Technique of the week 2- slapping block

My camera has been acting up , so I've chased down the best youtube video I could for this technique.
Having assumed the basic stance discussed in technique of the week 1, a stundent can then begin to practice the slapping block or pk sau.
This instructor is good, he goes a little further into the offensive use of the pak than I would care to when building a system from the basic stance, but it's the best I can find. Once I've sorted my technical problems out, I'll throw up my own version of the pak, modified through kenpo.
Peace,
David

Prepper's, survial is not just for nuts anymore-

http://www.ready.gov/america/index.html

From the Ready.gov website- FEMA, DHS
You may need to survive on your own after an emergency. This means having your own food, water, and other supplies in sufficient quantity to last for at least three days. Local officials and relief workers will be on the scene after a disaster, but they cannot reach everyone immediately. You could get help in hours, or it might take days. In addition, basic services such as electricity, gas, water, sewage treatment, and telephones may be cut off for days, or even a week or longer. ---

To be fair, this stuff is sort of a no brainer, but in the wake of ever dwindling city , state and federal response resources needed to fill the budget gaps left by keeping the rich well, rich. At least the government is finally admitting that we may be all alone if something bad happens. We're not talking about stocking guns and ammo like some nazi survivalist from a bad 80's movie, but a direct warning from our govt that in the wake of disaster we will be on our own for a time, and an indirect command to be prepared for it or suffer the consequences.

That is what happened to us after the house fire, the red cross put us up for two days, and what was in the safety box was what we had to eat as the credit cards all burned up and we had little cash in hand. It would have been ugly otherwise, with no ID, and as working folks unable to get any assistance from the state in the short term. Money in the bank granted, but no way to get it. It was ugly . Luckily we planned ahead or a truly bad situation could have been much worse.
It is unfortunate that basic planning ahead has come to be linked in the minds of many people with the extreme right and such, but be that as it may the day may come when you need to be prepared for some big or little emergency and if you aren't, it's going to suck to be you.
Peace,
David

Bread and circusses? Do our political parties even matter anymore?

At one point or another pretty much all of us have watched pro wrestling. I haven't since I was a kid, but this is what our elections most remind me of.
Just as gaudy, just as stupid, and more likely than not just as fake ?
When was the last time any of us really believed that we were voting for anything but the lesser of two evils?
Not in my life time, not for me at least. And yet there seems a great deal of collusion between the two.
And despite public animosity a great deal of common interests.
Have our political parties abandoned us?
Did they ever really represent us in the first place?
Or is it all just spectacle and misdirection ?
As most of the nation falls into near third world status, the rich get richer and the middle get poorer, can we really believe that our parties have been or ever will be of any true value?
Is it all just smoke and mirrors?
And if it is can we do anything about it?
Just some thoughts,
David

diversity at work?

So a friend sent me this and by the gods I needed the laugh. My friend of course is a 6'5 WW2 vet who picked up Karate, Judo and Aikido in Japan during the occupation. He's not the guy in this video, but close enough for goverment work.
Peace,
David

Some equality?

So the justice department has announced that they will no longer legally support the defense of marriage act. About time really, but until congress repeals the law, we're still stuck with it. The implications of course are a bit staggering, gay people gasp might actually start getting treated like the rest of us. The right wing is of course all a flutter, other than using it to make us look at anything but where are money keeps going, why exactly do they care about what consenting adults do with each other?
Still, at least it's a step forward.
Peace,
David

I support the unions ;)

So, I support the unions, if you do as well...
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/supporttheunions/
sign the petition.
Peace,
David
BTW, locally I prefer the GOP, but nationally....I'd have to be suicidal.

so what do you do for fun?

To the surprise of some, the martial arts are more exercise or habit for me than fun, though I do love to work with weapons like the sword or spear. I love to shoot, cook, paint, read, research, hike, climb, play with my dogs, play cards (though I don't gamble), throw knives, spears swords, just about anything really. I enjoy building, working with fire, an assortment of things.
So what do we in Easton do for fun?
Just curious,
David