Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Hail to King Mickey! (Thoughts on Disney's Acquisition of "Star Wars")


Here’s a question for you: what do Buzz Lightyear, Spider-Man, Kermit the Frog, and (just recently) Darth Vader have in common? 

They all bow down to King Mickey.
The Walt Disney Company has just acquired Lucasfilm Ltd., adding Star Wars to their rich collection of marketable entertainment properties which already include those owned and created by Pixar, Muppet Studio, and Marvel (giant entertainment/creative companies that Disney owns).  Muppet Studio and Marvel has been acquired earlier this century, and now with Lucasfilm, I can say that the degree of how much I was stunned of news of acquisition by Disney escalates a notch with each one.  It makes me excited now how much pop culture/nerd properties and franchises would Disney own and what’s the next dramatic acquisition would be!      

Ever since its foundation by the awesome Walt Disney – who was a visionary genius and was way ahead of his time – the Company has been greatly innovative, aggressive, and ambitious on its operations.  Now with ventures in TV (they own several networks which includes ABC and ESPN), radio, the Internet, publishing, merchandising, theme parks, and movies, Disney could be the world’s largest and most influential multi-media entertainment conglomerate.  And Star Wars is one of the most significant pop culture properties in history; it has one of the biggest and most rapidly loyal fan bases in the world and it’s one of the most lucrative brands out there for merchandising; thus, with its acquisition, it shows that Disney is still at the top of its game and very much serious on staying so.
       

Aside from the production of more Star Wars live-action films, starting with the announced “Star Wars 7” on 2015 (gonna be a big movie year with Mockingjay, Ant-Man, Avengers 2, Avatar 2, and Justice League [which I’m doubtful to be successfully made at that time] also set for 2015), there are tons of things Disney can do from it.  Here are some of my ideas, some of which are very logical and probable to happen: 
  • Star Wars-themed rides in Disneyland
  • The return of Marvel-published Star Wars comicbooks
  • Princess Leia joining the Disney Princesses line-up
  • Pixar-animated Star Wars films/animated series
  • Expanding the Indiana Jones franchise (Lucasfilm shares ownership of the property with Paramount)
  • Etcetera, etcetera.   Plenty of possibilities to be excited about! 

Hmmmm.  This happening is still pretty surreal to me.  Wow.  Just wow.  Walt Disney has been dead for some time now but his sheer awesomeness is still carrying momentum till modern times.  It seems the House of Mouse is taking over Nerdom and the entertainment business one property at a time until, someday, King Mickey would reign supreme over all…  

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Chain of Thoughts on the Book of Job


