Worldbuilding for Storytellers: Part II

Image belongs to http://www.pitprogram.com/weekly-photography-challenge-earth/

Welcome back to Worldbuilding 101!  If you’re just joining us, we are on Part 2 of a 3 part series on worldbuilding.  Catch up by looking over Part 1 first (especially if you don’t understand why I refer to painting below). In the spirit of transparency, this post originally appeared on the now defunct blog, RoosterWords.

Worldbuilding: Bane or Benign Exercise?

Writers love their worlds, especially those in fantasy and science fiction.  We have to- we live in them for long periods, soaking in the essence and different flavors we have derived of our own obsessive volition.  All of us must build these worlds, carefully, with great attention to the details.  For some writers, this is the best part of the writing process…creating something out of nothing, ignoring all laws of science, alchemy, and common sense.  For others, worldbuilding is the representation of long-running nightmares.  Where do you fit in?

The Middle: Characterization

There is no escaping it; your story must have characters.  On top of that, your characters need, well, character.  There’s nothing worse than a great tale spun with a boring protagonist or antagonist.  Truly great stories imbue a certain amount of characterization into the setting as well.  That is a lot of character.
In continuing the painting you have already started, the broad strokes should already be in place. Now comes the time to use those fine brushes, adding emotion and circumstance to your canvas. Grab your brushes; we're going to add another layer of paint to your masterpiece. Here's how to do it:

3dregenerator at http://tf3dm.com/3d-model/earth-transparent-17615.htm

1.     What Conflicts the Protagonist? Your protagonist is going to need a lot of conflict to keep him moving through the story.  Sometimes it should be small, a decision or debate that moves them in a specific direction.  Others should be large, especially the Crisis which, eventually, your protagonist must face.

2.     What Conflicts the Antagonist?  Yes, you must have feelings for the “bad guy” in the story as well.  Anybody who is all evil (or all good for that matter) is boorish and will turn the reader off.  Develop reasons for your antagonist to move through your world, even if it is on the coat-tails of his opposite.

3.     Give Each Setting a Government: Even if your world is full of anarchy, there is somebody in power in each of your settings.  If the entire world is under one type of government…that makes things easier.  If not, then be sure YOU know what’s going on in each important stop along the journey. 

4.     Flesh-Out Supporting Characters: There is the possibility of creating a story with the protagonist being completely alone for a majority of the story.  The closest I have seen is Richard Matheson’s I Am Legend (granted, I know the movie adaptation starring Will Smith better).  Despite the longevity of loneliness his main character suffers, other characters do still interrupt his solitude.  The point is, without beings to interact with, the protagonist will have little reason to travel your world.

5.     Personality Quirks are King: If you’re like me, you may have trouble giving all these characters quirks that make them different from each other.  If so, check out these sites to help you find just the right twitch to fit each personality in your story-

·       Dungeons & Dragons Wiki: A huge list of traits created by Wizards of the Coast for the 3.5 version of their tabletop treasure.  The site is a Wiki project; which has permission from Wizards to display the content on their page.

·       This List of Personality Traits is great because it gives you positive and negative traits side-by-side.

·       Inspiration of Writers’ Character Trait Chart and Personality Components:  This site actually gives you a chart to record specifics about your character.  I use a similar approach when developing my peoples; based on suggestions found here.

It’s Important Because:

Making your world believable, even a fantastical or futuristic one, involves creating characters your readers can relate to.  Without that, the story dulls and suspension of disbelief becomes impossible.  We want to read your story, really we do.  So make the most of our trust and deliver great characterization; and that will keep us coming back for more!

Do you agree with my 5 characterization methods?  Would you add more or do anything different?  I’ve got plenty of space for comments below, tell me what you think.

James Neal loves to worldbuild.  The main reason he added D&D to his list of trait sites is because of the sheer amount of time he has spent giving fake people real personalities within the game.  He is not ashamed...of anything.  Get to know him on Facebook, or Twitter @BloodandBlade.

