Kris Roxas' Blog

Ninja Treehouse

2011-03-18T23:55:00.000-07:00

Ninja Treehouse is my new blog - expect great things from it :) I'm not sure exactly what'll become of this blog, but the Treehouse is going to be my new spot for talking about martial arts. This blog is likely going to become a blog about my memoirs and current events.

Jon "Bones" Jones

2011-03-18T21:34:00.000-07:00

Jon "Bones" Jones, from what I've heard from my friend Evan who's heavily into UFC, is basically the kind of fighter who isn't traditionally trained. Or at least to a degree he is, but no serious belts or anything... That really resonates with me.

I've never been able to complete a full black belt, admittedly. I've gotten up to a high yellow in Kung Fu, a white in Judo, and a white in Karate. And, I guess, technically another white belt in Kung Fu when I was really young. But I still think of myself as a capable fighter.

When I heard this about Jones, I knew that there wasn't something wrong with me. Training hard really does pay off. The challenge isn't necessarily to get a belt, it's to become remarkable at what you do.

Fighting Music

2011-03-17T06:49:00.000-07:00

Crazy enough, humans have been using music for fights for (literally) thousands of years. Spartans actually saw the importance of song and music and dance, and sang before they fought to show how unified they are. It's almost even intimidating when you see the other person singing - the loudness and the energy just consumes people. Just a tid-bit of history. But seriously, music is good for fighting and good for your health.

Here are songs I love to train to...

Eminem - Despicable

Eminem's not for everybody, but I love him. This was actually a freestyle! And I uh, don't mean to brag but I can rap this whole thing without looking at the lyrics. (It's okay to be jealous). (I know it's a big accomplishment).

Skrillex - Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites

Skrillex music is kind of try-hard, but I like this song anyways. Dubstep in general is sort of cliche right now too... Hmmm.

Breaking Benjamin - Diary of Jane

This is one of my FAVOURITE songs - I've listened to it probably 200 times. No joke.

I only wanna list 3 videos because any more than that is a little excessive, but here are some other songs that are definitely worth checking out.

Rage Against The Machine

- Bulls on Parade
- Maggie's Farm
- Bullet In Your Head

Excision

- Swagga (ft. Datsik)
- Shambhala 2008
- Shambhala 2009
- Shambhala 2010

Beck

- Where It's At

Rise Against

- Prayer Of A Refugee
- Give It All

TAWG

- Secrets Kept

Dayglo Abortions

- Proud To Be A Canadian

Stoned Optic

- Party Song
- Full Circle

Deadmau5

- Ghosts N Stuff ------- NOT the Rob Swire version (blehhk)
- Raise Your Weapon
- Some Chords

Stickybuds

- Whalestep
- Whalestep (Excision version)

Splitting Adam

- On My Own

Lil Jon

- Get Outta Your Mind

LMFAO

- Shots

There are a lot of songs I don't have listed, and honestly my music knowledge is sort of limited. But if you have any comments, or want to list anymore fight music then leave a comment below!

Tsunamis and Earthquakes

2011-03-15T23:40:00.000-07:00

My thoughts and prayers are with Japan... I'm one of the lucky few to have relatives and friends that have survived the disaster. I don't have much to say, but I can't imagine what it would've been like if they didn't pick up the phone. If they didn't email me and my family... I'm not experienced with death. I'm not sure how I would've handled it.

Yesterday my family was shaken enough that we even attended a tsunami and earthquake preparedness meeting. We learned about our area's risks, how to make emergency kits, and all the kinds of emergency kits we'll need, along with general prep and info about emergency services. I wasn't concerned about a big disaster in my area (still not so much, to be honest). But seeing what happened there made me think, and it is a reality, that there's going to be a huge disaster in my city. Maybe not this week, but maybe even in 200 years where my great-great-great grand-kids will have to deal with it...

Anyways... I do hope they have a swift recovery, and best wishes for Japan.

