Please take a look at Articles on self-defense/conflict/violence for introductions to the references found in the bibliography page.

Please take a look at my bibliography if you do not see a proper reference to a post.

Please take a look at my Notable Quotes

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.

Makiwara Calluses

In a recent posting on the Facebook Wall of the Ryukyu Martial Arts the subject of calluses came up. Somehow, and this is not the first time I personally have been asked about this from karate-ka, practitioners got this idea that the purpose of the makiwara is to condition the hands, i.e. build up calluses on the knuckles, etc. along with building the calcium deposits around the knuckles under the skin, etc. This is just not so. 

First, review “Wolff’s Law.” Then review the following video, “Machiwara Undo, by Jonathon Hallberg.”

Second, the calluses you may, stress may, develop on the parts of the body used with the makiwara are a byproduct. They are not the goal but just one small thing that you get from “proper makiwara training.” The degree depends on how you practice and train the makiwara. I firmly believe that if you train and practice in a manner that meets the principles of martial systems you will lessen the development of those calcium deposits and calluses.

Third, the use and practice of the makiwara, to my minds eye, is more about training the body, mind and spirit. When you watch the excellent video you can see in the first exercise that it is more about things like physiokinetics, i.e. for example that exercise teaches you about something called the “step punch (also referred to as the falling step punch as first explained by boxing champ, “Jack Dempsey.”).” 

If done properly you see the simple falling forward creates power and the proper responding is for the body to return to standing up position from the proper application of the hand to the target. 

I had someone contact me who said they just returned from Okinawa where in the honbu dojo they spent a lot of time on the makiwara. Their concern was the extreme calluses, etc. that were formed on the hands and that this would result in some medical issue later in life. My response was, first, this is not necessary to benefit from makiwara training. Second, you can adjust your training so that you lessen the byproduct of calcium and calluses and still get the full benefit of makiwara training. When I described how, etc. they got one of those “oh crap” moments. 

I believe that in some dojo this practice of makiwara calluses, etc. is more about perception than actual martial benefits. I try to convey that the goal of makiwara training is to learn how to apply the fundamental principles of martial systems to application of technque because when you properly apply the principles like physiokinetics and technique you can see, feel and hear them through makiwara training. Just watch and listen to the video and when you begin to use the makiwara you then can feel it when done properly.

In my final opinion on this matter, when an instructor teaches and informs a practitioner that the makiwara is about developing large knuckles, calluses and calcium deposits for defense, etc. then they are missing out on a larger and more critically important aspect to makiwara undo training. Similar to the maxim that if you learn something incorrectly it takes you double or triple the time to correct it than if you just learned it correctly at the start. 

Two additional points as well. The first is the purpose of using the makiwara. If your goal is for self  defense or tameshiwara then that requires additional professional guidance. Second, if your being taught that makiwara undo is about protecting the hand against hard targets then you need to go back to the basics again. You don’t use the fist against hard targets such as the skull, etc. because even if you develop large calluses and calcium deposits with a strong hand, arm and so on if you are in the fight you still run a high probability that your hand will break against a hard target. This is why in fighting, combat and most important self defense you use the fist against soft targets and the open hand against hard targets. This may sound unusual but when properly instructed and trained you will readily see the benefits. 

Finally, having large deformed hands at one time may have been a mark of a professional expert karate-ka but that is also a misnomer. When the chemicals are dumped into your body your large deformed hands if not properly trained and utilized will be nothing more than large deformed hands. 




Makiwara calluses are a byproduct, not the goal. Makiwara trains you to apply the fundamental principles of martial systems so that you can apply them in a real life self-protection event, i.e. self-defense. Makiwara more than any other device, i.e. heavy bag, returns the lessons of correct and incorrect applications better than anything I have used except actual experience itself. Use the makiwara correctly and you will enjoy the benefits. Use the makiwara incorrectly and all you do is create large deformed hands that may result in difficulties later in life. 

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

You actually make it seem really easy with your presentation but I to find this topic
to bbe actually one thing that I feel I might never understand.
It kind of eels too complicated and very large for me.

I'm looking forward in your next publish, I'll attempt to get the grasp
of it!

Feel free to visit my web site: wind energy jobs michigan ()