The other night, I watched "Kick-Ass" on dvd.  Why I didn't watch it when it came out in movie theatres is beyond me.  What I really love about this movie is the character, Dave Lizewski/Kick-Ass, innocence.  His curiosity of being a superhero has been thought by many many teenagers (and even adults).  "Kick-Ass" is probably one of the most realistic (i said most not "definitely") comic book movie that is out right now.  The story is based on real life situations.  Meaning, crime boses, thugs, guns, knifes, a bunch of weaponry out the hoo haa, blood, bruses, cuts, bullet woulds, sex... the list goes on. 

Most people do not know that this movie was from an actually comic book.  Slightly different (okay, pretty much way different) but the comic book had the same violence, blood, and whatever I listed before.  Although, no matter comic book or movie, the theme was always strongly present... being a superhero.  What this movie displayed was the issues of what might or most likely, WILL happen if you become a superhero.  Unlike Batman, Kick-Ass has no hand to hand combat skills, a cool costume with amour or bullet proof padding (since he has no superpowers), and deadly weaponry (well, if you count two police battons (I think) and a little taser).  Not putting into account that he'll ever get injured, during the movie, Kick-Ass gets a taste of his vulnerability...by getting stabbed in the stomach by local car jackers.  A dose of realism on his part and even to the audience who is watching this scene.  Even though we all believe in movie magic, where no one get seriously injured, a movie like this will remind you that NO ONE is invincible.  Later in the film, Kick-Ass finds out that he is not alone in the crime fighting crusade.  Highly skilled individuals, two actually, are in the mix.  A father and daughter team...Big Daddy (Nicolas Cage) and Hit Girl (Chlore Moretz).  Both are masters of hand to hand combat, has cool looking costumes with bullet proof padding amour, AND carry deadly weaponry...lots of it. This conflicts with Kick-Ass and admits to himself that these two individuals are the "real deal" and he is a joke that wears a green wet suit.  This film also includes Big Daddy and Hit Girl's origin by the way which makes the movie more interesting to get into.  Honestly speaking, there are no "borining" scenes.  The movie didn't drag.  It was simple enough to understand which made it more enjoyable to watch.  However...I love superhero movies but every story is some how predictable.  Kick-Ass is no exception. 

It goes like this:
- Origin story in the beginning
- Superhero establishes him/her self into the city
- Bad guys recognize who the superhero is
- Bad guys want superhero dead
- Personal problems conflicting with superhero problems
- Bad guys get the best of superhero
- Superhero gives up momentarily
- Bad buys wreak so much havock superhero gets back into the game
- Bad guys and superhero duke it out in a big end fight
- Happy ending. 

Why people take attention to this movie so much, besides the ass kicking and the flips from Hit Girl, is that character "Kick-Ass" is just like you and me...a human.  We seem to like to watch ordinary human beings get hurt and rise above the pain and suffering (another element I forgot to list).  It makes me shake my head that we are attracted to realistic violence (well, most of us) and eager to see gun blazing, blood splattering, bruses, cuts... the list is never ending.  Maybe I'm wrong, there is probably a hint of movie magic in this film.  After all the beatings and stabbings, Kick-Ass is still alive to tell the tale.  What I didn't get was that NONE of these bad guys (except the mob boss and his henchman of course) did not carry a gun.  You can use your imagination to know what I'm talking about. 

Bonjour, everyone!  I have survived a week and a few days in Europe.  It was a great experience.  Not what I expected and all but it is something that I will always remember.  The language barrier wasn't too bad.  Almost everyone that I encountered spoke a little English and even the ones that didn't, tried their best to under stand what I was asking or saying.  All in all, I would do another Europe trip.  Oh, by the way, I traveled to Portugal, Spain, and France.  Wonderful scenery...ALL three of them.  However, how we got to our destinations was something out of a movie.  Keywords:  Bus, Trains, and Taxis and the most important of all...WALKING.  Here are a couple of pictures from my trip...

