in cooking for?
-what do you like to cook?
-how often do cook?
-who do you cook for?
-study, hobby or profession?
-ever cooked for an event?
-any pictures of things you've cooked?
-which chefs do you admire?
-etc.
Football. ;]
-when did you stat playing?
-do you play as part of a team or a club?
-if not, do you want to?
-do you support a team?
-where has your sport taken you?
-have you made any friends through your sport?
-what position do you play?
-do you or others consider you skilled?
-pictures or videos of you playing? links to any club you play for?
-etc.
Of course, these are guidelines only. Don't just cp them if they apply to you.
Please do not talk about Pokémon! We have more than enough of that here already. Otherwise, go ahead, just make sure that you have enough to work with to make a good post.
So yeah. Basically make a really interesting and thoughtful post about something you love. If you have more than one thing, then go ahead and make multiple posts (not consecutively, of course!). I'd like to see the really interesting and inspired side of our members coming out.
Oh, and if you'd like to discuss someone's interest with them, then go ahead! Either VM them or post a reply - this thread could easily become OC&D material.
My interest would have to be the supernatural. When I say 'the supernatural', I don't mean that I believe I am a witch and go around casting burning incense in the hope that it will ward off evil spirits, I mean the supernatural as it is shown in the media: books, television, movies and the like.
It all started with Harry Potter. I got the first two books and was invited into the wizarding world on my eleventh birthday (much like Harry himself!) in 2001, and I'd only read half of it by the time I went to see the first movie with my 5th grade class. I was so enraptured in the world and the magic and spell-flinging that I became kinda obsessed with the whole idea of magic. The very idea that people would be able to do things like this:
or this:
You only need to watch 0:57-1:02
just by using the power within themselves impressed me beyond anything I thought could ever impress me.
--
My obsession branched out from Harry Potter though - because it wasn't enough for me. I had to see more because I could never get enough. So in 2005 I branched out into Charmed. It fast became the biggest thing in my life and I devoted myself to watching every single episode, and I think by now I've seen them all at least three times apiece. I became especially obsessed with the concept of telekinesis (which, if I were to pick a superpower, is the one I would pick to this day). The idea of being able to move things with your mind just seemed like the most badass concept you could ever come up with becaues the possibilities of it are endless, and you could use it to fight without ever having to touch somebody. I'll put another video below of the clips that got me interested in it:
Then I got into Buffy, and between Buffy and Harry Potter I can't tell you what is the most rewarding experience of my life thus far. It's too close to call. The character of Buffy was cool with the things she could do, but the show was stolen by Willow, who became a witch in the third season and steadily grew more powerful. Watching her power grow I discovered that I'm incredibly attracted to power and even though I'm gay, I would go straight for a female witch :P. The part of magic that that made me interested in was the way it was done. Willow, once she had mastered magic, could basically do anything she wanted just by using short Latin incantations that in the right context sounded so badass they made me squee at the TV screen.
In the sixth season, Willow struggles with an addiction to magic, which really hit home with me because I was dealing with much the same thing. Willow eventually (though after spending three episodes destroying the city on a magical rampage following her girlfriend's murder - below you'll find a video of what she did to her girlfriend's murderer) managed to control her magic addiction, but I never quite got over mine.
So now, whenever something that involves the concept of magic, witchcraft, the supernatural, or even just "people with powers" comes on television or to the movies, I make it a mission to go and see it. Any chance to be impressed by people that can do things that nobody in the real world will likely ever be able to just fascinates the hell out of me.
I think the part that I love most about the idea of supernatural abilities is that once you get into the habit of it, it is so easy to project them onto yourself. The amount of fantasies I've had where I've been able to throw somebody against a wall without even touching them, or explode something that was in my way with a flick of my hand or wand, or even rescue potential rape/murder victims by getting there just in time are countless. It allows you to empower yourself - at least in your own mind. To this day I run around my house shouting Harry Potter spells when I'm home alone - because to me, magic is an imaginative exercise. I can do more in my head that I can real life, and I treasure that ability to unlock my mind and see solutions to things that are not always of this world :P
I have to agree with Andy on this one, my biggest obsession and hobbies are mainly all to do with the supernatural (fantasy).
Just a quick warning, this is going to be a huge post and a lot of ranting is going to be done. Okay, here we go. Read if you dare.
My biggest hobby is watching Charmed.
