skeets ([personal profile] batskeets) wrote2009-05-28 12:46 pm

Scary New Things

This is rich: parents think their teenagers may be hugging too much. Gotta love how our culture so frequently equates "change" with "fear"... how noticing that people are hugging more often somehow means OH NOES OUR SOCIETY IS DOOMED.

Come. ON. Hugging is not going to destroy the moral fabric of our world. I'm not even a frequent hugger, really--I don't usually initiate with people, unless I know them well and know they're huggy types--but even I have to ask, what is there to be afraid of?

[livejournal.com profile] typsie recently suggested the notion of doing Scary New Things, and I actually find myself interested in that. I've been in that mindset a lot, recently. A few uncharacteristic-to-me things that I have recently considered doing:

Getting a tattoo: I've been over this in previous posts, but yeah, my tastes have been too capricious in the past to consider such a thing. The plus-size model I shot with a week and a half ago said that someone had suggested to her to, "pick something that you believe, and then come up with a picture that represents it." Maybe I just haven't had anything I felt *that* strongly about until recently.

Pole dancing classes: This is a weird one for me, and I don't know if I'll ever follow through, because I'm such a keep-it-in-the-bedroom type when it comes to anything remotely sexual. I've never been 100% comfortable with my ladyhood; I grew up feeling a clumsy, ungraceful beast, and although I did have some girl interests, I got more obsessed with typically boy-oriented activites. I'm still not especially femme in my behavior, and the idea of doing something so strongly oriented around feminine traits gives me the weirds... but, maybe I should get comfier with the girly side.

Skydiving: This was, admittedly, Risa's fault, because she suggested getting a group together for it sometime. I doubt it'll happen for me terribly soon, because the cost going on one dive would be enough to pay for the aforementioned tattoo. But, dude, I am not an extreme-sports-type thrill-seeker at all... and yet, I'm considering this.

Mixed martial arts: Part of the reason why I initially started wushu is because I'm fairly certain I'd suck at sparring, and wushu doesn't ask for much of that. MMA, on the other hand, is *very* much about sparring and fighting application. I think I'm too much of a snobby kung fu purist to get serious about MMA, but I'm thinking about it. I do have trouble keeping my focus in competition, and if there's one good incentive to keep focus, it's the prospect of getting hit in the face. ;p

I'm not sure what all these thoughts mean, really. I'm sure I'll move past the things that don't seem important, but maybe there are things worth conquering, worth keeping. If it means I'm feeling less fear and sadness, I'm all in favor of that.

And, in conclusion, if this hasn't already been on This Is Why You're Fat, IT FREAKIN' SHOULD BE: The Beltzbib. Whyyyyyy ;_;

[identity profile] praenomenal.livejournal.com 2009-05-28 08:09 pm (UTC)(link)
If you want to work on sparing I am always down. Not "trained" in pugilism but had experience. "trained" in sword, Ever fight with wood?

[identity profile] skeets.livejournal.com 2009-05-28 08:27 pm (UTC)(link)
I've thought about this a lot since you offered, because I balk at the notion so much :) I think I need to get more comfy with sparring via empty hand combat, before I try bringing weapons into it... I'm honestly not 100% unafraid of my own weapon yet, and that would definitely not help me with sparring.

Sometime in the future, though, and particularly if we can start with wood. I've never fought with wood before, but it sounds less terrifying, haha.

[identity profile] praenomenal.livejournal.com 2009-05-28 08:39 pm (UTC)(link)
Well it is the best/safest way IMO. Wooden swords have similar weight and balance and feel, they lack the flex of some blades but that is often negligible. I actually learned with live steel at first and still have plenty of scars from it. I don't advocate that at all. Steel is best served trying to kill someone or choreographed.

And Like I said, if you want to beat up on someone I am always happy to spar hand to hand, I am just not that good. ;-)

[identity profile] katlyn.livejournal.com 2009-05-28 09:11 pm (UTC)(link)
I LOVE sparring. I think we've talked a bit about that before. If you go into a class where this is a focus, I would be interested.


