Martial Arts Wandering

The study of martial arts should ideally be done under the tutelage of a single qualified master. However, in today's modern society people move, schools close, and students get bored.
A lifelong student of martial arts may need to transition to several different martial arts programs in their lifetime. This can be incredibly difficult if you study a somewhat obscure martial art like hapkido. There are very few hapkido schools, so finding one when you move is a challenge. This is why tae kwon do is a good martial art to study if you plan to move a lot. No martial art is more pervasive in America today. The two largest factions of tae kwon do are the World Taekwondo Federation and the International Taekwon-do Federation. Their systems are somewhat standardized. If you study WTF or ITF tae kwon do, you should be able to find another school teaching pretty much the same way in another city. Your rank will also transfer to the new school. This allows you to continue your studies unabated.

Karate Is Back

When Lyoto Machida won the UFC Light Heavyweight championship two weeks ago, he declared that "karate is back." Machida's martial arts training started at the age of 3 with instruction from his father, a shotokan master. Machita later branched out to sumo, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and eventually mixed martial arts. He rose to the top of the UFC using a combination of his skills, but his technique remains dominated by the karate style he learned as a child. Tae kwon do and karate are closely related martial arts. You can see elements of these styles as you watch Machida fight. He is elusive. Machida never stands directly in front of an opponent, so rarely gets hit. He moves laterally with ease and strikes unexpectedly with remarkable precision. This karate style has frustrated opponents used to pounding opponents into submission. The UFC has long been dominated by submission specialists and heavy handed ground and pounders. Karate and TKD have long been written off as impractical for mixed martial arts. Machina is rewriting the qualifications for a mixed martial arts champion.

Tae Kwon Do Evolving

An 18-year-old second dan named Dakota Srigley just won the ITF tae kwon do Canadian nationals. When asked about his aspirations, Srigley stated that he plans a career in mixed martial arts.
This on top of his next project, appearing in an upcoming movie starring Pierce Brosnan and Uma Thurman. This points out an interesting trend in martial arts. Students are seeing tae kwon do as a springboard to other things. Any actor who wants to be an action star needs to know how to fight. Many actors study tae kwon do strictly for career development. Mixed martial arts is all the rage these days. Kids watch MMA fights on TV then head to the Dojang to try them out. Many move on to other martial arts when they realize that tae kwon do wont help them with their ground game. If this trend continues, it wont take long for the tae kwon do schools to adapt. We will see more hybrid programs and fewer pure tae kwon do schools. Could this be what TKD is evolving into?

