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.

Yin-Yang, a Chinese Concept of Duality

Blog Article/Post Caveat (Read First Please: Click the Link)

In the fundamental principle of philosophy they indicate that yin-yang are important to practice, training and the ever critical application especially in regard to conflict and violence. A concept of that sub-principle, i.e., yin-yang, we arrive at one of the most important understandings that all of us must battle not just in violent conflicts but in the very way we live our modern lives. 

What is this duality of yin-yang to which I elude, it is the human brain-monkey brain or the recent evolutionary addition to the human of a logical brain to the ancient survival emotional brain. Our ancient selves had a dominant emotionally driven brain that allowed us to survive as ancient hunters and gatherers. As we survived and as the world in which we lived and survived evolved the brain found a need for a more logical driven ability thus evolved a logical, unemotionally driven, brain. But it doesn’t stop here, the brain needed to have a balance as our world evolved a dominant emotional ability needed to be tempered and controlled so the emotional brain needed to be tempered by a logical brain. So we evolved and our brains evolved so that we now have a human (logical) brain and a emotional (monkey) brain. 

Look at the monkey side as the one governing and controlling our “Immediate Gratification” networks while the human side as the one governing and controlling the “Long term less-gratifying” networks. Our logical side can analyze, theorize and come to conclusions where the long term needs of survival can be achieved. Our emotional side then does a quick and dirty assumption leaving logic out in the cold so that our immediate survival instincts driven needs are met causing us to experience “Instant gratifications,” i.e., in other words it triggers that part of the brain that says, “I want it now,” or “Must succumb to our impulsive behavior, including things like drug addiction, overwhelming needs. 

One research finding said, “Some emotionally involved brain structures are highly activated by the choice of immediate or near-term rewards explaining the phenomena of ‘Instant Gratifications.’  These areas are associated with impulsive behavior, including drug addiction. Longer term rewards involve the areas of the cortex involved in higher cognition and deliberation are more active. The higher the activity the more a person is willing to defer gratification further validation of the phenomena of Instant Gratification.” 

To add to this the findings also made the statement, “Our emotional brains being a part of our survival system for far longer than the newly evolved and developed logical brain where reason find the fight agains the emotional networks an uphill battle so we as practitioners need to constantly and diligently fight the monkey dance to remain in a balanced state of logic-emotional actions and especially reactions. It is said, “Religions are optimized to tap into the emotional network of humans, and great arguments of reason amount to little against such magnetic pull.” You can say that all advertisements for products and services are geared toward the emotional networks because they know that fighting such pulls from our ancient emotional survival systems is literally, almost, impossible especially when you take into account the social conditioning of modern society. Every thing we do in our lives is a result of the battle of networks that are referred to in the self-defense karate and martial arts world as the human logical brain vs. the emotional monkey brain.”

Yes, this is another way to say the same things other professionals state as to how the human brain works in conjunction to that monkey, trouble maker, brain - logic human vs. emotional monkey. They are correct and this simply adds to that need, the need for use to recognize these differences and how they affect us not just in self-defense but daily. Take for instance, “Plugging into the “Instant gratification circuits” of the brain is how things like the subprime mortgage system was possible resulting is such devastating effects on individuals and the economy.”

We need to train ourselves to be cautions of “I-want-it-now” deals. (The archetypical dual-process conflict; the deal with the devil; your wishes granted now for your soul in the distant future.) 

We must develop the ability to resist temptation rather than allow our dual-process conflict to tip toward the side of instant gratification. It is so easy to yield to impulses, and inordinately difficult to ignore them. Arguments stemming from the intellect or from morality are weak when pitted against human passions and desires. 

Bibliography (Click the link)

Visit artists site to view more of his art and to discover who the artists is: https://thesoundoffragments.wordpress.com/2014/11/04/make-good-art/


No comments: