Category: Arts

Ireland is a country rich in arts, culture and festivals. As a holiday tourist, you are welcome to ancient old tradition and customs that have defied modernity by preserving their unique presentation of the ideals of the Irish people.

Though a visitor to Ireland may come across a lot of cultural expressions, the most notable of these are real Irish music, art, literature which can be found in the capital city of Dublin and other towns. No matter how these customs are expressed, the vacationer will recognize the deep roots of Irish heritage.

A cultural tour to Ireland will introduce you to the woks of literary luminaries such as Jonathan Swift and Oscar Wilde who have produced marvelous pieces of writing. These authors have brought glory and honor to Irish literature and are celebrated in the country. On a holiday in Ireland, you will be able to take part in festivals that celebrate the literary masterpieces of these renowned writers.

A tour to Ireland will also get you listening and dancing to Irish music. Though music forms part of the social life of these people, it is composed and played with a different purpose to bring talk about the culture of the people and how they treasure it. From rural cottages to large pubs in the cities, you will find musicians with local instruments performing to the admiration of audiences.

You will also come to appreciate the dynamic and superb theatrical performance of the countrys rich culture and tradition. You can visit the Barabbas Theater Company in Dublin, Yeats Theater Company in Sligo, the National Folk Theater of Ireland in Kerry County, the Lyric Theater in Antrim, the Grianan Theater in Donegal and the Town Hall Theater in Galway to watch opera or Irish drama.

Your visit to Ireland must include a visit to the Belleek Pottery. This is one of Irelands oldest and most fascinating attractions. The pottery makes original and unique pieces of clay products using traditional methods passed down from generation to generation. One of the most collectable and prized sets is the Black Mark range. The Belleek Pottery was established in 1857 and is recognized as holding a central place in the cultural heritage of County Fermanagh. It is located n the picturesque village of Belleek on the banks of the Lough Erne. This attractive building is home to the world famous Belleek Fine Parian China and Belleek Visitor Centre. As a tourist, you can take part in guided tours, walk around the on-site museum or visit the audio visual theatre. Additionally, there is the gift shop where visitors can purchase authentic Belleek products.

A holiday trip to Ireland offers many picturesque attractions and cultural sites for the visitor. To get the best, you need to walk most of the time so you can interact with the people, learn about their customs and appreciate their traditions which are mainly expressed through music, theater arts and festivals.

This is sort of a question with lots of importance. Nobody has ever come up with a reason for the phenomena, and yet people have tried virtually everything in the world to keep students from leaving. I mean, they were doing good, they were excited, and then they disappeared.

The answer for this problem, and a way to keep enrollment high, is possible through something called Matrix Martial Arts. Matrixing is a technology that introduces logic to the martial arts. The fact of discovering why students drop out came to light because of it.

To understand this problem of student drop out we must understand that there is a problem with the martial arts themselves. I don’t care what you are teaching, be it karate or kung fu or wudan or that rare form of Kenpo, the fact of the matter is that you are teaching by having students memorize random strings of data. With respect, I offer that this is the most inefficient method of learning that there is.

Memorizing random strings of data is an oral tradition that worked when people couldn’t read nor write. Now, how ever, the written word has come into its own, and people can avail themselves of such things as mind mapping, computers, and good, solid logic. This thing of logic is extremely important when one uses Matrix Martial Arts.

Matrixing is the analysis and handling of flow and force. It is a method for laying out a gridwork of martial arts techniques, and being able to quickly and efficiently sort through the techniques until you have the exact and only answer. It is so efficient that people who learn matrixing achieve intuition with their art within months, not years, as is common with the traditional arts.

When matrixing methods were first released, when students were enabled to view all the martial arts as a unique and order body of knowledge, one thing became obvious, there were a lot of blank spots in the martial arts. No matter how many arts one knows, it can’t compare with being able to see all the data. Students who can see the whole picture are always able to learn at a faster rate and in a more efficient manner.

And, students who left early in their training were found to be confused by the blank spots in their education. Learning the martial arts were like learning languages without all the letters. The data appeared illogical, so they left.

The truth of the matter is that students aren’t going to stick with what doesn’t make sense. No matter how much incredible fun they are having, the brain rejects the data, the hardware loses the software, the student refuses the martial arts, simply because the subject has become confusing, and has not been made logical and simple. In a word, no matter whether you teach karate or kung fu or that rare and esoteric style of Tai Chi, you will not be able to keep students unless you matrix your art, and matrix your students, and, the fact of the matter is…you , too, may someday feel like hanging up your gi.

The National Black Arts Festival is an Atlanta festival that celebrates the art, music, and culture of people of African descent. The family friendly festival is scheduled from July 6-15 and includes activities such as literary, musical, and theater performances, fine arts exhibits, and an international market. Although a few events are ticketed, many of the activities are free.

The main weekend of the festival is July 12-15, with many activities taking place at Centennial Olympic Park in downtown Atlanta. Festival attendees can visit the International Marketplace, which will feature artisans from all over the world. Offerings will include paintings, sculpture, clothing, jewelry, and other items. In past years exhibitors have come from such diverse places as Jamaica, Haiti, South Africa, Senegal, Ghana, Brazil, Canada, and India. The kids will be entertained at the Childrens Educational Village. This years theme will be Destination Africa and Beyond. There will be musical entertainment all weekend from the concert stage. Local and international chefs will be giving cooking demonstrations at the Publix Healthy Cooking Pavilion. Attendees can learn to prepare healthy and balanced foods as well as enjoy tasty samples. All of these activities are free to the public.

