Joshua Todd James's Blog

The Blitz Attack

I first posted this on Facebook, but have since added some material.

Human predators, bullies, muggers, rapists... their first technique is to blitz, attack fast and hard, overwhelm their victim with strength, force and weight to compel them to submit immediately. They don’t really want a fight. And they especially don’t want a difficult fight or a challenging one. They want it simple and easy.

A victim is chosen based on the idea that the predator won’t be challenged.

So the goal is to overwhelm you so you give up. Keep that in mind.

If you weather the first attack, keep your wits about you and fight back smartly and hard. Let them know it will not be quick and that you won't submit without a fight; most of the time, they will run away.

Most attackers like that are cowards at heart. Be as determined as the young woman in the video below. These attackers are, generally, not smart, organized, or trained, nor are they as powerful as they project. They're cowards at heart.

In addition to training in martial arts and self-defense, I’ve watched thousands of videos of street fights, street attacks, and so on. It’s very rare for a trained person to use their abilities on a vulnerable victim. Not saying it doesn’t happen, but it doesn’t happen nearly as often as one would think. What does happen echoes what happens on a playground… a larger person using their size against a smaller.

Hence, the blitz. This happens in other worlds from other bullies, too. Ever been ambushed by a bullying manager in a staff meeting? Or a co-worker?

But sticking to street defense… weather the blitz as best as you can, and bear in mind that while size does make a difference, other factors come to play. The predator doesn’t want attention, so the more noise you make, the better for you.

And the longer it takes them to subdue you, the worse it is for him.

Now size, physics, does play into this. There’s a big difference between 100 lbs and 250 lbs, and while training can make up that difference, there are a few keys to keep in mind if one is not trained.

One. Keep moving. Movement is life. Don’t freeze. If you can’t run, don’t make it easy for him to grab you. Fight back, move, and keep fighting back (see the video).

Two. Give yourself PERMISSION to fight back. Honestly. We’re conditioned not to hurt each other throughout life. Especially women, I’ve had women who I’ve taught to spar and box apologize for hitting me in sparring. I say, “Why are you sorry? That’s what I taught you to do!” Mentally, you have to tell yourself, “they’re trying to take away my mother’s daughter, my daughter’s mother, and I will not allow that.”

And fight back. It’s not just women, either, one of my earlier street fights in New York City, I got into it with two guys, and it took a bit (after they hit me more than a few times) where I clearly remember thinking, “is it okay to hit them back now?”

If someone’s attacking you, you are ALLOWED TO FIGHT BACK. Tell yourself that.

Three. Think of an angry cat. Yes, an angry cat. When I teach children self-defense, I ask them, “Who’s bigger, you or a cat?” They always answer that they are.

Then I ask, “Who wants to fight with an angry, psycho cat?”

They laugh and correctly answer, no one. Not even adults want to deal with a psycho cat. Why, I ask them. Because the cat will bite, scratch, scream, pee and poop on the person, even a 200 lb adult, until they’re free.

So the answer when someone bigger tries to abduct you? Go psycho cat.

I make the kids practice this, and it is surprising how much damage a 30 lb kid who’s screaming, biting, and scratching can do. Now imagine a 100 lb person.

That’s the thing, the predator wants it over fast, over quietly, and easy.

Going psycho cat on them nullifies that on all three fronts.

That’s all for today. Stay safe out there, friends, stay safe.

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Marking Writing Progress...

It used to be that, every New Year’s Day, I’d pull out my whiteboard (I have two, one small, one medium) and write down the projects I hoped to write that year.

I could look at that list, get one finished, and cross it off.

Inevitably, I’d get new assignments or ideas and end the year with less than half of those INTENDED projects completed… and it kinda infuriated me, secretly and quietly somewhere in the round OCD corner of my brain.

And then last year, it hit me what I needed to do. Instead of writing a list of ideas that I intended to write… I’d create a list of COMPLETED projects.

Every time I finished something, I’d write the title on the list. Below is 2024.

So at the end of the year, I wouldn’t look at a list of things I didn’t achieve, but rather a list of projects I FINISHED… and felt so much more accomplished.

And you can look back and, even if you feel you didn’t get what you wanted done, you cannot deny you PRODUCED a LOT of material.

