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By In Mixed Martial Arts

Sherdog.com’s 2015 Submission of the Year

“To many, martial arts are a sort of magic — in every sense of the word. Magic in the sense that it is fascinating, mysterious and incomprehensible how a man or woman can train their body and mind to reliably do the opposite of what comes natural to most people, to fight instead of flee, to move to the side instead of step back, to maneuver into a counter instead of cover up.

Martial arts also evoke the same feelings of skepticism that magic does. There is a long, embarrassing history of ridiculous ideas that are founded in lore more so than actual combat, yet they have come to inhabit a mythological soma. Never mind that things like the death touch or using invisible energy to control people have never been proven to actually work; there are still cultish legions of believers in such techniques. Indeed, magic is usually bulls— and trickery.

Then there is the very real magic, where the impossible happens without explanation or doubt…”

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By In Mixed Martial Arts

Sherdog.com’s 2015 Round of the Year

“When the opening bell sounded between Andrei Arlovski and Travis Browne at UFC 187, fans thought they knew what to expect. Two heavy-hitting heavyweights — one a former champion, the other hailed as a potential future champion — would meet in the middle and throw bombs until one of them went unconscious. True to the high-drama of combat, fans got exactly what they thought they would, yet at the same time, the way it unfolded was completely unpredictable…”

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By In education, essay

Numbers and Letters: A Day in the Life of a Special Education Teacher

“Two years.

It’s January 2014, and that statistic echoes around my head as I arrive at work. Two years is the average shelf life of a special-education teacher in Hawaii.

I’ve made it a year and a half at this middle school, but it’s felt a lot longer than that. I’ve worked during every break teaching ESY (Extra School Year) in the FSC (Fully Self-Contained classroom), and that’s to say nothing of the part-time job and full-time grad school schedule I’ve also been juggling.

I turn the engine off and sit inside my car for a few minutes to gather myself. I try to rub the exhaustion off my face, but it feels like I’m only spreading it around, like how a child attempts to clean up spilled juice with a paper towel. There’s a metaphor in there somewhere about feeling like a child when I’m here at work, but I let it go and heave myself out of the car. I try not to look at the gas meter…”

 

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By In announcement

Honolulu Civil Beat Emerging Writer – 3rd Place

Happy to announce that I have taken third place in the Honolulu Civil Beat’s inaugural Emerging Writer’s Contest.

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By In Mixed Martial Arts

Junior dos Santos vs. Alistair Overeem Statistical Analysis

“Before Rafael dos Anjos and Donald Cerrone battle for the Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight belt in the UFC on Fox 17 main event on Saturday at the Amway Center in Orlando, Fla., there will be a clash of the titans in the co-headliner. Alistair Overeem and Junior dos Santos were supposed to fight twice already, but a failed drug test and an injury to the Dutchman derailed the bout until now.

This is a high-stakes fight. In the thin heavyweight division, the winner will immediately be shortlisted for title contention, while the loser will go back to square one. Let us see what the Tale of the Tape has to say…”

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