Friday Knight News
"Show class, have pride, and display character. If you do, winning takes care of itself." Paul Bryant
This week I will address the second to last fight I had while I was in high school. This fight took place after I had moved half way across state and I had very little experience when it came to pairing up with boxers for sparring. I had plenty of experience working with karate, tae kwon do, jujutsu and wrestlers as I had trained with several of each over the years and they looked at my Kempo Karate Jujutsu as a dirty form of fighting for the street. I never liked sport sparring, but I enjoyed the physicality of working with wrestlers. They often would offer to train with me as long as I refrained from punching and kicking them. I found this agreeable as long as they would also accept a submission as a win. I would often find myself in a pin, but with them submitting.
The summer before my senior year gave me the opportunity to do a little sparring practice with a group of guys that I worked with on my part-time job. Various members from this group would periodically put on the gloves and go a few rounds. One guy from the group had been in the boxing program in Cincinnati, Ohio. Cincinnati was on the other end of the state and he was a pretty good boxer I had heard. So one night we went out under the streetlights to test ourselves. We agreed to stop the match when either fighter recognized that the other was superior to them. I was a little reluctant to participate as several of the individuals had proven to be cantankerous and unwilling to back down even after it was clear they had been beat. Eventually I was paired up with the guy from Cincinnati who seem to be the dominant fighter.
I saw he was ready to throw a jab, and so I threw a left roundhouse kick to his head and stopped before contact. My foot was back on the ground before he could blink and if I had connected I knew from past experience he would have been unconscious. He seemed surprised and so I threw it again before he moved and I stood there with my foot in position verifying that I could have laid him out. He immediately threw in the proverbial towel, and no one got hurt. This guy had impressed me because of his control of ego. That and the fact he had put the most cantankerous guy (who wouldn't face facts), in his place. These sparring sessions helped me in preparation for my next fight when I started the new school year.
"Good actions give strength to ourselves and inspire good actions in others." Plato
Everybody who has ever transferred from one school to another knows to expect at some point someone is going to test you. I was hoping that it wouldn't end up like last experience. I didn't want to have a new guy trying to sucker punch me in the hall whenever he saw me. So I didn't mention that I studied martial arts to any of the students. However, I was speaking privately to one of the teachers after class who had asked me if I studied martial arts. I was surprised that he had asked me about this, but he said that it was pretty easy for him to recognize a martial artist. He said that he had briefly studied aikido in college. At least one student overheard our conversation and he was an avid boxer. Right after I had left the classroom the boxer confronted me in the hall with a challenge.
He told me that he could beat me and that karate guys weren't that fast. I agreed with him and tried to step around him to get to the stairs so I could leave. He sidestepped blocking me and a circle started to form. I still had not given up on the idea of trying to avoid a confrontation if I could. So when he again asserted that he could beat me, I earnestly agreed. I pointed out that he had a good 15 pounds on me, and he definitely had a thicker chest than me but he would not relent. So I asked if he would agree to call it a win for whomever could land a telling blow first. He did agree to this as long as I agreed to keep my kicks above the waist.
At least it appeared like it was going to be a semi-civilized fight, and so I thought I would just eat a punch and that would be the end of it. However, he decided to be cautious as he brought his hands up peekaboo style. He moved to my left in order to get away from my right hand. The trouble is I'm left-handed and I reflexively threw a left roundhouse kick to his head just as his right shoulder dropped to punch. My shoelaces stopped on the side of his face and they whipped around toward his eye causing him to blink. I stood there with my foot in position verifying that I could have laid him out. Unlike in the previous encounter with the guys from work; this guy was not willing to concede the victory. He grabbed a hold of my foot with both hands drawing it into his chest and asked what I could do now?
I reflexively twisted my hip over suddenly thrusting my sidekick two or three inches into his chest which propelled him backwards and down the flight of stairs. That was enough for him, and no one else at this school confronted me again. Unforeseen circumstances would take me to a new school within a period of months of this incident. Which would bring me to my last fight in high school.
