The Silence of Alexiel

Content: Personal

No, I don't have a cool video to put up. And no, the Tri-Force martial arts group is not dead. We are far from it, as far as I can tell. The only thing that holds us back is the silence that keeps us from being together to train as much as we would like. That's a bit of what I'd like to talk about...with the focus being on the quietest member of the group: me.

Being the most reserved member of the group, I honestly am a silent person if I have nothing to contribute to a conversation. Unfortunately, this has seeped into my role as Alexiel within this group. If you haven't been reading my blog, then in terms of skill and performance as a member of this group, you would strictly see me at face-value; I am the least trained and least active member of the group. Period. However, Shaian & Kou will be the first to say that it's not my fault I live on a campus 80 some miles away from our homebase with the craziest schedule to top it off. At the same time, I then have nothing to contribute to the group, in terms of conversational improvement, breakthroughs, cool moves, etc. And thus, in our group discussion, I become more silent than I feel I should be. In other words, they talk about how close they are to doing backhand springs and backflips, and I just congratulate them on their growth...because I do care, you know?

Why am I writing all of this? Because I'm also the most emotional, empathetic member of the Tri-Force. Not to mention I haven't had anything else to show for myself in the past 5-6 months. In other words, if you watch our vids, I'm just saying I'm still alive, just unable to train well due to college & weather conditions. I probably could have just wrote that, but then why would I want to be more silent than I already am?

I'll be back with the group in early May. Hopefully stronger, nimble, a bit faster, and maybe with a surprise or two to capture on tape. What? You thought I gave up on training while at school? Che...I'm fscking pissed about not being on level with them. Like hell I'm going to let Shaian & Kou steal all the glory! Best friends don't let best friends do such things. I might not be able to do a backhand spring, but that's not everything; just a step of something. Remembering that is the only thing that keeps me trying to make time to train rather than giving up all together.

Ja, boku wa ima shitsureshimasu...Bokura nihongo o yarinakerebanaranai ga arimasu yo...
(Now if you'll excuse me...I have some Japanese I need to do...)

Dewa jikai (Until next),
+ Alexiel +

Moving Foward.

Date of Completion: 03/06/06

Content: Trick Video

Title: Dreams to Reality

Duration: 2min 25sec

Description: This isn't so much a typical sampler, because I purposly put a lot of mistakes I made in the video. This one is different from others I've made. Typically, I make a video that goes just with the beat of the music. This time, I picked a song that really had some meaning to me, and because of that, I was able to put together a video that goes both with the lyrics and beat. For most people that watch, if anyone even does, you might not feel the emotion I tried to put in there. I guess it comes from my heart, so only if you know me, you'll know what I'm feeling. Anyway, whether you feel anything from it or not, I'd say it's a pretty good one, so enjoy the show.

Song Used: Relient K - "Who I Am Hates Who I've Been"

= Shaian =

Backhand Springs and Beyond

Date of Completion: 03/02/06

Content: Personal

Title:

Things have been...quiet around us activity wise for the past few weeks. Alexiel is off at college in another city while I am swamped in freshmen year work in a college nearby, trying to get as much time as possible to get some training done with Shaian who is currently bored off her ass. Thankfully, she contacted a gymnastics school willing to teach private lessons for a very reasonable price. She and I signed up immediately and only after about two or three classes, we were able to finally nail a backhand spring. When all seemed hopeless and out of reach, this one move did so much to motivate us. Although Alexiel isn't here to take part in the progress, we hope to teach him everything we learn to the best of our ability once he returns.

First of all, Gymnastics has been an awsome experience. With the proper training environment and professional at our disposal, we really have been improving. I believe we can both agree that we immediately noticed the difference between a spring loaded cushion floor and a frozen patch of grass and dirt. Our private instructor, Jim, is a very encouraging fast-paced speaking gymnast who has the persona of the typical male gymnast but the voice of a empowering speaker. "All out! Come on! Agressive! You can do it!" is all you here from this man in the most uplifting tone of voice I have ever heard.

I can say with absolute honesty that it felt like nothing I expected it to. When it happened there was very little effort involved and it happened too fast for me to actually think it through, but then again I suppose that's what happens when you're attempting a move than has you jumping through the air. When it first happened, Shaian and I were practicing connections on the floor, which is a roundoff into a backhand spring. We kept failing miserably as he kept trying to spot us on the backhand spring part. As Shaian and the Jim were walking back to our starting point and talking about why we weren't doing it, I was contemplating in my head the very same frustrating questions. Then, like a gun, my mind triggered into overdrive as I just started racing down the floor on my own and stepped off into a roundoff. Everything from there happened like a gunshot. The gym around me blurred as I planted my hands down, swung my legs over to face the opposite direction and gain momentum to spring myself back, arching my back, replanting my hands down in a firmer position and then snap my body back into a stand all in one single motion. The aftermath was my body standing upright with a little bounce left over from the momentum I pushed into it. Needless to say, the feeling was thrilling and too fast to think through.

