William 윌리암 다이크맨

Redbubble.com

2010-02-20T19:10:00.003-06:00

Winter Olympics have been a staple in my house the last week so far, so I have been pretty busy in the evenings. I did, however, take some time to set-up my redbubble.com account. Redbubble is a site where artists, graphic designers, and photographers put up their artwork to see and also to sell. From what I have seen and done, it is a great site. I set up my portfolio here at:

dragon1026.redbubble.com

I also placed a Widget with my photos at the top of my Blog page. Hope you enjoy, and feel free to pick something up ;)

Opening Ceremony tonight!

2010-02-12T11:12:00.003-06:00

Tonight is the Big Night, with the Opening Ceremony to Kick-off the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. In Chicago, tune-in to NBC 5.1 @ 6:30 p.m. to watch the first ever indoors Opening Ceremony!

Winter Olympics 2010!!!

2010-02-10T14:59:00.003-06:00

Two Days and counting.........The Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics will be kicking-off February 12, 2010!

Check out the below Link for News and TV scheduling:

NBC Olympics

U-S-A, U-S-A!

The Last Airbender TV Spot

2010-02-10T14:55:00.002-06:00

Here is yet another glimpse of the movie "The Last Airbender". This TV Spot was aired during the Superbowl game: Colts vs. Saints

The Last Airbender (2010)

2009-06-23T10:13:00.002-05:00

Yes, this Movie is going to be Extremely Awesome.............and Yes, you will love it:)

I waited a long time to see this Teaser Trailer, and now that I have seen it, it is only going to make the wait to see the movie that much harder :(

Recap on Olympics after long break

2009-06-01T21:52:00.002-05:00

Yes, I know, shame on me for letting my little blog fall into misuse.......

In regards to the Olympics, it has been quite a year so far:

-The Official Candidature File for Chicago 2016 was delivered to the IOC in February by the Grandson of Jesse Owens, Stuart Owens Rankin.

-Between April 2-8, the IOC Evaluation Team Came to Chicago (the first of the four cities on their trip to the candidate cities), were seen videos prepared for them by President Obama, Secretary of State Clinton, and Michael Jordan. They dined with Oprah, toured the Venues, looked over all Chicago's Plan, and got a feel for what they called a "Vibrant" City.

-Olympic week kicked-off in Chicago, with over "230,000 students, 15,000 teachers and 40 Olympians and Paralympians" involved in activities.

-Coming up in a couple weeks (June 17 & 18), Chicago 2016 will be doing a technical Presentation for the IOC in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Interesting pic...

2009-02-26T15:14:00.001-06:00

Here is some pictures I took when I visited the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) at the Border between North and South Korea.....2-countries still in a State of War.

Just kidding.....this is a block from my house. ;)

Does the Economic Worry the Bid Cities?

2009-02-11T16:01:00.002-06:00

I just read a good article about how the Economic Downturn may or may not change the 2016 Olympic Bid Cities excitement to host the Games. Particulary interesting is the Table at the end of the article showing Revenue/Expenses.

Forbes.com Article - Let the "Games" Begin

Note: Chicago's costs exceed Tokyo's by about $1 Million, but it's Revenue close to doubles Tokyo's.

Happy Chinese (Lunar) New Year!

2009-02-05T09:51:00.003-06:00

I know it is a little late.......

This past Sunday (Feb.1), my dad and I went to Chinatown to see the Chinese New Year Parade and have Lunch. We learned our lesson from last year and took the Bus instead of driving, as we could not find parking and had to walk from pretty far. There was quite a bit of people in Chinatown for the parade, as the weather was agreeable (and the fact that last year was below zero, lol). We ended up eating at a nice, out-of-the-way restaurant my dad and I like, "Kam Fung". After Lunch we made perfect time to catch the Parade start. It is a nice parade, with the Dragon and Lion Costumes, School Bands, Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White, Linda Yu, Ronald McDonald, etc.. Afterwards, we did some looking around and shopping, then headed home. We had a really good time!

My study of Shaolin Kung-fu (少林功夫) has begun....

2009-01-22T00:37:00.003-06:00

I know that I had mentioned on a previous post that I was interested in someday trying out Shaolin, and I am happy to say that I have joined Tsai's kung-fu International as of last week. I do not in anyway intend to leave Tae Kwon Do, however, I most definitely want to broaden my knowledge of Martial Arts, and Shaolin is not like Tae Kwon Do, so it will be a new experience. So lets see how it goes.

Have a Happy New Year!!!

2008-12-29T12:50:00.003-06:00

("Auld Lang Syne" plays in background) Since I was late and missed a chance to Wish everyone a Merry Christmas, I wanted to make sure that I at least wished everyone a Happy New Year! I hope everyone has a prosperous 2009, and that you don't throw your resolutions out the door by the end of January ;) (Firecrackers blow)

My First Bears Game

2008-12-17T13:50:00.004-06:00

I was just at my first Bears Game with my dad on 12-11-08. We had alot of fun, but it was freezing cold!! I only took a few pictures, because I didn't want to take off my gloves ^_^. I was lucky enough to get 2-Tickets to the Game from someone at my work. They were good seats in the 2nd Level, so we were able to see the Bears win in overtime against the Saints. Go Bears!

