The Trials of Kishi, the Gray Jedi: Jonin

[Kishi]

 

There is neither darkness, nor light;

There is only the Force.

There is passion, yet peace.

Serenity, yet emotion.

Chaos, yet order.

I am the shadow cast by the sun,

I am the candle burning in the night,

And the Force alone shall guide me.

 

I have come far since the first days of my epic quest. I have learned much. I have apprehended the truths of the Force. I have found peace in the midst of my passions, and serenity in the midst of my emotions.

 

Now I must undertake the next step in my journey - to find order in the midst of chaos.

 

Unfortunately, the Fanon isn't terribly helpful when it comes to clarifying a Jonin's role in the Order. Jonin are considered to be wandering scholar-types. They pick a thing to study and specialize in and pretty much dedicate themselves to that thing. Interestingly, they aren't held responsible for teaching, that being more a Silver Knight's job.

 

It basically reads like a lateral promotion more than anything, which just seems screwy and weaksauce to me. So I'm gonna change it and say that the point is to become the Sage that people seem to think I am. Which would be an ongoing process regardless, but at least I can put it in focus for this next six weeks.

 

Goal 1: Concentration

I have learned the habit of mindfulness and I have made it a part of my daily practice. This was a practice of awareness. Now it is time to focus that awareness, to teach myself the skill of directing my thoughts rather than being aware of them. Every night, for ten minutes, pick a spot somewhere and concentrate on it.

 

Goal 2: Order in Chaos

My training changed a great deal during the last challenge. I have a lot of things going now, multiple angles of attack. It's a good way to shred fat in the short term, but if I choose to develop myself as an athlete then I need to have an eye out for long term results.

 

I believe a balance is possible in the midst of all this. The key to it is to track everything I do and observe long-term trends. For me, this looks like the following (and a caveat: this looks like a crazy amount, possibly to the point of being unhealthy. It's not as bad as it looks, because I'm keeping the training times low and making sure to build lots of rest and good food into my days. After all, this is volitional stress. It's useless if I can't get the adaptations I choose. )

• Strength Training 2-3 times per week (goal to master increasingly difficult variants of movement).


• Simple And Sinister 2-3 times per week (goal to achieve swing and get up standards, as well as to increase finger extensor strength to balance gripping strength).


• Skipping Rope 2-3 times per week (goal to achieve 15 minutes of skipping. This does not have to be perfect).


• Mile Run (an intermittent thing to throw at myself every now and again; goal to bring overall time down into the seven minute range. This is a shits and giggles goal).


• Handstand training at least once per week (goal to increase standing time).

You'll note I didn't put karate in there. That's because I don't need to put it in here. I'mma do whatever it takes to get my class time on.

 

All of that training is going to be organized around a 2-1 on-off schedule - easy day-hard day-off day. I find that that works pretty good for me. And remember: as crazy as it all looks, the most I'm going to do for any one session is 30 minutes. That's it.

 

Dietetically speaking, I'm going to take the lessons I learned last challenge and apply them. Pick a day of the week as a designated optional cheat day for the week - to be taken or not depending on how the week has gone up unto that point.

 

Goal 3: Build a Holocron

 

Last challenge, I focused on getting back into writing. And I did, and it was good. But to be honest, getting into writing has never been hard for me. I've done this before. The hard part is going to be doing something with it. And that's when I've fallen apart before - I always thought that the Muse was a myth and that I could just force the writing to come out any way I wanted to.

 

Maybe it is that way for other writers, and I certainly don't mean to discount hard work in the creative process. But I've found that there's a definite ebb and flow in my creativity and it's really only been in the past year or so that I've begun to acknowledge that and just let things slide as they will. I have ground into myself the notion that I need to show up and do the work. Now it's time to make it matter.

 

I'm bumping the word count to 300 per day. Not a huge bump, not really. This can go toward one of the three things:

1. The Longform Project - a post-apocalyptic-urban-fantasy-sci-fi mash up that probably has no business being marketed traditionally.
   