Starting this month of October, our daily devotions (in church and in my family) are derived from the Book of Job.    Job is one of the most notable and iconic characters in the Bible (though he wasn’t able to make my top ten favorites), and his story is definitely compelling and lesson-filled.  Here are some thoughts, in bullets:
  • There is something about how the Book of Job is written that puzzles me, and even makes me think that the Book of Job could be a fictional story (even if it is, it won’t undermine the Bible being the Word of God.  If – hypothetically speaking – the Book of Job is indeed fiction, it still carries a lot of important spiritual truths.  It could be an Old Testament parable.  Thus, if we use the same context of the Gospels’ parables’ intent – which is being God-inspired fictional stories that allegorizes important spiritual truths – on the Book of Job, then even if it’s fiction, it doesn’t mean it destroys the Bible’s legitimacy as the Word of God).  What do I mean?  Well, the conversations here between the characters are almost all in poetry form, as if they are in a Shakespearean play!  Now, if the events in the Book of Job actually happened in history, there are only two possible reasons for this: a) the Book of Job is merely a poetical paraphrase of the actual story of what happened to Job and it was the writer who restated the actual conversations by the involved people into poem form; or b) the poetical structure was the actual delivery of the conversations because people of that time are like characters of a musical who can and will spontaneously sing an appropriate song in a given situation.
  • In the story, it was as if Satan gate-crashed himself into the throne room of God to discuss about Job with Him (Job 1:6-12; 2:1-6).  Now, why wasn’t Satan completely obliterated in the presence of such extreme holiness?   We know for a fact that actual, face-to-face conversation between God and Satan is impossible.  In the midst of God’s full glory and holiness, Satan would be annihilated!  Thus, the only seemingly logical conclusion is this proves the theory that the Book of Job is, if not a work of fiction, then at least a poetical, creative rendition – but divinely inspired nonetheless – of the story of Job than an actual, direct biography.  The spiritual realm and how things work there – the form of communication between God and the Devil, battles between angels, etc. – is an absolute mystery to us.  Our human, physical minds have no capability of comprehending the mechanics of events in the spiritual realm.  We are limited by the physics, logic, and concepts of the physical realm. Thus, the writer re-interpreted the truth of “God is sovereign; Satan can’t do anything unless God allows it” into a prose form where the happening in the spiritual realm (of how Satan asks permission from God) was re-enacted as if it’s in a physical setting (thus, the whole “Satan gate-crashing into the throne room of God to discuss about Job with Him” sequence).      
  • The “how” (the means of communication between God and the Devil) is actually unimportant.  What really matters here is the fact of God’s total sovereignty.  God’s will will always reign supreme, it will always come through.  If something is going to happen contrary to His will, then He will successfully intervene because of His omnipotence.  What God wills is always for good.  He doesn’t will evil, but he does allow it to happen.  Why?  Because of His omniscient wisdom, He knows that there’s something good that will come out of that evil happening.  Because if not, then He will intervene to prevent that evil to happen.  Evil can’t ever happen if God doesn’t allow it.  And any evil that happens – no matter how terrible it is in our eyes – mean that there is something good that will come out of it.  At that moment that evil is happening or being experienced – and it’s impossible for us to see that good will come out of it – we should just trust God.  In His perfect time, the good result will be revealed to us.   
  • Satan has been given a lot of dastardly nicknames like “The Dragon”, “The Father of Lies”, “The Ancient Serpent”, and “The Evil One.”  But by reading Job, we can see that he is not only those things but he’s also the Master of Douchebaggery.  Daring God to allow him to do those terrible things to Job as a test for his faithfulness?!  That’s first-class unparalleled douchebaggery.   It’s even quite probable that Satan’s still doing this these days – daring God to test us by allowing him to do terrible things to us.  If so, we can rightfully blame the Devil for all the misfortunes we are experiencing right now.  What a jerk.    
  • It’s always a comfort that God is in control, and that any suffering that is inflicted upon us by the Devil won’t go way past the extent of what God allows, just as how God limited the amount of suffering the Devil can inflict on Job (In the first test, the Devil can take away or destroy everything Job has, but wasn’t allowed to physically harm Job.  In the second, he is now allowed to physically harm Job, but was not allowed to kill him).  Moreover, as already mentioned earlier, there is good that will result from any evil that God allows to happen.  Thus, we have the hope that God will see to it that something good will come out of our sufferings.
  • Indeed, God punishes us – His children – by letting us suffer the consequences of our sins.  This is not to destroy us, but, rather, to indicate that we have sinned, to humble us to repent, and to ultimately restore us.  But suffering isn’t always due to sin.  Job was a blameless and faithful man, but God still allowed him to suffer.  The other reason for God allowing us to suffer is to test us, and through the experience, we will have a deeper faith and understanding of God.  Just as what happened with Job.    
