Luis - elnyka.wordpress.com profile picture

Luis - elnyka.wordpress.com

It's the repetition of affirmations that leads to belief. And once that belief becomes a deep convic

About Me

In loving memory of my sister Rocio Espinal, may she rest in peace (Nov 18, 1977 - Dec 18, 2006). I keep missing you all the time. You are always in my thoughts.

Feel free to visit my main blog at http://elnyka.wordpress.com , my youtube account at http://youtube.com/profile?user=elnyka and/or my training video log at http://www.youtube.com/profile_video_blog?user=elnyka .

This is Judo, my favorite sport; everything else comes second ;)
Hello all. My name is Luis, a software engineer/architect, powerlifting and martial arts passionate aficionado ( Judo and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu ), weight lifting and yoga junkie, and a proficient salsa dancer, preferably NY mambo on 2, but can do LA style and Cuban Casino (more on that later). 90-something % of the people in my friend list either know me first hand, or actively interact with me in matters of common interests (physical training, martial arts, dancing, history, etc).

I'm your atypical man, Renaissance Neanderthalis. Figure that out, and I'll be impressed ;) I strive to better myself every day, in mind, body and spirit, and to be happy, and healthy in the process. No bull, no superficial, che-guevara tshirt, sandal wearing, well-fed, new age hippie stuff, no head/date games, no drugs, no drama. Just good, healthy, positive, no-nonsense karma.Before I go on with further details about the stuff I'm into, let me give you a link to my photo album at photobucket as well as expressing who I am with my favorite quotes:


Let teachers and priests and philosophers brood over questions of reality and illusion.
I know this: if life is an illusion, then I am no less an illusion, and being thus, the illusion is real to me.

I live, I burn with life, I love, I slay, and I am content.

-- Robert E. Howard, Queen of the Black Coast, (Conan) Weird Tales, May 1934


Nothing great in the world has been accomplished without passion.

-- Friedrich Hegel


For believe me: the secret for harvesting from existence the greatest fruitfulness and greatest enjoyment is - to live dangerously.

-- Friedrich Nietzsche, "The Gay Science".


I care about people, but I care in a meaningful way rather than a sugar-coating way.

-- KempoFist @ bullshido.net


Some people might argue that learning to hit and get hit is strange or weird. I'd like to hit those people.

-- Neildo @ bullshido.net


Just because I'm not in magazines or because I'm not in a movie doesn't mean I'm going away. It just means I have some sense of integrity.

Jessica Alba


It's the repetition of affirmations that leads to belief. And once that belief becomes a deep conviction, things begin to happen.

Muhammad Ali

Software Engineer by day, extrovert, competitive dude by night, that's me. I'm a bookworm when it comes to sci-fi, Dilbert, science, history and technology. Also, I'm a Salsa dancer aficionado, but I'm not much into the SoBe/nightlife scene. Actually, I don't do the typical nightclub scene. Salsa, Ballroom or Jazz for me please. I also strive to be a bit above the bs of South Florida dating scene. I guess that comes with age;)

When it comes to salsa, I've been jumping all over for the past 5+ years ( Salsa Lovers , Salsa Racing , Hot Salsa Dance Company , Salsa Karibe , Energy One , Salsabor Tropical , Salsa Heatwave , the BTS socials , etc). Can't believe it's been 5 years already.

As I said, I'm very much into Yoga ( Bikram , but I'd like to try other styles like Ashtanga or Iyengar ). Weight training is my "chill pill", I aimed at one point to be a natural bodybuilder, and last, but never least (not in a million years), martial arts , in particular Judo and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu . I'm not a maestro, though. I'm simply a casual practitioner. This is my passion and where my heart lies.

I think I said that already, didn't I? Oh well, screw it...
Hmmm, what else? Oh yes... I keep logged on myspace throughout the day... nice to work with a PC in front of you. Oh well...
I'm an avid poster of www.bullshido.net and www.sociocide.com , but apart from that, BTW, I spend little to no time cyberchatting. Sorry con excuse me.

So in essense, that's me.

