In preparation for various Saber Forms that will be part of my Wushu curriculum in the coming weeks, I was asked to look for a sword that is suitable not only for the training but also for my, well, comfort.

“Comfort” meaning it has to go with my height (or lack thereof). Also, I could choose to have a light or heavy sword, which depends more on the weapon’s material rather its actual size.

My father had always taught me that heavier swords usually have stronger steel structures.

Anyway, I did not have to buy a new sword or anything. Father gave me a katana that he got back in the mid-1980s when he and my mother lived and worked in a different province.

This particular weapon was, simply put, perfectly suited for me. When I held it with arm slack, it extended to a good several inches off the ground.

It was neither light nor heavy, but had a solid weight that will condition my arms to move quickly with a weapon as well as maintain my balance and grip.

Here is a katana image I found online that very closely resembles my own. In the future, I will try to take a picture of my sword itself and post it here.

Finally, a most apropos quote from the anime BLEACH:

What a letdown, Kurosaki-san. A real letdown. After all, there’s nothing but fear reflected in your sword.

When you dodge, “I’m afraid of getting cut.” When you attack, “I’m afraid of cutting someone.” Even when you try to protect someone, “I’m afraid of letting them die.”

Yes, your sword speaks to me only of absurd fear. That’s not it. What’s necessary in a fight isn’t fear. Nothing can be born from that.

If you dodge, “I won’t let them cut me.” If you protect someone, “I won’t let them die.” If you attack, “I’ll cut them.” Well, can’t you see the resolve to cut you reflected in my sword?”

~Kisuke Urahara

After today’s Wushu practice, I went straight to the mall to shop for a new cellular phone as well as a USB flash disk.

Although I had the budget specifically set aside for these trade essentials, it was not much and I had to be very picky so I could get quality for my money.

An hour and a half later, after scouring numerous telecom shops, I finally settled on buying a dark blue Nokia 3530, open line and ready for any prepaid network connection of my choosing, with the battery, charger and black leather carrying case thrown in for free.

This model was highly recommended by my father for its large colored display and spacious, fuss-free keypad. What’s more, it has MMS and Java features at the ready.

As for the USB flash disk, I had originally wanted to get one of the Canon brand, but all the stores were out of stock.

As a result, I opted for a Pretec USB 2.0 Tiny Flash Disk.

The Pretec flash disk has a thick, flexible rubber protective casing. It was also designed in such a way that I could just carry the disk around by stringing it like a pendant on its very own handy, cool-looking necklace.

“No, it’s not the stars that are so beautiful and wondrous. They explode or collapse and fall away and you never see them again. But if you’re very lucky, you find that the moon and the stars can work together. When one star burns itself out, the light from the moon will get you through until you see the next star.”
~Linda Holeman, Starlight, Star Bright

“Despite being of sound mind and body, and in the middle of my teenage years, I have not known a great love – or even one of mediocre quality. Because of this lack, I have submerged myself in the love of others. I’ve rolled in it, soaked it up, swallowed it whole.”
~Linda Holeman, Love, Unrequited

The quotes above are from the compilation of short stories entitled Toxic Love, penned by Linda Holeman.

Toxic Love is generally considered as suitable for the Young Adult genre but the sentiments it evokes are, in my opinion, deep and poignant – mature in their deceptive simplicity.

I am very much reminded of the style of another YA author, Francesca Lia Block, and her own collection of short stories, Girl Goddess #9.

As for Eastern simplicity and sensibility, I highly recommend the works of the very talented Banana Yoshimoto, especially her compilation of brilliant shorts, Lizard.

V: Voilà! In view, a humble vaudevillian veteran, cast vicariously as both victim and villain by the vicissitudes of Fate. This visage, no mere veneer of vanity, is it vestige of the vox populi, now vacant, vanished. However, this valorous visitation of a by-gone vexation, stands vivified, and has vowed to vanquish these venal and virulent vermin vanguarding vice and vouchsafing the violently vicious and voracious violation of volition. The only verdict is vengeance; a vendetta, held as a votive, not in vain, for the value and veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous. Verily, this vichyssoise of verbiage veers most verbose so let me simply add that it’s my very good honor to meet you and you may call me V.

Evey Hammond: Are you like a crazy person?

V: I’m quite sure they will say so.

Remember, remember, the fifth of November
The gunpowder treason and plot
I know of no reason why
The gunpowder treason should ever be forgot

Thus begins the deliciously dark, futuristic and stylized tale that is V for Vendetta.

V for Vendetta was originally a graphic novel for the DC Vertigo line by British writer Alan Moore.

This was adapted and produced for the silver screen by brothers Andy and Larry Wachowski of The Matrix fame. The movie was directed by James McTeigue.

Set against the futuristic landscape of totalitarian Britain, V for Vendetta tells the story of a mild-mannered young woman named Evey Hammond (Natalie Portman) who was rescued from a life-and-death situation by a masked vigilante known only as “V.”