Sincerely,
Kris Roxas

Martial Arts Book

2011-02-15T06:34:00.000-08:00

I'm writing a book, and I thought that was a cool title. It's about the metaphysical, and the physical, and about your your need for safety is one reality and the "bad guys'" is another... But which one will become true?

Our thoughts and intentions shape our reality, or at least the way we perceive it. And no, my book isn't all fairy dust, I do go pretty deep into actual workouts, techniques, etc. I'm excited for it :)

I'll let you know more about it soon, I promise!

Kris

Be honest with yourself

2010-11-23T20:37:00.000-08:00

Are you pushing yourself too hard?
Are you just scared of failure?
Do you really agree with their opinion?
Did you make the right choice?
Do you think you're good enough?
Are you overweight?
Are you lazy?
Have you really reached your limit?
Are you in over your head?
Do you undervalue yourself?
Are you afraid of dying?
Are you a good role model?

... Are you being honest?

Confusing, Contradictory, and Counter-Productive Nutrition and Diets

2010-11-21T17:50:00.000-08:00

I`m a fan of learning new things... I love learning new things, especially when it's a topic I believe will be helpful. So, I did a little peak performance and healthy living learning with some Tony Robbins programs... I was kind of surprised to hear a few things. I haven't completed my research, but there's a LOT of weird dietary/nutritional facts...

Speaking just about Tony's products, here's what I heard... Impartial list, no huge research done on all of it yet. So bare with me.

Don't eat carbohydrates and proteins at the same time
Don't eat meals with drinks, or immediately after
Don't have dairy products
Oxygen prevents cancer

Now, I'm not saying they're wrong, bad, or have negative impacts... But are they good? I looked into the dairy thing so far, and I've heard him explain the oxygen thing. The oxygen one made sense to me, and breathing is a requirement anyways, so getting more good air just seemed like a good idea.

But here's the screwed up thing...

Animal-protein-rich things like milk contain calcium, and b-vitamins, and other good stuff like that... But it also causes osteoperosis due to calcium leeching from our bones. And it doesn't surprise me, but it also contains growth hormones from cows that haven't given birth yet, so then people start developing depression and little girls "grow up" faster. People who ingest cows milk are also ingesting those hormones, which are female, so then girls develop faster, and men become a little more moody and effeminate.

But then also eggs contain a lot of essential nutrients, but slow the intake of vitamin b-7 (biotin)... which you get from animal proteins.

And apparently soy is a cure-all, but also leads to womens' thyroid issues, and kidney problems, etc.

You can't have high-sugar fruits because of too much sugar. Diabetes, blood pressure, etc.

Eggs counter the proteins... Meats/dairy contain b-vitamins and female hormones... You can't switch to soy... Some fruits are bad for you...

Apparently... The solution is becoming a vegan who doesn't have soy and certain fruits.

Fuck. That.

Here's my solution:

People around the world, from every culture, have more or less figured out what to eat. Nowadays, though, we have a bunch of "junk foods" which everyone already knows is bad for you anyways... But really, you already know what to eat.

Eat meats, fish, bread, pasta, fruits, veggies... etc. Drink milk, water, natural juices.

You get the picture. Eat healthy, and organic helps, since it doesn't have chemicals.

And get plenty of exercise that you enjoy doing, and get lots of fresh air. It's simple!!

You don't need complex diets, or anything, you just need to avoid candy and soda and coffee is you can... I break this rule sometimes, I'm human. But I eat healthy most of the time. I don't overeat, I eat when I'm hungry, and I feel like I've worked up a worthy hunger.

Seriously! You know the best things for yourself already.

Eat good food, when you need to
Exercise regularly
Breathe fresh air regularly
And all those other health-enhancing things...

It's just about having the willingness to do them, and to be happy, and feel satisfied. They're all factors.

Like a Book

2010-11-16T19:11:00.000-08:00

I've seen the result of bad martial arts schools.

And no, I'm not going to talk about how a lot of fighters are just bad, or how their moves aren't very effective/legal. Or about how you're supposed to train in a gi. Or even about how some are scams, and take your money... Or about how they brainwash you into thinking you should only study one martial art...

I'm talking about how static they are.

