In the fourth grade, a boy named Willie McTavish moved from Scotland to Auburn California, which was my home town. Miss Arbortree, our teacher, appointed me to show him around the school grounds, and to make him fell at home. I don’t know why I was selected, unless it was the plaid shirt I was wearing that day.
Willie was a very nice boy, but very curious, and with hundreds of questions asked in his thick Scottish brogue, I spent a lot of time stuttering and asking him to repeat the question. It became apparent shortly that he was in love – really in love – with American baseball. Whether he knew of it before he came to the states or not, I never found out. But love it he did, and the balance of my 4th grade year consisted of memorizing batting averages, ERA’s, fielding percentages, and the like. Willie was relentless. He knew the figures not only of Joe DiMaggio and the other stars of the day, but also of the utility men whose names were hardly household words. Looking back, I believe I learned more math from Willie than from Miss Arbortree that year, as he required me to compute batting averages not on paper, but in my head (writing averaged is not very practical when you are whispering during music or social studies.)
And speaking of Joe DiMaggio, Willie and I got the chance of a lifetime to see him when the Yankees were on a barnstorming tour, and stopped for a game against the Sacramento Solons of the Tripe-A Pacific Coast League. Sacramento was just 30 miles from Auburn (I understand it is somewhat closer now, thanks to Interstate 80), and we finagled either his parents of mine, I don’t remember which, to take us to the game.
It was a thrill to see not only Joltin’ Joe in the flesh, but also all the other Yankees, such as Scooter Rizutto, Whitey Ford, Billy Martin, Johnny Mize, Yogi Berra, Hank Bauer, Gene Woodling, and all those names that struck terror into the hearts of the other teams.
The Yankees thumped the Solons real good, much to the delight of us locals. We loved our Solons, of course, but they were bush league compared to the mighty Yankees, with all the tradition of the Babe, the Iron Man, and all those immortals. The highlight of the game came in the 8th inning when Joe jolted one over the left-center field fence. We all went bananas, later immortalized by Paul Simon and his Mrs. Robinson, who would much later haunt our memories about the nature of our heroes.
After the game, Willie and I and a dozen other kids stood in the parking lot by the door we figured the Yankees would emerge from, and after 45 minutes of making our parents wait, we were rewarded by the sight of Yogi, Whitey, and then finally Joe as they exited the clubhouse toward the team bus. (Yes – they traveled by bus and train back in those days.) Virtually all of us kids crowded around Joe, paper and pen in waving hand, hoping for the treasured autograph of baseball’s ruling king. Willie and I got ours rather quickly from a weary but friendly DiMaggio, fortunately, then looked around to see which of the other Yankees was still available for autograph signing. By then all the others were in the bus, and the door of the bus was guarded by a stern-looking man in an official looking uniform, so we decided it would be unwise to try to board the bus. There was one kid, however, who looked to be 18 or 19 years old, learning against the side of the bus, waiting for Joe to finish his autographs. We didn’t know if he was the batboy or what, but we thought we might as well get his autograph too, so we did – on the same little scrap of paper the immortal Joe DiMaggio had just signed.
When I got home, after showing everyone in Auburn who would look, including show-and-tell at school, I pinned the little paper up on my bedroom wall, right next to a framed copy of Joyce Kilmer’s poem entitled “Trees”. “I think that I shall never see a poem lovely as a tree.” Many nights as I lay in bed, I looked at that little slip of paper, and visualized myself in pinstripes, backhanding a fly ball off the center field wall, throwing a strike to the plate, and hitting homer after homer after glorious homer, surpassing the records of Joe, the Babe, and the Iron Man. Sometimes in my drowsy state the words of the poem right next to my treasured slip would mix in my mind with baseball dreams, and the poem would sometimes read “I think that I shall never see and outfielder as great as Shinn”. Terrible and vain poetry, but I would often fall asleep with these daydreams turning into night dreams. But each new morning burst the bubble, and life went on.
That little slip of paper stayed faithfully on my bedroom wall year after year, turning yellow with age. Then one day when I was a freshman in high school – probably 3 or 4 years later, I looked carefully at the slip, and found the signatures of both Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle side by side on the same slip of paper! The kid leaning on the Yankee bus!
“I think that I shall never see a poem lovely as a tree.” Or a scrap of paper with two names on it, one of them previously unknown.
Unfortunately, when I was away at college, Mom took all my stuff off the wall and put it in a box. I have spent the rest of my adult life looking for that box, but in vain. I don’t miss Kilmer’s poem that much, but I sure do miss that little scrap of paper.
Duane Shinn is the author of the popular free 101-week online e-mail newsletter titled “Amazing Secrets Of Exciting Piano Chords & Sizzling Chord Progressions- Intelligent Piano Lessons For Adults Only! ” with over 84,400 current subscribers.

Regardless of skill level, all basketball players look at the summer as their chance to make the biggest improvements in their game.

The summer is when you get to work on skills, techniques, and aspects of your game that you don’t get a chance to during the season, and players do so by either working out in the gym or driveway, playing on a traveling team or in pick up games, or by attending a basketball camp.

If you are attending a basketball camp however, you need to make sure that you make the most of your experience, because not all camps are created equal. Here are some ways to think about so that you can get the most benefit from your basketball camp experience this summer.

