Hard Shot

Friday Knight News

This installment of the blog was late getting posted this week. This weekend most of the nation got hit with a hard shot of weather. It was a triple shot of ice, snow, and cold to be precise but before it hit my wife and I went out into our woods to gather some extra tender for starting the logs in the fireplace in case the power went out. We lent out our generator and if things got bad the fire place would work just fine. While we were out snapping off branches from fallen limbs I came across a tree that was only partial down. Its branches were hung up and suspending the small  30 foot tree off the ground.

My wife likes having me do this chore with her as she enjoys watching me do tameshiwara (breaking), on our kindling. I also like kicking, kneeing, and chopping the sticks. It is a side benefit to all the martial art lessons I've had and have given over the years. I often come across sticks that are too springy, thick, and or dense to break with a strike; (by me at least), and on these occasions I use a body weight grappling moves like a waki gatame; if this fails I go into boken suburi against an adjacent tree. as luck would have it I was able to snap a wrist thick branch that was partially holding this tree up off the ground. It took three hits, if I recall correctly and the tree spiraled toward me as it fell to the ground. I easily stepped out of the way of the trunk of the tree but did not notice the branch the caught me across the ear and hit me on the occipitale portion of my skull, it was just below the parietal bone. My ear bleed but just barley; the small scabs now look like freckles now and I never went down. Still I had a sore neck and a headache for a while (still). Note to self next time duck! 

This reminded me of what sensei said we need to work on to help prevent getting knocked out easily. He said we needed to build strong neck muscles. That is why we did push ups without our hands as we pressed our bodies off the floor using our necks to lift us. My chiropractor has told me during times when he was testing muscle strength that he thought his arm would break trying to resist my neck twist. At any rate be prepared for bouts of cold weather, wild punches and falling trees.

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.