 
Santiago de Compostela
Spain

 
Lourdes, France

 
Cannes, France

Monte Carlo, Monaco

Paris, France

 
There was this 12 hour bus ride that we had to take from Portugal to Spain (yea, you read it right, 12 hours).  Even though this particular bus ride was the bus ride that never seemed to end, the scenary on the way there was magnificant.  I can truly say, I saw the hills of Spain.  It got me thinking that there are more places to see in the world.  This caused me to make new agendas and mark other countries to see.  All in due time.  Right now, I'm still amazed that I saw these places.  To the people that live in Europe, it probably nothing to them since they see it everyday but to those who haven't (like me), it is a beautiful wonder to me.  I am glad that I traveled outside my comfort zone.  There is still more to see and by the grace of God, I'm going to see them.  Word.

Staring next week, I will be traveling out of my comfort zone.  I was invited to travel parts of Europe with a group of selected people.  I haven't been out of the US since 1991...that's almost 30 years ago.  I've always talked about traveling to Europe one day and starting next week, that "one day" will commence.  Half of me is excited but the other half is scared sh#tless.  For me, I don't mind traveling off to forein places, it's the language barrier that is the problem.  I'm pretty sure most people in the US have already experienced or NOW experiencing this problematic vocal translation but since this will my first time, I'm going to have to keep my patience in check.  However, there will be someone in our group that knows the way around and knows the culture.  So in any cases, we're not walking aimlessly alone and confused like the actual tourist that we are.  Hopefully, the places that we are going to will make up for the language barrier.  Details of the places of my trip will be disclosed for the moment and I will definitely follow up when I come back with pictures.  For now, here is one picture to give you a clue to where I'm going.  This picture is displayed somewhere in Europe...

I got people who know that I'm going to Europe kid around and remind me about the movies "Hostel" and "Taken".  Yes, we are going to stay in a couple of "hostels" and yes, I am going to share a bathroom with people who are staying there other than my group.  Stick to the group, I always say.  My "spider-senses" will alert me if any danger if anything.  And yes, I will use any force necessary if anyone tries to get kidnapped from my group.  Seriously, I'm not playing. 

"An a$$ whooping is an a$$ whooping, in ANY language..." - Chino XL

It's funny, while people worry about if I'm going to get sliced up or get taken by some prostitue gang, everyone forgets to have a good time.  It takes me a while to get comfortable in uncommon or unrecognizable places.  It's just my defensive insticts that usually kicks in.  When I get over it, I'm as cool as the Fonz from "Happy Days" (I don't know where that idea came from but "heyyyyyyyyy").

See yah, when I see yah

source:
http://www.youtube.com/user/SunnyChoiMusic

When I started martial arts, I really wanted to be the best.  The only way I knew how was with hard work and sacrifice.  It was quite obvious that the person who I most wanted to be was Lee Xiao Loong; Bruce Lee.  When I had my back injury a few years back, I had a moment of helplessness.  I couldn't walk, I couldn't stand up...I felt that this was the end of my martial arts dream.  I would stay awake at nights, lying on my bed, crying that I would never be the best that I wanted to be.  Pain and sorrow ran through that trying time.  I even forgot about martial arts for a while and just prayed to walk again.  At one time, I looked up at the sky and wished for one more chance to become a great martial artist.  My injury felt like an eternity.  Then, I read that Bruce Lee also injured his back and couldn't walk for a period of six to nine months.  He never gave up and when he did walk again, he became the greatest marital artist that ever lived.  That motivated me.  I told myself not to give up with what I wanted to be.  When I bounced back and started to stand and walk again with no pain, I went back to training in martial arts.  

..as of now, I'm still training.  Almost there...

A month ago, I watched the NEW version of "Karate Kid" starring Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan.  Although the movie was based on the 1984 original movie, Jaden Smith's character's ambition to learn "kung fu" was to defend himself from bullies.  