  • At the start, Job’s friends behaved as what true and noble friends should, they went to Job’s side during his darkest hour.  They intended to give him comfort but they only added to Job’s suffering when they opened their mouths (after being silent for seven days) since all that came out were assumptions and accusations that Job must have sinned to receive such awful series of misfortunes.   Actually, the words of Job’s friends taken per se were full of wisdom.  However, they were missing the point and context on what’s happening to Job.  Job’s suffering wasn’t a punishment from God for his sins, but was rather a test from God.  Job’s friends didn’t realize this.  Instead, because of their false conclusions, they were being foolish, insensitive, unhelpful, hurtful, and borderline self-righteous.  The lesson here is, as godly friends, we should be ready to seek God’s wisdom in helping or comforting our hurting and suffering friends.  Only God knows the exact reason why someone is suffering, therefore we mustn’t err in quickly identifying the suffering as a punishment from God.  And, sometimes, being silent and just being by a suffering friend’s side – a shoulder to cry on, an ear that is ready to listen, a strong hand to comfort the trembling – is the best approach; by opening our mouths – like what Job’s friends did – we may add to the suffering than give comfort.  Even if it’s clear that the suffering was a result of his sin, criticizing and speaking “I told you so”-kind of words during this time is not what real friends do, but rather, real friends give gentle and encouraging reminders that God will forgive and restore when someone sincerely repents.
  • God won’t allow any suffering or trial to happen to His children that they won’t be able to handle.  This is indeed a clichéd truth, but nonetheless comforting to be reminded of it. 
  • We can see how great Job’s faith is from the extent of the suffering God allowed him to experience.  Again, God won’t allow any suffering to happen that a child of His won’t be able to endure through.  Therefore, since God allowed such sheer devastation on Job’s life, it means that’s the immense extent of Job’s endurance!  Indeed, Job was a great man of God. 
  • I believe that how fast we arrive at that point we finally grumble (and, by extent, how frequent we grumble) at God is inversely proportional to the amount of trust we have in God.  Thus, the quicker we whine to God, the less our belief in God’s promises is.  And the deeper our faith in God is, the more endurance and patience we have in bearing our sufferings. 
  • Chances are, any suffering we have experienced or are experiencing isn’t even comparable to what Job had experienced.  But in the mildest of inconveniences, we are so quick to complain to God!  Well, this is true of me sometimes often… please forgive me, Lord. 
  • Indeed, God is God.  He can’t be questioned.  He is the omnipotent Creator and he reigns supreme over all Creation.  Nothing can frustrate or overcome His will.  We are merely His creatures and it is greatly foolish and arrogant of us if we challenge God.  However, after we became children of God, He becomes our Father.  And as a good, loving Father, he is willing to be patient and kind when we, His children, are having tantrums.  He allows himself to become our emotional punching bag.  He is willing to listen to our complaints and naggings.  To help us avoid releasing negative emotions we are feeling inside to others and risk sinning, we can present it to God instead.  He is ready to be the receiving end of our catharsis when we are releasing the pain, disappointment, anger, frustration, weariness, and doubts in our hearts.  And once we exhausted out all our grievances, God is sure to comfort us, and touch us to give up our stubbornness but surrender instead to His perfect will.  He will remind us to “be still and know that He is God!” (Psalm 46:10a)  I greatly appreciate this privilege so much.  Thank you, Lord. 
  • I mentioned earlier the fact that the more frequent and how quick we complain means the less we have faith with God.  The immature Christians (mostly, those new in the faith) or “spiritual babies” are like actual physical babies.  Babies have short patience and weak tolerance for pain.  Just as babies throw tantrums with the smallest of hassles, “baby” Christians would complain to God with the smallest of trials.  But, as I’ve mentioned in the last paragraph, God, being a good Father, will be tolerant of the tantrums of His “spiritual babies.”  However, this does not mean we are given the right to throw tantrums forever.  A person matures from a baby to an adult; he outgrows throwing tantrums as his patience improves.  Thus, a Christian should also mature in spirit from being a “baby” to an “adult.”  Spiritual growth should be present in the life of a true Christian.  As we mature in our faith, the less we would succumb to complaining to God.  As we mature, we will have more patience and endurance in dealing with our sufferings. 
  • When God finally answered Job’s cries, God made it clear to Job the fact that He is God!  He reminded Job how greatly vast and powerful he is and that the human mind can never comprehend his fullness.  Thus, Job realized how small he is compared to God.  Job realized that he has no right to question what God is doing in his life; since he can’t even understand the things God does with Creation, how more will he understand how God is working with his life?
  • All’s well that ends well.  In the end, it was a happy ending for Job.  After the agonizing trial that Job undergone came great blessing.  God healed Job; made him wealthy again, giving him twice as much as he had before; gave him another set of children; and gave him a long life.  This is another lesson from the life of Job: God never wastes pain.  Any pain or suffering we experience is going to be rewarded by God once we get through it.  Thus, if we desire blessings, then we must be willing to embrace suffering.  Beside, whether it’s blessing or suffering, as long as it comes from God, then we can be sure that it’s meant for our good.  As what is mentioned in Job 2:10, “Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?”  Indeed, we should embrace, not only the blessings, but the suffering as well.      
  • The most powerful line in Job is arguably 1:21b: “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.”  Indeed, the glorifying of God is not dependent on the conditions we are in.  Whether in good times or bad times, God is worthy of our praise. 
  • The Book of Job mentions of the Leviathan and the Behemoth.  They definitely mean dinosaurs!  No, I won’t allow you to dissuade me.  
So, this is all for now.  I MIGHT write of more thoughts as we go on in with our daily devotions on the Book of Job.  For the time being, I encourage you to have your own meditations on the Book of Job.