The Future of Journalism

We are entering a new era in journalism. The future belongs to the citizen journalist. Newspapers are shutting down all over the country. TV stations are downsizing or getting rid of news altogether. Magazines subscriptions are dwindling. Each of us now has unprecedented access to a worldwide audience through the internet. Anyone can write an article or shoot a video and have it viewed around the planet instantly. No longer does an affluent elite hold the reigns to the flow of information. A stampede of competing opinion is on the loose spreading long silenced voices across the globe for everyone to hear.
With this awesome new power comes responsibility. There is an unwritten code of journalism ethics. Like most ethics they are subject to broad interpretation. The spread of citizen journalism is making those interpretations even broader. Internet journalism is far more anonymous and brazen. Many so-called journalists are nothing more than gossips who represent blatant lies as fact. These people give all journalists a bad name and contribute to public mistrust of the industry. Real journalists seek the truth and only communicate what they can confirm as the truth at the time. As a journalist you are the gatekeeper of information. It is your duty to sift through it and distinguish verifiable facts from rumor and innuendo. A true journalists verifies facts through secondary sources, gets responses from all sides and has no agenda but to get to the truth. If enough of us stick to that mantra we will win the public’s trust because they know we are fair.
Experience must be your guide to determine what is right or wrong. There is a lot of grey area in news. In our zeal to get a story out first we often cut corners and get sloppy with details. Some of that has to be expected in a time sensitive industry but how much is too much? Every journalist has their own tolerance for ethics compromises and it often shifts from day to day, story to story, and throughout a career. The latest technology allows citizen journalists to upload articles and pictures effortlessly. That leaves less time for contemplation and that can get you in trouble. You can’t take back something once it goes out over the internet, airways or press. There is an inexhaustible supply of attorneys out there lining up to sue journalists. Say something that isn’t true about someone and they’ll go after you for liable, defamation or slander. Don’t let that scare you though. They can all be avoided if you understand how they are defined. Journalists also sue other journalists. Copy something someone else wrote and they’ll go after you for plagiarism. This too can be easily avoided if you are diligent and honest. Knowing the law will help you tremendously as a journalist. In fact, I advise aspiring journalists not to write a word for publication before researching the basics of media law. The most important things are to remember that you are a professional and to act like one.
Journalists are taking a lot of heat these days. From the tabloid hacks screaming half truths for your attention to the network reporters who said there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq to the paparazzi blamed for Princess Diana’s death. Journalists are blamed for many of society’s ills. To a large degree this is a matter of “shooting the messenger.” The public has a voracious appetite for news yet reels in disgust when it doesn’t appeal to them. Despite what you may think, this is actually a good thing. This outwardly dysfunctional relationship between journalists and the public is what makes journalism such a noble profession.
Think of the old days before journalism. People lived out their lives knowing only the information others told them and views of an average person didn‘t spread very far or very fast. Then Johannes Gutenberg started printing books. Suddenly there was a reason to read and people with ideas started spreading them. People with opposing views started printing their opinions and spreading those. Journalism was born. The written word became the forum for conflicting views and outrage. It launched mankind toward enlightenment, introspection and social change. Journalists will never be loved by all, but they’re not supposed to be. If you are doing your job right then someone will be upset by your words. Journalists have a duty to bring facts hiding in the shadows into the light even if people don’t want to see what’s lurking there.
What kind of world do you think we would live in without journalists? Reporters wield the mighty power of public opinion. It’s been used to bring down the corrupt, no matter how rich and powerful they may be. Journalists strive to keep our leaders honest, businesses from cheating us and our world clean, safe and fair. Do you think all that would happen without journalists? We are a necessary part of a vibrant free thinking society.
To be a good journalist you must be multi talented. First and foremost you must be a proficient writer, but you also need to be able to identify a good story, understand how to dig up vital facts and learn the right questions to ask. You must also learn to listen. A lot of people talk but few listen. Journalists need to know when to stop talking and soak in what’s going on around them. Also remember that the news is not about you. A journalist is expected to have a stance and style, but objectivity is essential. Think of yourself as the conduit through which news flows, not the holy grail of news itself.
Media consumers are more savvy than ever these days. They can read between the lines and flush out a pretender. They may read the National Enquirer for fun but go to the New York Times for the truth. This has everything to do with reputation and history. People trust those who are honest with them over the long haul. It’s a relationship built over the years and through countless daily stories. As a citizen journalist, you must ask yourself if you want to be the Enquirer or the Times. Whatever you decide to do, do it well. Take full advantage of this amazing time we live in. Spread your words, views, voice and pictures around your community and around the world. Make a difference.
Kent Ninomiya

