Hey, Attention on Deck!
Hey, NOTHING here is PERSONAL, get over it - Teach Me and I will Learn!
When you begin to feel like you are a tough guy, a warrior, a master of the martial arts or that you have lived a tough life, just take a moment and get some perspective with the following:
I've stopped knives that were coming to disembowel me
I've clawed for my gun while bullets ripped past me
I've dodged as someone tried to put an ax in my skull
I've fought screaming steel and left rubber on the road to avoid death
I've clawed broken glass out of my body after their opening attack failed
I've spit blood and body parts and broke strangle holds before gouging eyes
I've charged into fires, fought through blizzards and run from tornados
I've survived being hunted by gangs, killers and contract killers
The streets were my home, I hunted in the night and was hunted in turn
Please don't brag to me that you're a survivor because someone hit you. And don't tell me how 'tough' you are because of your training. As much as I've been through I know people who have survived much, much worse. - Marc MacYoung
WARNING, CAVEAT AND NOTE
The postings on this blog are my interpretation of readings, studies and experiences therefore errors and omissions are mine and mine alone. The content surrounding the extracts of books, see bibliography on this blog site, are also mine and mine alone therefore errors and omissions are also mine and mine alone and therefore why I highly recommended one read, study, research and fact find the material for clarity. My effort here is self-clarity toward a fuller understanding of the subject matter. See the bibliography for information on the books. Please make note that this article/post is my personal analysis of the subject and the information used was chosen or picked by me. It is not an analysis piece because it lacks complete and comprehensive research, it was not adequately and completely investigated and it is not balanced, i.e., it is my personal view without the views of others including subject experts, etc. Look at this as “Infotainment rather then expert research.” This is an opinion/editorial article/post meant to persuade the reader to think, decide and accept or reject my premise. It is an attempt to cause change or reinforce attitudes, beliefs and values as they apply to martial arts and/or self-defense. It is merely a commentary on the subject in the particular article presented.
Note: I will endevor to provide a bibliography and italicize any direct quotes from the materials I use for this blog. If there are mistakes, errors, and/or omissions, I take full responsibility for them as they are mine and mine alone. If you find any mistakes, errors, and/or omissions please comment and let me know along with the correct information and/or sources.
“What you are reading right now is a blog. It’s written and posted by me, because I want to. I get no financial remuneration for writing it. I don’t have to meet anyone’s criteria in order to post it. Not only I don’t have an employer or publisher, but I’m not even constrained by having to please an audience. If people won’t like it, they won’t read it, but I won’t lose anything by it. Provided I don’t break any laws (libel, incitement to violence, etc.), I can post whatever I want. This means that I can write openly and honestly, however controversial my opinions may be. It also means that I could write total bullshit; there is no quality control. I could be biased. I could be insane. I could be trolling. … not all sources are equivalent, and all sources have their pros and cons. These needs to be taken into account when evaluating information, and all information should be evaluated.” - God’s Bastard, Sourcing Sources (this applies to this and other blogs by me as well; if you follow the idea's, advice or information you are on your own, don't come crying to me, it is all on you do do the work to make sure it works for you!)
“You should prepare yourself to dedicate at least five or six years to your training and practice to understand the philosophy and physiokinetics of martial arts and karate so that you can understand the true spirit of everything and dedicate your mind, body and spirit to the discipline of the art.” - cejames (note: you are on your own, make sure you get expert hands-on guidance in all things martial and self-defense)
“All I say is by way of discourse, and nothing by way of advice. I should not speak so boldly if it were my due to be believed.” - Montaigne
I am not a leading authority on any one discipline that I write about and teach, it is my hope and wish that with all the subjects I have studied it provides me an advantage point that I offer in as clear and cohesive writings as possible in introducing the matters in my materials. I hope to serve as one who inspires direction in the practitioner so they can go on to discover greater teachers and professionals that will build on this fundamental foundation. Find the authorities and synthesize a wholehearted and holistic concept, perception and belief that will not drive your practices but rather inspire them to evolve, grow and prosper. My efforts are born of those who are more experienced and knowledgable than I. I hope you find that path! See the bibliography I provide for an initial list of experts, professionals and masters of the subjects.