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Thoughts on the Lakers Before the 2012-2013 NBA Season Starts


GUNSLINGER'S RIDE TO THE SUNSET

I was surprised and saddened when Kobe implied in interviews that he will be only playing for two or three more seasons.  I’ve always thought that he could and would play till he’s 40.   Guess I was wrong.  Actually, the issue is not being able to play till he’s 40.  Rather, playing in a high level till he’s 40.  Kobe can’t imagine himself merely becoming a role player in his last years.  Kobe is a proud lion who would rather retire when he is still on the top of his game (still, there’s a part of me that find it unKobelike of him to retire when he is still able to play on a high level.  I’ve always thought that he is the kind of person that would go on fighting till his legs collapse beneath him).    

But I’m still crossing my fingers; hoping that Kobe, after three years, would find his body still capable of playing on that level he’s satisfied with that would make him comfortably play till he’s 40.  Would love that. 

Nonetheless, this next two or three seasons are likely to be Kobe’s last.  And I’m going to enjoy this proud gunslinger’s ride to the sunset as much as I can.  It had been wonderful following Kobe’s career.  He has been a major factor why I love the Lakers and basketball.  And he is one of those persons that I grew to look up to and be greatly fond of.  Gonna terribly miss watching him play. 

And, of course, the preferable way to go is with a bang!  That he would lead the Lakers to win all the championships in the remaining two or three seasons he is going to play, and receive more All-Star starting spot and All-NBA First Team selections; another regular season MVP; an All-Star MVP (so he can have the sole title of having the most All-Star MVPs); and a couple more Finals MVPs along the way.

INTERESTING THINGS TO LOOK FORWARD TO AFTER KOBE RETIRES

There are some silver linings to look forward to when Kobe retires.  There’s the induction to the Hall of Fame (though that might take a long time after his retirement to happen) and I’m excitedly interested how his speech would go.  While waiting for that HOF ballot, we’ll see his jersey numbers – no. 8 and no. 24 – retired first.  Yes, I do believe both numbers should be retired.  That’s another highlight after his retirement.  But what I’m looking forward to the most is the bestselling Kobe Bryant autobiography that I’m quite sure will be written. 

Quite interesting as well what Kobe would do after playing in the NBA.  Kobe said he planned to play in Italy after he plays in the NBA.  But what of after his playing career?  I’m very interested and curious what he would decide as career once he hangs up his basketball shoes for good.  I’ve always said that I like him to be a coach or analyst.  He might have not been able to surpass MJ as the Greatest Player Ever but he might find his niche in coaching immortality and become the Greatest Coach Ever (surpassing the Zen Master himself).  Or he could become the next ninja Lakers GM that Jerry West and Mitch Kupchack have been, drafting the next Kobe or pulling another absurd “Kwame ‘bonafide scrub’ Brown-for-Pau Gasol” trade.  Heck, since he’s in LA anyway, he might as well take the Hollywood route.  I think he will do well as an actor.  Who knows, he might even start loving acting and find that he is good at it.  He might become the next Will Smith.  LOL.   

It’s also interesting to see how the Lakers would look like without Kobe Bryant.  Throughout my life as a Laker fan, Kobe has always been on the Lakers.  Once he retires, it’s going to be the first time I will be a Laker fan with no Kobe on the team.  So it’s going to be a new experience for me to cheer for a Lakers team that has no Kobe Bryant.  And I, as a Laker fan, welcome such experience of novelty brought by the shifting of era. 

The Lakers have Dwight Howard now and will build around him once Kobe retires.  But will Dwight replace Kobe’s place in my heart as a favorite Laker great?  Hmmm.  Not sure.  However, I’m thinking of something crazier…
If LeBron is still playing the same beast level that he is playing now by that time, then I would love to see him play for and find greatness with the Lakers.  If not LeBron, how about…
LeBron or Durnatula in a Laker uniform or something of this effect… awesome!  Okay, okay.  This kind of thing is highly unlikely to happen at this point.  But the Lakers have the knack of making highly unlikely things happening.    

THE NEW LOOK LAKERS

This off-season was a Lakers blockbuster.  It’s old news already that the Lakers obtained Steve Nash and Dwight Howard.  Now, this 2012-2013 Los Angeles Lakers team looks to have the best starting five I ever saw in my years as a Laker fan (could even be the best Lakers starting five ever... but we can only say this with finality once they win some titles).    

And the bench looks formidable, too.  At least, compared to the bench of the last two seasons, this Laker bench now looks to be an upgrade (but this will only be proven once the season starts), with the acquisition of Antawn Jamison and Jodie Meeks, and the retaining of Jordan Hill. 

Excited much.

STEVE NASH

The acquisition that I liked most is that of Steve Nash.  I’ve always maintained the opinion that Kobe Bryant should add a Reggie Miller-like game – to move without the ball, lose defenders on screens, and quickly catch and shoot – to his offensive arsenal.  But for that to be possible, there should be a competent point guard to share the backcourt with Kobe.  Throughout his career as a Laker, Kobe wasn’t only concentrating on being a primary scorer, he was also the lead facilitator, too, given the lack of a point guard that can efficiently do it instead of him.   And it’s not easy for Kobe to allow somebody else to dominate the basketball more than him; it should be someone that has enough competence to make Kobe trust and respect him.  Steve Nash is more than competent, and he would surely energize greatly the Laker offense.  Kobe had already expressed his excitement on trusting Nash on what to do with the offense.  If Kobe gets himself open, Nash will surely find him. 

It’s also kind of interesting that there is someone other than Kobe that would shoot that technical free throw, considering the fact that Nash is the better free-throw shooter.    

