Heri

This korean martial art has a band playing a rhytm, with drums and cymbals. You have 2 fighters in traditional costumes taunting each other, kicking, faking, trying to trip and unbalance the other fighter or just a plain kick to the upper body.

Reminds me a lot of capoiera and mestre cobra mansa

I wanted to get a pair of Vibram Fivefingers (VFF for short) 2 years ago; but back then, I was not sure of the measurements. Their tables showed I need to get a size 40, while I usually get 42/43. I didn’t want to order a pair online and then having to send it back because of size issues.

The hype, litterature, and scientific studies continued to pour out. Summer 2010 was coming so I decided to make the jump and get a pair of black Vibram FiveFingers KSOs, plus also 2 pairs of injinji socks.

I am happy to report that they are the best “shoes” I’ve bought. It’s super-comfortable since it wraps around your feet. No need to break them, it’s just like a pair gloves. I didn’t get any bruises, joint pains, calluses. What I did get though are stares, disbelief, amused smiles, and even sometimes laughs from groups of kids and teenagers. I was used to stares back in France where I did a few creative/popular projects but the level of attention is … huh … different and amusing considering it’s just shoes.

What do I use the VFF KSO for?:

• mostly as a general everyday shoes, especially when I am planning to do sports sometime in the day
• light trail running, going in and out of Mont-Royal for instance
• parkour

I also did a day-hike in the Laurentians with the VFFs. Fellow hikers were curious (not shocked though). I did well and I am sure I can do multi-day hikes or higher hills and mountains. The hardest part maybe is when there are water crossing or swamps. The people in front of me just went in there with their boots, which is something I couldn’t do since the KSO are not water-resistant. Rocks were also sometimes a problem, since you don’t want to land on your heel. So it takes more of your attention to look what’s in the ground, and always try to land with the toes.

I also had an extra-edge compared to other hikers when we tried to climb at lunch, since the VFF’s rubber soles are perfect for climbers. I was also less tired than others. It is said than a pound on the feet is equal to 5 pounds on the back. The VFFs weigh nothing compared to hiker’s heavy boots.

If you are not afraid of being seen as a goofy person, if you’d like to have a more natural foot strike, I recommend the five fingers. I got the versatile KSO, with the black version, since they were less conspicuous than the orange Classics or the camouflaged Flows.

Chinese martial arts make a difference between internal styles, whose best illustration would be tai chi, and hard external styles, which can be found for example in the northern Shaolin.

External styles emphasize strength, physical power and large movements. As such, spectators are *impressed* by this kind of kung-fu. It’s also a style which was imported easily and adapted by the Japanese. Hard styles don’t get you far though. You can’t be as fast as you could be, as muscle stiffness impede on your speed. It’s also bad for your overall qi circulation and balance. Also, the impact of your kicks and hits are minimal compared to another person who can manage the balance between relaxation, speed and instant hit, and delivering the final hit.

Here are videos of masters showing internal styles.

The first one is an imagined duel between Taijiquan Master Yang Lu Chan and Baquazhang Master Dong Hai Chuan. Taijiquan and Baquazhang are both internal styles.

In this second video, a 94 year old bagua grandmaster bounces visitors around effortlessly in a demonstration of refined power, much to the amusement of bystanders

Finale of the movie Taiji master

As you can see, there’s more to it than just controlling your balance, there are many advanced qigong techniques demonstrated, especially in the last video.

This article blows my mind: Edge: Self-Awareness: The last Frontier, by V.S. Ramachandran.

The author explains that mirror neurons in our brain creates the sense of empathy, self-consciousness in ourselves. To the extreme, when those mirror neurons are hyperactive, we have extreme empathy, entire selfishlessness, and experience “blending” with the cosmos, thus the religious experience. To the other opposite end, autists, whose mirror neurons are deficient don’t have empathy and have no experience of self. 

Drugs which can fool neurons  can also change the activity of those neurons, making humans enter meditative/religious state or bluntness. 

I haven’t done any neuro-science, yet I know it must be true. I also find funny Ramachandran who confesses to be an absolute skeptic and also religious devout, all at the same time.