KungFu Competition??

There'll be a Western Canada Regional Chinese Martial Arts Competition on Dec.01, 2007 Saturday at the Chinese Cultural Centre and the instructors (including Sifu) were encouraging people to join because it was "good experience". And I'm sure it is.
I asked what we (the beginners) would compete in and they said we could do the "Yan Qing Fist". And I'm thinking that I would not. Not only because I'm not feeling well these days and that I have stuff to do at church that day, but perhaps more importantly is that I'm not ready. I can do the whole form, but I can't do it well. I'm not sure how smooth or stiff I am. I'm still losing balance in many areas. At the competition, it would be on a mat and that could mean more difficulty with my foot stabilizing. I told a fellow student that I didn't pay $25 (the competition fee) to lose. I probably shouldn't have said that but what I meant was simply that I don't feel confident enough to go up there. This also doesn't mean that being confident enough to compete would mean having expectations to win. But I think I would not compete with a mindset about winning or losing. Rather, it would be that until me and my body have grasped the essence of the Yan Qing Fist and that I can express this to the judges, I would not go and simply just be taking up people's time. Imagine hopping about because I couldn't stand still! Or moving mechanically without proper expression. I'm clearly not ready!
Speaking of which, I should video record myself.

70 years ago @ Nanjing, China

Went to the Ridge Theatre @ Arbutus/15th to watch "Iris Chang: Rape of Nanking" with a friend. The hour long documentary was a project of ALPHA Canada (not the "Alpha" for Christian study!) and it featured interviews, acting and footage complete with a song written for the film. The Nov.15th and 17th showings have Iris' parents and Olivia Cheng who played Iris Chang in the film. My friend and I left after the acknowledgements and donation requests after which there was an autograph session.
In the film, Iris mentioned that the Japanese soldiers would not value other people's lives when they didn't even value their own. Quite true. And sad too!
Only the emperor was god (notice the small-case?). Kind of reminds me of ancient China emperors too. I always thought it was a BS concept. And then it was tradition not to inform the emporer of any illnesses he may be having. What the hell?! I wonder what other cultures in the history of the world have enslaved people under the mentality that the king was their god and that dying for him was a glorious thing?
On another note, they might not have heard of Christ but can still be living out Gospel principles despite recognizing a god that is false.
As for those Japanese soldiers who experienced what they experienced and did what they did, we can only feel sad for their souls and pray for them. And pray that this sort of thing doesn't happen anymore ever again.
Well, a kid who went through child abuse can end up being abusive to others. But that's somewhat another issue.
On Dec.13, 2007 Thursday, on the History Channel, the film was aired and there was also an interview with a psychologist from U. of Massachusetts. The guy suggested that denial was the last stage of attack. If we can get over that denial stage, then we can really start to heal. I agree. There are lots of diehard stubborn people out there that somehow just so attach themselves to certain things that denying would be the same as ripping apart their own soul or something.
(Not to say that I'm not, but that's something else.)