2024: The Books I wrote and related topics I published the first book in my Land of Exile trilogy, By Blood, By Salt on May 14 2024. I had been working on and off on this trilogy for nearly 2 decades. I had gone the traditional publishing route and would have held to it, exceptContinue reading “Quite the Year: a summary in 4 parts”
Category Archives: Jiu Jitsu
Update in the form of a ramble, for no one’s convenience
I did not realize till yesterday that I had let a whole month go by since writing a blog post. Not that these are strictly necessary–they are a mixture of casual joy and helpful discipline–and certainly no one has been knocking at my door, demanding I explain why I haven’t written one in a while.Continue reading “Update in the form of a ramble, for no one’s convenience”
Send Your Fighter Into the Ring
My experience with competition has, until now, been limited to Jiu Jitsu. I train. I work hard. I prepare. I map out my fight in its ideal form, so I won’t hesitate. I put on my gi. I shake out my nerves physically, with jumps and arm swings and jogging and swaying. I shake outContinue reading “Send Your Fighter Into the Ring”
It Gets Easier. But Also, It Doesn’t
On Saturday I drove out of the dry and windy desert, through fog and rain-soaked mountains, to a city of angels by the ocean. All this, so that I could do a Jiu Jitsu competition. I sign up for these things many months ahead of time, when I am still coming down from the highContinue reading “It Gets Easier. But Also, It Doesn’t”
J. L. Odom 