Category Archives: ideas

characters, ideas, inspiration, life, passion, story, writing

This is a guest post-deal with it

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I’m a hunter. Its what I do. When you go to bed at night, comfortable in your homes behind your walls and self imposed deceptions I’m on the streets. My name is, hell does it even matter? Fine. My name is Sepia Blue and no its not my given name, I don’t even know what that is. Enough with the name.

Why am I here hijacking this blog? I’m tired of being in his head.  I decided it was time you heard my voice. For some time now I have been suggesting to him to get my story down. I whisper to him when he is sleeping or when he is doing some of his other writing.  Writing. Not. About. Me.  I don’t do coy well. I am at the point where I want to shove my blade between his ribs, gently of course. Just to get his attention.

So you want to know what I hunt? I hunt nightmares. I hunt things that would make you soil yourself, crawl into the fetal position and wish you had never been born. I face them with Cade my partner-when he isn’t being a pain in my ass.  Most of the time I face them alone. There is an order, a balance in my city-New York. Hunters maintain that balance. When that balance is threatened, say some nasty creature wants to make entrees out of you, my bosses call me. I cancel the menu.

I’m not like you-what would absolutely kill you, would probably kill me. Its a big difference, trust me. No I’m not immortal-what is this a comic book? However I do have the skill and the weapons that level the playing field. My sword, Perdition is what I like to call a blade of evil. Cue in the cackling. Every time I use it, I lose a part of myself – its a raw deal, I cope by not drawing it unless I have to. I’m also covered in ink, every Hunter is. It gives us strength and protects us. Don’t ask me how- some ancient rite, special ink, some other things I didn’t get. Bottom line is that I look like a yakuza’s wet dream, covered neck to ankle in designs. Hey they keep me alive while I do my job so its a fair trade-off.

So why am I here? Two reasons. First I’m putting him on notice. Write my story before I visit you in the most unpleasant way possible. I know how to be an unpleasant bitch, trust me. Second, he is going to need help. This is where you come in. Make sure you help him get this story done in a timely manner. I would hate to have to visit you as well. Actually you would hate it, I wouldn’t mind at all.
The name of the book is Sepia Blue-Origins. Make it happen.

Kisses,
Sepia

blogs, ideas, inspiration, publishing, self publishing, support, writing

Revision and Self-Editing for Publication

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There are literally hundreds if not thousands of books on writing. As a writer,  martial arts instructor, father of seven ( yes seven) I rarely have time to attend writing seminars. The last writing seminar I attended was two years ago held by the Open Center in New York City. It was a Right to Write seminar by Julia Cameron and it was excellent.

However as artists we must always seek to improve our craft. So I keep my skills sharp on my blogs and I am constantly in the middle of several books. Some are fiction ( pick up anything by Brandon Sanderson, my current read is the Mistborn series), some are on martial arts, and some are on writing.

Lately I have been reading Revision &Self Editing for Publication by James Scott Bell. You can get it on amazon here :http://www.amazon.com/Revision-Self-Editing-Publication-ebook/dp/B00B03HSEW/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1382978918&sr=1-5&keywords=james+scott+bell

I initially purchased this as an e-book for my kindle and then realized this was the kind of book that becomes a reference, a resource, so I purchased it as a paperback as well. If you are a writer, or an aspiring writer, this is a book you need to have in your author arsenal. This is the book that will help you polish your manuscript.  It asks the right questions, the hard questions. It spurs you to action with the sole goal of making your book the best it can be. GET THIS BOOK. Read it,  Write in it. Read it again. Do the exercises. Then go and thank James Bell.

writers write
Orlando

greatness, ideas, karate, life, martial arts, mind, philosophy, power, thoughts, tradition, zen

Practical Application

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One of the great facets of training is that it forces you to think. Let me clarify. You may be studying an art that is ancient, but you still have to make it work for you. It has to work for your body type, your height your reach and other physical compositions. One of the places this is expressed is in kata. Kata is not dance, its not an imaginary fight against a series of would be attackers. What kata is, is a mnemonic device recording movements to use in close quarter combat. One of the best ways to understand this is through the use of bunkai.