2. The Worldbuilding for the Longform Project


3. A Shortform Project - a short story whose parameters are built around various contest and publishing deadlines which I have built into my calendar so that I don't have to spend hours tracking them down.

This way, I'm constantly building toward something. Let's see how this one plays.

 

Goal 4: Computer Repair

 

I broke my laptop last challenge. A bunch of really nice Nerds gave me solutions. I wanna make a point of implementing those solutions. One step per week.

 

...

 

And, there. I think that's quite enough for the next month and a half. Don't you agree?

 

Let's get some music up in this piece. And for a Star Wars-themed challenge that's all about order and chaos? Well. There can be only one song for it:

 

[Teirin]

That workout plan is a model of efficiency.  Way impressed.   I like your easy-hard-rest scheduling.  That is thought provoking.

 

Eeeh!  Hope to see more writing from you!  It would be awesome if you could get some stories published. 

 

That music is glorious.  I was forced to post it places.

[Kishi]

That workout plan is a model of efficiency.  Way impressed.   I like your easy-hard-rest scheduling.  That is thought provoking.

 

Eeeh!  Hope to see more writing from you!  It would be awesome if you could get some stories published. 

 

That music is glorious.  I was forced to post it places.

 

Well, it's not all my idea. A lot of what I'm doing is based on Romaniello's 5 Principles of Radical Fat Loss. It's a free report, so I don't feel bad talking about it, but a lot of what you see from me here is an adaptation of his ideas to my circumstances. I honestly don't know if it's going to work, but. It's been fun so far.

 

That would be pretty cool. Most of the samples that you're going to see from me are going to be from the Longform project and related bits and pieces. The shortform stuff is going to have lots of strings attached to it, and while I don't mind sharing in principle, I don't want to disqualify myself either.

 

Yeah, it's pretty awesome. I love it. That group in particular is really good.

[BarefootDawsy]

I'm liking the goals...sensible, balanced, maintainable. Very nice. Looking forward to seeing your progress...Jedi.

[Kishi]

I'm liking the goals...sensible, balanced, maintainable. Very nice. Looking forward to seeing your progress...Jedi.

 

Thank you! Gotta admit, I'm kinda feeling outnumbered here, with all these Sith showing up in the Monastery. This will be a hard road. But it must be walked.

[ElemHH]

I'm a sucker for all things Star Wars, so I'll be following.

 

I prefer the Sith in comics and games, but don't think I would walk that path if the force was real. Instead I've thought for a while that I would end up as a gray jedi, so it's interesting seeing your thread.

[BlackTezca]

You Sith and Jedi your whole 'Force' schtick.  Dark side, Balance, Light Side, all that nonsense is pfffffffffffffffft.

 

Me?

 

I just wanna dance!

 

I like the workout schedule: Easy-Hard-Off.  That's really nice and something I should consider cause I'm always either On or Off.

 

On.

 

Off.

 

Transitional periods sound lovely.

 

Looking forward to seeing more of the Longform Project (love post apocalypse and worldbuilding!!!) and also...solidarity on the computer problems brotha.  My desktops' on the fritz and I had to order a new...well...a new machine if you consider CPU and mobo to be the actually machine part of a computer.  *sigh*.

 

HERE FOR THE RIDE!!!!!

 

[CourtnieMarie]

always love your writing! can't wait to see more

 

good luck with computer repair too - me, i'm gunna have to bit the bullet and just get a new one. right after i buy a vitamix. <.<     >.>

[BlackTezca]

always love your writing! can't wait to see more

 

good luck with computer repair too - me, i'm gunna have to bit the bullet and just get a new one. right after i buy a vitamix. <.<     >.>

 

JEEBUS HOW MANY COMPUTERS HAVE DIED DUE TO US NERDS?! O.O

[CourtnieMarie]

JEEBUS HOW MANY COMPUTERS HAVE DIED DUE TO US NERDS?! O.O

Ikr?! Mines a laptop from 2010 (arent laptops supposed to last like 2-3 yrs?) that i did not take very good care of. Plus i wanna switch back to a windows os. Sick of not knowing wth my mac is doing! [emoji16]

[BlackTezca]

To be fair, your laptop lasted quite a while if it recently passed on, so overall not bad!  However, an expensive problem to fix, especially with laptop since you can't just replace components beyond ram or a hard drive *sigh*.