Shoes being thrown?!

2008-12-15T19:39:00.000-06:00

I was just reading about the Iraqi reporter who took off his shoes and threw them at President George W. Bush. That really makes me sick. I don't care if he was a Democrat or Republican, we as Americans should not sit back and say nothing when some coward insults the Leader of our Country like that. As always, most of the Middle East jumped up in support of such disrespectful and uncivilized bahavior. As much as I dislike Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad or Venezuela's Hugo Chavez, I wouldn't even think of throwing my shoes at them........they are heads of state, and due a certain respect. (not to say that I wouldn't yell something their way). What happened to our Self-Respect?

American City Names

2008-12-09T11:51:00.002-06:00

I was just thinking how it strange that the 3 Largest Cities in The United States names are each a different language:

New York City-----English

Los Angeles-----Spanish

Chicago-----French/Native American

Interesting.....

Chicago: City of the Year

2008-12-09T11:36:00.002-06:00

Chicago has been getting a lot of publicity as of late. I just wanted to let you know that Chicago:

-Was Chosen City of the Year by Fast Company for 2008.

-Was Chosen City of the Year by GQ Magazine for 2008.

-Was Only American City in Top 10 Cities to see in 2009 by Lonely Planet.

-Is one of the Front Runners in the Bid to Host the 2016 Olympics.

-Is currently the home to be of the World's Tallest All-Residential Skyscraper.

-Is 4th Largest City Economy in the World. (After Tokyo, NYC, & LA)

-Is the Hometown of the President-Elect.

-Was the setting of Gotham City in Batman "The Dark Knight".

Human Weapon

2008-12-06T00:01:00.002-06:00

I caught this show on iTunes and got instantly hooked. Jason Chambers and Bill Duff basically go to a different country every episode, spend a week or so training in that country's specific Martial Art, and then faces off against a Master or champ in that Martial Art:

United States = MMA
Korea = Tae Kwon Do ;)
China = Kung-fu
France = Savate
Japan = Karate, Judo, Ninjitsu
etc.

It is really a good show. I bought the ENTIRE Series on DVD @ Best Buy for like $20. Just throwing it out there

Kickboxing???

2008-12-05T11:22:00.002-06:00

I am very interested in Martial Arts that implement more "Traditional" applications into their system, however, I signed up for a Free Trial Lesson of Kickboxing (emphasis on Free). I never experienced Kickboxing in my life, so it will be interesting to see how much it is both similar and different from Tae Kwon Do. I will try and get up a Martial Arts Profile for Kickboxing either this Weekend, or by this coming week. I also signed up my brother for the Trial Class......(this ought to be interesting)......

EOC Meeting in Istanbul

2008-11-24T16:22:00.003-06:00

Chicago 2016 Officials, including Mayor Daley, met with, and presented to members of the EOC in Istanbul. Tokyo, Rio, & Madrid also were there to present their bids as well. I was happy to hear that Chicago hit the ground running that morning, as all the members of the EOC woke up to a complimentary copy of a special Chicago 2016 Edition of the International Tribune. Later that day President-Elect Obama expressed his support of the Chicago Bid to the EOC in a 90-Second Video for the Committee. This is the biggest presentation that Chicago will do before the meeting in Denmark with the IOC. I believe they did a great job.

Crazy Hap Ki Do

2008-11-13T22:52:00.002-06:00

I wanted to show you a video of the Martial Art of Hap Ki Do. This is actually my Master's Grand Master. My master is awesome at Hap Ki Do, and now I know why.....look at his teacher! :)

The "Obama" Factor

2008-11-12T22:35:00.003-06:00

Although I personally didn't Vote for President-Elect Obama, I wanted to see the Silver Lining in the Cloud. Foremost in my mind is the tremendous amount of both Publicity and Support that he has and will bring to Chicago's Olympic Bid. Already Tokyo 2016 Officials have commented on their concern for the influence that he brings to Chicago's Bid. A couple days later Madrid and Tokyo tried to downplay their concerns and comments......but that quick break in their confidence invigorates our Bid. Only Upstart Rio hasn't commented (to my knowledge). Two major things I sincerely hope Obama will do as President is:

1. Make the Case for Chicago's Bid in the Final Presentation.

2. Go to Denmark to support Chicago on the day the Host City is chosen.

Having the President pitch for his Hometown is always welcome. I hope that he can take some time out of his busy schedule for that.

Also, USA Soccer is hoping that he will be able to do his bit for their hope to capture either the 2018 or 2022 FIFA World Cup. Having the Olympics followed directly by the World Cup would be an awesome experience for the United States.

Tuesday is Election Day!

2008-11-03T16:54:00.002-06:00

I just wanted to urge everyone to Vote in Tuesday's Election as it is important that Americans exercise their privilege as citizens. Many people all over the world have died or were thrown in jail trying to obtain the privilege that many people in the U.S. take for granted, or look at as an annoyance. I myself am excited to Vote for the 1st time, and take part in the democratic process.

