That "Near the End of the Summer Holidays" Feeling

After a Krav Maga grading I feel knackered but exhilarated. After all, I did it. I made the grade. On P2, 3 and 4 I came away with my body shouting abuse at me for the misery I'd put it through, but I felt A.W.E.S.O.M.E.

I might even miss the next lesson at the club and unwind with a shedload of alcohol (Guinness makes a good subsitute Night Nurse) and a gallon of ice cream. The DVD relevant to that grade gets put back in the sleeve and put on the shelf. The patch goes in the frame with its predecessors, at the corners of the certificate for my current level**

It's a wonderful feeling of having achieved something special and risen in the ranks.

It's in fact, very similar to that feeling I got when the school broke up for the summer holidays.

Six whole weeks of F.R.E.E.D.O.M to do what I wanted***, run around, stay up late and generally have F.U.N. The summer felt like it would never end. That first week would be a joyous adventure, knowing I had 5 more weeks after it. Weeks 2 through to 5 would be spectacular. On hols with the parents and my brother, back to play with my mates and ride my bike around town to my heart's content. No pressure.

Problem was, by week 5, once we got past Sunday I was feeling down and getting tense. After all, once that precious Monday was used up, there would not be another to replace it the week after. The same with every day up until that horrible Monday when I'd have to don the dreaded school uniform again and traipse up the driveway of Shitbag Comprehensive (otherwise known as Kenilworth School) to endure another term of bullying, boredom and dark sarcasm in the classroom.

But I digress...

In 4 weeks we have the Pre Assessment Workshop for the upcoming October gradings. That "Beginning of the School Holidays" feeling is now becoming a "I'll have to go back to Maths and Chemistry" feeling.

Down to work; as many sessions a week as possible; new level's DVD on mail order; book the venue...and spend my time getting nervous.

When I took P4 I was stressed almost to ruination the entire week before the grading. Fact it was hosted by the Master level 1 Zeev Cohen didn't help my nerves overly much.

So instead of 6 weeks of riding my bike, staying up late and hanging out with my friends, I now have 6 monthly gaps of trying to remain focussed instead of just riding on the euphoria of having passed a Practitioner level yet again.

Defending Against Impending Knife Threat?

Can do.

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** Apart from P4 which I have passed but haven't passed as I have to redo stick defences before I get the patch or certificate, even though the stamp is in my passport. God bless "conditional passes".

***  Mother and fathers' approval pending.

Mad Max Does Krav

From the 3rd Mad Max movie, Beyond Thunderdome.**

Invited into Aunty Entity's (Tina Turner) living quarters, a beaten and tired AND thirsty Max is offered fresh fruit, a veritable luxury in post apocalyptic Australia. 

At a secret signal from Aunty everyone in the room attacks Max (more or less at the same time) and he magnificently beats them up.

Notice usage of objects in the room; checking personal space; scanning (like a boss!!!); groin strikes; and being VERY sneaky.

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**  The one where Max gets all soppy, and divided the franchise fans like Moses and the Red Sea.

New Book Out...The Sunder of the Octagon

My 7th book (8th f you count the Spanish translation of The Cockroach Effect) is out next week.

THE SUNDER OF THE OCTAGON: Tales of Alegria Book II is the sequel to THE CATASTROPHE OF THE EMERALD QUEEN and is available in Kindle and paperback versions. Aimed at children aged 10+ it can also be enjoyed by older readers**

The continuing story of the magical world of Alegria.

Book has fight sequences inspired by Krav Maga. It also has a character named Alaskadie who is based upon Expert level 3 KMG instructor Jacek Walczak.

Also has big anti-bullying themes and I have been visiting High schools in the county to publicise the book and talk to the kids about my experiences at school in the 1980s and how they inspired me to write these books.

Signed copies will be available from me on September 14th at Demoncon 8 in Maidstone, Kent, UK. The cover artist Anneka Reay and the illustrator Paul Rose will also be there to sign copies and offer sketches and prints.

Also at Leamington Comic Con on Saturday October 18th.

Spread the word....

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** (like a certain other series of books involving a small boy with glasses and a magic wand, or the one about that pansy of a vampire who goes to High school, wears sensible jumpers and drives a Golf...I mean THAT'S not a vampire. Ever seen "Let The Right One In"...now THAT'S a vampire! Mess with a vampire's loved one and they rip your head off and drop it in a swimming pool. They don't get out of their Golf in their sensible V-neck jumper and "glare" at the 6 guys about to rape their girlfriend. Hunger Games is good though. Katniss Everdeen is a badass. Think I'm ranting now. Need to stop.)