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.

My First Car

I worked hard. I earned the money to buy a brand new car. Not some pre-owned, used, formally owned by this little old lady from Pasadena but a new vehicle with only the miles used to take it off the ship, move it onto the truck and park it on the sales lot.

It's parked out front. The apartment is shoddy and you are eating instant food but you got that new car, awesome. You shower, shave and dress. You run, not walk, not saunter but you run with keys in hand to get in and drive your new "ride."

Yank the door open, jump in and insert with force the new key in the ignition. Hit it, the ignition, the rrr-rrr-rrr of the starter and motor send chills up and down you back - Ohhh, my ride you say. The engine catches and roars to life. After all you took it straight to the hobby shop and your mechanic friends helped you juice it up a bit, headers, hi-performance equipment and a drive train with special four speed shifting performance - ready for the quarter mile track, yea!

You with abandon shove the shifter into first, pop the clutch and off you go. You press the accelerator and pick up speed, roarrrrr, the rpm's are climbing and you feel like your on top of the world. The rpm's reach 5K, 5.5K, 6.5K and climbing. The engine is roaring and the pitch is climbing and you feel like your powerful, fast and leaving others in the dust. Your blinders don't allow you to see that everyone is basically maintaining the same pace.

Roar, your day is like this all day long until you go home, park it and get out to admire your brand new vehicle.

Day two, the same. Day five, the same. Week four, the same. Your on a roll, all is well and you and your new car are impressive. People stop and stare as you zoom, zoom, zoom - flashing by them like posts of a picket fence.

Week six, roaring once again when out of the clear blue sky comes, "ping .... pingggg .... PING." Hmmm, you say, wonder what that could be but since your roaring and traveling like the speed of light and without interference you continue on.

Week seven, start it up and "ping .... pingggg .... PING." You have been hearing all this for a time now and you figure since all is running except this "little ping" you can go for it. You do just that.

"ping .... pingggg .... PING," and "thud, blonk, boink," "rattle, hackle, shimmy and shake." It has been like this for a while, ah well what the heck cause I am still roaring down that road. It never occurred to you that maybe a four speed means you can shift into second, third and fourth as needed by the rpm's. Who cares you might think, all is well and ... it works.

About a month or so passes, your roaring down the road and suddenly the car bucks, you are bounding around in your seat and then you hear such a racket the world must be ending - it does, your engine ceases to roar and you coast to a stop on the side of the road.

You can't help but think to yourself, how could this happen? I was doing so good and running so fast and hearing such power I should be running like this "forever," what the %$@&.

The mechanic took a look, assumed a very sympathetic face and said, "Your engine is done. You blew it up, what happened?" He heard your story, chuckled and then sadly conveyed to you that your rushed and passed up a lot of good information that would have helped you take care of your car and run it well for many, many years - it could have, with care, taken you through your entire life, bummer dude the mechanic said.


Epilogue: You rush out the front door with your uniform on for all to see your new belt and tell all that your fast, powerful and ready to take on the world. You rush to the dojo, jump on the floor and go full blast with the basics. You've been doing it this way for a while, your comfortable and your roaring around the dojo floor - black belt is just around the corner.
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1 comment:

Vannessa Gabbett said...

The mechanic probably hurt his brain trying to figure out what you did to your car engine. Just a thought: you might want to slow down with your karate moves while driving your car. I tend to be a little rough on my engine too, but I had it upgraded with our local car dealer to improve its road performance and reliability.

7:14 AM

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