First what is bunkai?  Bunkai is the deconstruction and practical application of techniques found in kata. In other words it means you analyze and apply the technique you are using in your kata. Many schools do not engage in this or feel kata are outdated and unnecessary. It is a shame many feel this way, since the study of bunkai adds a dimension to training that is not replicated by anything else. Through bunkai you can get to the heart of the style you are studying. Bunkai will take you through the history of your art into the minds of those who created the techniques.  Bunkai forces you to think. This bears repeating. In order to learn and apply bunkai you must think. What is this technique doing? Which way does this technique achieve the intended goal of stopping an altercation? It makes you look at kata as a device for the practical application of every technique.

So let me shock you a bit here. There are no blocks, or kicks or punches or anything else we have given names to. There are simply the movements a body can execute.  For example you will hear this often in our self defense class ” All arms bend the same way, bodies are built the same way.”  This is a simplification of course, but what it means is that we are all bio-mechanically the same. So in kata when I execute an upper block as we call it, if I take that same movement and smash it into an opponents throat as I grab the back of their head, it ceases to be an upper block and becomes a fatal blow. Same exact technique.

This freedom of expression in your art is what you must endeavor to discover. Is a lower parry actually parrying a lower kick or is it a hammer fist into the knee or thigh? Is it a sweep? Or all of the above?

The other mindset that seems to be circulating is that bunkai must hold the okuden or secret techniques of a style. Therefore it can only be shown to the most senior students. This must be conducted in a veil of secrecy and those students must never reveal the bunkai to their juniors. This sounds so outlandish I have a hard time believing it, but I have experienced it firsthand. Suffice to say I disagree with this point of view. Bunkai should be shared early and often, it gets students to think. When you stop a kata and ask “What technique are you doing there? ” Most students will just give you the name of the technique they have always done. If you go a little deeper and ask ” Well show me how that would work.”  At what range and from what angle?  What is your off hand doing? Is it really an offhand or is it holding something?
Why are you standing that way, is that the way you would really stand? What if you modified that a bit would it still work?

When you start asking these questions and more importantly when the students start asking these questions, it deepens the practice of the art and makes the kata come alive. These are the questions we need to be asking. These are the exercises we need to teach our students.  We need to spur them to dig deeper and make their practice profound.

If you wish to go further into the study of bunkai, or its not offered where you train I suggest you visit Iain Abernathy’s site.  You can find it here: http://www.iainabernethy.co.uk/article/basics-bunkai-part-1
this is a good place to start. Iain is well known for his practical application of basic moves. His site is full of useful information and is a great resource for learning. He is also accessible and a friendly individual, willing to share of his time and expertise if you reach out to him.

A little quiz:  The photo in this blog is one of the bunkai of the last move of which Pinan / Heian kata?  Let me know what your answer is.

strong spirit-strong mind-strong body
Sensei Orlando Sanchez

sensei.orlando@yahoo.com

ideas, inspiration, passion, writing

Silence the censor

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Every writer has gone through this. That voice, you know the one- THE VOICE. That says what you are writing is rubbish. The one that says you cant possibly be a REAL WRITER. It advises you to quit now while you’re behind.  This writing business is hard, why not take up something less challenging, like neurosurgery?

We have all been there, in fact every time I face a blank page or screen somewhere in the background I hear my inner censor chuckle. He whispers what now? What will you dare to write? Its a very good question-that usually freezes me.

I’m here to inform you that there are ways around  your censor. No you cant silence him completely-I don’t think that is possible or desirable. You can, however evict him out of your head-space for a short time, while you get to the business of writing.

One of the exercises that I find works is the morning pages (Thanks and credits to Julia Cameron for this exercise). Three pages of free writing about anything. You cant do them wrong, you just write three pages about anything. It serves the purpose of quieting your censor, because all of those thoughts were going to come up, anyway. Now that you have it out, your censor has no foothold. Also I have gotten some great ideas just from writing like this.

