Jessica of Cloudfare

Above: Jessica, smiling seconds before flight.

This is Jessica. She jumps out of airplanes & like Buzz Lightyear arrives earthbound whilst "Falling with style!"

AVANT - First of all. Why are you so crazy? When did this happen? The Jessica Rivington I knew when you were still in high school would have never jumped out of airplanes! Or would she?

Jessie - Haha, I'm not crazy at all! Crazy is *not* wanting to jump out of airplanes. I started jumping about a year and a half ago when I made my first tandem skydive (where an instructor is harnessed to you and does all the work) in California. I immediately fell in love with the thrill. On my layover back to the east coast after my trip in CA I looked up everything it takes to become a licensed jumper and even booked a date to do my first "real" jump. The Jessica Rivington in high school would have definitely jumped out of airplanes! I've always liked the thought of it-- despite how shy or quite I can be.

AVANT - Why sky-diving?

Jessie - Why not skydiving? I live in a very flat and hot Florida. There are no mountains to climb or very interesting trails to hike. It doesn't snow so I can't ski or snowboard. I do scuba, but I'm not all that cut out for the water. Never liked surfing. Florida is perfect for skydiving. We can jump year round! I honestly didn't go on my first tandem jump thinking I was going to become a licensed jumper and jump so often. I thought it was going to just be a fun day out with the fam. I had no idea I was going to fall in love with the thrill. After that I learned that it's not just falling out of an airplane--you actually have to learn how to fly your body similar to the physics of an airplane. I learned skydiving was a true sport and fell in love with the drop zone environment.

AVANT - When did you start?

Jessie - I started jumping about a year and a half ago.

AVANT - You have your license right? You're like a Licensed Sky Diver or something? How long does that take?

Jessie - Yep! Something like that, anyway. I currently have my A license with the USPA. How little or long it takes is usually dictated by finances. It is *not* cheap to start. It took me about three months. There are a couple different ways to go about getting your license-- AFF, Static Line, or Tandem Progression. My drop zone offered AFF, or Accelerated Freefall Progression, so that's what I did.

AFF is a series of eight jumps with one or more instructors. On your first jump you'll have an instructor holding onto either side of you for the entirety of your freefall where you'll then deploy your own canopy and land by yourself. Each jump you'll learn a new task so at the end of your eight jumps you can successfully exit the plane, deploy your canopy, maintain altitude awareness, adjust your fall rate, do a front loop, a back loop, a barrel roll, move backwards and forwards, and track (more or less means to move very quickly).

There might be a few other things I'm not remembering at the moment. After those eight jumps you're allowed to jump by yourself without an instructor! But you're not yet allowed to jump with other people. You're given an "A-card" which is a piece of paper that has a long list of objectives and tasks you need to complete before you're given your license to jump with other people and do formations and fun stuff. After you've done everything on the card and it's signed off by an instructor and you have 25 jumps, you're free to fall with everyone else.

Above: Fearless amidst the darkened heavens.

AVANT - The first time you jumped. What was that like?

Jessie - The first time I jumped was absolutely incredible. My mind and body were on sensory overload so I actually forgot most of what happened right before and during my jump. I remember being rushed to the plane. Rule of Thumb: Never ever, ever keep the plane waiting because time is money and airplanes and fuel are not cheap! I was sitting in a tiny space with four sport jumpers and a camera man; feeling quiet, but excited. It was the first non-commercial plane I had been in and the view was awesome. At 13,500 feet up they opened the door and I felt a huge fast rush of cold air to my ankles. The other jumpers approached the door and seemed to just... fall... for a lack of better words. And then they were gone and you couldn't see them anymore. At this point in time, I lost my sense of relativity and any fear I had. I was so high up in the air and so far away from everything I was familiar with up to that point that I really had nothing to compare what I was doing to. I didn't know how high or low I was because I had no sense of altitude. I couldn't see the ground because the clouds were blocking my view. For a moment it was a little surreal. Except for the cold air hitting my ankles. As soon as we left the plane I was smiling and laughing. You instantly feel as if you're suspended or floating. There is no stomach in your throat feeling that you get from a roller coaster or riding super fast over a hill. It feels as if you're floating in nothingness for a quick second. So I was smiling and laughing and completely elated and falling to earth at 120mph. Before I knew it, my instructor deployed our canopy and we had a four minute ride to the landing area. I took in the scenery and the mountains and the new smells. I loved that I could kick my feet around without anything in the way. My instructor and I practiced turning the canopy left and then right and slowly came in for our landing. I landed with a huge smile on my face that lasted for the rest of the day. There is no better high, drug, rush, thrill, escape, or adventure than skydiving. I really mean that. Everything else seems blasé to me now. Nothing can top the adrenaline and sense of freedom that I get from skydiving.

Da Vinci said it best: "When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return."

AVANT - How many jumps have you had now?

Jessie - I haven't been keeping up with my log book lately, but I have over 100.

