STIV BATORS

It's a day of the music of Stiv Bators. I don't know why, but I felt a sudden urge to dig out my vinyl albums that feature Stiv Bators on vocals and listen to them.

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Young, Loud and Snotty (1977) by Dead Boys.

I never owned this in my youth, but I knew the songs. I'm sure someone in my group of punk friends owned it. It was reissued in 2021 and so I had to have it.

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The Lords of the New Church (1982) by The Lords of the New Church.

The debut album of The Lords, this is a great rock 'n' roll album, dressed in gothic clothing and punk sneers.

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The Method to Our Madness (1984) by The Lords of the New Church.

One of my all-time favorite albums, this was the first vinyl I played on my new record player in June 2020. I waited 18 years to hear it speak again! This is the 1985 US version of the album, which includes the track "S.F. & T." instead of "Fresh Flesh." (The former is the superior track. It is also unlikely that it would be recorded today.)

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Killer Lords (1985) by The Lords of the New Church.

This is a 1985 compilation album that includes selections from the three studio albums—The Lords of the New Church, Is Nothing Sacred?, and The Method to Our Madness—as well as two previously unreleased tracks and a cover of Madonna's "Like a Virgin."

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May Stiv rest in peace.

MY. LEFT. HAND.

I made it through the board with my left hand. My. Left. Hand.

I've been working on this for weeks!

PURPLE BELT

"Each pattern / is a poem // we are / the punctuation."

 
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Text: Opening lines of the opening poem, "Kata," of a work in progress. It has been slowly unfurling itself in my brain after qigong and karate morning workouts.

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Image: "Opening lines" of the Heian Sandan kata.

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If my life at work was difficult in the weeks leading up to Holy Week, it was further complicated by the fact that I was testing for various components of the requirements for my purple belt in Shotokan karate. And, the weekend after Easter, I took the actual purple belt test.

I was glad to finally test and earn my purple belt.

I struggled a bit on my weapons kata, but otherwise I felt I performed well. I know the places I will continue to encounter challenges and the things I need to work on with extra effort. But that is why this is a journey without a destination, a marathon and not a sprint.

EGGS

The Child was dyeing Easter eggs, so I decided to join in and paint a couple myself.



"The Tabernacle Egg," India ink and iridescent calligraphy ink on chicken egg, 2022, by Troy's Work Table.



"Easter Vigil Egg," India ink and commercial egg dye on chicken egg, 2022, by Troy's Work Table.

RIFT

“Good Friday: Rift,” Montana BLACK spray paint and watercolor ink on 8” x 10” watercolor paper, 2022, by Troy's Work Table.

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The preparations for Holy Week at my church this year were "brutal." Deadlines were missed multiple times by many of the participants, which meant that my work was constantly behind. I can't complete what I have to have ready for the various worship services without the pieces that were missing.

Then, already being behind, both of our copy machines died and were out of commission for almost two days. And printing should have taken place a week prior, so there was no buffer. I was spent.

But I produced what I thought were three great interrelated pieces for each of the Three Days—Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Vigil. "Rift" was partly born out of the frustration and disappointment I was feeling, while also remaining true to the texts for Good Friday. 

In other words, "Rift" was representative not only of the torn veil in the Temple when Christ's crucifixion was finished, but was also representative of where I was at. And, while I feel blessed to have created this piece, I hope never to have to live through similar circumstances again.

KABUTO

Helmet in the shape of a crouching rabbit; iron, lacquer, silver, gold, leather, silk; 17th century Japan. Public domain via Met Museum.

Kize sparring headgear; non-aborbent foam and fabric; 21st century United States (manufactured in Pakistan). Photo by TWT. Helmet via Century Martial Arts.

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For my birthday, The Wife and The Child got me kumite gear. Now I can spar in the tradition of other bushi without getting damaged as I train. I don't claim to be a samurai, in any way, shape, or form, I just like the juxtaposition and the lineage to which I belong.

TRIDUUM

New artwork for worship folder covers.

Triduum. The Three Days.

"Remembrance" for Maundy Thursday.
"Rift" for Good Friday.
"Restoration" for Easter Vigil.

