So, for my training on the violin, I have been primarily using the method book, "Essential Elements 2000 for Strings, Violin Book One." I have to say that knowing what I now know, I made an excellent choice. Between the method book itself and all the help I have been getting from forum members at fiddlerman.com, my playing is coming along at a pace that is beyond even what my narcissism thought possible. Of course, I'd still like to be playing much better, and I still have a LONG way to go, but I'm certainly getting there.
One of the things I've really enjoyed so far about the book, is the accompanying software, specifically the Smart Music program that is included with the method book. This software has proved crucial because it includes the first 100 exercises in the book so you can play along with the accompaniment. This is an outstanding added tool to the Essential Elements 2000 series! Most modern method books come with a CD that allows you to play the accompaniment and play along with it, but the Smart Music program included on this CD ROM not only has the sheet music for the exercises, but a cursor that moves along with you as you play. Additionally, the program allows me to slow or speed up an exercise so I can play each one at varying levels until I have mastered it and I am ready to go on. The program also uses your computer's built in microphone, or another microphone if you have one, and shows you if you are playing too slow, too fast, flat, or sharp. At the completion of a n exercise, the program highlights the notes you played correctly in green, and places a note on the sheet in red where you played incorrectly, allowing you to see exactly what mistakes you made, and where you were playing out of tune.
Speaking of playing in tune, the software has a tuner function inclusive, so you can tune your instrument before you start playing your exercises and make sure that you're learning the correct intonation for each place along the fingerboard.
I am really enjoying this method book. I'm approaching the end of book one, and I will make sure to do a full review of the entire book when I am complete, but for now, I will post here a couple of my videos so you can see the progress I've been making as I continue to learn the violin. I'll post the videos in chronological order, starting with the oldest.
Thanks for watching, your support is motivating!
Monday, July 29, 2013
Saturday, July 20, 2013
Frustrated with the Sport Side of Jiu Jitsu
I had another tournament today. I'll admit that I did not win, and that stinks, but I pulled some lessons from it. I wasn't submitted, and that is honestly more important to me than winning. If you want to read my full thoughts on why I compete, read my post "Why Compete." As a caveat to that post however, I should add some things to my views on competing. 1) I do NOT compete because I want medals. 2) I do NOT train BJJ because I want to win tournaments. 3) I train BJJ for me. Because I actually do believe that it is useful in a real fight, and for me, there's no telling when or where the day may come when I need BJJ to save my life, or someone else's.
Brazilian Jui-Jitsu is a martial art; it is a form of self-defense. I think that tournaments have truly gotten away from this aspect of the sport. Though I think things like points and time-limits are necessary, they greatly inhibit the self-defense aspect of the sport.
Human beings are very competitive. That is why when you step out on to the mat, under the lights, your body floods with adrenaline. Because to your body, the competition is VERY real. Your body doesn't understand that you are, in all actuality, very safe out there. Your body only understands that when you step out on the mat, your mind is driven by something that you want very badly, and your body reacts, appropriately I should add, by entering it's enhanced fight-or-flight state. Every ounce of your energy, every muscle fiber, every drop of sweat from that point on, is used methodically by your body to increase your chances of achieving the one thing at that moment that you want more than anything else.
The sport has evolved in to something different though. The sport isn't about simply providing an arena to test your skills. Tournaments have gone the way of money factories. Though I understand that there is a lot of money to be made by running tournaments, and I do appreciate that they exist, tournaments have helped to create, in my opinion, a caustic attitude in the art. The art has become more about medals and money, than it has about self-defense.
The proof is in what can be seen at so many tournaments. Butt-scooting is one example. Simply closing with your opponent for the sole purpose of pulling guard defeats the very essence of self-defense, and degrades the sport of Jiu-jitsu in the eyes of the world. Sport jiu-jitsu is BORING to watch. It's boring because at the highest levels competitors sit down and grab each others feet. Its boring because we don't have takedowns that are emotionally inspiring. Its just boring.
Now, I know many will argue this point with me, but stalling is another frustrating aspect of sport Jiu-Jitsu. SO many competitors will get up on points, and simply hold their opponent. Now all of you will probably agree that stalling is lame, and should never be tolerated, but don't we encourage it everywhere else. Coaches totally against stalling will shout, "20 seconds, you're up by two, you just have to hold him." From the stand-point of winning, it makes sense, but it my eyes, even if you're only up by one, you don't stall. You NEVER stall. You work to finish the fight. If you are in the mount with 20 seconds left, and you're up by one, you don't put in the grapevine and stabilize, you look to submit. The same is true if you're up by one with a your opponent in your guard. You look for the finish. If its a choke, awesome, there's no danger in that, but if an arm-bar, or triangle present themselves, the failure of either means a certain guard pass, and loss of the match, I will go for it every time. That is my vow. I will not sit on an opponent because I am up on points. If I do, I think that I am failing myself. The same is also true of other sports. If I'm the quarter back in the super bowl, I have the ball, 45 seconds left on the clock, on my own 20, I'm not taking a knee. I'm fighting the fight. If I am the better opponent, than the end results will show it, and I will have both my integrity and my honor. I mean no ill will toward anyone who has won a match or game using these types of tactics, but I will not join you there.