The title character was played by Hugo Weaving, who worked with the Wachowski brothers in all installments of The Matrix trilogy as arguably the most delightful of all computer viruses, Agent Smith.

Incomparably charismatic and ferociously skilled in the art of combat and deception, V ignites a revolution when he detonates two London landmarks and takes over the government-controlled airwaves, urging his fellow citizens to rise up against tyranny and oppression.

As Evey uncovers the truth about V’s mysterious background, she also discovers the truth about herself – and emerges as his unlikely ally in the culmination of his plot to bring freedom and justice back to a society fraught with cruelty and corruption.

Today, I was able to watch the movie in one of our local cinemas, as V for Vendetta opened a few days ago.

My initial expectation was that, given my Matrixorientation on the Wachowski brothers, it would be a full-throttle action film, teeming with digitally-enhanced kung-fu sequences and slow-motion exchanges of bullets and knives between protagonists and
antagonists.

Instead, I got more than I bargained for. There were political conspiracies, hidden agenda among dramatis personae, an almost invisible line between good and evil, and an unforgiving philosophy that anarchy may be a bloody yet potentially successful path in the ever-elusive quest for freedom.

What’s more, there was a low-key yet ultimately heartbreaking love story, with a message that “only celluloid can offer” happy endings.

Hugo Weaving’s V was, simply put, cool.

He was a lover of the arts, a true gentleman and, yes, a pretty decent cook.

From what I have noted of his fighting style, he was not a Yuen Wo Ping-trained kung-fu fighter like Neo, but more of a close-range combatant, using lightning-quick bare-handed and dagger attacks that remind me so much of Aikido techniques popularized by Steven Seagal.

Although we never got to see his uniquely expressive visage, Hugo’s body language and voice established his character’s deeply complex persona very well on the screen.

Natalie Portman’s Evey started out as an ordinary working girl who was pushed around a lot

In the course of the movie, she grew into a brave and determined woman after undergoing a highly painful and traumatic interrogation process.

I confess that I expected Evey to develop into a futuristic G.I. Jane of sorts, with the moves and weapons to kick lots of ass, but, hey, blame it on the crew-cut.

A lot of people probably expected V for Vendetta to be a futuristic British Matrix and ended up getting disappointed. However, comparing it with any other film would not be doing V justice, as it stands all by itself in extolling the idea that, in the right time and place, anarchy and cool just might go hand in hand.

Conceal me what I am, and be my aid
For such disguise as haply shall become
The form of my intent
~V, quoting Viola in Act I, Scene 2 of William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night

I was so delighted to finally get my hands on a discounted copy of Asia’s answer to Charlie’s Angels: So Close (2002), also known as Chik yeung tin si.

I spent just a little over two dollars for my very own original video CD of this movie.

The film stars three of the hottest female leads in Hong Kong cinema: Qi Shu (Jason Statham’s leading lady in 2002’s The Transporter), Wei Zhao (Stephen Chow’s leading lady in Shaolin Soccer) and Karen Mok (Tracy Lee in the 1996 Black Mask production).

So Close begins when a crooked businessman brings in a pair of high-tech assassin sisters, Ai Lin (Qi Shu) and Ai Kwan (Wei Zhao), to murder his older brother so he can take over the family’s business empire.

When a determined policewoman, Inspector Yat Hong (Karen Mok), starts to put the pieces of the puzzle together, the businessman realizes that he must destroy all evidence – including the assassins and the cop.

The three women are left to fight for their lives, while helping each other, albeit reluctantly at first, along the way.

Happy, happy, happy birthday, Mommy!

My paternal grandmother turns 78 years old today. Before I went on my scheduled trip, I called and greeted my grandmother.

I was back in town in time for the last two evening screenings of Jet Li’s martial arts swan song Fearless, also known as Huo Yuan Jia.

This film tells the story of Chinese martial arts master Huo Yuan Jia (1869-1910). Yuan Jia was the founder and spiritual guru of the Jin Wu Sports Federation, which exists until today.

The story begins with a young Yuan Jia, who was born with asthma, aspiring to become a powerful martial arts master just like his father (portrayed by the magnificent Collin Chou), who owns and runs the Huo Wushu school.

Yuan Jia eventually got his wish as he grew up. He defeats the Master of the Zhao Wushu school, their family’s primary rival in their hometown of Tianjin, as well as the powerful Master Chin, said to be the best fighter in Tianjin. He becomes the undisputed martial arts champion of their town.

Vengeance from Master Chin’s family, however, leads to a tragic fate for Yuan Jia’s own family. The champion became an aimless wanderer and ends up close to death in a distant rural town where he is cared for a blind girl named Moon. He stayed in this serene farming community for several years.

Upon his return to Tianjin, Yuan Jia discovers that so much has changed since he left, and that China has been dubbed as “The Sick Man of the East.”

This gave him the impetus to accept the challenge issued by undefeated American strong-man Hercules O’Brien (Nathan Jones) to all Chinese fighters. With his more serene outlook in life and an infinitely clearer understanding of the principles of Wushu, Yuan Jia defeats Hercules, restores the badly bruised honor of China, and gains worldwide acclaim in the process.