This week I will address the second to last fight I had while I was in high school. This fight took place after I had moved half way across state and I had very little experience when it came to pairing up with boxers for sparring. I had plenty of experience working with karate, tae kwon do, jujutsu and wrestlers as I had trained with several of each over the years and they looked at my Kempo Karate Jujutsu as a dirty form of fighting for the street. I never liked sport sparring, but I enjoyed the physicality of working with wrestlers. They often would offer to train with me as long as I refrained from punching and kicking them. I found this agreeable as long as they would also accept a submission as a win. I would often find myself in a pin, but with them submitting.
The summer before my senior year gave me the opportunity to do a little sparring practice with a group of guys that I worked with on my part-time job. Various members from this group would periodically put on the gloves and go a few rounds. One guy from the group had been in the boxing program in Cincinnati, Ohio. Cincinnati was on the other end of the state and he was a pretty good boxer I had heard. So one night we went out under the streetlights to test ourselves. We agreed to stop the match when either fighter recognized that the other was superior to them. I was a little reluctant to participate as several of the individuals had proven to be cantankerous and unwilling to back down even after it was clear they had been beat. Eventually I was paired up with the guy from Cincinnati who seem to be the dominant fighter.
I saw he was ready to throw a jab, and so I threw a left roundhouse kick to his head and stopped before contact. My foot was back on the ground before he could blink and if I had connected I knew from past experience he would have been unconscious. He seemed surprised and so I threw it again before he moved and I stood there with my foot in position verifying that I could have laid him out. He immediately threw in the proverbial towel, and no one got hurt. This guy had impressed me because of his control of ego. That and the fact he had put the most cantankerous guy (who wouldn't face facts), in his place. These sparring sessions helped me in preparation for my next fight when I started the new school year.
"Good actions give strength to ourselves and inspire good actions in others." Plato
Everybody who has ever transferred from one school to another knows to expect at some point someone is going to test you. I was hoping that it wouldn't end up like last experience. I didn't want to have a new guy trying to sucker punch me in the hall whenever he saw me. So I didn't mention that I studied martial arts to any of the students. However, I was speaking privately to one of the teachers after class who had asked me if I studied martial arts. I was surprised that he had asked me about this, but he said that it was pretty easy for him to recognize a martial artist. He said that he had briefly studied aikido in college. At least one student overheard our conversation and he was an avid boxer. Right after I had left the classroom the boxer confronted me in the hall with a challenge.
He told me that he could beat me and that karate guys weren't that fast. I agreed with him and tried to step around him to get to the stairs so I could leave. He sidestepped blocking me and a circle started to form. I still had not given up on the idea of trying to avoid a confrontation if I could. So when he again asserted that he could beat me, I earnestly agreed. I pointed out that he had a good 15 pounds on me, and he definitely had a thicker chest than me but he would not relent. So I asked if he would agree to call it a win for whomever could land a telling blow first. He did agree to this as long as I agreed to keep my kicks above the waist.
At least it appeared like it was going to be a semi-civilized fight, and so I thought I would just eat a punch and that would be the end of it. However, he decided to be cautious as he brought his hands up peekaboo style. He moved to my left in order to get away from my right hand. The trouble is I'm left-handed and I reflexively threw a left roundhouse kick to his head just as his right shoulder dropped to punch. My shoelaces stopped on the side of his face and they whipped around toward his eye causing him to blink. I stood there with my foot in position verifying that I could have laid him out. Unlike in the previous encounter with the guys from work; this guy was not willing to concede the victory. He grabbed a hold of my foot with both hands drawing it into his chest and asked what I could do now?
I reflexively twisted my hip over suddenly thrusting my sidekick two or three inches into his chest which propelled him backwards and down the flight of stairs. That was enough for him, and no one else at this school confronted me again. Unforeseen circumstances would take me to a new school within a period of months of this incident. Which would bring me to my last fight in high school.
Writing fiction reveals truths that are often too painful to say any other way. The following are links to some of my Kindle version books from the "Dream Walker" series. 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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
I am currently writing a book entitled, "When Worlds Collide" (A Guide to Self-Discovery). It is a book about how to find the kintsugi process in our lives. A way to fill the cracks with gold.
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