Quotable DM

[King Bob]

I came in just before the DM quote, where they use the footage of Heston as Moses. But if you take off shoes on holy ground, why don't Christians take off their shoes in church?

[Drunk Monk]

But if you take off shoes on holy ground, why don't  Christians take off their shoes in church?

Same reasons they can wear polyester and eat shellfish?

[King Bob]

Oh, the hypocrisy. Of course.

[Drunk Monk]

Maybe I posted this before, but I just found it again and it seemed fresh to me. It's from https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781594773839 for The Acid Diaries (Paperback)
A Psychonaut’s Guide to the History and Use of LSD By Christopher Gray

Praise For The Acid Diaries: A Psychonaut’s Guide to the History and Use of LSD…


“It is Gray’s foundation in spiritual practices that makes The Acid Diaries glow. . . Gray is not some detached scientist. Nor is he some drugged our hippie. He writes with an intelligent, literate and confessional voice that’s casual, yet never sloppy. . . This makes The Acid Diaries an excellent “gateway” book into the genre of psychedelic literature for anyone new to the field.”
— Gene Ching, Journal of Psychoactive Drugs (Volume 42 (4), December 2010

[Drunk Monk]

Chinese Martial Arts in the News: May 22, 2020 – Epidemic, Closure and The Loss of Kung Fu Tai Chi Magazine

 


[/url] 
The Impact of COVID-19 on the Chinese Martial Arts
Calculating the cost of a catastrophe is never easy.  In the case of the TCMA these losses can be seen in the slow attrition of the schools, institutions and infrastructure that support our community.  [url=http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?71782]Perhaps the greatest of these institutional losses has been the closure of [i]Kung Fu Tai Chi Magazine[/i].  The entire magazine industry has been in decline for decades, but in this case the current epidemic was the final straw.  Gene Ching, the magazine’s former publisher (and before that editor), has been an important friends to the growing field of Martial Arts Studies and I have had the pleasure to work with him on several small projects over the years.  This must have been a devastating blow for him and the entire production team.  At the same time, [i]Kung Fu Tai Chi[/i] served as an important unifying voice in an area so diverse and riven with factionalism that simply keeping up with current developments is a real challenge.
Newsstand martial arts magazine had a profound impact on me as I grew up in a small, relatively isolated, town.  They created an image of martial practice that was almost intoxicating to my young and impressionable mind.  The loss of KFTC Magazine feels like losing another slice of my younger self.  All created things must end, and it has been a good 28 year run.

[Greg]

More sadness.

[Drunk Monk]

You can call me ...

MASTER

‘The Adept’: Rebooting wuxia, China’s ancient literary genre
Society & Culture
[i]'The Adept' is the first of what will be five interconnected comic franchises created by Immortal Studios. Together, they reimagine one of China's oldest literary genres for a modern Western audience.[/i]
Zijia Song Published December 3, 2020





All images courtesy of Immortal Studios

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For many, the “wǔxiá” 武侠 genre will evoke images from [i]Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon[/i], the movie that first introduced a fantastical version of Chinese martial arts to Western audiences. But the full wonder of wuxia — including the concepts of [i]jiānghú[/i] 江湖 and [i]wǔlín[/i] 武林, the realm where martial arts heroes inhabit and the culture that defines these characters’ actions — is regrettably being taken for granted, even in mainland China and Hong Kong. Peter Shiao is trying to change that.
The son of renowned Chinese-American wuxia writer Shiao Yi (萧逸 Xiāo Yì), Peter Shiao is trying to reinvigorate and reimagine the wuxia world through graphic novels, which he believes is the best way to bring this ancient genre of literature — with its unique history, legends, and lifestyles — to modern audiences. The visual presentation allows for “poetry and imagination,” and is faster and more economical than shooting a video, Shiao said. “It’s the cheapest, fastest, and most true way to do it.”

[i]The Adept[/i] is the result: the first installment in what will be a comic book series that tells the story of a young Chinese-American woman’s quest to study an ancient martial tradition from a Shaolin master. Meanwhile, she must go through a self-transformation and find redemption in her personal life.

