KarmaKula chapter 3: “Harvesting the Ohas” (Click to see pictures)
May 10, 2009 · Filed Under Multimedia, News
News - A succession of fresh, quality news, from inside and outside of the WebKarmaKula, the new episodic series from the Ninjai Gang expressly developed for the web goes on as scheduled. On the last Friday the Gang has released the third chapter, Harvesting the Ohas, with which the series has shown yet another trait after the splatter ninjitsu of The Ninjas and the spaghetti western The Frog in the Well. The new episode features horror elements and Eastern mysticism, acting more like an introduction for the events to come than like a self-finishing tale as the two previous chapters.
At the center of the story lie the worship of a demoniac being and her followers, which exploit occult knowledge to indefinitely extend their own life to the detriment of endless monk’s one. The ritual depicted in Harvesting the Ohas needs the forced extraction of monk’s semen and its infusion, through unknown “mystical means”, within the body of the aforementioned followers. KarmaKula’s target is to find the cultists and give to his “old friend” his “precious gift“, namely “her karma“.
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There is no room for action here, and even if the background told in HtO reveals KarmaKula’s indie origins (collecting the semen of sacred monks?!? A b-movie wouldn’t go that far!) I would say that however one can’t complain for the production, which among a photography with excessively saturated colors, good digital effects and a careful direction perfectly synchronized with the (always wonderful) soundtrack decently entertains for the almost 10 minutes the episode lasts and builds the right bases for the sword-slaughtering that will be definitely shown on the next month.
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HtO features a new female character after the pretty-but-deadly Satya Bellord of The Frog in the Well, and listening to her voice one can easily identify her as the actress that dubbed Ninjai, the little ninja protagonist of the series with the same name that will be featured in the movie theaters after the first 12 episodes released on the web. The fourth chapter of KarmaKula will be on-line the next 8th of June, while the current episode is also available in streaming on the Ninjai Gang’s YouTube channel.
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Waiting to see the KarmaKula at work, the series’official site has been updated with new contents including some downloads, a Spread The Word section and a press release. This last one is extremely interesting for those who want to know more about who hides behind the Ninjai Gang and the production of the series, the protagonists, the artists and their multiethnic background made of martial arts, a mix of Eastern tradition and Western pop culture and so on.
According to the information provided by the Gang, KarmaKula’s main actors are siblings, Subhadra, Siddha and the already mentioned Satya Bellord, children of a Chinese mother and an English father grown up between the Far East and California, rigorous students of martial arts for their entire life with a particular focus on taekwondo and both modern and traditional wushu. If this is coupled with the fact that the master of the three performers is Liang Chang Xing, former captain of the 10 times winning Chinese wushu team (to which actor Jet Li belonged too) and heavily involved with the production of KarmaKula one can understand why the series choreographies are so outstanding.
Media & Press
April 2009
Kung Fu Siblings Band Together in an All-New Martial Arts Action Series, Karma Kula: Mystic Warrior
Synopsis
Siblings and lifelong martial artists Satya (Kill Bill), Subhadra, and Siddha Bellord unveil their mastery in the new series Karma Kula: Mystic Warrior, a live-action martial arts adventure created independently by the Ninjai Gang.
Three young master martial artists have banded together to produce a highly praised new martial arts series called Karma Kula: Mystic Warrior, now showing on the entertainment site IGN.com, the Web's leading video game and entertainment information destination. What's unique about these three young master martial artists, all members of the Ninjai Gang, is that they are siblings.
Satya, Subhadra, and Siddha Bellord were born and raised in Hong Kong, their distinctive Eurasian good looks springing from their Chinese mother and British father. The siblings spent their teen years in the Far East, the Philippines, India, Australasia, Hawaii, and California. The trio have been serious students of martial arts their entire lives, focusing primarily on the arts of taekwondo and both modern, and traditional wushu.
With a deep appreciation for the spiritual aspects of martial arts and the ancient Eastern teachings of yoga, Hinduism, and Buddhism, the trio are lifelong vegetarians and have been practicing yoga and meditation since childhood. They continue to hone their skills daily with a vigorous training schedule under the guidance of their long-time friend and wushu instructor, one of the most well known and respected wushu instructors in the world. Master Liang Chang Xing, former captain of the ten-time winning Beijing wushu team, one of whose members was Jet Li. Chang Xing also plays an important role in the choreography, cinematography, and direction of the Karma Kula series.