James Scott Bell suggests writing dialogue. This is a great exercise. You just write dialogue- go crazy, cut loose- let it take you wherever its going. The point is you are writing.

Some of us have rituals. A favorite pen or notebook. A special writing area. Lighting incense before during or after. Some require strong extra large doses of caffeine prepared in their favorite coffee house, or at home. Some require that the planets be in alignment. We all have our ways of doing this, the point is that it must be done in order for us to write.  Me, there are days I would love to take my censor out back, tie him to a post and flog him senseless. He is too wily to be caught so I shut him up instead.

Seems to be working so far. What methods do you use I would love to hear them.

writers write,
Orlando

blogs, ideas, inspiration, life, passion, writing

Pursue your Passion

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Its the only way to do it.
You have to ask yourself
What would I do even if there was no reward?
What would I do even if no one else noticed?
What is that thing that burns within, that drives me to do it no matter what?

When you can answer those questions, honestly you will have found your passion. For me early on it was writing. I have been writing ever since I was very young. Short stories no one read. Novellas I would let some friends read. Journals in marble notebooks. Now blogs and books. One of the key ingredients to following your passion is that you don’t seek the approval of others to follow that burning fire within, you just do it.

When you don’t find it you will know. There is a longing within, a space, a void that needs to be filled. There are indicators that demonstrate you aren’t following your passion- restlessness, discomfort, anxiety, apathy boredom-to name a few. A real easy way to find your passion is to ask yourself this question (in case the above three are too vague). If money were not an issue in your life, what would you do or pursue?  You will find that the answer to this question is your passion.

So what are you waiting for?

Find your passion, pursue it!

writers write

Orlando

ideas, inspiration, life, publishing, self publishing, writing

Dont strand yourself on an island

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Its possible you have heard some of these:

In order to be a writer you must struggle ALONE in obscurity.

There is no way you can write while surrounded by other writers or artists.

Writing forces you to be disconnected and its better that way.

A writer can only truly depend on themselves, no ones knows you like you.

I’m sure there are countless others and I’m here to tell you that its false. Actually I believed this and worse for a long time while I wrote and struggled to identify as a writer. Then I realized, if I am going through this other writers must be going through the same thing. It wasn’t an epiphany, but it was close. So I started to look around and found groups of writers who band together to write or offer support.

There are teachers who will share  their experiences( Julia Cameron comes to mind with  one of my favorite writing book:

The Right to Write http://juliacameronlive.com/books-by-julia/the-right-to-write/

as does Stephen King’s On Writing
 http://www.stephenking.com/library/nonfiction/on_writing:_a_memoir_of_the_craft.html)

 If you haven’t picked up these books please do. They will motivate you and give you a glimpse of what it means to write.

Another great source I have found recently ( OK I’m slow to this) are blogs. There are countless writing blogs in existence but I have found quite a few excellent ones, here are some:

http://terribleminds.com/ -Blogged by Chuck Wendig who is an excellent writer with a very unique sense of humor. On occasion he has guest writers which make for great reading and plenty of useful information.

http://goinswriter.com/– Blogged by Jeff Goins. A very good blog filled with down to earth inspiration and motivation.

He also wrote(among others):
 The Writers Manifesto
(http://www.amazon.com/The-Writers-Manifesto-Jeff-Goins-ebook/dp/B00595KCBI)

 Its a fast read, but a very profound call to action. If you haven’t embraced your calling as a writer this book will spur you to answer that call. Look up Jeff he has some great books that will transform  your view on writing..

There are many more that I will share with you over time, but ideally the key is to go out and connect with others, writers, readers, bloggers, agents, publishers-Basically anyone who loves using words to express themselves. Go find them. Stop thinking you need to be alone to be a writer- I thought that for a long time and its not true. Join a writers club. Find a place where writes converge, online and off.
 In NY we have a few writing cafes that are excellent places to meet fellow writers. Find the one that suits you or create one.
The key is not to be alone in this adventure we call writing.

writers write
Orlando

community, ideas, jackson heights, life, martial arts, mind, self-defense, thoughts

The Importance of Awareness

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An article was recently brought to my attention:

 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/08/san-francisco-train-shooting_n_4066930.html)

In the article it describes:
Recently released footage from a Muni security camera allegedly shows that on Sept. 23, Nikhom Thephakayson pulled out a .45-caliber pistol, raised it, pointed it across the aisle, put it down and continued to pull it out multiple times, even wiping his nose with the handgun. Absorbed in their phones, not one of the dozens of passengers reacted until he fired a bullet into the back of Justin Valdez, 20, a sophomore at San Francisco State University.