Worldbuilding for Storytellers: Part I

Image found at http://ipadminibackgrounds.com/digital-earth-2/

In the spirit of transparency, this series was originally posted on the now-defunct RoosterWords blog.

Worldbuilding: Bane or Benign Exercise?

Writers love their worlds, especially those in fantasy and science fiction.  We have to- we live in them for long periods, soaking in the essence and different flavors we have derived of our own obsessive volition.  All of us must build these worlds, carefully, with great attention to details.  For some writers, this is the best part of the writing process…creating something out of nothing, ignoring all laws of science, alchemy, and common sense.  For others, worldbuilding is the representation of long-running nightmares.  Where do you fit in?

Keep in mind, this guide is not just for writers. Geared for them, sure, but tabletop gamers, videogame developers, and anybody else who deals in stories can benefit from this guide. Me personally, I've been a tabletop gamer for ten years, and a DM/GM for five. Of course, I LOVE building worlds.

The Beginning: Staying Vague

My experience has been to start the worldbuilding process by keeping everything vague.  There is plenty of time to develop all those bothersome details later.  Like the artist creating a masterpiece, you must sketch all the pieces before you can put any paint on the paper.  In fact, thinking of your world as a painting may help you “see” all the inter-connectedness as you move from outline to final product.  Maybe that is just the artist that resides within me.  Here’s how to approach your “sketch.”

1.     Create a map (if not using Earth as your setting): This does two things: First, it allows you to physically see your world, how it is shaped, how continents and/or areas come together.  I also suggest you study how rivers and seas flow in real maps, so yours can be as convincing as possible.  The second thing?  When you’re ready to publish your masterpiece, readers will also get to “see” your world in a physical manner

2.     Decide on a Theme: Every book out there that is worth the ink (digital or otherwise) it’s printed from has a theme- a unifying concept.  Decide what your theme is so your story can, at the very least, have some semblance of grace within its pages.

3.     Decide on a Timeline: Yes, science fiction generally takes place in the future, fantasy in the past.  However these are not concrete rules; and even if they are for your story, you still need to define what flavor your world will have.  Are you telling a story based loosely on feudal Japan, or Middle Ages Europe (no, these are NOT your only choices, budding writer).

4.     NOW Add Some Details: Give your map some countries, regions, states, cities, etc. until you know what you need to push your story forward.  Develop a broad timeline of major events in your world, and where they occurred (trust me, this helps keep plot moving logically).  Decide on some landmark locations your story will take place at.  This is also the time to decide on things like how magic (or technology, or mixes) will work in your world.

5.     Develop Your Crisis: As every story has a theme, so too does it have a crisis.  Something which your protagonist must overcome; and it won’t be easy to do so successfully.  There is no formula for developing these types of situations (or if there is, I haven’t found it yet).  This is your time to shine, put your creativity to the test.  If nothing else, use a tried but true crisis until your imagination decides to hit you in the head with a stone and give you something better!

Do you agree that Worldbuilding should start out vague?  Do you start differently when creating your world(s)? Use up the comment space below and let me know how you feel about worldbuilding, this post, or whatever!  I respond to all legitimate comments, and moderate to keep things decently clean.

This is part One of a Three part series on Worldbuilding.  You can find Part II and Part III as well. James is rather fanatical about building worlds, He hopes to successfully bring magic back on a different planet which he intends to call: JamesWorld.  Here’s hoping he comes up with a better name.  Get to know him on Facebook or on Twitter @JamesNealWrites.

Enough Ranting (For Now): A Timeline for What's Coming

I have done a lot of ranting and raving here on American Dirt. Like, A LOT.

However, I promised to bring everything from politics to pop-culture, and it’s time I started delivering on that promise.

Image found at http://www.aventureinwriting.com/tag/pop-culture/

For the next three days, starting August 23, 2014, I’ll be showcasing a How-To segment on world-building for my writer friends, story aficionados, and even tabletop gamers. I use these strategies in my own games and stories. Maybe, just maybe, it will help you too. Make sure to tune in tomorrow for part I of Worldbuilding: A Guide to Start With. Hope you enjoy!