Having heard about the trio's extraordinary talents from their mutual friend, action director Yuen Wo Ping (The Matrix, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Fearless), Quentin Tarantino sought out the trio for his movie Kill Bill. Because the trio wanted to stay focused on their Karma Kula production, only Satya was able to take the time to be involved with the film (she was Uma Thurman's martial arts double).
The trio will be making their first on-screen appearance together in the martial arts series "Karma Kula", where they co-direct, choreograph and star.
In addition to the trio, the Karma Kula cast includes Rena Owen. One of Australasia's most heralded actresses, Rena is best known for playing the courageous battered wife in the Kiwi blockbuster Once Were Warriors, where she starred alongside Temuera Morrison.
Karma Kula: Mystic Warrior, a ten-part episodic series, is a mystical journey through the ancient East with a unique highly entertaining blend of dynamic, blood-splattering martial arts, wry humor, and a peaceful sense of spirituality.
In this unique combination of East meets West, Karma Kula crosses 300 and the dry humor of a Clint Eastwood spaghetti western with truly explosive, kick-ass martial arts that rival Jet Li's Once Upon a Time in China, but more realistic. Add in the stunning locations, ninjas, Mongolian witch-nuns, ganja, and rock music, and the Ninjai Gang weaves a spiritual and mystical tale, simultaneously epic yet episodic, in an attempt to "bring the cinematic dramatic action of the big screen to the Web."
While appreciating Karma Kula's world-class martial arts action, the audience will also be captivated by the series' deep spiritual aspect as it touches upon timeless philosophical ideas such as karma and ancient yogic teachings both profound and insightful.
Completely independent and creatively driven, Karma Kula's first-class quality and its high production value belie its shoestring budget. Karma Kula combines the talent of directors and Ninjai Gang members Harsha Brennan, Siddha, and Chang Xing. Karma Kula is the first high-quality martial arts series specifically produced for the Web.
The Ninjai Gang's first Web series, Ninjai: The Little Ninja, has been an immediate success. From humble beginnings, Ninjai exploded on a grassroots level and has touched the hearts of millions across the world. Co-director Harsha Brennan is confident Karma Kula will be just as popular: "In its own way, Karma Kula is just as big an achievement as Ninjai. Although they're quite different, they both contain the elements of great martial arts action, humor, strong heroes, and an epic cinematic feel."
The Karma Kula series is now available in high quality on karmakula.ign.com, a channel of IGN.com, and on other top online video destinations. A new episode will be released in the beginning of every month.
About The Ninjai Gang
The Ninjai Gang, whose members originate from around the globe, is a group of young stuntmen by day and animators, musicians, and artists by night. Ninjai Gang members don't like to spotlight themselves and prefer to let their work speak for them. When not producing their shows, the Gang spend most of their time in physical training, martial arts stuntwork, yoga, meditation, playing video games, surfing (on real waves with surfboards, not on the Internet), and The Gang's original productions are inspired by the Gang's unique situation of having been raised in a multicultural environment where ancient Eastern philosophical influences such as Hinduism and Buddhism meet modern-day rock music, movies, computer games, etc.
About IGN Entertainment
IGN Entertainment, a unit of Fox Interactive Media, Inc., is a leading Internet media and services provider focused on the video game and entertainment enthusiast markets. Collectively, IGN's properties reached more than 32 million unique users worldwide in the month of December 2008. IGN's network of videogame-related properties (IGN.com, GameSpy, GreenPixels, FilePlanet, TeamXbox, Direct2Drive and others), is one of the Web's number one video game information destination and attracts one of the largest concentrated audiences of young males on the Internet. IGN also owns and operates the popular movie-related website, Rotten Tomatoes, and one of the leading male lifestyle websites, AskMen.com. In addition, IGN provides technology for online game play in video games. IGN is headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, with offices throughout the U.S. and in Montreal.
