What made you start doing martial arts?
I was always told I couldn’t when I was younger. I had childhood asthma, so I had to carry around an inhaler and skipped state fitness tests.When I was 8, my elementary school incorporated a short 8-week class in Wushu in my Physical Education class. I, who had to pretty much sit out every other class was allowed to join. We didn’t learn much except stances but it piqued my interest.I grew up in a dysfunctional household. We had nearly every issue you could imagine, I won’t delve into it. One day a year or two later, I was 9 or 10 and my parents were fighting as usual. Usually they just shouted and threw furniture. This time was different.My dad was strangling my mum in my bedroom. Before this, I had never seen them physically assault each other. There was no one else in the house apart from me and my younger brother, who was 2 years younger and about 7–8 years old and in another room.I grabbed an umbrella and whacked my dad. Obviously, I got hit and fell to the ground, but at least it got my dad off of her. They continued to throw furniture and fight. That was the only time in my life my dad hit me. I remember how helpless I felt as I watched them fight, too small and weak to do anything about it. And I was weak, a scrawny 9 year old girl with such severe asthma I had to use an inhaler.I never wanted to be vulnerable. I wanted to protect myself and people when I wanted to. I was never allowed to do any sports growing up, but my childhood asthma eventually cleared and I joined the karate club when I entered college years back against my parents’ wishes.It was hard. I still have near 0 endurance and the first few trainings (learnt stances only, still had to warm up by doing physical training barefoot) I thought I was going to die or get an attack. But I always remembered how weak I felt plus I was going to study abroad so I needed to learn to protect myself anyway. I pushed myself through it and eventually developed some endurance and now I run twice a week. And my parents quoted my karate training as the main reason they agreed to send me abroad lol.
In the Mahabharata (Hindu epic), who is better, Arjun or Karna?
Well you can't really say who is better .Its as good as asking who is better nadal or federrer and yet you will find subjective answers for the same.I believe Mahabharata was not a story book , instead it was a genius compilation of the different characters found in human beings. According to me it should be one of the prescribed books for human psychology. OK coming back to your question , Karna and Arjuna represent two different personalities and the story develops through their perceptions about life.Let's observe karna's character first He is kind hearted and generousHe is a loyal friendHe is arrogant given the kind of hardships he endures to reach the topNow for Arjuna's character He is born in a royal family and hence treated in high regardsObtains a great guru in Krishna who guides him in tough situations and shows him solutions too ( the importance of a guru is still valid today!!!)Is always taught that he is the best.( common mistake what some parents do these days , eventually failing to train their kids to face adversity)So now having analyzed these two characters and the story that ensues what do we understand from the epic Mahabharata;No matter how smart or great you are, you will always be judged by the people ,based on the choices you make in your life. Even if you face a lot of hardships in your life you should invariably choose to do the right thing and not the easier wrong thing( karna's case)Without the blessings of a proper guru , however talented you are ,you won't achieve successBeing arrogant and cocky doesn't make you superior instead it makes you insecure about your own skills( Arjuna 's case)So in conclusion , you really cannot compare the two warriors inspite of them being good humans, as their choices decided their fate and not their character.
What is the favorite martial art you do, and why?
I was heavily involved in Taekwondo, beginning at age 5. I remained a pretty dedicated student until age 25 or so, and had also added Shaolin Kung Fu, as a friend was very into it. I eventually earned black belts in both disciplines. Of the two, I enjoyed Taekwondo more but felt Kung Fu was more useful in a street fight.Then, years later, I discovered Krav Maga as a police officer. The standard academy taught Judo and boxing, but I had been accepted to SWAT, and the SWAT commander insisted on Krav training.It was a wakeup call- probably the easiest to learn martial art in existence- although you can spend several lifetimes attempting to master it- Krav will become a useful tool in your kit faster than any fighting discipline in my experience.That was over 30 years ago, and I have since earned my black belt, second dan. I tested for my black belt in Israel, in fact.I have a deep respect for most martial arts- I am particularly impressed with many Brazilian forms, Gracie, etc…and a well trained disciple of any stands a reasonable chance of defeating any other. But for ease of learning and speed of mastery (of elements, mastery of Krav as a whole is a lifetime’s work) , Krav is unbeatable.
What is so special about Kendriya Vidyalaya?