1) Exposure vs. Development

Some basketball camps cater to players who are looking to get noticed by college coaches (think Five Star, Nike), while others focus on developing skills (think Point Guard College, Hoop Group). There are benefits for either approach, but just be honest with yourself about your goals going in. Are you looking to get noticed, or are you looking to get better?

2) On Court vs. Off Court Development:

Not every basketball camp approaches skill development the same way. Some spend all of their time on the court doing drills or playing games, while others spend time developing players with the use of video analysis, leadership training, and breaking down basketball related concepts in the classroom. You can usually get a preview of the basketball camp weekly schedule, so make sure you ask for it up front and see exactly what they offer.

With so much of the game being mental, it’s important to consider the value of spending time learning how to think the game, and not just play it. So make sure you ask about whether or not off the court instruction is a big part of the basketball camp experience as well.

Summary:

As you plan for another summer on the hardwood, think hard about your options for how you’re going to spend your time. If attending a basketball camp is part of your approach, make sure you take a few of these thoughts into consideration, so you can get the best experience possible for your development.

http://www.PointGuardCollege.com

When beginning boxing lessons, the coach should place all his boxers in a circle around himself while teaching the phases of the important on-guard position. We find that such mass instruction at the outset is much more beneficial than having the boys pair off immediately with gloves on. The time allotted to each athlete for this exercise should be determined by the amount of previous training he has had.

After this practice procedure in which they punch at the air with bare hands, have the boys put on gloves, pair off, and go through the routine with one boy punching, the other blocking.

Practicing the Left JabFor this aspect of boxing lessons, both boys should be in the regular on-guard position. Stress here again that all punches start from and finish in the all-important on-guard position. Changing positions with the start of a new punch spoils deception. When punches begin from on-guard position the opponent does not know whether a left, a right, a jab, or a hook is coming.

Both boys in a pair should simultaneously throw left jabs to the jaw. This is excellent practice since both boys learn the block as well as the punch. The heads should roll a bit to the right, and the right hands should catch the left jabs just a few inches from the chins, but the right gloves still do not come into contact with the faces. Frequently a boxer makes the mistake of holding his right glove against his face. This is wrong as he receives part of the impact in blocking a blow.

Also guard against the mistake of instinctively reaching out with the right glove to block a jab. If this error is made, the opponent may feint with a left jab, and then follow with a left hook. This can be a disastrous error. Have your boys draw back into the on-guard position, practicing the blow and block. Stress again and again that, after the jab, the arm comes straight back, thereby offsetting a possible right-hand counter.

The puncher immediately follows the left jab with the right cross. The left is snapped back for protection and is ready to go again. Proper timing is all-important. The right cross must instantly follow the left jab.

Practicing the Right CrossFrom the on-guard position the blocker for convenience lowers his left arm to give the puncher practice in landing the right cross.

The puncher follows straight through. His left hand is back protecting, and also in position to punch. Always, one hand out, one hand back. The puncher draws back into the on-guard position. Go through the entire motion, again and again.

Counter for the Right CrossFor convenience in practice during boxing lessons, the blocker should drop his left arm. In an actual bout he would keep his left high and counter a right hand by a left jab to the shoulder of the original puncher or by a jab to the jaw. Emphasize that a good jabber can beat a right-hand puncher nine times out of ten. The left hand travels only a short distance to the point of contact, whereas the right cross must travel at least twice the distance to the point of contact. Hence, as shown in the illustration, a good jab will offset a good right cross.

If these practice routines are followed, the young boxer will definitely improve.

