Here's my story (words in real life and how I became the master of the 7-style serve, known throughout the city, college and around my community):

I've been playing table tennis 7 years ago, err roughly when I was 14 years old... first time playing table tennis when I was on vacation to a skiing resort.... ever since then, I stopped playing because in my area, no one has any interest or anybody to play table tennis with. 

During High school, I started playing table tennis in the Gym, still at the age of 14 (freshman year), and every time I lose to people, I ask if they want to challenge me again, they refused so I was shunned from playing table tennis again.  I've been practicing over and over again whenever table tennis is available in the Gym.  In Farmingdale SHS Gym, Table tennis is only available every once a year, 4 weeks of the program and that's it.  When I see how they play, I use their serve... which I didn't realize it was illegal back then, holding the ball, having the paddle against the ball, then creating a spin on the serve.  After High School was over, I still wasn't able to have a perfect legal serve.

Then when I got into college in Briarcliffe (18 years old), I started playing Table tennis again and I have never seen soo many people waiting to play against this challenger (in my college, we have only ONE table).  I observed how other people serve and it's the same serve over and over again, I began studying this technique they use to make it my own variation of the serve.  To make this serve legal, I began to get more involved with table tennis and studying the rules from ITTF and butterflyonline.com.  After reading and reviewing it, I learned that a legal way to serve is to have the ball lying, resting on the center of the palm, face flat, thrown 16cm or higher from the palm of your hand and make contact with the paddle..... everything has to be done behind the white line from the edge of the table tennis TABLE in order to have a correct legal serve.  So since I've known the rules of the game, I began to study from each individual on how they serve and every time I see how effective the serve it, I began to create variation, legal serve (first serve I learned by myself, is the "Backhand chop serve").  I used my variation of the serve against this challenger named MATT... he has a weak legal serve, strong illegal serve, but during a rally, this guy smashes the ball to the court like there's no tomorrow.  His style I observed, is a Power Looper, BIG time.  He's using a decent Halex paddle and I used my Father's old Stiga from USSR (VERY old and antique, straight handle).  I've lost couple matches from him, but I have never been stronger till the VERY last minute.... new people coming in and played a different serve..... I learned and studied it again and again, practiced by myself over and over again...individuals that I copied and created a variation of the serves, and MADE-UP by my own are:
Backhand topspin (VERY fast serve), backhand REVERSE short sidespin chop, backhand heavy chop, forehand topspin (FAST serve), forehand chop, and forehand REVERSE underspin.

Now that is a TOTAL of 6 styles of serve.  About 75 copied from people and reverting it to a LEGAL server and about 25 created myself.  After obtaining this knowledge and skill to create these variety of serves, I began PWNING everybody in the table tennis table, showing people what kind of sick serve I've learned from them and how much time I began learning by myself.  So, How did I learn the last of the 7th style technique?

Well during the FINALs are over from 2nd semester, a club I found from www.butterflyonline.com that's near my area, SEAFORD, holding a table tennis club there, I began to be more interested to play against the pros.  My paddle, the old Stiga became wrecked due to intense training on working and creating my 6-style of serves, a few mess-ups here and there, but it has NEVER stopped me from trying harder, to show everyone what I can do!  So my father got me a Pre-assembled paddle "Prasidha" straight from Hong Kong...... at first, I didn't expect my father to get me a paddle, it was actually a surprise gift knowing that I was obsessed to playing my best on the basis of table tennis.  I lived with my mom (still do) and even though I've visited my father some of the time, I never knew that my father would give me such a gift.  I accepted and so, I got rid of my OLD Stiga that served me well for helping me master 6-styles.  Then it was club time, it's time for me to get ready and see what I can do, I went there and I played my first opponent, a VERY skilled chopper with a custom paddle (I forgot what's his name, he's Asian and I can remember his face clearly as day).  I saw a serve I have never seen before, I analyzed it, but I never practice it till I can go home and do so.  I lost to the chopper, knowing that my hits on rallying isn't quite effective, I need a custom paddle to make my loops even STRONGER than before.  But aside from that, I focused on the chopper's serve, and then created what I call...."the forehand sidespin CHOP" serve.  That's the last of the technique I have ever learned from him, aside from all the techniques I learned from my ol Briarcliffe College.  I used these arsenals against the PRO's, no effect....... it's like I've been practicing these damn serves for NOTHING.  And so I lost the match, lost the tournament, lost to a club nearby.  I was furious and I began to start creating a custom paddle that fits my style and the bill.....my choice after researching the right stuff for me are:
729 Dynasty Hinoki Carbon (shakehand)
Butterfly Bryce, both sides on the paddle, RED and Black (2.1mm sponge)
Having the paddle assembled thanx to the help of www.americantabletennis.com, I was able to play my first custom.