They're predictable.

They like to train students a certain criteria, and attempt to make perfect clones like the person should be a martial arts robot.

And they train their students just the fighting, and not any mindset... The mindset is more important, in my opinion. Everything sort of comes down to the thoughts you have, and the decisions you make, which lead to what actions you perform.

It's a Martial Art, and it should become a real art. It should really resonate with the Artist, and they should be allowed to stray from the curriculum.

What works for you, might not necessarily work for the guy next to you... Some people like Pepsi, some people like Coke, or if you're like me you like both but try staying away from soda (uggghhhhh... it's so good, but so unhealthy).

You don't need to stick to just one martial art, or be very rigid with the way you do yours, you should make it your own.

If I go up against somebody trained in a school, I can almost always predict what kinds of things he'll do, unless he's really clever.

I'll show you how easy it is to defeat a martial art...

Tae Kwon Do translated means:
"to strike or break with foot"

Karate translated means:
"empty hand"

That means a lot to me. That means that I need to mainly block kicks from the Tae Kwon Do guy, and maybe pick up a weapon against the Karate guy. And I also know how their movements works, since I've trained a little in both of them.

Tae Kwon Do is a Korean form of Karate, and they're very direct. They like to use moves that move very straight. TKD has a certain stance, and a way of moving. So does Karate.

Kung Fu, on the other hand, means "hard work". And they like very circular moves. However, they also have a shitload of branches, which I love. They have many stances, and ways of moving. I happen to know a lot of them.

MMA guys usually like to grapple, and have submissions, and study Muay Thai. Well, the trick is, don't let them get you in a hold. Their stances very, but it's usually just two fists by the face.

Krav Maga has a couple different stances, and I trained in it so I understand it more. It's a very brutal martial art.

Judo/Jiujitsu. Judo is very grapple heavy, and jiujitsu is too but they have strikes.

Tai Chi is very flowing, and is done as a sort of meditation, but it can be applied to fighting really sneakily.

Capoeira is very extravagant... To say teh least.

Muay Thai/kickboxing is very direct. I understand a little more than that, but you get the point.

Some martial arts like Kyusho, and the one with the Dim Mak (death touch) try using arteries and pressure points. I don't recommend them!!!

Ninjitsu is among my favourites, along with Kung Fu. Ninjitsu is all about being un-predictable. Their stances, and moves are so effective, and under-utilized! Aaaannnnndddd... Best of all. They're not static.

They have an understanding of the human body and use it to their advantage. They understand the situation, and don't always just try to brawl. They're sneaky.

There's a certain stance that makes you look like the victim. You can get arm-barred easily. There are nerve strikes. There are death strikes.

I met a guy whose Ninjitsu school invented a NEW kick - a counter to the roundhouse. They used it in a tournament against other martial arts, and it was undefeatable because nobody had ever seen it!

There's just so many martial arts out there, and so many variations, you can't just ignore them all. You should understand how it all works, have the basics down, and be able to adapt to any situation.

How do you counter something you've never seen before? Exactly.
Be aware of every move.

What Is Intent?

2010-11-15T21:05:00.000-08:00

Focus + Will = Intent

Focus = where the spotlight is
Will = how bright the spotlight is

How to Not Get Arrested for Fighting

2010-11-15T16:56:00.000-08:00

Well, I guess you could just not fight, but that's not what this is about. Everybody's always like, "Well don't start shit!" My question for them is, "What if you're getting mugged...?" Or even better, "What if you see somebody else getting attacked?"

Yeah, seriously. You could be seeing somebody get the crap beat out of them, or somebody hoping to not get raped, or someone could try breaking into your house and you want to defend yourself.

Did you know that even if a robber just broke into your house, but sustains an injury at your house, you can be charged? Ironically, there's also another law somewhere that states that the robbers are responsible for themselves if they do that stuff... Once a home owner ended up killing somebody (a teenager actually... ouch) and the other teen accomplices were actually been charged with the murder. Yeah, screwed up, right?

You can relatively easily avoid going to jail... It's sort of simple.