Contact
Ph 310-691-2896
Email press (at) karmakula.com
Expert advice: Top 9 ski tips
By Heather Eng
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Budget Travel
(Budget Travel) -- The pros weigh in on every aspect of your skiing holiday--including your socks. Even you black-diamond types might learn a thing or two.
Sometimes a ski vacation can be painful. Follow this expert advice to avoid any unpleasant turns.
Sometimes a ski vacation can be painful. Follow this expert advice to avoid any unpleasant turns.
1. Getting in shape
"Take yoga classes before you go: Yoga works the whole body, stretches muscles, and gets you used to balancing. You don't want to wake up after your first day and be too sore to ski." Troy Hawks, editor, National Ski Areas Association Journal
2. Packing
"Most airlines let you travel with a ski bag as one of your checked bags. Just be aware of the weight allowance." Mike Douglas, Salomon International Ski Team
3. Car rentals
"If you're renting a car, call ahead to reserve a four-wheel drive or snow tires. Don't settle for chains. There's no worse nightmare than dealing with chains." Phil McNichol, head men's coach, U.S. Ski Team
4. Acclimating
"I never ski the first day. Your body is tired, so you're at greater risk of injury. Go for a walk or run instead. It'll help you adjust to the climate and altitude." Olympic gold medalist Julia Mancuso (giant slalom, 2006)
5. Selecting skis
"Call a ski shop near the resort and reserve demos. They're high-end skis that won't make you look like a gaper, the way most rentals do." Jonny Moseley, Olympic gold medalist (moguls, 1998) and Ski Channel advisor
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6. Socks
"Ski socks are way better than standard cotton socks. They allow more blood flow, have cushioning where boots can accommodate it, and are warmer. And before you put them on, spray your feet with antiperspirant. Your feet will be drier and warmer." Dee Byrne, director, Vail Snowsports School
7. Helmets
"For the sport of alpine ski racing, helmets are required at every level of competition, and that's trickling down. Skiers without helmets are in the minority." Andy LeRoy, head alpine coach, University of Denver
8. Scoping out the mountain
"Most resorts offer tours at the beginning of the day. Take one that's geared to your level. It'll help you pick out the runs you'll really enjoy. Besides, tours are a great way to meet people." Tom West, president and CEO, U.S. National Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame and Museum
9. Safety
"Don't end the day with a difficult run. Not only will you have already peaked, but the conditions change. In late afternoon, the light gets flat, the temperatures go down, and everyone else is tired. Statistics show that most accidents occur late in the day." Tim White, executive director, National Ski Patrol
Kissing a cleft lip goodbye- Adnan’s Journey, Part I
By Nicole Lapin
CNN.com Live anchor
In the middle of a crowded hospital hallway in Alexandria, Egypt, Adnan’s blue eyes pop. He is sitting on the lap of his father, Mohammed Saleh. Saleh looks at me and then at his pregnant wife next to him. “I hope the new one doesn’t have this condition,” he says in his broken English.
“This condition” refers to his son’s cleft lip. The Salehs are one of the more than 200 families who showed up at Shark Al Madina Hospital to try to receive free treatment for their child’s cleft lip and/or palate. It is Operation Smile’s first mission in this city and the turnout is higher than expected.
“I don’t know why he has it,” Saleh mutters as he kisses his 7-month-old son’s forehead. I wish I had an answer for him. I try telling him in my broken Arabic that the organization says it’s a combination of genetic, environmental and nutritional factors. It means little to a father just trying to fix whatever caused his son’s deformity.
The global rate of cleft lip and/or palate is about 1 in every 750 births. Unlike in the United States, the corrective surgery is costly and hard to come by in countries like Egypt. I am here with an Operation Smile volunteer group- a mix of accomplished plastic surgeons, nurses and pediatricians from all over the world- aiming to change that for kids like Adnan.
Running on adrenaline and Turkish coffee, the volunteers transformed one corner of the hospital into an eight-step screening process on the first day of the mission. Benches turned into registration centers. Markers and recycled paper became locator signs: “Vitals,” “Dental,” “Anesthesiologist.” A bed sheet, beach ball and coloring book looked like an indoor playground in no time.
