Soft Asks To Get To Know People

Writing About Asia

Sources

https://www.britannica.com/place/Asia

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/social-sciences/asian-cultures

http://www.physicalmapofasia.com

http://www.physicalmapofasia.com/regions-of-asia/

Introduction

Please note that Asia is such a vast and diverse continent that I cannot possibly include everything there is to know about it in one post. Consider this a jumping-off point for your own research. Please don’t hesitate to correct or amend anything in this post!

Countries and Regions

I’m only going to say this once: “Asian” does not automatically equal Chinese, Japanese, or Korean. Asia contains 46-50 countries, depending on your definition of a country and where the country in question lies--some are only partially in Asia. Many countries also justly belong in two regions, due to strong geographic or cultural characteristics it may share with both regions. For the sake of clarity and the need for briefness, I will not be adding countries to multiple regions. 

Asia can be divided into five main regions: Central Asia, East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and Western Asia. Northern Asia is a sixth and commonly disputed region due to the fact that it is comprised solely of Russia and is recognized as a European country.

Central Asia

Kazakhstan

Kyrgyzstan

Tajikistan

Turkmenistan

Uzbekistan

East Asia

China

Hong Kong

Japan

Macau

Mongolia

North Korea

South Korea

Taiwan

South Asia

Bangladesh

Bhutan

India

Maldives

Nepal

Pakistan

Sri Lanka

Southeast Asia

Brunei

Cambodia

East Timor

Indonesia

Laos

Malaysia

Myanmar/Burma

Philippines

Singapore

Thailand

Vietnam

Southwest Asia

Armenia

Azerbaijan

Bahrain

Georgia

Iran

Iraq

Israel

Jordan

Kuwait

Lebanon

Oman

Palestine

Qatar

Saudi Arabia

Syria

Turkey

United Arab Emirates

Yemen

Physical features

There are obviously many more notable physical features across Asia. These are simply some of the more well known and more significant ones.

Aral Sea

Arabian Desert

Arabian Peninsula

Brahmaputra River

Euphrates River

Ganges River

Gobi Desert

Himalayan Mountains (location of Mount Everest)

Hindu Kush Mountains

Indus River

Jordan River

South China Sea

Tigris River

Ural Mountains

Yangtze River 

Yellow River

Religion

Any and every religion can be practiced in Asia. These are some of the most common or well known ones:

Buddhism 

Christianity

Confucianism

Hinduism

Islam

Jainism

Judaism

Shinto

Sikhism

Taoism

Zoroastrianism

Common cultural aspects

Although Asia has a wealth of diversity, a few things stay the same across some of its cultures. However, these aspects can double as stereotypes, so be cautious in how you approach and portray them. The following are also frequent experiences of Asian immigrants and second-generation Asians.

Bright colors are good or lucky

Collectivistic culture

Competitiveness

Emphasis on physical appearance/reputation

Emphasis on socio-economic prosperity

Emphasis on success in academics and in life

Emphasis on the past, especially ancestors, and on the future

Filial piety

Showing self control and/or emotional restraint and respect

Removing shoes in the house

Stereotypes and microaggressions

Some of these have a seed of truth that has been exaggerated beyond recognition. Others are completely false and rooted in racism. Unless you have experience with these stereotypes, avoid them completely. Even if you do, be cautious when depicting them.

Stereotypes

Asians all look the same

Asians are smart

Asians are good at math and science

Asians aren’t athletic

Asians aren’t good drivers

Asians are either Chinese, Korean, or Japanese

Asians look younger than they are

Asians don’t know/speak “broken” English

Asians are quiet/introverted

Asians are oppressed by their parents

Asians (particularly teenagers) are cold/don’t know how to have fun

Asians eat dogs and cats

In media, Asian women are dragon ladies, China dolls or tiger moms

In media, Asian men are seen as emasculated, lecherous, or both

Microaggressions

“Where are you really from?”

“You’re Asian? Are you from [Asian country]?”

“You’re Asian? Do you speak [Asian language]?”

“What does [word(s)/phrase] mean?”

“You don’t look Asian.”

“You speak good English.”

”You don’t have an accent.”

Attempting to speak to you in an Asian language that you don’t know

Shortening an Asian name or deeming it unpronounceable

LETS TALK ABOUT SPARRING

I’ve read a lot of fics, have seen many shows, and have watched many movies that are completely inaccurate when it comes to sparring. NOW, i know it’s fiction, and I greatly enjoy it nonetheless, but I would like to share a few things with you, as a person who trains in Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA). There are a few general things in this, as well as stuff more focused to a certain european weapon. (this is all Historical European stuff, obviously if you’re writing for a different region, this probably won’t apply that much.)