That being said, I would also like to urge everyone to Vote sensibly. Do not vote for a candidate just because of Skin color (whether White or Black), or because a certain candidate is better looking. It should always be about the issues. If you evaluate your pick on the issues, and still come to the same conclusion, great. Never Vote solely on emotion either. Ask yourself if you stand for what this candidate stands for, and if "yes", then vote for him. For me, there is no such thing as life long Republican, or life long Democrat....only Liberal and Conservative Ideology. Don't vote for a party, just because of the party.

The Olympic Candidate Websites

2008-10-03T19:54:00.002-05:00

Juuuust incase you are interested:

Tokyo 2016:
http://www.tokyo2016.or.jp/en/

Chicago 2016:
http://www.chicago2016.org/

Rio 2016:
http://www.rio2016.org/en/Default.aspx

Madrid 2016:
http://www.madrid2016.es/en/paginas/home.aspx

1-Year to Denmark!

2008-10-03T19:42:00.003-05:00

Yesterday marked the 1-year countdown until when the International Olympic Committee(IOC) will announce the Host city of the 2016 Summer Olympics. Although there are many obstacles to overcome. For instance, it is possible that the IOC may dwindle the list even further. So, Chicago has some work to do, however, Pat Ryan has said that Chicago has some suprises up its sleeve for changes to it's Bid plan. He just doesn't want to reveal everything this early still in the Game.

Martial Art Profile: Drunken Style Kung-Fu (醉拳)

2008-09-21T22:23:00.003-05:00

Drunken Style Kung-Fu, Drunken Fist, Drunken Boxing.....all names for a very interesting and effective Martial Art. Many Chinese Styles of Martial Arts were created by the study of different things, such as Snakes, Cranes, Tigers, Praying Mantis, and even Drunks....lol. when using this style of Kung-Fu, you are not really intoxicated, as that would hinder you more than help. The momentum you create, as well as your unpredictability help you in defeating your opponent. Moves such as falling flat on your back, staggering forward and backward, and spinning seemingly uncontrollably, are all faked to throw the opponent in a confusion, which is when you strike. Another interesting aspect is that your hands form as if you are holding two cups, and the art utilizes many types of joint locks as well. This style was made famous by Jackie Chan. this clip shows a quick look at Drunken Fist. It is from a real good show called "Fight Science". Enjoy :)

Martial Arts Posts?

2008-09-11T13:49:00.001-05:00

yes, I know everyone has been wondering what happened to my Martial Arts Posts........Due to the Olympics, me being busy etc., I wasn't very attentive to those types of posts. Please do not worry, they are coming soon : ) I also got the entire season for a great show called "Human Weapon", from the History Channel and gained some insight on some new martial arts that I would love to share.......

Michal Phelps Supports Chicago 2016

2008-09-08T09:59:00.002-05:00

Yes, who can argue with Michael Phelps................no one. :)

The Venues of Chicago 2016

2008-08-19T21:12:00.002-05:00

This video is a Three-Dimensional tour of the proposed venues should the IOC choose Chicago to host the 2016 Olympics. I think it needs a little tweaking (and I am still not used to the Olympic Stadium design), however, the plans are well thought-out. Please enjoy.

Chicago Olympics

2008-08-18T00:40:00.002-05:00

I hope everyone is thoroughly enjoying the 2008 Beijing Olympics. I know I have been, my evenings are booked for this coming week as well. I came by this Video about Chicago 2016, and I really liked it because it gave somewhat of a glimpse in the NBC lens of how Chicago would look on television. Of course this is an amateur Video, however, it captures some of the beauty of this City, and how much better it would look with NBC shooting the footage.

Beijing 2008 Opening Ceremony

2008-08-08T09:51:00.002-05:00

Just a quick reminder, don't forget to tune in and check out the Opening Ceremony today, August 8 @ 6:30 on NBC . Time to let the games begin! :)

Skyline pics

2008-08-05T20:35:00.004-05:00

I saw these pics of the Chicago Skyline on a friend of mine's blog, and wanted to show them to any of my phantom readers. Very nice photos. Courtesy of, and Credit to, Kiat @ http://huankiattang.blogspot.com/

The Chicago Spire

2008-08-04T22:41:00.002-05:00

Chicago, being the birthplace of the Modern Skyscraper, has some of the World's tallest Buildings. Come 2012, we will have another. The Chicago Spire may be the first or second tallest All Residential Skyscraper in the World (it was going to be the tallest, but once again Dubai, UAE strikes us with another tall one "Pentominium", so the title will likely remain contentious). The Chicago Spire, designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, will stand near the foot of Navy Pier at 2,000 feet. The Sears Tower, currently the Tallest in the Nation, let alone Chicago, stands at 1,451 feet. You can see the great height distance between the two. As I mentioned, this Building is currently under Construction. Here is a Link to the Chicago Spires website http://www.thechicagospire.com/

Chicago makes it to the Olympic Short-list!

2008-06-08T17:27:00.002-05:00

This past week, Chicago was chosen as one of four cities to advance to the 2nd Stage of the 2016 Olympic Bidding procedure. The other three cities were:

-Tokyo, Japan
-Madrid, Spain
-Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Yes, I know, I was wrong about Madrid in my prediction. However, I am glad that Doha is not in the Bid. It could take away some votes from Chicago, and also would host the games in the fall (due to the extreme heat in summer....Middle East). Now Chicago and the other finalists will be able to take the Bidding International, after being restricted to only bidding domestically for the 1st Stage. Also, Chicago is now able to add the Olympic Rings to their Logo, as well as replace the "Applicant City" with "Candidate City" under Chicago 2016. I will be sure to have a picture of the updated Logo soon on the Blog.

