My primary hobbies include Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, exercise, playing games, pleasure reading, and continual learning. My interests are numerous!
Activities
I enjoy playing most sports, even if I do them poorly. The one sport I regularly engage in is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu– a grappling-based martial art, something akin to wrestling. Unlike wrestling the aim is to make your opponent give-up (signaled by tapping) rather than to pin, and you may choke and joint lock your opponent. It sounds brutal, but I find it a remarkably complex, humbling, and convivial martial art.
In addition to sport, I exercise regularly. My preference is for high-intensity interval training, functional training, and calisthenics. I also enjoy the occasional jog, swimming, and stretching (especially yoga).
Out and about in the city, I enjoy dining, dancing, and karaoke with friends and family.
When out of the city, I like hiking, rockhounding, and camping.
Entertainment
To relax I play games, watch movies and television, listen to music, and read.
I especially favor social games (D&D, Cards Against Humanity, etc.), brainteasers (lateral thinking, logic, riddles, etc.), and console/PC gaming (esp. RPGs and retro-gaming).
Some of my favorite recent television includes The Good Place, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, GLOW, Stranger Things, Fargo, and Mindhunter. You can find my movie ratings on Criticker.
The only sport I follow is mixed martial arts (MMA).
I listen to a great range of music, including Blues, Classical, Country, Electronic, Heavy Metal, Hip Hop, Jazz, R&B/Soul, Rock, and World Music
My pleasure reading consists of various biographies, fantasy, literary fiction, mystery, and science fiction books. Some favorite authors: Michael Chabon, Jorge Luis Borges, Vladimir Nabokov, Mark Twain, Ursula K. Le Guin, Neal Stephenson, Brandon Sanderson, Vernor Vinge, Roger Zelazny, and Terry Pratchett. I share my reading and ratings on Goodreads.
Learning
I have too many interests to enumerate here, so ‘Learning’ will get its own page.