Women dressed in full hijab wait hours for their children to have a chance at getting the surgery. An older woman walks up to me so fast she nearly stumbles over her long skirt. “My grandson, my grandson, look, look,” she yells, holding the advertisement that appeared in a local paper in one hand and a wallet full of his pictures in the other.
The team will do approximately 175 surgeries during this mission. Not everyone from two days of screening receives an operation. The organization prioritizes the kids getting screened based on their chances for a successful recovery.
The Salehs are Number 27 in this process. I start following them when they got their number at 7 a.m. They finish around noon and before they leave I ask Adnan’s father what he wants his son to be when he grows up. Saleh answers quickly, “Whatever will make him happy.” I say, “So, a doctor, lawyer, policeman…?” He nods, “I just want my son to have the chance.”
A child whose cleft lip goes untreated will carry a social stigma in much of the world. Some cultures believe it is “a curse” or “God’s will.” A child whose cleft palate, an actual split on the roof of his or her mouth, goes untreated can have difficulty eating and speaking. In some pockets of the globe where malnutrition is prevalent, some of those youngsters won’t survive.
I hear the last prayer call of the day echo outside the seaside hospital – that means it is 8 in the evening. I just found out that Adnan has been accepted to surgery. It’s scheduled for Saturday morning. I can’t wait to see what he looks like when he smiles with more than just his eyes.
Editor’s Note: Medical news is a popular but sensitive subject rooted in science. We receive many comments on this blog each day; not all are posted. Our hope is that much will be learned from the sharing of useful information and personal experiences based on the medical and health topics of the blog. We encourage you to focus your comments on those medical and health topics and we appreciate your input. Thank you for your participation.
In Bolivia, Keeping Kids and Mothers Together — in Prison
By Jean Friedman-Rudovsky / La Paz Wednesday, Apr. 22, 2009
At first glance it feels like any Latin American barrio filled with kids. It's a Saturday afternoon, and a dozen young children are sprawled out on a yard, painting a large canvass. Others run free through the one-square-block area that resembles a cramped town, with its food stands and kiosks. The tykes rattle off for me what they like best about their community: the mess hall, their friends, the food, the paint — and, for many, just "living with mom."
They're living with mom, however, inside the Women's Correctional Facility in La Paz, Bolivia. There are about 250 prisoners here — and also 100 kids. In fact, the country's lock-ups house more than 1,400 children behind electrified, fence-topped walls and below shotgun-guarded towers. Among the prisoner-mothers at the Women's Correctional Facility is Andrea Virginia Tapia, who has been behind bars for four years and is expected to be released next year. (She won't discuss her crime.) "Above all in this life, I am a mother," says Tapia, who is in her 30s and is the mother of seven kids, four of whom live in the prison with her. (The others live with her mother.) "They are best with me," she adds, as her three-year-old snuggles into her lap, "regardless of where that is." (See pictures from a women's prison in Iraq.)
That sentiment seems to be taking hold in many parts of Latin America, where thousands of children are growing up behind bars alongside their incarcerated mothers and fathers. That might sound like Dickensian tragedy; but in Bolivia it's a legal — and fiercely defended — practice. "We've seen that this is best for mother, or father, and child," says Jorge Lopez, Director of Bolivia's Penitentiary System. "It's important not to rip those bonds between parent and child." What's more, sadly, it may be the best alternative for the children themselves. In Bolivia, South America's poorest country, it's often financially impossible for family members on the outside to take on more mouths to feed. Orphanages aren't feasible, either: "Children live in worse conditions there than in the prisons — and without their moms and dads," says Rene Estensorro, a psychologist at Semilla de Vida (Seed of Life), a non-governmental organization that works with imprisoned mothers and their children. Lopez agrees. Releasing the kids from the prisons, he says, "means [their] direct entryway onto the street."
Advocates argue that keeping the children inside prison may also have positive effects on their convict parents. "Having a child near helps the parent reform his or her actions and be more eager to rehabilitate and readapt to society," Lopez adds, noting that Bolivian legislation on this issue was based on studies reflecting that trend. (See pictures of how boxing helps prisoners in Thailand.)
