More Me

Here’s more information on me if you’re interested in reading but feel free to stop. Just extra stuff.

Hi, I’m Patrick and I’m a Christian
Some Christians feel that they should advertise their belief out loud. Some combine martial arts and faith, perhaps in blog or post their faith on their martial art website complete with an armed picture of themselves. Some are very vocal about it, so much that they go to the point of forcing their beliefs on others. I have nothing against these “christians” except for the vocal belief-forcing ones (that’s just wrong).

As for me, I’m deeply religious, I attend Worship Services regularly and pray often, but I believe that I best serve God and the Lord Jesus (and I believe they’re two different beings) through my behaviour and my actions. I don’t feel it’s necessary for me to do it over the web or via a t-shirt. I believe sharing my faith requires a personal touch because it’s something very dear to me.

Sure this blog is silly at times, but I want it to be inspirational from time to time.  Besides being inspirational is totally different from being religious.  And praising God does not mean I have to shout “Praise God!” at the top of my lungs at every opportunity.

If we hang out I’ll invite you to Church sometime. Just like I’d invite you to come and train Brazilian Jiu-jitsu.

Zen and the Art of Motorcycles
I’ve been riding longer than I’ve been training in the martial arts. I started as soon as I got out of high school and stopped when I sold my bike here in Japan three years ago. And it sucks not being able to ride. The weather is getting warmer, and more and more bikes are beginning to show up on the roads. It’s absolute torture.

Eventually, I’m going to take the Japanese motorcycle drivers license test because I’m planning on staying in here after my teaching contract is over. But I took me nine times to get my regular Japanese driver’s license so I’m really dreading it.

But it’s something I’ll have to do. In Randy Pausch’s “The Last Lecture” he says that, “The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show us how badly we want something. Because the brick walls are there to stop the people who don’t want it badly enough. They’re there to stop the other people.” He’s so right on the money.

Like BJJ, there’s just something about riding a motorcycle that centers me, calms me, makes a terrible day more bareable. On a good sun-shiny day, I go crazy! I’m just itching to drop into third, slam the throttle open, lean hard into the corner, focus on my exit point and let the bike take over from there. Or even riding to enjoy the view, free from any obstacle, being in the moment, just me and my bike. Sigh.

Proud to be a Dork
I love comics. And sci-fi shows. I miss everything back home. I have no idea what’s happening in the DC or Marvel Universe. I am sort of caught up on my TV shows – LOST, Heroes, Supernatural, Terminator: the Sarah Connor Chronicles. I should be watching Battlestar Galactica cause everyone back home loves it, but I don’t know. Got enough on my plate as is.

The great thing about being in Japan? The manga and anime of course! There’s Naruto and his drama with his BFFL Sasuke. Or Kiibo (no relation to Kimbo) fighting MMA in the manga “Tough.” Or watching Super Sentai Action Hour right before I leave for Church on Sunday mornings (can only catch the first half of PuriKyua 5 – they’re kinda like Sailor Moon but more cute and badass, and Kamen Rider Kiva’s cool but what’s up with that flying, talking belt?).

I’m so much of a dork I even made my own comic book, Ninja Squirrel, and sold it at the ComicCon. I had a website up, but I didn’t renew the domain name and it’s probably gone by now. There is a Ninja Squirrel comic out there. Just not my Ninja Squirrel.

Anyway, I can be just as dorky when it comes to Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. Fanboys are fanboys no matter what the subject is. One just happens to be fictional characters and storylines. The other deals with joints bending in the opposite direction. Go figure.