2016 Olympic Finalist Date

2008-05-30T19:54:00.003-05:00

Hey, just wanting to let everyone know that the Date the IOC will choose the finalists for the 2016 Olympic Games will be June 4th @ 10:30 a.m. in Athens. You can watch it live on www.Olympic.org . Mayor Daley, Pat Ryan, and other Chicago 2016 officials will be in Athens for the meeting. Whichever cities are chosen to stay will be able to place the Olympic Rings in their logo. They will also be changed from a "Applicant" City to a "Candidate" City.

2016 Olympic Short-List

2008-05-21T22:29:00.002-05:00

My first order of business since I am back is to let everyone know to keep an ear out for which cities will make the Short-List for the 2016 Olympics in June. The Seven cities currently bidding are:

-Chicago, USA
-Tokyo, Japan
-Madrid, Spain
-Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
-Prague, Czech republic
-Baku, Azerbaijan
-Doha, Qatar

This list will be dwindled down to an undetermined number of "Finalists" next month. My guess for the finalists will be:

-Chicago, USA (no kidding, lol)
-Tokyo, Japan (a potential problem, if not the problem)
-Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (The problem)
-Doha, Qatar (deep pockets)

We'll see how my predictions turn out. Let me know what yours are.

A Little Rest........

2008-05-21T22:25:00.001-05:00

Sorry about taken soooo long to post anything. I am back and will be posting more regularly for all my fans......please, hold your applause....

The Forbidden Kingdom (功夫之王)

2008-04-16T21:39:00.003-05:00

I know that I mentioned I would have a little more on the storyline of this movie....but since it is coming out on friday, I figured you can just see the movie yourself. Below is a brief description of the movie taken from the Internet Movie Database:

"An American teenager who is obsessed with Hong Kong cinema and kung-fu classics makes an extraordinary discovery in a Chinatown pawnshop: the legendary Staff of the Chinese sage and warrior, the Monkey King. With the lost relic in hand, the teenager unexpectedly finds himself traveling back to ancient China to join a crew of warriors from martial arts lore on a dangerous quest to free the imprisoned Monkey King."

Olympic Boycott???

2008-04-01T19:58:00.002-05:00

The recent protest in Tibet, an Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China, have sparked a variety of concerns around the Olympic Games (to be held this summer in the Chinese capitol of Beijing). Primarily, the suggestion of a boycott. Not a boycott of the entire games, but of the Opening Ceremony. I am very glad that President Bush has chosen not to politicize the games by boycotting the Ceremony. Not because I support China's efforts in Tibet.....In fact, I believe that there is no reason why China needs to be there at all, Tibet should be independent.......but because of the fact that many might possibly try that same approach on the U.S., should Chicago win the 2016 Olympic Games. I strongly believe that the President's decision was a very wise step for our country. At the same time, another leader I like, French President Nikolas Sarkozy, is considering a Boycott of the ceremony. I don't believe that the Olympics should be stuck with Politics. We'll see in the coming months what becomes of this possible problem. Any thoughts?

The Forbidden Kingdom, April 18th (功夫之王, 4月18日）

2008-03-30T16:29:00.004-05:00

Please forgive me for the break in posts.....Taking a small break, and stocking up on Posting Ideas... :) I know that the last two movies I posted about didn't have much to do with my blog's "theme", however, this one does. I wanted to let everyone know that this movie, "The Forbidden Kingdom", will be coming to Theaters on April 18, 2009......JK, 2008.....sorry couldn't resist. It will also star two hugely popular Martial Arts Actors, Jet Li & Jackie Chan! All I will say about the plot right now is that an American Boy goes miraculously to China is trained in Kung-Fu by J & J, to defeat a ruthless warlord. I will be posting @ a later date with some more of the storyline. Right now I wanted to make sure everyone is aware of this movie's debut date. Check in later. Below is a Trailer for the Movie. Enjoy!

Star Wars: The Clone Wars

2008-02-18T21:27:00.002-06:00

Yes, there will be another Starwars movie coming to the Big Screen in August. This time coming in very nice CG animation. All I can say is "I'm...so...happy (sniff)"

Chicago 2016 Apparel

2008-02-14T18:12:00.002-06:00

I just want to let everyone know that @ www.Chicago2016.org , they have just opened up a online e-store where you can purchase different shirts, hats, and jackets with the Logo for Chicago 2016 Bid. It is the only place online where you can get the Olympic Bid Merchandise. So Stock up on your gear, whether you are from Chicago or not......no, really, I mean it.....

Happy Chinese New Year!!! 恭喜发财!!!

2008-02-10T22:02:00.000-06:00

I just want to wish everyone a Happy and Prosperous New Year! Gong Xi Fa Cai!!(Congratulations and be Prosperous!)