The "C" Word

American sports broadcasters are being criticized for using the word "Chinaman" to describe Chinese sports stars. Last Sunday, Len Dawson of television station KMBC in Kansas City observed that Yao Ming attended the NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 auto race. Yao was there to raise awareness about the devastating earthquake in Sichuan province and to urge Americans to donate to relief charities. Instead of pointing out Yao's humanitarian efforts, Dawson, a former professional football quarterback, said "it's not every day you see a seven-foot-four Chinaman working on a car."
The term "Chinaman" is considered derogatory in modern American culture and is defined as an offensive racial slur in current English language dictionaries. It was used in the 1800's to describe men from China in an anonymous dehumanizing way. Chinese men had their names recorded as "John Chinaman" or simply as "Chinaman" suggesting that they were all the same and not important as individuals. Asian American author Maxine Hong Kingston has said the antiquated term is equivalent to the N-word for blacks. The term "Chinaman's chance" is a shortened version of "Chinaman's chance in hell" meaning no chance at all. The expression comes from pre gold rush days in California when Chinese workers were deemed expendable and used for dangerous work such as placing dynamite. The term "Chinaman's chance" refers to the odds of the man surviving.
The comment has American journalists debating among themselves about the severity of the racial slur. The TVSpy Watercooler message board for journalists was a flurry of activity in the days following Dawson's comment. Some suggested it is being taken too seriously. One wrote "Lighten up. If it were done on a continuous basis ... it would be very offensive. But, said once in that context .. a funny line- that's all." In response, another poster wrote "It doesn't matter if it's funny or not. The term "Chinaman" is a racial slur. If he had said 'Look there's an N-word working on his car' this conversation would be about Dawson being fired and whether he'd ever work in TV again."
Just last month, on April 11, CBS announcer Bobby Clampett referred to Chinese golfer Liang Wen-Chong as "the Chinaman" during the Masters golf broadcast. According to CBS spokeswoman Leslie Anne Wade, Clampett later apologized on the Masters web cast. Clampett said, "if I offended anybody please accept my sincere apologies." The apology itself came under fire. On the sports site Fanhouse, writer Michael David Smith said "the style of apology that begins with 'if I offended anybody' always rings a little bit hollow. The word 'Chinaman' is a slur, and it's the slur that should be followed up with an apology, not the reaction of being offended by the slur."
The reaction to the comment is also raising questions about a double standard. Are racial slurs against black athletes taken more seriously than slurs against Chinese athletes? In January, Golf Channel anchor Kelly Tilghman was suspended for two weeks for joking that if young players want to beat golfer Tiger Woods they should "lynch him in a back alley." The "lynch" reference offended African American advocates like Rev. Al Sharpton because of America's painful history of mobs lynching black men. Sharpton led a public campaign urging the Golf Channel to fire Tilghman. There was no such outcry for punishing Clampett for his "Chinaman" comment. Clampett was not suspended like Tilghman. Likewise, Len Dawson has not been suspended by his employer and has issued no apology for his comment about Yao Ming.

