Fight Like A Girl

Fight Like A Girl

Yeah... I know... the radio silence has been killing you guys. I promise to make it up to you later (evil grin).

I've been working my bahookies off with manuscript re-writes, illustrating the graphic novel, doing the layouts for the children books and composing musical tracks when not entertaining my NYC gal pals and various relatives at the FL house. If you were a neighbor (or fly on the wall) in my garage and/or backyard you'd know that I've also been periodically choreographing kung fu sessions for an animation project that might come out next year (if I keep working 10 hour days on my computer and squeeze 2 to 4 hours of practice in).

I've been kicking the crap out of my Muy Thai pads and missing my NYC crew. The girls think I should adopt a FL crew and I'm starting to think they're right. I'll have to add that to my Things To Do list when I get back from SC.

I really miss sparring with my NYC gal pals. The people who know me are aware that I am a Yang Style Tai Chi / Seven Star Northern Praying Mantis / MMA baby who has been shopping for a reputable FL martial arts gym for a looooooooong time. Don't get me wrong - I love my Planet Fitness routine - but I've been craving the a$$ kicking high from martial socialization with my I'll try anything once crazy girlfriends. You just can't get that from the boredom of running on a treadmill like a human hamster on a electronic wheel. Besides missing the competitive mischief, food fests and fun sleep overs with my gal pals, I've been deprived of the added benefit of having snarky, gorgeous models on call to high-jack at a moments notice.

After all, New York City never sleeps and Manhattan frequently makes my brain drool in "Ooooooo, shiny," mode. If we wanted to go out, 2 AM, 2 PM, it's was all the same to us whenever we started speed texting, "Whatcha' doin'?'" "Where are you?" "Meet me here... NOW." Jen is great for jogging Museum Row at night and hanging out at the Conservatory during the day. The cool thing about having professional friends who work where ever their cell phones and laptops are is the fact that you can set up a mobile office anywhere.

We're thinking it would be fun hooking up in Mobile, Alabama for a photo shoot and to compare edit notes. I was poking around there after hanging out in TX with Melody Botting last year (Nov/Dec). Jen has never been and it'll be my second trip to Mobile if I go. We've been beta reading each other and bouncing audio tracks back and forth trying to finish singles for the next three albums. We've been secretive and ubergeeky since April because we missed all of our deadlines and don't want to mess up the revised schedule.

Melodious and I are cooking up another Girlie-Girlie day TX vacation (Aug/Sept) so I can be a lazy house guest, hang with my blogging buddies, eat cool food and film/jog lakeside. Mel is great with helping me navigate my how to be a southerner issues. My fave part of the day was walking the dogs at sunset by the lake (until I realized I needed cowboy boots because there are snakes out there and being a gawking New Yorker I kept leaving the path to take photographs - LOL). Justin Boots is on our must do list. I haven't been able to kick my likes to work late night issues but at least while I'm wandering around TX I'll have proper foot gear (silly grin).

Down south in geriatric suburbia (where I live when not bouncing between states) I've discovered they have a very different definition of late night. There's no night jogging or recreational running down here by this particular blogger because (a) we don't have street lights where we live and (b) the wild life you can't see may actually kill you. Yup. That chapter is being edited tomorrow night if I stop fooling around over here by 3 AM (evil grin).

I am supposed to be drawing but my e-mail and direct messages are out of control (so I'm answering people while hubby watches his movie - LOL).

Being somewhat anal and obsessive about creating cool graphic art for our whacked out publication project, I decided to go old school with some of the fight scenes for the graphic novel illustrations. Translated: I've been digging out the digital tapes and getting mad busy fussing about portraying authentic wu shu moves and accurate history. Back in the 1980s my instructors where fabulous about teaching tradition, history and the foundations/roots of a style. When I migrated from the Brooklyn gyms to the Manhattan locations cool people like C K Chu (who introduced me to his brother Tony Chuy) became a huge influence regarding my curiosity/love of the martial arts. I've been hooked on the Classical Yang Style Tai Chi and Seven Star Northern Praying Mantis ever since I was fortunate enough to be accepted as a student of both instructors. I also have a very cool martial arts library and a few awesome books that are out of print now because of our conversations which really fascinated me and made me want to learn more.

Because of what I learned from being around masters C K Chu and Tony Chuy we figure if a book character is supposed to be an expert in a particular fighting style then we should honor the styles we bequeath them. Nei Kung is pretty amazing stuff... especially if you have exceptionally talented teachers explain that puppy to you. I love the fact that I can trace my instructors' martial roots all the way back to their beginnings. The fact that they are fabulous people who immerse you in the Asian culture while scientifically explaining the relevance of the martial moves makes me want to do a really good job getting the illustrations correct. We know where our hands and feet are supposed to be and why they are supposed to be there. The strange thing is working on the storyboards feels like I'm teaching my characters how to fight.

Sometimes I need a distraction between endless edits and artistic scribbles. It's kind of fun lurking and trolling YouTube clips to see what related people in martial arts land have been up to. One of my fave channels to lurk on with a bunch of peeps I adore is:  http://www.youtube.com/user/alextse4

There are a whole bunch of gem performances littered within those personal video clips so happy hunting people (he has a lot of material to sort through - which is an understatement - evil grin). 

