Friday Knight News
"Life is hard. After all, it kills you." Katharine Hepburn
It has been my experience that we that study the martial arts, for the most part, are individuals that seek peace and harmony. While many within our ranks, also seek the adventure of pitting ourselves against one another for the trill of it all. Still it strikes me as odd what a sweet pollyannaish society we are becoming. This is especially apparent when we begin to propagate the delusion that offering a flower to a bully is a viable recourse for defense. After all, how are we ever going to be able to get kids to learn to face and confront their fears and recognize danger if we choose to ignore it.
It has been my experience that we that study the martial arts, for the most part, are individuals that seek peace and harmony. While many within our ranks, also seek the adventure of pitting ourselves against one another for the trill of it all. Still it strikes me as odd what a sweet pollyannaish society we are becoming. This is especially apparent when we begin to propagate the delusion that offering a flower to a bully is a viable recourse for defense. After all, how are we ever going to be able to get kids to learn to face and confront their fears and recognize danger if we choose to ignore it.
For example, I'm not the stereotypical red blooded he-man, I don't like hunting for sport, although I would do it if my family needed the food. On top of that, I never liked team competitive sports even though I came from a championship winning family, and could beat or tie many of my champion friends (from several sports or disciplines), in friendly competition. Still I went out of my way to learn self-defense related martial arts instead of the abundant sport competition styles. One reason why I never got into a limited focus of training for sport was because of my many injuries that limit me from only relying on one skill set. Even as a teen I had already had to learn to work around injuries after getting flung through the air by a hit and run speeding car. If you are not aware this can have many adverse effects on a person. Although falling off a rock face cliff and landing on a tree halfway down can do that too, but at least it was halfway down and not all the way down.
These injuries taught me at a young age that I was not invincible, so combat is not the direction I wish to pursue. Although I have done so mainly in defense of others and not myself. I am also fully aware that often a soft answer can turn away aggression too. So I know there are merits to both sides of this coin, but for me personally having the substance to weather the storm is what works best. Maybe I'm the one who is delusional, but my experiences with bullies have taught me to act otherwise. Still it also drew me to the idea that non-resistance would work better than relying on strength, which could fail you at any time due to pain, illness, or being out numbered. That is why I like jujutsu and the aiki arts as they rely on non-resistance. In essence my art is to offer the daisy but carry a big stick.
My sensei followed his sensei's example and combined his training together in our (police and corrections), family art system. To my understanding that includes three types of jujutsu and two types karate serving as the base and aikido being the frame work. Later I restructured the way I teach the system by emphasizing an atemi waza jujutsu structure and base with a aiki spirit, but only after receiving my license to do so. I highly regarded the practical application that these arts had on the street. Another group of men with a better pedigree is Bernie Lau, Sensei that produced the following video and a series that also features Roy Goldberg, Sensei and Miguel Ibarra, Sensei.
Video by Bernie Lau Sensei
Inside the pages of these following volumes are stories gleaned from life experiences although the examples have been fictionalized.
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.
These injuries taught me at a young age that I was not invincible, so combat is not the direction I wish to pursue. Although I have done so mainly in defense of others and not myself. I am also fully aware that often a soft answer can turn away aggression too. So I know there are merits to both sides of this coin, but for me personally having the substance to weather the storm is what works best. Maybe I'm the one who is delusional, but my experiences with bullies have taught me to act otherwise. Still it also drew me to the idea that non-resistance would work better than relying on strength, which could fail you at any time due to pain, illness, or being out numbered. That is why I like jujutsu and the aiki arts as they rely on non-resistance. In essence my art is to offer the daisy but carry a big stick.
My sensei followed his sensei's example and combined his training together in our (police and corrections), family art system. To my understanding that includes three types of jujutsu and two types karate serving as the base and aikido being the frame work. Later I restructured the way I teach the system by emphasizing an atemi waza jujutsu structure and base with a aiki spirit, but only after receiving my license to do so. I highly regarded the practical application that these arts had on the street. Another group of men with a better pedigree is Bernie Lau, Sensei that produced the following video and a series that also features Roy Goldberg, Sensei and Miguel Ibarra, Sensei.
Video by Bernie Lau Sensei
"All the world is full of suffering. It is also full of overcoming." Helen Keller
Inside the pages of these following volumes are stories gleaned from life experiences although the examples have been fictionalized.
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.
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.
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