I Got The Juice

In Spanish, we use the word Jugo to mean 'the juice'.  The Juice gives you power.  When someone is using steroids, we say 'he is juiced up'.  But I get high on mango and guava nectar.

In the 90s, I began study of music and martial arts.  I like both playing the guitar and rolling half guard.  I started guitar lessons in 1995 and grappling in 1998.  Hobbies are what you do because you want to do it.  If you start between 8 and 15, by the time you are in your late twenties, you will be a young master.

I could easily teach music lessons and Aikido lessons.  But my main career is in graphic design.  But that is something I do for the money.  If there was no money involved, I wouldn't even do it.  But I love the money.

Both music and any kind of combat sport or martial art is based on your innate body type and personality.  The way you play the guitar is an extension of your innate being.  I am strong and slow with energy and agility in the fingers.  So I play melodic rhythm on an acoustic guitar.  And I have a speech impediment so I must write simpler lyrics that say more with less.  John Lee Hooker was below average everything, and yet he was determined to make something of himself.  And he did.

In combat sports and martial arts, it is the same principle.  Kickboxing is for people who are strong and fast and aggressive.  Judo is for people who are strong and slow and have endurance and know a bunch of funky techniques.  Grappling and MMA is not my style.  There is also traditional stuff like Karate and Aikido.

So I do not believe you can teach one size fits all.  You must analyze what the student is like, what is style is, and what is appropriate to him.  One man's trash is another man's treasure. 

Even in diet, there is on thing appropriate to this man, and one thing appropriate to another.  It is not one size fits all.

So I like music and martial arts because it is big on long island and it is a happening scene.  Kickboxing is very popular, and there are lots of bars in long island and New York City.  I have played guitar at coffeeshops and restaurants.  And it feels good to play a guitar in front of people and pretend I am Chuck Berry on steroids.

So what I am trying to say is, your style is unique and you must express yourself before you are dead in the grave.