Next week, I’ll delve into my thoughts on the new Dungeons and Dragons tabletop game, the 5^th Edition, if you will.

The week after that, I’ll be speaking on anime, what it means, what it is, and possibly what it should be.

After that, it might be time for another rant. I have to stick to my guns after all. Glad to have you here, thanks for reading. Let me know if you like the changes or not, and don’t be afraid to comment! I’ll respond, and ensure moderation, so NO BULLIES. Let’s respect each other here on American Dirt. 

Michael Brown's Death and the Ferguson Riots Aren't About Racism Anymore

I’m just going to get this out of the way. Michael Brown should not have died. For the sake of transparency, I’m a white male. To get straight to the point, we should all be ashamed of ourselves. We all love a big, fucked up story. And that’s exactly what the Ferguson/Michael Brown story has become. If you’re still reading, congratulations…you just may be one of the few able to change the state of racism, and celebrity-status, in America today.

Image is Property of abcnews.go.com

This isn’t just about the fact that a white cop shot a black man. This is also about the reverse racism an overwhelming majority of black folks have for whites…to the point that they will not listen to or warrant anything “Whitey” says. Ferguson isn’t happening because one side is guilty and the other is sparkly clean, though all sides seem to want to prove that’s exactly how it is.

Recap of Ferguson

So let’s be brutally honest on all fronts, okay? What happened in Ferguson, MO, is a straight up hot mess. It’s been glorified by the media and complications arisen because nobody can seem to tell the straight truth. Here’s what I know:

1. While it’s possible Michael Brown robbed a store, that isn’t why Officer Darren Wilson stopped Brown. He stopped Brown for “walking in the middle of the street.”

2. Brown was shot at least six times, twice in the head according to a secondary autopsy Brown’s parents requested. All six shots hit Brown from the front side.

3. Peaceful protests were started “to get justice for Michael Brown.” These protests have gone on for several days.

4. Perpendicular to the peaceful protests, rioters and opportunists have attacked business and police, setting fires and looting, setting off a nation-wide look at Ferguson, MO.

5. Police have responded to rioters with tear-gas, rubber bullets, beatings, and arrests.

6. Even if the police in Ferguson haven’t attacked the peaceful protesters, which live feeds have shown otherwise, they have denied rights to citizens, attacking and detaining journalists and newsman for trying to report on the situation. Now, as of August 19, 2014, “stations” have been set up from where journalists may now report. They are not allowed to report from within or near clashes between citizens and police.

7. “New Black Panthers” and supposed member of the Nation of Islam Malik Zulu Shabazz tells police it’s “my people” causing the rioting in Ferguson and blockading police.

Image Property of nhpr.org

None of These is the Real Issue

The shooting and death of Michael Brown happened. That part is done. All we can really hope for now is that justice, true justice, is found. Meaning, the truth of what happened is discovered and the system takes care of itself. That’s the best-case scenario of any death, whether black, white, yellow, purple, or pink-polka-dotted. That’s not why people are rioting. That’s not why nobody wants to tell the truth right now.

The real issue here is accountability. And, in this instance, one of the people who needs to be held accountable…is dead. The best way to find the truth between two parties is to listen to each tell their version of the story…and somewhere in the middle is the truth. Officer Darren Wilson isn’t going to tell the full truth, he’s going to try and shove accountability onto the dead guy. Wilson is going to say whatever will keep him off death row…or at least out of prison.

Cause that’s how America works now, right?

The real issue here is why a single shooting, even one that led to one man’s death, leads to further deaths in the form of a militarized police force and riots willing to burn down buildings. The real issue is why some people feel a black man’s death made it okay to act on all the stereotypes of black folks across the Midwest. The real issue is not based on race. It’s based on class.

Wait…WHAT?