So it’s a good hack for my fellow writers out in the world. Keep a list of things you FINISHED… and look, it doesn’t matter if nothing happens to it, you STILL FINISHED something, and that’s a win.

Of the projects above:

1 - DOMO ARIGATO MISTER ROBOTO - novel… (since published)

2 - THE DANGER - Short story, published in the lit mag AFTER DINNER CONVERSATION

3 - THAT DAMN BEAVER DAM - Short story, still unpublished at this time.

4 - THE MILK RUN - Spec screenplay, will likely be sent out this summer.

5 - ASSASSIN’S APPRENTICE - action screenplay (co-written with a director-bud)

6 - FUTURE ROBB - Short story (still unpublished, but one of my favorite things I’ve written in the past year).

7 - SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED - poetry chapbook currently under submission.

8 - RIDE - Spec screenplay, will likely be sent out this spring.

9 - BOUNCE - Short story, since published by DARK HORSE magazine.

10 - BUSTER - Short story, as of yet unpublished.

11 - PRIMA NOCTA - Action screenplay, currently under negotiations with a director and producer, or so I hear.

Last year, I was determined to achieve two specific goals. I wanted to finish DOMO ARIGATO MISTER ROBOTO because I’d been stuck in the middle for two years. So, I cracked that in the first third of 2024. I also knew I wanted to write a few short stories, which, as you can see, I did. And I enjoyed it.

And, of course, the screenwriting will always continue, as one can see above. I honestly do love writing screenplays. It’s such a specific form of writing, so challenging yet so… freeing in many ways. I’m a bit addicted to it.

I originally meant to write this post in January, but things got nuts in the world and at home. Additionally, I had a big writing project that I just finished last week (and it shall go up on my 2025 FINISHED STUFF board), and I am about to begin outlining a project I’ve long wanted to do. But that first project literally took me the first third of 2025 to finally finish… much longer than usual, but for me, it was worth it.

Now, you don’t HAVE to put titles on there. If you’re a novelist, you can list your word count by the week or month. Say you got 20,000 words done on your work in progress in February —that’s a win! You can do it however you wish. The idea is that at the end of the year, you can look back and remember, hey, I wrote a lot.

And that’s why I am a writer… because I write a lot of words, heh.

In addition to the finished stuff board, I have a smaller whiteboard where I put my current projects on… I limit my current stuff to three (more than that is too much) so that when I’m at my desk, I have it staring at me, reminding me that this is something that not only should I be working on, but I WANT to work on it. I usually share nothing about current projects, but I’ll make an exception this time.

The picture of me and my boys (plus my pup) is on the board to remind me of who I work for. For the family.

I hope this little hack is useful to my friends and readers. More posts to come - same Josh time, same Josh channel. Take care, everyone!

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Also, please tip whatever you can spare to keep me writing. I’d appreciate it. These are challenging times for everyone, I know. If you can’t at this time, that’s fine, please leave a comment wishing me well; that’s as valuable as cash. Take care and stay safe.

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FILM FIGHTS WITH FRIENDS

I was asked to guest-host for my friends’ podcast, FILM FIGHTS WITH FRIENDS, and it allowed me to ask them questions I’ve always wanted to ask them about martial arts, movies, and life. I hope you enjoy it!

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Also, if you can, please tip whatever you can spare to keep me writing. I’d appreciate it. These are challenging times for everyone, I know. If you can’t at this moment, just leave a comment wishing me well; that’s as valuable as cash. Take care.

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BILLIONS AND BILLIONS AND BILLIONS...

So I wrote a post in the morning a few days ago on Facebook (which, my son tells me, is for old people, and I guess he must be correct) I had about ten minutes and just wanted to get something off my chest… and it went a bit viral. Which always happens when I’m not thinking about it, of course, and writing fast and sloppy. I’ll share it here. Forgive me if you’ve read it already. There’s also an update at the end.

Here’s the original post, both on Facebook and the text below. I kept the grammar errors, too, because, hell, it’s too late now.

Tourism brings the United States about 100 billion dollars a year. Yeah, 100 billion. The economies of many of our states are centered on tourism. Right now, reports say it's already falling about 70 percent—yeah, 70 and climbing.

