TheweekendbeforeThanksgivingwasbusy.At6:00amSat,MomandTimleftfor
theVEXtournamenthostedbythehighschoolroboticsclub.Thekidhadbeen
workinghardwithfourclassmatesontheirbotforthepasttwomonthsandtoday
wasshowtime.Afterhismartialarttrainingatnoonandwithsoremusclesall
over,Billjoinedtheeventasaparentvolunteer.
Heknewnexttonothingaboutroboticsand,asitturnedout,therewaslittle
forh...[
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Today,Billreachedpage990oftheAmericanHeritageDictionary,4thed.,almosthalfway.Hestartedexactlythreeyearsagoandaveraged0.9pageaday.HereadthewordLaputanonpage988:Absurdlyimpracticalorvisionary,especiallytotheneglectofmoreusefulactivity.[AftertheflyingislandofLaputainGulliver'sTravelsbyJonathanSwift,whereabsurdprojectsarepursuedandusefulpursuitsneglected.]Itfeltserendipitousandseemedtodescribethis...[
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TheysayoutofahundredthatwalkintoaBJJdojo,onegetshisbluebelt.
It'sunbelievableIcouldbetheone:I'vedonenothingspecial;Ijustshowup
andtrainhard.
[
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Sundaymorning,afteronepageofthedicitonaryovercoffee,Iwatchedafew
jiu-jitsuvideosandaround11:00am,decidedtogogroceryshopping.Wejustran
outofextra-softtofuandithadbeenawhilesinceIlastbraisedmackerel.I
crossedtheCaltraintrackatSanAntoniostationandonmytrustede-bikesped
downCentralExpress.
Afterafewrainyandcloudydayslastweek,aclearblueskylookedcheering.
Themid-daysunwasbeaming...[
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EarlyOctoberbroughtasombereveningwhenparentsthrongedtheschooltheater
foronehourofpaneldiscussiononsubstanceabuseandespeciallyfentanyl.Mr.
EdTernanwholostacollegesontoaninnocent-lookingpilldrovethemessage
home:asaparent,youhavetobeaware.Themeetingwaswell-timedasBilljust
finishedreadingabookonthehistoryofopium.
Itslowcostanddosagehavemadefentanylthekiller,Mr.Ternansaid.Unlike
...[
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Injiu-jitsu,wedrilltocommitthemovestomusclememorysothatwhenthe
timecomesreflexeskickinautomatically.Thenumberofrelativepositionsis
mind-bogglingandatinychangecanmakeaworldofdifference.Therefore,
theattacksanddefenseonlyperfectovertimeandpracticeisessential.In
October,Ihaveprogressedinthepapercutterchoke(PCC)andtheupa.
ThePCCisoneofmymaincross-sideattacksandIhavehadit...[
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IntothesecondhalfofOctober,ithascooleddownquiteabit.Mornings
alreadyfeelchilly,thegingkocrownsareturninggolden,andeverywherethe
motorsofleafblowersremindpeopleoftheseason.
Saturday,Billtookabreakfromjiu-jitsuandrode20milestohisoldhouse
inFremont.HetookTim'se-bike,agiftfrommomayearagowhichhadsince
beengatheringdustinthehallway.Billhimselfwouldneverbuyatoylikethat
butbe...[
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Thismonth,Ihaveshowedupfivetosixtimesaweek,stoppedfighting,and
feltclear-headedinmytraining.Ihaveanalyzedpositionsmoreandasa
result,mistakeshavetrulybecomelessons.Everyday,Ilookforwardtosparring
whereIhaveachancetoimprovemytechnique.
Onenight,IwascaughtbyStevefromthehalf-guardbottomwithakimura.I
revisitedthepositionandsuccessfullydefendedseveralsimilarattemptsfrom
othersinthe...[
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Myformulaforgreatnessinahumanbeingisamorfati:thatonewantsnothingtobedifferent,notforward,notbackward,notinalleternity.Notmerelybearwhatisnecessary,stilllessconcealit...butloveit.-Nietzsche[
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Septemberwasanamazingmonthforme.Mytraininghasbecomemoretechnical,I
learntafewgreatmoves,newandoldinjurieshealedwell,andmyenergyseemed
tohavereachedanunprecedentedlevel.
AttheendofMarkandJay'sseminarearlyinthemonth,threeofmytraining
mates,amongwhomGelstartedalmostthesametimeasI,werepromotedto
bluebelt.Standinginline,Ithoughtnexttheyweregoingtocallmeandwas
scaredasIdidn'...[
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