 

Stupid mac.  I hate apple

[CourtnieMarie]

To be fair, your laptop lasted quite a while if it recently passed on, so overall not bad!  However, an expensive problem to fix, especially with laptop since you can't just replace components beyond ram or a hard drive *sigh*.

 

Stupid mac.  I hate apple

yup. i'm thinking i'll just go for a tablet replacement and skip another laptop all together! maybe work will grace me with a "work" laptop someday.

[RisenPhoenix]

You'll note I didn't put karate in there. That's because I don't need to put it in here. I'mma do whatever it takes to get my class time on.

 

Innit a great feeling to just have the martial arts always on here, regardless of the challenge?  Innit?

 

 

Goal 3: Build a Holocron

 

 

*Looks at image*

*plots*

 

So, I know that image is totally just for show, and the goal is all about your writing.  But.... looking at that image makes me want to construct a physical holocron representation for a decoration.  Like, crazy wood carving/metal work and then LED innards type make.

[karinajean]

hello cheerful narcissist! I am in your thread, reading your things!

[Lou_be_Lou]

Great sounding challenge.

YAY for writing goals and Karate now just being something that will be done.

 

Cheering you on (and hoping to stay up to date-ish with your thread this time.....)!

[Kishi]

I'm a sucker for all things Star Wars, so I'll be following.

 

I prefer the Sith in comics and games, but don't think I would walk that path if the force was real. Instead I've thought for a while that I would end up as a gray jedi, so it's interesting seeing your thread.

 

Sweet! I'll try to return the favor, although as things get busier I find I'm worse about that than I used to be.

 

Yeah, I know what you mean. Like, I tend to think in terms of Sith methods with a Jedi mindset. Seemed like Gray was the way to go.

 

You Sith and Jedi your whole 'Force' schtick.  Dark side, Balance, Light Side, all that nonsense is pfffffffffffffffft.

 

Me?

 

I just wanna dance!

 

I like the workout schedule: Easy-Hard-Off.  That's really nice and something I should consider cause I'm always either On or Off.

 

On.

 

Off.

 

Transitional periods sound lovely.

 

Looking forward to seeing more of the Longform Project (love post apocalypse and worldbuilding!!!) and also...solidarity on the computer problems brotha.  My desktops' on the fritz and I had to order a new...well...a new machine if you consider CPU and mobo to be the actually machine part of a computer.  *sigh*.

 

HERE FOR THE RIDE!!!!!

 

 

Get down wicho' bad self.

 

 

But yeah, I know what you mean. I tried to be on all the time, but that didn't pan out at all. Since my body is going to force me off at some point anyway, I might as well work with it for my good.

 

You know. Go with the flow.

 

 

Seriously, what is it with us killing our machines? That's now how they're supposed to work... :-\

 

Oh well. But yeah, come along for the ride! What's the worst that could happen?

 

 

always love your writing! can't wait to see more

 

good luck with computer repair too - me, i'm gunna have to bit the bullet and just get a new one. right after i buy a vitamix. <.<     >.>

 

I'll be glad to share! I'm thankful that everyone's been so supportive.

 

Yeah, that'll be interesting to work around. It's something I've always wanted to try, though...

 

Innit a great feeling to just have the martial arts always on here, regardless of the challenge?  Innit?

 

 

 

*Looks at image*

*plots*

 

So, I know that image is totally just for show, and the goal is all about your writing.  But.... looking at that image makes me want to construct a physical holocron representation for a decoration.  Like, crazy wood carving/metal work and then LED innards type make.