It's not simply that outsiders are deciding to spend their money elsewhere; they are, but many are also being denied tourist visas (especially from South America). That's a lot of money.

Student visas bring approximately 50 billion dollars a year to the USA. People who wish to come here to study at our schools and learn about us and our culture. That's cratering, big time.

I mean, would you feel safe sending your kid to a nation where masked Nazi ICE agents could snatch them off the street with no explanation and send them to El Salvador?

You know those college sports teams YOU LOVE. That you build your life around? How many of those teams have students here on a student visa? Many. Not for much longer.

That doesn't even factor in the foreign students who come here to study and stay to devote their lives and careers here, becoming doctors, lawyers, engineers, pilots, and teachers. They make a lot of money here that gets taxed and spent here. Billions more.

Let's not forget talent visas. Many of your favorite actors come from other nations. The first actor to get paid 20 million dollars for a movie was Jim Carrey, a Canadian. Now, there are reports of actors going back home and being held by ICE simply because they're Canadian. I don't think folks comprehend how many of our favorite performers, athletes, and artists are from there.

America is a brand that says anyone can come here and build a beautiful life and make money. It's a land of gorgeous scenery and amazing opportunities, which is how we became such a wealthy nation. People believed that because it was true.

That brand is being destroyed in a very short time—all because a couple of news channels lied to you about the price of eggs. All because too many were pot-invested in a convicted fraud. You were lied to, and I suggest you cease paying attention to those news sources who lied. Fox News. Newsmax. Rogan.

From an ethical point of view, all of the above is awful.

But from an economic point of view, for those who claim it's all about good business and the economy, it's also awful. You (those who support these policies) are destroying your own economy.

Yeah, the tariffs are going to do that, too, but the above is also happening now, in real time. It's not too late.

There's a narrow majority in both houses. The GOP controls it, yeah, but only by a slight margin. You must convince two or three of them that this madness must stop now. They have to impeach him because he won't listen (he's never, ever listened to anyone about tariffs, which he's always had wrong), so get a couple of them to sack up, and he can be gone. Flood their offices with calls and protests, keep telling them (as I know many are) to do their jobs. Swing them. Many want to be swung. They just need to be assured that they won't lose their voters.

But it's on those of you who voted for the GOP.

They won't listen to us.

Also, those of you who want to use this as a chance to bash Dems, do it somewhere else; I'm not interested. Yeah, there are issues and problems, but they're not the party responsible for what's happening right now, and when they are, I'll listen.

Otherwise, keep it on your page. I will hit back hard.

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For better or worse, that’s what I wrote.

As far as I can tell, it went a bit viral, and I wanted to add to this. People in my life have already told me about friends and relatives who want to visit them here, but they have been turned back and denied a tourist visa. Denied. From Canada. And other nations. It’s pretty awful and nasty. And then we have this story below:

DO YOU REALLY WANT TO GIVE YOUR MONEY TO THIS COUNTRY RIGHT NOW?

Read that story. Unbelievable. And there are plenty of other stories like hers.

So now we’re locking up cartoonists, actors, and tourists for weeks for no reason whatsoever? This is some sick Orwell shit, right here.

I don’t want this space to be about politics; it’s the last thing I’d like to write about and share with you. Usually, I keep that on FB, if at all. But this is horrifying. In three months, we’re tanking the respect our nation has around the world and punching ourselves in our own dick in the process.

I know that two or three GOP senators aren’t enough to remove an impeached president, but two or three GOP reps in the House can get it started, and given the failure of this tariff weekend burn trillions party, more are likely to want to jump on.

Because not EVERYONE in that party is stupid enough to keep punching themselves in the dick, over and over again. And that’s what the USA is doing right now.

I want to return to sharing Jean Claude Van Damme's stories, discussing martial arts, and writing movies. I really do. Don’t you?

Stay safe out here, friends. Look out for your friends and neighbors. They’re all we have.

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Also, if you can, please tip whatever you can spare to keep me writing. I’d appreciate it. These are challenging times for everyone, I know. If you can’t at this moment, just leave a comment wishing me well; that’s as valuable as cash. Take care.