Montana BLACK spray paint and watercolor ink on 8" x 10" watercolor paper.

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My initial concept for these three pieces was completely different. The first piece to take shape was the cross of "Restoration." Originally, the negative space was to be filled with color. Light. Brightness. But once I had the black outline of the cross surrounded by the purple, red, and blue I realized that I needed to correct course and the other two pieces were to share a similar look. The chalice came second. 

The torn curtain in the Temple was the last to appear, but was also my favorite of the three to create. I was going to paint the curtain in a more realistic manner and then tear the paper to create the rift, but, for me, this is more abstract and more powerful. I am please with the final form that it took.

FUZHOU TING

Tacoma's Chinese Reconciliation Park: Fuzhou Ting, guardian Lion, Chinese magnolia.

It was a beautiful day and The Wife and I were down on Ruston Way. I had been wanting to visit the Fuzhou Ting and take some photos of it as references for a piece of art I was working on. Needless to say, the piece of art ended up taking a different direction, but I'm glad I stopped by to revel in the wonder of this spectacular architectural specimen.

SEN

"Minidoka No. 5 (442nd)," acrylic on canvas, 1979, by Roger Shimomura. Viewed at the Tacoma Art Museum. From the "Painting Deconstructed: Selections from the Northwest Collection" exhibition.

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The past couple of weeks, I've been meditating and reflecting upon the notion of sen in the martial arts. It literally translates as "before" and means "initiative."

The concept originates in Go Rin No Sho (A Book of Five Rings) by seventeenth-century samurai swordsman Miyamoto Musashi. He identifies three methods to forestall the enemy, writing "There are no methods of taking the lead other than these three."

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In reading about sen from various schools of Japanese martial arts and a multitude of sensei and authors, it appears that these three concepts are difficult to define. As Musashi himself writes of them: "These things cannot be clearly explained in words."

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I think that martial artist and author Dave Lowry in his book Traditions: Essays on the Japanese Martial Arts and Ways provides a suitable "stripped down" solution: "Sen, in these disciplines, is most basically divided into two kinds. There is go no sen (late initiative), which is the strategy of allowing you opponent to attack, and then countering. There is also sen no sen (early initiative), taking advantage of a gap in his defense or his movements and attacking before he strikes."

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The Shotokan karate dojo I attend has identified four divisions to be used during kumite (sparring), two of which are variations of one another. And, it could be argued that the other two are also variations of one another.

Remembering that "there is no first strike in karate" serves as one of the twenty guiding principles of Shotokan karate, as per Gichin Funakoshi, its founder, I've ranked them in the order for closest adherence to this "prime directive."

go no sen

defend/counterattack; then attack

tai no sen

slide to the side, avoiding ambush; then attack

sen no sen

attack the moment they attack; simultaneous attack

ken no sen (sen sen no sen)

take initiative; attack first; pre-emptive strike

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During recent training in the dojo, I had the opportunity to spar with a black belt. One of the sensei whispered that I needed to block my opponent's strike, which would throw him off, and then counterattack with a strike to the head. So I did just that. As he tried for a shot to my ribs, I used a downward block (something I've never thought to use before during sparring) and effectively stopped my opponent's attack. Then, in the split second opening I had, I struck my opponent's head with a downward back-fist strike with my other hand. Point scored! Plus, it momentarily confused my opponent and I was able to score another point once we reset and started sparring again. Then I was pummeled a bit, but it was a moment of minor enlightenment. I was able to experience go no sen, which I couldn't quite comprehend prior.

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I've also been trying to practice go no sen (or its tai no sen variant) in areas of my life other than karate: falling back, dodging, or countering an "attack" from an "opponent;" pausing; and then responding. It's quite amazing to see people flounder a bit as I don't respond as they expect. There may be something to these ways of response, whether three, two, or four!

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As these notions were bouncing about in my brain on a visit to the Tacoma Art Museum, I encountered the pictured painting by Roger Shimomura. Since Musashi and his concept of initiative during swordplay was fresh in my mind, I found this particular work of art speaking to me in more powerful ways than it may have otherwise. Even with it, I took a moment to step back, to step aside, to wait a moment, and then respond.