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.

OODA: Analysis and Synthesis

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

Hey, don’t assume this stuff is written in concrete because this is simply me trying to gain perspective and understanding to the Boyd OODA loop, patterns of conflict, so all of the following is my learning curve. Take it for what it is, an attempt at understanding.

Analysis: detailed examination of the elements or structure of something, typically as a basis for discussion or interpretation; the process of separating something into its constituent elements. In Boyd’s loop one usese analysis by taking the whole or general and taking it to the atomistic or specifics. We must use our deductive abilities in the analysis of the whole in breaking it down into its parts and only at that point can we conduct a process of synthesis toward recreating and building all the specifics back into the whole, holistic, new system to remain in a change mode toward orientation to achieve a faster OODA process. 

Synthesis: the combination of ideas to form a theory or system. In Boyd’s loop one uses synthesis is taking the atomistic toward a whole, holistic, generalized state. Once a previous experienced whole is retrieved for analysis then the atomistic specifics of that whole are analyzed as separate distinct individualized parts toward a synthesis of a possible new set of parts that is then collected, collated and created into a new whole that is useful when encoded into procedural sub-routines and functions thereby creating a faster OODA process. 

By taking a conscious view of the analysis and synthesis processes an individual through appropriate training and practices along with hands-on experiences builds a collection of zombie procedural memories that the inner world of our perceptions uses in any given situation sensed from the outer world or reality in comparison to the inner world created from experiences, training, practices of analyzed and synthesized processes for appropriate actions making the process of the OODA faster by time dilation/compression of the OD processes, etc.  

We create concepts out of our analysis of old concepts toward newer creative processes to build a tool box of procedural zombie sub-routines and functions that will speed up the OODA so we can cause our adversary to become cautious in his processes giving us the edge in time and speed. When the adversary is faced by a tempo, rhythm and constant and continuous process of changes then they are stuck in a OO bounce that has no time to adjust, orient, decide and act - a freeze. 

The chaos of such applicable multiple tempo, rhythmic, principled based methodologies makes our defense faster and overwhelming to the adversary with only one other considerations the self-defense proponent must consider, i.e., when it is time to end the process, reach safety and thereby remain within the square that the legal system and laws require for self-defense. 

It is recommended that self-defense disciplines be they karate, martial arts or other methods use the full and comprehensive application of the OODA, not just the linear mechanical one that remains the most obvious so considered the complete OODA. It is not the linear Observe then Orient then Decision then Action but an orientation using the combinations of observation and decisions from our encoded procedural memories in comparison to the stimuli transmitted through our sensory systems to our inner world so that actions happen faster and more effectively. Like self-defense, it is not a simple simplistic four step process but a multi-analytical and synthesis process to achieve optimal OODA and thereby achieve our self-defense goals against our adversary.

It is recommended the self-defense encompass the study of the OODA through the following papers:
  • Destruction and Creation by Colonel John R. Boyd
  • Patterns of Conflict by Colonel John R. Boyd
  • On the Making of History: John Boyd and American Security by Grant T. Hammond
  • Coming Full Circle with Boyd’s OODA Loop Ideas by William S. Angerman, Captain, USAF
I decided to take a moment to search for topics on the OODA as well as find a book about Col. Boyd, the one book I decided on is listed at the end of the below. My main source of understanding to this point is the following sources written by a professional on his blog:
  • http://chirontraining.blogspot.com/2006/01/ooda-introduction.html
  • http://chirontraining.blogspot.com/2006/01/ooda-insights.html
  • http://chirontraining.blogspot.com/2016/04/ooda-double-reversal.html
  • http://chirontraining.blogspot.com/2007/09/more-on-heart-and-freezing.html
Then I did a google search to list a few top hits who wrote articles on the OODA loop. List to follow:
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OODA_loop
  • https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTED_78.htm
  • http://www.artofmanliness.com/2014/09/15/ooda-loop/
  • https://tacticalresponse.com/blogs/library/18649427-boyd-s-o-o-d-a-loop-and-how-we-use-it
  • http://www.valuebasedmanagement.net/methods_boyd_ooda_loop.html
  • http://www.policemag.com/channel/careers-training/articles/2013/09/understanding-the-ooda-loop.aspx
Other than the material from Rory Miller and the book, this is not a publication of what I feel are authoritative works on the subject but simply the top search hits that may enlighten or not on the subject of the OODA loop. 
  • The book I chose to read and study is: “Boyd: The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War.” by Robert Coram. 

Bibliography (Click the link)


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