Malungkot na Kalungkutan

Sa isip mo tumatakbo
ang mga alalahanin na hindi sa iyo
Hindi sa iyo kundi sa mahal mo
Mahal mo, at mahal mong totoo

Isipin at damdamin
Ang pighati ay iyong damhin
Ito ay ang katotohanan
Ng pagmamahal ng lubos

Magmahal ng lubos
Magmahal ng hindi
Magmahal ng tuwid
Magmahal ng pighati

On Rainy Seasons

Every tricker around the world has the season as both their friend and enemy, some have winter, while others have rainy season. Especially if you’re from the Philippines, a tropical country where the first six months is a preview of what the fires of hell might feel and the remaining six months is bent on trolling you; whenever you’re out of the house it rains as fuck but when you’re inside it’s bright and shiny. But you do not have to be lethargic throughout the rain; it’s the best time to go on a sampler marathon or train your kicks (Remember: no matter what, your kicks suck – TRAIN THEM! Train them for the sake of Faerun!)

Here are a few other tips to keep your rain seasons productive:

1) Trick Analysis

                Fire up your fave tricker’s sampler, get your tricking notebook and observe how your fave tricker does his/her tricks. Pause and play, reverse, slow mo, etc. Note down the idiosyncratic movements and compare it with your tricks. You’ll realize that what you really need is already inside you, you just need awakening and realization. (So deeeeeeep)

2) Practice Kicks

                Warm up first! Visualize that you’re Bruce Lee and kick like a (Ed) boss! This will help you in more ways than you can ever conceive. Don’t kick your furniture though, pity them, pity the pitiful furniture. Hurt them not, backyard warrior, hurt them not for they hurt you not.

3) Calisthenics

                Part of tricking is making your body stronger and well-rounded. Calisthenics helps you with that; also being able to do badass bodyweight exercises is hardcore!

Why am I posing in the dark?

4) Read books

                It’s the best time to chill and learn something new; or just be immersed in a good story.

I'm deep into High Fantasy and Swords & Sorcery. Like Dungeons and Dragons shit. Play with me!

                Remember, it doesn’t mean that you’re stuck in your house you can’t do anything productive. Be creative and make use of every time you have- you only have so little it would be utterly pointless wasting your time not having fun or not learning something new.

How to Start Tricking in the Philippines P. 1

                Starting out in tricking can be quite a challenge here in the Philippines- especially if you’re a backyarder with no martial arts or dancing background. If you’re a practitioner of any martial art, I’m taking a guess that you can just train tricking in your dojo after classes, or on different days if your dojo has an open gym time. Same goes for dancers or bboys. You can train in your dance studios and even ask the tumblers in your crew to teach flips. If you’re a backyarder, you have it a bit harder. You can take martial arts classes that can greatly help you trick but if you want to work by yourself for whatever reason (I wanted to learn alone because I’m an introvert), I suggest you finish the whole article and take what you can learn.

Learning

                Though there are few trickers in the country, and they would be willing to help you, it’s an effort to meet up with them as most live in great distances from each other. Of course if there’s a tricker near your area then you can have sessions with him/her. However, since the chances of having a tricking neighbor is slim, the best you can get is to teach yourself- that’s how most learn anyway. Most learn from the internet, and here are websites that can greatly help you.

Trickstutorials.com (moved to Acrobolix.com)   
Trickstutorials.com once hosted the most active tricking forums but stopped a few years ago. However this site remains as the most influential site in tricking because it contains MASSIVE information in tricking, nutrition, flexibility and non-sense.

Justtheskills.com
Though it has long been un-updated, justtheskills.com is a good source for beginner tutorials and other tricks following the basics until the intermediate level. A tricking progression ladder is also in the site to guide you on what trick you should learn next, or the prerequisites for the trick you’re aiming.

Stormtricks.com
A good website for nutrition, strength training and tricking. Tats actively updates the website and puts many interesting articles on how you can improve your overall athleticism.

Ninja Academy
... or you can attend a basic Tricking course! Check out Ninja Academy in the next part.

Where am I going to trick?

                This is one of the biggest problem most encounter. Again if you’re a martial artist, dancer or bboy, you can probably just trick where you usual train -though it doesn't hurt to try other places either.