1. It depends on the situation, but try NOT striking people.
Striking is illegal, especially if you start it. A lot of martial arts counters involves strikes... It might also be helpful to mention that some martial arts were built to kill people in a war! We're not really in feudal Japan, or part of the Israeli Defense Forces.

However, it's probably okay to strike somebody if they're going to kill you, rape you, have a weapon, or anything else where your life is truly in danger. I reaalllyyy think you should tread lightly on this one.

Learn how to handle people without hitting. Maybe talking, but I'm mainly talking about locks and submissions.

2. Don't be an idiot.
If somebody throws popcorn at you, don't punch them in the face. This actually happened, I just came out of a school dance one time, and I saw this happen.

If you have an opportunity to call the cops, you should probably take it... There are a lot of factors involved, like not seeing something coming, or if it suddenly escalates quickly, or if there's a working phone around. But if there's a really violent situation already happening, and you have a chance to call for help, you probably should.

Those are two pretty big ones, here are some smaller ones I'm too lazy to write about.

Run away (if there's a gun, run in a zig-zag)
Pick up a weapon (you don't need to use it, it's just for being more intimidating)
Don't fight (not always an option, but it helps)
Do the fighters give their consent? Fighting in a competition, or just for fun is usually okay within reason. (No really bad injuries, or deaths.) It helps... I like to spar for fun, and I practice with nunchucks at school, so I guess I can technically get the cops called on me. *ahem*

Are You a Streetfighter?

2010-11-14T18:06:00.000-08:00

I hope you're not. I used to call myself one all the time, but I actually just realized I'm more than that... Let's face it, streetfighting is dangerous.

Some people might do it for fun, or by accident, or even for money, but you can get seriously hurt if it goes too far. But here's the secret: don't let it get that far.

I'm more than a streetfighter because I've studied interpersonal psychology (the one that studies how humans behave) for 2 years now, and learned how to build friendships and relationships especially from scratch. And more importantly, I've also been using what I've learned for those 2 years. I made a wise decision.

The most important thing you could do is learn how to interact with other people, and to actually do it of course... But if you know how to talk people down, or motivate them to do something, or how to get people on your side, then it means a lot more than just beating the crap out of somebody.

Fighting is only a small part of what you should do. I mean I train a LOT, I can train for hours at a time, and I also look up new moves, and think up new strategies, but fighting is still a small part of the equation...

Imagine this...

You're walking down the street in a shady part of town and nobody messes with you... Why? How? Is it your self confidence? Can they automatically detect that you know martial arts? Maybe. Or maybe it's something more than that.

Maybe it's because of the way you dress, or the way you walk. Maybe it's your eye contact with other people. Maybe it's how you talk to other people, or just how many people you know, and you're possibly hanging out with them right now. Maybe it's because of your skin colour, or how tall/muscly/etc.

Or (this is my favourite) it's your Reputation... My reputation as a fighter is pretty high right now, at least in parts of my city. It's not like that by accident... I made it like that.

I haven't had to be in a fight for about a year or two now. It's a combination of everything, plus probably a couple more since I probably forgot some things. But you get the point, right?

I guess I'm a martial artist... An artist of military stuff. I might also be a good bouncer too. I don't really know what it is, but I'm not necessarily a streetfighter...

I was helping to host a poker/boxing/birthday party last night, and my uncle was actually getting a little rough with his girlfriend and I had to step in. Now, just earlier that day, I actually told them what I wanted to do in the future. And that's to be in the Olympics and to give self-defense advice.

But they knew I could throw down if I wanted, so when I moved in-between them and kept a close eye on her it helped a lot! She felt more safe, and my uncle backed off a little more (obviously he couldn't put his hands on her anymore too...)

I didn't even really need to speak, I was already the guardian. (Oh sh-t, I like that word.. Hmmmm.) I was the shield, and the negotiator, and all these other things. I didn't need to fight.

