It Has Been A Year ...

since I'm studying at UCSI University ... I've been forcing myself to sleep on the bed that i've made. I would actually prefer studying about Health & Fitness and Sports Science. But, whatever now ...



Every end of a semester, getting to strike off the subjects with red highlighter makes my heart rate goes very high, excited to get all strike off and then graduate with my BA(Hons)Psychology.

Hueahuhea ... 1 year to go baby ... 1 year !!

It's decided ...

Based on my instinct, I have to quit BJJ for the sake of not exaggerating the condition of my herniated disc.

Passion and interest aside, what is essential comes first, which is my physical health in this context :)

SHAPE Malaysia September 2009 Issue - Ask The Trainer section

Grab your September 2009 copy from the nearest news stand today!

Some celebrities related work I did

Last month I shoot with the Creatix team at Cosmopolitan's Pamper Suite during Anugerah Bintang Popular Berita Harian 2008 at Genting Highlands.

You may see some of the shoots from me here. Particularly shoot of Fizo Omar, Mawi + Ekin and Liyana Jasmay + Ainul Aishah are by me. Other photos that are uploaded at Cosmopolitan's blog are taken by teammates.

I Want To Be A .....

A close friend of mine was hanging out in my room last night - and I told her that I kinda regret studying at UCSI now. It's not because of UCSI, but it's studying itself. She asked me why, I could not answer her. "It's just a shitty feeling" I said.

As I was watching videos of BJJ fights and some other training videos - She asked me " What happen to you BJJ training?"

"Where got time to train - see my schedule so tight. The worst thing is all the training centres are damn far away - Kota Damansara bla bla ... " I asnwered her.

"Perhaps that's why you feel shitty - you missing all your trainings and things you love due to your tight schedule from University."

Bingo! She got the answer right.

Going for the Pull-ups

Updating iPhone's firmware 2.2.1

The last time I updated my iPhone's firmware to 2.2, all my data was retained. This time however, everything was gone. To make things worst, I can't sync my contacts that are saved on Yahoo address book.

God save me !


** Update **


I exported my contacts from Yahoo address and imported them into Windows Address Book - Sync them and TADAAA! All my contacts are back!

Randomness

March just ended 2 days ago, we've enter 1/3 of the year.

March has been an extremely busy month for me due to University assignments - which are mock thesis, and also my first wedding shoot as the main photographer - it turn out great, and I can't wait to deliver the photos to the couple once I do a final round editing after 6th April, after submitting my final project for this semester, which is a headache for almost everyone in Psychology Research Methods 2 class.

Although being heavily occupied, I managed to start training BJJ again, with a very bad physical conditioning now - I puked on my first training session, but I managed to gain momentum classes after classes. 3 weeks later, 4 of my teammates - Aaron Goh, Fang "Sakuraba", Eugene "Kenu" Lee & Raul Tapia were promoted to Blue Belt by Marcos Escobar & Chico Mendes. I am very happy for their promotion and that's what they deserve for their commitment and hard trainings in BJJ. Their promotion to blue belt and some other white belts who had gained stripes motivates me somehow - I don't want to be left too far behind from my teammates. Kiasu :)



Enjoy the video while I continue struggling with my Final Project write up - which is also BJJ related.

Get To Know Myself Better

Did a Personality Test that sounded like a game, something like RL Stine's Give Yourself Goosebumps, and I find it quite accurate.

Your view on yourself:

You are intelligent, honest and sweet. You are friendly to everybody and don't like conflict. Because you're so cheerful and fun people are naturally attracted to you and like to talk to you.

The type of girlfriend/boyfriend you are looking for:

You like serious, smart and determined people. You don't judge a book by its cover, so good-looking people aren't necessarily your style. This makes you an attractive person in many people's eyes.

Your readiness to commit to a relationship:

You are ready to commit as soon as you meet the right person. And you believe you will pretty much know as soon as you might that person.

The seriousness of your love:

You like to flirt and behave seductively. The opposite sex finds this very attractive, and that's why you'll always have admirers hanging off your arms. But how serious are you about choosing someone to be in a relationship with?

Your views on education

You may not like to study but you have many practical ideas. You listen to your own instincts and tend to follow your heart, so you will probably end up with an unusual job.

The right job for you:

You have many goals and want to achieve as much as you can. The jobs you enjoy are those that let you burn off your considerable excess energy.

How do you view success:

You are confident that you will be successful in your chosen career and nothing will stop you from trying.