To answer some specific e-mail from my Facebook and Twitter peeps: I'm working on fixing my all-work no on-line play status which requires quite a bit of negotiating with the hubby because it's time consuming messing up other peoples schedules (among other things). For the new readers to my blog the wee people come first. Summer Vac means the shorties are under-foot 24/7 until school starts. We've been mad busy experimenting with gluttony and my kids have been waiting for me to learn how to swim for-evah. I can no longer escape participating in The Bikini Wars (which requires another blog post - silly grin). Lets just say I'm the only girl in the house and I've been out-voted by the men regarding this subject and several others. This means I've not only got the Undie Wars going on (yes, there will be an update to that never ending debate - oh joy!) I am now required to obtain a six or eight pack because we're all shooting for this.

Translated: yesterday was Day One of the TapouXT become a bikini babe in 90 days challenge with my guy pies. Rumor has it this is just part of the joys of FL geriatric-suburbia motherhood so I need to get with the Sexy-Granny program. Yes, there really are sexy grandparents strolling around my gym and neighborhood who jog/run faster than I do (OMG we're talking dusted by the platinum haired crew people but I digress). I figure what the hey - as long as hubby and the shorties keep their hands off my chocolate kisses I'm willing to give it a serious go. Who wouldn't want a six pack? Seriously people... if the elderly can do it so can I (LOL).

As an unrepentant junk food junkie this is the part of the blog post where I admit to periodically slacking off regarding exercise. However, I have a personal aversion to watching my belly sit on my thighs when I sit down to type so I do run my chubby butt back to the gym when that starts back up again. You get out of it what you put in it people. Find something you like and start there. It could be as simple as taking a daily walk (said the chick who went from size 16 to size 8 and keeps bouncing back and forth between 8 and 10). ;-) 

Truth or Dare? Truth: Would I be happy being chubby at my laptop for the rest of the summer? Hell yeah. I love food. Snackage is serious business in my household. However, the boys wont give up regarding me (a) becoming a beach bum, (b) learning how to swim and (c) wearing a bikini regardless if I swim or not (melodramatic sigh, head thunks on table, puts pie back in fridge - silly grin). To that end, Stephen the Minion Blur and I have been lurking on the TapoutXT YouTube channel for weeks wondering if we have the guts to do this. We figured it'll be fun. The package came yesterday.

Guess what? It was (happy sigh). If I go by the national BMI at 5'6" I should be between 130 - 142 lbs. I'm stuck at 152. My goal is 140 (without starving or fad dieting and with Hagen Daz and chocolate kisses still on the menu) so wish me luck. 

Psst... If you're going to do MMA style warm-ups/workouts on the road to becoming a budding 47 year old bikini beach bum like me you should find an awesome MMA gym to join so your aerobics at home actually match the sport you want to be in. Just sayin' if you are going to get fit you might as well have mad fun with it... Very Important:  TapoutXT doesn't teach you how to fight, it teaches you how to use fight moves to tone your body. Wanna learn the science of fighting get a qualified teacher.

P.S. Don't forget to check with your doctor before starting any exercise/diet program.

I'm not kidding. FYI: I had to pause the Cross Core Combat DVD four times to catch my breath and eventually got through it. My version of Day One has been a real pisser people but I did it (with a six year old hanging out cherry picking his wee people exercise moves - LOL).  Just sayin' be very careful learning the moves and take the check with your doctor warning very seriously. You will really feel this workout... I'm still rubbing stiff stuff from my TOXT  session and typing on the floor. I've been working on the floor for most of the evening and into the wee hours of the morning. Seriously... I ain't trying to lift my laptop or anything else for that matter (and crawled to the bathroom when I had to go - LMAO). I think I shocked my lower back. A really good shock. My muscles have no idea what the heck is going on. That happens when you wake up and shake up your body. 

Day Two is the Ultimate Abs and the Strength and Force DVDs. If you decide to do this follow the workout calendar and go food shopping. Very cool nutritional overview and guide for what you should eat. ;-)

Now that I have "no choice" about chasing a six pack I'm thinking if I'm going to amuse myself and go all MMA at home (with the boys in tow) I should try something new that incorporates what I'm somewhat familiar with. Stephen wants "a Bruce Lee body." My kids have recently discovered Bruce Lee movies and Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do is the bell that rings for them so I'm going to take a free class next week.

Yup. It's true. I've scheduled an appointment with Sifu Vito at Elite Martial Arts. 

I'm also gonna do a Dan Inosanto seminar. He allows visiting students. How cool is that? Very...

Maybe while I'm fooling around in FL contemplating/experimenting with learning Kali, Muay Thai and Wing Chun I can create another character for the series. Grandmaster Richard Sinclair used to tease me by stating, "You fight like a girl." My standard reply? "I am a girl..." Fun for me is getting to illustrate the girls getting busy. ;-)

Want a cool visual example of what Fight Like A Girl means? Check out Angelina Jolie in the movie SALT.

Betcha I got you wondering what our version of Girlie-Girlie Day is like. Hint: I have kick a$$ gal pals (evil grin).