The old wrestler's "spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak"

Jesus Christ might as well had ageing athletes in mind when he said, “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

At this age, late 30’s, and (still) playing one of the world’s most physically—and, yes, mentally—demanding sports, you just don’t know how much of the athlete is left in you.

Last Saturday, still fresh from a recently-healed shoulder injury, I had the better of a Philippine Team athlete in ground sparring—exchanges in the gut wrench, mostly.

But the athlete weighs only 55 kilos; I weigh around 80 kilos. So my great weight advantage really spelled the difference. And, for a small man, he had my torso red all over from his vice-like grip. (Though, his painful grip notwithstanding, he managed to roll and score against me only once; I was able to turn him over four times: two gut wrenches, one pancake and one half-nelson. But, again, I had an enormous weight advantage.)

Now I’m starting to think, “Maybe I’ll do as well against a top, well-conditioned wrestler of my same weight class. Maybe, in the next nationals…,” and so on.

“Maybe” raises its ugly head again, repeatedly, in my head. It resurrects hope…or inflicts delusions.

Anyway, till the next nationals. So, to the other senior 74-kg wrestlers out there, consider this a warning…or an empty threat.

And here's my previous personal sports story: Milo doesn't lose, as long as he's having fun.

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How A UP Diliman Landmark Got Its Shape

This barely-a-minute film is my late contribution to World AIDS Day. Or to the passage of the Reproductive Health Bill. Or to the tourism of my alma mater. Or, or, or.

Originally titled "Ring My Bell," this video was conceived and directed by yours truly, Karlo Silverio L. Sevilla III, in 1997 for that year's Basic Video Production Workshop I of the UP Film Center. In my original VHS copy, most middle parts of this video is already erased, so my deepest gratitude goes to my tukayo and UP film major Carlo Cielo for reediting this recently. Originally a five-minute film, Carlo -- my co-worker in the Culture, Arts Film and Sports (CAFS) Division of the Quezon City Office of the Vice Mayor -- shortened this to 56 seconds and changed the background songs.

The shooting locations were the U.P. Lagoon and the U.P. Carillon grounds.

Historical facts (  source: http://iskwiki.upd.edu.ph/index.php/Carillon  ):

Standing stiff along Osmeña avenue in U.P. Diliman, QC, the University of the Philippines Memorial Campanille (or Carillon) is a tower which top houses a set of stationary bells for playing music.

Erected in 1952, it was originally envisioned by U.P. Conservatory director Ramon Tapales, U.P. President Bienvenido Gonzalez and National Artist for Architecture Prof. Juan Nakpil -- with the latter designing it and supervising its construction.

"With the possible exception of the Oblation statue, nothing symbolizes the University of the Philippines more than the 130-foot Carillon Tower - a structure unlike any other in Diliman, a ringing echo of the University's glorious past." -Jose Dalisay Jr., PhD.

From the credits of the original video:

The University of the Philippines Film Center

in cooperation with

The National Commission for Culture and the Arts

and

Provi

Presents

Basic Video Production

Workshop I

1997

Lecturers/Facilitators

Ricky Lee

Fruto Corre

Joseph Fortin

Nonoy Dadivas

Ditsi Carolino

Wayie Canoy

Cito Fernandez

Workshop Director

Fruto Corre

NCAA Coordinator

Elvert Bañares

Finance Officer

Dolores Basilan

Technical Director

Cito Fernandez

Post Production Coordinator

Carlo Maniquiz

Workshop Coordinator

Ava Ricci Salvador

Asst. Workshop Coordinators

Fernando Mando

Cheryl Corre

Regie Duran

Teodora Sobrepeña

Placida Sulleza

U.P. Film Center's

Basic Video Production

Workshop '97

Group 2, Session I presents

"Ring My Bell"

D' erector: Karlo Sevilla

Asst. De-xerex-tor: Maria Lourdes Ortega  

Sexnematographer: Ramoncito Redoble

Edi-toro: Burton Agabao

Reproduction Manager: Cleofe Luangco

Production Asextants: Frances Morillo

                                 Cheryl Corre

This blog is sponsored by Limitado

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3rd floor JN Building, 657 EDSA corner Monte De Piedad Street, Barangay Immaculate Concepcion, Cubao, Quezon City

Contact Number:             0910-440-8035      ;             0907-302-0384      ;            0927-703-6912      

If Petraeus is Pinoy...

...or a national of any macho, predominantly-Roman Catholic country...

(Yes, I know the topic's grown stale, but...) If David Petraeus—former director of the Central Intelligence Agency—is Pinoy, he wouldn't resign from that lofty post ("F!#k national security; I'm stayin' and my arse ain't goin' nowhere!"). His only "traditional" options would have been any of the following:

1. Admit nothing, notwithstanding all the damning evidence (he'll resort to singing Shaggy's "It Wasn't Me" as his personal anthem); or
2. Admit but just shrug it off as something strictly personal.

Resignation?! It's not the option of the true Pinoy macho man. (For and over what? Duh?)

"Astro Cigarettes" by Radioactive Sago Project

Important note: The blogger, a recent Hall of Fame inductee of the annual "Ideal Pinoy Husband Awards," does not condone what Petraeus did. (Ahem.)

This blog is sponsored by Limitado

and S.P.R.A.W.L.-MMA

3rd floor JN Building, 657 EDSA corner Monte De Piedad Street, Barangay Immaculate Concepcion, Cubao, Quezon City
Contact Number:             0910-440-8035      ;             0907-302-0384      ;            0927-703-6912