The Secret Weak Spots On A Human Body

2010-11-09T20:51:00.000-08:00

Supposedly this guy can knock somebody out with pure energy... I've tried stuff like this. I tested out a martial art called Kyusho for a while that worked mainly on arteries, and I've even used Ninjitsu nerve strikes.

But here's a secret... They don't work all the time. Not everybody will respond to it for whatever reason. Some people will! I used to Kyusho move to turn some peoples' legs into jelly (1/10), and they collapsed with no problems. I used the nerve strikes on people and they work on like 7/10 people.

Some people just don't have weak spots that are affected that easily.

Hell, I can't even get strangled anymore! Well, not really. I can tense up my neck to the point where I can still breathe, and pressure isn't put on my windpipe.

There's even a guy who's trained himself to withstand getting kicked in the nuts. Wow. I know like 99.9% of guys past puberty go down like a sack of bricks.

There are weak spots on the body you guys, but don't try relying on "energy blasts" or secret arteries, or nerve strikes or whatever... You can definitely go for them, but there's no 100% guaranteed spots.

Here's a short list of weak spots off the top of my head:

Eyes
Area between upper lip and nose (forgot the name)
Solarplexus
Nutsack
Throat
Nerves all over the body (I like nerve strikes, they're very simple and effective)
Thighs - especially the nerves on the legs
The inner knees
Joints in general
Ears
Nose

You can basically hit anywhere and make it hurt, but you might as well hit the parts that hurt the most.

How to Punch Without Hurting Your Wrists

2010-11-08T22:13:00.000-08:00

Well, most people probably don't know this, but you need to strengthen your joints. One of my friends was actually like, "Well, you don't really need to strengthen your joints..." when I showed him some joint exercises.

I said to him, "Well, where are most injuries?" Yep. That's right. In your joints! I'm pretty sure that day I was showing him wrist exercises.

Training your muscles and bones is great, but it's only a part of punching. You still need to take into account that your tendons need to be strong too.

A few exercises I like are just rotating my wrists around, wrist push-ups (try these against a wall first), and going slowly up and down with my arms stretched out in front of me.

Live Until Bedtime...

2010-11-08T21:30:00.000-08:00

You need to live until you sleep (bedtime). It's all you need to do. Making the most out of the 24 hours you're given everyday is all you can do. Period. You can't re-live the past, and you sure as hell can't do anything before the time actually comes to pass. You can do things right now that affect the future, but you can't act in the future.

If you want to get something/anything done then you need to block out the past and future. Concentrate on the task at hand.

Pills Make Me Better... I Think

2010-11-07T12:10:00.000-08:00

So, I've been diagnosed with ADD (attention deficit disorder for people who don't know...) I dunno if they're actually making a huge difference so far, they're trying to find the right dosage for me.

But the thing is, the only day I felt a significant difference was the first day. I felt a buzz in my head - almost like I was wired on caffeine. And I felt that for like 10 hours straight. Awesome. Especially since the only thing I wanted to do that day was just play Stacraft 2 which I had just gotten like a day or two earlier.

But now there's no noticeable difference in my attention span... I still only focus on things I like. Which seemed to be the problem for most people. I only put my focus into things I loved to do, and what made me happy, and settled for nothing less.

Did the pills make me any better as a person? I'm not sure. They helped me focus better on the task at hand, but I'm still not doing homework, or listening to bullshit rules.

In a way I guess it does... I'm not even gonna get into the way it made me even view myself. I didn't even think I needed pills, and thought I didn't even have ADD. Now it's getting sort of out of hand.

Welcome to My Blog

2010-11-05T22:26:00.000-07:00

I've had plenty of blogs before, even KrisRoxas.com, but I couldn't pay for hosting anymore. Don't worry, I'm not bitter, I'm kind of glad, I was trying to get way too over-complicated and it didn't lead me to any real massive success.

So, this is the new Kris Roxas blog, which ironically is one of the older ones... Whatever.

I'll be posting updates on music, martial arts, and anything else I think is important. Those two are my passions. I have a few more, but those have always been my biggest besides writing. But I do a lot of writing anyways, and that's why I have a blog.

Peace
-Kris Roxas