Setting the story in today’s world and giving the characters contemporary identities is at the heart of what Shiao and his team at Immortal Studios is trying to do. They believe that wuxia should not be a distant concept that triggers only the image of people fighting in ancient costumes. Instead, they believe that the spirit of wuxia lies in striving for self-empowerment and overcoming challenges for the benefit of both the self and others. By setting the stories in the present day, Shiao’s team is trying to modernize wuxia.
Shiao also wanted to present an authentic image of Shaolin, the birthplace of kung fu. According to him, the true spirit of Shaolin, the state of consciousness, is often “lost in the shuffle” and reduced to shaved heads and physics-defying maneuvers.

One way to honor the Shaolin culture is to present kung fu movements exactly as Shaolin masters would do them. But illustrating the dynamic martial arts movements in artwork was a huge challenge. So Shiao hired Gene Ching, a Shaolin kung fu master, as a choreographer to identify the physical forms appropriate for the page. “We treated it almost like how they actually would shoot a movie,” Shiao said. Conor Hughes, an action artist, would study the martial arts mechanics and draw out the movements. Finally, artist Yishan Li would add the finishing touch, illustrating the movement’s energy flows and characters’ facial expressions.
“We’re going to experience many different forms of authentic kung fu fighting in [i]The Adept,[/i] and all of them will be real, not just in somebody’s imagination,” Shiao said. “One of our goals is for martial artists to read [i]The Adept [/i]and say, ‘Wow, we like this.’”

[i]The Adept[/i] is one of five comic franchises Immortal Studios is working on. Others include adapted stories from Shiao Yi’s literature, [i]Assassin G[/i], [i]Chronicles of the Immortal Swordsman[/i], and [i]Ma Ming Feng Xiao Xiao[/i] (马鸣风萧萧 mǎmíng fēngxiāoxiāo), plus an Immortal Studios original, [i]Fa Sheng[/i]. Each will be a complete subworld. The five subworlds will make up a storyverse that Shiao and his team envision as an interconnected Marvel-like universe with intertwined characters and timelines. They will eventually join together to face an existential crisis.
Underlying these ambitions, Shiao wants to remind people what “being Chinese” really means. Wuxia “is the receptacle for all the aspects of Chinese culture that we identify with,” he said: an amalgamation of Chinese ideas of philosophy, morality, human relations, aesthetics, beauty, and cosmology. But Shiao won’t limit his characters to only those with Chinese heritage. By designing a black protagonist for [i]Ma Ming Feng Xiao Xiao[/i], Shiao explores modern narratives and makes the case that regardless of skin color, wuxia conveys a worldview that applies to everyone.
“I think it’s about the idea of balance,” Shiao said. “This is more needed than ever.”


[img=0x114]https://supchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/zijia-headshot.jpg[/img]
Zijia Song was born in Jinan, China, came to the U.S. as a high schooler in 2013, and obtained her Bachelor’s degree from Boston College. She’s now studying journalism and international relations at New York University and pursuing her interest in covering news about China.

[Greg]

Ha! But since it's on the inter webs it must be true.

[Drunk Monk]

Ha! But since it's on the inter webs it must be true.

truth

I'm debating if it's worth adding to my blog. I probably should, just to keep content flowing and to throw Immortal something. Publish or perish.

[Drunk Monk]

I'm going to count this because they cited my article.

Local Kung Fu Training Group Has Strange Connections to Netflix’ Cobra Kai
February 2, 2021 Steven Bonifazi Columns 0
[img=642x0]https://northfortynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Screen-Shot-2021-01-29-at-11.50.55-AM-490x381.png[/img]Grandmaster Steven G. Abbate. Photo courtesy of Tracey Buchanan.
[/url]

