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.

Karate/Kanji Training

I tend to explain the danger of trying to use kanji yet at the same time you will see that I provide examples of kanji, related to MA, with explanations that mostly promote the difficulty. I see my efforts at attempts to understand the kanji characters as another way to understand my karate.

First, when you start to study the characters you find that much like karate practice, any martial system falls under this same example, that you have to really study the fundamentals. This takes memorization and that means repetitive practice. Like karate and other martial systems this is important.

Second, you will notice that within those fundamentals you find kata. I mean loosely you find that you must follow certain patterns much like embusen of kata. In that foundation you have for use "strokes" that must connect to "form" the character. Think of the fundamental principles of martial systems, i.e. body alignment, economical motions, efficiency, natural action, posture, breathing, structure, etc.

Click for larger view.
Viewing an example of the forming of a character by the stroke patterns you find it like kata. There seems to be kata in all that is done including writing those characters called kanji in its various forms. This promotes good technique, like karate, and active movement, like karate, positioning of the strokes, like karate, timing, rhythm, mind, mushin, etc. much like karate or any martial system.

Third, then you achieve a complexity that is unique to that character yet changes as it is used with other characters much like the varying and various systems of the martial arts. There are principles to everything done and kanji provides another way to "see" how it applies to not only MA but to all things in nature and life. When you couple the characters or string them together you find that the patterns are important if you wish to have "meaning" which if you wish your kata and the techniques/strokes to have meaning in application then you realize that simply stringing them willy nilly does not work. It requires many steps, many strokes, and lost of fundamental principles to make any of it work.

The study of kanji characters even if you don't "get it exact or accurate" still has much to teach us and it is easily connected to our practice of MA. Think of the art of calligraphy in Japanese arts. That art system has many fundamentals that govern the ability of the participant to create great characters much like karate-ka use the same fundamentals to create great karate. This is why I ask anyone using them to do so carefully yet at the same time pursue learning about them so as to "see" how it relates and benefits my understanding of my system of Martial Arts.
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