Thursday, December 01, 2011

Coming Up For Air

For what it's worth, I have been doing a lot of writing. Just not here. So this will be a catch up: cool stuff, whining, bitching and rants.

Opened my 2012 seminar schedule and got a lot of action. Still working on scheduling since many people don't want to commit to hard dates. It actually makes it easier in that the few who picked gave me anchor points to work the others around.

It looks like January is still open; February will have confirmed private lessons (and maybe an open ConCom) in West L.A.; and a weekend in Port Townsend WA; with an as yet unconfirmed return to Granada Hills; March will be Oakland and San Diego; April/May in Canada; June will be a big month with Israel, Slovenia, the UK and Greece; July and August are clear, but there are two groups I like to hit that time of year, one on Cape Cod, one in Denver; September has fuzzy dates for Minnesota and Granada Hills; October Marseilles; November and December currently clear. Colorado Springs, Montana, upstate NY and New Jersey said yes but without dates.

A lot of openings left, but a lot of time filled as well.

"Force Decisions" and the video version of "Facing Violence" are in the new YMAA catalog, scheduled for release in April and May. Both are new territory. First video, and I know nothing about the video world. I rarely even watch them. "Force Decisions" is about how officers decide when and how to use force. Given the emotion right now, I'm not sure anyone is even interested in knowing the rules. They seem to just want to pick a bad guy and once a side is chosen, all bets are off. So I expect the book to get a lot of flack...and from both sides, since I think many force instructors have considered writing the same book and I'm sure the product won't match what they think it should be. We'll see.

Also, the editing process for FD was pretty hellish.

Tim's manuscript is basically done, just waiting for some more testimonials. (Thanks, David T and LD).

Did two on-line courses for writers in November. One on police force policy; one on weapons and wounds. I think the weapons and wounds might make a good addition to a second edition of Violence: A Writer's Guide. If I ever get the time.

Spent a day in Seattle shooting pictures with Lawrence Kane for the collaboration "Scaling Force" also due out next year.

Sent Kasey Keckeisen the notes from the UofF classes I did for his Ramsey Co. guys in September He made a very nice PowerPoint out of it and now the ChironTraining UofF is officially part of their training. Kind of cool.

(And that got me thinking-- how rare is it for Use of Force to be taught with all the background and concepts? It's the only way I've trained, so running into an agency where 'Factors and Circumstances' hadn't been an explicit part of training was unexpected. Which is the normal baseline? To just read the department policy and state law and send 'em out? Or to go into the cases and reasoning and have them practice articulation?)

The handbook on talking down EDPs is also, basically, done. Got the perfect guy to do a foreword, then a last editing pass and it should be available.

Doc Coray was in town for a long weekend and we got to brawl a bit and sample some microbrews. Next week, TVW will be in town to talk about some projects and see the PNW. She also sent me a draft CD of her audio program for Mommy and Me Self-Defense. Can't recall seeing many recorded books on martial or SD subjects, except for Gavin DeBecker. Considering how much I preferred books to music when I was commuting, I think publishers are missing a big opportunity.

And working on installing a floor upstairs. And Lee wants me to work on an instructor's curriculum. And I need to rewire the stairway light. And somehow get the tool out of the chimney that I dropped. Maybe fix the porch...

Back to the salt mines.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Any good trainers you know of in central Arkansas (Little Rock) area? Recently read both of your books, working my way through the Chiron training series right now. Thanks

Anonymous said...

"To just read the department policy and state law and send 'em out?"
Probably this, more often than we'd like to think.
That's what we did with the new "Emergency Response Plan" here at work. I'd just finished reading "Just 2 Seconds" and when I pointed out that we shouldn't gather in the parking lot if there's a bomb threat because that's where a car bomb would be, they just *looked* at me, and someone said "*pfft* They wouldn't do that!"
Okay! Someone planting bombs isn't also going to plant a car bomb? GOOD TO KNOW! /sarcasm :S

Joseph A. Escher said...

Are there any dojos or instructors you would recommend in the New Jersey area or near Philadelphia? I have been studying martial arts for some time now but have yet to find an instructor who emphasizes real world application and serious contact training

Rory said...

I believe Frank Garza teaches in Little Rock. Kenpo, and he's had significant exposure to real things. Good man, very tough.

Joseph. I know some traditional style teachers in that area I really like, but not what you're looking for. The combatives guysI know I haven't seen teach.

For the record, I like to see someone teach before I do a recommendation.

Sarcastic Anon- yeah. Decision and planning power often gets pushed to those who are good planners and may never have looked at the problem. Bureaucracies can drive me nuts.