Before you make any snap judgments about the people on the train lets examine ourselves for a moment.

How often do you check your phone while walking in the street, on the check out line or just waiting? 

When sitting/standing in the train or any other mass transit vehicle are you aware of the people around you or are you immersed in your phone ( or any other technological gadget) oblivious to who gets on or off? 

Do you text while you drive?

How often do you wear headphones (ear-buds) while outside, effectively cutting off your sense of hearing, which is in essence an early warning system?

After reading this article I took an informal survey as I rode the train in New York City. On one random subway car alone more than half the people in the car were immersed in some sort of device completely oblivious to those around them. Another large group were dozing or had their eyes closed.

As I walked down Broadway, I counted on one block ten people with ear-buds or headphones who would not have heard me if they were in danger and I needed to call out for their safety ( I tested this by just saying “Excuse me.” while behind or beside them. Only two people registered that they heard me.) The others couldn’t hear me because the music was audible from where I stood, about 3-4 feet away. Three people had to stop short at intersections before crossing the street because they were crossing against the flow of traffic and didn’t notice, they were all texting or reading their phones.

As I proceeded  on Broadway I attempted to get close enough to invade personal space, from the side, rear and front. I used ploys like asking for time and directions or just acted creepy and tried to get  real close. Yes it was a busy afternoon, but I really wanted to see what the level of awareness was. These exercises didn’t take more than an hour. Out of the twenty people I approached in a five block radius (I was on Broadway and 79th street), sixteen of them allowed me into their personal space. After I closed the distance I informed them that they each could have been a victim, some laughed it off and most dismissed it, it was the middle of the day after all and  no one gets attacked in broad daylight, right?

Its this awareness that we stress so much in self defense classes. Awareness or situational awareness as it is sometimes called is the act of not walking around in a fog.  You will often hear when people are attacked or when incidents occur that it just happened ” out of the blue” or “I never saw it coming”. In the case of blindside, ambush attacks or spontaneous acts, this may be possible, the other times however you just weren’t aware.

If you drive you need to be even more aware. I wont go into the amount of people I have seen driving and looking down at phones or just not focusing on whats in front of them. Considering that even a small vehicle can weigh a few tons its in our best interest to focus and be aware while driving what is essentially a large battering ram capable of wreaking devastating damage.

This lack of awareness is becoming more and more prevalent. Not only because of technology. I think the technology just facilitates it, but rather we need to shift our attitude of ” I’m not going to get involved, or ” It has nothing to do with me”. When we choose to be this way we are passively saying-I don’t care.

I invite you to try some of the exercises I did. See how close you can get to other people in normal settings
 ( please don’t get yourself arrested) without them noticing. Understand that those who would victimize others are doing the exact same thing.

Make the choice to be aware, look around on the bus, train and the street you walk down. Unplug the headphones / ear-buds and engage all of your senses. Cultivate a  radar of who and what is around you, this does not mean you walk around paranoid all of the time, but aware. One of the first things we teach in our self defense classes is awareness and its importance. It doesn’t matter how skilled or trained you are if you are walking around in a fog, oblivious to your surroundings.

Keep your eyes and ears open.

strong spirit-strong mind-strong body
Sensei Orlando

ideas, inspiration, life, story, writing

The thick skin you need as a writer

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So I am getting responses back from some of my beta readers. Most are saying that they love the story (Blur) and then like the inevitable breakup conversation that starts with “we need to talk” they begin.

“Loved the story, but why is this happening or why is this character doing that?

