Red Belt Test Tomorrow!

Holy crap, is it time to test for my red belt already? Yeah, I guess so. Tomorrow we find out if I can cut it! (Spoiler: Yes, I can cut it. In half. With my freakin' hand. Or foot.) As to whether I can pass the whole test or not, I dunno. Technique feels okay, if a little unbalanced, but that's always been my problem. I can pack a bunch of grace into stumbling around and it might look okay, but the fact remains, I'm slowly falling down. Yes, I can recover from all sorts of trips, but I should probably stop tripping to begin with.

My forms, I think I've got pretty well covered, though they're sort of the hardest to judge when they're ready. Like a batch of whup-ass cookies, there's no perfect time to leave them in the oven. Of course, I can always improve my execution of a form, and that's where my metaphor goes to shit.

Luckily for me, Ash is a hardass judge of technique, and wouldn't send me in front of a firing squad if she didn't think I could dodge the bullets. Unless I pissed her off somehow... But she couldn't be that vengeful... I hope.

Wish me luck...

-Reynard

News - A Schedule? Never...

So, there's the wrap-up to the first comic. Hope it was worth what little wait there was. Unfortunately, I'm not a quick enough writer or artist, and so updates will be a little sparser from here. Won't be two-parters, though. Next comic is set for Wednesday, Febuary 4th, and I'll be aiming to keep a weekly schedule.

I reserve the right to withhold. Cope.

-Rey

New Comic - 02 - Everyone's Clutching!

Rey makes to the gym for a warm welcome.

(Click the image for full-size viewing.)

From Childhood Fantasies to Punching Bags.

Hey, Folks.
I figured I should inaugurate the posting of the first strip with some sort of grand introduction. That said, I promise nothing.
Classic open-ended essay question: What am I into the Martial Arts for?
I’m in the martial arts because we have a single life and a single body to operate with. It seems dumb not to be a competent pilot. How people move, especially in the martial arts, is so reflective of them as people, that even outside of Capoiera, which explicitly states it, how you fight is a pure expression of your being.
Besides that, I’ve found that the tiny abstract cosmos that exists within a sparring match, fight, brawl, or gun fight, is the most peaceful and simple place you’re ever going to find.
Peaceful may require some explanation to the uninitiated or the hot-headed. Technical skill, speed, strength, these are all a pain in the ass for me to come up with and use to propel me through a fight. I don’t think I win all that often. But what I think I can conjure easily is the right mindset. I crawl into it like into a warm bed, or, if you like, another vulgar analogy. The eyes lose focus while becoming more watchful, and I stop thinking. I absolutely hate thinking. It’s inescapable, though, and after being bludgeoned into exhaustion by an automatic internal monologue, the rest you can find inside a thoughtless brawl is priceless.
There are certainly other benefits. Efficiency of motion, freedom of movement, good health, meeting people, and of course, the self-defense applications are all good reasons to get involved. And you should, if you haven't already, find a little gym or club what’ll teach you the arts of war. Even if only to find a little slice of that peace.

- Reynard

News - Welcome!

Hi Everyone!
I'm Rey, and I'm the artist behind OMRH. This is my first attempt at a web comic, you should know: be kind. I hadn't drawn anything in a long time before this, so I'm rediscovering the fine art of managing a pencil. I hope the art is moderately satisfactory, but as for the update schedule, I'm not gonna make any wild promises. Quick as we can produce them, we'll publish them, with occasional little scribblings interspersed, and if things go smoothly, we'll get a nicer website, and hey, maybe even a regular update schedule!

Anyway, hope you enjoy the first comic! As it's a two-parter, you can expect the next strip tomorrow.

-Reynard

New Comic - 01 - The New Gym

Ash arrives at the new gym.
(Click the image for full-size viewing.)