Memorial Day: Remembering American Warriors

It feels a Shame to be Alive -
When Men so brave - are dead -
One envies the Distinguished Dust -
Permitted - such a Head -

The Stone - that tells defending Whom
This Spartan put away
What little of Him we - possessed
In Pawn for Liberty -

The Price is great - Sublimely paid -
Do we deserve - a Thing -
That lives - like Dollars - must be piled
Before we may obtain?

Are we that wait - sufficient worth -
That such Enormous Pearl
As life - dissolved be - for Us -
In Battle's - horrid Bowl?

It may be - a Renown to live -
I think the Men who die -
Those unsustained - Saviors -
Present Divinity

- Emily Dickinson.

Martial Moves of the Day: Attack Before Getting Up

GrappleArts has a great article on different ways to get up when you're on the ground and your opponent stands before you.

I cover the topic in my book as well and demonstrate a number of attacks you can do against a standing opponent. Check out two moves from many that I teach. 

The Sweep

The Side Kick

Below is an excerpt of the GrappleArts article where you can INSERT the Sweep and Side Kick from the ground that I demonstrate above.

Martial Arts Pick: Stand Up Tall

Bryan Culbertson shot a short video about how martial arts can help young kids develop confidence and inner strength.  Alot of good insights from Instructors Jorge Lee of ATA Hilsborough, NJ and Alex Wilkie of AlexWilkieMMA.

VA+MA=DI Video Picks: Helium Shortage

Artist Beca Acosta made this animation using collages and drawings.  Then set it to a bunch of beats. Go Beca! It's your b'day.

Love is fun then love hurts but we don't stop wanting love.

Training Video Vault: Ted Lucaylucay

A gem from the past with Ted Lucaylucay showing concepts of shadowboxing and panantukan blade work.

Instagram That Director's Look

Kyle Buchanan has some tips to make your photos look more like stills from some contemporary directors using Instagram filters.  Below are some of my favorites:

Terrence Malick

Malick is famed for shooting at magic hour and venerating nature, so who better to emulate when you're taking pictures outside at the end of the day? Use the Valencia filter for that Tree of Life look and make sure to snap at least one photo of someone running their fingers through tall blades of grass.

Wong Kar-wai

In the mood for the lovely red hues of this director's films 2046 and In the Mood for Love? It helps if you just happen to have a gorgeous woman in a cheongsam at your disposal (not to mention some to-die-for period details), but in a pinch, the saturated Kelvin filter will suffice.

Wes Anderson

Composition is key in a Wes Anderson movie, so line up your photo subjects horizontally, facing the camera, and make sure there are some points of interest far off in the background too. To get the dreamy, vintage look of Anderson's upcoming Moonrise Kingdom, add the Earlybird filter.

J.J. Abrams

The Star Trek director is famously a fan of lens flares, so we'd suggest catching a light or two (or three) in your composition, adding the Walden filter for a subtle blue tint, then playing with Instagram's tilt-shift tool to add some blur and enhance the lens-flare effect.

Bolowhip Presents: V3RBz - Heaven and Hell

Danny Neiba and I have known V3RBz since we were kids and here we present to you a preview of his ill lyrical metaphors through his alter-ego, O-Negative.

IWTST: Shirley Clarke's The Connection

I Want To See This: 

Stuff I Dig: A$AP Rocky + Bonus

Bonus: ASAP Ferg