Brooklyn Monk, Antonio Graceffo, is a martial arts and adventure author living in Asia. He is the author of the books, “Warrior Odyssey’ and “The Monk from Brooklyn.” He is also the host of the web TV show, “Martial Arts Odyssey,” which traces his ongoing journey through Asia, learning martial arts in various countries. Antonio is self-funded and needs donation to continue his writing and video work. To support the project you can donate through the paypal link on his website, www.speakingadventure.com.
Listening and Self-Study in Asia
If language learners developed the habit of watching several hours of these free broadcasts per day, by the end of a single year, they would see a marked improvement in…
Cultural-Linguistic Context for Language Learning
Knowing all of the words isn’t enough. Student need to understand the culture of the English language, in order to achieve fluency.…
An Unemotional, Even-Handed Reaction to Thailand’s Retarded Decision to Ban MMA
It is so stupid that Mixed-Martial Arts (MMA) was banned in Thailand on grounds that MMA makes Muay Thai look brutal. …
China, Canada, Britain, and the US as Economic Powers
For the time being, the US still seems to be the economic power.…
MMA in Malaysia, The Sport of a New Generation
The bell rings, and Malaysian national san da team member Raymond Tiew flies out of his corner, ready to do battle. His opponent, Kong Ravy, is a Khmer Bokator fighter,…
Vo Thai Lan in Saigon
My first experience training with a Vietnamese boxing and Muay Thai team didn’t work out very well. A bigger boy picked on me, and smashed my innards into jelly. After…
Shan Refugees in Malaysia
For seven days, they were locked in a container, traveling in the back of a truck. With no idea where they were going, they may just as well have been…
Now I’m Talkin’ Vietnamese, Part 2
Two older American guys, hanging out in the alley next to my house, introduced me to their Vietnamese friend. When I said my name, one of the Americans asked me,…
Now I’m Talkin’ Vietnamese
After an exceptionally long and frustrating “silent period”, I am finally speaking real Vietnamese. Many people who have been following my blog posts told me that I should already have…
Burmese Intellect in Exile
“In Burma, the uprising could happen any time, and form anywhere. All of the people are angry. Now, we are afraid. But like a volcano, it could explode at any…
The Chinese Calculator and the Coupons of Death
I was living in a Chinese neighborhood outside of Kuala Lumpur while doing some martial arts and filming work with my master. Mornings, I would normally take my breakfast at…
Hmong Searching for a Home
More than thirty-five years after the end of America’s War in Indochina, America’s greatest allies are hunted like animals. I was recently approached by a Hmong representative, asking me to…
Using a Foreign Language
Back in Vietnamese classes again and meeting the age-old problems. The Asian teachers and students seem to be mired in a single dictionary definition for each English word, and they…
Asians Plus Math Does Not Equal Asians and Critical Thinking
Fifth graders across Asia can do math that I didn’t see during my BA. Yet when they need to calculate a 10% discount, they reach for the calculator. I have…
Shan Migrant Workers in Thailand
Stateless, undocumented, exploited and fearful, they say it’s still better than going back to Burma. Down a dirt road outside of the city, I find myself in a makeshift camp,…
Development East and West (Part 1)
Burma ethnics never wanted to be Thai citizens. They never wanted to own land in Thailand. These desires were forced on them by a terrible situation, which forced them to…
Dictionary Culture and Anti-Fluency
Doing my translation homework, I looked up the Vietnamese word, “buc,” and found it had three meanings: picture, face, or sultry. That’s not confusing. While face and picture could sort…
What Makes a Polyglot? And What do Polyglots Think? (Part 2)
This is the second article in a series about polyglots on the internet (Part 1 here). I sent email to polyglots I found on YouTube, Facebook, and elsewhere on the…
History of my language studies in Europe and Asia
Currently, I am living in Saigon, Vietnam, studying Vietnamese 60 hours per week, with the goal of becoming a qualified translator for Vietnamese language. My commitment to Vietnamese comes after…
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