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Quick Tips/Suggestions:
If you’re going to enjoy yourself in Athens, you better get in shape and bring comfortable walking shoes and plenty of water. Most of the famous sites in the city require either walking uphill, or walking along a stony path. And beware of the marble stairs, wherever you go: they are dreadfully slippery!
I took a city bus tour on my first day in Athens and it was worth the money. The tour included the Acropolis, and took in the region of to the Olympic Stadium, Syntagma Square, Zeus’ Temple and other important tourist sites. It was a nice way to make introduction to the city and plan out the rest of my trip.
How about the food? Modest neighborhood restaurants are your best bet. They dish up inexpensive, delicious and truly local fare. Fancier restaurants in spots like Plaka are expensive, and you’re more likely to see fried chicken on the menu, than a gyro or souvlaki. And a word of warning: go easy on the OUZO! That stuff goes down way too easy, and after finishing half a bottle with dinner, I slept for 12 hours and had a hangover the next day.
Where to stay? Hotels and hostels are plentiful in Athens. Rooms do get booked up during high season – so book early. Quality and standards may vary just like any other destination. Location and price should be you main priorities. A good website for client reviews is www.tripadvisor.com. For good deals on a range of Athens hotels and other Greece hotels check out Cybertravel Network’s Greece website at www.hotels-greece-athens.com.
How to Get Around:
Athens has allegedly more taxi cabs per capita than any other city in the world. Having said that, the fact is, it’s almost not possible to hail down an empty one during the rush hour. Often a cab will slow down and pull up to a curb and cabbie will ask ‘Pou?,’ which means ‘where.’ Just yell out where you want to go to (in Greek preferably), and if you’re fortunate it will be on his way. I can’t say anything in good faith about the truthfulness of cabbies in Athens. I took a cab three times, and twice I got ripped off, so make your own conclusions.
In my view the best way to get around Athens is by bus or trolley. The tickets are not expensive and available at kiosks along any street. Just make sure you cancel the ticket in a ticket machine immediately after you enter the bus or a trolley. There are plenty of ticket controllers around to catch you if you travel without a ticket, or if you forget to stamp it.
Things to see in and around Athens:
Acropolis
The Acropolis is Athens’ most recognizable, breathtaking and astounding site. The Acropolis is in fact the name of the hill upon which there are three main temples: Parthenon, Erechteion and Temple of Athena Nike; as well as the Acropolis Museum and Propylaea, which was the original entrance to the Acropolis.
Being a fan of archeology and Greek classical studies, I was absolutely enthralled by the place. The total size of the Parthenon is extraordinary, when you comprehend it was built 2,500 years ago. The museum houses artifacts found in the temples on the Acropolis, which were put there to avoid weather damage.
Acropolises is a hill, and a pretty steep one, so take good quality walking shoes and bottled water with you when you go. And take careful steps, because the marble steps are very slippery. I introduced myself to the marble the hard way: face first, and let me tell you: it’s not an enjoyable experience.
On the path to the Acropolis there are many souvenir peddlers that sell postcards, papyrus drawings and other trinkets. They sell the same type and quality of souvenirs as the museum gift shop but at half the price. I recommend loading up on souvenirs from them on the way out of Acropolis.
Temple of Olympian Zeus
The temple is one of the only two remaining parts on the Olympieion site. The utter size of this monument is incredible! There is only a few of the original Corinthian columns left of the original 104! This is an ideal site to sit down on a sunny day with a gyro in your hand and just admire its beauty.
Interesting fact about the Temple of Olympian Zeus is that it took almost 700 years to construct. It was started in 515 BC by Peristratos and completed in 125 AD by Roman emperor Hadrian.
Close to the Temple, on Amalias Avenue you can take a closer look at the other remaining monument – Hadrian’s Arch, built a few years later by the same emperor. During my visit it was all covered in cellophane for reconstruction, so wasn’t very inspiring.
The Agoras – Ancient and Roman
Ancient Agora (Arkhaia Agora) was the gathering place of the ancient Athenians. It’s hard to tell now, considering almost nothing is left from the original structures. Hephaisteion (Temple of Hephaistos) is the exception. It’s quite a monument and probably the best conserved of all Greek temples in Athens. Stoa of Attalos, which was entirely reconstructed, houses the museum of Ancient Agora and is a resting place for most of the artifacts found here.
Roman Agora (Romaiki Agora) is situated near the other one. It is much smaller, and a much younger site than Ancient Agora. A couple of interesting things to see here are a Turkish mosque: Fethiye Djami, and Tower of the Winds.
I marked this site as Recommended, not Highly Recommended because unless you have a real interest in archeology or history, you might simply get fed up here. There isn’t as much to see, besides the Hephaisteion, because most of the monuments are almost completely ruined. But if you are a history/archeology buff, have an extra day, or happen to get bored in Plaka, than by all means stop here and do a little exploring.
Panathenaic Stadium
Panathenaic Stadium was the site of the first modern Olympic Games in 1896. Its name, Panathinaikon, stands for “All Athenians Stadium”. It has been reconstructed in the place of the original stadium. This stadium is one of those places that just give you a good quality feeling inside. You’re welcome to run laps around it, or to take a look at marble slabs documenting all the modern Olympic Games. At the front of the stadium is a statue of the Discus Thrower.
Kerameikos Cemetery
This one was quite a stunner! Traditionally I was used to cemeteries being rather solemn places where people come to worship or recollect. Not Kerameikos. In fact, judging by people sitting on gravestones, or lying around in bikinis getting a tan, you’d hardly know it’s a cemetery. But you can’t fault anyone; no one has been buried here for over thousand years.
So against my original feelings, I’d have to suggest this site as a nice relaxation place: a place to sit down and read a book, stretch your legs and relax or just get a tan. Oh… there is a museum here as well that exhibits some burial items, gravestones, urns etc.
The Ruins of Delphi
A visit to Delphi site is an absolute must for any history buff. Plan a whole day for the trip as it is around three hours away by bus or car.
The Temple of Apollo is the main pull of the site. This magnificently preserved temple is where Pythia, the High Priestess of Apollo would be asked to predict the future, and in return she would give very inexplicable answers (and they weren’t always good).
The Theatre of the sanctuary and The Stadium are located higher up on the site (approximately 10 minutes walk). Not quite as eye-catching, and can be avoided by those for whom the climb proves too much.
And of course you cannot miss the Archaeological Museum of Delphi, which houses the valuable artifacts found at the site. And fortunately it is situated at the base of the site, so no climbing is necessary.
Plaka
Plaka is the tourist’s heaven. It’s very similar to Paris’ Montmarte district. There are hundreds if not thousands of modest souvenir stores, taverns, liquor stores, small churches and open air stands where you can buy everything from produce to ceramic vases to olive oil soap. It’s a place you have to visit on your last day in Athens when you want to load up on cheap souvenirs. You’re not really going to see all that many locals here, at least proportionally to the thousands of tourists passing by every minute. And by Goddess, don’t forget to bring a map! Plaka is a labyrinth, a network of streets that all look alike.