Ninja Academy

                If you’re around NCR, you can try Ninja Academy. It’s a Parkour and Freerunning facility that also offers Tricking (BUT STILL, tricking has no connection to PK/FR whatsoever. It just so happened that both movements dominate the underground movement scene) offering open gym (open gym simply means paying for the floor time, no coach will teach you) OR coaching. Yes, there is now a tricking ‘school’ in the Philippines! My friend Jori and I teach beginner classes there and will definitely help you get through your basic phase. Check this out for more info:
https://www.facebook.com/events/534457546677524/?ref=notif&notif_t=plan_edited

Martial Arts Dojos
                Though few martial arts dojos in the country offer open dojo time, it’s still worth a try to see if they offer it.  There is one in Manila, along Angel Linao Street near San Andres Bukid. It’s called Tricks Gym and they charge Php 45 for a small space where you can do basic kicks and few flips for the whole day.

Grass Areas
                Grass is free, it feels good, it looks good in video. You can just go to your local park and start busting tricks! Be careful though, some private parks mind you tricking on their grass. Test the waters (or grass) first before diving (or flying).
                UP Diliman has lots of open grass areas and nobody ever really tells you to not trample their grass there (except during graduation time, apparently they need the grass area behind the Oblation Building for ceremonies and don’t like you messing up their beautiful grass).

That height though!

Pambabastos - Sacrilege

The Confirmation of Youth

is the affirmation of their sheep's nest

the bastion of the dumb

is the country of the cross

revere an unseen god

in this nation of holy dross

Revel in thy storms

summoned by the homosexuals

Abuse the norms

and blame the intellectuals

Magdasal ng Ama Namin

O di kaya ng rosario

Makinig sa mga gago

Isuko ang utak mo

Umasa sa dakilang multo

Sa kaligtasan ng iyong kaluluwa

Maging hipokrito, magpanggap na naawa

Makasariling nilalalang

Pagbabalik ng Bakunawa

Ang dugong dumadaloy,

malungkot na panaghoy

nagbabalik ang nawala

nagbabalik ang Bakunawa

ang pitong buwan

nasa kanyang lalamunan

nagbabalik ang nawala

nagbabalik si Bakunawa

iyak ng san'daang mandirigma

mula sa dagat ng luha

ang dakilang halimaw

ang kanyang galit umaapaw

Humanda!

Sa gabi ng pagdurusa

sa pagbabalik ng nawala

sa pagbabalik ng Bakunawa

Ang bulan namon sang una

Guin ka-on sang bakunawa

Malo-oy ka man, i-uli

Korona sang amon hari.

Disdain

You are alone

In the mists of sadness and empathy

You are alone

Alone with your lover

your friend

Alone with feelings

you’re afraid to end

In despair

You wallow

In sarcasm

she thrives

Her words

to you

are like sharp knives

You sink deeper

into despair

not yet

beyond repair

But will the sad heart

continue

When the heart is sad and true

When your lover pushes you

And when your lover pulls you

In a game of push and pull

That you

desperately

wanted to escape

You avoid the Dionysian

Shun the beautiful grape

And thus you are there

in the thing

you hate the most

In sadness and despair

and in happiness ghost

You love

your lover

nothing can be so true

But in your sadness

you seem

oh so very blue

While she,

of failings her own

strike you with sharp tongue

your sadness

has grown

From Legends Forgotten and Stories Untold

Hi, I'm Bulwayen the Makahudhud- a bard or storyteller for you who do not know. I'm also a hunter. I frequent forests not just for game but for peace and serenity found there.

You.

Amidst the noise and fast flow of time these days, you find yourself here. Do you know why you're here? I do not. You may have grown tired of the concrete pavements that hinder the growth of fragile but beautiful flowers, or you yearn to see the beautiful blue skies covered by those tall gray structures, or perhaps you simply want to relax in the fields of grass, I truly do not know. You probably don't too. However, this does not mean the reason you're here for is in vain. Who knows what you're here for? Or maybe you're here to create your own destiny?

You cannot shape a colorful destiny with a bland life. No, you must pepper it with struggles and challenges- either from natural opponents or sentient foes. By facing these struggles, or perhaps your fears, your desires will come to fruition.

Do you desire to be a powerful warrior followed by an army, a playful wanderer itching to see the world? Or perhaps be someone who challenges the gods in hopes of attaining divinity, it does not matter, for all of these is possible.

Your ancestors certainly did not live a mundane life. For almost 500 years invaders suppressed an already rich but still blossoming culture, for the next century the descendants of the original bad-asses are reduced to psychological slaves. But you, I hope, not you. You being here means the generation hasn't degenerated too much.