I was able to go with my dad to the Chinese New Year Parade here in Chicago, more specifically Chinatown. It was absolutely freezing, but we both had fun, watched the parade, ate dinner, and shopped around. I had shrimp with lobster sauce, and my dad had roasted duck. Also in the Parade were the Beijing 2008 and Chicago 2016 Olympic floats!! (just mentioning it :) ) Take Care: )
恭喜发财!!

Martial Art Profile: Shaolin Kung-Fu (少林功夫)

2008-01-11T22:35:00.000-06:00

One of my favorite Chinese Martial Arts is Shaolin Kung-Fu. It shows great strength yet quick movements. Shaolin Kung-Fu gets it's name from the place of it's origin, the Shaolin Temple, in China. The Monks in the Temple developed a Martial Art for self-defense, but primarily, for self-improvement. When attacked by Robbers in the Mountains, the would be able to defend themselves with their skill. Once, Shaolin Warrior Monks fought off Pirates terrorizing the area, killing over 100 of them, while only losing 4 Monks. I my self am very interested in possibly learning Shaolin, as it is a new challenge that is very different than my own Martial Art, Tae Kwon Do. Maybe in the Future. Sometimes Martial Artist roam the world demonstrating Shaolin Kung-Fu, however sometimes they are not truly representing it, but sometimes they are really from the actual Shaolin Temple, which is still in China. Below, is a quick video of Monks demonstrating their Skill at a University in America. Please Enjoy! : )

U.S. President Endorses Chicago 2016 Olympic Bid

2008-01-09T22:45:00.000-06:00

"I can't think of a better city to represent the United States than Chicago," ~President Bush

U.S. President George W. Bush came to Chicago on January 7th, wanting to be briefed on Chicago's proposed plans for the 2016 Olympic games. Mayor Daley, as well as City and Chicago 2016 Officials, were glad to oblige. The endorsement of a head of state really helps tremendously in a Applicant City's credentials. As was Former Prime Minister Tony Blair with London 2012, and President Vladimir Putin with Sochi 2014. With the Statement, "This country supports the bid, strongly" , President Bush gave Chicago's Bid another wonderful boost, as did the greatly successful hosting of the 2007 AIBA World Boxing Championships. The Head of the AIBA, C.K. Wu also voiced his confidence in Chicago's bid, as well as claiming the 2007's Boxing Championship as the best ever. Although in his last year as President, and leaving office 9 months from the time the IOC choose the Host City, President Bush promised to do all that he could to help the Bid.

Thanks President Bush!....a great President just got better :)

Happy Holidays!!

2007-12-29T15:58:00.001-06:00

Sorry for being a little late for this but I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and also I hope everyone has a safe, Happy New Year! I have decided to give up posting until the year 2008.... ; )

Martial Art Profile: Hap Ki Do (합기도)

2007-12-26T12:34:00.000-06:00

Hap Ki Do is a Korean Martial Art that shares many characteristics to the Japanese Martial Art, Aikido. The essence of Hap ki do is countering. It is a "Soft" Martial Art, in that you use your opponents energy or power against himself (in contrast, Tae Kwon Do & Karate are "Hard" Martial Arts, in that they both match your power & energy against your opponents power & energy). Through joint-locks, manipulation of your opponent, grappling, and sparse kicking, Hap ki do practitioners seek to control their opponent's own fighting moves (Punch, kick, grab, etc.). It is very effective when practiced well, as students of this art practice on countering a wide range of both Martial Art attacks and "un-skilled" attacks.

My school also teaches the art of Hap Ki Do, so I know how painful and effective it is from first hand experiance :) My master is I beleive a 5th or 6th Dan(단, Degree) Black Belt in Hap Ki Do. The Video I have Included shows a few of hundreds (maybe thousands!) of Hap ki do techniques. Enjoy!

Movie Trailer: "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian"

2007-12-07T18:11:00.000-06:00

I just seen the Trailer to the upcoming 2008 movie "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian", and I have to say, I am really looking forward to that. I liked the first movie but it was no Lord of the Rings or anything. However, this movie really looks like it does a good job of trying. I like the fact that they are putting a lot more action in this installment. I am definitely one for dialogue, but for these Fantasy type movies, it really is all about the action, lots and lots of action, lots and lots and lo....(whew) sorry about that.....anyway, that's why I like the "Pirates of the Carribean" series as well. I have read the book "Prince Caspian", and can tell you that if they do things like the book but work in more action, this will be a good movie. Here is the Trailer for the movie as of right now.....

I was happy to see how much this movie looks like "The Lord of the Rings"....

The Korean Challenge

2007-12-01T21:11:00.001-06:00

I got a little test for anyone who wants to try.......

Using the chart below, type out in the English Alphabet the sounds of the word in Korean that I choose. You can seperate each characters sounds with a dash, For Example:

감사함니다 = Kam-sa-ham-ni-da

Place your answers in the "Comments" section. Remember, Characters are formed by ㅎ + ㅏ + ㄴ = 한.......By the way, the "ㅇ" character, when on top, in silent, otherwise t is the ng sound.

