November 11, 2024

Tip of the Week
How to Flip Short, Heavy Backspin.

RIP Mossa Barandao
Alas, this icon of DC and Maryland table tennis passed away in his sleep two days ago in a hospital in Malaysia. In late September, while attending a wedding in Shantou, China, he went for a morning run, and collapsed, apparently from heat stroke, which led to massive internal organ failures. He went into a coma in the hospital. Since China didn’t recognize his American health insurance, $52,760 was raised from 224 donors on GoFundMe (which also explains his situation, with updates).

Mossa came out of his coma on October 4, 2024. On October 12, he turned 51, and the doctors and nurses in the Chinese hospital, along with his wife, threw him a surprise birthday party. His family and friends shared video messages to wish him a happy birthday. On October 21, he was airlifted from China to Malaysia for further treatment. Alas, the internal trauma was too much.

Back when I used to run MDTTC tournaments, it was a major headache running them alone. Mossa volunteered to help run them, and for several years we ran them together. He was one of the nicest and hardest-working people I’ve ever known, and extremely smart – he pretty much took over the computer operations. He was also an energized player (and long-distance runner), rushing around the court looping and fishing with his inverted penhold game at a near 2000 level. (Here’s an action photo of him.) He played primarily at the Washington DC TTC but we still saw him regularly at MDTTC in our tournaments. Here’s more from the GoFundMe page:

“Mossa is a pillar in the D.C. community and prides himself in his work through the THEMBA Foundation. He also started Homeland Togo Project, which is an organization that supplies resources and educational opportunities in Togo, W. Africa. Outside of his work, he is full of light and adventure, and spends most of his time long-distance running and is an expert table tennis player. He is an athlete through and through who was in top-notch health. Thus, to see Mossa in this state is devastating, though he was doing what he loved. We have faith that these contributions and prayers will result in full restoration and healing for our dearest Mossa, and that he will eventually return home and run again.”

Weekend Coaching and Toronto
On Sunday I worked with a number of beginning kids, where the focus was on them hitting together. At that level, we often do more multiball or have them take turns hitting with a coach, since together they can’t rally that well. When they do rally, because the balls are spraying everywhere, they can’t really develop their strokes and timing or get into a groove. But they have to learn to hit together. The key is to expect to move, rather than wait and see if you have to, and then you just move to the ball. Some picked up on it quickly, others had more trouble.

On the backhand side, one thing that really helped was explaining to them that it’s just reverse dodgeball. As the ball comes to you, you move to get your body in front of the ball – and then you stroke your backhand. By thinking of it that way, they more easily learn to move to each ball.

However, I wasn’t there on Saturday. Why? Because I was out sightseeing in Toronto! Robert J. Sawyer, the dean of Canadian science fiction writers (winner of the Hugo and Nebula awards), had arranged a big party on Saturday at his house nearby for his Patreon contributors, and I was so invited. I like to go to major cities and spend a few days sightseeing – I’ve done this at most major cities in the US and many around the world. This was my excuse to do so in Toronto. I’ve been there before for tournaments I think twice, but pretty much just went back and forth from the hotel to the playing site without really seeing anything.

I flew out on Tuesday morning, and started sightseeing on that afternoon with a one-hour cruise around Toronto Harbor. I ended up seeing: Royal Ontario Museum; Art Gallery of Ontario; Ripley’s Aquarium; CN Tower; Toronto Zoo; Casa Loma Castle; Bata Shoe Museum; and Bakka-Phoenix SF Bookstore. I also spent many hours walking the streets of Toronto, mostly in Chinatown, where my hotel was located. I also visited the Canadian Community TTA on Thursday night, a HUGE full-time facility with 53 tables (!), and the place was filled up by 6PM when I arrived. I was told it’s like that every night! There were at least a dozen coaches working with students. I hit with several players at the start, then played matches – alas, after 2.5 days of walking about, I didn’t play too well. I was invited to join in a training session at the Grace TTA on Friday night, but was both too tired at that point plus had two writing projects I had to work on.

I spent Friday night and Saturday morning on those writing projects before heading off to the Robert J. Sawyer party. (He has the most incredible collection of SF figurines and action figures imaginable - just his stegasaurus collection was mindboggling!) There were a few dozen people at the party, I think all Canadian, with a lot of discussions going on. A major issue was the unanimous disbelief about the US presidential election. (This was a highly educated group, mostly scientists and writers.) I’m disgusted by it as well – one of my writing projects is a satire for an anthology about that very issue that postulates that everything Trump has said is 100% true. I may also do one from the point of view of the poor dogs and cats that Trump says the Haitians are eating!

Holiday Shopping
It’s time for some Holiday shopping, both for others and for yourself! Why not get one of my books? (Both table tennis and science fiction.) Or one of Dan Seemiller’s?

Here are my table tennis books:

Here are books by 5-time US Men’s Singles Champion Dan Seemiller!

More into history? Here are the 23 volumes of History of US Table Tennis by Tim Boggan!

There are many more. Perhaps browse my collection of 337 table tennis books (!) and if you find an interesting one, see if it’s on sale at Amazon or elsewhere!

Want to Run a Classic Event?
Here’s the worksheet to bid to host an International Event. This is for hardbat, sandpaper, and wood events, under the auspices of the International Classic Table Tennis Federation (ICTTF).

Major League Table Tennis
Follow the action!

Incredible Point Between Lin Yun-ju and Alexis Lebrun
Here it is (23 sec)!

Butterfly Training Tips

How to Practice and Improve Footwork
Here’s the video (23 sec) from Pingispågarna. While they demonstrate with a kid, this works for all ages. The key is that it gets you in the habit of being ready to reflexively move in all directions.

Counterlooping on the Side of the Ball with Robert Gardos
Here’s the video (2:57) from PongSpace.

Forehand Drive Fixes and Improvements
Here’s the video (3:05) from Ti Long.

New from Performance Biomechanics Academy Table Tennis

World's BEST Backhand vs TTD Team!
Here’s the video (6:47) from Table Tennis Daily, featuring Kalinikos Kreanga.

New from Steve Hopkins/Butterfly

New from Table Tennis Media

Thiago Monteiro (BRA) and Youruo Wu (CA) Capture Men’s & Women’s Titles at 2024 Edgeball Chicago International Open
Here’s the USATT news article by Lauren Wang.

New from ITTF

It’s Only Ping Pong Said the Loser
Here’s where you can buy the shirt!

Archie Comic Book Covers
Here are a couple ping-pong covers!

The Top Three Table Tennis Services in the World
Here’s the video (11 sec)!

Ultimate Mini Target Shot
Here’s the video (9:14) from Pongfinity, where they face eight challenges!

Non-Table Tennis - Small Dragon’s Gold
I sold another story last week, “Small Dragon’s Gold.” (It's my 221st short story sale.) A small, idealistic, gallant, polite, but wimpy dragon has his gold stolen by a cocky swashbuckling woman. In a society where dragons are second-class citizens and where he’s completely outmatched in any physical confrontation, how can he get his gold back? And how many times can he say, “My name is Puffy Smogoya. You stole my gold. Please give it back.” before I get sued by the producers of “The Princess Bride”?

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