What are you most afraid of:

You are afraid of things that you cannot control. Sometimes you show your anger to cover up how you feel.

Who is your true self:

You are full of energy and confidence. You are unpredictable, with moods changing as quickly as an ocean. You might occasionally be calm and still, but never for long.

Gentle wrestle

This article was published in the Lifestyle Section of the Star newspaper on 23rd February 2009,
so I thought I'd put a copy up here before its lost to the archives.

By S. INDRAMALAR

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is one martial art form that advocates defence without violence.

IT’S hard to explain how watching two people wrestle on the ground, each trying to out-manoeuvre the other and applying chokeholds to bring the other into submission, can be so fascinating.

Marcos Escobar: ‘BJJ is an amazing way to work out your body.’

As savage as it may sound, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) is a martial art form that requires skill and efficiency, not brute strength. BJJ is built on the principle that a smaller, weaker person can successfully defend himself against a bigger, stronger assailant using proper leverage and technique.

“The literal meaning of Jiu Jitsu is ‘gentle art’ as it is an art in which you don’t have to apply strength. It’s a smooth art where you use leverage and apply techniques to submit your opponent,” explains Marcos Escobar, a BJJ black belt holder and instructor from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Escobar recently opened a studio in Kota Damansara, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, where he has about 35 students enrolled in classes.

While BJJ is often compared to judo, there is one major difference between the two: in judo (and most other martial art forms) the goal is to bring your opponent to the ground. In BJJ, the fight really begins once you get down on the ground.

While many may compare BJJ to wrestling rather than any martial art form (such as karate, kung fu and judo which are stand-up sports; being on the ground equals failure), Escobar disagrees. “BJJ is still very much a martial art form,” he asserts.

Down but not out

Before going any further, there are some terms that will inexplicably be used when talking about the martial art form. First, the aim of BJJ is to get your opponent to submit, which is BJJ-speak for surrender.

To achieve this goal, you have to use a variety of manoeuvres such as (now, don’t be alarmed) chokes, strangles and locks while executing other moves (such as mounts and guards) to gain a dominant position to defend yourself.

Weight leverage: Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) is built on the principle that a smaller,weaker person can successfully defend himself against a bigger, stronger assailant

To concede defeat, the fighter who is overpowered has to tap his opponent.

You can train in BJJ for self-defence or for sport (to enter competitions). You can, of course, also treat the martial art form as a workout. In competitions, there are rules to follow to ensure the safety of players and uphold the integrity of the martial art form.

BJJ practitioners have to wear a standard gi (costume) which is similar to that worn by judo or karate exponents but with tighter cuffs on the pants and jacket so that there is less material for an opponent to manipulate. Escobar, who has participated in dozens of com­­petitions, has won many titles. He was champion at the Brazilian Team Cham­pion­ships (1997, 1998), the Red Nose BJJ Open (1998), the State Championship (Brazil, 1998), Abu Dhabi Championships (2001), the Brazilian Cup (Absolute Division, 2002) and the Brazilian Championship (2007), among others.

“I love competing. The training, the focus, the adrenaline ... it’s the best feeling in the world. Although I like it here in Malaysia, I do miss competing and whenever I go back to Brazil – which is twice a year – I try to take part in competitions,” he says.

Ground fighting

BJJ can be divided into three broad categories: self-defence (where you learn unarmed striking techniques to fight an armed opponent), free fighting competition (now popularly called Mixed Martial Arts competitions), as well as sportive BJJ.

Although he teaches sportive BJJ, Escobar claims that the techniques his students learn leave them more than able to defend themselves in any situation.

“What you learn in sportive BJJ is very effective for self-defence. In the real world, 90% of all fights ends up on the ground. In cases of abduction or rape, they always end up on the ground and the ground is our territory,” says Escobar, adding that BJJ also has techniques that teach you how to fight on your back, commonly perceived as a weak position to be in. It’s not as easy as it sounds though. Learning to move on the ground takes a lot of hard work and practice.

Force of habit: BJJ practitioners must wear the standard gi.

“In BJJ you also learn how to relax your body and fall without hurting yourself,” says Escobar.

The most important thing to master is leverage – it negates the significance of physical strength.

At Escobar’s studio in Kota Daman­sara, students are made to do gruelling warm-up exercises and conditioning drills at the start of each lesson. From running laps to doing push-ups, per­­form­ing solo drills that teach you how to fall safely and moving your hips on the ground, you will undoubtedly get a full body workout almost immediately.

Escobar took up BJJ 14. years ago while still in Brazil, and has never looked back since.