In the days that followed, Yuan Jia’s loyal friend Nong Jin Sun decides to close his restaurant business in Tianjin and use his money instead to build the Jin Wu Sports Federation. Yuan Jia is named the organization’s leader and guru.

Yuan Jia’s celebrated victory gains the attention of a group of businessmen from various parts of Asia and Europe. They challenged Yuan Jia to fight four of the best warriors from their own countries. Yuan Jia accepts this challenge. He also asks Jin Sun to take over the Sports Federation after the fight.

This fight pits Yuan Jia against the British boxing champion, the European fencing champion, a highly skilled German military officer and the undefeated Karate hero of Japan, Anno Tanaka (deliciously and delightfully brought to life by Shido Nakamura).

Unbeknownst to all the fighters, especially to Yuan Jia and Anno, this match will not only decide their own fate as warriors, but will also make a strong statement about the destiny of the countries they represent.

I enjoyed Fearless very much, mainly because of the beautiful, brutally raw fight sequences.

The martial arts choreography was far from stylized or embellished with camera tricks – what I saw were fighters willing to give and take actual punishment. Wire work was rather minimal, too.

What is also pleasing was that Jet Li had to fight against quite a number of opponents skilled in a wide variety of styles – from wrestling and boxing, to fencing and Karate, among many others. The action sequences really gave Jet many opportunities to showcase his excellent Wushu skills.

The film also reminded me of the 1973 Bruce Lee classic Enter the Dragon, wherein he incorporated his own philosophies on martial arts and life as a whole into the message of the movie. That is, at one point, Bruce’s character says: “My style, you can call the art of fighting without fighting.”

In much the same way, Jet Li sends a message that violence is not the answer to everything and that revenge only leads to more bloodshed.

In a nutshell, being fearless is not about rushing blindly into a fight, but having the courage to settle the conflict before someone gets hurt.

Today is the first local screening day of Jet Li’s movie Fearless, also known in other parts of the world as Huo Yuan Jia, which is the name of the film’s protagonist.

I was supposed to watch Fearless tonight, however, something came up and I was forced to cancel my plans.

To make me feel better, my father borrowed a video of Unleashed, Jet’s 2005 movie that was originally entitled Danny the Dog.

Unleashed also stars Hollywood veterans Morgan Freeman as the kindly blind piano tuner Sam and Bob Hoskins as the ruthless gang leader Bart.

I loved the brutal, in-your-face martial arts sequences in the film. No excessive wire work or wuxia allusions this time around – only a raw, earthy forcefulness in each punch and kick delivered by both the protagonist and his enemies.

Amazon.com provides a good skinny on Unleashed:

Luc Besson wrote and directed the stylish thrillers La Femme Nikita and The Professional; though he didn’t direct Unleashed, the script has his trademark fusion of outrageous sentimentality and over-the-top violence.

Hong Kong action superstar Jet Li stars as Danny, a man raised to be a brutal attack dog by a nasty gangster named Bart (Bob Hoskins) – when Bart removes Danny’s collar, Danny pulverizes everyone in the room.

But a chance encounter with a blind piano tuner, Sam (Morgan Freeman), reveals to Danny the possibility of a less brutal life, and when a retaliation attack gives him the chance to escape, he does – but Bart won’t let him go that easily.

The fighting in Unleashed is effectively jolting; Li and fight choreographer Yuen Wo Ping have purposefully stripped away the smoothness of most movie combat (especially with a genuine martial artist like Li) with raw, unnerving results, especially when juxtaposed with the sweet and earnest scenes of Li regaining his humanity with Freeman and his step-daughter (Kerry Condon).

This freewheeling cocktail of bloody noses and ice-cream cones isn’t for everyone, but fans of both Besson and Li will leave satisfied.

I took my paternal grandmother out for her birthday pizza dinner tonight.

Never mind that I did it two days in advance; I will be traveling on Thursday, which is the actual date, and I could not stay up late on Wednesday evening.

The dinner was set at Pizza Hut in SM City Mandurriao.

We had French fries as appetizers, and ordered a deep-dish pizza with the works and a cheese-stuffed crust. It was originally our intention to have dessert at some other restaurant in the mall.

While our waiter was serving us, I mentioned to him in passing that this was my birthday treat for my grandmother. Little did I know that he passed on the news to some members of the crew as well as the shift manager.

As we were finishing up the pizza and I was about to ask for our bill, four members of the restaurant staff, including our waiter and the shift manager herself, approached our table bearing tambourines and a delectable-looking plateful of cream-filled pastries garnished with white chocolate shavings and dark chocolate syrup.

After heartily greeting my grandmother, the restaurant staff burst into a very energetic rendition of the Happy Birthday to You song, complete with tambourine accompaniment.

This was the first time my grandmother ever had this kind of experience and she was both very touched and very delighted.

She even had me promise that on her birthday next year, we will return to the same restaurant and have dinner there again.