Twenty years ago, there would be no National Guard in Ferguson right now. Governor Jay Nixon wouldn’t need to be attempting to keep the peace in person. The President wouldn’t be needing to send his own staff to a small suburb in Missouri. I’m not saying justice was perfect twenty years ago. I’m not saying everything would have been fair. But I don’t think it would have gotten this big. Why?

Because twenty years ago, everyone had a shot at being at least Middle Class. Now, the modern middle class is a joke. You’re either rich, poor, military, or police. Each is a very distinct class, though lately police and military are looking awfully similar. Maybe that’s because police and military make up our middle class…citizens do not. The rioters are opportunists, using a bad situation to take advantage of others. I think if wealth wasn’t so disproportionate in America, they wouldn’t feel the need to burn things down.

James, this sounds close to personal politics.

You’re damned right it does. Michael Brown’s death isn’t a race thing. Not anymore. It’s political- from the St. Louis County Police to the President himself. Nobody wants to be found on the guilty side when the smoke (finally) blows out. As such, nobody is doing what needs to be done- take Officer Wilson into custody, prepare a trial, and give him a defender if he cannot afford one. Anytime a credentialed journalist is jailed, even temporarily, for reporting on the biggest event in recent memory, someone’s attempting to hide something. Hiding things from the public is, I’m sorry, political. That or the Mob wanted Michael Brown dead. Hey, who knows?

Could Events Have Rolled Out Differently?

Absolutely. Had both Officer Wilson and Michael Brown been white, Wilson would not be on paid leave. Chances are, Brown wouldn’t have been shot six times with two to the head, executioner style. But, would it have rolled out any differently?

Let’s keep the facts the same. Black man, white cop. Six shots. But, instead of killing Brown, Wilson only injured him, and taken Brown into custody. How would that have changed things?

I wish I could believe that one change would make a difference. Yes, the story would be different. Brown would’ve been capable of giving his side of the story, yes. Would we be closer to the truth? Certainly.

But, with tensions as they are, Brown would’ve blamed the whole thing on the “Whitey Police Officer.” Wilson would have still claimed Brown pushed the situation until he had to shoot him. People would still have risen up, but instead of demanding justice for Brown’s death, they would be demanding penance, in the form of suing Officer Wilson and the St. Louis County Police Department. We still wouldn’t know if either did anything wrong for sure.

Because a black man was attacked, those who rioted would have done so anyway, still using the confusion and supposed anger, along with the excuse of being poor, to burn down buildings. Police would still be trying to quiet the rioters and running into the peaceful vigils and trying to quiet the reporters after they took their job too far and far too seriously. Everyone would still be calling this a hate crime, or chanting racism, on every television station. It would still be a political maelstrom.

Because that’s how America works now, right? Don’t we all love a big, fucked up story after all?

 

Image Property of atlantadailyworld.com

Thanks for reading, I’d love to hear your comments. Do you feel all the racism is on one side? Do you feel the militarization of police and use of the National Guard is going too far? No worries, I’ll reply and moderate to make sure comments remain within reason.

Are Corporations Now Hulking Behemoth Pets of the Rich, After Sibelius vs Hobby Lobby Decision?

A little history for you. I promise- it will be brief.

Citizens United vs Federal Election Commission

In 2010, “The United States Supreme Court held that the First Amendment prohibits the government from restricting political independent expenditures by corporations, associations, or labor unions. This followed a line of decisions starting with Buckley v. Valeo, 424 U.S. 1 (1976) interpreting freedom of speech to include spending money. The case has remained intensely controversial for increasing the influence in elections that money can have, in contrast to most other developed countries where limits are imposed on all election spending.” -Wikipedia

Meaning: First- money talks, literally. Spent money is the same thing as the spoken word. Second, that corporations are people.

Scared yet? No?

Fast forward to Monday, June 30, 2014. The Supreme Court rules on Sebelius vs Hobby Lobby. The case is built around the owners of Hobby Lobby wishing to counter the Obamacare literature stating that they are required to give their employees insurance with contraceptive protection up to and including the “morning after” pill. The Supreme Court rules in Hobby Lobby’s favor, stating that “closely-held corporations” cannot be forced to pay for their employees’ birth control.