AVANT - Have you ever sky-surfed like with a snowboard like they did in the Power Rangers movie? Haha!

Jessie - No, I haven't! And the thought is actually a little frightening! I've heard of some people who've tried it though and failed miserably. It's a lot more difficult than it looks!

Below: Aerial Geographers

AVANT - Has your parachute ever failed?

Jessie - Well, if my parachute ever fails, it can only fail once, right? So far, so good. I have yet to have a malfunction and cut away my main canopy to deploy my reserve. The closest thing to potential danger aside from line twists that I've been able to kick out of was a stupid mistake that I'd made when packing my rig. When packing a parachute there's a small piece of fabric called a slider that you have to fold in there with everything else. The slider serves to catch air when you deploy your canopy making your canopy open a little slower and softer. However, I forgot to pack my slider the right way and had an incredibly hard opening, was bruised all over my body, and my helmet fell off my head 3000ft above land. The hurtful part about this experience though was that this was only my second time jumping my brand new $600 helmet that was now falling to the ground and eventually shattered into a million little pieces.

AVANT - Oh no! What if your helmet killed an innocent by-stander?!

Jessie - Hahaha! That thought did cross my mind, of course. But I'm sure it's fine. I was mostly over barren Florida flatlands, anyway.

AVANT - Haha, okay. Whatever you say! Nonetheless, you're still crazy. Do you do backflips & tricks now? Or do you still play it safe.

Jessie - You learn how to backflip on something like your fourth jump! I mostly do Relative Work, or belly flying. That's what you see with people making shapes and formations in the air. The most people I've jumped with at once was around 20 or so. It ended up being a zoo-way AKA a total mess. There's a discipline in skydiving called freeflying which is when people fly upside down, in a sit position, standing and any other sort of crazy position they can fly their body. There's also something called swooping which is pretty popular that has to do with how fast, far, or accurate you can pilot your canopy. I've tried to do a little bit of freeflying, but found it very difficult, and don't harbor much of an interest in becoming a swooper. Two of my favorite things to do though are tube exits and rodeos! A tube exit is a fun way to leave the airplane. Easily done with two people-- one person sits down facing the door and the other person stands up while facing the door. Both people grab on to the other person's ankles. At the right time you kind of roll/push out of the airplane and spin spin spin spin spin until you can't hold your grip anymore and are eventually spun apart. Imagine rolling a tire out of an airplane. A rodeo is when one person sits on another's person's back during freefall. I've also seen people standing up and surfing which looks pretty cool.

AVANT - Have you seen those people gliding on YouTube? Paragliding with wingsuits? Would you ever try that? Here's a link: Paragliding Wingsuits

Jessie - Ahhh, yes, I've seen those. Wingsuit base jumping. Probably the most dangerous thing in the sport you can do. You need 200 jumps before you can start wingsuiting and I'm not there yet. I initially had no desire to wingsuit because it seemed to me that it robbed your body of the freedom to move. However, a friend of mine told me that I had to try it one day because "It's the closest thing to flying that you'll ever do." So maybe one day I'll try it. I definitely want to Base jump, though! No questions asked. One year I hope to go to Bridge Day in West Virginia and jump there.

AVANT - Are you even afraid anymore or get nervous at all? Or is it so comfortable to you now like eating breakfast?

Jessie - I still get nervous sometimes depending on the type of jump I'm doing or the weather. Strong winds mean I have to be pretty focused on my landings. Clouds are a big obstacle as well. If I'm jumping with a group of people I've never jumped with before or doing something I've never done or find particularly difficult, I get nervous because I wouldn't want to be the weakest link that messes up everyone else's jump. I'm constantly reminded that this is a sport that you cannot become complacent in when it comes to safety. The first time you think, "Ohhh, I'll be fine!" is when something is going to go bad.

AVANT - Any tips to recommend to people new to jumping? For first-timers?

Jessie - Have fun and relax!!

Above: Sky-Borne Heroine

Tracy of the Quill

Above: Tracy & a colleague court the audience with their emotionally rampant stanzas.

Read all about published New York City born & raised poet, Tracy Soren and her adventures in Slam Poetry! She also has a book in the works so be sure to acquaint yourself well with her answers regarding how she had landed a publishing deal & how she copes with the nuisance that is writer's block!