DWIGHT HOWARD

Before, I was apathetic if Andrew Bynum should be traded for Dwight Howard; I was neither for it nor against it.  But once Steve Nash was acquired, I finally become all for the acquisition of Howard.  Howard is a better fit for the Lakers once Nash became part of the equation.  Probably Nash’s greatest strength is running the pick and roll.  And Nash’s big man partner in the pick and roll – whether it’s Amare Stoudemire or Marcin Gortat – has always benefited significantly from him.  Now, Pau Gasol is the kind of player that would have no problem running the pick and roll with Nash.  Bynum, however, is another matter.  His main strength is using his size and power to post himself up, thus, he needs the ball early on to work.  Howard, on the other hand, is the athletic, quick, and strong kind that would explode on the basket; perfect as Nash’s pick and roll partner.  Aside from this, it can’t be denied that Nash’s weakness is his defense.  While Howard is known to be the game’s best inside defender, thus, he will offset the defensive weakness that Nash brings.
   
Moreover, Howard is a better passer and is proficient in kicking out the ball to an outside shooter when he is being crowded by defenders inside, a skill that Bynum lacks.  This would add to the already smooth and crisp Laker offense that Nash will bring.

WHO IS THE MVP?  KOBE, NASH, OR HOWARD?

Though I want greatly for Kobe Bryant to win the season MVP again, it’s highly unlikely.  Even if the Lakers get the best record in the NBA, having a star-packed lineup would undermine Kobe’s chances, since it’s already expected that having a line-up of stars should perform extremely well.  Even if he performs in a high level, like averaging 25+ points a game through a career-best 49 FG%, critics will attribute this – regardless of being reasonable or not – solely to Steve Nash’s playmaking.  If the MVP still happens to go to a Laker, despite the difficulty of someone belonging to a star-packed team to win the MVP, it’s more likely for newcomers Nash – rejuvenating and boosting the Laker offense – and Howard – lifting the Lakers’ defense to elite status – to be credited and picked by the media (the guys who will vote for the MVP).  Kobe is in a disadvantage here.

If all three of them perform well during the Finals, the same dilemma arises for Finals MVP.  However, with or without MVP awards, what matters most is winning that championship.  I want to experience another glorious and joyful June because of a Laker championship.  Anything short of a championship is failure.  Championship > MVP.             

LASTLY, THE ONLY NON-LAKER SUBJECT THAT MATTERS TO ME BEFORE THE SEASON STARTS: LINSANITY!

Still hoping that last season’s awesome performance by Jeremy Lin would be exceeded or, at least, repeated in Houston.  I pray he’ll blow us away… all for God’s glory!    

Monday, October 15, 2012

Floodgates at YOUnyTH Concert

Our friends from "God Has the Answer" church invited us to be part of their YOUnyTH concert last October 12.  Here was our set that night, which was kind of old-school:

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Chain of Thoughts on Marvel NOW!

This October, Marvel NOW! starts.  It’s a relaunching of Marvel Comics’ titles on the main continuity (Earth-616) which would start all of them with #1.  This is however different from DC Comics’ New 52, where DC totally rebooted its universe.  Marvel made it clear that Marvel NOW! is not a reboot.  But, there would definitely be significant changes that would create new status quos in the Marvel Universe (Earth-616).  So I read as much articles I could that contained information and teasers of what lies ahead of Marvel NOW!.  There are some details that look mindblowingly refreshing.  And there are some that I don’t like at face value.  Here are my thoughts:

→ The results of the Avengers vs. X-Men event directly contributed to the shifting of the Marvel Universe (Earth-616) that will be brought by Marvel NOW!.  But Marvel also admits that  bringing those who got hooked by the Marvel Cinematic Universe to read the comicbooks is another reason.  That’s why familiar details from the MCU are being integrated to the comics.  Example, Hulk is back in the Avengers line-up.  And I like this.  Check out the cover of Avengers Assemble #1 which has the same roster as that of the movie, Marvel is making the connections as apparent as they can…
 
What I don’t like, however, is the implication of Nick Fury, Jr. (Marcus Johnson, and son of Nick Fury) – who is an African American – replacing the original Nick Fury  who happens to be white – to be the main Nick Fury-figure in the Marvel Universe (Earth-616); so that when the name “Nick Fury” is mentioned, it would refer now to the black one, so that new readers won’t be confused. Really? This is ridiculous.  It’s forcing too much connection.  Take note that the Samuel L. Jackson-style Nick Fury, as well several elements of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, was originally from the Ultimate Universe (Earth-1610) anyway.  Don’t tell me that the other Ultimate elements adopted by the MCU will then be eventually adopted by the main Marvel Universe for the sake of “making connections”?  Forcing too much connection is stupid.