As written by Justice Samuel Alito, and reported by Mother Jones online: "[W]e must decide whether the challenged…regulations substantially burden the exercise of religion, and we hold that they do. The owners of the businesses have religious objections to abortion, and according to their religious beliefs the four contraceptive methods at issue are abortifacients."

So. Corporations now hold religious rights, too? I mean, granted, we told them they are people right? One question, if they are people, why can’t a corporation vote yet? Maybe that’s next on the agenda.

I have nothing personal against Hobby Lobby not giving out abortionist contraceptives to their female employees. Not outright. Not because they are a corporation and certainly not because the owners (can a corporation have owners, if they are people? Slavery?) are Christian in their beliefs. I have doubts that Hobby Lobby has any serious intent to harm society with the new decision. Not if they are truly Christian…

Author's Edit: Having discovered Hobby Lobby holds investments including a pharmaceutical company who MAKES ABORTIONIST "MORNING AFTER" PILLS, I am inclined to suggest that yes, even Hobby Lobby is just another corporation who will do whatever it wants, regardless of whom it hurts. I also want to say that, given the judgement affected only female employees, that the Supreme Court's decision is unconstitutional as it only affects a portion of the population, not the population as a whole. Morality aside (I don't agree with abortion), the law is supposed to be equal to all peoples, non-discriminatory based on SEX, RELIGION, SEXUAL PREFERENCE, ETHNICITY, ETC. Hobby Lobby's claim being religion based is a sham. 

"Turns out that Hobby Lobby’s 401(k) employee retirement plan, according to documents filed with the Labor Department and written about by Mother Jones, is heavily invested in the very pharmaceutical companies that manufacture the products the company refuses to cover for its employees." -Washington Post

No, my issue with the decision is what it can now lead to. Corporations are legally people and have been since 2010. Now, our government is granting them ever greater layers to practice their “humanity,” and not all corporations are interested in the common man and woman’s good. Not all of them are Christian. From Facebook, here’s an image of what we could have to look forward.

Can you honestly say that, in your opinion, no corporation would even try to abuse these new legal freedoms?

At the end of the day, if you look at America without beer/patriotic/blind eyes, we are essentially being attacked from two fronts. Who is we? The common man, that’s who. We are being bullied by big money, big corporations, and big government. From one end, the President is literally trying to force you to live a “better” life by regulating you. From another side, corporations are becoming humanistic and allowed to, at least legally and figuratively, live and breathe as an organism. And remember, people are not naturally good. Our survival instincts are first, our moral code built. Corporations (and our government) have already shown us what their moral character is made of…and it’s not to protect or make life better for the no-longer-existent Middle Class.

We are just Poor people, with a very few rich people and now great hulking behemoths, walking over us. God bless America.

Transformers: Age of Extinction is More Than Shrapnel in Your Eye

WARNING: Could contain mild spoilers.

I wasn’t expecting to see Transformers: Age of Extinction until long after all the reviews had been written and nobody cared anymore. Thanks to a friend who really wanted to see this movie, that expectation was shattered. Now, I have something to say about it…and it starts with this:

Anybody who has said TAoE is just a bunch of robots punching each other…again… you’re WRONG. 

I went into this movie expecting far less than I received. I expected to just see robots hitting each other and leaving shrapnel in their wake. While that did happen, there was much, much more going on between the wakes of destruction.

There was story. What is the mystery behind Optimus Prime being a knight? Why does it sound like Knight should be capitalized? How does inventor Cade Yeager (Mark Wahlberg) stay so fit when he’s spending all his time inventing?

 With only one character in the entire movie being wasted (Jack Reynor as Shane Dyson) because the movie demanded a non-robot who could drive fast and do stunts, the human elements return to being a strongpoint in AoE.

