Hey Everyone! Kya here once again!

I hope everyone is doing well and continuing to pour their heart and souls into their favorite hobbies. I know for me this month has been crazy. Between EDH, Warhammer, and Cosplay, there leaves little time to relax. However it's dawned on me that I've been slacking on probably the most important aspect of my nerd lifestyle, my health! As I'm sure many find out quickly, you really figure this out when trying to fit into new Cosplay costumes. How did this happen? Well I started slacking off. Getting into many different hobbies can take away your attention from the most important hobby one can dive into, themselves.

It's strange that nerds are often considered to be out of shape and live unhealthy life styles. The biggest insult is many call us lazy. I find this to be completely untrue, however. Why? Because nerdism is not that much different then having the same obsessive traits found in "jocks" when it comes to working out. I think the only real difference is sometimes hobbyist take these obsessive impulses "jocks" also have and pour them into other aspects of their lives. As I hinted before though, the most important hobby one can find is themselves. Why? Because it gives you more time on this blue ball we call Earth to obsess on our other hobbies! Getting into fitness can be daunting for some at first, but if you're like me you'll find quick enjoyment on leveling yourself up the same way you level up a video game character or expand on your EDH collection.

I know what you're thinking. "I'm too busy! I don't have time to work out and devote myself to my other hobbies". I'm the first to fall into this trap. Realistically though, myself and others like me are lying to ourselves. There are always opportunities to level yourself up. This is especially true in your actual hobbies themselves. Is there a loading time between levels of your favorite game? Are you waiting for a raiding party? Did you get knocked out first in an EDH game? These are all brief windows for some quick weights, push-ups, squats or a brief run. Of course no one is expecting anyone to get Goku status from quick sit-ups between loading screens, but every bit adds up!

Heck, you know what I see when I see chairs? A perfect excuse for a horse stance! Which brings up today's article. There are a lot of different ways to level up your most important character. However one of my personal favorites was martial arts. Nothing was more demanding then my brief participation in Kung Fu. Specifically Fu Jow Pai. Also known as Tiger Claw! My Sifu, Master Duran, has also recently put up a Fu-Jow Pai channel for those who are interested but don't live in the area. You can find his channel Here

He Who Master's Himself, Masters His Commander Deck

Now what does Kung Fu have to do with EDH you may be asking? Well, I've thought of a fun way to get myself back to shape. I have planned out a martial arts deck, which cards I will only obtain as I level myself up. After hitting various mildstones, I will reward myself with cards of the below deck. This will be completed by how many push-ups I can do at one setting, how long I can do a horse stance, etc. As the goals get higher, the more expensive cards I will reward myself with. Especially another beautiful Mana Crypt as my ultimate prize! But I'll only get this once I can catch a bullet! So soon right?

So who will be my EDH spiritual teacher in all this?

The wise and deadly Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest! He also appreciates being strengthened by focusing on the unconventional. Instead of focusing on weapons or creatures, he will use his knowledge to gain strength. Similarly I will gain strength in my EDH deck by toughening my physically prowess. I love how deceptive this card can be by many. At first glance many new players assume he's just a Blue commander. However, as those more experienced know, his text also contains Red and White! This allows us to make a 3-color deck! What's also unique about him is that he allows you to helm a Voltron deck while focusing on spells. To think with just a single spell, he'll end up swinging for 8 damage with double strike! They key to this commander though? Well as any martial artist instructor, I won't give away everything... but all the magic happens at instant speed, so don't blink.

What's more is our colors represent what a true martial artist represents:

Red: The Flames of Destruction
Blue: The Flexibility of Water
White: Mastering Order of Ourselves

Guidance Under the Master

Of course our Martial Artist must have Masters to guide us through the right path. Each Sifu represents a different aspect of martial arts. Attack, defense, and longevity through training. To quote Raiden, Mortal Kombat is not about death, but rather the preservation of life. However in this case it's our life... and we're going to be murdering a whole bunch of other players with Shu Yun!

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Instant

A true martial artist knows how to go from zero to a hundred in a matter of seconds. From being in a completely relaxed state to blasting their enemies with a surge of destructive power in a blink of an eye! Our dear Shu Yun will use these lessons in the form of instant spells to crush those who oppose him. As you've noticed, Red often provides us that destructive power, while blue allows us to bend through the circumstance to land these hits. It's about obtaining the perfect balance to devastate our adversaries, which our deck allows. You know what is really sad though? Tiger Claws is Green. Why???

Finding Your Chi

A true martial artist also knows how to use the most of their resources from their surroundings. Being a master, one can quickly find that spear or in Jackie Chan's case, ladder, on the ground to slug an enemy with! What's great is our commander becomes stronger for such little mana to find even more ways to pump him up!

Deflecting Palm!

Now finally, we need to work on our blocking! Of course in Tiger Claw, every block is also a strike! Nothing is better then stopping someone kill your commander and then your commander becoming stronger as a result! Or removing some pesky obstacle in our way while our commander focuses his chi to a mighty blow! Yes a Mana Drain is costly, but I am working to reward myself here!

Now for the full deck of my Kung Fury:

Closing Thoughts

I don't know about anyone else, but I'm excited for this deck. I'm even more excited though to earn this deck by bringing my body to the next level! Please cheer me on! What does everyone else do to level up their personal character in this great big (and cheaty face) game we call life? Does anyone else get their workout between or even during hobbies? If not, hopefully this article might motivate a crazy few to better their bodies so flipping tables wont throw out their back as much! Or mayble a little muscle might make people think twice before counting my commander for the 349,234,723th time. He's a Phelddagrif for god's sake, seriously?

Love,

Tiger Claw Kya