Jackie Bradbury
Dec 4, 20203 min
Updated: Dec 7, 2020
December 6th (Sunday) marks the 7th anniversary of my very first blog post, "Enter the Stick Chick".
Wow, I'm SO ORIGINAL, am I not?
I started blogging to learn how to blog, and to learn social media and social media tools. After all, my primary profession - the one that pays the bills for all those weapons I want to own - is in marketing, and it's an area I didn't have a lot of experience in at the time.
So I started writing about something I know and love, to learn social media, automation tools, blogging, and other kinds of content creation.
Yeah, it wasn't to become some big deal or authority in the martial arts world. It's a good thing that wasn't my goal.
Over the years, the tone and focus of this blog has changed. Many of the old posts I wrote on the blog before I migrated to this server are lost to time (I'm sure the Wayback Machine has them, and I can see them myself (I have them all), but that old blog is dead and gone), but I did revive a lot of what I thought was worthy content.
I left behind posts that were outdated or just didn't fit what I want to do now. But I was able to salvage a lot of it for this version of the blog, some of it I'm really proud of.
It makes sense things would change, because my martial arts life changed a lot, too.
Since I wrote and published "Enter the Stick Chick" on December 6, 2013...
I've been promoted twice by my primary Presas Arnis teacher, Mark Lynn, and I'm now 3rd Degree Black (Dayang Tatlo).
I started and completed a three-year study course in Kobudo, earning my 1st Black.
I've studied various other martial arts but am now getting ready to join Tai Chi here in KC (as soon as I'm cleared from that pesky hip surgery I had in November).
I attended my first big camp (Modern Arnis in Houston, TX back in March 2015). I've been to lots since.
I joined my first big organization (the World Modern Arnis Alliance). I'm 2nd Degree in the WMAA.
Helped organize 13 Metroplex Arnis Players Alliance (MAPA) seminars in Dallas-Fort Worth
Organized 2 Heartland Arnis Players Alliance (HAPA) seminars in Kansas City before COVID-19 hit and put it on hiatus (FOR NOW)
Mr. Chick has started and completed a course in Goju-Shorei cane, been given several black belt ranks in Force Necessary, most recently completing his 4th Black in PAC (Pacific Archipelago Concepts).
We moved from Texas to Kansas City and had to start our martial arts life here all over again, starting the Kansas City Presas Arnis Meetup (still going strong) and classes at Elite Dragon Martial Arts.
Older Daughter earned her TKD 1st degree black belt and is now a married woman(!!!!!!).
Younger Daughter has been in more martial arts schools than I can count (but we think we're settled at Elite Dragon permanently now).
Hurt myself and ended up with a total hip replacement (still healing from that one).
Those are just the highlights. So of course the blog changed, as my martial arts life changed. Gotta say, it's really neat to have sort of a record of all that was going on since 2013 via the blog.
Those of you who read and interact with me here on the blog, mainly in the social media channels, are SUPER AWESOME. Really, y'all rock, and are the primary benefit of keeping this blog-thing going all this time.
I've made friends of some of you, a few of which I've met in person. I'm grateful for that.
I'm well aware that most blogs come and go quickly, because the habit and discipline of writing one day after day, week after week, year after year can be really daunting, especially when you do it for fun and not for profit.
Hoo boy, is this bad-boy NOT FOR PROFIT.
So thank you, dear Stick Chick Blog reader. Thanks for reading, thanks for commenting and sharing, here on the blog and on social media.
Here's to Year 8.
Y'all stay safe, have fun, and keep training.