We have hope.

And you, Hope-bringer, shall go on a journey in your head, with your imagination as tool, to the far reaches of Janggalan. Prepare for what awaits you- I assure you, it is epic.

Contact fabsbulwayen@gmail.com if you'd like to play a Tabletop Roleplaying game inspired by a pre-Hispanic Philippines.

The Things We See

The things we see

When we walk free

Are things so true

And all seems so new

Of work unnoticed

Of love unbound

Of passion unrequited

And happiness found

We walk miles and miles

We see things unseen

We deserve to smile

In thought of places that we've been

Aaaaaaaaadventure! Time.

Hailing from an era where cartoons are weird and cartoonists are probably high with LSD, I'm used to trip ass cartoons like Rocco, Catdog, and heck even Spongebob. They gave us a fantasy trip only accessible by adults- through hallucinogens. So in a way these cartoons were like little acid pills for kids, only much more colorful.

In our contemporary times (what like, 10 years after? Times are changing fast!), there has been a decline in over-the-top drug tripping cartoons. They've been replaced with much more sane shows (but peppered with pop references that are definitely not for kids) that, bluntly put, is quite boring.

Then came Adventure Time. Re-using a formula already proven to work, AT shone bright amidst shows that only suggest a hint of insanity (but lo and behold, few months later, Regular Show pops up). By embracing insanity, AT gave us what we wanted: drug tripping without the drugs, childishness without the immaturity, and freedom without the responsibility. With its nostalgic appeal, AT seduced even the older generations.

Though how cliche liking AT may sound, let's admit it, there are a lot of things to like in AT. And that, in itself, is good reason for me. The show is refreshing and light, perfect for any time of the day. Plus it being NOT genre-specific (Bananaman is a fucking space banana and Finn is a fucking 12 year old who fights like a High Fantasy warrior) makes it a great setting for TRPGs. In which I will continue now to... (cool segue way huh?)

ADVENTURE TIME TRPG!!!

Coming soon. Well, I'll just post my Vivid hacks really, then you just use it for AT.

Saturday Superheroes' First Tricking Sampler!

After multiple storms, procrastinating, funny moments and other stuff, I've finally finished my team's video.

It took me 2 years to form a team, and while, by the looks of it not, I don't think this current line up of trickers will persist (reasons: 1. They're still removed from the tricking community, 2. Ticking and trickers are fickle by default, 3. You can never be too sure), I still hope that we last long.

To Ferds, Ace, Gigz & Martin, here's to friendship long and fruitful :D

Vivid for Vivid Imaginings

WARNING: This isn't a game review. I don't know how to do that. I'm too lazy to do that. This is what I like about... VIVID! Yay!

I first got access to Vivid through the free Gods of Gondwane pdf; I never gave it much thought then. It seemed like one of those systems that 'narrative & plot driven' players use, and I being new to RPGs, was perfectly content with the rules-lite Warrior, Roge, & Mage.

As Vivid got lost in my collection of free RPGs I never play, my taste in systems evolved. With my discalculia muddling up additions and rolls, and because a crunchy & stat-heavy system hindered my girlfriend and me (the only player I get to play regularly due to lack of players. Sadness) from doing the fun stuff (like turning into sand and becoming a giant hand flipping off Khellendros, running up the backs of Tyrannosaurs, or seducing/ intimidating/ coercing/ begging villagers into fixing her karakoa ), I undertook a journey most TRPG'ers go through: looking for a system that fits me well.

I shied away from charts and charts of numbers and complicated bestiary, at this point I've met people interested in TRPGs and they're all very eager to play. No time to link them a PDF for them to read- no, they want something fast and easy but doesn't eat up the fun. I began appreciating the 'narrative & plot driven' system that I avoided when I was new: I didn't get traits and aspects then. But realizing the possibility it gives was liberating (personal choice; I still enjoy a game with good rules and ruling, like WR&M, Dungeonslayers, etc. It's just that we tend to say; I SUMMON A GIANT PENIS AND FRYING PAN and other immature stuff).