Spoiler:
Me and my sisters have watched Charmed for as long as I can remember, we grew up with the series. I have watched every episodes at least 15 times each, no joke there. Charmed has 8 series filled with exciting episodes. The series is about three sister witches who are known as the Charmed Ones, their job is to battle demons, warlocks and basically all of the evil supernatural creatures on the earth. My favourite part of Charmed is the magic. Charmed is able to capture the lives of all of the witches, re-write fairy tales and change your view on the supernatural world.
In Charmed, you watch the witches on their journey to complete their destiny. They lose and gain friends and even family along the way.
Spoiler:
(thank you ~ShiningAllure from Deviant Art)
Here are some descriptions of the sisters that I took from Charmed Wiki:
Prudence "Prue" Halliwell was the oldest Charmed One, and had always been regarded as the bravest and most powerful of the four sisters, to the extent that she was granted the nicknames "Super Witch" and "Wicca Wonder." Her powers are focused on movement: the ability to move objects with her mind, and the ability to project herself in an astral form. Besides this, Prue possesses the basic powers of a witch: the ability to cast spells, brew potions and scry for lost objects or people. She could also access The Power of Three, the collective power of the Charmed Ones.
Spoiler:
Prue Halliwell - end of season one
Prue using her Telekinetic powers
Prue's Astral Projection power
Piper Halliwell is the middle sister. Her powers work through the manipulation of molecules: slowing them down or completely freezing them, and speeding them up to different degrees, usually to the point where they combust. Besides this, she possesses the basic powers of a witch: casting spells, brewing potions (which is her specialty due to her intense passion and exceptional skill in the culinary arts), and scrying for lost objects or people. Furthermore, Piper can access The Power of Three, the collective power of the Charmed Ones. Piper is described as the most kind, caring, and maternal of the three sisters. She can be very sarcastic and quick-witted. Over the years, Piper grew from the meek, shy and very much arbiter middle sister, to a confident, charge-taking, quite comedic cynical woman. Piper was often described as the glue that holds the family together. When it comes to magic, Piper hates the constant demonic attacks and her sacrifice of a normal life. However, Piper knew that being a witch was a part of who she was and came to cherish it in time. Realizing that she would not be able to save innocents without her powers, Piper accepted her destiny as a Charmed One.
Spoiler:
Piper Halliwell
Piper blowing up a wall during an argument in season 5
Phoebe is the youngest Charmed one. Phoebe was often considered the weakest of the Charmed Ones by demons, due to her primary powers being more inclined to be passive than active. However, she consistently proved them wrong with her formidable martial-arts skills and her remarkable spell writing talent. Her Wiccan powers gradually evolved, becoming dangerously offensive like those of her sisters'. Her powers include Premonition, Levitation, Empathy and Pathokinesis.
Phoebe is described as rebellious and courageous. She's not afraid to try new things, a trait that both her older sisters admire and envy. She can also be very restless, impatient and quick-witted. As a psychic, she is often sensitive and compassionate towards others and thanks to her degree in psychology as well as her powers, she gives very sound advice both to her sisters and readers. She is also the only Charmed One to be born in Halliwell Manor, above the Nexus, which makes her more susceptible to being influenced by evil than others. Phoebe has a creative mind and a very good memory. When she first started creating her own spells, she was able to recall spells and combine them into new and more powerful ones. She is street smart, as she can pick locks and pockets, as well as change the tires of a car. She's also fiercely loyal to the people that she loves, a Warren trait.
Spoiler:
Phoebe Halliwell - Season 4
Phoebe's power of Premonition
Levitation
Pathokinesis
Paige Matthews is part of the Halliwell family, she is not introduced until season 4. Paige is a very powerful being, being the daughter of a witch and a Whitelighter. Her powers include Telekinetic Orbing, Orbing, Healing, and Shielding. Along with witchcraft, Paige is a full-time Whitelighter, and works as a recruiter for Magic School. Paige is Prue Halliwell, in terms of personality. She is stubborn, strong-willed, and has issues with her (biological) father. During her teens, Paige was a rebel like Phoebe Halliwell. With whitelighter inside of her, Paige has an inherent need and ability to help others, which led her to wanting to become a social worker. Paige prides herself on what she calls her "weirdness," and usually desires for her love interests to be "weird" as well. Paige also takes pride in being a witch, and wants to be with men who fully accept her heritage.
Spoiler:
Paige Matthews - Season 5
Paige orbing
Paige healing Piper
Telekinetic Orbing
And this should show you how great Charmed actually is.
