Ninjutsu Uncovered

In the back of every comic book I read as a kid they had this slogan with a set of pictures showing a bully kicking sand in the face of a scrawny lad. Then the next picture he found the miracle chest expander and in no time at all he was a muscular hunk with two girls on his arm, with the bully gobsmacked in the background; as a teenager I fell for this completely. Few people know I was born six weeks premature and had to be fed every two hours (somethings never change), and I was always skinny as a rake, this was mainly due to me running everywhere playing football and riding my bike (for the younger readers please google these activities). As I got into my teens I was still very thin but wanted to put on muscle, even at school I used the multi gym that much that my teacher Mr Dowson asked to set up a new one. I had a pack run I would do every Sunday, once I got my pack on I would run about 3 -4 miles, and then have a bag work out, with every song on my cassette player going along wi...

Newcastle has just had its first Film Festival, which was great for city, the arts and film making. When reading the films that were being shown I came across my friend Geoff Thompson’s short film Romans 12:20 and that they were doing a Q & A about it afterwards. I waited with anticipation for the release date for the tickets and paid it straight away, I wanted to go on my own because people always say put me down or they would definitely go but let you down at the last minute; so, I went with me, myself and I. What I have learned over the years is that if you are wanting to do something do it don’t wait for others just go for it yourself. Kerry dropped me off at The Biscuit Factory, on the outskirts of Newcastle, a place I drive past every day for work but had never been in. I was ushered down the back of the building to the Biscuit Rooms and went into a very contemporary building with ironically no biscuits on offer, but they did serve Guinness that was not bad in my opinion. F...

Normally little Nev, our King Charles Cavalier gets three walks per day. I normally take him for his morning walk as lying on my legs or he jumps off the bed and sits staring at me until I give in and get up! I shove my old joggers on, that Nev has chewed my pocket away since he was a puppy and off we go. During the walk I stretch my body with my mind and try to work out what is sore today, then I mentally and physically soften it to make it easier to go on with my day! Kerry normally does the mid-day walk but sometimes I go to work a little later and get to take Nev out. But when I do, I seem to clock watch and seem too pre-occupied with the timings and not the walk or Nev. Having worked unusual hours for years in factories, pubs and at the gym you would think I would have gotten used to waiting to do something but sometimes it plays on your mind. Waiting to go to a fight show knowing it is going to be stressful, you sit around waiting to go for hours before not resting, you don’t ...

Who doesn’t love a nanna nap, where you just drift off into sleep with no cares in the world. Having a nap is lovely, but what happens when you feel you can drift off at any time? Since my nose had been broken in three different places (never go to those places again) my snoring was reaching a peak and after countless ‘discussions ‘during the night with Kerry I went to the doctors to see what they could do about it (before Kerry killed me in my sleep). I was beginning to wonder as she was watching documentaries about true crimes and how to commit the perfect murder… To my surprise I was told it is not my nose or my asthma it was sleep apnoea. I was given an online test to do with the doctor and as I was always good with tests I score 19 out of 23 which is good for a test but not for sleep apnoea. Kerry had to fill a questionnaire in because she would be able to tell the signs and fill in the blanks so to speak. I was feeling very tired and could nod off nearly anywhere; even when Ke...

When amazing Tina Turner made the brave decision to leave her abusive husband Ike, to everyone’s amazement she only wanted to keep her name; that she did, and her star has shone bright because of that decision every since. When Jonny Cash song about “a boy named Sue” the father in the song meeting his son after settling their differences in a blood and dirt all out fight told him he gave him the name to make him grow up tough because he new he would not be around to guide him into manhood. People have always been impressed, honoured, frightened, and ridiculed by names. Through the centuries names have struck fear in the masses by even the whisper of Genghis khan, Hitler, and Jack the Ripper; evil people that could strike fear into millions by their mere mention. In a poll a few years ago (not a man from eastern Europe) came up with the results that Jesus, Ali and Elvis were the most popular people worldwide. I have always amazed me that people may not know you, but they assume things a...

Years ago, when I saw people warm up, I used to think that will not happen to me; as they complained about everything. Fast-forward to the present day, were I am just rehabilitating my shoulder that was partly dislocated last year and I did not know (It had jumped out and back in during a pad work class and had rolled forward and my traps and frontal deltoid had been holding it up until I stopped at Christmas). When I went to my chiropractor he told me it was out, but my muscles were keeping it up, so I have spent all of Christmas and new year in pain trying to get my shoulder back in place but to do that I must stretch and rest my shoulder; easier said than done when you have my kind of lifestyle. Sometimes you don’t realise you are in pain until you rest because you keep doing the same actions day in day out until you physically can’t move. When you do rest you seem to be in more pain than you were before you stopped, not very fair it seems. You must go through the painful light str...

When your life feels like it wants to change, and you try, and try to make it happen, but it feels like a slow burning ember fuse that is attached to a 105-round firework; yes, that feeling. I know the problem and it is me! I may come over as a cheeky, fun loving character but there is a shy boy that sometimes does not let the cheeky part of me out. Sometimes I am my own worst enemy (can’t we all be at times). I do struggle with my own mind when it comes to bigging myself up, firstly thinking who am I to give advice on martial arts and self-protection, secondly who is going to listen. Then I give myself a swift mae keri and try to push forward. I have embraced the world of media were the whole world can be reached from your smart phone, but I feel like a pre-historic man in a digital age. My blog (which you are reading) has changed my view of myself from being a timid very insular character in my teens, to a confident writer that loves to express myself through the written word. I ha...