Even the bad guys are less cardboard cutouts than full-blown characters with intricacies and needs. Perhaps the greatest trick Michael Bay ever pulled in this movie is that the bad guys aren’t the giant robots blowing each other to smithereens. The bad guys are human, too.

Kelsey Grammer puts in one top-notch performance as the indelible Harold Attinger, who starts off hiding behind computer screens streaming drones’ footage to him, until he is forced to join the action himself. And he does, with a vengeance I have seen more on TV than in movies of late. While he comes off as a bully in many scenes, it works. He is the main baddie after all.

Stanley Tucci plays billionaire scientist Joshua Joyce, who is determined to set the bar for generations to come after coming to understand how to use the material the Transformers are made of. He gets a chance at redemption, and once again, it works within the confines of this movie.

Cade Yeager’s daughter, Tessa Yeager is played convincingly by Nicola Peltz. Between having to show concern and disgust with her father’s choices…and later love for boyfriend Shane Dyson and/or Cade, Nicola shows us a little too much teenage angst…and a talent for being truthful in her portrayal of that angst. That the relationship between her and Shane never becomes believable is not a fault on Nicola’s part…that lies squarely on Jack Reynor remaining cold and disingenuous toward both her and Mark’s characters throughout all 150 minutes of AoE.

As you can see, there is a lot happening on the human front, a refreshing distraction from the ‘splosions we got used to seeing in the last two movies of the franchise. So what of the Autobots and Decepticons? There just isn’t a lot of the traditional faction tension we are all so used to.

 The movie almost ignores Decepticons out of hand. We are led through a story of the Autobots facing extinction. Humans no longer trust Transformers after the Chicago disaster five years prior. Not only that, but we are learning how to make our own. For reasons I won’t reveal here, the Autobots are being targeted and hunted, leading Optimus Prime down a dark path we haven’t seen in the franchise before. He no longer believes in the good of humans. He wants nothing more to do with us, and only Cade is there to try and convince him otherwise.

And then Dinobots. Dinobots!  Did I mention freakin’ Dinobots? While not used extensively in the movie, they are used well, and every second they are on screen one finds them self helplessly staring, wishing, if only I could be there for that!

Ultimately, the story of AoE makes sense, all the way through. From start to inevitable finish, nothing is so fantastic that it just couldn’t be. Everybody’s choices make sense, helping keep characters from feeling stiff and cardboard-y. There are amazing visuals. There are dinosaur Transformers. There is a human element on both polarizing sides that you can identify with. There’s social commentary on what’s going on here in America right now…some blatant, some subtly mixed into everything else. This is a summer blockbuster with heart. With soul. And the characters reinforce the fact that huge robots can still be modern and matter in today’s seen-it-all-already culture.

All pictures, names, and copyrighted material are owned by Paramount Pictures, Hasbro, or other respective contributors.

Hi. I’m James Neal. Thanks for reading today. Enjoy what I have to say? Follow me on Twitter or Like me on Facebook. If you enjoy webcomics, please consider giving my (still small) comic, Mandy and Murder-Bear a shot.

Nia Sanchez: WHY Miss Nevada's Self Defense Answer Wasn't Stupid

WARNING: Trigger Word- Rape

A beautiful, smart addition has been added to the ranks of Miss Nevada as of Sunday, June 8, 2014. Before being crowned, Nia Sanchez was asked a random question that just so happened to be about the approximately 18% of campus women who are raped or sexually assaulted. Her answer (in part)?

“More awareness [of the issue] is very important so that women can learn to protect yourself.”

“You need to be confident and able to defend yourself.”

Twitter exploded with women angry at this assertion that a woman is responsible for taking care of herself. Just explore the following hashtags from Sunday night: #YesAllWomen, #MissUSA, #MissNevada, #rapeculture

Plenty of articles are published about the outrage. I’d like to take the discussion deeper than Ms. Sanchez’s words. I’d like to present some reasons WHY what she said is completely fine, and why her words don’t place blame on victims just for the sake of placing blame on victims.

Random fact: “55% of women involved in date rape had been drinking or using drugs.”