[url=https://northfortynews.com/category/columns/local-kung-fu-training-group-has-strange-connections-to-netflix-cobra-kai/#]
By Tracey Buchanan
Kung Fu Master James C. Likens never thought twice about his GrandMaster’s legacy until he began noticing strange coincidences watching Netflix’s Cobra Kai with his three youngest daughters.
“Everyone loves the Karate Kid,” said Master Likens, a seventh-degree black belt. “So when we heard about Cobra Kai, we thought it would be fun to watch, being a Kung fu family and all.”
That’s when the strangeness started. “I knew there was an actual Cobra Kai Karate dojo out of Chicago because it was run by one of my Grandmaster’s top students,” said Master Likens. “His name was Steve Abbate, and he was a decorated Vietnam veteran, Marine Force Recon, and the recipient of the Silver Star,” Master Likens said. “He was known for his “no mercy” philosophy and for being particularly brutal on his students, just like the Cobra Kai Master John Kreese in the series,” said Master Likens.
Master Likens got a few opportunities to train under Master Abbate at his Grandmaster John Tsai’s seminars, and Abbate actually signed Likens’ Master Certificate, which hangs on his dojo wall. “When Abbate taught, it was never conceptual,” said Master Likens. “I have video of him from a seminar demonstrating techniques, and he went through about 4 or 5 students in one demonstration,” Master Likens said.
But the uncanny connections don’t end there, as Master Likens’ legacy in his hometown of Indianapolis is one of shared spirit with Abbate’s teachings.
“When I was training students in Indy, I was very concerned with giving them skills that would serve them in an actual street fight,” said Master Likens. Most of my inner circle students were law enforcement like myself, and they needed to be prepared for the average 4 fights a week,” Master Likens said.
But as Master Likens points out, it’s actually the untrained officer that ends up using excessive force out of fear. As a police officer, he was known for his fairness in the street, and neither he nor any of the officers he trained ever went to internal affairs for civil rights violations or excessive force.
“That’s the true meaning of being a peacekeeper, having the confidence to end a fight before it starts because your wits are about you,” said Master Likens. “If you’re afraid, you overreact, but if you’re confident in your ability to handle a fight, that calmness allows for compassion,” Master Likens said.
As a result of this philosophy, several members of the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office train under Master Likens to this day.
“Only a trained warrior can choose to be truly peaceful, for indeed it’s all about having a choice. If you have the ability to fight, you can truly choose peace; that is a stance that means something,” said Master Likens. “Training gives you self confidence that ends violence before it begins, and therein is the paradox and meaning behind the Cobra Kai philosophy,” Master Likens said.
Master Likens has taught a hard/soft martial arts philosophy for over 30 years, with two large dojos and one underground fight club during the ’90s in Indianapolis, IN. He has trained MMA champions for the legendary Integrated Fighting gym, which has had several UFC contracts over the years. He also taught defensive tactics at the Indianapolis Police Academy and even did a stint teaching Criminal Justice at Front Range Community College’s Fort Collins Campus.
“After years of training, I strongly recommend a hard/soft style martial art. That’s truly the way to go,” said Master Likens, “It’s that balance that gives you the capacity for peaceful resolution,” Master Likens said.
Master Likens currently teaches a tiny closed-door Kung Fu group but would like to open a dojo large enough to train multiple classes and age groups.
“Bag rounds and cardio kickboxing will certainly get you in shape, but those skills are no good in a fight,” said Master Likens. “I’d like to have a place big enough to do that and the funding to make it happen,” Master Likens said. “If you know a guy, let me know,” said Master Likens with a laugh.
James C Likens was also a Larimer County Ranger for a number of years and recipient of the Meritorious Service Medal during the High Park Fire as well as a Sheriff’s Letter of Commendation for his lifesaving role in putting out an arson fire in the Deer Park neighborhood west of Horsetooth Reservoir.
“I’ve spent 10 years in the Fort Collins area training students, and I finally have the black belts I need to start passing on the lineage,” said Master Likens. “There are some amazingly talented Senseis in other martial arts disciplines here in Fort Collins, and I’d love to give them space to do their thing as well,” Master Likens said. “The American Shaolin Temple has always been in the Midwest and the West Coast, but I say the Front Range is the future of American martial arts,” said Master Likens.