That is Charmed basically in a nut shell. I could rant on for hours but I will not bore you
My other giant hobby is reading fantasy stories. I could give you lists of books and describe why they are such an important part of my life, but honestly, I really don't have the energy.
YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU HAVE BROUGHT TO PC RAZOR LEAF
If you know me enough, my favorite hobby is writing. It's a Big Deal to me. Therefore, I am going to spend the next however-long-it-takes-you-to-read-this minutes boring you about the history of writing and how I do things. :3
---
History of my writing:
Spoiler:
When I was little, I loved reading. (This was back before the internet, I'd read more now without it.) It didn't translate into writing my own stories until I was older, about 8th grade. I suspect that I started writing because it was what my sister did, and I wanted to imitate my sister because she was awesome. Now I do it for me.
I've almost always had stories going on in my head. When I had idle time, my mind would go off into tangents about whatever characters I was playing with. Back in those days, I imagined more things about already-made characters instead of my own; Pokemon was the biggest one. So, I've always had the right imagination for writing.
I started off with a notebook. It was a cheap $1 notebook, with a cover that stared blue and transitioned into clear. I decided that since I had this notebook, I was going to write something in it for once. So, I started a story about a princess on another planet with magic, who gets exiled by the evil royal adviser. Or at least, I think that was still the plot back then. It wasn't terribly original or exciting. However, it was the start to a hobby I still follow to this day. I stopped writing it after a little bit though.
In September of 2003, I got another purple composition notebook. I decided that this one was going to be the start of that Awesome Fanfiction(tm) I had going in my mind for some months. This was the start to my really awful Pokemon fanfic about psychics called The Timetravelers. It was really bad. None of the characters were in-character and it was overrun with OCs. And the worst part was, NO POKEMON BATTLES. It was all about awesome psychic powers instead. I have a thing for psychics. Just so you know. Psionics? What's that? THEY ARE PSYCHICS AND NOTHING ELSE
Ever since I started that awful fanfiction, though, I haven't stopped writing. Even when I realized that The Timetravelers sucked ass, I went ahead and tweaked it to be original fiction. I haven't uploaded anything to the Internet since then though.
My writing works as a way of better visualizing the ideas that I have in my head. There, things are ever-changing. I imagine the dialogue more than anything, and I can't settle on the other details. Once I get it on paper or on the computer, I can truly visualize it and then revisit it whenever I wish. At the moment, I write not to be read, but for my personal amusement. I doubt I'll ever seriously try to get published, even if I'd want the fanbase. It's hard to ship when all your OTPs are your own characters...
Now my problem is I don't want to share my writing with anyone. I think my ideas are genuinely good for the most part, but that the prose itself needs a lot of work. I also have one of the worst traits for a writer: I take criticism too personally. I wish I could write fanfics so I could get constructive criticism on something that's not near and dear to me like my current works, so I can learn to take it. But I have no plot bunnies. It'll be the death of me.
I also have another bad trait for a writer: atrocious spelling. fml.
---
Stuff about notebooks and word processors
Spoiler:
One of my favorite parts about writing is how I get it down. I loooove notebooks. They come in all sorts of shapes and sizes! I collect journals just because they look awesome; most of the time I'll write in them for a few pages and leave them be. I tend to write more in actual notebooks than personal journals.
Here are the two notebooks I am currently using. Large image so SPOILERCEPTION.
Spoiler:
The uber girly one is where I write the stories related to magical aliens and angels-by-another-name (don't let their name fool you, they have wings and are uber-powerful and serve the most powerful being in all existence, they're angels -_-;). I'm gonna have to swap that one soon because it's almost full. I should find something equally girly for it.
The black composition notebook is where I write the stories related to psychics. That series is set in an AU Earth where there's an extra island country in the Atlantic where the psychics live. I couldn't be bothered to use an existing country.
Typically I use the notebooks to write when I'm not around my computer; this happens mostly at work. Sometimes I use it at home too. I find it easier to start something on paper if I'm at a writer's block or something. Actually it's just a great way to start a new chapter or file in general.
Just fyi, I find that best notebook are ones with plastic covers, so they don't get torn off. Five Star is great for this. Their notebooks usually come with dividers with plastic folders and stuff too.
I keep pretty much every notebook I've ever used. I think I've tossed like maybe 2 my entire life. I'm a pack rat. Here is a blog from 2008 showing them off. I've gotten more notebooks since then.