And yah, I'm starting to get jealous of the pole dancing classes. ;} To me, it just sounds like supreme amounts of fun.

Possible dancing tomorrow night... would you be free?

[identity profile] skeets.livejournal.com 2009-05-28 09:19 pm (UTC)(link)
I might be free for dancing! I'll probably have some camping trip prep to do, but I'm hoping to get a lot of that done tonight and be relatively free tomorrow. Keep me posted!

[identity profile] bloodred37.livejournal.com 2009-05-28 09:53 pm (UTC)(link)
it's fun but so expensive! :(

[identity profile] jupe.livejournal.com 2009-05-28 09:36 pm (UTC)(link)
regarding a tattoo, wait for 2 years. If you still want the same thing after 2 years, get it. that's what all my tattooed buddies say.

[identity profile] katlyn.livejournal.com 2009-05-28 11:02 pm (UTC)(link)
I've wanted the same thing for 23 years. I STILL don't think I'll ever get it.


(I don't trust myself to find an awesome artist, and I don't have the upwards of $5000 to put into body art.)

[identity profile] skeets.livejournal.com 2009-05-28 11:52 pm (UTC)(link)
$5000+? That must be a really involved piece!

My idea is probably worlds away from yours in size and complexity, but I'll definitely let you know how it goes with whomever I wind up choosing. :)

[identity profile] katlyn.livejournal.com 2009-05-29 12:12 am (UTC)(link)
Basically, one piece that would be almost full body.

I want a Russian firebird:


Stylized something like these:



I want the head to start under my right collar bone, the neck to wrap over my trapezius, the body to angle across my back, the right wing wrapping under my right arm and across my ribcage, the left wing wrapping over my left shoulder and bicep, the tail curling around my left buttock and down my left leg, with the feathers swirling on the outside of my left thigh above the knee.

And I've always pictured it with stones in the eyes, headcrest, and eyes on the feathers and now that dermal studs are available, I'd need a dozen or so of those. ;>


And I've had this planned since I was 9 years old. :{


(Also, I'm fat. Far too fat for a full body piece. I should have gotten it back when I was a size 8.)

[identity profile] bloodred37.livejournal.com 2009-05-28 09:53 pm (UTC)(link)
I will go skydiving with you! I want to pick a date and kind of save up a little for it. Kat said she would go too! :)

[identity profile] skeets.livejournal.com 2009-05-28 10:01 pm (UTC)(link)
Yeah, I definitely need to save up, so I'm down with that :)

[identity profile] starkodama.livejournal.com 2009-05-29 12:38 am (UTC)(link)
Hey! I totally agree that at least getting comfortable with sparring can help your technique a lot. Do you really have to do MMA? Is there not sparring-oriented kung fu?

[identity profile] skeets.livejournal.com 2009-05-29 04:40 pm (UTC)(link)
There is sparring-oriented wushu (Sanshou, as opposed to what I currently do, which is Taolu), and there are even competitors who specialize in it, but as far as I know, there's nobody up here who teaches it. :/

[identity profile] sarapada.livejournal.com 2009-05-29 02:01 pm (UTC)(link)
I LOVED skydiving, way more than I thought I would. I was just re-reading the LJ post I made about it the other day and realizing how much I'd love to go again. So if you need company, let me know!

I'm with you on the tattoo and pole dancing classes as well, as I've previously commented.
lillilah: (Default)

[personal profile] lillilah 2009-05-29 04:16 pm (UTC)(link)
I vote for pole dancing. I can understand your feelings on the subject, but being able to shake it in a sexy way when you want to is really nice. Just the tiny tiny tiny bit of belly dancing I did gave me a lot more skillz for regular dancing.

[identity profile] xplo-eristotle.livejournal.com 2009-05-30 01:53 am (UTC)(link)
Sparring's fun. I used to dread it when I was in TKD because I didn't want to get hit in the face, or lose in front of an audience, but looking back I think it was the best part.

The thing that really bothers me about the kids hugging is I'm dead certain that popularity (and all that it implies) hasn't changed in the last 20 years or so. So, great if you're cool and pretty and popular, but what about the kids who are probably getting left out?