Kendriya Vidyalaya is one of the best schools in India, I can say this because I was a student of Kendriya Vidyalaya for 12 years. (1st to 12th std)Currently there are 1202 Kendriya Vidyalayas all over India widespread in 25 regions.Now you ask what is special?KV taught us that we are Indians and regions, states, class, ethnicity cannot divide us.Common syllabus and books in all the schools, this made easy for parents as well as students with transferable jobs to adjust in new environment.Encouraging staff and experienced teachers providing best education , the exam paper for Non board classes also was set on regional level.Huge infrastructure with ample space for playground (separate for Primary and secondary)Good laboratories with access to all required instruments and chemicals. (Concentrated chemicals were used only around a lab assistants supervision) and massive library.Sports meet, annual meets and other extra co-curricular activities.( I was an athlete, prayer group singer as well as a trumpet player in the school band group)We were introduced to http://Think.com in our 6th standard, this is a secured web for students , teachers and schools to interact and share ideas, poems,stories etc. {We were far ahead of Facebook even at that time ;) :p }We had personality development classes, yoga classes, SUPW classes and adolescent classes in our teenage, we had proper sessions for this and we were informed the changes we go through the very much normal. ( This activity depends on based on the school you choose)NCC provided military training to students and motivated them to join armed forces.10. Indian Youth Parliament - All the KV schools trained students and recreated actual parliament session, the best school to portray this all over India won.11. I was never forced to mug up an answer to write in exam, my teachers always encouraged creative mind and answers as per the understanding12. Our School prayer - Daya Kar daan vidya Ka...If you ever meet any KVian in any part of the world, I can guarantee they will be confident and shinning in whatever field they choose to be in.Proud KVianThanks.PS - All Points mentioned above are true and practiced in most of the KV schools. (Their might be exceptions too)Image sources - Google
Is it possible to start martial arts at a belt higher than white?
Never quite understood the American way of awarding belts in many of the state sides schools. I myself am a student of a shaolin based system in the Chinese Martial Arts - none of those styles have belts. Pretty much you start at the very beginning and all those that started before you are your older brothers and sisters. Anyone that starts after, are your younger brothers and sisters. No demarcation of rank other than the respect you show your older fellow students.Of the schools I knew in Asia that used belt systems, they were pretty traditional Japanese schools - white, brown and black. The color being the result of wearing the white belt long enough for time and sweat to change their relative colors.In Chinese systems when moving from one system to another, you always start at the beginning.If you quit for a period of time, no matter the level at which you left, when you come back - you start all over at the beginning.In fact, in my own lineage, we all start back at the beginning several times during our life as part of a way to teach humility and re-enforce learning and memory. It usually goes in two to three year increments, depending upon the aptitude of the individual - 2 years, you find yourself back with beginners doing the intense basic stance and technique workout and moving back through what you learned up to that time and then progress forward. Then again at about 5 years, and again at about 8 & etc.I’ve started back at the beginning several times in my 40 year journey.Took a two year break to work overseas and when I go back this fall - yep! I’ll be starting back at the beginning.Other than demonstrable skill, an outsider would be hard pressed to tell by their uniforms/clothing who is a two year student, a five year student or fifty year student or one of the few sifus (teachers) taught and promoted by my own sifu.I will say, that many of our first and second year students would compete at brown belt level at national karate and TKD championships in full and semi-full contact and some went into the early MMA circuits before UFC was a name.But sparring is different in our systems than what you might find in most dojos - close to what you see in an MMA gym these days, so most of those students had to learn the rules and what was allowed in those old school karate tournaments.
If you could have any 3 super powers what would it be?
My name is Crystal and I am a 10 year old.If i could have any three super powers it would be x ray vision,flying, and making stuff last forever (does that count as a super power?)Imagine that it’s Christmas.It’s time for opening your presents.You are thinking that you will really nice presents like Dayn and Ella (my siblings) but no,you get a dress.Yes,the dress is nice but your disappointed because you were hoping for something .…better.Imagine that its 2 days before Christmas .But this time you have x ray vision.You look through almost all your presents but when you get to to the last one, you see the dress!You almost get disappointed but then you think that there is another way.You tape a list of things they should not get you for Christmas.Problem solved! Unless you have a really stubborn parent that says you absolutely must have a dress for Christmas.If you do…too bad!!My second superpower would be to fly.Who doesn’t want to fly out of school?Since this one is a little obvious, I won’t go on a lot more about this.My third one is making stuff last forever (once again,is that a super power?) Think of a never ending cookie.I’m probably making your mouth water!You would like a dollar more than a normal cookie because you will never have to pay the same type of cookie again. I eat a looot of sugary stuff so I will be saving my dad a lot of money (I’m eating a cookie as I type).Those are my three superpowers so DO NOT think of copying them!!!!!!It deserved all six exclamation points!