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.

Kakie (Okinawan Sticky Hands)

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

IN my recent studies through Rory Miller’s latest book about drills he talks about the use of our tactile system, i.e., he talks about more than mere sticky hands as often practiced and I will theorize that sticky hands is a solid introduction to this concept but wholly inadequate to teaching how one can use tactile methodologies especially as Mr. Miller indicated that they are far superior overall than other more visual methods. 

He states (note: I may have transcribed and implanted some of my own words and/or ideas herein; fact check it with the book):

  • Note: Humans are wet meat machines of nature, we are all similar as the wet meat sits around our bones, the skeletal system, and are connected by tendons, cartilage and muscles. Once you have two points of contact with another human, you will be able to feel, tactile sensory systems, any shift in that persons movement through the bones. Sensitivity drills are about feeling others in motion so that you feel how, when and where they move their bodies and then to feel how you can exploit those moved to your benefit. 
  • Note: Most karate sensitivity drills are limited and incomplete for they only deal with what they call sticky-hands. To truly learn, condition, experience and apply tactile systems for self-defense you have to connect to the entire skeletal system through touch and such drills as appropriate. 
    • Learn to analyze exactly what sensitivity means in a given context. 
    • Learn to FEEL incoming forces. 
    • Mass moving in any direction, particularly force coming in, can be exploited. 
    • When it comes learn to control the power necessary to move it in any appropriate direction. 
  • Note: It is common not to have the use of vision in a fight. You need to learn how to deal with darkness, the threat behind you, and blood in your eyes, etc. Sometimes violence is so close - in your face - and so fast, with a flurry of strikes coming in, that your eyes can’t handle it. Touch is still available tool when in that state.
  • Note: Touch, tactile sensitivity, gives a faster reaction than focused sight and is less hampered by adrenaline. 
  • Note: Reaction time to touch is faster than peripheral vision reaction time and much faster than focused vision. 
  • Note: Conditioned tactile self-fense will allow you to respond to the precursors in a fight increasing speed. Kind of like feeling the tell and acting rather than reacting after the method is in motion. You will find yourself defending actions before they happen, sometimes before the attacker has consciously decided to move. It could be called, “Combat Precognition.”
  • Note: Push shoulders, effects the hips and legs; shoulder girdle is a lever arm attached to the pelvis; pelvis is a lever arm too. 
  • Note: The Proverbial Bear Hug Defense; every time you see a self-defense instructor teach an escape from a bear hug you have to be puzzled because the only people ever seen to use the bear hug just stand there comes from cops and bouncers - the good guys. A bear hug is something used by cops and bouncers to slam someone into a wall or throw them into a closet or car trunk. It is fast and mobile: you are whipped off your feet. 
  • Note: Fighting is dynamic, it happens moving even with firearms and when the emphasis is on the range with a stable platform and good site picture … gunfights involve a lot of running and ducking. Practicing static defense or two-dimensional motion of sparring, the wild action of a fight will be unfamiliar. The crashing, running, pushing, pulling, and dropping will confuse you. Worse, if your skills require a solid base, they will simply fall. 

These revelations, for me anyway, indicates that sticky hands or kakie or Shokusokugi training are most excellent in providing students a pre-requisite like intro to just how our sense of touch can achieve survival goals This is why I stop here before I get to far out past my expertise and understanding and “HIGHLY RECOMMEND” Rory Miller’s book:

Miller, Rory. Training for Sudden Violence: 72 Practical Drills.” YMAA Publications. New Hampshire. 2016

As I read the introduction I am again pleased and not too surprised that in a short and terse chapter Mr. Miller has once again inspired and informed me on the most seriously deep subject, most awesome! 

Read also the following for more information on the two terms I reference.

Kakie (kagi) [カキエ] []

The characters/ideograms mean "to hook." This particular term also means in martial arts circles "push hands; sticky hands, etc." The character means, "hook; barb; gaff; brackets."

This term also makes references through the ninth ken-po goku-i, tactile or tactual or tactility or haptic, as a means to train and practice both the mind and body to "sense" body movement, body alignment, body pressures, rhythms and cadence. It is a method to discover through tactile ability the strategy, tactile and technique. It is a method to sense how your body moves and how your adversary's body moves and how to make changes through tactile ability to move your body with that of an adversary in a manner allowing proper counters to take strategic and tactical advantage. 

Kakie is an Okinawan dialect that means "to hook." It is a part of the ancient Ti/Te tradition of the culture and denotes training with a partner for a tactile development of the body-mind connection and is best practiced with eyes closed after the initial learning curve is passed. It involves motions with constant arm contact while moving the hands in a circular motion while the entire body also moves and senses minute changes in motion, cadence, rhythms, etc.

Kakie also has as "bunkai" a number of close combat techniques and counter techniques that are also applied in a tactile manner. It is important the one not rely on sight and hearing alone but enhance the ability to feel tactually, to feel and use feeling to apply such techniques. There are three general categories of kakie, i.e. Hichi Gaki, Ushi Gaki and Hani Gaki.

Kakie is unique to the Okinawan fighting system of Ti/Te and should not be assumed a part of or concept of the Chinese push/sticky hands techniques. Keep in mind it is not an exercise for timing and body conditioning (karada kitae is body conditioning); it is not just practiced in Goju but rather in all Okinawan Ti/Te; finally it is NOT a form of kumite.

It might also be that kakie is a basic or fundamental practice leading toward "Shokusokugi." 

Shokusokugi [触即技]

The characters/ideograms mean "instant touch technique; or touch, feel and go technique." The first character means, "contact; touch; feel; hit; proclaim; announce; conflict," the second technique means, "instant; namely; as is; conform; agree; adapt," the third character means, "skill; art; craft; ability; feat; performance; vocation; arts."

If your touch sensitive or use touch sense mode than you will find this concept easy to understand and practice but if you're a sight or hearing sense person you may find this one a bit touchy. This aspect of the kakie and shokusokugi pair also introduces practitioners to the concept of in-yo or in Chinese yin-yang. 

This is something that teaches a martial artist the proper actions when a person and adversary have that first physical contact. It is the ability and model to teach and learn how to perceive an adversaries intentions by tactual contact alone - by touch. It is a means to sense an impending attack and giving the person a lead in applying a proper counter, etc.


Instant touch technique; or touch, feel and go technique.

Bibliography (Click the link)

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