Faces: The Many Faces of Fu-Manchu
We humans assume many "faces" in life. We have one when we are alone, another when with a loved one, then there are those other faces we put on when we are at work, on vacation or in a very stressful encounter. We also change faces constantly when we are in a primary face. In a stressful encounter the exchange can change a face from easy conversation to irritation and if it escalates into a "war face (courtesy movie "Full Metal Jacket.")."
Our many faces are an intricate part of us, our personalities (those vary with the facts too) and our communications. The words we use are supplemented and dominated by face and body language, i.e. the many faces can achieve aggression or deescalation.
Our perceptions will be skewed to the face we put on or shift into from moment to moment. How we see things, how we hear sounds and what we feel are also driven by face resulting in our primary faces deflecting those sights, sounds and tactile/kinetic energies, data and perceptions.
Much like misdirection of the mind by magicians, our minds will misdirect those we encounter by the face we assume directly influencing the person or persons perceptive filters as fed through the lenses of the eyes, the microphone of the ears and the tactile input of the skin.
Face can change by proximity to persons/humans, their face projection and the make up of the environment. I am reminded by the clever computer graphics that can morph many faces depending on the ad and associated implied meaning of the admen.
This all begs the question, "How we lose face?" In face loss philosophy we then need to know, "which fact" is lost and the importance of that face in the scheme of all the faces we use from moment to moment.
I then began to freely associate this ideology with that of the ken-po goku-i with the following results:
Heaven, Earth, Sun and Moon are referenced so I started to think of the many phases (faces) of the moon. The cycles it travels through similar to our travels through life provide the face, i.e. waxing or crescent moon; waning or crescent moon; waning gibbous with three quarters moon, etc. This changes as the moon changes in relation to the position of the Earth and the Sun. The moon by this proximity and from influences of the Sun and Earth result in an affect on humans, nature and the Earth itself, i.e. tides, etc. This can be looked upon as the faces and influences of the moon.
The faces we see of the Sun come at sunrise through mid morning, noon, mid-afternoon and finally the face we see reflected by the sunset. The varied influences of the sun are by the intensity of its light, heat and radiation dependent on its location across the sky. The shadows as well are dependent on that position and present a set of different facts as that changes. We can perceive this through the needs of artists and photographers for that "face" provided by the sun's position changes the face of the portrait taken.
Then we can see within the other references to humans in the gokui that hard-n-soft can be displayed in the face we assume and speaks to those viewing the face as to a disposition, etc. The balance or lack thereof, the eyes, the skin (flushed, white or pale, etc.) and how they manifest and display control our "face" and thus the perceptive filters of those we encounter.
Hard-n-soft can infer such emotional states as to face such as "anger-n-love, hate-n-like, etc." We show our unbalance as well by the "fear, anger, frustration" we experience, face. Then we show our balance by the "love, pleasure, excitement and affection" we experience, face.
If we lose face, which one? If we lose face, how does it affect our whole "one self" and does a connection to the other faces cause as much damage? These and many other questions are to be asked when you encounter others as to the "face" and more importantly as to others affect on you as to your "face," which ever face that may be at that moment in time.
This type of perspective as to "face" may alleviate the perceived loss of said face into a manageable form allowing you to accept and believe that losing face might not be all that important in the overall scheme of life. Lets not forget that what we perceive through our perceptive filtering is also greatly influenced by the "face" we assume in any given situation. Does the face you wear blind you to the truth or to something that could tell you to take a different tactic or strategy?
If we assume an angry and offended face does that shut down our ability to objectively assess any given situation to "see" or "hear" the other person? How can we deescalate or avoid if our angry/offended face is in control? Isn't this just another "way" for the monkey brian to take over driving the bus?
Hmmm, questions-questions-questions but of course that means possible "answers-answers-answers."
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