The Mentality of a Martial Artist

As some of you may know, I teach martial arts on a full-time basis. What is most important then, as an instructor, and indeed, as a student, is the mentality.

If you are an unwell, ask yourself can you push yourself through your training, even if you have no idea what the lesson on that day may entail.

If you are injured, how did this happen? You know, most of my student's injuries have come via the gym, where abnormal weights were lifted. Or it might have been at the football ground.

When I was aged 19, as well as training in martial arts, I also played ice hockey for a 'B' or reserve team. I was never professional. I played for the enjoyment. We were a team that provided the warm up for the crowd whilst they waited for the main event to start.

They would cheer us on, all the same, because some of that team played in the senior A team, and others dropped back to the C team level.

That year, in 1992, I suffered my worst injury to date. I was in a collision at high speed with one of the opposing team. I smashed into the barrier at rink-side, thinking my leg was broken but actually, my knee had been all but shattered. This shattered my theory about the knee being the hardest bone in the body.

Seven operations later, my knee was functioning again. During that time, I had many highs and lows, but I never stopped training, even from the hospital bed. I would do all manner of punch drills, blocking techniques.

I never gave up. Especially when the doctors told me I would not play ice hockey again, or throw a punch in a martial arts tournament.

And you can't, when something inevitably gets in your way.

The mentality to win, to come through, to see a future where you'd like to be, is what should consume martial artists on a daily or yes - hourly basis!

On that note, I'm off to teach now.

Book Review: A Street Cat Named Bob: How One Man and His Cat Found Hope on the Streets

A Street Cat Named Bob: How One Man and His Cat Found Hope on the Streets 
by James Bowen 

John Hennessy's review

Sep 27, 13  ·  edit

5 of 5 stars

Read from July 12 to 19, 2013

What a simply beautiful book.

I have three cats of my own, but that doesn't mean I'm a sucker for a book that has a cure cat on its cover.

A Street Cat Named Bob is a wonderful, honest account of a man, James Bowen, and his cat, Bob. What makes this book superior to many other reads is how James never lets the terrible things in his life get him down for long.

Bob is clearly part of his salvation and, knowing how wonderful cats are, I can only say that anytime Bob was in danger, I felt genuinely worried something bad might happen to him.

The book is well written and super easy to read. You could read this in one sitting, or spread it out, like I did.

It's one of those books I didn't want to finish, so it's great that 'The World According to Bob' was published soon after.

If you like cats, like antiheroes like James (very likeable guy but not without his faults - making him even better in my eyes) and just a fine read, look no further than this. Then get all the 'Bob' books in the series.

Bravo James, I wish you and Bob the best.

Release Date for 'Dark Winter'

Okay. So the draft has been completed. And then re-drafted. Then re-drafted several times more. The script has been through editorial, some friends have had snippets of the script, and well, friends, we are all but there.

So I have a date for its release - 9th October on Kindle (and other devices) and printed version to be available soon after that.

I prefer the 'hard copy' version of books but can see some merit in e-books. Whichever one you happen to be, I hope you'll try this book and see something different in it.

It's my first 'official' novel, so I don't know how it will be received. Sometimes, you just have to go for it and  see what happens.

Nervous? You bet. But it won't have been the first time, and sure as hell won't be the last.

Book Review: This is Not a Test by Courtney Summers

It is not a zombie book either. 

No. Not really. And that's why, having bought this back in January 2013 it has taken me nearly six months to complete it.

I didn't buy this on Kindle. I bought the paperback version. I still can't make out who it is on the front cover.

But these details aren't that important. What is important, however, is a good story, with good characters, and for the first hundred pages or so, I was waiting for something definitive to happen.

I didn't like the f-word on practically every page. It made the characters more unlikable, but I stuck with it because the premise of the children stuck in the school was good. Not original - but who cares, so long as it is told well.

This, is where Miss Summers raises the story above an average yarn. The in-fighting reminded me of Lord of the Flies - a good book which was spoiled by having it rammed down our throats at school.

I have never read that story again, and I was pretty sure I wouldn't give this book a second read, because I doubted I could complete it the first time around.

Nothing seemed to be happening, but - (see spoilers below) when it really got going, it was unputdownable. I have read the remaining 220 pages this afternoon.

This is Not a Test is not so much about zombies - though their inclusion is well written and satisfyingly executed. What it is about is surviving - day by day, down to second by second.

In some cases that reflects the struggles of many people today, who battle every single moment in order to survive.

Replace zombies with bills at the door, and you will know what I mean.

Sloane is without doubt the best written character in the book. I couldn't feel much for the others until much later. Miss Summers doesn't give you it all in the first chapter...instead she lets us peel away the layers - much like the zombies rotting skin, to reveal their true feelings, true angst, and the 'what the hell do I do now?' that they feel at every turn of the page.

I'm not a prude. I don't mind profanity - and yes, I would use it myself in this situation! Just a little less would be good.

So. It gets four stars for an amazingly gripping 220 pages. The first 100 failed to take off for me, but I still love this book.

It's got zombies in it, but what it mainly has is an emotional impact rarely experienced in YA novels. That hit me harder than any of the zombies going on the attack.