---

[i]For more information regarding Steven G. Abbat and Cobra Kai, visit: https://www.denofgeek.com/culture/the-real-history-of-cobra-kai/[/i]

I know, it's a reach but I'm not getting as many of these nowadays, so I'm cravin attention like the web slut that I am...

[Drunk Monk]

STRO plug at 17:55

[Greg]

That's all that counts.

[Drunk Monk]

I've waive my product placement fee for extra nachos on the crafty table on the set of DM & the Yeti.

[Dr. Ivor Yeti]

I’ll just be in my trailer.

[Drunk Monk]

ttt 4 2022!

Immortal Studios Announces Second Issue of Popular Comic “The Adept”

[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.7)]Following the massive success of Immortal Studios’ inaugural comic book, The Adept, in late 2019, the leading wuxia storytellers are back with the second issue — The Adept #2 — and an accompanying Kickstarter campaign.
The new Kickstarter launched on January 25 and, incredibly, hit its 10,000 USD target in a single day.
But the campaign isn’t over yet: Fans still have 28 days to support the project, until February 25, with various rewards — from digital bundles to limited-edition cover art — awaiting project backers. [/color]



Written by Tasha Huo and Charlie Stickney, with illustrations by Yishan Li, The Adept tells the story of Amy, a young Chinese-American woman with a dark past. In her dreams, Amy meets a Shaolin kung fu master who trains her and prepares her to face evils in real life. 
[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.7)]The original 42-page comic was the first in Immortal’s interconnected and ever-expanding wuxia storyverse. The first Kickstarter campaign raked in 35,165 USD with 1,205 backers, well exceeding the 10,000 USD goal. 
Amy’s saga continues in the highly anticipated follow-up: Reunited with her estranged sister Ali, the pair are left to deal with the aftermath of the attempted kidnapping of a famous pop star, Sasha True. 

Immortal founder and CEO Peter Shiao has a personal connection to China’s legendary Shaolin Temple in Henan, where he previously held a position working on global content. 
The Adept series pays homage to the Shaolin tradition — said to be the birthplace of modern kung fu — at its most accurate and authentic, from depictions of signature Shaolin choreography to Zen Buddhist elements and mystical folklore.   
For Immortal, it’s as important to share a “real understanding of the spirit of Shaolin” as having an ass-kicking lead character. 
“We are course-correcting from this trend with a modern story that delves deeply into authentic Shaolin spirituality and moral precepts as the foundation of superhuman feats,” Shiao said in the press release. 
He added, “Amy’s journey from a disempowered young woman into full Zen warrior is laden with the Shaolin secret sauce that has been missing for too long.”
The Adept even has an action choreographer on board — Gene Ching, former publisher of Kung Fu Tai Chi magazine and a 32nd-generation disciple of the Shaolin Temple. 


“Despite the 1,500-plus-year legacy of the Shaolin Temple, pop culture and comics have seldom represented its kung fu authentically,” Ching said in the press release. “We’ve imbued The Adept with real applications, filling it with Shaolin Easter eggs for fans and practitioners to discover.”
Peter Shiao is the son of celebrated Chinese-American wuxia novelist Shiao Yi, whose novel Chronicles of the Immortal Swordsman was released as a comic by Immortal late last year through Kickstarter, bringing in 300% of its funding goal. 
For fans who haven’t read the first issue of The Adept, Immortal Studios is sharing one page from the comic on its Instagram story each day to let them catch up before reading the second issue. 

Wuxia (武俠), literally meaning ‘martial arts heroes,’ is a wildly popular genre of books, film, and television. The stories often center around martial artists, or swordsmen, as they are referred to, redressing wrongs or bringing justice to the oppressed or the marginalized. The settings of these stories typically take place in ancient China.
Immortal Studios is on a mission to “awaken the hero within each of us,” producing unique, nuanced, and interconnected stories in the first-ever storyverse dedicated entirely to wuxia, one of China’s most enduring literary traditions.
All images courtesy of Immortal Studios[/color]