Finally got to hear the elusive “taichi song” last night! I have to say it is a very clever way of remembering the eight methods of taichi, and I was really suprised at how many of the chinese names that I actually knew…………. demand that you hear it too 
I’m actually starting to feel a little more confident now about grading, I certainly know more chinese names for techniques than I first thought and I think my preformance of the techniques is coming along. I still need to be able to engage my brain on the night though so we will see.
Last nights training was fun as ever. You should try a simulated strangle attack on someone who’s throat you can’t get your hands around! I was partnering Steve last night one of our newer classmates and the guy is seriously huge, not the sort you would relish having to take on in a scrap! That said though, in time it will be great to take him on, the more shapes and sizes of people we get to fight the better.
On the subject of actually fighting people, I know I can be a bit of a hot head sometimes and if someone does me a wrong I’m only too willing to revert to the physical way of sorting things out. I’m begining to become a little less yang in these matters (I hope) and starting to use my brain a little more. I’m still having some trouble with the brainless muppets that caused me to write the “Rage” post, but it’s the very fact that they are brainless that is going to make it so much easier to deal with them once and for all without having to use violence. Although it won’t be as much fun as the physical way it will be very satisfying if everything goes according to plan. I have spent the last few days carefully luring these idiots into a trap, and I can’t believe how easy it has been. Of course I have to overcome the biggest hurdle of all. Getting the police off their backsides! Despite the fact that these numpties are commiting a crime that carries a jail sentence of up to 14 years, I still think the police will be my biggest problem, despite the fact that I will be handing them all the evidence that they would need to secure a conviction. Oh well we will give it a try and if I find that they won’t do anything I guess I’ll be going to war with them too……….. what’s the point of having laws that are never enforced?
Finally the video, and talking of laws, I’ve chosen a song by Amy Winehouse. Recent reports of Amy’s drug use have been all over the news recently, the police obviously don’t care enough to make any sort of attempt at arrest, but the thing that I find most amazing of all is all the publicity that her drug use has attracted. Her father in law asking people not to buy her music, not really much of a solution, when you consider that people with a lot less cash than Amy are addicted to drugs and can get their fix. The one thing that gets my goat about all of this fuss over her drug use is that I think the fact that she is female, would the press be so interested if she was a guy? Me thinks not. One thing is for sure, it’s not the pressure that will make her give up drugs, she will do it when she is ready to do it for herself……………. if ever. Enjoy the song.
Hi Kenny, glad you appreciated the song.
Now then, I just wanted to say that Julie and I disagree with your drugs comment. We thought it was really good when Amy’s father said what he did. From our point of view, anyone who gives money to an addict becomes an “enabler.”
While we do acknowledge your perspective, some people really need to hit rock bottom before they are prepared to turn their life around. I know this is unlikely to happen to Amy, but for some people losing everything or the fear of it can be just the catalyst required to give up. I know of two instances where this has worked and that is two lives saved that would otherwise have been lost. Sometimes relatives have to execute a policy of tough love and it really can work. Of course there will always be those for whom no amount of loss will make a difference, but those people might sadly be too far gone for anything short of a miracle to work.
I agree with what you are saying about giving money to drug users, whole heartedly. But Amy is in a slightly unique position in comparsion with your everyday user.
Unfortunately I’ve lost friends to heroin and it’s seems to be something that more and more of us have in common these days.
I do belive that for most people the only way forward is to hit rock bottom, although rock bottom doesn’t have to be cash orientated. I can also appreciate where Amy’s dad in law was coming from when he asked people to stop buying her music.
My real problem was with the grief that she is getting from the press. I belive that she only gets such a hard time because she is a woman. Unfortunately she probably sells more papers than Pete Docherty or any other male pop star that staggers about off his trolly on who knows what.