Jeth

Hi James,

I'll keep this brief and spare your eye....

Thank you so much (again!) for the book - very kind of you and much appreciated.

At the young age of 51, I can relate to "Winter of a fighting life" - worryingly well haha! 

I bought it the same week I got a knee to the left cheek/eye while grappling (it was a great knee though!) that left me concussed for two days - one of those two days I had the "sense" to nearly lose my left thumbnail knife fight training.

Seemed like a good idea at the time and what the hell else am I going to do anyway?

I'm halfway through the book and loving it, looking forward to "Poet".

Take care and warm regards from the UK.

Jeth

Jeth, sorry this took so long for me to get to. It is so nice hearing that you are continuing your combat training. Two days ago, while I was at the bar a woman who has a very large 18-year-old son who is a black belt in Tae-Kwon-Do expressed immense concern with the possibility of him stick-fighting with me and the nice young fellow I train with. I am 58 and Portland Joe and I have sparred for 12 hours over a months time with zero injuries.

I told her, “Don’t worry, he’s American, once he tries it he will not want anything to do with it.”

It is amazing how contact averse Americans are. The lady—a very nice lady—wondered about what I charged. I told her that there was no charge, that I just wanted a sparring partner for my Portland guy when I left town. That is when she thought I was insane, that I don’t do this for money, but for the art of it.

Jeth, I can say that my best training experiences and even some of my most warmly remembered fights, where had after I reached age 51. Just train smart and keep at it and you have some good times coming your way. I’m so glad for you and thank you for keeping me posted.