When I'm on the computer, I keep my writing in a "writing" folder in My Documents, sorted by series. My current word processor is OpenOffice, which I switched to when I got my current laptop. It's pretty decent, has all the same functions of Microsoft Word, which is what I was using previous. I also have another program called FocusWriter which I used for National Novel Writing Month last November; I'll use it again when Camp NaNoWriMo runs in June and August. OpenOffice sucks at easy-to-use wordcounter while FocusWriter keeps it at the bottom. It also has options to set background image/colors and such that OpenOffice doesn't, afaik. I'd use FocusWriter all the time but it's very low-frills, and sometimes I need extra formatting options.
I do National Novel Writing Month a lot. I've done it since 2007 and also did both sessions of Camp NaNoWriMo last year. NaNoWriMo runs in November, and the goal is to write a 50k novel in 30 days. I always hit the 50k. NaNoWriMo requires you to not think about what you write, just sit and go. That's already my writing style, and I have no life, so I always win. Ahahaha I'm a bad writer.
If you're ever interested in trying out writing and have the time to write a 50k novel, I highly recommend NaNoWriMo. It's got a great atmosphere to get you writing, and its got a community to support you if you need it. I get my most stuff done during NaNo times because I love updating my word count.
I've only ever finished one story within the NaNo time frame, though. I tend to start larger projects with NaNo. :(
---
THE MOST IMPORTANT REASON WHY TO VIEW THIS:
I'm posting WRITING SAMPLES. Here is an example of the two programs I use side-by-side. All hail my dual monitor setup! I joined imgur just to upload this so SOMEONE better read it! Spoilered for size (2,390px × 768px).
Spoiler:
Left is FocusWriter, right is OpenOffice.
The left is my most recent NaNoWrimo project in the universe with the psychics in it ([ch/sa]). Birdpage is Psychic Facebook, not their Twitter clone, despite the name. ...their country looks like a bird, so I use a lot of bird puns. :( This particular file doesn't actually have any association with the usual characters and plot of the [ch/sa] series. I wanted to explore a different set of characters in the same universe. Unfortunately I haven't worked on it since NaNo ended.
The right is my second NaNoWriMo project, set in the universe with Magical Aliens(tm) ([p-r]). It's about a character named Nera who goes to visit other planets. Well that was the original plan, but now it's that and intermissions about important events in her life and the lives of her family. I thought I would get it done within that NaNo. It's become such a huge project that it currently has 8 different files associated with it. It's getting there, but it's got at least 2 major plot points that haven't been started, 2 that's started but nowhere near done, and 1 that was partially written but since been thrown out of canon after some changing of dates.
The first person voice also reminds me too much of my own so it feels like self-insertion a lot. But it's far too interesting for me to stop.
In addition, I once posted a summary of what I was doing back in 2009. It hasn't really changed too much so if you're that interested, here is the blog entry. I am too embarrassed at my bad summary skills to actually read it. I've also got a writing tag in my blog if you are uber bored for some reason.
My main interests are - surprise! - film and television, but they actually developed in surprisingly different ways, which I'll describe below.
Television
My interest in television developed because I was trying to impress a girl. (Before you sick freaks get any ideas, it's not that type of story.) Seven-and-a-bit years ago (!!!) the TV show Desperate Housewives debuted on UK television with a boatload of advertising to accompany it; much as transpired in its debut in the US, the show was a television phenomenon. Up until this point, I'd primarily been watching TV based upon what was actually available solely through a British television set e.g. mostly British TV with some imported American shows like Friends etc. But then my friend Katie started watching Desperate Housewives, and also wanted to know what was coming next: she wanted spoilers!
Cut to: me trying to find ways of obtaining the episodes that had already aired in the US and delivering the information my friend wanted. On a conscious level, this wasn't a romantic thing - I was competing to deliver the info with my other friend, Stephen, one of the most flamboyantly gay men you'll ever meet (and yes, that includes you, Andrew!) - but maybe on a subconscious level it was a test of male dominance. I dunno... I'm not Freud. What I did learn was all about the wonders of torrents.
Bear in mind that this was 2004, and while internet piracy was still a big thing in those days, it was mostly concerned with films and music. TV torrenting was a relatively new thing when I 'discovered' it. What started off as a way to impress a girl became a gateway into a whole new world of entertainment. No longer enslaved to what was on in Britland, I kinda jumped into the myriad world of US TV with a vengeance.
