Awareness & Tactical Assessment

Friday Knight News

"Avoid, rather than check. Check, rather than hurt. Hurt, rather than maim. Maim, rather than kill. For all life is precious, nor can any be replaced." Master Kan from the Kung Fu (TV series) starring David Carradine

Awareness should be your first tactical assessment. Strategy is the overall game plan and tactics are the actions to achieve the goal. Likewise our tactics are the defense against the attacker's strategy. There are a host of tactics teaching one how to conduct ourselves in combat. Tactics and attitude more than anything control the outcome of an engagement.  It doesn't matter what style you study, any style can beat another. Stronger and bigger people often get beat by smaller and weaker people too. This generally boils down to attitude and/or tactics. My sensei always reminded us that if it is a fair fight then your tactics suck. The element of surprise is the most often used strategy in conflicts, so be aware. If you don't know you are in a fight, it is impossible to employ your tactics to save yourself. Treating everyone with respect is a good tactic to avoid conflict.



When it comes to working hard at practicing and doing your training, then what counts most is your style. Actually, what counts most is why you picked your style. There obviously had to be something about your chosen style to motivate you to study it. For example, some people study what's in vogue, others like mystery, or prestige, some for convenience. Maybe you picked the art because of the teacher, that is alright depending on two factors. The first being some people study with one teacher over another because of the teacher's abilities; they are attracted to what the teacher can do. The second and what works better is picking a teacher that can teach you how to achieve the best results for your natural abilities, effort and time that you put into your study. 



Still some study because of their teachers fame, while others pick their teacher based on rumors that they can get ranked without much effort under them. It has been my observation that those that take short cuts often fall out of training more easily. It is important to have the pleasure and satisfaction you get from accomplishing your goals with maintaining the physical, mental, or emotional aspects of training. It might be tempting to take short cuts, but this seems to be what happens to those that go for the easy score. It weakens the attitude and drive in the long run. You need motivation and discipline even more as you get older and your body isn't up to snuff. The motivation that comes from sticking to it and helping others along on their journey. Then you are able to take some pride in what you have acquired honestly. Take it from me, it feels good to hear the youth say that they want to be able to do what you can when they get to your age.

I have found that the best universal tactic to apply to any style is that avoiding a fight is the greatest way to win a fight. But once the fight is engaged, the most important tactic to follow is to end the conflict quickly. This is followed by escaping a fight that has already begun. Of course, sometimes you might find a moment before or during a fight that will give you a chance to deescalate it. Sensei called this verbal judo, after a book (Verbal judo : The Gentle art of Persuasion by Dr. George J. Thompson and Jerry B. Jenkins, Verbal Judo ). If those three tactics fail, then you are left to using your style, talent, and training to either restrain or to destroy the aggressor. That decision should be based on the situation, but remember to take into consideration the repercussion of the law.

"Part of the happiness of life consists not in fighting battles, but in avoiding them. A masterly retreat is in itself a victory." Norman Vincent Peale 

My stories are about martial arts adventures that are intertwined with some science fiction, a dose of conspiracies theory, along with laughter, love and mystic experiences. 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 meditation. 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 cope 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 meet Adam, (a new apprentice to Dream Walking), while he is fighting for his life. Adam is also struggling  to understand the amazing skills of his mentor, Jace Lee. Jace is a younger man than himself that has trained under Xander Davidson. His mentor likewise isn't without problems, Jace is attempting to reconcile the fact that his skills do not match up with the other Dream Walkers, but his abilities may just be a harbinger of things to come.

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.