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.

Circular Culture

Yin-n-Yang, the symbol is surrounded by a circle. The circle has a few symbolic meanings but one I found to be most connected to jutsu-do is its symbolic representation of a circular path, hara of haragei is of a circular quality. Westerners look at the yin-n-yang in a linear fashion as if a line were drawn from the extreme negative to the extreme positive.

The circle of the symbol, yin-n-yang, represents a circular quality and if you observe it closely all of the symbol is circular in nature where the extreme yin to extreme yang resides on or within that circle which is in constant movement, changing all the time, and results in the movement of the extremes out of that place to various levels of both poles until they reach a balance point and then shift into their opposites. This is the symbolic meaning of the tadpoles and the seeds represented in the center of those tadpoles rotating and changing with each moment, always in movement, always.

Western thought and thinking tries hard to control and classify our practice and training in a linear fashion, a left brain activity while the Japanese and other Asian cultures tend to practice and train in a circular quality, superior. Think of the fundamentals of aikido. [correction or more accurately it involves complex linear motion that may seem circular, but you get my point I hope]

Observe kumite in karate here in the Western hemisphere, it tends to be on a straight line forward and backward. You will observe on occasion one actually moving off that line in a circular move which in a lot of cases, if that person's line is longer, results in not losing for that person. Linear mental activity tends to lock humans in a linear mode that hinders finding a balance that is of nature, circular.

The sun and moon in the gokui inference to the circulation of the blood which is a hint to the bodies energy all travel in a circular fashion. This is an important distinction of that part of the gokui as to the lesson, the teachings of Shimabuku Tatsuo-san as taught by the ancient classics. This is an important distinction and has been a cultural belief that has lasted for thousands of years.

Take a look at the "magic tea room" post on my gokui blog. The graphic I use if you look closely to the center point where the "5" resides is actually the center of the tatami mats that surround it forming a circular quality that is symbolic of yin-n-yang.

Our whole existence as human beings is circular, i.e. birth, growth, aging and death, whereby life itself is circular taking life into and out of existence, that existence we perceive in human form that has a body, mind and spirit connection to nature, the Universe. We are all the same as Heaven and Earth as representative of said Universe.

If we stop "fighting" nature and allow ourselves to enter into the circular path we will find that many aspects that allude our training and learning will suddenly open up to us and help us achieve - enlightenment (which contains proficiency, etc.)

p.s. a thought for those accepting to the circular quality might also be that the yin-n-yang symbol moves only in one direction. This is a symbol and not restricted to the picture but rather should be thought of more like a "sphere" that rotates much like a gyroscope, in all directions and in all dimensions. The rotations go one direction, another in reverse but also in varying floating more chaos like unpredictable directions which is just like life - unpredictable.

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5 comments:

Patrick Parker said...

I get what you're saying, but the fundamentals of Aikido ar more linear than circular. It is not even possible for a person to walk in a circle. We do make use of some arc segments, but the circular look of Aikido is mostly illusion :-)

Charles James said...

Hi, Parker-san: Thanks, my understanding of aikido is very limited so thanks for correcting an inaccurate assumption. - Charles :-)

Patrick Parker said...

Of course, there are plenty of folks that think I'm F.O.S. on that one :-) see... http://www.mokurendojo.com/2008/11/pay-attention-aikido-is-not-circular.html

Rick Matz said...

I find it useful to not think of yin and yang as two things, but yin-yang as one thing.

Charles James said...

Parker-san: I would think that maybe this is why I got it that way.

Rick-san: In my view, you're correct.