The Words to figure out are:

1. 안녕히추무세요

2. 한국사람

3. 아리랑

2007-11-27T22:24:00.000-06:00

I will be trying out different Templates for my Blog within the next few days, to see if I can find something I like. So, if you jump on the Blog and see new or bright colors....don't faint or anything, that wouldn't be cool : )

Yong-In University & Yong-In Martial Arts (용인)

2007-11-24T20:06:00.000-06:00

While he was still in South Korea, my master, Jeon You-Jeong(전 유정) went to a Private University called Yong-In 대학교(University). This University is located near Seoul (the capital of South Korea) in a city called.....Yong-In City. The school started out as a Martial Arts school called "대한유도학교"(Korean Judo College) in Seoul and later moved to Yong-In City. It grew from only around 150 students to over 6,000 today and is still considered the foremost Martial Arts University in Asia, although now there are many other colleges such as: Sports Science, Arts, Business Administration, and Library. All the people I have met and become friends with from this school are exceptionally skilled at Martial Arts, and Tae Kwon Do in particular. I really enjoyed visiting the School while I was in Korea. The training gyms for Martial Arts there are very large and well equipped and there is a multi level building totally devoted to Martial Arts....A big difference from Martial Art schools here in the United States.

I also wanted to mention that my Tae Kwon Do school "Yong-In Martial Arts" is named after this University, as many times a master will name his school after the one he came from. Our main school is located in Chicago, this is the school that I currently attend. We also have a 2nd location near the Town of Lagrange. We currently have four masters from Yong-In University at our school: Master Jeon You-Jeong, Master Han, Master Park, and Master Han (2 of our masters have the same last name. : ) In addition to the Masters, we also have a head Instructor, Misael, a Black Belt from Mexico. I myself am an Assistant Instructor. I also have some good friends there. Here is the logo for our school:

London 2012 Summer Olympics

2007-11-17T22:53:00.000-06:00

Above is the Official Logo of the London 2012 Summer Olympics. Well, actually, they are all not together as 1 Logo, but rather interchangable Logos. This will be the first time that the Olympics and Para-Olympics will share the same Logo. The design is meant to be somewhat of a stylized "2012", with the Olympic Rings in the center of the "0". I am not sure yet what the design that replaces the Rings in the first Logo is.....interesting. This design was chosen as an attempt to promote the Olympics more with young people, although many in the UK do not like it very much. Come to think of it, I don't much care for it myself, oh well not every Logo's a absolute winner. As for the Logo London used for it's bidding, please look below:

Martial Art Profile: Taekkyeon (택견)

2007-11-14T21:33:00.000-06:00

As everyone knows, I practice Tae Kwon Do (태권도). I have studied it for a little over 3 yrs. and have since became a 1st Degree Black Belt (1 단). I just wanted to show you a Martial Art that has indirectly inflenced modern Tae Kwon Do. This Martial Art is Taekkyeon. This is the Martial Art that was practiced in Korea long ago and has sinced evolved into Tae Kwon Do (Although it is still practiced as it's own Martial Art. It reminds me of a Korean version of Kung-Fu. It looks a little like dancing to me, however, it is a very graceful Martial Art that can still be dangerous. Here is a link to a little more reading on Taekkyeon:

2007-09-23T14:53:00.000-05:00

The Chicago Star is a symbol with real universal meaning. A star rises in the night to become a guiding light. A star is a source of inspiration, a diamond glistening in the sky. In Ancient Greece, where the Olympic Games were founded 2000 years ago, the stars shaped mythic constellations of heroes. Stars literally guided the explorers who shaped the modern map of our world. Throughout time, stars have been a symbol of hope to mankind.

We aspire for this logo to become a great symbol of hope for our city and our nation — as we humbly seek the right to host the Olympic Games and welcome the world to Chicago in 2016.

For us, the Chicago Star also symbolizes our plan to put the athletes at the center of the Games — since they're the real stars.

Like a compass pointing in all directions, this logo reaches out to the world. The bands of color radiating up and down from the star reflect both the dynamic architecture of our city and the beautiful character of our parks and lakes — but they also symbolize our desire to reach out to the world and offer many paths to the Games.

Most importantly, the Chicago Star is designed to carry a message to our children, to help teach the next generation about the ideals and values found in the Olympic Games. The six-point design of the Chicago Star is unique and each point on this star represents values and ideals that the Olympic Movement and Chicago share: The top point represents Hope, the next point, Respect, then Harmony, Friendship, Excellence and Celebration. (Taken from
)

I myself liked the original logo a little better, however, the rules of the IOC state that a bid city cannot have certain olympic imagery (Torch, Rings, etc.) in their Logo. Since Chicago's had the olympic torch in their logo, it needed a new one. I do like it : )

My Demo Team Uniform

2007-08-06T19:48:00.001-05:00

Pay no attention to my straining face, but due to difficulties w/ my photographer(my brother) I had to hold that pose for like 10 seconds.

