Art Museum again WW

My son is taking art  class again and has to write a paper. So we went to the VMFA again. Here's some pics.

Do you like modern art? This is titled something like Buddha watching itself on TV. hehe

Save Money on Hotel Accommodations in Niagara Falls

The population of Niagara Falls is under 50,000, but it remains one of the busiest holiday destinations in the world. An estimated 12 million travelers visit the region each year, which means prices of accommodations are high since there is a lot of demand for hotel rooms. You will need to find different ways to minimize hotel costs. Here are some tips to take into consideration.

Hold Yourself to a (Realistic) Budget

You need to set a realistic budget before your trip. Try to stick to this budget as well as you can. However, you will also need to make sure that your budget is realistic, because the costs of visiting Niagara Falls may be higher than you would expect.

Create an itinerary for your trip and compare costs. If some of the activities you want to partake in go outside your budget, then you will need to consider altering your plans or raising your budget.

Consider Staying Near the Falls

Many people would like to be in the heart of the city. However, you may actually find better rates by the falls themselves. You can find a room at Sheraton on the Falls for only a little over $100 a night.

Of course, it is always necessary to compare prices to find the best deals. Most hotels have different packages and some may offer high prices for one plan, but reasonable quotes for another. You will have to look around to save money.

Use the Same Hotel You Stayed at in the Past

Have you traveled to Niagara Falls in the past? You should consider staying at the same hotel, because you will often get great discounts for being a repeat customer. You may be eligible for a similar discount if you are staying at a hotel chain that you have used before.

You should also ask to join the hotel’s email program. They may offer seasonal discounts if you remain a subscriber.

Don’t Rely on U.S. Sites for Your Search

Many people use U.S. travel sites to start their search for hotels. Unfortunately, they aren’t always keyed in on the best opportunities available.

You will want to try using Canadian hotel review sites as well, since they tend to have access to the most up-to-date prices and deals. You should also try reaching out to the hotels themselves, since they may inform you about special discounts that aren’t listed anywhere else.

Join Different Rewards Programs

There are a number of great rewards programs that are worth looking into. You may want to look at Travelocity and other programs to see if they have any specials on hotels. It is a good idea to sign up well before your trip, because some of the coupons they email are valid for months afterwards.

Tips for Competing in a Ju Jitsu Tournament

Brazilian ju jitsu is becoming one of the world’s most popular martial arts. Many people are interested in learning this style for self-defense, while others are interested in competing in tournaments. Competing in a tournament can be pretty intimidating for white belts that have never trained before. Here are some tips to improve your odds of winning matches.

Preparing for Your First Tournament

If you have never competed in a martial arts tournament before, then you will need to familiarize yourself with the setup first. Different tournaments have different rules regarding scoring and the types of techniques that are allowed. Here are some differences that you will need to be aware of:

• Some tournaments use three point scoring systems. This means that the first person to score three points wins the fight. Other tournaments have timed matches, so the person that scores the most points wins the match.
• Some techniques that are allowed in some tournaments are prohibited in others. For example, some tournaments allow or even require grappling techniques, while others ban them. It often depends on whether the tournament is exclusive for ju jitsu practitioners or includes people from a variety of other martial arts. You may be at a disadvantage in tournaments that allow multiple styles, because they tend to base their rules around karate and taekwondo participants, since they make up the majority of attendees.  

You will need to read the rules of competition before registering. You should ask the judges for clarification before the match if you aren’t sure how scoring works or what types of contact are prohibited.

Studying Your Opponents

Understanding the style of your competitors is a major part of competing. You have probably noticed this while sparring against other students in your own Brazilian Ju Jitsu class. Maybe someone telegraphs a certain move by turning their left foot or blinking twice. You have probably already used this to your advantage after sparring against them many times.

Of course, you don’t have the same experience with fighters in a tournament unless you have competed against them before. You will want to watch their fights against other competitors and monitor them training to get a sense of their style and know when they telegraph.

Learn to Break Your Opponent’s Guard

Breaking your opponent’s defenses is one of the most important things that you need to do to win a ju jitsu competition. Here are some things that you need to do:

• Take advantage of angles to throw them off balance.
• Know how to trap their wrists while sweeping their legs.
• Constantly move around them to keep them from maintaining a static posture.

Throwing your opponent off will make it much easier to break their guard and take them down. You will need to exert more effort if your opponent is highly agile or has a strong guard, but you can eventually wear them down if you are persistent enough.