“I have always liked fighting. As a kid, I saw myself as Rocky Balboa or Bruce Lee. I learnt kung fu and water polo. Then I took up BJJ and it became a passion. I was hooked and did not stop until I had a motorcycle accident that forced me to take it easy for a while,” says Escobar who came to Malaysia to work as a fitness trainer three years ago.

Early origins

The early origins of Jiu Jitsu can be traced to India among the Buddhist monks who lived in isolation in monastries. The monks often faced threats from robbers who raided them for supplies.

Because of their principle of non-violence, the monks had to find an approach to self-defence that was effective but humane – no arms or violence and something that would not hurt their attackers, just overpower them. So they came up with a form of self-defence that used leverage to overpower.

Over time, this form of self-defence spread to Japan where it was further developed. Japanese Jiu Jitsu prize-fighter Mitsuyo Maeda came to Brazil circa 1915 and met a Brazilian politician named Gastão Gracie who was fascinated by the sport. Gracie wanted his teenage son Carlos to learn Jiu Jitsu from Maeda, and subsequently share what he learnt with his brothers.

Light touch: To concede defeat, the overpowered fighter has to tap his opponent.

Unfortunately, the Gracie boys were not as strong as Maeda, so they had to improvise: they introduced new techniques that hinged on leverage. They refined their techniques further, concentrating on ground fighting and this pretty soon evolved into an independent art form which we now recognise as Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

BJJ picked up in Brazil as well as internationally in the early 1990s when expert Royce Gracie won several championships, sometimes against much bigger opponents.

Addicted to BJJ

BJJ student Lim Fang Han says he is hooked on the sport which he took up a couple of years ago.

“Initially, I had reservations about wrestling other guys on the floor, but once you get past the initial discomfort, it’s really challenging.

“I took up BJJ for fitness. I have an interest in martial arts too. I like BJJ because it is very physically demanding; it gives me a great workout and provides stress relief from work.

“It is a sport in which you have to prove yourself before attaining any rank. It takes an average of eight to 10 years for a person to get a black belt,” says Lim, who trains at Escobar’s studio three times a week.

Adds Escobar: “BJJ is an amazing way to work out your body. You are going to work muscles you never knew existed. You will get fit doing BJJ but you also need to be reasonably fit to train for the sport.”

May Tan took up BJJ for self-defence. She has since learnt that it is a great way to keep fit and lose weight.

“It’s tough, but I like it very much,” says Tan who signed up about five months ago.

Being a woman is not an impediment to BJJ, reckons Tan, because the sport is not about physical strength.

“That’s another reason I like BJJ. Most of the guys in my class are double my size but this is not an advantage in BJJ,” says Tan who is undaunted by the physicality of the sport.

Marcos Escobar can be reached at 017-635 6079 or ebjj@live.com

Buddhist ? What Buddhist ?

I am a volunteer with a Buddhist organization, technically I am a Buddhist, because my IC says so. But let me state this clearly, I am not a Buddhist. So what am I?? I am a truth seeker. I am spiritual but never religious.

Why am I not a Buddhist? "Buddhist" or "Buddhism" never even existed in the first place.
The Buddha did not created Buddhism and called himself and his followers Buddhist.

It is merely conventional labeling and I am never attached to it.

I dislike when people get so attached to Buddhist this and that.
I usually hear people say : "Buddhist should have 'these' qualities", "This is Buddhist values".

What the Buddha taught was Universal Values and Law.
Stop claiming it belongs to the Buddhist and get BIG headed! .
Enough of being ANAL with it.

POOORAH!

Pre-marital sex discussion in class

It goes like this, we were asked to discuss about so-called taboo issues, from homosexuality, pre-marital sex, abortion and yada yada the list goes on.

Our group choose pre-marital sex because we think it's fun. Why fun? try it and you'll know. HAHAHA! one girl group member actually said that to me lah ok...

One group member said, " Damn! Pre-marital sex is soooo taboo lah for me "
"Ok then, let's discuss about Post-marital sex then " I replied.
Everyone laughed, although I never thought it was funny.

After 20 minutes discussion, we were asked to present our point to the class, and the last point made the whole class went " huh ?? " for a second before breaking into laughter. The lecturer was kinda stunned too ..

" Pre-marital sex is like test driving before buying ".

Make sense? in a way also lah, girls won't want to marry some impotent guy right?
and same goes to guy, who wants to marry a girl who can't fuck or ok lah, fuck properly. lol

Yes, that is a point that I actually mentioned. But then it's all the girl's fault also lah.