A Little Korean

2007-08-05T22:24:00.000-05:00

In Korea there are four seasons. It is pretty much the same as here in the United States. Korea has continental weather just like Chicago. The great thing about Korea is that, even though it is a small country, travel a couple hours and the weather can change quickly. Go to the mountains (which are everywhere) and you can go skiing or snowboarding. Then go to Seoul or Jeju-Do and go water skiing or wind surfing. There is even a time in the year where the water between an Island and land gets so shallow,that many people walk across and enjoy a stroll. They call this the Moses Miracle : ) Here are few words and phrases about the seasons and weather:

Spring.....봄.....pom
The 4 Seasons.....사 계절.....sa kye-jeol
summer.....여름.....yeo-reum
Weather.....날씨.....nal-sshi
Fall.....가을.....ka-eul
Climate.....기후.....ki-hu
Winter.....겨울.....kyeo-ul

It's hot today,isn't it?....오늘은 날씨가 덥지요?....O-neu-reun nal-sshi-ga teop ji yo?

Martial Arts

2007-07-29T19:36:00.000-05:00

Here is a special demo with some of the Yong-In Univ. students as "Secrete Service". They are demonstrating mainly Hap ki do techniques. The Second is one I thru in of myself.....; ) JK!

Yong-In Musa Demo Team 龍仁武士 시범단

2007-07-29T08:43:00.000-05:00

I joined my Martial arts school's Demonstration Team the other day. A Demo team is a group of students or just martial artist who go around to different events and demonstrate Martial art techniques to people that maybe never seen before. We may do forms or breaking or demo kicks or self defense skills. When you join a demo team you need to work harder than the other normal students because more is expected of you. Also, teamwork is heavily emphasised because part of the demonstration is how we work in complete unison. Sometimes it works against us though, like, if I mess up or forget a step of the form, everyone gets push-ups or whatever the punishment is. Another nice perk is we get cool new uniforms......which I'll be taking pictures of and posting on here soon so you can see. I also want to find and show you a video clip of a professional demo team so you can get a visual idea of what I mean, so keep looking for that. All in all I think joining the team will help me to greatly increase my skill level in Tae Kwon Do : )

My New Job

2007-07-18T11:57:00.000-05:00

Well, at the end of the week, I will be stepping down as an Instructor in Taekwondo(태권도). My new job will be with my uncle, Israel Fuentes, as his Intern/helper.....the title "Assistant" comes with time and experience. I will learn many important topics such as Real Estate, Business, and Finances. For anyone who doesn't know my uncle, He is a real good real estate agent who works with RE/MAX(notice big balloon) and is ranked in the top 5% of realtors in Chicago, and with 10,000 realtors that is pretty good. Since I work for him now, I thought I'd do some free advertising for him. ; ) His website is http://www.masteryourinvestment.com so if you ever need a realtor in Chicago he's your man.

HAPPY 4th OF JULY!!!

2007-07-09T08:56:00.000-05:00

Nobody think that just because I like Asian culture that I don't love my own country. I think it's the best country in the world and I am proud to be American. Let the world think what it will of it, The United States is a great land and I wish it a Happy Birthday.

Here's me being patriotic. Notice shirt. It was very hot.

2007-07-09T08:26:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone, sorry for not posting anything new in a while. Our internet was down so you have to forgive me, But it is up now so expect some belated and new posts. I'll try to post what I was planning to do when my internet went down. So don't mark this as a dead blog or anything. : )

A Little Korean

2007-06-27T09:30:00.000-05:00

For anyone interested I would like to show how to write and say the days of the week in Korean. Unlike the names of the days in english, which mean nothing anymore, everyday of the week in Korean has a different meaning. there meanings are: Sunday (Sun), Monday(Moon), Tuesday(Fire), Wednesday(Water), Thursday(Trees), Friday(Gold), and Saturday(Land). So here they are in English, Korean, and Chinese. Enjoy!

Sunday.....일요일.....Ir-yo-il.....日曜日
Monday.....월요일.....Weol-yo-il.....月曜日
Tuesday.....화요일.....Hwa-yo-il.....火曜日
Wednesday.....수요일.....Su-yo-il.....水曜日
Thursday.....목요일.....Mok-yo-il.....木曜日
Friday.....금요일.....Keum-yo-il.....金曜日
Saturday.....토요일.....T'o-yo-il.....土曜日

My Family

2007-06-26T20:59:00.000-05:00

I am going to be very random in this blog. So if you see me chronicling my life then just throw in a post like "Here's my new shoes", don't be surprised. Here is all my brothers and sisters, my grandma on the left, and our pet polar bear....Whitey( yes, I know it's creative). From left to right we are: William( yours truly), Augustine, Lena, Sara, Ethan, Virginia, Ronald and Alex. Altogether eight of us. We took this picture at Brookfield Zoo when we went for Virgie's birthday. If you would like to see more of them please visit the family blog at http://www.dyckmannews.blogspot.com

My Grandma

2007-06-22T23:45:00.000-05:00

Few people experience the blessing of living with a grandmother. I'm blessed enough to live with both of mine. But my Grandma Ginny (pictured above) will be moving out this weekend and I want to take a second and tell her that I had a great year with you here and will miss you. I am excited for her since she will be moving in with my aunt and uncle. They've been preparing her a room and are all awaiting her arrival on Saturday. So she doesn't get too used to the peace and quiet, we plan to steal her back from time to time come her retirement in August. God bless you grandma, we'll miss you.