Kent Ninomiya

Blackjack top 10

By Kent Ninomiya
So you watched the movie “21” and you think you’re going to strike it rich at the blackjack tables in Vegas. Well, before you empty your meager checking account and cash in those bonds Grandma gave you when you were a kid, there are a few things you should know. Here is the reality of casino blackjack from someone who played the game for 20 years. Benefit from my trial and error as I dispel the myths about card counting and slap you around with the cold, hard hand of reality. So listen up! Here’s the top 10 rules of blackjack.
The first rule of blackjack is: the house always wins. Let me repeat that. That house always wins! There would not be big gleaming casinos if they were losing money. They would not be handing out free buffets and cheap rooms if they were losing money. You would not still be living in your parent’s basement if it was that easy to take their money. You would be there right now living the high life. That said, there are ways to minimize the house edge, win you a little green, and have some fun while you do it. Read on.
The second rule of blackjack is: there is no such thing as luck. Human nature makes us remember our victories far more than our defeats. We tell our friends with great pride about that time we split aces twice and won three times our bet while neglecting to mention that you left the table penniless a few minutes later. If you are to win at blackjack you must take all the emotion out of the game. Don’t get too happy when you win. Don’t get too upset when you lose. It’s about the odds and the long run. If you play the odds you will do OK in the long run. If you make exceptions to the odds because you are feeling lucky, you will most likely lose in the long run.
The third rule of blackjack is: you must learn perfect play. Perfect play is exactly that. When you are dealt a hand in blackjack you must make decisions with the information in front of you. You know what your two cards are and one of the dealer’s cards. This determines whether you stand, hit, double down or split. For every combination of your first two cards and the dealer’s show card there is a predetermined action you should take. This is called perfect play and is well documented. You can find out what to do on the internet. Check out this link for a perfect play chart. You can even buy one of these credit card sized charts at the casino gift shop. The casinos don’t mind if you look at the card at the table while you play. They realize that even if you use perfect play they will still win slightly more than half the hands. That’s the way the game is set up and in the long run that means most people will eventually lose. They key is to work the odds in your favor and quit while you are ahead. More on that later but first you must master perfect play.
Perfect play can be difficult sometimes because it forces you to do some things that seem stupid. This includes hitting on a 16 or standing on a 12 in some cases. Just know that perfect play was determined by statistical research by people a lot smarter than you. They sat through all those lousy math classes so you didn’t have to. So trust them. Asking whether you would rather lose by busting or having the dealer beat you is like asking whether you would rather have crabs or the clap. Neither sounds good. They key is to avoid both as much as possible.
It feels bad to hit on 16 and bust. What you need to realize is a loss is a loss. Whether you busted hitting on 16 or had a 20 and got beat when the dealer drew to 21, it’s the same thing. By hitting on 16 when the dealer shows a 10 you at least have a chance of winning. The odds say the dealer will almost always beat a 16 when showing a 10 so you might as well hit. Always stick to perfect play and the odds. Leave emotion out of blackjack.
The fourth rule of blackjack is: pick the right table. It may seem like blackjack is blackjack but it’s not. Blackjack is like women. The games are different and the differences can be a bitch. Different casinos have different rules. Different tables in the same casino have different rules. Walk around and find one that benefits you. Written right on the table is whether the dealer must hit or stand on soft 17. This is important. A soft 17 is when the dealer has an ace counting as 11 instead of 1 to help their hand add up to 17. When the dealer hits on soft 17 it improves their odds of winning. Look for a table where the dealer stands on soft 17.
There is a little known casino rule called “surrender.” It isn’t advertised so you need to ask the dealer if they offer “surrender.” Essentially you can “surrender” your hand after the first two cards and get half your bet back. This is great when you have a 15 or 16 and the dealer is showing a 10 or ace. It’s far better to lose half your bet than hit on a 15 or 16. Surrender will save you a lot of money in the long run so use it.
Blackjack can be played with a single deck, double deck or in a shoe with 6 or 8 decks. There are advantages and disadvantages to all of them. In single and double deck blackjacks pay 6 to 5 odds instead of 3 to 2. Also, you can only double down on 10 or 11, not soft hands with an ace. This limits your ability to capitalize on good hands. Most importantly, the cards are dealt face down making card counting much more difficult. If you are going to count cards you need a table that deals from a shoe. Also, avoid those tables with automatic shufflers that mix up the cards with every hand. They make counting useless.
The fifth rule of blackjack is: if you are going to count cards, do it right. If you think about it, counting cards isn’t really illegal. You are only using your brilliant mind and information that is right there in front of you. The problem is casinos are poor sports and don’t like to lose money. So like all poor sports they pout and take their ball home so you can’t play anymore. Actually they’ll ask you to stop playing blackjack and invite you to play roulette or craps or something else that will take your money. If they think you are a chronic card counter they will ban you from their casino and get all the other casinos to ban you too. They probably wont get their goons to rough you up, but you never know. They don’t like losing money in Vegas. The reality though is you probably aren’t big time enough to even be noticed. To win big money you must risk big money. Do you really want to hock your X-box and I-pod to put up the cash? I didn’t think so. Keep bets small and you will probably fly under the radar.
Basic card counting involves looking at every card dealt. You start the shoe with a count of 0. For every low card of 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 you add +1. For every high card of 10, jack, queen, king or ace you subtract -1. You ignore the middle cards of 7, 8 and 9.
The sixth rule of blackjack is: bet without emotion. If you play perfectly the house will win slightly more than half the hands. Varying your bet with the count will tilt those odds in your favor. If you are playing at a table with a shoe you should change your bet when the count reaches +9 or -9. You should have a consistent stake bet, say $10 at a table with a $5 bet minimum. Play every hand at $10 until the count reaches +9 or -9. At +9 double your bet. At -9 cut your bet in half. You may want to press your bet even harder if you are at the end of the shoe and you have a big plus count. The reason for this is simple. When you have a big plus count the shoe is full of 10’s and aces. This improves your odds of getting a blackjack or big hand with your first two cards. A minus count means there are more small cards in the shoe. That makes it more likely you will need to take more cards and lose.
Despite what you see in the movies, big plus shoes don’t come around that often. Sometimes you will play all night and never get one. You must be patient. If you confront a big negative shoe get up and go to the bathroom or switch tables. Don’t play when the odds are stacked against you.
The seventh rule of blackjack is: if you count cards, don’t get caught. The pit boss is watching you like you used to watch Jessica Simpson in the “these boots were made for walking” video. When you are counting cards imagine you are checking out a hot chick but don’t want her to think you are a pervert. Look at the cards but don’t stare. Look around once in a while so it seems like you’re not paying attention. Don’t move your lips or hold up your fingers while you count. I’ve actually seen people do that. Find a system that works for you that isn’t obvious. It could be how you place your foot or stack your chips. Just don’t make it obvious. Cameras are everywhere in casinos and there are lots of people watching you.
The eighth rule of blackjack is: avoid gimmicks. A lot of casinos offer gimmick blackjack games. Examples include side bets for different combinations of cards or the option to play two hands and switch your cards. Don’t fall for any of these. These games would not exist if the casinos lost money on them. They are unpredictable and impossible to figure out the new odds. Stick to standard blackjack where you have some control over the odds.
The ninth rule of blackjack is: don’t play when you are not at your best. You need to be sharp to play blackjack. If you are tired, hungry or drunk you will make mistakes. They offer those free drinks at the tables for a reason. The drunker you are the more you lose. Save your binging for later. Tell your buddies to leave you alone when you play. Nothing makes you lose count faster than a friend who wants to chat. When you are at the table play. Do nothing else. Also, beware the temptation to increase your bet just so you can “break even.” More money is lost trying to “break even” than at any other time at the table. Betting more means you can lose more. Slow and steady wins the race. If you are down don’t make it worse by losing more.
The tenth rule of blackjack is: know when to quit. The casinos wont bother you as long as you are not walking away with thousands of dollars. If you play right you could make a few hundred a session. Don’t rub it in their face. It’s time to cash out and take a walk. Go to another casino. Play another day. Don’t get noticed. That will invite the security goons to eye you on the overhead video camera. Trust me, you don’t want that. Most importantly, don’t play with money that you can’t afford to lose. This is gambling after all. You can follow all the rules and still drop all your cash. You can play like a jackass and still win. However, odds are you will do much better if you follow all the rules without emotion. Since there is no such thing as luck, the odds are all you have. Oh… by the way… good luck!
*** Kent Ninomiya ***