→ There’s going to be an Uncanny Avengers team made up of X-Men and Avengers members that would deal with threats against mutantkind.  There’s also going to be an A+X series which is a throwback to the AvX: Vs. series during Avengers vs. X-Men, but this time around, an Avenger and an X-Man are now working together instead of fighting with each other.  I dig these.         

→ The aftermath of Avengers vs. X-Men brought the mutant gene back.  Meaning, there are ample amount of mutants again!  This is cool.  I also like that due to the actions of the X-Men – especially the Phoenix Five’s – during Avengers vs. X-Men, the X-Men are wanted outlaws and outcasts again.  This is also cool, because this is consistent with the X-Men’s theme – “to protect a world that hates and fear them.”     

→ There’s going to be a new X-Force team, and Cable is back as the leader.  This makes me so excited.  I wonder if this X-Force team would remain as the X-Men’s black ops arm, or will it become an independent X team once again.  But the latter is more likely, since based on what I read, they would be labeled as “terrorists” by the world, and the Uncanny Avengers are out to bring them in.  Very, very interesting.        

→ I wonder if Magneto will return to being a villain?  Well, I hope not.  He’s better as a good guy and as an X-Man so I prefer that he returns to an X-team.  And what of Emma Frost, will she remain as Cyclops’ gal?  On the other hand, Namor, however, seems to be returning as an Avenger.  Hoping he would take the Beast/Wolverine/Storm-route, that of being a simultaneous Avenger and X-Man. 

→ So, we’ll also see Marvel NOW! bringing the original five X-Men to the present via time travel.  I’m mostly apathetic with this one.  But I admit, it’s going to be interesting to see how the past Cyclops would react when he learns of the actions of his adult self during Avengers vs. X-Men.  Will he be proud or ashamed?  Also, what will past Jean Grey’s reaction be when she learns her adult self is dead?      

→ If I’m right, from what I get from this art, there will be three X-Men teams independent from each other. Cyclops’ faction, Wolverine’s faction, and the time-travelling original X-Men.     

→ Hulk will have a group of scientists working around him (and it appears that they have attached some gadgets to the Hulk that, I guess, are there to monitor him), as well as Maria Hill, who I assume is going to be his handler.  This suggests that the Hulk will no longer be independent, thus a threat, but would be regulated and monitored making him a well-controlled weapon for the side of good.  Again, I’m apathetic with this one.  But I love the fact that he’s back as an Avenger. 

→ At last, an Avengers line-up will finally feature arguably Marvel’s six most iconic superheroes – Spider-Man, Wolverine, Captain America, Hulk, Thor, and Iron Man – for the first time.  And this makes me excited.  I’m just confused on how many Avengers there will be in the main team (there’s also going to be a New Avengers team that would feature a different line-up than the main team).  Some articles mention of 18 Avengers, while others 24.  The Avengers will also have new memberships in Cannonball and Sunspot.

→ Thunderbolts will now be led by the Red Hulk.  Oh, I get it... Thunderbolts, General “Thunderbolt” Ross.  Clever.  The new Thunderbolts line-up will consist of Red Hulk, Venom, Deadpool, the Punisher, and Elektra.  That’s one badass team!  But would happen to the Thunderbolts roster that they would replace?  Also, does this mean that Red Hulk and Venom are gone from the Avengers?  Well, if so, this sucks!        

→ Now, this is what’s worrying me most about Marvel NOW.  The iconic “amazing” adjective for Spider-Man is going to be replaced by “superior”.  It is mentioned that Spider-Man is going to be more powerful, even more so than what he was during The Other storyline’s aftermath.  I’m cool with that.  What makes me worried is that there are rumors that Peter Parker will no longer be Spider-Man, that he’s going to die or retire in the last Amazing Spider-Man (issue 700).  NOOOOOO!  This is going to suck more than Brand New Day.  I really, really, REALLY, hope that Peter will remain as Spider-Man.   Moreover, it was also suggested that even if it’s still Pete donning the Spidey mask, the happening in Amazing Spider-Man #700 will make him more ruthless and humorless, diverting from the usual Spidey demeanor.  Really?  That already has been done during the 90’s when he started identifying himself as “The Spider” and recently with “Back in Black”.  (Sigh)  It’s not going to be Spider-Man if he’s not going to be the wisecracking, happy-go-lucky hero we love.  If you want a ruthless Spider-Man, well there’s Scarlet Spider (Kaine) already, right?!  Spider-Man is the character I cared about most, and any goodwill and awesomeness that Marvel NOW! will bring to the Marvel Universe overall will be destroyed if they screw up the Spidey property.   