SPARRING

-you don’t practice with real sharp swords. Never. It’s incredibly dangerous, especially since sparring is trying to practice your killing/injuring skills. In older times, you would use wood, maybe wrapped in leather or canvas to practice. Today, you use weighted nylon swords/weapons, and you usually wear a mask while doing so. Steel is and was an option, but the blade will be completely dull, and the tip will be bent over itself.

-It’s practically impossible to knock someone off their feet while sparring, unless you are hooking your foot or weapon behind their leg. It’s hard to push back and cause someone to fall, since they can just retreat back a bit.

-YOU. DON’T. SPEND. HOURS. SPARRING. ESPECIALLY WITHOUT A BREAK. It’s exhausting, the most people usually go is 10 minutes before they have a break. During Training, you only spar for about 2-5 minutes before stopping and having a rest.

-You try your hardest never to cross your feet. It’s dangerous and it unbalances you. Your opponent can take advantage of you easily.

-Usually, you want to strike your opponent with the last ¼ of your blade, basically just the tip and a little below. That’s the sharpest point, and you get the most force behind it.

-Swords aren’t super heavy. Stop the giant, huge, I-can-barely-lift-this trope. Longswords are usually 3lbs. It’s not heavy when you pick it up. However, it gets heavy when you’re holding it up above your head for a while. Swords were not made to be heavy, especially since you would have to hold them up in battle for sometimes hours.

-It’s incredibly hard to engage in witty banter and such. You are constantly moving and trying to strike your opponent. Since it’s fiction, you can do what you want, but just know that trying to have a conversation while sparring is like trying to have one while running. It tires you out even more, and usually just comes out breathless and wheezy.

-Swords are not lightsabers. You cannot try and hurt someone with just any part of your blade. It will just annoy your opponent. Now, for sparring, you will want to focus on hitting your opponent with the edge of your blade, and you won’t really ever be trying to hit someone with the flat of your blade.

-In sparring, you will get hit. And get bruises. I count five from just 2 days ago. (Also reminder that bruises don’t form for 1-3 days.) If you happened to get a hard thrust to the ribs, they will probably fracture. It happens. I haven’t had it personally, but those who’ve trained longer have. The worst injury I’ve gotten is a bruise on my chest that didn’t fade for nearly a month.

-Grip!!! You don’t clutch your sword super tight. No. It limits movement. My instructor taught me to hold firmly with the thumb, pointer, and middle finger, and use the other two as more guiding fingers. You swing your sword with your wrist, not a big giant arm movement. That is tiring and slow. 

I will be focusing on using a one handed sword in this next bit, specifically a Scottish Regimental Broadsword. A basic sword to build off of.

-FOOTWORK. It’s not a super complicated series of perfectly planned out steps. It just isn’t. With Regimental Broadsword (which is what I will focus on, since it’s what I’ve trained with most), you have to have a good base (rear-weighted stance, front foot pointed at your opponent, back foot turned sideways), and then once you have that, you just have to move around and try not to get hit.

-Slipping. (Continuation of footwork). With a rear-weighted stance, the goal is to be able to move the front foot anywhere. You should actually be able to keep your front foot an inch off the ground without having to adjust your back foot. Slipping is when this comes in handy. If your opponent takes a swing at your front leg, you should be able to just slip it back to go next to your other foot, and swing your sword up to get your opponents head. Slipping is really important.

-Advance and Retreat (other continuation of footwork). While moving forward or back, you always want to feel the ground with a heel-toe movement, so you can tell if there are rocks or branches and such. Advancing, you want to move your front leg first. Retreating, your back leg.

-Traversing (last continuation of footwork)(maybe). Transversing is basically advancing in on your opponent in a circular motion. You’re trying to get close and personal. Reminder to not cross your feet. You will loose balance and probably end up getting whacked with a sword. Traversing is a spiral motion sort of. Your opponent can avoid getting trapped If they do it as well.

I will probably come back and add more soon, because there’s more I know, but can’t remember at the moment.

hi! you can call me calliope. i love reading, writing, and procrastinating on both of the above. i post mostly writing tips, tricks, and whatever i feel like on here. you can also find me on instagram @/thewritermuse!

picrew pfp credits: makowwka

shoutout to all the people who write contemporary, romance, mystery, crime, thriller, horror, paranormal, dystopia, nonfiction, and any other genres I’m forgetting! i know you guys don't get as much attention as fantasy or sci-fi in the writing community, but you're just as valuable and talented, and i appreciate all of you!

grabbing new writers by the shoulders. it is important to write what you love and to love what you write. if you spend all your time trying to make something other people will approve of you will hate yourself and everything around you. learn at your own pace. you have time. i’m proud of you

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You know what’s adorable?  When people are reading and they smile or laugh out loud. It is so precious, protect these people.

It’s 1 am and I just… stories really were made to save us, huh?

relationships are so much healthier when the goal is to experience life together and not to try to make the person into who you want them to be or to make them do what you want them to do. 

Douglas Adams is the best when it comes to describe characters