Bruce Harris Trio
Chet Baker (trumpet), Paul Desmond (alto sax), bob James (Keyboards), Ron Carter (contrabass), Steve Gadd (drums).
5/19/23
4/3/22
TESTING
I'm testing a live feed off of youtube right now. Testing the stream cam and audio. Audio will be extremely poor due to being away from the webcam (the webcam is on the ledge of my window pointing to the street).
If this works, I can do live streams off of my blog site (future casts).
Thanks for watching.
1/24/22
My Kali training
I decided to start training in Filipino Martial Arts over the summer. I'm also looking into some Silat techniques. Many of these South Asian martial arts borrow from each other.
Pictured above are my rattan sticks, my composite ginunting training sword, a karambit plastic practice knife, 2 rubber training daggers, and a Brazilian made steel Bowie knife Papi used to own.
Becky holding the ginunting training sword. She's lethal with her cuteness and she ain't afraid to use it either!
Most people have heard of FMA as Kali, Escrima and/or Arnis.
It's concentrated in double stick striking and blocking but it also utilizes sword, knife and even hand techniques. In fact, it's mainly a blade training martial art where the maneuvers of the rattan sticks are actually being substituted for blades - typically swords.
Most people were introduced to FMA by Dan Inosanto.
Below, check out my video of some basic Kali strikes in my practice routine.
There is still a lot of foot work, striking patterns and range techniques I want to bring to my training. Kali training can be done with regard to swing/strike patterns but after some time, a training partner is necessary.
Check out Doug Marcaida. A real badass:
Sector disarming:
In FMA, the training is with sticks but it can just as easily be with swords, knives, a combination of weapons or empty hands.
7/31/21
3 years: Papi
I can't begin to remember the nightmare that began that early morning when I received that call that Papi wasn't waking up from his sleep.
And then to see him through the security cam laying down asleep, as he always slept. Nothing looked unusual. My heart racing as it is now even recounting it. ....
I miss him.
We all miss him.
I'm going to try and get to the cemetery and sit a while, take a short video, pray and meditate.
3 Years ago at the cemetery I read Psalm 8:
O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field;The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!
Papi was such a strange man (in a sense). He was definitely a product of his up-bringing and to understand him, you seriously needed to understand his youth, how and where he grew up; what the culture and conditions were like when he was growing up, etc...
Part of the problem was that he wasn't very talkative about those times. He did talk about his father, his mother, etc. I remember him talking about how hard it was for his father maintaining "La finqua" (the field) or the land that his father owned, trying to maintain it, and how hard it was for his parents as they were aging and all the siblings were finding their way to the states to find work, etc.
I guess you can get a lot of detail out of those accounts to determine some information on Papi and what he had to go through.
I know he really loved his parents - that's for sure.
I also got some more information about Papi and what he had to go through when he told me of the time when he first came to New York in the 50's how he started working at an electric factory of some sort assembling standing lamps.
And then when he decided to take a 6-month Barber training and that lead to a 40 plus year career cutting people's hair and hair styling. He never made a lot of money but he was able to always save and put aside money for when it was truly needed. His practice of saving money had on a number of occasions allowed him to respond to family emergencies like the time of the fire on Townsend Ave., and the death of his Father and sister in Puerto Rico. But also when Stevie died and ultimately for his own passing.
It was those nerve-wracking rentals of his bedrooms at the apartment that ultimately assisted with his own funeral and burial expenses.
But I always wished that Papi was more of a communicator because I always felt like I didn't truly know him. He wasn't a talker or very introspective. If he was, he wasn't out in the open. I think perhaps that because of the limits of only having a 5th grade education that this might be part of the reason... but I don't know if I totally believe that.
Our relationship was a simple one.
A simple, "What's going on" type of conversation and then we would watch some baseball or boxing, or some Spanish TV, w/ some jokes and simple comments in between, and that was pretty much it. Papi liked to laugh and smile. He could be a real wise guy too.
I guess it's just because I want more of him and I miss him, and I want to just go see him again ... for some small talk.
I pray I will see him again.
I want to see that welcoming Papi smile he used to give.
3/30/21
**TABATA 4 MINUTE WORKOUT**
TABATA (HIIT) 4-MIN WORKOUT
HIGH INTENSITY INTERVAL TRAINING
TABATA TIMER ONLINE: Here's an awesome online TABATA timer you can use. Just select the 4 exercises you want to do (you can always change them up later) and add them to the below timing template.
**STRETCH FOR 5-10 MINS BEFORE AND AFTER WORKOUT***
**DRINK LOTS OF WATER**
_____________
HERE'S THE WORKOUT TEMPLATE:
20 SECONDS JUMPING JAX
10 SEC REST
20 SECONDS RUNNING IN PLACE
10 SEC REST
20 SECONDS SQUATS
10 SEC REST
20 SECOND HIGH KNEES
** REPEAT **
_____________________________________
This along w/ a good diet plan of good foods and healthier eating will hook you up!
Lets get to it!
:)
Here's another TABATA you can use right now!
3/29/21
The Mami Conference went well.
I'm glad we had the get-together online to discuss issues with Mami and important information moving forward.
I will be looking into nursing homes closest to me as Arlene states she'll look into resources on her end --- which I deem to be temporary. Because eventually, something else will need to be done in order to give Arlene a rest from the every-increasing demands of Mami's daily care.
Everyone attended and everyone had excellent contribution to the conversation.
Thanks again for this.
We can meet again to discuss follow-up, new plans or just to stay in touch (just for fun).
Just let me know when.
All you need is an Email and a browser (also on your cell phone).
Here's the link to the online program I used:
PS ... Please keep Claudia's mom in prayer as she's been having medical issues on and off also and as I write this, Claudia is driving alone to Queens to try and get her to be seen at a few out-patient clinics after her mom experienced a sudden blurred vision in one of her eyes, nausea and much fatigue.
We think it could have been a mini stroke.
No time is a good time to have medical issues but these times, are even worse.
OXOXO
JAV.
3/20/21
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