Saturday, October 06, 2012

Thoughts on Combat, Martial Arts, and Self-Defense


Like most people, the initial concepts or ideas I had about martial arts and self-defense are derived from movies and TV shows I’ve watched since I was a kid.  I’ve always been deeply impressed by how knowing some martial arts is some sort of super power.  Here’s a kid who has been bullied all his life.  Fresh from suffering a recent humiliation from the hands of the bullies, he meets a wizened Asian geezer who happens to know martial arts.  The kid managed to convince the old man to teach him martial arts, and after a few sessions summarized by a montage, the kid becomes a “black belt”.  Later, the kid confronts his tormentors, and beat them all up at the same time.  With martial arts, you will be able to neutralize threats – regardless of extent or quantity – with your bare hands gracefully and efficiently.  Martial arts are the best tool for combat and self-defense.  Yes, all of these things are what pop culture taught us.   

But as I grow older, with increased common sense and experience, and learn more and more about the reality of combat, I discovered that most philosophies and ideas I had before about the matter are bullshit.  Real-life combat isn’t gracefully choreographed as it is portrayed in the movies.  Real-life combat is brutal and ugly.  Anything goes, and anything can happen.  Being a black belt doesn’t always translate into being a proficient combatant.  And becoming a skillful fighter requires hard, laborious, and intense training; not through a few lessons from a random Asian guy while “Eye of the Tiger” is playing the background. 

Most martial arts schools out there won’t really make you a fighting machine.  Yes, you might learn how to kick, punch, and a neat trick or two, but don’t ever mistake that these are enough to make you a badass that can take down a group of muggers all at once (In fact, if that martial arts school is actually legit, it would even advice you to just give those goons your money to prevent yourself from getting harmed.  But I’m getting ahead of myself.  Will talk about this later).  At best, what you will get from these martial arts schools is learning martial arts as a sport or exercise.  Maybe even enough fighting knowledge to allow yourself to run away from a threat… which is a good thing, actually (but, again, I’m getting ahead of myself).  But learn how to be an authentic, skilled fighter?  I doubt it.  Take note also that most martial arts schools out there are merely businesses.  And you will get your black belt if you invest enough time (i.e. money) in weekly sessions.

Indeed, there are legit and great fighting styles out there, with legit and proficient practitioners and masters.  But they learned how to fight through intense trainings and actual experience; their actions and reactions are instinctive and calculated, and their bodies are toughened up.  Examples are elite military men, who are among the most well-instructed and well-trained in combat in the world.   

Real instructions in self-defense and combat are practical and wise.  First, the romance, illusions, and false impressions of fighting obtained from pop culture should be shattered.  The actual reality and situation of combat should be vividly presented.  Fighting is a matter of survival.  If you find yourself in a fight, it’s going to be brutal and ugly, thus, you should be prepared to fight ugly and brutally.  You should be prepared to cheat (remember, this is no longer fighting as a sport, but actual life-or-death fighting!), and should have no qualms in killing if it’s the only option to get out alive.  Yes, kill.  And maybe even go to jail for it.  “But wait, isn’t killing in self-defense absolves you of any legal consequences?” you counter.  True.  But self-defense to the law means “just using the right amount of force to defuse the threat.”  Killing as self-defense is only permissible to the law if killing was the last option.  And it’s up to the court to decide if killing was indeed the only option.  Now, when you are in combat, you are lost in the moment of fighting for survival.  And you will react instinctively, especially if you have been well-trained.  You will further strike when the opponent is already down or deliver two blows when one is enough.  All because your instincts and training tell you to (for the purpose of certainty of the threat’s defusal).  Now, that extra blow could happen to be a lethal one.  And the court – if lacking understanding of the reality of being on a combat situation – might interpret that extra blow as going overboard, thus making the self-defense defense inapplicable.   And whether you successfully make a “self-defense” defense in court or not, you will still have the stressful inconvenience of undergoing the initial police detainment, the legal hassles, the court appearances, the stigma (real or imagined), and – most significantly – the traumatic burden of the fact that you have killed, since taking someone’s life will always cause impactful emotional strain and scarring, regardless if it was intended, accidental, indirect, or in self-defense. Being aware of this possibility will be very distracting indeed and will make you hesitant to strike.  Nonetheless, it is important to forget of the consequences whenever you are in that moment of real combat since your survival is paramount. 

Second, attack first!  As soon as you come into realization that you have your back against the wall already – that there is no chance of running anymore and to fight is inevitable – you have to make the first move.  Your opponent, especially if he’s a poor fighter, would be too surprised to think and respond quickly.  If you strike first, you have the momentum and the advantage of controlling the tempo of the fight.  After your first attack, continue to strike and strike until you win or, at least, have disabled or stunned your opponent enough to allow your escape.  That’s why it’s very invaluable if you are well-trained and that you have ample combos or succession of attacks put into mind.    
 