 

It really is! It really is. I just wish I could do it more. That would probably simplify things a great deal.

 

Hey, dig it man. I don't see why you couldn't do it. It'd be fun to see come November.

 

hello cheerful narcissist! I am in your thread, reading your things!

 

I see you here! Very well, then. Read on!

 

*

 

T-Minus Five Days, and counting...

 

Monday was Easy Day training - 260 skips in five minutes, then later in the day 80 1H KB Swings and 20 H2H KB Swings followed by five Get Up progressions. These Get Up progressions were interspersed with one halfway fingertip push up and four knee fingertip push ups.

 

Monday also marked the wedding anniversary of my friend whose wife died some Challenges ago (you may remember). I went out to dinner with him and some friends to mark the occasion. I mostly ate well... and then splurged on desert when I got home. That wasn't in the macros.

 

Anyway, Tuesday was Hard Day training. So

 

Supported Pistol Squat: 5x5x2s

Diamond Pike Press: 5x5,4,2,2x3s

Full Bridge: 5x5x6s (YUS)

 

Hardstyle Sit Up Variation: 5x3

 

Notes:

• Left leg does pistols way differently. I find myself leaning hard to the left in a way that I don't think I do when I'm working the right-hand side. This may be the ghost of an old injury coming back to haunt me, which if so will make things incredibly interesting.
• Lost reps on the Diamond Pikes. Total time under isometric tension is only down 10%, though, which isn't so bad. I get the feeling that the strength work is regulating itself, as long as I train hard with it.
• Full Bridge is ready to progress. Now I get to start playing with stand to bridge, which excites me very much.

After that, decided to go ahead and do the mile run for kicks and maybe a giggle. Or two. But not too many. I looked up some technique tips and took off. I ran the mile without any real specific training having been done for it, and with my fastest measured pace being somewhere in the nine-minute range.

 

So I hoofed it as fast as I could, and came back with a mile time of 8:32. Fastest Mile Ever.

 

 

So, uh. That happened. Guess that 7-minute time may not be such a pipe dream after all, though I don't think I'm going to take up more running. My feet don't like it so much, and also having to be on my feet most days of the week I feel I get enough benefit as it is.

 

Anyway, just chilling today. Got a short shift at work tonight, so, that's probably production.

 

I've got either Saturday or Sunday as my cheat day depending on how things go with work on Saturday night. Doesn't mean I'mma do anything, but the option is there.

[Kishi]

Great sounding challenge.

YAY for writing goals and Karate now just being something that will be done.

 

Cheering you on (and hoping to stay up to date-ish with your thread this time.....)!

 

Oh, no worries. It's pretty boring here once you realize it's nothing but training updates and angst.

[sarakingdom]

Yo, Kishi, speaking of computer fixery, when you go downloading Ubuntu to make your recovery USB stick, get 15.04 32-bit instead of the 14.04 LTS release.  If there's a chance you're going to install it down the road, let's just go with the version you'll want, and you can put 14.04 on that stick later.  (14.04 has longer support before you need to upgrade, so it's good for recovery sticks... stays in date longer, for something you won't pull off the shelf too often.  But if we go with 15.04, you'll save a step if you go installing after you recover, because your install media will be ready for you.)  My bet is that the regular old 15.04 will run pretty well on that machine, but it might take a beating from Firefox.  If that's the case, we'll try Xubuntu 15.04, which is Ubuntu with the XFCE desktop instead of the default Unity desktop.

[Kishi]

Yo, Kishi, speaking of computer fixery, when you go downloading Ubuntu to make your recovery USB stick, get 15.04 32-bit instead of the 14.04 LTS release.  If there's a chance you're going to install it down the road, let's just go with the version you'll want, and you can put 14.04 on that stick later.  (14.04 has longer support before you need to upgrade, so it's good for recovery sticks... stays in date longer, for something you won't pull off the shelf too often.  But if we go with 15.04, you'll save a step if you go installing after you recover, because your install media will be ready for you.)  My bet is that the regular old 15.04 will run pretty well on that machine, but it might take a beating from Firefox.  If that's the case, we'll try Xubuntu 15.04, which is Ubuntu with the XFCE desktop instead of the default Unity desktop.