Cellular Phone Scam - Kent Ninomiya

How many cellular phones have you owned in your lifetime? If you're like me you have no idea. When I got my first cell phone in the early 1990's it was the size of a brick, cost $500 and the calls cost 75 cents per minute. I felt cool carrying it around but was afraid to make calls fearing an outrageous bill. Fast forward a decade and a half and cell phones are like pants. Quite literally everyone has them. In fact I don't know a single person past puberty who doesn't have one. The once pricey phones are now given away "free" when you sign a contract and call minutes are conveniently packaged in monthly bundles for you. It would seem that we've made progress with cellular phones... but have we? Sure they're smaller and do cooler things, but we are paying more than we ever realized we would for something nearly all of us didn't have nor need 20 years ago. Cell phones are now a necessity of life. Even the eccentric families who don't have TV's have cell phones. The cellular phone companies realized that the key to raking in money was volume. Like the drug dealer on the corner, they started giving away the phones for "free" knowing you would be back for more and willing to pay for it. You see... cell phones are every bit as addictive as drugs and much harder to quit. You are encouraged to use them more and more with the minute bundles. When you don't think about the minutes that are ticking away, it's easy to forget you're paying extra for the convenience of a cell phone. Before you know it, a family is paying more than one hundred dollars a month on a cell phone bill. Multiply that by, well everybody, and you have a very lucrative business. Now the only thing the cell phone companies have left to do is fight over market share. They fight hard over that too. Once you are on the hook for a contract you can't get out without paying an outrageous penalty. Have you ever noticed that the cell companies push two year contracts but the free or discounted phone they gave you only lasts about a year and a half? It has happened to me and countless others I know more times than we can remember. When you call to complain they tell you the warranty expired at a year but they would be happy to give you a brand new phone... IF you sign a brand new 2 year contract. THIS IS THE SCAM! It is my hypothesis that the phones are deliberately designed to last less than two years so the cellular phone companies can trap you into renewing your contract. What do you think? Kent Ninomiya