AVANT - So you're a poet. Officially. Meaning you're published, have competed & won competitions in the field of slam poetry. How did you get started? And why 'slam'?
Tracy - Well, in my freshman year at SUNY New Paltz, I went to an event that the school's slam team was holding which featured a very well-known poet, Saul Williams. Before his feature, the slam team performed and I said to myself "I wanna try that." I always had a knack for writing but I was never really introduced to spoken word and it wasn't until then that I seriously tapped into it. So, I just tried it, wrote my first spoken word piece about an interracial relationship and went to the Rap Poetry Music Club (RPM) on campus that works closely with the team. The club is a really dope, relaxed atmosphere where a bunch of artists, poets, musicians, writers, MCs, beatboxers, you name it, come out to perform. I was so nervous but I had been practicing and had the whole thing memorizing but the room was packed out and everyone was screaming "Virgin, virgin!" because I had never read before; it was intense. Anyway, I performed. It was awesome. I was hooked. I got really positive feedback and the semester after that, I tried out for the team and ranked as a starter member (there are starting members who compete at tournaments and alternates for the starters) which is still nuts til this day. I haven't stopped since. Slam is the competitive aspect of spoken word poetry and it's a really fun forum that encourages people to write, perform, perfect their craft and creatively push themselves. It's an accessible art form that didn't necessarily flow from academia but currently works through, with and around it and in it just as it works in various communities and social spheres the same way. You don't need to get a PHd to slam but you can slam if you have a PHd. You can be rockin' New York City energy or coming by way of Arkansas. It doesn't matter because the stage is open to anyone. Equally as important, slam is a wonderful avenue for those who want their creations heard, who want to meet other artists and lovers of art, lovers of openness, dialogue, honesty and emotion. Behind the competition there is this incredible community of poets and supporters that inspire each other and grow from one another; magnificent humans connecting on deeper levels and generally being ill. That's the truly wonderful thing.

AVANT - What inspires you? Who are some of your favorite authors & poets? Any extraneous inspirations i.e. movies, cartoons, pets, sports, etc.?
Tracy - Truthfully, like I've gushed about, the community. The larger slam and poetry community makes me strive to create, keep or transform whatever place I have in it currently. In this crazy poetry world that I am in, your celebrities are or can be your friends.
The artists I am lucky to surround myself with are continuous inspirations and honestly, some of my favorite poets. I don't know how or when this all happened but I have submerged myself around some of the sickest artists. I am lucky to call myself a member of the Intangible Collective, a group of 29 of us who decided to do something with ourselves creatively after we graduated. All of the Intangibles are incredible people and the group just fosters me to strive for better things. I also currently co-coach the New Paltz Slam Team and the team is incredible. They have so much talent which pushes me and gives me more ammunition to keep writing. The SUNY Slam Fam which is really just a great bond between spoken word poets who competed for SUNY schools. And all the poets and writers I have met who have made me go "Damn, I suck at this. I can't possibly compete with any of that. I should stop now."

AVANT - When was the first time you took to the stage, commanded the mic & entranced your audience? Do you remember the first piece you performed? Were you nervous? Do you get nervous still, regardless of your experience & veteran wisdom?
Tracy - I touched on this in my first response but it was truly an incredible moment when I performed my first piece. I was incredibly nervous, more nervous than I've been for most things in my life. When you're performing your art there's a lot of room for your mind to go, "I can make a damn fool out of myself. What if I'm just spilling my guts, just spillin 'em and people are like, eh I'm bored. That sucked. I have written grocery lists more exciting than that. I can write the word "boring" and be more excited." But my first time performing, everyone was listening and seemed to really enjoy it. They were cheering-- that's a very important thing about spoken word poetry and slams, it calls for feedback. We want the audience to make noise and tell us what's up. It was a high that I still get but like most firsts, it's something you will remember. And as for the first piece about an interracial relationship, well, I think I still remember most of it. My writing style has completely changed but it really has a little soft spot in my heart. Took me a long way that first year. As of right now I still feel my nerves but rarely as bad as I used to. I used to have a superstition that if I didn't have my paper hiding somewhere on my body, in my shoe, anywhere, I would forget. I've let go of that security blanket. And I used to always think, "Well I'm up here, can't really get down, might as well try to perform the shit out of it." If I do get nervous it usually subsides after the first time I hit the stage in a night.

AVANT - Who was your mentor when you initially began? Do you have a bad ass crew of poets now, if so what is your group name? And if any, do you have a website?
Tracy - When I initially began, I didn't have a specific mentor and the team that always pushed me. My last year on the team, an alumni, Brian Omni Dillon, came to coach and he became a mentor of mine. As my coach, he helped me edit my poems, worked on my performance, brought me out of the college scene and on to adult poetry venues, helped me picked what poems I was gonna do and introduced me to different people. He taught me how slam works. Omni legitimately has done a ridiculous amount for me and I owe him so much to be where I am today. Mahogany L. Browne, my publisher from Penmanship Books has also given me a huge shot with honoring me the Cora Craig Author Award for Young Women. That has really opened a lot of doors for me, the biggest one of course being my first solo book. And yeah! Like I mentioned before, I roll with the Intangible Collective! Our website is intangiblecollective.com and we are the bad asses of bad asses of ridiculousness and awesome and I love them. We are also on Facebook so you can go to our fan page and we have a blog! http://intangiblecollective.tumblr.com/! We were just named a Tumblr Staff Pick of the week! Also, of course, I roll with the SUNY New Paltz Slam Team and my team is a bunch of beasts. You can check us out on Facebook too!