There are plenty of places to eat in Plaka, but most of the fancy looking ones tend to be terribly costly and don’t really offer that good of the local fare. Little take-out places or little restaurants are the best bet for food there. Their gyros might grease the wrapper, but they taste fine and you’ll have money left over for those souvenirs.
One thing I discovered when buying souvenirs in Plaka, that the price of the item is almost never the price you’ll pay if you play your cards right. In some stores, the owners will tell you right away ‘Today discount 20 percent’ or ‘More you buy, bigger discount’. But as a general rule, you should barter. You’re stupid if you don’t, because you’ll simply overpay for everything. Everyone bargains here, both locals and tourists. And if the store owner is reluctant to make a deal, put down the stuff you’re looking at and say you’ll look somewhere else. They will most likely change their tune and offer you money off right away!
National Archaeological Museum of Athens
If you’re going to see any museum on your trip to Athens, see this one. It is the largest and most inspiring archeological museum in Greece. Even the building itself is quite something to look at. The museum has quite a few different exhibits, but obviously the most interesting ones are the Greek pottery and sculpture, which also happen to take up most of the space. There are also exhibits of Egyptian arts and prehistoric and bronze age artifacts.
The Museum is easily reached by various buses from any point in the city. It’s huge and can easily take up a whole day, but dissimilar to Louvre in Paris, this museum contains such a diversity of things, that I found it very easy to spend several hours there without getting weary of admiring the pieces.
One final note, even though the Type of Museum states it’s an Art Museum, it really is a mixture of an Art/History/Culture Museum. I want to make that clear, so I don’t frighten away art-unconscious people.
National Gardens
National Gardens, which are accessible behind the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, offer a nice escape from all the hustle and the bustle of the city. Looking at the crowds present, I have a feeling they are a trendy hang-out spot for the locals. This is a nice place to take a leisurely walk or eat a brown-bag lunch. In the heart of the park there is a neoclassical structure called Zappion, which I’ve been told is used for important political and cultural events (a security guard told me Greece’s entry into European Union was signed here). It’s quite an eye-catching structure worth checking out if you appreciate architecture.
It is also a fine place to talk to the locals if you so desire. I stopped at a pretzel stand run by a Kurdish immigrant and immediately got into a discussion about the fate of the Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan (who was being incarcerated at the time by Turkey). Not that I spoke any Kurdish or Greek, or the stand owner any English, but amazingly enough using hand-gestures, and a combination of English, Greek, German and a word ‘caput’, we somehow came to an understanding that he was a goner and we both supported his cause. Afterwards, I was promptly ripped off for a pretzel, but… it was for a good cause.
Constitution Square
Syntagma (Constitution) Square is centrally positioned in Athens and a pretty good starting point for tourists. There are banks here where you can exchange money, travel agencies where you could pick up information on what to see in Athens or book a bus tour and some rather luxurious hotels.
Top tourist attraction in the Square is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier which is watched over by guards wearing EVZONE costumes, which is the customary male Greek costume comprising of a white skirt and shirt, red vest and hat and shoes with pompons. They look rather attractive! The best time to see the changing of the guards is Sundays at noon, when the big service takes place. I believe that the early event starts at around 11 or 11:30 am, when a battalion of soldiers starts marching down the street with a military band playing. When they approach the Tomb, they stop in a systematic fashion, wait until noon, then the ceremony of changing of the guards begins. It’s really quite interesting as there is so much custom and ceremony involved. The soldiers take these long careful steps: I was amazed to see how they keep their balance while standing on one leg.
There isn’t much else to see in Syntagma Square itself, but from here you’ll have easy access to the National Gardens, as well as Plaka and Omounia Square. Somehow, my every day in Athens started and ended here.
Three Island Cruise
This was well worth the time and money. I booked the cruise through Cybertravel Network www.hotels-greece-athens.com one of about a dozen travel agencies offering the identical tour (later I found out many tour agencies use the same boat, which can carry several hundred people). It was very well planned: in the early morning a van picked me up from the hotel and dropped me off where air-conditioned coaches took us to the harbor. From there, it was a couple hours of sailing to our first port of call: Hydra. What a magnificent, laid-back small place! White houses, red roofs, blue water and the sky, about 25 Celsius… and that’s in Feburary! Shopper’s paradise of course with souvenir shops everywhere. We moved on to Poros, during which time lunch was served on board. Poros, wasn’t as tranquil as Hydra to me. It was more commercialized, reminded me a bit of Honolulu, Hawaii. But it was a nice place to grab a bowl of ice cream and just lounge a bit on the harbor. From there we moved to Aegina and were offered to pay for an optional bus tour on Aegina to the Temple of Aphaia.
The bus tour was well worth the money. Temple of Aphaia at Aegina is very well preserved and an outstanding site to take a look at. Aegina is also a very good place to purchase pistachio nuts: there are vendors all over the place, so pick up a bag or two on the way out!
The cruise back was very laid back. There was on board entertainment: live band, comedian, Greek folk dancing etc. I chose to just kick back with a bottle of Retsina (Greek wine) and watch the display which was quite pleasurable. Upon arrival, the coaches dropped everyone off back at their hotels.
Dealing with Athenians
Athenians (or perhaps Greeks) are a one of a kind type of people. Very talkative, not inhibited and most of all very curious. Now, of course these are my opinions and they are highly personal to what I have experienced, so anyone who disagrees with this view should bear this in mind.
This mannerism has proven rather out of the ordinary on many occasions. Almost everyday, I went to the same small family-owned restaurant in Kifissias called ‘Ta Salona’. Besides having good quality food, it also had very curious owner. Every night, we’d sit down over a bottle of Greek beer ‘Mythos’ or a glass of ouzo (killer stuff!) and discuss where I come from, life in Athens, food, drink… etc. It really made for enjoyable evenings.
Another example of this extrovert nature freaked me out a little bit. On a couple occasions while walking in the Plaka, I asked a person walking by what time was it, or how to get somewhere and after receiving the answer, the person said ‘You want to go to bar, drink ouzo?’ Now… I’m sure there is nothing wrong with asking someone to go drink with you, but it took me aback a little bit. Coming from the US, I was feeling that if I accepted an offer like this from a complete stranger, I’d probably end up in a biker-bar, arm wrestling with a 300 pound guy called ‘Bulldog’. A British woman I met couple days earlier on a cruise to the islands told me that she was approached a couple of times on the street by complete strangers either asking her out on a date or making remarks like ‘She’s tall! I bet she’s real good’.
If I drew any conclusions from this occurrence, if you ignore the person, they will in due course drop the subject. But in a location like a restaurant or a bar, it actually proved really fascinating to talk to the locals and find out a little bit about their daily lives.
Paul Keene actively writes travel articles for various hotel websites including one for Greece hotels.