The equally important question, of course, is what prison time does to the children. Estensorro acknowledges that "we see a lot of repression in the children." Kids inside the Women's Correctional Facility are punished for normal behavior like waking up in the middle of the night — because they end up waking up everyone else inside the cramped sleeping quarters. School age kids leave the prison each day to attend regular schools but nonetheless suffer isolation from their peers. Another problem: the lack of 24-hour medical care inside the prison. Worse, kids must sometimes share mom's punishment for bad behavior, like solitary confinement. As a result, not every prisoner mom is happy about having her children with her. "I am paying my debt to society but that doesn't mean that my children should be paying the consequences of my actions too," says Casilda Calle, another prisoner in La Paz.
Still, housing children with incarcerated parents is becoming a more accepted practice across a region that shares many of Bolivia's social shortcomings. According to Lopez, Ecuador, Peru and Guatemala have systems similar to Bolivia's, which allows kids to live inside until the age of six (though even Lopez admits that kids sometimes stay years longer). Some women's prisons in Mexico hold toddlers; and in Argentina, there is a special facility for pregnant inmates and those with kids under the age of four.
So instead of attempting to remove the children, most efforts in Latin America today focus on improving in-prison services that benefit both parent and child, like constructing day care centers in or near the facilities and providing inmates with good-parenting workshops. The plight of these children, however, doesn't seem to be high on any relief organizations' list. Save the Children runs programs for the 200 children inside Bolivia's San Pedro men's prison, but that's the extent of its work in Latin America. CARE does not deal directly with this population, and various United Nations agencies did not respond to TIME's requests for comment. Nevertheless, after tear gas was used to put down a recent riot at a men's prison where 200 kids live, UNICEF issued this statement: "The precariousness of the infrastructure, health and welfare conditions of these penitentiary centers constitute a transgression of children's and adolescents' most fundamental rights."
Either way, even if the world outside Latin America might view the practice as a 21st-century version of a 19th-century evil, making children part of a prison's population has become an integral part of the region's corrections culture. "Kids learn to adapt," says Estensorro. "I believe they really are better off here."
Time
Todd aces same hole on 2 straight days
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ATHENS, Ga. (AP)—Brendon Todd made Nationwide Tour history by making a hole-in-one at the same hole for the second straight day at the Athens Regional Foundation Classic.
The former Georgia All-American aced the 147-yard 17th hole on Friday, using an 8-iron during the second round at the Jennings Mill Country Club course.
“It’s still hard to believe,” Todd said after posting a 1-under 71. “It’s a bit surreal, even now.”
During Thursday’s opening round, Todd used a 7-iron when the hole played 157 yards and he finished with a 4-under 68. He is 5-under for the $550,000 event.
Todd is the first player in the 20-year history of the tour to ace the same hole twice in the same tournament.
“I had just come off a bogey and so I wasn’t in a great mood when I stepped on the tee. I wasn’t even thinking about making it,” he said. “It was a perfect yardage and I flagged it. It looked pretty good in the air and then landed about 4 feet short and left of the hole and rolled in the back of the cup. I guess I played the break perfectly.”
The last player to ace the same hole twice in the same tournament was Graham Marsh in the first and third rounds of the 2004 Senior British Open.
Yusaku Miyazato (2006), Bob Tway (1994), Glen Day (1994), Jack Rule (1964) and Bill Whedon (1955) are the only players in modern PGA Tour history to record two aces in a single event. Miyazato and Whedon are the only ones to do it in the same round.
Yahoo Sports News
Think "stunt double" and "martial arts double" are the same thing?
Not always. Satya Bellord (pictured above in a blond wig on the left, and with Quentin Tarantino on the right) got called on last minute to be a Martial Arts Double for Uma Thurman in Kill Bill Vol. 2.
What's the difference?
Satya explains: "The martial arts double specializes in martial arts, especially moves that require a higher skill and energy level. A trained martial artist develops an inner strength that isn't there in an actor or stunt person whose martial arts training is limited."
She is also credited as "Utility Stunts" in some sources. She was interviewed in Black Belt Magazine for her work on the film.
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