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.

Personality


Our lives are governed by several factors. Two of those are our gender and our race. The third and possibly most important is personality. The yin-n-yang of personality is the spectrum of introversion to extraversion. Where we fall in that spectrum says a great deal about such things as choosing our friends and mates. It governs how we make conversation, resolve differences, and it affects what career's we choose - mostly. 

Our personalities have a lot to do with how likely we are to exercise, function well without sleep and I suggest when subjected to adrenaline dumps and emotional effects. It can have great effect on how we learn from our mistakes, become a leader, and ask such questions that are "What if" questions. One third to one half of people in the west are introverts. Introverts are known to embrace the inner world of self. 

Do introverts make good martial artists? Introverts posing as extraverts may actually be the most dedicated and long term practitioners of not only martial arts disciplines but most disciplines of human kind. The difference is they tend to be more involved in the smaller close-knit groups often referred to as the back yard dojo with three to five participants. 

The introverted karate-ka tends to avoid self promotion and fall into a "thinker" category. They can and do take on an extraverted model but you may find them also seeking out a more reclusive state to recharge, to build up the batteries of energy depleted by extraversion activities. 

It can be important for personalities to take stock of their own talents and no more so than those who are introverts. It does not mean extraverts don't have a need to take stock but it is important to understand how that part of personality affects all the things we do. 

Is it possible that deescalation may be better suited to the introvert vs. the extravert? Introverts as inner thinkers may have a unique approach to things like negotiations. They tend to practice and prepare more than the seemingly gifted extraverts. 

Introversion and extraversion spectrum of personality can provide many answers to not only the individual practitioner but the leaders as well. A good example is for extraverts conducting larger group driven practices may benefit them more while the introverts will in all likelihood do better in much smaller individualized type practices. 

2 comments:

M. A. Noel said...

Hmm ... Being an introvert and 2nd Dan in ChangMuKwan/WTF, I'm going to step out on my limb and state IMHO, but with very high probability, that you will be very hard pressed to find an introvert running a MacDojo.

MacDojo's probably require a lot of Extroverted Thinking, Interaction, & Execution especially in locales with direct competition from other MacDojo's, and especially now with MMA in the Martial Arts Soup.

I recently read that Chojun Miyagi typically would only have a few students at any given time.

So, can we can assume Chojun Miyagi was an Introvert ?

On the other hand, what I've read about Choki Motobu leads me to believe he may have been an Extrovert.

Sokon Matsumura ??? Probably an Introvert who developed and exercised highly effective leadership qualities.


Sue C said...

I think most people would describe me as an introvert but I'm happy to train in a large class. I suppose when you are doing solo work such as kihon or kata you are on your own anyway however big the class is and when you are doing partner work, then, by definition, there's only two of you! What I'm no good at is team games but I suppose that fits your theory....