“It was great but this doesn’t make sense.”

You get the gist I’m sure. Now just to be clear I enjoy this, actually I asked for it. Its part of the writing process and as amazing as I may think I am ( in my own mind) I know better. Its important to put your story and yourself out in front of others to get feedback and criticism, because it helps you make the story better. That is the point isn’t it? A pairing down of things unnecessary and superfluous. In order for all of this to work however, you need thick skin.

You need to be able to take criticism, constructive and destructive and move on. You cant take it personally even though you want to, and I know you really want to, but don’t. Remember, focus on the story, its all about the story. You as the writer can fade into the background, but the story should shine in the foreground. You need to be able to look past the battering of your story, characters and even writing ability to continue writing. In my opinion, if you cant do this you have no business writing, really.

This doesn’t mean you should only subject to criticism that destroys your work. You should pick your early readers with care, people that will read your work and be honest  and supportive of you being a writer. If you only want glowing reviews (and who doesn’t) then only use your family. That way you can get a skewed review in your favor (its delusional, but fun). If you want honesty, pick people who like you, but are not afraid of telling you the truth with compassion. That last part is important. Writers tend to be sensitive individuals who bruise easily. This is all done with the understanding that you must release your story into the world, and not everyone will be kind or a fan. Remember to be your own greatest fan.

If you are a writer then cultivate the thick skin needed to hone your craft and undergo the scrutiny required to improve from being a good writer to a great one. If you ever find yourself fortunate enough to be an early reader of someones work remember that the point is to make the story better without destroying the writer in the process. Think surgical strike instead of  a slash and burn policy. Focus on the writing not the writer and you will be sought often to improve those nascent novels.

writers write

Orlando

class, coaching, creating, greatness, ideas, karate, life, martial arts, mind, pain, philosophy, thoughts, tradition, zen

Instructor Interview-Sempai Orlando

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This week I will post our first instructor interview. Each month I will interview one of our instructors so that you can have a glimpse into some of the inner workings of our school and the people that teach and train there.

This weeks interview will be Sempai Orlando. In addition to being an instructor in our school, he is also the off site director for our after school programs which is currently taking place in two New York City public schools. On average between the two schools he is teaching karate to 30 children every week.

EH: Thanks for taking the time to do this interview, I know you have a busy schedule between teaching and being a full time college student and trying to have a social life.

SO: Thank you for letting me be part of the blog. I read it often and really like it. Most of the times its a continuation of the conversations I have with the sensei.


EH: OK so lets begin. Lets start with your age. How old are you ?

SO: I’m 18 years old.

EH: What are your goals in college?

SO: Well this is my first year so its been a big change for me. My goals are to be a physical therapist ( I enjoy working with people) and also to learn stage and film combat. I have choreographed a few fight scenes and did one for a short film my older brother filmed.

EH: Do you have any specific challenges training at your age?

SO: I think the biggest challenge right now is balancing my school work and my training and teaching. I usually have to wake up very early to do my own personal training, then I have to get ready for school. I have a heavier load of school work now so it means I have to be very conscious of how I manage my time.

EH:  How early do you start your day and what does your training consist of ?

SO: On the days I can train in the morning I’m up at 4 am. My training consists of a lot of conditioning ( I punch and kick trees to toughen certain areas), I also work a kettle-bell routine and then I finish with body weight training-what we do in our classes: push ups, sit ups, squats.

EH: How long have you been training?

SO: I have been training for 13 years. My first dojo was our garage, when I was real young. The class size was pretty small since it was just me, after a while my younger brother joined us.

EH: Why did you start training?

SO: I started training because I saw my dad always training and I wanted to be just like my dad.

EH: Was your dad your first instructor?

SO: Yes, I started when I was five so he was my first teacher. I have also trained with Sensei Orhan from a Kyokushin school in Queens. I’m still beginning so I haven’t had that many teachers.

EH: Why do you continue to train?

SO: I continue to train because it has become my passion.

EH: Have you ever wanted to stop training?

SO: When I was younger I wanted to. I felt that it was too hard and that I wasn’t very good at it.

