Well...time has really flown right by. Not too long ago, I was still worrying about whether I got through my Final Law Exams. I was scared shitless at the prospect of failing and having to do the whole year again. On top of that, I was worried about my future. What was I going to do with the rest of my life?
In such a short span of time, my life has taken on a new form. It's a little unnerving and exciting at the same time.
"La di da" right? Everyone goes through this sort of thing at some point or another. So I shan't ramble on about something I'll probably ramble about some day when I actually have time to sit down and ramble. *Grin.
FiL update:
We open on the 27th of this month. Talk about time flying by! This is a scary ass play. And I don't mean that in a sense that it is a horror play.
FiL is so freakin' cool on so many levels and yet it is a play that can bite at the actors if it is not performed well. It has become so apparent to me (and the whole cast), especially so in this last leg approaching opening night - that the level of focus and commitment required for every role in this play and in evert scene of both ACT 1 and ACT 2 - is so demanding that a single person losing focus is enough to bring down the energy of the entire cast! I've seen it happen in rehearsals - and that scares the shit out of me.
It's amazing how on one night - the play can be so riveting that I can hardly move when I'm watching the play (when I'm not involved in the scene lah that is) and yet on some nights, the play can be a painful thing to watch.
Anyway, I won't go into the intricacies of why this is so right now. Suffice to say, getting a big role in a play of this nature is certainly a double edged sword. But the bottom line is the same I suppose, I'll either suck big time or I'll be bloody brilliant!
Ok, that's it for now. Visit frankenstein-in-love.blogspot.com for more on the play. Or refer to my previous post Frankenstein in Love (FiL).
Once again, for those of you who are coming to watch the play, drop me a sms when you're there, I'll make a conscious effort to come out and see you guys for coming!
Sunday, October 22, 2006
Thursday, October 05, 2006
Sparring philosophy.
its now 2.45 am (Thurs).
last night, i worked at TNT and decided to stay back and train with our Head Instructor (Khoo) and the rest of his buddies who are seasoned local (and some national level) fighters. it seems that they are training for a local 'muay thai' tournament and were really going at it during training.
Khoo asked me whether i wanted to spar as well. i hesitated for a moment because i am recovering from an injury on my right shin. that takes away one of my main weapons (my Roundhouse kick) but i ended up saying 'yes' anyway. i've developed a real taste for sparring since the beginning of this year. i was careful about it though. i put on a groin guard, head gear and mouth piece as is the practice. and i of course put on 'shin-pads' and put an extra layer on my right shin since it was still bruised.
then i went to the hardest punching bag in the gym and start roundhousing it. when i stopped, my leg felt fine. there was a *little pain but it was endurable. and i was set.
the plan was, the 3 guys who were taking part in the tournament were going to stay in the ring for 5 rounds each. 4 people would be in the ring, as if there are 2 separate fights going on at the same time.
3 main guys: Khoo, Alex and Kumar.
3 punching dummies: Myself, Carl and Leong.
each round lasted 3 mins and the break in between is 30 secs.
1st round: Khoo Vs Alex / Kumar Vs Leong
2nd round: Khoo Vs Me / Alex Vs Carl
3rd round: Khoo Vs Leong / Kumar Vs Alex
4th round: Khoo Vs Alex / Kumar Vs Me
5th round: Khoo Vs Carl / Kumar Vs Leong
something like that lah ... i know for sure that i fought 2 rounds - one against Khoo and another against Kumar.
i thought i was alright - not that good but OK. clearly they were holding back a little on me. i took quite a few shots, kicks and punches to the body, back and head but nothing that knocked me out. so i stood my ground and got in a few nice combinations and some spinning backfists here and there.
i was feeling a little dejected once all the sparring was done. Khoo then said, "Your backfist very strong now...(bla bla) ... you can fight now you know ... but you must learn to get hit - take it then counter ... you're quite good already but you still cannot take hits properly ... (bla bla) ... you must have it in your mind that you want to fight! Then you can take hits and hit back properly!"
in one fell swoop - he pegged one of the flaws of my own character.
the reason i can't take hits properly is because i'm scared. i do so many things in life and people think, 'There goes a guy who's willing to try stuff' - when actually i have to psyche myself so much to do something sometimes, i think its actually rather silly.
and after all the psyching up - i go up and end up not putting on everything i know i *could put into whatever it is i'm doing. i generally walk away satisfied because i know i've achieved something that i wanted to do - but then again, there's always a nagging feeling inside thats telling me, 'Dude, you know you could have done more.'
so the way i approach my opponents in the ring while i spar - is almost akin to the way i approach life.
i'm not too bad. i can hold my own. i know what i should do. and i don't get knocked out anymore. i have the skills.
then again, maybe its just my mind going on overdrive. *grin.
i'm out.
p/s: come watch FiL!! and read the production blog - (click here to get to FiL production blog) - i just added something about my rehearsal experience.
last night, i worked at TNT and decided to stay back and train with our Head Instructor (Khoo) and the rest of his buddies who are seasoned local (and some national level) fighters. it seems that they are training for a local 'muay thai' tournament and were really going at it during training.
Khoo asked me whether i wanted to spar as well. i hesitated for a moment because i am recovering from an injury on my right shin. that takes away one of my main weapons (my Roundhouse kick) but i ended up saying 'yes' anyway. i've developed a real taste for sparring since the beginning of this year. i was careful about it though. i put on a groin guard, head gear and mouth piece as is the practice. and i of course put on 'shin-pads' and put an extra layer on my right shin since it was still bruised.
then i went to the hardest punching bag in the gym and start roundhousing it. when i stopped, my leg felt fine. there was a *little pain but it was endurable. and i was set.
the plan was, the 3 guys who were taking part in the tournament were going to stay in the ring for 5 rounds each. 4 people would be in the ring, as if there are 2 separate fights going on at the same time.