My Interests

6-packs, and 12-rep sets of dumbell curls? Bah! Real men lift like this (watch the nosebleed at 1:44) :


And here it's me, trying to be like them, hahaha. I love lifting, and this is how my g/f and I spent time our Sunday afternoons :P

This is me getting submitted via triangle choke by GoldenJonas ;)As I've mentioned, I'm a Salsa aficionado. Here it's my girlfriend and I doing our thing ):
I imagine those clips may give you an idea of the stuff that makes me click. But if that's not sufficient, you can check the list below ;)

* music
* fitness
* Salsa Dancing
* Judo
* Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
* Kali/Escrima
* MMA
* Sci-Fi
* Dilbert
* anything not involving drugs or excessive drinking.

I'd like to meet:

Good question.


To be honest, I don't have a single, defined purpose in meeting someone, in particular since I'm in a serious, stable relationship. This is primarily to keep in touch with my nephews Jorge and Fernando , to answer questions regarding my sister Rocio (RIP), and to socialize with folks I already know, in particular people from the South Florida Salsa dance scene .
Having said that, I'm always open to meet people. In general, it's simple
    people to go dancing Salsa with. That would be my primary choice, People to work out with (Gold's Gym anyone), or Judo/BJJ/Grappling sparring partners to train with

Ciao, ciao ;)

Music:

I can say I like a lot of stuff, from Salsa to Klezmer, from Iron Maiden to Huun-Huur Tu. My music preferences run the gamut, no musica Norteña, though. * Salsa - Gran Combo, Andy Montañez, Quinto Mayor, Hector Lavoe

* Latin Pop - Shakira and that's about it

* The Scorpions * Metallica * Iron Maiden * Judas Priest * MotorHead * Reo Speedwagon
* Quiet Riot * Journey (.."Wheel In The Sky.." only, though) * Contemporary Stuff - The Offspring, Papa Roach, Nonpoint, Linkin Park, Limp Bizkit

* Rap - 50 Cent, and that..'s about it
* Reggaeton - Ivy Queen, Tego Calderón, Zion y Lennox
* Savia Andina
* Los Kjarkas
* Inkuyo
* Inti Illimani
* Rumillajta
* Mercedez Soza
* Huun Huur Tu
* Brave Old World
* Klezmatics
* Itzhak Perlman

Movies:

* Apocalypto
* Serenity
* Munich
* The Libertine
* V For Vendetta
* The Twilight Samurai
* Dead Man
* 16 Blocks
* Serpico
* Taxi Driver
* March Of The Penguins
* Ice Age
* Moulin Rouge
* Master And Commander * Gladiator * Enemy At The Gates
* The Pelican Brief
* Soylent Green
* Save The Last Dance
* Kagemusha
* Ran
* Chushingura
* anything with Tochiro Mifune * Pitch Black
* Chronicles of Riddick
* Stand And Deliver
* Black Hawk Down
* Hotel Rwanda
* Dr. Zhivago (with Omar Sharif) * Dr. Zhivago (the BBC miniseries) * Unbreakable
* Twelve Monkeys
* Hero
* House of Flying Daggers
* The Emperor and The Assassin

Television:

I don't watch TV that much...usually. If I'm not at work, I'm out dancing, out with friends or working out (including getting my ass kicked during MA training).


Anyways, these are my favorite shows:


* BattleStar Galactica
* Firefly
* A&E Inked
* The History Channel
* Ultimate Fighting Championship
* Pride Fighting Championship
* Law & Order
* Married With Children
* South Park
* Mind Of Mencia

Books:

I read just about everything except self-help books and girly romantic novels. Lately I've been reading, or rather studying a few books on Judo and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. I love reading about nutrition and exercise. I'm an avid reader of "Men's Health", Flex and "Muscle & Fitness" magazines.

I've also completed reading (finally!!) Werner Keller's "The Bible as History" and Larry Niven's "The Ringworld's Children".