Several other free events are planned during the festival. City Gallery at Chastain will present JOuvert: At the Devils Playground, featuring the work of Jamaican born photographer Radcliffe Roye. The exhibition, which celebrates the 50th anniversary of Jamaican independence, will run from June 14-July 28. An artist talk is planned for June 30 from 1-3pm. Pre-registration is required for the talk. Jah Music- A Celebration of Traditional Jamaican Music, featuring the Tallawah Mento Band, will take place on June 24 at the Auburn Avenue Research Library. The program is scheduled for 3-5pm, and pre-registration is required.

There will be two free screenings of A Raisin in the Sun at the Southwest Arts Center. This will be the original film version of Lorraine Hansberrys play starring Claudia McNeil, Sidney Poitier, and Ruby Dee. Screening dates are July 6, and a special screening for seniors and students on July 11.

The Hagedorn Foundation Gallery will host an exhibition of intimate photos of Michael Jackson by his personal photographer, Todd Gray. The Gray Room with Act 1 of the Performance Piece, Caliban in the Mirror is scheduled for July 6-August 31. The Coretta Scott King Book Fair will be held on July 11 at the Central Branch of the Atlanta Fulton Library. Attendees will meet award winning author Walter Dean Myers and award winning illustrator Michele Wood. The event is free, but pre-registration is required.

The festival also includes several ticketed events. Those events include a gala fundraiser and tribute to actress Ruby Dee on July 14. The play Guess Whos Coming to Dinner? will run July 10-29. There will be an exhibition of the art of Vivian Schuyler Key at the Hammonds House Museum and the exhibition Rise Up: Hale Woodruffs Murals from Talladega College at the High Museum of Art. A benefit event for the National Black Arts Festival, Slavery By Another Name: The Dialogue is planned for July 12.

Martial arts have become very popular not only because of iconic depictions in movies but also because of their numerous benefits. They come in various forms but a common denominator is the degree of discipline and hard work that they inculcate among its’ students. The growing number of practitioners in Las Vegas is not necessarily a testament to the increasing dangers in the city (With one of the nation’s highest crime rates) but more of a manifestation of the population’s increasing appreciation for martial arts and the sports around it such as MMA Fighting. As a participating member in the sport, a Martial Arts student will find many benefits beyond making it to the octagon at the MGM Grand as a professional fighter.

For one, martial arts provide quite a number of health benefits. It provides great cardio exercises and improves motor skills. For children and adults alike, the wide variety of martial arts greatly satisfies the body’s need for physical exertion. It helps people burn the excess pounds off, sweat out the toxins, and increase the intake of oxygen. Circulation is also enhanced to the vital organs of the body. Aside from all these benefits, the body releases what endorphins which are popularly known as -happy hormones- which greatly uplifts one’s mood and curbs down depression. It can also be a fun, alternative activity for the whole family which is a definite plus!

Another benefit that may be derived from the martial arts is the rudimentary self-defense skills learned from training religiously. This know-how is not only helpful when confronting tense situations and negative encounters but also in dealing with bullying and abuse. Though not a tool to propagate violence and ill-will, it comes handy when a person is placed in a fight-or-flight situation requiring quick thinking and physical agility. We may not know when danger may strike but it is extremely prudent to be poised and prepared to protect yourself and your loved ones.

Since most martial arts are rooted on philosophical beliefs and ethical principles, the teachings from these arts greatly emphasize the value of persistence, hard work and self-discipline which are worthy of emulating. Progression in the different levels of the disciplines would include grueling effort and diligence in training. However, every new technique learned and every new level achieved provide an unparalleled boost in self-esteem and confidence.

Las Vegas, albeit known for the teeming casinos and one-day millionaire stints, is also home to excellent martial arts training. If you would like to dabble into the martial arts for the abovementioned benefits or out of sheer curiosity, check out the website hirokarate.com to get a glimpse of premier martial arts training in Las Vegas.

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Are you serious about becoming a master of Ninjutsu? Do you really want to have the skills of a true master Ninja warrior?

I can understand why. The Ninja are seen, even by martial arts practitioners who train in other systems, as being at the top of the martial arts “food chain,” for a reason!

But the keys to mastery are not limited to just knowing a bunch of techniques, weapons, or martial arts moves. No. Mastery begins even before the student – that’s you – starts to learn the skills of the art.

What are these “things” that are the cornerstones of the foundation leading to the state of martial arts Mastery in the art of Ninjutsu – or any other martial art for the matter?

Good question.

They are the belief, faith, or trust in three things. And, without any or all of these tangible and intangible things, your training is doomed to failure. Well, maybe not failure. But, let’s just say that attaining Mastery, succeeding at earning your Black Belt, or becoming a teacher of the Ninja’s self defense and life mastery system, is going to be more a matter of luck than of design and intention.

The 3 critical aspects of Mastery and success as you work to learn ninjutsu are:

1) Belief in yourself, your personal value, and the fact that you are deserving of possessing these skills and abilities

2) Belief in the curriculum – the program – that you are working through as capable of getting you to the level of Mastery that you desire, and…

3) Belief in your teachers as walking, talking examples – to at least some degree – of that which you aspire to be for yourself

That being said, there are many students who only see the Ninja’s arts as a martial arts choice among martial arts choices. They are not seeking Mastery – not true Mastery anyway – and are content to be able to show off a few cool moves and learn enough to allow them to say that they study Ninjutsu.

In this case, this lesson is wasted on them – seen as unneeded, unwanted, and a waste of time, effort, and attention.

But, to others – those who see Ninjutsu as more than another martial art or system of self defense – these three aspects of training are seen for what they are…

…the foundation of a system of life mastery which begins with the protection of self and others, and leads onward and upward towards the ultimate stage where you will have the confidence, power, and control to make your life anything and everything that you desire.