Got one girl actually told me "I don't wanna marry and only know that my husband can't fuck me on the special night". Another one told me " I don't wanna be the one teaching him how to fuck"

Coming from girls, I'm loving it ! hahaha!

An Internal Letter for ISSA staff from Dr. Arria - RE: www.ISSAonline.edu domain

Good afternoon!

It's OFFICIAL!!! www.ISSAonline.edu

I'm very proud to announce that the ISSA has been granted the restricted privilege of using a .EDU domain name. The ISSA has again led the industry by becoming the first and only fitness organization to be granted this privilege.

As you'll see below, there are mandatory federal regulations for schools, organizations and colleges to use a .EDU domain. No other fitness organization can use a .edu domain because they’re accreditation is not recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

All ISSA members can be proud that our institution has met the most rigorous accreditation standards established by the DETC. Because of this prestigious accreditation, we have bee granted the privilege to use a .edu domain, just like other truly nationally accredited organizations, schools, colleges and universities.

To remain at the forefront of an industry, a company must truly lead...and for 20 years we have!

I'd like to thank each of you for your dedication and commitment to our fine organization as we remain, "The World Leader In Fitness Education & Certification."

Congratulations!

Sal -- Dr. Sal Arria CEO, Co-Founder ISSA International Sports Sciences Association www.FitnessEducation.com

****

What is the .EDU domain?

The .edu domain is one of the seven original top-level subdivisions of the Internet Domain Name System (DNS). The .edu domain is intended for accredited post-secondary educational U.S. institutions. It is managed under the authority of the United States Department of Commerce.

What are the eligibility requirements for obtaining a name in the .EDU domain?

Only postsecondary institutions that are institutionally accredited by an agency on the U.S. Department of Education's list of Nationally Recognized Accrediting Agencies (see recognized accrediting bodies) may obtain an Internet name in the .edu domain. These include both "Regional Institutional Accrediting Agencies" and "National Institutional and Specialized Accrediting Bodies" recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Note that institutional accreditation is required for .edu eligibility; program accreditation is not sufficient. Not all agencies accredit institutions. Some accredit only institutions, some accredit only programs, and others accredit both institutions and programs.

The U.S. Department of Education's list of Nationally Recognized Accrediting Agencies and State Agencies are the only official comprehensive lists of agencies.

CNY 2009

Some photos during Chinese New Year at Penang :)

Short Reflection

I've arrived safely in Penang about 2 hours ago, only to be kept awake by the caffeine that I consumed to keep me alert while driving back here, my father took over later on for the remaining 70++km before arriving to Butterworth.

As I was sitting and relaxing, I did a short reflection;

I will be turning 21 this year. I used to think that "I am still young and I have plenty of time". But this few days a feeling in me that somehow made me uneasy was " I am young, but not too young in a few years time ". I used to live with the excuse that I am still young, therefore it's fine to be ignorant when I don't know about something, but soon that excuse will come into expiry as my age grows. Responsibilities are getting heavier as well.

Personally, I think there is no reason for me to be procrastinating and thinking I still have plenty of time anymore. Things that are needed to be done, should be done as soon as possible. Opportunities that arises should be appreciated and made use of.

If I were to look back what I've allowed in the past 5 years, since 2004, I am indeed glad and never look back to my journey of my growth that made me what I am today. Nothing great, nothing big, I only did small things with love, and still allowing it.

Internal Letter sent from Dr. Sal Arria to the ISSA staff - RE: DETC Accreditation

Today marks a monumental event for the entire fitness profession. This time, the ISSA truly raised the bar for the fitness industry by becoming the first fitness organization in the United States to have earned accreditation through the distinguished Accreditation Commission of the DETC.

The Accrediting Commission of the DETC is listed by the U.S. Department of Education as a nationally recognized accrediting agency, and is a recognized member of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).

For the ISSA to earn this prestigious national accreditation, unlike any fitness organization in the United States, the ISSA passed rigorous onsite evaluations by DETC examiners. In addition to passing an institutional evaluation, ISSA's educational programs were subjected to the scrutiny of peer review by independent, third party examiners and passed with stellar grades.

The ISSA is also very proud to announce that we are the only fitness organization in the U.S. that has earned the right to register and utilize a .EDU domain. No other fitness organization has earned this respected honor.