As I watched the scene were Dre (Jaden Smith) was being bullied by kids in his school, I became uncomfortable.  I started to get a little frustrated, then felt a sudden sadness when the bullies left Dre lying on the floor, bruised and beaten.  Flashbacks came to mind when I too was bullied in school.  Yea, I was bullied too.  I was a freshman in high school.  I won't convey the origin of my three years of torture but it comprised of me being pushed against the lockers, getting my pockets emptied out, getting cornered while someone held my thumb threatening me that it will get broken off if I don't give up my money, name calling, ridiculed in front of the whole school, and the occasional getting "snuffed" at the back of my head while I was walking down the stairs.  Did I stick up for myself?  No, I didn't.  Why?  My school and I think ALL schools had "Clicks" (group of friends) that ran almost to ten to thirty kids but I wasn't picked on by the "Clicks" of the school, I was picked on by the "gangs" of the school.  To answer your question, I didn't stick up for myself because I would run the risk of getting my ass shot or shanked....maybe even both.  So I let them pick on me.  There would be times when I told myself "fuck it" and just go ballistic on them if they try to mess with me again but when they did, they always got the best of me.  

I wasn't the fighting type (at that time).  The times when I was cornered by these bullies, I wished I did.  Fortunately, these bullies that picked on me were seniors and when they graduated, I had one year of peace.  When I look back at those times, I can still feel the fear.  I can still remember seeing these bullies in the far distance down the hallway and me redirecting myself away from them.  Never did I thought I would ever get picked on but never say "never".  The worse part of being picked on is going through it by yourself.  You can ask for help or rely on other people to help you out but they can't be where you are all the time.  Sometimes I wished things like this could be handled quickly and have a happy ending like in the movies.  But this is real life, things can turn for the worse.  When I tell people the stories of how I got picked on in high school, they would say "good thing you didn't do anything because you would have ended up dead".  Now would it have been different if I took martial arts when I was younger and kept with it?  Maybe but the things that I know now from martial arts, especially from what I know now from Jeet Kune Do, I probably would have ended up in jail for murder.  I'm not kidding.  I wouldn't have graduated high school, I wouldn't see my family, or I wouldn't be where I am today.  Literally.

There are consequences of dealing with bullies.  There are some that only deals with ONE bully.  Unfortunately, I dealt with more than one.  I'm not saying to do anything that would get you in trouble or get you arrested but what I WILL say that do what you need to stay alive.  If it means that you have to run away from these bullies, then run as fast as you can.  If you have to call the police, then have your smartphone ready to dial.  Am I telling you how to be a coward?  No, I'm telling you how to survive.  If you know martial arts and you feel that you can defend yourself to survive, then by all means, do what you must but remember, every action has consequences...ALL of them.  Be prepared to deal with it ON YOUR OWN because if you think that someone will help you out of whatever situation that you are in, think again.  (Negative, I know)  The only person that can truly help you out is you.  Stay alive and the only way you can do that is be smart about it.  You can stand there and take the hits like I did or You can stand there and fight.  The choice is ultimately up to you.

[editor's note]
After re reading this blog, I happened to notice that this wasn't inspirational at all.  I apologize for the lack of "inspiration" but the only thing I would recommend of over coming being picked on in school is to contact a teacher, principal, and even parents.  Yes, I did say that no matter what, YOU are the only one that is going to have to do deal with it but in a way, maybe you DON'T have to go through it alone.  My mistake was not involving any of them.  Even though I went through it alone, I had to sometimes remind myself that everything will be alright in the end...no matter what.  Everyone who picks on other people for pleasure or to look good in front of their peers will get theirs in the end.  Yea, it's corny but the little ray of hope is always something to look forward.  

I've gone through the beatings, and I'm still alive.  Sometimes I wished I didn't and DID something about it but YOU, you don't have to go through what I went through.  Like I said, do what need to stay alive.  Whatever possible.  Everyone has choices.  Swallow your pride and choose to live.  Choose to stay alive and the possibilities are endless.  

You can do it, I know you can.