Mark Tullius's Blog, page 26

Back Home (for a bit)

The second trip for Unlocking the Cage is over and I couldn’t be happier about how it turned out. I had such a great time with all the teams I spent time with and it taught me some valuable lessons. Not only am I learning about so many interesting individuals, I’m getting incredible training from top fighters, pushing past my comfort level and making myself do things I’d never consider before. I’ve also fallen back in love with a sport I’d turned away from.

I’ve confided that my real passion is fiction, but I’m not so sure if that’s the truth any more. Going to gyms and interviewing fighters is becoming addictive. Instead of spending time at home and trying to knock out some fiction, I’m already back at it. Yesterday I headed down to Kings MMA for a great workout and three incredible interviews. I never know what I’m going to get when I start asking my questions and I’m never disappointed with the outcome.

I plan on spending the next two weeks between there and one or two gyms and attending the Samurai MMA III fight on July 13th. I’ve already interviewed two of the fighters on the card and can’t wait to see them in action.

After that I’m taking off for the midwest. I’ll be hitting Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, and Missouri on this one. If you know of a team in those areas who’d want to have me spend time with them be sure to have them contact me. I’m very excited to be hitting the Invicta fight in Kansas City on July 28th. One problem I’ve run into is finding women fighters so this trip should make up for that.

And for those fighters who aren’t too comfortable being interviewed take a look at the video below. If a four-year-old can handle it, I think you guys will do just fine.

Unlocking Interview – Olivia

Rolling with the Punches

Martial artist David Loiseau (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

For those of you who are following my trip, you could probably tell I was pretty excited about going to Tristar. Georges St. Pierre, who is one of my favorite athletes, trains out of there and the gym is considered one of the top gyms around. On Friday I was allowed to train in a class taught by David Loiseau, a talented UFC vet who has been through many battles. David was very friendly and a patient teacher who made the class enjoyable. We talked a bit about my project and scheduled to do an interview the next day when the rest of the pro team would be in for sparring.

I showed up early on Saturday, anxious to get in some interviews and check out the training. I thought I had cleared it with the right people and wasn’t too concerned at that point because I’d only been to gyms that had been very welcoming. Unfortunately that wasn’t the case.

They politely explained why I couldn’t be there for the pro sparring or interviews and I completely understand their position. That doesn’t mean I wasn’t thoroughly pissed off and mumbling Fuck Canada the whole way back to the hotel. My anger was misplaced though because I was really just upset at myself for not planning better, for deciding to alter my plans and leave the U.S. in the first place. These guys have a lot to lose and not much to gain by having a stranger in their gym. And like they said, I could be a spy.

When I got back to the hotel, I wasn’t sure what I should do. I had plans to travel to Ottawa but decided the five hours of added driving time wasn’t worth it. Truth is, I get pretty burned out on these trips, the positive interactions with the fighters the only thing keeping me going. I even considered just flying home early. My wife had just told me earlier that day that my daughter asked her when I was coming home. She wants me to hurry up and this time to stay home forever. My wife misses me too, but I think that’s mostly because there’s no clean laundry.

I spent the night in Montreal trying to figure out how I could salvage the rest of this trip, frustrated because every gym would be closed Sunday and by the time I got in touch with anyone on Monday, the day would be shot. I finally decided to head back to the Boston area where I’ve already interviewed over a dozen fighters. I figured even if I couldn’t line up any interviews, I could get some quality training in.

The seven hour drive gave me plenty of time to think and some good conversations with friends got me refocused. My new kick in life is getting others to realize their potential and focus on the positive, something I was failing to do myself. It made no sense to dwell on Montreal being a waste of time and money, especially when I had so many other incredible experiences on this trip. I’ve met some great people and I’m such a better person because of the conversations I’ve had. I’m not going to let one little blow to the ego ruin any of that. Like my friend reminded me, “Tough days make us tough.”

Now that I’ve been toughened up a bit on the inside, I feel like I’m ready to push myself a little more physically. Although my sorry attempts at working out at The Shop and Team Irish should have been enough to teach me I’m nowhere near ready to get in any real sparring, I’ll see if I can squeeze in some light work tonight. I’ve got rid of most of my anger, but I’d be bullshitting both you and me if I said it was gone. That’s the great thing about MMA. By the time you’re done with a hard workout there’s no energy to be angry.

Why I’ll Never Read in Middleborough

I used to fear public speaking and cared so much about other’s opinions that I learned to hate my own voice and doubted that I had anything worthwhile to say. Thankfully, I’m past that and now I’m just itching for the chance to get in front of people and read from my fiction. Yesterday, I was given that opportunity at Porcfest in Lancaster, NH, and I had a blast reading from Brightside, my thriller where telepaths are rounded up by the government and imprisoned in a beautiful mountain town.

I hesitated when I saw the set-up though because the reading took place in an open tent where guests would come and go throughout the day, many choosing to order and eat lunch in the back. This meant that children could be around as well as people who might be offended by the language and subject matter. Although every word in Brightside has been carefully contemplated with my editor, wife, and dedicated readers, I still wasn’t so sure about dropping the f-bomb in front of unsuspecting guests.

