Feeling Beat Up

FRIDAY KNIGHT NEWS

I don't feel old, I feel beat up. I guess it’s only natural for someone who has enjoyed the circumstances and situations that have contributed to this feeling. Among my most vivid memories of personal injuries I recall having steel pierce through me pinning me to clear I stood not once but twice. Not being able to move out of the way quickly enough to avoid the hit with an arrow; even though my mind was telling me to do so. Having various calibers of bullets fired at me now and again improved my ducking ability but not enough to avoid the bullet I saw coming. I still have that one among my other momentous.

Various cuts and scrapes from punching through cinder blocks and rocks in training and in demonstrations for charitable causes were nothing in comparison to breaking through ice. This was especially hard to do as I was underwater and could not use gravity to aid me. While these things may have been tough at the time, they did not seem to have any lasting effect on me. There is an old adage it’s not the years it’s the miles that are important. The things that put the mileage on were injuries that broke the bones or dislocated the joints. Fractured and dislocated fingers and toes from kumite or randori tend to stand out. Then there are the falls that I took over the years outside of the dojo that really stacked up the pain. Truthfully, I probably would not have survived some of these if not for all of the training in the dojo.

The hit and run by a bright red car doing seventy that grazed my bicycle didn’t do me much good either. My biking buddies were amazed that I was alive. I landed in a clump of grass and among a field of rocks, big rocks. The bicycle frame was bent at a 45° angle and the handlebars had somehow gotten locked into the frame. I walked away from that pretty much unscathed, except for being a little stoved up. There were other times where I found myself being knocked off of moving vehicles that still remain with me. Then there were a few times where I was bumped by vehicles while directing traffic at accident scenes and got a free ride across the hood. Falling off of the cliff in a flash cloudburst or off of the greasy oil well derrick hurt too. Thankfully trees growing out of the side of cliffs and railing had helped to break the fall.

The things that I have had broken or fractured the most would be my hands, followed by ribs, fingers or toes. Next on the list would be my left leg. My jaw would be tied with my nose and would be coming in last. Dislocated joints are shared about equally between fingers and toes unless there counted together than they would be in the lead. Elbows, knees, ankles, and jaw were much more painful though fewer in frequency. I think it’s the spinal compression that hurts the worst.

Still I managed to get my 3 miles in a day and my calisthenics workouts three times a week plus my daily martial art regimen. That includes armed and unarmed combat practice. This includes striking and grappling along with using blunt, edged, and flexible weapons. It only takes about 2 1/2 hours a day which I break up throughout the day especially on days when the weather changes. It keeps me going and I still after 40 plus years enjoy it. I still find new challenges even going over old material and learning how to adapt and adjust for injuries helps keep it interesting.

My stories are about martial arts adventures that are intertwined with paranormal or supernatural events. The following links are to the Kindle version books from the "Dream Walker” series. Our adventurers find themselves on a quest where they are confronted with both conspiracy and mystery. Their challenge is to unite their mind and body skills together utilizing what they have learned in the martial arts with the transcendental power of dream mediation. They attempt to do this while they are trying to make a life for themselves and elude those that seek to use and control them.

Conversations with a Sage (Book 1 of the Dream-Walker)

Conversations with a Sage: This explores Xander Davidson's early encounters with the mysterious fog like Dream Walking martial art sages. He ponders if they are real or if they are only remnants of his dreams. He mainly keeps this secret world to himself as he tries to copes with abuse, growing up without support or guidance and the mystery of his family's past. 

Xander and the Assassins Gift (Book 2 of the Dream-Walker)

The Assassins Gift: Xander Davidson struggles with the conspiracy of his family and the group that is actively trying to manipulate him to join them or die. The young Dream Walkers learns an early lesson to be careful about whom they let into their circle.


Warriors of Perception (Book 3 of the Dream-Walker)

Warriors of Perception: Xander Davidson and his band of friends embark on a mission to free themselves from their oppressors. They bravely face the challenge all the while vying for the right moment to turn the tables.

Jace Lee The Shift (Book 4 of the Dream-Walker)

Jace Lee The Shift: We find a new apprentice, Adam, that is fighting for his life. He is struggling to understand the amazing skills of his mentor, Jace Lee; a younger man that has trained under Xander Davidson. All the while his mentor attempts to reconcile the fact that his skills do not match up with the other Dream Walkers.


Jace Lee No Agenda (Dream Walker Book 5)

Jace Lee No Agenda: Jace Lee attempts to find himself on a self-imposed vision quest of sorts. Instead he finds himself being stalked by the same group that had previously sought after his teacher, (Xander Davidson). Instead of mastering his odd Dream Walking skills he finds love and the potential loss of his powers.

Jace Lee and the Tutelage of Ming Wu: Dream Walker 6 

Jace Lee The Tutelage of Ming Wu: Jace Lee rejoins his teacher Xander Davidson as they cope with a possible combined threat (the mysterious), Ming Wu and the Council that has continuously monitored the Dream Walkers.