 

You got it, lady.

[Odango]

Great goals as always!!

I really like your daily focus goal, very Bodhidharma   I can't wait to see how that goes for you!!

[BlackTezca]

Fantastic work on that mile run!  7 minutes is not such a pipe dream at all I think!

 

Nice hearing about your easy and then hard training days.  Sound a lot better on the body than the eternal OOOOOOOOONNNNNNNN - Oh GOD OW OFF OFF switch I mentioned.

 

I can't wait till I get my new mobo and cpu.  That's gonna be awesome.  It slows down my gaming and art quests, but hopefully not for long! 

[PinkNinja]

Wow, yeah, I think you have a 7 minute mile in your near future. and many other good things.

I like the way you have set out your path for balance.

And YAY more writing!

[Kishi]

Great goals as always!!

I really like your daily focus goal, very Bodhidharma   I can't wait to see how that goes for you!!

 

We'll see how it goes. I haven't made the jump to it just yet. Staying mindful for the moment.

 

Fantastic work on that mile run!  7 minutes is not such a pipe dream at all I think!

 

Nice hearing about your easy and then hard training days.  Sound a lot better on the body than the eternal OOOOOOOOONNNNNNNN - Oh GOD OW OFF OFF switch I mentioned.

 

I can't wait till I get my new mobo and cpu.  That's gonna be awesome.  It slows down my gaming and art quests, but hopefully not for long! 

 

Yeah, it might not be! I had no idea I could go that fast, and to think that I could go faster...

 

It's pretty cool! I have to admit, it takes some getting used to. It feels weird. But the off time is the opposite side of the coin to the on time, and I need them both. And admittedly, not getting skittish about picking up a weight and having to psych myself into it is pretty cool.

 

Yeah, I dunno what it's going to look like when I have to take that step. I've always been under the impression that, for laptops, mobo and cpu and hard drive are all the same piece. Interesting times are ours. ;;

 

Wow, yeah, I think you have a 7 minute mile in your near future. and many other good things.

I like the way you have set out your path for balance.

And YAY more writing!

 

Maybe so! Have to be careful with my foot. This is really one of those things I should get looked at.

 

Balance is good, but it feels so weird.

 

Yup! You'll be seeing more.

 

*

 

T-Minus Four Days, And I Don't Give A Damn What The Date Says.

 

Today was Easy Day training.

 

1H KB Swings: 8x10x53

H2H KB Swings: 2x10x53

 

TGUs: 1x5x35/side

Fingertip Push Up Variants: 1x5

 

I was hoping to get some jump rope in, but I could only find time for one of my chosen poisons and with my feet still feeling iffy and a full night's work ahead of me I decided to skip on skipping.

 

It has become clear to me tonight that work is going to be the greatest source of chaos. When I got my assigned hours, I was looking at 19. But then people start kvetching about their hours, and me being the guy I am, I take the hours that they're trying to throw away. So now I've drifted up to 31 hours, and just about every day I've got scheduled to work has me on a closing shift.

 

This includes the weekend. I'm going to keep telling myself that Saturday's the cheat day, but I know now that I'm not going to take it. These are going to be two days where I have a huge chance to walk out with extra stuff, nah mean?

 

Sigh. All right, Mama Bread. Let's dance.

 

[CourtnieMarie]

Awesome light day! Your workouts always make me want to do more BW stuff... But it just doesn't fit in for me right now so i'll keep vicariously livin' if that's cool

Sorry to hear about all the closing shifts. Are you going to switch your "cheat" to a potentially less damaging day? Any news on those other other two jobs you mentioned?

[Teirin]

Ugh, shift work is chaos and the additional temptation of not letting food go to waste at the end of a long day is downright evil.  You can do this!

 

That is indeed a nice concentrated light day.