In my Porcfest welcome packet there was a letter that added to my hesitation. It reminded everyone that this was a family environment and it let people know which events might include mature subject matter and language. All of these events were scheduled to take place after 8pm, mine was set for 2pm. Not wanting to be the bad guy who ruined someone’s vacation, I spoke with an organizer and asked his opinion. He figured that as long as I give a little warning at the start of the reading everything would be all good. While reading I kept an eye out for kids in the back and cut out a few words that didn’t absolutely need to be there. I don’t think it affected the performance much, but it definitely had me thinking about something I shouldn’t have.

When I got back to my room, I read this article on Public Swearing in Middleborough, MA, where they feel they have the power to fine individuals $20 for cursing in their town. I did the math. By a pretty conservative estimate, my forty minute reading of two chapters from Brightside would have cost me at least $620. But that’s only going by words that these 183 people out of a town of 20,000 residents would definitely find “obscene or profane.” If this includes innuendo, I’d really be screwed. It sounds like they’ve got some panties bunched all the way up over there and I’m guessing they’d gladly tag on an extra twenty bucks for anything just the least bit offensive. Is “slamming his secretary” offensive, how about two consenting but unmarried adults having sex?

And I love how it’s not a big deal to them at all. This law won’t be abused, the police will use their power judiciously and only fine people when they find it appropriate. Give me a fucking break.

Even if half of this town had voted for this cursing ban, it is still disgusting. It’s unconstitutional. We have the freedom to say whatever the hell we want. I’m respectful of others and do my best not to swear around children or people I don’t know. In my writing, I don’t use language gratuitously, but instead try to capture life as I see it. My protagonist has spent his whole life hearing the thoughts of those around him. He’s heard every dirty thought that these self-righteous people do their best to repress. He’s been ripped out of his house by the government with no due process and he’s pretty pissed off. Sorry, but dang and darn simply won’t cut it. Here’s a preview of Chapter One. You be the judge. Just don’t read it out loud if you’re in Middleborough, a place I’ll never go.

Sacrifice

Looks like I’m on track to hit one hundred interviews by the time I finish this second tour. Marcus Davis was kind enough to speak with me for over an hour yesterday, coming in at number 75. One thing that these individuals all have in common is how much they’ve given up in order to follow their passion. Every fighter makes sacrifices, that’s just part of the game. Fighting is a lifestyle, probably one of the hardest you can imagine. Whether it’s family, food, fun or free time, something’s going to go.

When I decided to go forward with this project, I knew I was going to make some sacrifices, I just didn’t realize how big they were. The first is my fiction, my true passion that drives me. I haven’t been able to do anything creatively since I’ve started this. I’m coming to terms with it and letting it go, but it hasn’t been easy. I still hope I’ll be able to get back into Messiah and finish it in the next few months, but I’m not holding my breath.

Some small sacrifices are food and sleep. Right now I’m living on Shakeology (the gross Greenberry kind) and the healthiest fast food I can find. I’m also averaging about five hours of sleep, which is fine for a few days but it’s starting to catch up to me.

The sacrifice I’m having the hardest time with right now is my family. It’s only been a little over a week since I’ve seen my four-year-old daughter but that’s too much. Last night she auditioned for Seussical the Musical, which none of us could believe. She’s gone from being super shy to having the guts to get up on stage to sing and dance with the big kids. A lot of guys might not care about that sort of thing, but I’ve been a stay-at-home dad for the last four years and have enjoyed (nearly) every moment of it. My daughter means everything to me and it sucks that I can’t be there to hug her and tell her how proud I am that she’s going to be a Who. She also started a new school yesterday and made a new friend. Guess I’ll hear about it when I get home.

The other drawback to Unlocking the Cage is the amount of time I’ll spend on the road. This is only the second of the ten trips I’ll need to finish up the US and Canada. Then another two to knock out Brazil and Japan. With three weeks on the road and three weeks at home, it’s looking like this will take up an entire year.

Despite all my bitching, I’ve decided the sacrifice is worth it, and it’s not because I’m convinced the book will be a success (which I’m determined it will be.) It’s the impact that I’m having on other people’s lives and the impact they are having on mine. Although I was encouraged early on by many well-meaning individuals to “not waste my time” on anyone other than the elite fighters, I knew that wasn’t the way I wanted to go. I’m talking to every fighter I can, regardless of their number of fights or record. If I don’t include everyone in my study then how am I going to determine what fighters are all about? This book isn’t about discovering who champion fighters are, although I’ll talk to many who are and many who will be. Plus, a big part of this book is discovering who I was when I was fighting, and I sure as hell wasn’t the top of the heap.

I thoroughly enjoy talking to each and every fighter, and so far it seems mutual. Some of the guys I talk with can’t believe I want to interview them and they are grateful that somebody cares enough to listen. I’m learning something from every one of these men and women and I’m gaining a better understanding of myself and the fight game. As long as people want to let down their guards and have honest conversations with me, I’ll keep this up. When the payoff is so high the sacrifices don’t seem so bad. I just need to find a way to bring my wife and daughter along on some trips and not schedule anything around the time of their performances. I’m not missing my daughter and niece acting like Who’s.

 

Seussical (Photo credit: Wikipedia)