I think the guard-pull and stalling are my biggest frustrations right now with the sport of Jiu-Jitsu. I have to admit though, that I have had thoughts of no longer competing. This is a new thought to me. It doesn't stem from losing, it stems from "sport." It stems from us jiu-jitsuka losing sight of what the point really is. What the point is for me any way. I don't think leaving competition is the right answer however, I think instead that I will continue to compete, but I will have to mentally prepare myself first, to see some of the most boring, dishonest, and dishonorable sportsmanship in the world. I apologize again to my fellow jiu-jitsuka, I feel guilty for feeling this way, but I don't care, because I truly believe that I am not wrong.
My Frustration:
I'm frustrated today because of the sport side of BJJ. I'm glad it's there, because if affords me the opportunity to compete and prove/disprove my skills against a somewhat equal opponent, but as I've watched the sport evolve more over the course of the last few years, I'm disappointed with what I'm seeing.Brazilian Jui-Jitsu is a martial art; it is a form of self-defense. I think that tournaments have truly gotten away from this aspect of the sport. Though I think things like points and time-limits are necessary, they greatly inhibit the self-defense aspect of the sport.
Human beings are very competitive. That is why when you step out on to the mat, under the lights, your body floods with adrenaline. Because to your body, the competition is VERY real. Your body doesn't understand that you are, in all actuality, very safe out there. Your body only understands that when you step out on the mat, your mind is driven by something that you want very badly, and your body reacts, appropriately I should add, by entering it's enhanced fight-or-flight state. Every ounce of your energy, every muscle fiber, every drop of sweat from that point on, is used methodically by your body to increase your chances of achieving the one thing at that moment that you want more than anything else.
The sport has evolved in to something different though. The sport isn't about simply providing an arena to test your skills. Tournaments have gone the way of money factories. Though I understand that there is a lot of money to be made by running tournaments, and I do appreciate that they exist, tournaments have helped to create, in my opinion, a caustic attitude in the art. The art has become more about medals and money, than it has about self-defense.
The proof is in what can be seen at so many tournaments. Butt-scooting is one example. Simply closing with your opponent for the sole purpose of pulling guard defeats the very essence of self-defense, and degrades the sport of Jiu-jitsu in the eyes of the world. Sport jiu-jitsu is BORING to watch. It's boring because at the highest levels competitors sit down and grab each others feet. Its boring because we don't have takedowns that are emotionally inspiring. Its just boring.
Now, I know many will argue this point with me, but stalling is another frustrating aspect of sport Jiu-Jitsu. SO many competitors will get up on points, and simply hold their opponent. Now all of you will probably agree that stalling is lame, and should never be tolerated, but don't we encourage it everywhere else. Coaches totally against stalling will shout, "20 seconds, you're up by two, you just have to hold him." From the stand-point of winning, it makes sense, but it my eyes, even if you're only up by one, you don't stall. You NEVER stall. You work to finish the fight. If you are in the mount with 20 seconds left, and you're up by one, you don't put in the grapevine and stabilize, you look to submit. The same is true if you're up by one with a your opponent in your guard. You look for the finish. If its a choke, awesome, there's no danger in that, but if an arm-bar, or triangle present themselves, the failure of either means a certain guard pass, and loss of the match, I will go for it every time. That is my vow. I will not sit on an opponent because I am up on points. If I do, I think that I am failing myself. The same is also true of other sports. If I'm the quarter back in the super bowl, I have the ball, 45 seconds left on the clock, on my own 20, I'm not taking a knee. I'm fighting the fight. If I am the better opponent, than the end results will show it, and I will have both my integrity and my honor. I mean no ill will toward anyone who has won a match or game using these types of tactics, but I will not join you there.
I think the guard-pull and stalling are my biggest frustrations right now with the sport of Jiu-Jitsu. I have to admit though, that I have had thoughts of no longer competing. This is a new thought to me. It doesn't stem from losing, it stems from "sport." It stems from us jiu-jitsuka losing sight of what the point really is. What the point is for me any way. I don't think leaving competition is the right answer however, I think instead that I will continue to compete, but I will have to mentally prepare myself first, to see some of the most boring, dishonest, and dishonorable sportsmanship in the world. I apologize again to my fellow jiu-jitsuka, I feel guilty for feeling this way, but I don't care, because I truly believe that I am not wrong.
Saturday, July 13, 2013
Violin: Been slacking, but here's a little update
Well, I think the title pretty much sums it up. I've been REALLY busy with work stuff (actually, I should be doing some of it right now), so I've been slacking a lot in the department of playing the violin. The good news, is that I managed to just about get another little tune down, and tied it together with the ol' Twinkle, Twinkle. It's not amazing, but I'm certainly going to keep working on it. I've got a group project I'm about to get started on that will help motivate me some more I think.
Well, here is a link to my latest playing:
http://youtu.be/BUCf3YLRmug
Also, the last group project I was a part of:
http://youtu.be/P7YtpAkYhPE
Enjoy, and remember that your support is motivating.
Well, here is a link to my latest playing:
http://youtu.be/BUCf3YLRmug
Also, the last group project I was a part of:
http://youtu.be/P7YtpAkYhPE
Enjoy, and remember that your support is motivating.
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