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TAKE COVER the movie, now on HULU

I know, I know, I haven’t written on the stack for a while; my apologies, life’s been nutty as a jar of Skippy Peanut Butter, crunchy. But my film TAKE COVER just started streaming on Hulu this past Friday, and I woke up to news from the TC team this morn that it was the number one film streaming on that platform this week.

I’m so happy for the actors, producers, and director, who all worked very hard on the movie. If you haven’t yet had a chance to watch it, well, if you have Hulu or Disney+ (which owns Hulu), now is your chance to catch it.

Short post for now; more essays and stories to come. Stay safe and take care, everyone.

In the meantime, here’s a quick fight scene from the film.

And the Japanese poster of the film, which is an awesome one.

Have a wonderful week, everyone!

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NEW BEGINNINGS

The nature of life is change. It’s the one constant throughout existence. Everything changes. I had one in August 2009 when I wandered into a new dojo named Omni Martial Arts that had just opened in my area. I was the first adult student to sign up.

View from the street.

Sadly, at that point (2009), I hadn’t trained anywhere for two years and was out of shape. Plus, I’d never studied Brazilian Jiujitsu and had always wanted to learn that art form. I had a black belt in another martial arts form, but I’d always heard that BJJ was unique and special as a fighting system.

It was and is to this day. It’s also very challenging. I got the utter crap kicked out of me nearly every day for a few years (and choked unconscious multiple times). BJJ tests you physically, mentally, and spiritually. But if you persevere, it pays off.

I somehow managed to survive and thrive…

My nickname at the dojo

I stayed there for fifteen years. I began teaching there in 2015 after receiving my purple belt in BJJ and continued teaching part-time while pursuing my writing career. My second son was born a year after I began training there. My first feature films were shot while I was rolling, sweating, and bleeding on those mats.

It was a very successful school. The dojo’s owner, Sensei Julio, sold the school in 2018, right after I earned my brown belt. My kids loved the gym and trained there six days a week, so I stayed on, too, teaching part-time. I didn’t want it to close; it was beloved by them and, honestly, by me. So we stayed and the dojo was renamed Modern Martial Arts Astoria by its new owner.

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I went full-time as the primary instructor there in 2019 and stayed on until Saturday, January 4, 2025, when the doors were closed for good as the current owner could no longer keep it in operation. The pandemic crippled our business, unfortunately.

I am at a loss for words. I will miss the students and their families and cannot express my gratitude for being able to be part of this community for so long.

Demonstrating a kimura

My sons basically grew up there. I watched children grow to become adults at this dojo, and the gym has a profound sense of existence that I will carry with me forever.

The adult crew

I’m sure I’ll write more about this in greater depth at some point. But for now, I can only express my gratitude for finding this martial arts school and Sensei Julio. I was at a point where I thought I’d done most everything, and yet, looking back, I see I’d only just begun. It was a new beginning of a whole new chapter in my martial arts life.

a few of my young assassins

I forget who once told me this, but there are no endings, only new beginnings. And this is an excellent example of such—the school, the students, the parents, the neighbors, and the community—they’ll always be part of my life because what created us never truly disappears. It stays with us.

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I’ve had a lot of new beginnings in life… leaving Iowa, moving to New York City, and becoming a father… all valuable and vital in specific ways (especially the dad part), and I know that walking into Omni Martial Arts was a significant new beginning for me on a personal level. And I recognize I’ve arrived at another.

A signed shirt from my students.

I told my students that this wasn’t the end but another new beginning. For all of us.

It’s been my privilege and honor to learn from Sensei Julio and all the instructors who spent time there, and it's even more of an honor to teach the fine people who joined us over the years.

Sensei Julio with my sons, around 2016 or so…

I told the class (my last one) that I didn’t believe I deserved the brown belt I received when I got it, and I felt the same about the black belt Professor Julio gave me last year. I said, I’m amazed people keep showing up to hear my thoughts on BJJ and that I don’t know that I deserved their attention.

Sensei Julio with my sons, January 4, 2025

But I worked hard to be worthy of all of the above, and still strive to be worthy.

Every day.

With my sons, age 6 and 3, when they began training.

I have much to say about BJJ, martial arts, teaching, and practicing, but I have been unable to articulate how I feel about those things properly in the past few weeks.