A solid, super read.

Well done Courtney Summers :)

***SPOILER ALERT***

Thank Heavens for Mr Baxter then! When he arrives, around page 120 or so, things really kick off.

The back story of Lily and Sloane is so emotional - it's brilliantly well done, and you would have to be made of stone - or just 'cold' like the zombies themselves, not to feel something for the girls and their awful father (putting it mildly).

Just finished reading: Girl of Nightmares by Kendare Blake

Okay. Need to rest after reading this one. I blasted through the last 120 pages or so. I do still think you read it more carefully when it is the printed book rather than Kindle, so for authors I really love, I will get the printed book. I am still not sold on the whole Kindle thing!

Wow. A terrific read that balances the first book nicely. It was a very satisfying book, and I never expected it to be as godo as the first. If you take it as one whole volume, you have one hell of a story there.

Apart from Kendare's amazing way with words and descriptions, what''s really freaky is that there is a home, just like on the cover of Anna Dressed in Blood, close to my old junior school. I haven't been up there in years, but now I am tempted, just to see if Anna's there. God, I hope not.

I need to relax and recover from this one, then do a more detailed review. Good on you Kendare Blake. You've done it again.

Currently Reading: "Girl of Nightmares" by Kendare Blake

[book:Girl of Nightmares|12507214]

After I had read the first 'Anna' book, 'Anna Dressed in Blood', I was excited and at the same time, a bit scared of the follow up, 'Girl of Nightmares', because the standard set in Anna, 1, was so high.

How could it possibly match it?

The first book smashed you over the head from page 1, and kept bludgeoning you throughout.

The second book, so far, revolves around Cas's near infatuated state regarding Anna. This 'love story' was never going to be the conventional 'boy meets girl and falls in love' story, and I remember, as a teenage boy, what it was like to be crazy in love (not real, but it felt real enough) with a girl (or girls) who did not reciprocate.

So far, it's not for certain that Anna wants to show affection for Cas, even if she wants to.

After all, she has bigger problems, she is in Hell, whether she deserves to be or not, is another matter.

Some reviews I have seen (without spoilers) seem to wish that Cas should be ghost hunting more, rather than fawning over how to save Anna (assuming she can be saved).

I think this book is so far, a very solid follow up. It is not set at the blistering pace of the first book, which may disappoint some, but if you really like Cas and the other characters (I reserve judgement only on Morfran, so far!) you should pursue with the story. I'm basically at the half-way point in the story, and still enjoying it.

That says a lot more about Kendare Blake's writing style, which veers from easy to eat up to detailed so strongly, you are pulled right in. I am a huge fan of this author, and almost certainly going to read her Anti Goddess series and other stories.

So. This is not 'Anna Dressed in Blood'. It's different. And in my view, that is no bad thing. My only advice is to read the first book, first, then enjoy both. I'll be fascinated to see how it all works out.

The day you complete the draft of your novel is so hard won

You may have been there, and know what I'm talking about. That moment when you finally complete the draft of your novel. Something that has consumed you longer than you recall. The sacrifices you made to make it happen. The long nights, the early mornings, the afternoons where you wanted to rest, but plots, story lines, characters, and yes - sequels, popped into your head. It happens most for me when I'm in bed, or having a well earned bath. You know - moments when you are supposed to be doing absolutely nothing. 

But you can't leave it there, no.

You have to do something about it. So the slumber ends, or the bath plug is pulled. You go back to the novel and work on it some more. I arrive at an expanse now - one that says 'hey, you got your life back', but I know this is only a temporary thing, a ceasefire between writer and its creation. Is there a point to all this? Well, maybe.

For me, for many of you, perhaps, you've reached a point where you say 'Yes, I'm done, I'm happy' (for now). Of course, you feel happy, feel proud. My latest 'work' clocked in at over 85000 words, and the previous one at 101,000. I've never worked on anything so hard in my life. With my first book, the semi-autobiographical 'Essence of Martial Arts', I learned so much about the process that with all the plethora of errors made, I resolved to make future books - should they ever be published - far better than that one. Isn't that the aim of writers, to better their previous works? Absolutely, we have to be committed to that. Should money come into it? I say no, because you have to write because you enjoy writing, telling stories, enlisting people's opinions on your creation.

 Money corrupts. Would I like to be living more comfortably? Of course. But as I ploughed through my book, things were not so bad, because I could slip into that world, any time I liked. It is far better a feeling than any drug I could take (not interested in that, never was, never will be!) or to indulge in some other past-time that leaves you, well, feeling cold, like a lover with you in the night, but departed by morning. So yes, I feel a bit lost since completing the draft, but there are other things to do, pay attention to, and work on. My family may even have me back for a while. When they tire of that (And they will) they will want me to go back to my writing.

 The draft has been completed, a small battle won. War is about to break out though - with myself (am I happy, truly happy with what I've done), with agents (they can slam a text out of existence because it doesn't meet a-b-c criteria) and publishers (remember how Harry Potter was thought of as 'a book about a boarding school...who would be interested in that?' Thankfully JK Rowling pressed on! Whatever your thoughts when you complete your first draft, I wish you happy writing.