3 main guys: Khoo, Alex and Kumar.
3 punching dummies: Myself, Carl and Leong.
each round lasted 3 mins and the break in between is 30 secs.
1st round: Khoo Vs Alex / Kumar Vs Leong
2nd round: Khoo Vs Me / Alex Vs Carl
3rd round: Khoo Vs Leong / Kumar Vs Alex
4th round: Khoo Vs Alex / Kumar Vs Me
5th round: Khoo Vs Carl / Kumar Vs Leong
something like that lah ... i know for sure that i fought 2 rounds - one against Khoo and another against Kumar.
i thought i was alright - not that good but OK. clearly they were holding back a little on me. i took quite a few shots, kicks and punches to the body, back and head but nothing that knocked me out. so i stood my ground and got in a few nice combinations and some spinning backfists here and there.
i was feeling a little dejected once all the sparring was done. Khoo then said, "Your backfist very strong now...(bla bla) ... you can fight now you know ... but you must learn to get hit - take it then counter ... you're quite good already but you still cannot take hits properly ... (bla bla) ... you must have it in your mind that you want to fight! Then you can take hits and hit back properly!"
in one fell swoop - he pegged one of the flaws of my own character.
the reason i can't take hits properly is because i'm scared. i do so many things in life and people think, 'There goes a guy who's willing to try stuff' - when actually i have to psyche myself so much to do something sometimes, i think its actually rather silly.
and after all the psyching up - i go up and end up not putting on everything i know i *could put into whatever it is i'm doing. i generally walk away satisfied because i know i've achieved something that i wanted to do - but then again, there's always a nagging feeling inside thats telling me, 'Dude, you know you could have done more.'
so the way i approach my opponents in the ring while i spar - is almost akin to the way i approach life.
i'm not too bad. i can hold my own. i know what i should do. and i don't get knocked out anymore. i have the skills.
i just need the balls to go all the way all the time maybe?
so there, 'Sparring philosophy 101'.
then again, maybe its just my mind going on overdrive. *grin.
i'm out.
p/s: come watch FiL!! and read the production blog - (click here to get to FiL production blog) - i just added something about my rehearsal experience.
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
Frankenstein In Love (FiL)
Tickets are now available for purchasing!!
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once again, i am advertising my play! below is the poster ...
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if you have yet to read about what the whole play about - read below ...X
Executive Producer: Dato' Faridah Merican
Artistic Director: Joe Hasham
Playwright: Clive Barker
Director: Gavin Yap
Cast: Rashid Salleh, Mary George, Melissa Maureen, Michael Chen, Patrick Teoh, Douglas Lim, U-En Ng, Rauf Fadzilla, Ari Ratos, Reuben Arthur, Bharani and Kennie Dowle
Inspired by Mary Shelly's classic horror story, Frankenstein in Love is acclaimed horror writer Clive Barker's updated interpretation of the terrifying tale.
It is the last few days of the world. Human life has become meaningless as mass genocide and sickness spread throughout the land. Revolutionaries loot and pillage for answers, the faithless betray the faithful, the dead refuse to die and one name stands out amidst the screams...Frankenstein.
A sprawling collection of variations on the idea of human vivisection and reconstruction set in a grim, Gothic world of putrefaction. An unlikely place for love to emerge...but it does, forming a bizarre, tragic love triangle between the creator and his creations.
For more information, log on to the production diary: http://www.frankenstein-in-love.blogspot.com.
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OR related posts:
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TICKET PRICES AND DETAILS + other Promos ...SPECIAL YEAR END PROMOTION!
- Frankenstein in Love (27 October to 3 November 2006)
- The Odd Couple (6 November to 12 November 2006)
- Broken Bridges (15 December to 24 December 2006)
Purchase tickets for any two of the above shows and get 20% OFF total ticket price
Purchase tickets for all three of the above shows and get 30% OFF total ticket price
Terms & conditions apply.
Call our box office - 4047 9000 (KLPac) & 2094 9400 (TAS@BSC) to find out more!
Price : RM60, RM50 and RM40 (students, disabled and senior citizens).
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SHOWTIMES:
27 October 2006 (Friday) 08:30 PM
28 October 2006 (Saturday) 08:30 PM
29 October 2006 (Sunday) 03:00 PM
31 October 2006 (Tuesday) 08:30 PM
1 November 2006 (Wednesday) 08:30 PM
2 November 2006 (Thursday) 08:30 PM
3 November 2006 (Friday) 08:30 PM
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well, the info in this post should be adequate to answer any questions about general details about the play. stay tuned to this site for my own personal updates on how rehearsals have been for me and visit the production blog: http://www.frankenstein-in-love.blogspot.com/ : to check out 'BEHIND the SCENES' stuff. purchase your tickets and send me a text if you are coming - i promise i'll come out after the show to "THANK YOU" for coming to watch the show! (Just be patient when waiting outside lah - cause got make up to remove and all one ... *grin*)
and just in case - here's a map to KLPac:
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p/s: my girlfriend (Anrie) is also putting on a show - refer to "16 Girls, 1 Night" to find out more! it's on before FiL, so check it out soon!
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