Reality vs. Fantasy

I have been asked what the difference is in training for a duel and a real life attack.

Basically a duel is a planned event where there are some rules and expected behavior involved with what will happen during a conflict. Sometimes a duel is not planned. In this case a person may have some martial arts training like karate or boxing or has training in ring style fighting. Here you may encounter a person who may wish to fight for some psychological reason and attempt to have a contest in the street to see who is the real man. This kind of person can be seen at your local bar after a few drinks or after he has been hanging out with his buddies and may be bored or in some kind of drug induced state of mind and wish to do combat with whoever he feels would suit his needs. Here is a situation that can go south fast.

What to Do

The first rule of engagement with this type of moron is leave the scene as soon as you have picked up on your radar that one of these or a group of these sad creatures is in the vicinity. The last thing you need is to start fighting for no real reason and be suddenly surrounded by the meatball’s idiot friends. This is a no-win situation. If you beat him his friends will stomp you into the dirt. If you loose to him generally the friends will proceed to stomp you into the dirt.

A real life and death attack can occur almost anywhere and anytime. You will not be the one who gets to choose the conditions of the attack. A serious prison trained monster or psychopath will attack when you least expect it. He is not worried about his macho status he just wants you dead. He will always try to get you by surprise and he will usually have a weapon and one or more friends helping.

These would-be assassins depend on trickery to get you into range. You could have the best competitive fighting ability and end up as lunch for a determined killer. No one is immune! The only weapon that you have for this type of animal is highly developed awareness.

Real Violence Is Not a Movie!

I know of one high ranking police officer who is trained in many forms of hand to hand and grappling arts. He has been in Kung Fu movies. He is Asian and in tremendous shape. He was taken off guard while he was talking with a female officer. The attacker was a mental case who should have been in lock up but the state felt that if he would just stay on his anti-hallucinogens he would not be a threat to others. They were wrong!

While standing around and having a friendly conversation at a local outdoor eating establishment the non-english speaking psycho said something incoherent to the high ranking officer and since the officer ignored the nut the nut attacked with fists of fury. Luckily the officer survived. The female officer offered no assistance. She was in shock at the sudden and intense attack. Had the officer, who is very trained and considered a master fighter, been on his guard he may have been able to prevail in this situation. To the officer’s credit he has won citations for bravery in much more potentially deadly altercations. But he was ready for them.

Stay Aware

Armed attacks often occur without warning and without the weapon being shown before the attack. Here it is very important to keep yourself away from potential situations. Do not travel where bad guys hang around. If you see trouble coming toward you leave the area. Even if you are armed you don’t want to bet your life that you will be quicker on the trigger. The legal ramifications alone are not worth the trouble. You don’t need to test yourself on the street.

Recently in NYC we had an incident where a serious fighter who was from Russia and skilled in striking and grappling got himself killed. No, they did not catch him off guard. He actually went out to look for the bad guys because they had earlier attacked and mugged his wife. When he confronted the bad guy who pulled a gun on him he simply knocked the gun out of his hand and dropped the bad guy to the ground. Unfortunately the bad guy’s girlfriend grabbed the gun off the ground and shot and killed the Military trained Russian super fighter.

Armed and Ready?

Some of my students ask me why I always carry a knife and a gun. I state that it is for the unexpected situation. I also state that I may not be able to get the weapons into play before I am attacked. I remember one situation when I was a teen. I used to carry a refrigerator handle in my pocket which acted as a Yuwara stick with points on both ends. I was watching a melee in the middle of Broadway in front of a movie theater when I and a couple of guys were thrown into the middle of the fight by a car that hit us from behind. It was done on purpose. I found myself with a well known brawler who was a former wrestler choking me from behind. It was a particularly hot and sticky day and I could not remove his choke hold quickly enough before his buddies would begin to stomp me. I drew out my handle and simply slammed him in the head a couple of times. He went limp. I was able to get to my feet and move to a safer location. I left the area just as I heard the police sirens. I found that the brawler was taken to the hospital and had a fractured skull. I don’t know if it was the result of my refrigerator handle or someone else’s boots that caused the actual bone damage.