Everything that happened between the round off and the landing is an absolute blur to me. I can only relate it to martial arts when one is instructed to do a certain combination of punches and kicks or jump into a certain stand when faced with a specific obstacle to the point where it is burned into the back of their mind that they must do that very movement in that situation without even thinking about it. The same happened when I first did the backhand spring and now it's become easier and easier to whip out.

Shaian was slightly enraged that I achieved it before her and practiced long and hard to do it herself. On the following week, she executed a very good backhand spring and has been continuing to do so ever since. Her only fault is that her legs remain to be open when she springs back causing her to loose some of the speed and power already thrown into the move. I seem to have a problem with going off to the side and not remaining straight in posture and on course. We often joke about the sexual inuendows tied in with our problems. Simple as it sounds...Shaian just can't learn to keep her legs closed and I have a problem with being straight. <_< Yea...she always gets me with that last one if I ever dare repeat her problem with a sexual twist at the end.

Hopefully next week we will bring in a camera and record our progress. This week we hope to move on to bigger and better moves. Next up, backflips, wall flips, and x-outs. XD

(By the way, I uploaded my sampler again and will continue to do so to keep it viewable at all times.)

~ Kou ~

What's New.

I wanted to just make an update to keep this blog going. Life is making sure that posting new exciting videos is difficult. My camera is broken. It's currently in the repair shop. More importantly, Kou and Alexiel are busy with college, and I hate making vids without all three of us in them. Not to mention work keeps me from doing what I love.

I'd say expect to see an awsome spring sampler sometime in March. Spring break! We have been training all throughout the winter, every chance we get so we can be as good as possible, just in time for the warm weather.

So stay tuned, and hopefully a small video will pop up here and there in the meantime ^^; But I will leave you with this:





= Shaian =

New video.

Date of Completion: 01/26/06

Content: Weapons video.

Title: Dramatic

Duration: 45 seconds.

Description: What to say about this one? Well, Kou was over the other day, and we hadn't shot any videos. Last five minutes of his visit before he headed off to tkd, I asked if he could record me practicing some moves I've been working on with the bo. Yeah so anyway, after he left, I put them up in the computer and wasn't expecting to come up with a short music vid, but new videos fell in place with some slightly older ones coming up with this.

I entitled it "Dramatic" because I just find it to be very dramatic. It's the music and the opening I think. Anyway, if anyones out there, enjoy, and feel free to leave a comment on what you think!

Song Used: Tokyo Philmarmonic Chorus - "Divinity II"

= Shaian =

College is in Session.

Date of Completion: 01/20/06

Content: Personal

Title: Shaian's Bored

Duration: 36 seconds.

Description: Oh just something I came up with today while I sat alone on my day off. Isn't the same with the Tri-force split up...getting edumacated >_> I was pretty much sitting in my computer chair, looking at all the weapons and thinking about the times we used them. Now they're just sitting there.

= Shaian =

Alexiel's Sampler

Date of Completion: 01/06/06

Content: Trick Video

Title: Sampler: Alexiel

Duration: 3:47

Description: Prepare for something a little different. Shaian let me do the video editting myself, so I've used my previous experience to add my own feel to it. Well...as much of a feel as I could with the equipment & software available to me, haha. I also directed some of the shots that were taken.

My [first] sampler showcases much of what I specialize in, martial arts/weapons-wise. I am more Karate-oriented - my fists are my speciality - and fairly adept with the bo & katana, but I do still try to incorporate what I've been [self]taught recently and over the years. Sorry to say, but if you're looking for tricks, I don't have many in my arsenal just yet. I'm not going to make excuses for myself, so you're better off just watching for yourself. My comrades & I have much room for improvement, but as the least professionally trained one, I believe in my own potential whether you do or not.

このビデオを見るのは、ありがとうございます。(Thank you very much for watching this video.) I look forward to what '06 will bring to my growth as a martial artist tricker.

Song Used: Mami - "IMMORAL (karaoke)" (I'm a Japanese-music freak & more Japanese than you may think XD)

+ Alexiel +