Thankfully, after responding to Dariel's call for playtesters, I received the latest (I think) version of Vivid, contained in the ultra-awesome, mega-badass, headhunter-level cool game Hari Ragat. I'm not hyping Hari Ragat. If you've ever been into pre-Hispanic Filipino stuff as I am, you'll understand. But back to Vivid; after reading and understanding it fully, I realized: here is a system where I can change the genere-specific words for something else that fits my taste and still be able to play it 2 minutes after without all that conversion. I don't need to worry about stats (Because GMCs are the best, I mean look at this random monster; Švankmajer's Head 3/4. Two numbers. Three if the monster has friends, but still. LESS NUMBERS). Also, I can teach it to absolute beginners who've no idea what TRPGs are. I daresay, if FAE is touch-and-go, Vivid is look-and-go.

Vivid is as simple as asking; "What do you do, what are you good at, and what are the chismis-worthy stuff about you?" (Class, traits, hooks) Though simple, it is in no way stupefying or ineffective. It simply makes the task of determining what your character can do a bit easier, removing numbers associated to non-adjectives (I'm sorry, personal taste really. I mean, this is my blog anyway- HAHA!). This is very useful for those like me- I'm so terrible with numbers, I've locked out multiple ATM cards. You don't need to fiddle through your character sheet looking for something that can help you, if put down what you had in mind for your character, you'd know on the fly if he/she has advantages doing whatever that is. As for hooks and in-game ties, this adds drama to your character. Instead of a mushroom popping from nowhere, you have to create in-game connections, producing benefits and consequences when you make decisions.

The way Bala or Guts is designed is also very convenient, as HP (if you so bluntly put it) and as spendable detail-altering points. And since in Vivid, all weapons are deadly (aren't they all anyway? I mean, that's why they're weapons- they're deadly!), getting hit by one is tantamount to death- in which you have to pay Bala or Guts so you can narrate how you evaded it (PLEASE OH PLEASE don't use 'I matrix'ed and evaded the arrows!' or even 'My abs are so hard, it didn't do anything!'). This discourages blatant aggression (unless the character IS aggressive) and makes the players settle into their roles more versus seeing their characters as fighting cocks to be optimally outfitted for grand battle (My parents' friend gave us a chicken, now I'm thinking to outfit him with a Tari +5! Joke, sorry. Please don't sue me PETA)

There's more (actually few) to Vivid: detailing them all here would probably break confidentiality stuff between me and Dariel, so let's treat this is as NOT a review, okay? This isn't a review anyway. Fanboying more likely.

Lastly, I mentioned a while ago that Vivid is generic. Switch Bala for another word like Chi (if you're in a Wuxia game) and put traits and classes found in your genre- tada! Insta-genre change. Note that though it isn't what Dariel intended for Gondwane (Probably. It was supposed to be a Swords & Sorcery + Aliens game), it's what I did. A mash pot of everything- my Gondwane game has a Jejemon (had. He was eaten by the Xavathorians. Never did like my character, pH0GiiiE vH0XYsZ v3nT3_(iNc0 with classes like Jejemon 3 and Tambay 2), Mina the Mandaragat, Banna the Headhunter, US Marines, NPA Kapampangans, the Jetsons, and Fantastic Planet aliens. Its minimal rules makes homebrewing waaay easier, as a matter of fact: I use a homebrew Vivid! Just kidding. I feel ashamed. No, I didn't really homebrew Vivid, I just modified the Knacks system and switched the Dice Pool into Modifiers (because I can add small numbers and I'm proud of it) because rolling 15d6 is hard, especially when you like running through a Thunderfoot herd. I am telling you, you will have fun with Vivid. Try it as soon as it comes out, or try the older one in Gondwane.

Also: If Dariel gives me a 'go', I'll upload all the Gondwane stuff I did and the homebrew Vivid I did. YAY! Say it with me: YAAAY!

Tricking, Tabletop Roleplaying Games, Literature, Art Films and other stuff

This is where I'll post my thoughts too long for Facebook because blogging in FB is for sissies.

Expect Tricking and TRPGs to be frequently posted here.

Don't expect personal tricking stuffs here, that's too personal to divulge. Expect Tricking tips from my rocky tricking life.

Expect Hari Ragat and GoG to dominate most TRPG post since 1) Hari Ragat needs press (YOU NEED TO PLAY HARI RAGAT) 2) GoG is Conan the Barbarian on Drugs.

Expect weird Jodorowsky, Lalo, & Bakshi film reviews here.

Expect me and my girlfriend to post weird shit here.

Expect this page to be continuously (or intermittently- HA!) updated depending on my whim.