After coming back to college, played competitively against all of my friends, I notice I became stronger, with my forehand loop and aggressive backhand smashes.  Therefore, I've obtained the title of, ALL-AROUND MID-DISTANCE Aggressive ATTACKER.  And how I keep up is when I have at least 6 feet of looping back and forth, my weakness is Counter-driver and chopper players.  After playing over and over again, opponent after opponent, I began to feel board staying on the table, so I fooled around and play it passive and suddenly....BAM, I accidentally chop my RED Bryce on the edge of the table.... luckily the wood is ok, but my Bryce is long gone.....my lose, a $46.99.....so I got rid of it and store the rubber for memories.  I was upset for being so damn careless, so I went to the website and I purchase one more rubber, even though I'm running low on cash, I made this my last time buying and started to be more careful than playing around.  My red rubber replacement became a Sriver G2 2.1mm sponge.  Again, waited several days, shipped it back to americantabletennis, paid my fee for assembly and got it later....assembled good as new.  So my new setup became:
729 Dynasty Hinoki Carbon (shakehand)
Butterfly Bryce (Black)
Butterfly Sriver G2 (Red)
Both 2.1mm sponge

As I began to get use to the setup, I began to be more focused towards my opponent...never again shall I become careless.  I started become serious and wiped out all of my friends and opponents with no mercy.  I pretended to look at them to the people I lost to the Seaford Table tennis club.  I cannot hold back anymore, I have to play serious.... it's the only way I can reach above my limitation, to rise above my potential with endless boundary.  After obtaining 7 styles of serves, I began to play serious, and practice in the court against my opponent, over and over again.  I have no dominant serve, that is why I obtained a variety of serves to overwhelm the opponent.  I'm currently in Stonybrook University as an undergrad (transferred from Briarcliffe College after obtaining an Associates degree in Computer Programming), so if anybody cares to challenge me, I'll be willing to show you my variety of serves and my backhand smashes.  And someday, I'd like to become known throughout the table tennis society, as anyone else does.

You may not like my story, but that is part of who I came to be and I aim to work even harder to show people what I can do.

Here are my results after taking the Nerd, Geek or Dork Test........thanks to my friend Justin Escorcia for introducing me to this test:

Modern, Cool Nerd 52 % Nerd, 73% Geek, 21% Dork

For The Record: A Nerd is someone who is passionate about learning/being smart/academia. A Geek is someone who is passionate about some particular area or subject, often an obscure or difficult one. A Dork is someone who has difficulty with common social expectations/interactions. You scored better than half in Nerd and Geek, earning you the title of: Modern, Cool Nerd. Nerds didn't use to be cool, but in the 90's that all changed. It used to be that, if you were a computer expert, you had to wear plaid or a pocket protector or suspenders or something that announced to the world that you couldn't quite fit in. Not anymore. Now, the intelligent and geeky have eked out for themselves a modicum of respect at the very least, and "geek is chic." The Modern, Cool Nerd is intelligent, knowledgable and always the person to call in a crisis (needing computer advice/an arcane bit of trivia knowledge). They are the one you want as your lifeline in Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (or the one up there, winning the million bucks)! Congratulations! Also, you might want to check out some of my other tests if you're interested in any of the following: Buffy the Vampire Slayer Professional Wrestling Love & Sexuality America/Politics Thanks Again! -- THE NERD? GEEK? OR DORK? TEST

This test tracked 3 variables. How the score compared to the other people's: Higher than 41% on nerdiness Higher than 95% on geekosity Higher than 23% on dork points