It also didn't hurt that the 2004-2005 season was really good for US TV. As well as debuting DH, the season would also see the start of Grey's Anatomy, Lost, The Office, House and, of course, Joey. But while most of those series fell out of my estimations (as well as the estimations of most Americans, Grey's Anatomy excepted), it made me curious about the TV landscape as a whole.
I started becoming interested in how ratings were calculated, how scheduling decisions worked, what 'upfronts' and 'pilot season' were in the context of decision-making, the role of advertising (or not, in the case of HBO) etc. Also, because I was watching a lot more TV, I became more critical as a result; that's not to say I started dislking things more, but my standards did develop as a result. Indeed, looking back, I can't really imagine the me of today watching Desperate Housewives at all, let alone getting so obsessed with it as to torrent episodes of it as soon as it hit the US. But, if it wasn't for that show, I would probably be a very different person, in all honesty.
Film
In contrast to the epic love story (ha!) described above, my affection for all things cinematic came about very organically. I'd always been one to buy DVDs, and can't actually remember a time when this wasn't the case. However, one DVD that I bought when I was about 16-years-old changed my whole outlook on film: Network. The 1976 film - set, not coincidentally, in a TV news studio - so changed my perspective on what film could do that I instantly wanted to know more.
Whereas previously I'd just been buying films that I'd missed in the cinema, I now wanted to learn more about older films and foreign films and the people who made the films in question. Slowly but surely, I started buying more and more DVDs whose titles became more obscure to my parents and - more often than not - came in black and white. I bought books about Hitchcock and Truffaut. When I moved to London for university, I started going to the cinema by myself - something I'd never have considered when I was younger, as it was always seen as a social event - and the sheer range of choice available from the biggest blockbuster to smaller, foreign, independent films was music to my ears.
But that was nothing in comparison to the event that remains my favourite thing of the year: the London Film Festival. Every October, London hosts a film festival that takes the best from all the great film festivals around the world (Sundance, Berlin, Cannes, Venice, Toronto etc.) and puts them all out for the general public to see. It's like quality film heroin, and I love it so, so much.
So, erm, that about does it... I think. Thanks for reading, if you got this far!
Those of you, who know me relatively well, will realize that I am a man who has a plethora of interests. I am going to talk about the one that I have had for the longest period of time. It is also the one I am most passionate and focussed on in my life. That interest is . . .
Karate
When I was around seven years of age (I have been training for around fifteen years now), a flyer came through the door one day. It was an advertisement for a local karate club. My father asked if me and my brother were interested and I said yes - my mentality was "sure why not?"
I started out doing Sendai Karate while in Australia and I made it to Brown + 1 I believe before moving to the United Kingdom. I switched to Shotokan Karate because that's what the local club offered over in England. I got downgraded a few belts because I lost a few certificates and the most recent one I had was for blue belt. Sucks, but there you go.
There's been two times where I've failed a grading. Well, technically once - the other was a close call. I was going for my Brown Belt and there were four of us going for it. The Sensei who was grading us was overall not impressed with the way we did our kata (essentially a fighting dance, I'll show some further below). He did pass me on that grading but I am not sure how many out of the remaining three he passed. The second instance, I was going for my Brown + 3 grading - the belt before Black - and I messed up my Bassai Dai kata. The annoying thing is that all the other katas you only need to know for one grading but Bassai Dai have to know for Brown belt onwards. It's a really important kata in Karate. So I have done it successfully twice already, for my Brown + 1 and +2. So you would think that I've practised it long enough not to screw it up. But I did. I stepped forward with the wrong leg in the middle of the kata. I managed to make a decent recovery though, so as not to completely humiliate myself in front of everyone else. But yeah, the Sensei grading me wasn't going to give me any leverage. He might have done if I was going for my Brown +1, in other words if I was performing the kata for a grading for the first time, though he's generally ruthless ESPECIALLY when it comes to kata. It's because that is his favourite aspect of Karate. I did fail but that being said, he is firm but fair. My mistake wasn't huge. I just got caught under the pressure and made an error. He gives me the belt and stamps my certificate but tells me that in three months, I'll have to repeat the kata for him again, but only the kata. I won't have to redo the basic combinations or the fighting aspects as I passed them.