Eligibility for a .edu domain name is limited to U.S. postsecondary institutions that are institutionally accredited, i.e., the entire institution and not just particular programs, by agencies on the U.S. Department of Education's list of Nationally Recognized Accrediting Agencies. These include both "Regional Institutional Accrediting Agencies" and "National Institutional and Specialized Accrediting Bodies" recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

The only accrediting bodies recognized by the U.S. Department of Education are listed below.

http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/accreditation_pg7.html

You won't find NCCA on this list. They aren't authorized by the U.S. Department of Education to grant accreditation.

The ISSA chose to pursue and meet the DETC's difficult standards for accreditation because the Commission is dedicated to fostering quality assurance, protection of the rights of the students and institutional self-improvement through voluntary accreditation via peer evaluation. DETC accreditation aims to instill public confidence in DETC institutions' missions, goals, performances, and resources through rigorous application and peer-developed accreditation standards.

I'm very proud to celebrate with each of you today and from here out, as we continue to provide high quality education, excellent student service and constantly strive to help each of our students and professional members succeed.

This is a monumental occasion for the fitness industry, for the fitness profession, for all ISSA Professional members. I thank you, the incredible staff and professors of the ISSA, for helping us prove yet AGAIN, that the ISSA is truly the World Leader In Fitness Education and Certification!!

Very sincerely,
Sal

Short Reflection

A close friend of mine asked me out for lunch a while ago, I had to turn her down as I've taken mine earlier and as I am also preparing for a Management Course later at 3pm. She was taken to surprise that I am even attending course on Sunday.
She reminded me about trips that we've planned together with our close friends, but failed to materialize.

I paused for a moment after reading her reminder.

Something to reflect on .... That I have been so busy attending courses here and there, volunteering my services and life with University.

Updating iPhone's Firmware

Somehow I just decided to update my iPhone's firmware, after realizing most of the Applications on Installer has no updates for iPhone running on firmware 1.1.4, and I was getting bored.



Although I was a little worried that I might screw up and lose all my data, at the same time being lazy, I did not back up any of my data and just went ahead with the instructions on QuickPwn

With help from DevTeam's QuickPwn Jailbreak 2.2, it just made all my work easier.

After upgrading, I felt that my iPhone has some stability issue and lagging at certain times.
Stability issue could be solved by Rebooting, no big deal. Looking at the bright side, features has been improved.

Subjects To Be Completed Before Graduating

I decided to make this a post as it might serve as a helpful
read up to those who are planning to study/transfer to UCSI University in the future.

People has been asking me, how many more years before I complete my Degree?

The thing is, it doesn't work that way at UCSI University as we have the freedom to choose how many and what subjects every semester.

Therefore, the more subject you choose every semester, the faster you complete your studies. But of course, there are only certain maximum credit hours the University allows you to fill up every semester, meaning you can choose lesser subjects, but not more than the allowed maximum credit hours.

As for my case, I've been exempted from 10 subjects that I've completed in TARC. However, year 3 subjects are not given any exemptions, although I've done them in TARC. Abnormal Psychology for instance. Besides, exemptions are only given up to 30 credit hours, roughly 9-10 subjects. So don't expect to be given more than 12 subjects although you might have studied and pass with flying colours in your previous institution.

Year 1
Compulsory

• Study Skills & Employability
• Expository Writing
• Introduction to Public Speaking
• Introduction to Psychology I
• Introduction to Psychology II
• Introduction to Sociology
• Statistics for Psychology
• Lifespan Development
• Co-Operative Placement I

Elective A (Choose One)

• Introduction to Management & Organisational Theory
  
• Business Economics
• Fundamental of Marketing

Elective B (Choose One)

• Introduction to Advertising
• Introduction to Public Relations
• English for SP: Business Communications

Year 2

Compulsory

• Psychological Research Method I
• Cognitive Psychology
• Psychological Research Method II
• Personality Theories
• Social Psychology
• Physiological Psychology
• Industrial & Organizational Psychology
• Psychological Testing & Assessment
• Research Design & Analysis
• Co-Operative Placement II

Elective A (Choose One)

• Human Sexuality
• Sociology of the Family
• Sociology of Juvenile Delinquency

Elective B (Choose One)

• Educational Psychology
• Health Psychology
• Skills & Human Factors

Year 3
Compulsory

• Abnormal Psychology
• Counseling Psychology
• Philosophical Issues in Psychology
• Ethics & Professional Issues in Psychology
• Independent Project A
• Independent Project B
• Professional Development
• Co-Operative Placement III

Elective A (Choose One)

• Cross-cultural Psychology
• Training Skills for Psychologists

Strike off subjects are subjects that I've been exempted or completed.