AVANT - Last I saw you, you were hard at work on your own book! I was and still am so excited for you! Did that book come out yet? If so, where can people order it?
Tracy - I still am! And thanks Ceas, I am excited too! The book hasn't come out yet, it's still going through heavy writing, editing and organizing but I am working to see when to set a release date. Right now though, it's all about getting it perfect. However, I am a featured poet in the first installment of the Intangible Collective Anthologies & Static and Other Lungless Things published by Penmanship Books. I was a main editor and organizer for the book so it's another little baby of mine. That can be purchased at http://poetcd.com/index.php?item=285.



AVANT - How long did it take you to write your book & how many pages? What was your motivation in writing it? Did you ever feel like giving up mid-way due to the daunting stress of it all?
Tracy - Well, I can tell you since I am still writing my book that it can get very stressful. As this is my first book, I really want to make sure I feel right about the poems going into it; that they are perfected. A manuscript also needs to make sense, ya know? The format has to be right, the order of the poems, the way they flow. I don't want there to be a period in the wrong place. SO, YES. It can get stressful. Whenever I find myself buried, I just try to say to myself, "Whoa, you are writing a book. That's kinda crazy. This is a crazy time and a lucky time and it should be fun!" It doesn't always work, especially when writer's block is trying to take me down, but it is helpful and important to focus more on positive energy. And that motivates me to put out a good book that I'm proud of. I want people to relate to what I'm writing and feel something from it. This is a chance to do that which is also great motivation.

AVANT - Also, how many poems did you scrap that didn't even make the book? Is that frustrating when that happens?
Tracy - I can say during this process I have taken out and put in and taken out and put in and then changed some poems then taken some out then put some in then cut it down then added some. It doesn't stop. I don't know how many will be scrapped but there's definitely an interesting number that were in my mind that are not in there now. It's frustrating when you get nervous because you won't write enough or when you always want new poems. I don't know what it is but I move on from poems quickly, it's bad for sure. My friends make fun of me for it. I am trying to work out of being so hypercritical of myself. The whole process of putting a book together is exciting... me being hypercritical, not so much!

AVANT - How did you end up landing your book deal? Was it from the attention you attracted and acclaimed from winning competitions &/or being published in magazines, the internet, etc.?
Tracy - Last year was my first year competing outside of college slams and it was at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe, a historical, well-known venue in New York City. I did very well there and was actually a finalist for the Nuyorican's national slam team. The Friday Night Slam host and the venue's Coach and SlamMistress, Mahogany L. Browne heard me perform at most of those slams. One day, she asked me to send her a bunch of poems. I did and she chose me for the award I mentioned earlier, The Cora Craig Author Award for Young Women which gave me and two other young female poets from around the country our first book. It was and still is an actual insane thing in my life.

AVANT - Where can people find your poetry? On-line? Indie zines? What poetry houses do you frequent? Where can fans & newcomers alike go to see you perform? What are your favorite venues to perform at?
Tracy - People can find my poetry on youtube.com, when they google my name, on my blog: tracysoren.tumblr.com, possibly on other parts of the interwebs. There are also Intangible Collective chapbooks (self-published books of poetry), the published book Static and Other Lungless Things. This year, since I was working on my book, coaching the New Paltz team, working with the Collective, doing a bunch of poetry events and trying to figure out how to handle art and employment, I let myself take some time off from slamming but I really want to hit the adult slam scene hard next year. Currently though, I am a Grand Slam Finalist for the Intangible Slam (the slam series started by my group in Midtown) and I go to the Nuyorican Poets Cafe a bunch. I also went and slammed at the Bowery Poetry Club for the first time which was awesome and I want to check out Louder Arts at Bar 13 in Manhattan. I also would love to check out slam venues outside of the state. I've enjoyed performing at various venues, all of them have a different energy and its important to experience different crowds and spaces. I will always have a place in my heart for performing on college campuses, the energy on many campuses I've visited has always been so vibrant. Of course, I'll always love SUNY New Paltz since that's where I started. Newcomers and fans (if I have fans, that's awesome and I want to thank them personally) can just check out on Facebook, my blog or the Collective's webpage to see where I am performing. I will be in Boston at Emerson College the second week of April for Collegiate Nationals, coaching my team and there will be major poetry going on. Then the Intangible Collective is on tour the week after! We will be hitting up various venues in New York State for the annual Where There's Smoke, There's Fire tour so people can catch me during those dates. I am working at my schedule but I will be at the SUNY New Paltz date (April 16) and at Port 41 in Midtown (April 17)! Personally, I am so excited for the poetry at both these events so I'd advise people to come check it out. It's gonna be sick!