With my sons just a couple of weeks ago, ages 17 and 14.

Soon, I hope. In the meantime, I’ll go back to being a student and keep up the hard work of being worthy of the belt I wear, the friends I’ve made, and all these wonderful people who believed in me as much as I believed in them.

Professors Donovan Hodge, Julio Rivera, and Joshua Todd James

Thank you, everyone, for… everything.

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BOUNCE!

I know what you’re thinking, now: “Why don’t he write?” to quote Lt. Dunbar.

Well, I have been writing nonstop since my last post, but little of it has been public. However, that status has now changed as my short story BOUNCE is featured in the December issue of DARK HORSES magazine.

It’s just now out and available; you can find it HERE

I’m very grateful for the movement happening in my fiction. I enjoy writing it and, of course, grew up reading stories like these, so I’m so very pleased.

BOUNCE is a sci-fi time travel story I wrote some time ago; I hope you enjoy it.

In other news, my film TAKE COVER came out and got some good reviews, plus a couple of reviews that were the opposite of that—which happens. As the writer, I find I forget the good reviews pretty quickly, but the not-good reviews tend to linger in my consciousness for quite some time, no matter what.

This is why I was told, “Never read reviews!”

And I get it, I do. That’s the thing about public work: the public responds, and creatives have little to no control over that response.

Part of the business, really. Not every movie is for everyone (that’s a whole other conversation, yeesh), and TAKE COVER was meant for a very specific demographic and, in my view, was very successful at what it was meant to be and who it was meant to entertain.

Plus, my sons enjoyed it, so that’s what really matters.

I am finishing up a new screenplay and then writing a TV pitch. Over the holidays, I plan to outline my next novel, so my creative gremlins are busy beavers.

Many of us have had a challenging few months for various reasons, but please know we’re not alone in this; we’re on this big blue marble together.

Find those like minds and embrace them.

Let me know what you think of the story, and take care of yourselves and your loved ones. I promise you’ll be hearing more from me soon.

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CONVERSATIONS WITH VAN DAMME - PART 7

Another CONVERSATION WITH VAN DAMME

(For the reader, I wrote a movie that JCVD starred in called POUND OF FLESH. I’ve also written a few other projects for him that have yet to be made, so I’ve got a ton of voicemail and video messages from him, in addition to occasional phone calls out of the blue. It’s a surreal experience to have a guy you once had posters of decorating your college dorm room call you. But that’s the biz. JC is a unique, eccentric man. Conversations with him cannot truly be described, only experienced. What follows may have or have not happened, per se, but it is true to the spirit of JCVD interactions. Consider this fiction with a dose of the real, and you can decide for yourself which is which. Myself, I ain’t saying except where specifically noted.)

So this isn’t a conversation I myself have had with JCVD, but it’s from an interview he gave in 2012, and, yeah, it’s real, baby. Via Twitter here.

The fucker wakes up! I love that.

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Interview On The Inside Pitch

I was fortunate enough to be interviewed via video for THE INSIDE PITCH last weekend and was urged by friends to share it with you. We discussed being a screenwriter, my process, reps, and why I write movies…. I hope you enjoy it.

Interview with Inside Pitch

I personally have trouble listening to myself on podcasts and interviews, but I’m biased against the sound of my own voice. And my face, too. Heh.

Sorry for the rumpled bed and chaos around me. It was a Saturday afternoon, and that’s apparently how I roll on the weekends right after BJJ.

Let me know your thoughts, and thank you for your support.

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TAKE COVER - the film

The exclusive trailer for my newest film dropped, and it’s a doozy.

Shout out to Scott Adkins, who worked hard to get this movie made for years, producer Ben Jacques and director Nick McKinless. Special thanks to Liam O’Donnell (for the love and support) and to my fam, of course (special note on that below).

You can watch the full trailer below.

Interesting fact: The idea for the ending (I won’t spoil it here) came from my oldest son. When he was six or seven, we were chatting, and I told him the story I was working on (the family-friendly version) and asked how he’d get out of it.

And damn if he didn’t come up with an idea I hadn’t thought of, and I asked him if I could use it, and he, of course, said yes!

The film premieres next month in select theaters and on Hulu, please check it out!

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