technabob » martial arts

black belt watch: designed by black belts, only for black belts.

lambert v. — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 11:38:07 +0000

No seriously: “Developed and manufactured in Switzerland, the Black Belt Watch is solely reserved for black belt holders, regardless of the martial art style. Each practitioner has to provide an official rank certificate”, otherwise the watch will kill its unworthy owner at the stroke of midnight using deadly watchjutsu. I’m kidding.

The Black Belt watch is water-resistant for up to 100 meters and has a satin-finished, PVD-treated steel case. The sandblasted steel bezel features the Kanji characters for each hour. A black belt adorns the watch’s face, while the minute and hour hands were made to look like Shinai (the wooden bamboo practice swords used in Kendo). The timepiece embodies traditional martial arts values, like Yu (Courage), Meiyo (Honor), and Ramen (Noodles). I’m kidding! Please don’t punch me.

The people behind this ubermacho yet sexy watch are martial artists-turned-watchmakers Claudio Alessi – a “multi style Sensei who is a Mixed Martial Arts instructor” – and tournament-proven karate practitioner Yvan Arpa. What a combo. In making the Black Belt watch, the two martial artists are still fighting the good fight: a percentage of sales from the watch will be donated to the Little Dreams Foundation, which helps youth excel in arts and sports.

The watch can be yours for 500 kicks to the solar plexus dollars. No, of course not; unfortunately not even the official website has the lowdown on the price or the release date of the Black Belt. But you can already pre-order it, just make sure you have a black belt!

[via The Time TV via The Awesomer]

street fighter dragon punch energy drink packs a wallop

technabob — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 13:00:43 +0000

Looking for something to give you the power to kick, punch and super combo your way through the day? Why not start the day right with a 24-pack of this sugary-sweet Street Fighter energy drink?

The cherry-flavored drink should give you enough raw energy to beat-’em-up just like Ken or Ryu. (Technabob does not sanction actually beating anyone up, unless it’s in the virtual world.) Despite the drink’s “Dragon Punch” moniker, I have the distinct urge to mix this stuff with some rum and fruit juice to make myself a potent Hurricane Kick.

Dragon Punch is available for $2.98 (USD) for an 8.4oz. can over at Robert’s Anime Corner Store. If you really fall in love with the flavor, you can pick up a 24 pack for $64.98.

[Street Fighter not your thing? Mega Man, Donkey Kong and Super Mario all have their own energy drinks too.]

desktop kung fu boys are here to kick your a$$

technabob — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 11:00:28 +0000

There’s nothing that makes your office or cubicle more cozy than some fun desk toys. So when I saw these animated martial arts kids over on a Japanese website, I said to myself “I must have these for my desk”!

KANFUBOI (that’s Kung-Fu-Boy to you and me) have one purpose in life, and that’s to kick, punch and chop their way through the day. Just set the little dudes on your desktop, switch ‘em on, and watch the punches fly. (Actually the one on the left kicks and punches, and the kid on the right chops). A built-in sound sensor sets punches flying on your unsuspecting victims.

Their packaging says “Try Me”, and I actually think that’s some sort of a dare. Of course, they don’t just do their Kung Fu moves, they let out the appropriate sound effects as they go.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

Unfortunately, you’ll have to find a way to fly these in from Japan if you want a pair for your desk. They’re available from E-Goods for ¥1995 (appx. $18 USD) each.