"Differential Diagnosis"

My recent successful fight debut against an opponent I had never seen or trained with before,? showed me how effective using proper technique can be. In the months leading up to that match, I had trained long and hard.? During my sparring sessions, I had come to rely on my superior mass, speed, and knowledge of their attack style to lead me to victory, but when facing an opponent much larger and stronger, using unknown attack styles, my advantages were no more.

It was then that I realized how crucial certain techniques can be, despite their complexity, speed, or strength. Of course, having taken quite the beating from the boxer, I was determined to improve…but first it was time to cut loose! More »

???Fight!??? The referee yelled, just seconds before a flurry of kicks and punches swarmed at me. With a quick sidestep and deflection, his initial attacks missed, leaving him exposed to several quick and powerful kicks to the ribs.

Adjusting his stance to better protect his freshly sore ribs, he rushed at me with another series of? attacks. A straight kick to his hip canceled his forward momentum and left him temporarily stunned as he attempted to regain his balance. More »

Spend any amount of time in a club, and you’ll quickly learn that everything in there is a sham to keep you spending money.? From the moment you enter the building, they’re already working you.? The cover charge, the free peanuts, the “specials,” VIP areas, bottle service, and even the girls.

Bartenders have their game face on as soon as they punch in, and many of them go the extra mile to earn their tips.? Overly excessive flirting, skimpy little outfits,and a free drink every now and then, can make all the difference between a “good night” and a “horrible night” for tips. “Nothing personal, its just business.” I’ve been told. More »

As an older brother, its my responsibility to keep my younger sister out of too much trouble. That???s why, when she told me that she was to become a bartender at one of the local clubs, I wasn???t too happy about it.? The thought of my sister associating herself with the classless lowlifes who frequent that place on an almost daily basis simply didn???t sit well with me.

On her first night on the job, I decided to take a step down from my pedestal and provide some moral, and possibly tactical support. I met with the bouncers, the manager, and chatted with several of her co-workers before my sister even realized I was on the premises. More »

My sister came into my life one day and set events into motion which eventually lead to many great personal discoveries and some grief, but that isn’t the end…

Much like I enjoyed the pleasure of my mother reading me books in Spanish, my sister grew to enjoy it as well.  At one point, she received her own set of Little Mermaid story books which she just loved to flip through and pretend to read.  These girly books seemed to arrive monthly and each had a set of stickers accompanying them, girls love stickers!

Her fascination with The Little Mermaid grew, and soon I found myself having to cut back on my TV time to accommodate her Little Mermaid time.  No biggie, I was a "big kid" and I had my first real friend living a few houses down the street.

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KB Toys was never a permanent fixture in our small town mall, but the toy store seemed to magically appear mid November every year, just in time for the holiday rush.  My parents never liked going into the store since it was usually pretty crowded, but I have a sneaking suspicion it was easier to let me go in alone, browse, and have me come out empty handed if they didn’t follow me inside.

This particular visit to KB, I was tasked with watching my little sister as we browsed around inside.  My dad would be only a few paces outside the store entrance, on a small bench.  For some reason he didn’t seem too enthused to be at the mall that day, but as a youngster I didn’t think much of it.

I took my sister by her hand, and we walked inside.  Being the eldest, we made our way to the boys section of the store first.  It was only right!

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The initial introduction to my sister may have been a slight inconvenience for me due to the disruption of my beauty sleep, more on that here.  However, nothing could have prepared me for the sudden neglect I was about to experience upon her moving in.

Before she came along, my mom & dad would both eagerly spend quality time with me.  My mother would constantly read me books in Spanish, while my dad would opt for playing "Dukes of Hazard" with me and my toy cars.  As soon as my sister came into the picture, my books went unread, and them "Duke boys" suddenly found themselves without a "Boss Hoss/Sheriff" to chase them around Hazard County! What a tragedy…

Like most parents, mine turned to the TV, VHS specifically, to help them keep me entertained while they took care of my sister.  Our VHS library kept expanding until one day I came across a life changing movie.

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