Remember: A serious street psycho will usually have a weapon to fight with. If you think that you are going to just get him into a submission hold and simply just put on the handcuffs before he cuts or stabs you or even shoots you, you are dreaming. If you think that you will go to a battlefield and be able to mount an enemy combatant without at least getting cut up, you are sadly mistaken. You must know not only bare-handed martial arts but the use of weapons as well and be ready to use them under the most difficult conditions. Training for anything less is just a sport or just an art. Both are great undertakings but will come up short when a real attack comes along or a duel gets out of hand.

Ex-cop, master handgun instructor and former forensic homicide detective John Perkins has taught members of Marine Combat units, Marine Scout Sniper units, military counter drug forces, FBI, NYPD and security personnel for domestic and foreign dignitaries. He has trained in Native American fighting principles since the age of 5 and engaged in unsanctioned pre-UFC era pit-fighting. In 1979 he created Guided Chaos, an adaptive, free-form internal art. Perkins is also co-author of the best selling self defense book Attack Proof: The Ultimate Guide to Personal Protection. See http://attackproof.com/ More articles and DVDs can be found at http://www.attackproof.com/FREE-self-defense-NEWSLETTER.html

I know many of you have seen a column in Basssmaster magazine where they challenge a “Pro,” to go to an unknown lake and they chronicle each hour with what the Pro was casting, where they were casting, and why, and see what they end up with at the end of the day. Most of the lakes they have them fish, are always bigger than anything in Delaware or most of Maryland. They are better than our lakes to begin with, once you have progressed to the level of fishing where you can always catch some fish wherever you go, no matter how notoriously bad of a lake it is; and many times catching & landing, some quite large fish from places where most people never even see bass over 4 pounds. I am or course referring to here in the Northeast, such as Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.
So I challenged Kurt vonBrandt, of S&K Guide Service, to a day on a lake we will call “Lake G,” on the borders of New Castle and Kent county, DE. This is a public lake that is within reach of Wilmington, and Dover, in about 45 minutes. It has a shallow, muddy, muck bottom, with most of the pads so high and thick, you can’t reasonably fish them. Add to that, it is the color of chocolate milk, and at the time, had a water temperature of 62-66 degrees throughout the day.There is no deeper spot in the lake than 4 feet in the main body, and the rest is all 1 1/2 to 2 feet deep, everywhere that is, except for the shore, which is 5-12 inches! A front is getting ready to move through, and it rained the day and night before we arrived for several hours. Kurt vonBrandt has a Spinnerbait, Buzzbait, 2 different makes and colors of tube baits, a Senko, and a crank bait rigged on 7 foot “G.Loomis”and “St.Croix” rods, with “Shimano” and “Daiwa” reels, spooled with 14-30 pound test line by “Berkley”and “Spiderline”. He has 2 spinning rods rigged with a 3 inch Mister Twister Grub on 12 pound test, and a 4″ “Centipede” in watermelon on the other.
THE TAKE OFF”
6:45 am.-We arrive at the lake, with no boats there. We launch and start fishing.
7:15 am.- I decide that in a shallow muddy lake, with that water temperature, and the angle of the sun this time of year, and being that all the other fish were fairly active and large in the rivers, I put on a buzz bait, as I felt that would be a good search bait for me in the back, doing most of the observing and filming.
7:28 am. -Kurt vonBrandt is using a Terminator Spinner bait in 3/8 ounce, double willow blades, with a Golden Shiner Skir, a bass swirls at the bait in 8 inches of water, but misses, Kurt immediately throws a Gary Yamamoto “IKA” tube, right where it swirled at the buzz bait. He does this several times, but it doesn’t strike. He said,” I know there’s bass in this area now. So I have to figure out what they are doing right?” He then moved the boat into shallow water about 20 feet ahead, being extremely quiet with the trolling motor. He said, “I need to see if they are on beds, or are making beds, or traveling together, and if there are any baitfish fry in the area” I questioned him further, while throwing the buzzbait and a spinnerbait in the pads. I said 64 or 65 degrees is traditionally thought of as an almost perfect temperature to catch some prespawn bass on spinner baits, Buzz baits, walking baits, (Jerk baits, if it was clear enough), Flukes, jigs, in wood/pad combinations; that should be deadly on these bass out here in the deeper pads on the edges near the channel, and in the mouths of little bays and inlets.
We always wear our Fish Hedz masks now . It is a eye saver and bug catching miracle that has long been awaiting bass anglers for years.
He said “I think you are right normally, but because this is so shallow all over, and always muddy, and the same depth, and I think that because of this, the bass need to spawn sooner, because of the lack of places to do this successfully later, as the pads grow up so high above the surface, and are so dense, that it is almost impossible for the sun, or anything to reach them, in this 1-2 foot jungle. I think after generations of spawning here unsuccessfully many times, that they (meaning the guarding males, and the larger females), ” have been programmed to just go on beds earlier than some other lakes, or even most rivers, but I think they are in closer to the shores, in whatever bottom is the hardest, and has the best water conditions, whether it is on the North shore or not.” I was skeptical, but we went in anyway, me switching back and forth between the buzz bait, Fluke, and spinner bait as we went in through the pads. He moved into within 20 feet of shore, and was throwing a 5 inch “Senko,” and a “IKA” Tube, and a Spinner bait.
8:10 am.-Kurt vonBrandt lands a 1 1/2 pound bass on the spinner bait, he says “It’s a male” guarding or even feeding on what has hatched”.
8:15 am.- I hook a 2 pound bass in the pads on a buzz bait, the water temperature is 66.
8:30 am.-Another bass in the shallow shore mixed with pads and wood swirls at the buzz bait, but doesn’t get it. It is too thick to use a trailer hook.