Third, it is important to fight smart.  Fighting is also a science.  There is a proper way to punch or kick, or if you need to punch or kick at all.  Let me give you an example: amateurs make the mistake of punching early on a fight, but palm strikes are actually more practical.  Since your opponent is still alert early on of the fight, he will instinctively brace himself for your blow and you might hit a hard part of his body – example, the skull (especially this).  If you punched and hit something hard, it will injure or pain your knuckles, making that hand useless for the rest of the fight.  But if you use palm strikes initially, even if your blow hit a hard part of your opponent, it won’t damage your hand (no bones in your palm).  So, use palm strikes first, to open up your opponent for a punch that would surely connect and cause great damage to an intended targeted body part (preferably, the “soft” or vulnerable parts like chest, solar plexus, groin, or jaw). Therefore, don’t use a punch as your first attack unless you are sure that your punch is fast, strong, and accurate enough take out your opponent.  (Personally, I think elbow strikes and knee strikes are better attacks than punches and kicks). 

Being smart also means being practical and using your advantages.  Make use of anything available that you think can be used as a weapon.  Some great fighting disciplines actually teach that anything – from pens to umbrellas – can be used as a weapon.  Moreover, don’t ever give up your advantages if you have them.  You shouldn’t be fooled of “fighting with honor” fantasies that would compel you to give up your advantages or putting a handicap to yourself to make it an even fight between you and your opponent.  That’s just stupid.  Remember, that when you find yourself in a real fight, it’s not a sport match at all, it’s going to be a matter of survival!  So, don’t give up your gun for a knife fight.  Don’t give up your knife to fight barehanded.  Don’t fight one-on-one when you have an ally with you.  But rather, use your advantages to win!

Now that there’s a mention of guns in the previous paragraph, I would like to express my opinion that using a gun is still the most efficient and convenient form of self-defense or combat.  No matter how greatly adept one is with a form of fighting style (unless this fighting style is gun kata), he would never win with someone who has a gun and the sense and know-how of using it.  Using a gun is less hassle and less physically demanding – though would take the same focus, if not more so – than using martial arts to fight in close quarters combat.  Moreover, the legal problem that will arise from killing in self-defense with the use of a gun is actually the same with that of killing in self-defense with the use of martial arts.  Considering this, the convenience of using a gun vs. the hassle and physical pain, with possibility of injury, derived from close-combat, isn’t using a gun more preferable in self-defense?  (The downside is it’s not easy to obtain a gun and permission to carry.  And even if you manage to get those, carrying a gun everywhere is uncomfortable.  Of course, if you actually don’t mind it, then you have no problem.)   

Fourth, and most importantly, is to avoid reaching the scenario of an actual fight as much as possible.  Even if you know how to properly fight, the wisest and most practical way is still to seek the option that would make you avoid getting into a fight.  To finally fight means all non-violent options have been exhausted.  Actually, if you are having legit and sensible self-defense lessons, you will be taught that when a mugger points a gun at you and asks for your wallet, your best option is to give the mugger your wallet.  And it’s actually a sound and wise advice!  Even if you are trained and know how to disable the mugger at that situation, there’s always a possibility that something might go wrong, which could harm or kill you.  That possibility could be small, but why risk it?  In Russian roulette, only one of the six chambers of the revolver is loaded with a bullet, giving you a 17% chance of ending up with the loaded chamber, but would you dare risk it?  It’s just money, it’s not worth risking your life over (the only reasonable grounds for you to make your move at that particular moment are if: a) the thing that the mugger is trying to take away from you is worth risking your life over, or b) you noticed that his gun is on safety or not loaded).  Usually, a typical mugger just wants your wallet and doesn’t really want to actually kill.  However, if the mugger is still pointing his gun at you after you finally gave him your wallet, and there are no signs of him letting you go, then your life is now very much endangered.  This is the time where you have to use your self-defense training and finally strike (remember that it is important to strike first as soon as you have determined that the danger is presently existent and the incoming violence is inevitable). 

I am no expert in martial arts or combat or such (I did have some martial arts training as a kid, but I admit, the knowledge I got there was not much).  The thoughts I have expressed here are merely out of common sense and some knowledge I got from reading books and articles and watching shows about the subject matter.  But I hope you obtain something valuable.  Let me leave you to ponder on with the lyrics of the two choruses of Kenny Rogers’ “Coward of the Country”, which kind of summarizes my thoughts on fighting: 
“Promise me, son, not to do the things I've done –
Walk away from trouble if you can
It won't mean you're weak if you turn the other cheek
I hope you're old enough to understand,
Son, you don't have to fight to be a man.”  
“I promised you, Dad, not to do the things you've done
I walk away from trouble when I can
Now please don't think I'm weak, I didn't turn the other cheek,
And papa, I should hope you understand –
Sometimes you gotta fight when you're a man.”