Moving on, I do end up redoing the kata and I pass the second time round and a few years down the line when I was eighteen years old, a black belt grading was approaching. I really wanted to take it but my Sensei said I wasn't physically strong enough to handle it. Upsetting as it was to hear that, I could understand the reason for his decision. All the black belts could overpower me with a strong attack and my defence wasn't great enough to deal with it at the time. So I continued my training and one year later, I earned my Black belt and that's currently where I am in terms of ranking. Enough time has passed for me to take my second Dan grading but my training lacked consistency during my university years. Training with a different Sensei at university and training less frequently too (now I train twice a week at least), slowed things down for me in terms of grade advancement. I do not particularly mind though to be honest. I am content with developing at my own pace. After all, "power attained in a day shatters just as swiftly". That's a quote of mine. I've seen people who take these accelerated Karate courses or whatever to get their Black belt really quickly or whatever. I watch some of them and they perform so mediocrely and I just feel as if the instructor is just stealing their money, by teaching these people incorrectly.
Anyway, I'm getting a little side tracked. My motivation for my training has evolved over the years. Primarily though, it is because I enjoy it and that has remained constant. As I developed, my main aim was to achieve my Black belt and to keep improving. I know of people who train for the sake of wanting to be able to protect loved ones, should the need arise. Perhaps I used to think like that too, I cannot quite remember. Nevertheless, that is not my mentality now, at least not in a direct manner. The question I ask myself is "How can you protect those you cherish if you can't even save yourself?" Karate is not a hobby, nor is it a study or a profession. It is a way of life for me. For me, the individual. No one else. As in, I do it for my own benefit, not anyone else. I train because I want to not because I feel I need to. If I have the confidence of being able to defend myself, by extension I'll feel more confident about defending others. The end result may be the same but the mentality is different.
My favourite aspect of Karate has to be the basic combinations. The fundamentals so to speak. It's quite mathematical actually. You cannot do the harder stuff if you do not have a good understanding of the basics. You cannot solve the tougher problems if you cannot do the simpler ones first. Same concept. Now the term "basic" has evolved for me over the years. As a Black belt, the fundamentals stay the same but the way I apply some of them has varied for me. An example would be the round house kick. Ordinarily, you bring your leg up to the side then pivot on your standing foot and extend the leg out to strike the side of the body. Now I bring my leg up in front of me and then twist at the last moment to do a round house kick. So it looks as though I'm going to do a front kick but that's just a feint for the round house. I apologize; it's not the easiest of things to explain. I like to adapt the techniques that get taught to me. Not everything works best for me. For example, I am not particularly skilled at grappling opponents and trying to manipulate them in that manner. So I try to modify them into pseudo striking techniques or I alter the grapple to suit my style of fighting better. Some things just work better for some people than others.
My favourite Kata is Bassai Dai. It's probably because I have done it for such a long period of time; it's really grown on me over the years. The meaning of Bassai Dai is "storming the fortress" which just sounds freaking badass and epic to me.
My least favourite part of Karate is the competition fighting. I've only ever been to one competition as a kid and now that I have grown up, I do not see the practicality in it. You have to hold back your attacks when you try to score points against your opponent. If you hit someone too hard, you get fouled and then if you do it again, disqualified. I just think it's impractical for real life confrontations. The way most people fight in competitions isn't how people will fight you in the real world. People don't circle around you, throwing a quick jab or a kick. To describe a real fight in one word. Chaotic. You get people who blindly swing their fists around in fury and all sorts of insanity. It's brutal and carnage. None of this bouncing on the spot bullcrap, moving around throwing a few combos here and there. It's BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM! Everything just goes crazy.
Karate has improved a lot of aspects about me. It has enforced discipline, respect, sharpened focus and drastically increased my mental awareness. I've met and trained with different people over many years and I believe it has made me a better person than what I would have been had I not been doing Karate. It is something I can take great pride in. Though I know I have a long way to go – and Karate essentially developed throughout an entire lifetime – I believe I have really come a long way and I want to just keep climbing higher and higher. To reach new heights, to push my limits even further and to continuously develop myself both physically and mentally. I have a deep respect and admiration for all of the Senseis' I have had the pleasure of being instructed by. They have taught me well and helped shape me into the person I am today. I sometimes assist my current Sensei in training the younger students. It is my way of giving something back to him for everything he has taught me.
Anyway, I think that's enough of a wall of text. Kudos if you managed to read all of that. To conclude I have a special treat for you guys.
