It's Always Good to Have Goals

Fitness goals are awesome, provided they're S.M.A.R.T. ones. And since starting CrossFit, I'm all about "functional fitness" -- the ability to take on real-life physical challenges. One real-life challenge I'm having? Getting kicked in my gonads. (No, I'm not a professional stuntperson. Typically, my groin gets whacked only when I'm wrestling around with my kids, but it's always a good idea to "strengthen and protect the male genital organs so there is less chance they are injured or incapacitated in battle," right?)

And that's why my next fitness goal is to master the art of "Steel Crotch Kung Fu."

Who's with me?

(Source: Orange News)

Kung Fu vs. Yoga

Just because.

I Miss Pat Morita

So I guess they're remaking "The Karate Kid", with Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith playing the Pat Morita and Ralph Macchio roles. And from the looks of this trailer, the movie's set in China, the ancient land of mean-eyed wushu-trained boys and demure violin-playing girls. During the course of the flick, Jackie Chan (sporting a moustache wispier than Mariah Carey's in "Precious") sagely teaches Jaden Smith how to be a kick-ass kung fu fighter, in part by instructing him to "JACK IT OFF" or something like that. (I guess "wax on, wax off" wasn't suggestive enough.)

But wait a second: This remake features a Chinese kung fu master teaching kung fu in China. There's no karate in this film -- not even the fake kind that Mr. Miyagi taught Daniel-san. So why is this movie still called "The Karate Kid"? Why not "The Kung Fu Kid" or "Will Smith's Kid" or "Jack It Off"?

Oh, right -- for a moment, I forgot that in Hollywood, all Asians (and their respective forms of native martial arts) are totally interchangeable.