Christmas is coming

Christmas is coming… So this is Christmas, what have you done, another year over……. Just as the song goes we reflect on what has happened to the year, to me it has been a helter skelter ride for the AFC and me. The year started off at a good pace head down and running into the year getting the scrap pack fighting fit, mixed fortunes for some of the members were Micky “3rd Degree “Burns lost the European title to the great Mark Weir and Paul “The Pit Bull” Gibbs won his fight against a tough oppent trying out the Nsac rules he said he is never going back to semi when you can hit them in the head on the ground! True Pit Bull style! Next up was helping to organise the first trip for Eddie Bravo, Famed leader of 10th Planet Ju-jitsu to Newcastle. The course went amazingly well and of the 60 or so people I was so proud that the AFC made up half of the numbers on the mat! The down side to the seminar, due to being a little kid in the presents of greatness I somehow managed to sprain my knee (I know I did not think you could do that either!) during the fun and light entertainment! The next 10 or so days I was unable to walk or bend my leg and even had to support my leg with my other leg so I could place it on the ground. Damaging my knee did give me time to “ put my feet up” and start writing my self –protection book, something I have always wanted to do, sometimes you need a gentle ( or painful) shove in the right direction this one came about after my friend Micky and my wife Kerry ganged up on me ( anti-bullying is in the book) for me to use the time I can’t walk to start writing , as they say the first step is the hardest (and most painful too ) I am in full flow with my writing and my book should be out next year , I have another book planned and I am planning to do some Ninjutsu apps , to help spread the word. As I have said the scrap pack has had an up and down year , Lee ”The Wasp” Campbell lost his British title in April , but after taking time off came back and won 2 boxing fights against good boxers! Speaking of boxing, the scrap pack members wanted to try their hand in boxing matches but due to their style being for GBH rather than ABA, they went into the new boxing style of Licenced boxing for the middle road fighters that don’t want to turn pro but don’t like the ABA style of boxing. We have had a few outings to these boxing shows and the lads did very well mostly winning and losses came via broken hand and broken ankle (same person different shows) most of them say it is fun because they don’t have to do as much prep as MMA so they can have fun with little pressure, Try not to get knocked out. Through the year I have been busy with my BCA courses each one having a theme or aspect, they have went down well and we have just put the Art of Dirty Fighting out on DVD ( a great stocking fill at just £ 15 available from the AFC) The courses are fun with an underlining theme of self –protection! But I did find out that all of the so-called self Defence experts did not attend any of them because they would rather teach in their own paddling pool rather than jump into the sea were the sharks are …….. People would even say that they were coming not come and tell people they had been, so sad! The courses were well attended some people not missing any so I must be doing something right! As I have said in my last Blog (you should read it! hint hint!) the gym is a work in progress ( a bit like my life) still lots of things to paint and it may take some time to finish all the work that needs to be done! But one thing is for sure it will look great when it is all finished. October brought baby scrap pack members Ayrton and Richie first fight and the start of November my AFC surprise party ( please please please read the last blog it tells you all about it !) November or Movember came! I started last year with me growing a full beard over the month and shaving in a moustache on the last day ( as last year I did not make it out of the bathroom before Kerry said” if you keep it your sleeping at your mothers!”) This year started out clean shaven and everyday post a photo on the timeline of the world, Facebook (I am that old I thought Facebook when I was younger was just that, your face in the book we called them bookworms of which I am a proud member!) . As the days past people kept posting on the photo little comments about my clothes or face and it got to a point that if you were going to say something I may as well give you something to talk about! So with my little partner in crime (Kerry, little because she has lost over 3 stone in weight and I am so proud of her xxx) we embarked on many different photos and costumes for the fun of it! Even up to the point of me dressing as a character from the Kenny Everett show but as he said” it was all done in the best possible taste!” The last day was me in the AFC cage as Bronson the Notorious inmate of the British prison system! We raised along with my friend and brother in arms Alan King £400 for the Macmillan nurses, we had great fun doing it for a great cause and there is talk of a calendar of the best shots and on the plus side I have improved my Gay following according to reports ……. Another year over and a new one just begun…….. Next year there will be more fun packed things planned Have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year Big love from the AFC John Atkin