A Good Self Defense Is the Best Offense!

In my new Rhetoric class, we learned about the theory of speech, this containing the difference between content and form. Then we learned about some appeals and devices used in an speech, such as Logos: the stats and real information, Ethos: the credibility of the speaker, and Pathos: the emotions that are shown while speech is given. Then the devices are, simile, metaphor, or allusion. Leading me to the action project, we had to make a speech that includes the three appeals, and some devices, on a topic we are passionate about. The topic that I have chosen is why people should do martial arts, because this is something I do and I am very passionate about it. Some challenges of this project was that at the last minute i switched topics so I had to write a 2 minute speech in a day. What I am proud of is that I actually found a topic that I really care about, because I didn’t like what I had before. Please in enjoy why I think you should do martial arts.

Have you been in a situation where you feel weak, maybe just mentally or physically and you know that you really don’t have a solution in mind? I know that I have, and I could never find a way to feel strong, in anyway. I know that people everywhere come up against this problem. The main solution that I’ve discovered is learning a type of martial art, ranging from boxing to Jiu Jitsu.

Today we have so many problems with everyday life, that leave us feeling vulnerable or weak as individuals, for example :

One: People don’t feel confident all the time. With martial arts you learn to become confident with everything you do. While doing martial arts, and afterwards, you feel new, knowing that you are a better person. And that feeling will always grow, unless you stop. But why stop doing something that can actually benefit you?

Two: You will get respect and you know to give respect more often. In martial arts there will always be someone better or bigger than you. But that just teaches kids and you that it’s good to get respect and give it. This will make us live in a better community of people, where no one is ever trying to be the better person. Today we see people getting in street fights, and for what, what is the point of sending someone to the hospital, or getting sent to the hospital? NOTHING. With martial arts, it will destroy your bad ego and let your good one shine. This all comes back to respect and some self control. If someone is picking on you, or yelling at you, just think, “Oh well, they didn’t have a good day and they aren’t really mad at me.” This applies more to random people. Don’t think that of your parents, or teachers, because you might have a lesson to learn.

Three: It’s a good tool to have if you’re attacked. Many people get mugged and hurt, and have no idea how to defend themselves. Well, with martial arts you have something to defend yourself with. Females and other are more vulnerable to sexual assault, they now will also have a proper way to defend themselves. I know that the Gracie family (Who created Brazilian Jiu Jitsu)  has a program just for women so they can better protect themselves from threatening men.

Four: It gives you a better way to focus and really try hard on what you want to accomplish. Many people today are distracted from everyday entertainment devices, that we will usually not want to work hard. Well with martial arts, since they have a belt system, it gives you something to work hard for. This will teach your mind how to start working harder for things you want done. Not only will it help with everyday tasks, but it will help you focus on you. What I mean by this, is we get very stressed, this will always happen, but with martial arts will help you relieve stress. Either by doing Tai Chi, or just doing boxing and just punching something to get some anger out.

So in the end, martial arts is something you need to do, because the boost of confidence, respect, self defense, and lastly helps our focus. All of these things are something that can really help a person become better and feel new. For people who do it, always remember some things, “We do martial arts so we don’t have to use them.” - Bruce Lee, this is really important to just keep in mind that it’s something for fun and it’s never fun to send someone to the hospital. Also martial arts is a river, it will be calm and happy, and it can be stressful, but keeping it fun and always being adaptable is good thing for life.

References:

Stevens, Eric C. "7 Reasons Why Your Child Should Practice Martial Arts."Breaking Muscle. Web. 22 Sept. 2015.

Ghosh, Sushmita. "10 Reasons to Learn Martial Arts - List Dose." List Dose. 4 Mar. 2014. Web. 22 Sept. 2015.

BJJ Kid

While doing school at GCE to become mentally strong, I wanted to learn how to become physically fit. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is a martial art where it acts as a sport and a self defense mechanism. This something that I have always wanted to do, with other kinds of martial arts. The main challenge is that it is very hard to upgrade in this martial art, taking a lot of mentally and physically will. This also helped me meet new, people and because of the place I go, POW MMA and Fitness, I got to also explore other martial arts.

NVA/AA "Gracie Regional Tournament" 2015

So to start from the beginning, I was actually inspired first by boxing, mainly through watching movies where it showed the man get defeated and then rise up from will. So in about 2 years ago, I watched a movie called Never Back Down, this had the same premise of Karate Kid, but instead of Karate, he did mix martial arts (MMA). This movie was a slap to face and from that point I wanted to join a place and learn how to fight, but also learn how to become a more cerebral person.