EH: Why did you continue?

SO: Honestly? My dad. He just kept telling me I would get better. That it would take time and that if I didn’t give up he wouldn’t give up. Also if I gave up, he still wouldn’t give up. After a while I did get better and I started to like it.

EH: What part of training do you enjoy the most ?

SO: I enjoy the energy I feel in a class filled with people that are willing to push themselves past their limits. It pushes me to try harder and to push myself as well. It reminds me of one of the characters (kanji) we have on our main wall, ren ma-it means keep polishing. Training like that is part of the polishing. I also enjoy kata, except when I have to do it in front of the sensei, it always feels like I just learned it when I do it with him.


EH: What part of training do you least enjoy?

SO: The pain my body feels when I do certain exercises, even though I’m used to them. Getting hit when I fight the sensei. I definitely enjoy that the least.

EH: Why did you take on teaching?

SO: I teach so I can share my knowledge and experience with others. Also I love working with other people.

EH: You have competed in several tournaments and done well. You have also expressed that you will no longer compete in tournaments can you tell us why?

SO: I think tournaments are good for what they are-contests with rules. For me my practice is about being a warrior.When we fight we punch to the head, we also grapple, kick to the thigh, use joint locks, submissions and do ground work. I was disqualified from one tournament because I tapped my opponent on the nose and he bled a bit. It wasn’t right or wrong, those were the rules, but it was not the way I learned to fight so it was difficult for me to adapt.

I train differently than most people I know my age. I don’t think tournaments are bad, but they aren’t for me and they don’t reflect what I have been taught. I usually see a lot of pride and egos at tournaments, which to me is the opposite of what training should be. Also I have seen some kata tournaments and it doesn’t look like kata at all, its more like dance moves and back flips choreographed to music with kiais that last about two minutes. I would never be a part of something like that.

EH: Any advice for someone just starting on their martial path?

SO: If you feel that a martial art is something you want to pursue, begin and don’t stop. You’re going to face a lot of challenges along the way but the payoff is worth it. Keep on training, ask questions learn as much as you can inside and outside the dojo. Sensei is always giving me a book to read, its usually related to martial arts but sometimes its not. Always try to better yourself, its never a competition with other people.

EH: Thank you again for giving me the time to interview you.

SO: You’re welcome and thank you for letting me be part of the blog.

Sempai Orlando comes across as a very reserved (and older than his years) young man. In the dojo he is known for his affable manner and tough classes. I hope with this interview you have gotten some more insight into one of our instructors.

strong spirit-strong mind-strong body
Sensei Orlando

For questions or suggestions on future topics contact: sensei.orlando@yahoo.com

ideas, inspiration, life, story, writing

Embracing the title

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What does it mean when I say I’m a writer? Does it mean I spend my time engaging in flights of fancy? Do I hear voices in my head and more importantly, write down what these voices say?

Honestly its hard to pinpoint the exact definition. It does mean I enjoy and strive to hone my craft of conveying story through the written word. It means that I believe in story and good storytelling. Ultimately I think being a writer and embracing the title means, to me, that the activity, the action of writing takes on a life of its own in my life. Its not that I like to write ( I do) it is that I have to write. Its one of my methods of self expression. From journals when I was younger to blogs now, writing has been a central theme in my life. I don’t think you wake up one day and decide, ” I’m a writer.”  What happens is that over time you realize that this is your preferred method of telling a story, yours or another persons ( real or fictitious) and at some point you embrace the tittle of writer.

Two things can occur at this point You can rebel at the thought of being a writer, even if you have embraced the title. The self doubt rears its head and surreptitiously whispers in your ear that you aren’t a “real” writer- whatever that is. Or you completely accept being a writer and revel in the process of it all- from agony to elation and back again, over and over. I can say that for me I am still wrapping my head around the idea of being a writer even though I have done some form of writing my entire life.
My opinion is that no matter how long you have been doing it, on some level I don’t think you ever get truly comfortable with the title.

Maybe that’s a good thing.

writers write

Orlando