Unfortunately, rape culture is a real thing in modern America, and the world around us. The term “rape” is used far too nonchalantly, far too comfortably, in online forums, chats, and even online games, where users have no real face and probably have never dealt with the nightmare of being unable to stop a person from abusing them. It’s sick, disgusting, and scary. And we tend to blame victims only far too often.

However…

Proponents of reducing rape culture often place all of the blame on anything that isn’t the victim. Look at the random fact above again, I’ll wait. I’m not saying you don’t have the right to drink, and drugs can be found anywhere; but if you’re going to go do these things and NOT have a protection plan of action, you ARE taking a self-decided risk. One that, if you look at statistics, isn’t proving your own intelligence. What I’m really saying here, is that one must be willing to accept responsibility for their actions BEFORE the assault comes into play. You can’t be drunk, by yourself at a party where you don’t know anybody, and say that you should have been completely and utterly safe. Saying so is at least inane, almost stupid.

That’s like saying a person should be able to enter a foreign country during a war and not worry about getting shot or blown up. It’s like saying a four-year old child should be able to walk home alone and not worry about ever being kidnapped. Yeah, that’s how it should be, in a perfect world, but the world isn’t perfect. You can’t pretend it is for everybody else when the situation suits you. There are certain situations that most people will avoid just because something could happen. Why? Because avoiding those moments are sane. Or, better yet, if you have to go into said situations, at least be prepared for the worst to happen. Y’know, like soldiers training before going overseas? Like a four-year old having a friend (preferably older) leading him or her home from school? Like a woman taking a group of trusted friends with her into a new, unknown party situation?

I keep hearing that “men should just learn not to rape.” True story. We should. And most of us don’t even think about performing such an act. MOST of us just want to hold your hand, have great conversations, and when both sides are ready, enjoy the hidden paradise. Evil exists in the world though. Bad men are going to do bad things.

So yes, please. Continue educating, continue changing the way we use language, and continue advocating men acting less the beast and more the gentleman.

But why in the hell would you refute the obvious advantage of being able to defend yourself?

In the eighties, it was hip for women to take martial arts classes. Why? Because it became highly likely that they would be attacked by thugs wanting an easy payday. While not all these women took martial arts classes specifically, they did find self-defense classes…which you can find if you look hard enough.

Do I expect all women to become the next Bruce Lee? No. Do I expect women, and men, to realize their responsibility in getting into bad/unknown situations? Absolutely. I don’t blame you for getting assaulted sexually, or raped. That act is in the other person’s hands 100%. But you do have a choice in where you go, and who you go with. Be smart, be prepared, and watch what the people around you are doing. If you get a bad feeling about somebody, stay away. Finally, stop saying that being able to protect yourself won’t go a long way as a prevention strategy.

Nia Sanchez isn’t an idiot for her words. She’s willing to take responsibility for her destiny. That’s nothing but respectable.

EXTRA: Good Reasons for Martial Arts

-        Only 30 million Americans are estimated to have even taken a martial arts class. Of those, less than 1/2000 achieve black belt status. That’s 0.3% of Americans who have taken a class. Realize that includes men AND women. If you achieve even one or two belts, you’re several bars above the average Joe.

-        Personal Discipline: Martial arts is all about disciplining body and mind. This can help you in your personal, business, and spiritual life.

-        Knowledge: If you keep up with your martial arts training, you’ll learn about how the body works, anatomy, and even other cultures.

-        Health: The natural effect of learning martial arts is hardening your body to be a weapon. You’re heart, brain, circulatory system, muscles, bones, and more will become healthier if you perform your martial art with conviction.

-        Self-Respect: Being able to defend yourself, and knowing you are capable, are strong motivators to holding onto self-respect. Your discipline will shine, even outside the dojo, and succeeding at anything gives anyone a boost to mood.

Nia Sanchez photo found at: http://ouniversodosconcursos.blogspot.com/2014/04/miss-nevada-usa-2014-nia-sanchez.html