AVANT - How often do you write? What do you write in? Are you organized: Moleskin, composition notebook, spiral notebook? Or more spontaneous: random receipts, brown paper bags, torn newspaper pages? Or digital: cellphone, laptop or desktop computers?
Tracy - I try to write every day. Recently, I've been going through a dry spell which has been horrible but I am pushing through it and still trying to write whenever I can. I also just started working a full time schedule which can be exhausting. I want to go home, granny it out and go to bed at 9. When you get home at 7, time gets tight. But it's all about scheduling and I am figuring out how to manage everything. No matter what, I will write. I don't care if I'm on the bus, walking the streets of Manhattan, half-sleeping (trick, leave a notebook and pen always by your bed cause the things you can come up with right before you fall asleep is bananas. I've hated myself for making myself get up but then loved myself for it in the morning.) You just need to push yourself to write it down even when it's inconvenient (if you don't want to take out your notebook, try notepad on your phone). If you need to get a bit more crafty, any paper surface. If you're really pushing it, eyeliner on your hand. Whatever you gotta do, do it because you will kick yourself later if you lose a wonderful thought. So I am all those things but out of the three you mentioned (organized, spontaneous or digital) I would say organized. My planner is my best friend, I bring some type of notebook everywhere I can. I enjoy writing things down, old-fashioned style. Sometimes if I know I am about to get a full, concise poem and or I am gonna be on a roll, I try to reach for a computer. Sometimes I wish I had a computer in reach. It's really how I am feeling in the moment.

AVANT - What are the more popular recurring themes in your poetry? Romance, family, friendship, coming-of-age tales?
Tracy - I focus a lot on various relationships. I don't know why but a lot of times that flows out of me. It's therapeutic and it's in my comfort zone but I am trying and have been trying to branch out of that. I also write about experiences I've had or am having for the same reasons. Unless something is flowing out of me, I try to make conscious choices to try different things and that's really exciting. I have been working on a poem for a while now about my weird take on the apocalypse. It's called "The One Whale Human Party". My friend and poet that I work closely with, Megan Falley, put the words together randomly and I ran with it. It actually might be two parts, right now I have it in two parts... anyway, the main focus is what would happen if the apocalypse came, the world flooded with water and everyone I know and loved ended up partying in a giant whale. See this, this is what writing allows you to do. And for some reason, I have wonderful opportunities for people to read, hear and comment on such a poem which is why I consider myself lucky. Writing truly can take you anywhere. I like writing about my personal experiences and relationships because it allows me to put them into different words and images while still maintaining their truth. I love using words and making them into something completely different, making punctuation and grammar into some weird silly putty I get to mess with. How does a certain line break change the mood, read or meaning of a poem? Who should narrate this poem? What different images can I create from the word "butter"? All of these questions allow me to take my writing anywhere I want. And I can open my mind and see from different perspectives. I am trying to write more persona pieces, poems where I speak from someone else's voice because that within itself is an insane trip. I get to make up or interpret another human's experiences? And I get to play with language in the process. What?! Also, I am trying to use this art for what so many people use it for and what it excels at: activism. I have a great tool for change. And this can be succeeded through any type of poem. I am trying to play around with allowing my writing to be a catalyst for social dialogue. If my poetry starts or contributes to any dialogue, that's a success right there. I realize I may have went off on a tangent because that's how much I love language and writing. Every tangent, try, speech, sound, word can bring you to something ultimately magnificent.

Below: Tracy adventuring Australia.

Jon of the Skyline

Like many martial arts practitioners... Jon was a fledgling nerd who, in his early childhood & pre-teen years, simply watched way too many action movies, woke up earliest during ungodly hours for Saturday morning cartoons, played too many video games & read one too many comic books. It also doesn't hurt to possess the know-how to defend oneself should a dire situation of promising threats arises. Also, everyone needs to harness within themselves the avenging prowess necessary to protect the weak & defend the just.

AVANT - How did you get into martial arts?

Jon - When I was younger I was inspired by action films, old school Kung Fu movies from the 80s, and of course books, video games, anime, comic books and manga as well as epic heroes from lore, mythology and legends of old. As I grew older, I met along the way several individuals from school and work who studied martial arts themselves. All of this culminated in my high school days where several friends and I used to spar in the park and practice moves we've learned and train together.

AVANT - Did you have any prior martial arts experience before signing up at Progressive Martial Arts?

Jon - I had two years of Judo experience. While only achieving a rank of Orange Belt during that time, it provided me with the leverage to continue studying and pursuing other martial arts. Along the way I picked up some tips and methods of training from friends of mine who were able to train under such diverse fields such as: Boxing, Taekwondo, Aikido, Krav Maga, Shaolin Kung Fu and Karate.

AVANT - Why Progressive?

Jon - To be honest it's only a few blocks away from both my college and my current job. Since I don't have a car, it's commuting made simple for me. I can easily navigate to and from work/home/school by bike or bus. I was considering the NuBreed Academy; however, it seemed too far out of my way and a bit pricey for my current financial situation, but who knows about the future?

AVANT - What invaluable lesson did you learn from being a member of a martial arts school?
Jon - I learned never to judge a fighter by their appearance. Physical appearance will oftentimes betray skill level.