If I have to categorize what I'm currently reading, then I'd mention the following which I'm trying to read simultaneously (and failing a bit):
* Larry Niven's "The Draco Tavern"
* Richard Dawkin's "The Ancestor's Tale"
* Stephen Hawking's "A Brief History Of Time"
* Pablo Neruda's "On The Blue Shore of Silence"
* Scott Adam's "The Dilbert Principle"
* Ed Beneville's "Passing The Guard - Brazilian Jiu Jitsu"
* Neil Ohlenkamp's "Judo Unleashed"

Heroes:

I don't have heroes per say. There are people that inspire me for their acts of mercy, for the renunciation of material values, for the depth of their convictions, and for their efforts in improving knowledge and the human nature: Gandhi, John Paul II, Mother Theresa, Stephen Hawkings, Einstein.

My Blog

FIU to Nuke Nursing/Education/Engineering Programs. WTF?

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/florida/story/543918.htmlSo, to cope with funding cuts, FIU is going to nix English, math, science, social studies and exercise science programs, including Industrial E...
Posted by Luis - elnyka.wordpress.com on Fri, 23 May 2008 09:47:00 PST

One Chapter Is Closed

Originally posted at elnyka.wordpress.com:It's been 17 months since Rocio's death, and the time since then has basically been a rollercoaster for my family and myself. Finally, on April, 22nd we got...
Posted by Luis - elnyka.wordpress.com on Mon, 12 May 2008 11:34:00 PST

Best Song Ever

Hear it, watch it, and take the message to heart. ..You might be a financial wizard,With a sack of loot,But all I see is a slimy lizard,With an expensive suit,Go on and run your corporatio...
Posted by Luis - elnyka.wordpress.com on Tue, 22 Apr 2008 02:04:00 PST

Unwinding

Originally posted at elnyka.wordpress.com:It's been two weeks since I started taking care of my back... and I'm bored the hell out of my skull. I miss lifting, I miss the jits. Crap.Anyways, so far ...
Posted by Luis - elnyka.wordpress.com on Mon, 21 Apr 2008 02:32:00 PST

And The Uncoiling Begins

Originally posted at: elnyka.wordpress.com So after the crapcalocaust twisted my back a couple of weeks ago, it’s been a methodical, albeit boring road to recovery. Well, so far I’ve been...
Posted by Luis - elnyka.wordpress.com on Sat, 05 Apr 2008 05:47:00 PST

Im Twisted& Literally

Originally posted at elnyka.wordpress.com:Ok, I’m screwed& or maybe not. I dunno. I came back from my chiro, and after looking at my x-rays, I have to say my spine looks all f* up. Let’s...
Posted by Luis - elnyka.wordpress.com on Mon, 31 Mar 2008 01:43:00 PST

Decisions, Decisions, Schmuckcisions

Originally posted at elnyka.wordpress.com: In three weeks, my LA Fitness membership is about to expire. So far I’ve been going there only to squat as I do most of my pressing, dead lifting ...
Posted by Luis - elnyka.wordpress.com on Tue, 25 Mar 2008 11:09:00 PST

Suckage of Cosmic Proportions

Originally posted at elnyka.wordpress.com.In the name of ${DEITY:=Salma Hayek}, training sucks more than a vacuum cleaner. I’ve been training jits for two weeks already at a local SBGi gym (fin...
Posted by Luis - elnyka.wordpress.com on Thu, 20 Mar 2008 02:32:00 PST

Moar DIY - On Slam Balls and Tabata Sets

Originally posted at elnyka.wordpress.com: Before I discuss what a slam ball is, we need to explain the context in which such a training tool is used. And the context is High Intensity...
Posted by Luis - elnyka.wordpress.com on Mon, 25 Feb 2008 03:03:00 PST

Parte Tres: Do-It-Yourself Stuff with PVC, Chains and this Time, Lumber& and Crap

Originally published at elnyka.wordpress.com:Alright meat-heads. Following my last post on the subject, this is the third installment of this crap I've been doing for the last couple of weeks. T...
Posted by Luis - elnyka.wordpress.com on Fri, 01 Feb 2008 11:42:00 PST