A little Korean

2007-06-22T10:35:00.001-05:00

Korean, as you may know by now, is one of the languages that I have (maybe brashly) chosen to learn. One question I get is"How do you read those weird characters?". Well, Korean writing is much easier than Chinese in that Koreans use an alphabet, while Chinese use individual characters to represent sounds or ideas. While the picture 龍 means dragon in Chinese, in korean it is 용 [ㅇ(silent) + ㅛ(YO) + ㅇ(NG) = 용 Yong, which is Dragon in Korean. So when you make a character in Korean, you simply put 2 to 4 letters together to make a character. I inlcuded a chart to give an example of what some letters are. Here are some basic phrases for anyone who's interested:
안녕하세요=an nyeong ha se yo= Hello, How are you, good morning/afternoon/evening
안녕히계세요= an nyeong hi gye se yo= Good bye (You say to person your leaving)
안녕히가세요=an nyeong hi ga se yo= Good bye ( Say to person who's leaving)
감사함니다= kam sa ham ni da= Thank you

2007-06-20T13:32:00.000-05:00

I just got a new laptop from my parents for graduating. I'm really happy because my old one was aging rapidly, while this one's great for everything I need. My parents are the reason I had my first computer, and I can't thank them enough for that then, or this now. I'll be blogging in style now : )

Olympic Logos of this century.

2007-06-18T09:55:00.000-05:00

2007-06-17T23:30:00.001-05:00

I really love the Olympics. It's funny since I have only seriously watched one summer and one winter games. Seeing the 2004 Athens games really changed me. I saw what you could do in sports and it inspired to pursue a sport of my own. Later on, in the fall of that year I joined Tae Kwon Do, now a huge part of my life. I am not athletic to begin with so I need to work hard at what I achieve, and I do get discouraged sometimes, but seeing olympic athletes strive for perfection only helps me to strive for it as well. I hope that someday I will be up to par with other athletes of the world. Until then, practice makes perfect, so I'll keep working to glorify God and represent the United States well through Tae Kwon Do.

HAPPY FATHERS DAY!!! To the best dad in the world.

2007-06-16T23:10:00.000-05:00

Yes, that's my dad, He is the best in world and I love him very much. He has always been a great father and provider, and I don't know what I'd do without him.

Black Belt Test, May 26, 2007 (2007년 5월 26일)

2007-06-16T21:42:00.000-05:00

No, that's not Jet Li. Just one of the many excercises I had to do that day.
Another hard one, squats. after you do running, this is only harder.
Here is me, looking relieved with the excercise part of the test over.
I was getting ready for sparring to begin.
Newly minted Black Belts.

2007-06-14T22:20:00.000-05:00

Yes, Here it is, my home "Chicago".... the Windy city, Chi-town, the Big Apple (and all this time you thought that was New York.). Many names for one of the most beautiful cities in the world. And yes I will have much more prettier pictures of the city than this, all in due time. With over 6,000 restaurants, great diversity, the ultimate sports teams, an unmatched downtown area, etc. etc. It's a great place to live.

William 윌리암 다이크맨

Redbubble.com

Opening Ceremony tonight!

Winter Olympics 2010!!!

The Last Airbender TV Spot

The Last Airbender (2010)

Recap on Olympics after long break

Interesting pic...

Does the Economic Worry the Bid Cities?

Happy Chinese (Lunar) New Year!

My study of Shaolin Kung-fu (少林功夫) has begun....

Have a Happy New Year!!!

My First Bears Game

Shoes being thrown?!

American City Names

Chicago: City of the Year

Human Weapon

Kickboxing???

EOC Meeting in Istanbul

Crazy Hap Ki Do

The "Obama" Factor

Tuesday is Election Day!

The Olympic Candidate Websites

1-Year to Denmark!

Martial Art Profile: Drunken Style Kung-Fu (醉拳)

Martial Arts Posts?

Michal Phelps Supports Chicago 2016

The Venues of Chicago 2016

Chicago Olympics

Beijing 2008 Opening Ceremony

Skyline pics

The Chicago Spire

Chicago makes it to the Olympic Short-list!

2016 Olympic Finalist Date

2016 Olympic Short-List

A Little Rest........

The Forbidden Kingdom (功夫之王)

Olympic Boycott???

The Forbidden Kingdom, April 18th (功夫之王, 4月18日）

Star Wars: The Clone Wars

Chicago 2016 Apparel

Happy Chinese New Year!!! 恭喜发财!!!

Martial Art Profile: Shaolin Kung-Fu (少林功夫)

U.S. President Endorses Chicago 2016 Olympic Bid

Happy Holidays!!

Martial Art Profile: Hap Ki Do (합기도)

Movie Trailer: "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian"

The Korean Challenge

Yong-In University & Yong-In Martial Arts (용인)

London 2012 Summer Olympics

Martial Art Profile: Taekkyeon (택견)

My Demo Team Uniform

A Little Korean

Martial Arts

Yong-In Musa Demo Team 龍仁 武士 시범단

My New Job

HAPPY 4th OF JULY!!!

A Little Korean

My Family

My Grandma

A little Korean

Olympic Logos of this century.

HAPPY FATHERS DAY!!! To the best dad in the world.

Black Belt Test, May 26, 2007 (2007년 5월 26일)

Yong-In Musa Demo Team 龍仁武士 시범단