AVANT - What kind of martial arts do you study?

Jon - I'm formally studying Jun Fan Gung Fu better known as Jeet Kune Do or the concepts of Bruce Lee's martial art system, the fundamental basis of 'Mixed Martial Arts', Muay Thai which is the brutal kickboxing style from Thailand, Brazilian Jiu-jitsu which is an art immersed with grappling, throwing and limb locking.

AVANT - Do you have to learn any of the terminology for the respective arts in their native languages?

Jon - While many hold the misconception that Martial Arts training is all physical, it's not. You have to remember these fighting systems were developed in their respective countries and are deeply rooted in their culture. In some cases it was used in warfare for millennia, if not centuries. It's important to know the origin and historical significance of anything you study--martial arts is no exception. To be a more educated and learned individual and also as a respect to the founders of the art itself it's vital in any field to have awareness of those who spearheaded the field and created the knowledge pool from which you drink. When studying medicine, do you not learn of Doctors from antiquity and the treatments they developed which we still use today? When studying painting do you not learn of painting techniques and styles used by Renaissance artists which many painters still find irrevocably useful? The same holds true for Martial Arts, though it varies with the Sifu (instructor), for the most part we must learn the proper terminology in the native languages of the important strikes, maneuvers and footwork.

AVANT - Describe, define & elaborate upon your training regiment. How many days/classes do you go?
Jon - I attend on average three classes per week, sometimes up to four or five and other times as low as two. It really depends on my work and school schedule. As I'm taking 19 credits this semester it is sometimes difficult to balance everything while still having time to sleep and eat. My regiment is, well, not very regimented but I'll tell you. I usually wake up around 7 and before anything eat something, usually oatmeal and some fruit or yogurt. Before showering and getting dressed for my day I stretch to promote flexibility. Since I bike virtually everywhere (school/work/MA) I get plenty of cardio (and yes I bike in the bitter cold of winter). Since I have plenty of breaks between class I usually try to work out at the gym twice a week, one day focusing on upper body, the second day; lower. When I have free time at home I have free weights and a pull-up bar that I use as well as a jump rope and other exercise provisions.

AVANT - How much is it per month?
Jon - That information is classified. Find out for yourself.

AVANT - What benefits have you reaped from practicing/undertaking the martial arts?
Jon - Besides learning how to defend myself and kick ass in several flavors, I am stronger, more confident, my body is in shape and I feel good.

AVANT - What are your favorite martial arts moves & combos?

Jon - I'm a fan of the back spinning hook kick, as well as the Jun Fan lead hand and rear hand combo series', my favorite moves are synonymous with those that are most effective and most painful.

AVANT - What equipment do you use & what is your favorite? Any favorite brands?

Jon - To avoid sounding like I'm endorsing a specific brand I like gear that's very plain but doesn't sacrifice performance. In other words, gear that does the job, is comfortable and doesn't have logos all over it. Everlast, Ringside and Title are all fine martial arts paraphernalia companies, I'd recommend those.

Photo Credits: Johnny Wolf Photography

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On a more personal note:

Jon is such a bad ass he leaves our Facebook conversations with such parting words of fine, avant-caliber:

3:26amJonathan

Yo, I'm gonna get some shut eye but I'll catch you later after the dawn of Apollo's victory. (morning)

Alexandra of France

Above: You definitely won't believe me... but this girl's dangerous.

All of my best friends are privileged, worldly members of the venerable jet-set few.

Alexandra is arguably my heart's favorite of them all. She's a dedicated collegiate scholar, ever-chasing academia. We met at Hunter College in New York City in the Spring of 2007, we were classmates in both our private & lecture hall media courses. Prior to her studying in Hunter College, she went to college in Rome immediately after graduating from her high school in France. Right now at this very moment as earth's northern hemisphere spins on its axis promising the arrival of spring & all its beauty... Alexandra is studying at the esteemed, world-renowned London-based auction house known as-- Christie's, pursuing her Master's Degree.

Alexandra & I are college sweethearts. I was always up to no good & she was always romping about doing her worst, feverishly engaged in lawless activities. What can I say? We’re both young outlaws-at-heart. We were rivals in the fine art of bad assery & expert professionals involved, familiar, acquainted & submerged in all things cool: art, music, fashion & even the seedy, darker, private underworlds of it all. If I had to actually sit down & write a book on Alex, the title would be: 'Alexandra's Essential Handbook Guide to Free-Spiritdom'.

You know when you have two favorite characters but they’re like, from completely different universes & you wish they would totally meet—hang out & be friends ‘n stuff? Like… Catwoman from DC Comics & Marvel’s Spider-Man. Well that’s what Alex & I were like. Only cooler. On our month long winter breaks & 3 month long summer vacations, hell, even our measly 3-day weekends, she would seize them for all their potential & never hesitated in traveling half-way around the world to Europe, South America, Asia & California. It was absurd! All of her crazy adventures entertained me with enough daydreams for months on end!

