Martial Arts
In high school, I loved X-men comics and became obsessed with martial arts. I started out taking Tae Kwon Do, a Korean form of martial arts, during a 9-week summer session senior year, and when I left for college, I continued my studies every holiday. I also worked as a camp counselor and taught elementary students martial arts during summer break.
Upon moving to Los Angeles post-college, I slacked off big time. In the land of the tanned and toned, I was neither. My health suffered, and I became determined to re-live my former glory. This meant starting over as a White Belt, but the studio I chose was only a block from my apartment, so I threw myself into the regimen with abandon, studying both Tae Kwon Do and Hap Ki Do three to four times a week, as well as participating in the demo team. For my Black Belt test several years later, I had to teach beginner classes, learn meditation, and fast. (Fun fact: it's difficult to perform all your belt tests when you haven't eaten for a few days.)
I've written about martial arts for anthologies and magazines, and my old study notebooks provided excellent research and inspiration for me while writing BRUISED.
Upon moving to Los Angeles post-college, I slacked off big time. In the land of the tanned and toned, I was neither. My health suffered, and I became determined to re-live my former glory. This meant starting over as a White Belt, but the studio I chose was only a block from my apartment, so I threw myself into the regimen with abandon, studying both Tae Kwon Do and Hap Ki Do three to four times a week, as well as participating in the demo team. For my Black Belt test several years later, I had to teach beginner classes, learn meditation, and fast. (Fun fact: it's difficult to perform all your belt tests when you haven't eaten for a few days.)
I've written about martial arts for anthologies and magazines, and my old study notebooks provided excellent research and inspiration for me while writing BRUISED.
Article I wrote for Discovery Girls Magazine.