It took a while, but I found POW MMA and Fitness, where for my first class I took Muay Thai, which is the art of eight limbs, meaning fists, legs, elbows, and knees. I did that for a week or, and then I remembered that the main reason I joined this place was to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and I quickly started that, while also doing Muay Thai. Then, I realized I joined this place at the right time, because they started doing martial art of the month, where every Wednesday of the month they would do a martial art that they didn’t normally have. That quickly grabbed my attention, and the very first one was Kung Fu, a very old and well known Chinese martial art. Then it was Taekwondo, which is a well known Korean martial art, mainly focuses on kicks; since everyone loved this it went on for 2 months. Now it is currently Jeet Kun Do, which is Bruce Lee’s martial art that is a mixture of martial arts he liked.

The one martial art though that has had my focus, is Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, which is my all time favorite, because this martial uses leverage, unlike many martial arts. This one takes, a lot of mental strength as well, because it it like playing chess, you are always trying to out smart people. I am training with guy named Dino Costeas, who once trained with the very famous Rickson Gracie. A man named Helio Gracie created this, because he was taking Traditional Jiu Jitsu, and he was a much smaller person than his brothers, so he tweaked that martial art to make it best for him. Now the Gracie family is huge in the fighting world, and the are the ones who created the UFC, mainly to show how powerful Brazilian Jiu Jitsu was to the world.

From doing this for 5 months, I have become very fit, and I think a little more logically in certain situations. Something that martial arts taught me that I always will remember, is that people do martial arts so they never have to use them. I think I can stand for myself more, being someone that people could always pick on, making me very inconfident about myself. I am still a white belt, but one life goal I have set for myself, to become a black belt, which will be hard but I am up for the challenge. I will definitely, keep doing Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and trying other martial arts to mainly become a well rounded fighter.

Giving Yourself Medical Attention

In unit 3 of my Cure class, we learned about how prevent problems from happening, and making ourselves our own doctors. We for some FEs, looked at diets, yoga, and making medication out of herbs. Leading me to the action project, we had to create a video where a person went to do the doctor to look for a way to prevent something from happening to them. For me I chose a man wanting to prevent any lung problems from happening, as you might see the doctor is very caring and understanding, which is in honor of Patch Adams and how he was so loving to the people he treated. The purpose of this was to show people that they can be there own doctors, and that we control a lot in our lives. Please enjoy!


                     

What does the Chorus do?

In unit 3 of my Drama course, we read A Raisin in the Sun to examine the role of the matriarch. We also learned about Greek tragedies and what they have done to superheroes to make them seem more life like. Also we looked at the chorus in a play and song, and how they say the moral in the story. We went to the Cultural Center to look at paintings, and to practice techniques to write a Greek chorus. For this Action Project we picked a character from Raisin in the Sun and to show that characters in the play have their moments of glory and failure just like a Greek tragedy. I picked Walter from the play because he is someone who has a lot of problems with trying to be a hero. The purpose of this was to see how important a chorus is in a play, song, and book. Please enjoy the chorus I made to resemble a Greek tragedy, a Raisin in the Sun.

The Common Cold

In unit 2 of my cure class, we learned about the quadratic formula, and we looked about different medicines and their purposes. For a FE we went to CVS and Whole Foods to look at the packaging of medicine, and the different things they say, including side effects, the intended effect etc. Leading me to the action project, we had to create a medicine box, that had a main ailment and the symptoms. Then we had to add four different treatments for this ailment, behind and over the counter, and two others that someone would/could do at home. The ailment I have chose was the common cold, because it is something I get from time to time, and it usually lasts longer than any other ailment for me. We also for the action project had to make a video solving the quadratic formula given to us by the dimensions of our boxes. The purpose of this action project was to show people all the different medications there are for people to use, that are in chemical form and outside treatments.

NVA "The Common Cold Box" 5-09-15. GCE Lab School

The Stone Journal

For unit 2 of my Drama class we looked at the three plays, first it was A Doll's House, next was The Little Foxes, and last was Marie Antoinette. With in these plays the main theme was what women's roles were when it came to society, and should it they be equal to men. In A Doll's house they hit on that subject by talking showing how the main character is controlled by everyone and then how she finally gets the power to control her husband. In The Little Foxes they hit on this subject by showing how the women had all the control over the other main characters, who were men. With Marie Antoinette they actually showed how society controlled her life. Some FEs we went on were going to watch the play Marie Antoinette and got to interview the understudy. Now to the action project, we had to write a script with us as one of the characters, Nora from A Doll's House, and a historical/mythical figure. I chose Medusa as my mythical character to use in my play, because I like Greek Mythology so much. My play in a summary is about, Me and Nora as friends, meet Medusa and have to battle her, finding the what society can do to people.

 

Spinal Disk Replacement

In Unit 1 of my Cure course, we learned about different ways to approach math problems like substitution and elimination, but most important we learned how cells work in the body. We also learned the different parts and the organelles inside of the cell and what they do. For the action project we had to create a Prezi presentation on a surgery of our choice and explain the organs involved and the cells they are made up of, and what happens in the surgery. I picked the replacement of a disk in the back, mainly the lower part, and I thought this would be could because of how serious it can be if the surgery were to be done wrong. The purpose of this project was to see how different cells in the body have very different ways of working and to show in a real life situation.