Above: Alexandra; Sky-Princess of France's lone, elite faction of ace cloudship pilots, 'The High-Valkyries'.

AVANT - Will you still be in London this Summer?

Alex - Yep. I'll be writing my thesis.

AVANT - How many pages?

Alex - Not too many, around fifty pages.

AVANT - What's your address in London? In case I feel like surprising you.

Alex - _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Road _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _. I live with 6 other people, there should definitely be someone home.

AVANT - Is your new neighborhood anything like Bushwick?

Alex - Hahaha, nooooooooooo! Thank god. It’s more residential. Much nicer.

AVANT - Front lawns & stuff?

Alex - More suburban, absolutely.. I have a beautiful garden!

AVANT - What did you graduate from Hunter with?

Alex - BA in Art History.

AVANT - Any minor?

Alex - Nope.

AVANT - What are you getting your Masters in now?

Alex - Business of Contemporary and Modern Art.

AVANT - What's your goal? Is it your dream to become a world-renowned Gallery Curator?

Alex - That is accurate, although I think I might want to work in different industries, like the auction for a little while, maybe become an art dealer, or an artists agent... There's plenty to do. I want it all! ALL I TELL YOU!!!!

Alex - So what's the deal with your blogspot?

AVANT - It's my writing portfolio. To get an internship with Vogue &/or GQ. I have connections. I might as well use them.

Alex - Cooooool mos def!!!! My best friend here works for Vogue.

AVANT - What does she do?

Alex - She sells advertising space for the moment.

AVANT - I love how between us, we always know people in high places.

Alex - You know how we do.

AVANT - What school are you attending now for your Masters?

Alex - Christies education. You know Christie's the auction house?

AVANT - Yeah. Of course!!

Alex - It’s tha shit.

AVANT - http://www.christies.com/ --That's it, right?

Alex - No. It's http://christieseducation.com/.

AVANT - Is Christie's the auction house that deals with Damien Hirst?

Alex - Sure thang.

AVANT - Wow!! Have you met him!?

Alex - No, but we do get to meet a bunch of famous artists, they're über contemporary, like Anne Hardy, Cullinan and Richards, Melanie Manchot. They might be known in London only for now.

AVANT - ...For now. (!!!) Cue the suspenseful music saturated in dramatic intrigue!

Alex - Haha! We study a lot of installation art, video & photography.

AVANT - You're one person I never have to worry about in this world. You'll always stay on top.

Alex - You would love it, I can’t wait till you get here.

AVANT - In your profile pictures for Christmas 2009, you had a sand snowman. Was that during your vacation in Portugal?

Alex - No, it’s in Qatar. …Yeah, the locals there were like "What the fucccckkkkk."

Below: Alex's original artwork featured sand sculpture nestled along the Qatarian coast.

AVANT - At the beach? What body of water is that.

Alex - It’s a lagoon, on the Persian Gulf.

AVANT - PERFECT. THE END. This marks the end of our impromptu interview.

Alex - Hahahahahahahahahahhahahaa!!

AVANT - I will be borrowing pictures from your Facebook Defaults.

Alex - I’m ecstatic! Help yourself, mein liebling!

AVANT - I already have the title: Alex Deyzac's Illustrious & Essential Handbook Guide to Free-Spiritdom

Alex - I’M LAUGHING OUT LOUD RIGHT NOW!! It’s tooo perfect for words!

AVANT - 

Alex - YOU ARE THE BEST CEASAR.

AVANT - YOU ARE.

AVANT - I love you. Take care, mon cheri.

Alex - KEEEP IN TOUCH MON PRINCE ADORÉ.

Love you to the moon and back.

xox

Above & Below: Pirate-Captain Alexandra the Seafarer! Setting sail for winter-born ocean adventures!

To this day, Alexandra + I are still friends & always will be. After all, she is one of the few girls in this whole world that I know can comfortably keep up with my wild dreams & vice versa. We are star-crossed, as destiny has it written, in its stead shall our fates follow with interwoven paths of kismet.

I will visit her this Summer in London... even if it kills me!

__________________________________________________________

*BONUS FEATURE*

Alexandra was so impressed with my writing that she felt it necessary to send me her personally scribed autobiography via electronic mail.  I had always known only the briefest of glimpses into her past that I had to roughly piece together from our scattered conversations spurred from our chance encounters over time-- but I really had no idea of the complete extent, depth & magnitude.  She really has traveled to more places than most people would ever hope to experience in a single lifetime!

Without any further delay, enjoy her transcendental history  in all of its honest, truthful, unabridged, unedited & uncensored glory!

Ceasar!!!!!!! yess!!!!!!!!!

Your blog is terrific! i'm so proud of you!!!! You' re a brilliant writer!!

I’m gonna go ahead and upchuck my life to you in a chronological manner. It’s fun for me to do this and probably therapeutic as well, so that I can establish what kind of person I’ve become, due to traveling like a madwoman.