8:45 am. -Kurt vonBrandt lands a small bass on a Senko. He says “They’re in this area.” If I could see their beds, this would be easier.”
9:05 am.-Kurt vonBrandt lands a bass on a “Sala Tube” back in 8 inches of water. It is 14 inches long. He says” Another male, I know these females are close, but all the area is the same. I think the bigger fish will be in the best areas, on the shore with sun most of the day, and some kind of wood mixing with pads and grasses.” He sees a Carp about 15 pounds, jump out of the water in front of the boat, he says “Sometimes the carp are with those bass!”
10:25 am.- I catch a 2 pound bass on the buzz bait in real shallow wood,.
10:32 am.- Kurt vonBrandt throws a Rat, then a Tournament frog, in some unconventional ways, and Says “I just had to prove to myself that they weren’t out here in the pads”. He throws a spinner bait in the area for a few minutes.
10:46 am.-Kurt vonBrandt sets the hook, and lands a 3 pound bass from the shallow wood on an “IKA” Tube in smoke. He says “I saw that move, I know they’re in there on beds, or even finished!”
I said “Do you really think that all the bass are in that shallow water, and some of them are already on and even off the beds?” He said, I have seen times when the bigger bass were on beds as soon as the water temperatures got to a steady temperature of 60-65 degrees, with the sun at the proper angle.”
11:45 am.- we work the outside edges of the channel on the way to some of the other shallow wood in the lower half of the lake. Kurt vonBrandt throws spinner bait, and a “Sala” Tube into the pads. I throw a Chartreuse Mann’s Baby 1-minus, no takers.
12:05 pm.-My arms are starting to hurt from repetitious casting, but I bear down, and keep fan casting the area. Kurt vonBrandt flips a tube into a tree in 6 inches of water, a catches another 1 1/2 pounder. He fishes the area hard for the females, but no takers.
1:06 pm.- The wind starts blowing harder, and it starts to drizzle a little; Kurt vonBrandt sets the hook on a 2 pounder, and says” That female’s in here somewhere”.
1:28 pm.- We work the edges of the road, and dam with spinnerbaits, “Senko’s”, and “Yamamoto Tubes”. Kurt vonBrandt sets the hook on another 1 1/2 pound bass. What’s that? He says, 5 fish at about 11 or 12 pounds? I say “Somewhere in there.” He says, that’s not good enough, I need a kicker fish now.”
1:55 pm.- I keep alternating between a fluke, crankbait, and buzzbait, but no takers.
2:00 pm.- Kurt vonBrandt says” I wouldn’t have much time left now if this were a tournament, I need a bigger female.” He moves the boat into position of a large lay down, one of the few in the lake, and makes 10 or 15 casts down each limb of the tree. He says,” this is the spot, you just have to present it to them at different angles, and speeds, and keep bumping the logs.”
2:05 pm.-Kurt vonBrandt says” OH YES!” and as I turn, he says, “Get the Net,” I see the bass, and it is at least 5 pounds. He fights it through the pads with a 7-foot Medium-Heavy action St.Croix rod with 25-pound test Berkley Iron Silk. I net the bass, and bring it into the boat.
2:07 pm. -We take several still photos and video shots, after weighing and measuring it. It was 22 1/4 inches long, and weighed 6.4 lbs. It was a female, and appeared to have laid the eggs. The belly was still big though, so without damaging the fish, we forewent further inspection and released it. He said, “There’s the kicker.” Now I would be going in with what, say 5 fish at 15 or 16 pounds?”
2:15 pm.- Kurt works an identical piece of cover a few yards up and lands another nice bass of about 2 pounds.
2:45 pm.- He says” If I had figured that out a little sooner, we could have upped the total by a few more, maybe some bigger females earlier.”
3:00 pm.- We leave for the office to S&K Guide Service, and get ready for a client in the morning.
All our bass were weighed on the CULL-M-RITE Scale fore accuracy.
Kurt is a great guide, and will be moving up through the ranks of bass fishing soon enough. When he was 18 years old, he had already won minor club tournaments, and the Delaware State Sport fishing Tournament, many times, and was reading and learning about bass, the other 150 or so days a year he wasn’t fishing.
in 1999, we fished over 200 days a year, and guided a little, and started entering more team and local tournaments. Kurt caught on quickly, and won the 1999 Big Bass World Championship, placed 3rd and 5th in several other tournaments, and also won the largest bass that year for Delaware. In 2000, we concentrated more on refining his techniques in public and private lakes, and rivers, such as the Potomac River in Maryland, the Elk, Northeast, and Bohemia, and the Nanticoke River in Delaware. We also took a few trips to the Withlocoochee and the St.Johns River in Florida, with some other trips to Stick Marsh, and some other famous, and not so famous Florida Lakes and Ponds.
He was able to figure out what to do quickly, and learned all I could teach him by 2000. He then entered the “RED MAN TOURNAMENTS,” now the “Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League,” and finished 3rd for the entire year, besides winning at the “Potomac Super Tournament” and taking Big Bass honors with a 5-pound largemouth! He then qualified in the finals at “Lake Gaston.” and went on to win the 2001 Big Bass World Championship/DE, and competed in the finals at “Table Rock Lake” in Missouri.
He also won the Delaware State Sport fishing Tournament again, and has caught, and guided to over 500 bass in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, and New York, in the last 5 years, that were over 5 pounds, and gained first acceptance into the “Everstart” events.
He has been guiding again this year, while fishing some BFL Events, and some Team Tournaments, and still managed to find enough time to take care of the house, plan a wedding, and get married.
Look out for Kurt vonBrandt as I start to guide more and more, and he takes over the tournament end. Expect to see him having a prominent role in bass fishing in the years to come. I have caught my fair share of bass over the last 35 years, some just ounces off the State Record in several species, from Delaware to California. I have fished with some guys that were pretty darn good, but Kurt vonBrandt is a fishing machine! He also has a natural ability to read the fish and the water conditions, and he never stops. Look out, there’s a new kid on the block!
Steve vonBrandt