So I was born in Toronto, which is quite random I must say, since my entire family is full on French. My parents just happened to be living there when they had me, and this is how I got to start my life in a bi-lingual environment. I only spent the three first years of my life there, and needless to say, I don’t remember a god damn thing.

Then my dad got moved to Abu Dhabi, in the wonderful middle east, where they build 50 story skyscrapers in 3 days under the blazing sun. My parents placed my older sister and I in an American Academy, and although we spoke French at home, we were completely mesmerized by the expatriate American culture that surrounded us at school. Obviously the local culture was cool as well. We were learning Arabic and learning how to barter like there’s no tomorrow. Negotiating has been in my blood ever since.

After 5 years in the U.A.E, we moved to a country nearby, the Sultanate of Oman, a luxurious oasis, so glorious and beautiful it’s hard for me to describe. My dad is obsessed with boats and fishing massive baracoudas, so every weekend we’d hop on his boat and discover all sorts of empty islands. At that time, my most precious treasures were corals, different types of sands and shells of every shape and color.

The souk was also like entering Ali Baba’s carvern. This was a place where we could purchase the most ridiculous and unnecessary things. What I mainly remember from roaming around the souk was inhaling mad sorts of incense, and being blinded by the shine of silver, gold and random colorful objects.

Being in the middle east was such a treat, we were close to other growing cities like Dubai. I remember Dubai when it was still a somewhat modest fishing port and to see what it has become now is really unbelievable. It’s like witnessing the construction of NYC in less than a few decades.

After three years in the Sultan’s land, my dad was once again transferred because of his job….back to France, in suburban Paris. I had never lived there before and it was a total culture shock for me. Europe is great but I had to adapt my mentality to be able to communicate politely to Europeans.. Haha that was a challenge.

The French. What a people. They taught me a lot. I learned how to stay in my place, and other times I learned how to let loose. I learned how to write and think in a philosophical way and mostly I learned how to eat like a god.

I was incredibly fortunate because once again, my parents placed me in an international school, where I made best friends from all over the world. My closest friends are from Italy, Spain, Sweden, England, America and this is all because I grew up with them. We’re like a third culture community.

Thanks to that school I speak fluent Italian, Spanish, French and English. Which is tha bomb.

Living in Europe was so practical. every so often I would go to southern france (my family is from Perigueux which is close to Bordeaux) or spain (Alicante, Valencia, Barcelona..)

After high school, I went off to the American University of Rome, where I spent three years perfecting my Italian and learning all there is to know about early art history. I was amidst the most romantic ruins ever. And as cheesy as it sounds, they were my classroom. Rome is also a pretty international city, which made it feel like home. During my stay there, I was also able to travel: Genova, Naples, Venice, even Pompei!!!

Also during that time, I went to Russia, which was tremendous. Saint Petersburg and Moscow are incredible. The vodka was so tasty it was like downing water, the streets were like a live circus, I remember seeing hilarious tourist attractions around the Nieva river, namely full grown bears on leashes or free wandering iguanas, and, to top it off, monkeys wearing nike shoes.

I got to see the Kremlin, which owns the world’s biggest collection of gigantic diamonds. I also saw Lenin’s body, which was just weird.

During my last year in Rome, I felt so sick of studying old art. Studying renaissance and baroque was great but I was thirsty for fresher, more modern works. This is what lead me to apply to Hunter College. I had never lived in the united states before, so this was my chance. AND I DON’T REGRET A THING. NEW YORK IS NEW YORK and It is a fabulous city filled with trends and traditions I wanted to be submerged in, and I got it all baby. Living in Bushwick was definitely awakening and I enjoyed every bit of it no matter how many rats, bugs and killings I had to face. I miss the dodgy neighborhood, During my stay, I was able to visit Philly, Baltimore, Chicago, San Diego, L.A, and I can’t wait to finish off cruising the crazy continent properly.

After getting my degree, I felt a Masters would be most appropriate if I wanted to get a decent job in the art world, but in order to get into the masters program I needed to have a little working experience. Off I went to Berlin, to work in the Magnus Muller Gallery for four months, learning basic German and familiarizing myself with Berlin’s art market. It was a great experience but I have to say 4 months was not long enough for me to fall in love with that city.

Anyway here I am now, living a Londoner’s life. Sorted.

By next September, I’ll be well versed in Contemporary art and have sufficient expertise to enter the art market, or whatever other industry that awaits me. Curating would be ideal but apparently it’ll take me a few decades to obtain that job. KEEP THE FAITH!!!

I miss you my dear Ceasar, I hope this description will entertain you. COUNTING THE DAYS UNTIL YOU GET HERE!! Xoxoxoxox

P.S.

sweetheart i also forgot to mention the places i went to on vacation with my family. my parents live in Qatar, which is so cool cause i get to visit them like twice or three times a year!!!!! thanks to them, i got to see Dominican Republic, Portugal, and this August i'm off to Bali!!!)

looove youuuu