Sponsored by: GYCB (Yamamoto),Okuma, Delaware Tackle, TTI-Blakemore, and Ambush Lures.
Steve is the owner of Reeltime Anglers Guide Service in Wilmington, Delaware, Anglers Radio in Delaware and New Jersey, Reeltimeanglers, Bass Lure Review, and Delaware Tackle in Delaware. He also is a tournament angler and freelance outdoor writer. He has over 40 years of fishing experience in the Northeast, 5 years exp. in California. He has fished freshwater and saltwater since 1962, and has devoted to freshwater only since 1989. http://www.reeltimeanglers.com

He wanted golf to be experienced by all, and hoped his daughter hears the appeal. "Come on," he said. "It will have a ball!" "Why?" He asked. "Are we going to the mall?" They often take his golf cart to work, and all his colleagues would not smile. Do not know why, and I thought: "They're idiots!" "How could detract from this benefit?!" His swing was big and beautiful, but stupid, cried and cried when he made a bogey. Children thought, "What's wrong with this old thing?" He thought: "I am not old. I sport a goatee." He loved his bag of old and broken, his caddy she felt as a burden. But he hated most "tag golf cart, the golfer plays with him when he did not move the flag! Forever chasing the elusive par, he'd hit the ball straight and far. Trap, the ball seemed stuck to tar! He'd still be there when "parking" had narrey a car! He loved the smell of "freshly cut green", but to him it was like a demon. It is in favor of it, always read! Despite its beauty, it could be this bad! The point of golf? To put the ball in the hole. You do it with a "polo final curve. But the road, always guarded by a troll, or perhaps, however, some" marked-off mole! He was never good at cheating, in fact, his "game always overlap. But for others, seemed to sit on his lap while he was reduced to kicking his cap! I had read the "Mags" to carry his golf game higher. He wanted the best ball – best putter — best driver. Often goes to his wife to borrow a "fiver", not stirred. No matter how hard he tried to "Jive" her! the relays, in the early morning, often had to travel, sometimes his bathrobe and pajamas his only clothing. Unfortunately, often unravel the knot, after jumping up and down on a lucky roll, which was wonderful! Copyright 2005 by Kevin D. Rolle. All rights reserved. My name is Kevin D. Rolle, and I have a http://www.golf-humor-asylum.com site dedicated to humorous and comedic aspects of golf, shown by a band fresh, exciting golf comic, and my comment . Thank you.

He wanted golf to be experienced by all, and hoped his daughter hears the appeal. "Come on," he said. "It will have a ball!" "Why?" He asked. "Are we going to the mall?" They often take his golf cart to work, and all his colleagues would not smile. Do not know why, and I thought: "They're idiots!" "How could detract from this benefit?!" His swing was big and beautiful, but stupid, cried and cried when he made a bogey. Children thought, "What's wrong with this old thing?" He thought: "I am not old. I sport a goatee." He loved his bag of old and broken, his caddy she felt as a burden. But he hated most "tag golf cart, the golfer plays with him when he did not move the flag! Forever chasing the elusive par, he'd hit the ball straight and far. Trap, the ball seemed stuck to tar! He'd still be there when "parking" had narrey a car! He loved the smell of "freshly cut green", but to him it was like a demon. It is in favor of it, always read! Despite its beauty, it could be this bad! The point of golf? To put the ball in the hole. You do it with a "polo final curve. But the road, always guarded by a troll, or perhaps, however, some" marked-off mole! He was never good at cheating, in fact, his "game always overlap. But for others, seemed to sit on his lap while he was reduced to kicking his cap! I had read the "Mags" to carry his golf game higher. He wanted the best ball – best putter — best driver. Often goes to his wife to borrow a "fiver", not stirred. No matter how hard he tried to "Jive" her! the relays, in the early morning, often had to travel, sometimes his bathrobe and pajamas his only clothing. Unfortunately, often unravel the knot, after jumping up and down on a lucky roll, which was wonderful! Copyright 2005 by Kevin D. Rolle. All rights reserved. My name is Kevin D. Rolle, and I have a http://www.golf-humor-asylum.com site dedicated to humorous and comedic aspects of golf, shown by a band fresh, exciting golf comic, and my comment . Thank you.