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.

Manifesting Chinkuchi/Principles


Lets begin this lesson with complimentary. No one thing is indicative of chinkuchi, i.e. the sequential locking and relaxation principle. All the factors that make up chinkuchi/principles must compliment one another as a whole effort or they fail to achieve the goal of the action. 

Now, lets take this next step by addressing equal rights, i.e. equal rights in regards to the various principles used to support sequential locking and relaxation. Equal rights in that for every action or movement there is going to be a reciprocal action or movement. Master of this is part of applying the principles to get to a point where chinkuchi is applied properly and effectively.

Third, lets talk about technique vs. techniques. We all know that one technique can be morphed into something different when applied in a given moment therefore one shall not become focused on any one technique but rather the principles applied. We can have a plathora of techniques but in reality to apply principles with chinkuchi, i.e. sequential locking and relaxation, etc., we need to apply principles across the board and that includes the results know as chinkuchi. 

Another point I wish to make here is this lesson or discussion will speak to the separate parts of the whole that lead to proper application of chinkuchi/principles in this some what narrow view. Once we take this narrower view we cannot forget that we have to pull back in order to incorporate it into the complete picture. Staying glued to the narrow leaves openings for other things to push you off the path.

Our first step in achieving chinkuchi (note: from now on when I speak of chinkuchi I speak of chinkuchi as applied through proper application of the fundamental principles of martial systems) is rooting. This involves directing force into and from the group. We often train this through lessons on the stances used in martial arts. Stances are transitory and although there are specific stances taught to novices when in the fight no one stance is used but rather a stance that is created due to circumstances in any given moment. This can be called the kamae. 

To ground ourselves properly involves many other aspects of the principles (when I use this word here on out I mean fundamental principles of martial systems as provided in Steven J. Pearlman's book "The Book of Martial Power.") which include physiokinetic alignment of the body and proper attention to relaxation, centeredness, heaviness, alignment, posture, etc. which will be laid out as we progress with this discussion.

To ground oneself is how one begins the proper sequential locking process that ends with chinkuchi applied to the target or adversary. By rooting we place the energy and power in our body into the earth and by reciprocity that kind of bounces back and begins the sequence necessary to achieve the tensioning act that is chinkuchi.

Relaxation is required to keep from putting energy in the body itself where it has no place to go. This is often felt and seen as muscle tension or muscle it. This restricts the flow of energy. The next item is intention. i.e. where we put our mind or mind-state in the moment. We need to put our mind-state into power, force and damage in that moment of applied technique or chinkuchi/principles in transferring energy into a target. Remember in relaxation the state achieved in the mind-body will allow us to bleed of the force applied to us from our adversary.

The mind-state also puts our mind on our center, i.e. the area located in the hara and all movement through the entire sequence must be controlled and navigated from the hara. This presence of mind in our center removes or reduces the effects of the fight from distraction of the mind and this free flow of the mind in the moment is critical to achieving chinkuchi/application of principles, etc. 

In our rooting efforts we want to drop our weight into the ground to create the stability that transfers energy and power through the process of sequential locking and relaxation so it is complemented by the other principles provided already and to come in the following. When rooted we push ourselves into the ground as we push against any external object, i.e. an adversary/target. 

This allows is to project force, produce a counter force against us and then use the counter force to increase our stability and that counter force becomes force fulling the percentage principle by generating energy, power and force at the adversary/target.

Now to direct our attention to sequential locking and sequential relaxation. You can also look at this as locking the joints of the body, arm, leg or what ever sequence is used in the moment to make use of chinkuchi/principles as applied more holistically. It reminds me that to assume that chinkuchi involves simply locking the joints is all it takes is a misnomer as we can see as this progresses it takes a bit more to understand application of chinkuchi/principles.

SL/SR (meaning from this point sequential locking and sequential relaxation) can also be called chain locking, body tensioning or seizing or communial locking. The human body works best when all the joints, muscles, tendons, cartilage's, etc. work in unison and properly, i.e. alignment, etc. As you can imagine the control given to sequential locking comes from controlling those joints, etc.

In order to maximize this we have to align the body itself in many variations of body posture and position. All locking in sequences that provide alignment so that the body part such as the arm, shoulder, torso, hips/wasit, legs, etc. connect at the exact right moment to achieve chinkuchi. 

The legs from the rooted position, the hips when locking after proper application, i.e. that slight twist action that is used to supplement or increase energy transference through the sequencing. Once that is achieved and the hips are level then begins spinal alignment. If not properly aligned then the body will twist out of its locked position. This is one of the many reasons we spend so much time working on proper form, alignment and posture in karate practice. 

As the spine aligns each vertebra will align and lock, seizing the entire body from the hips up. The spine will bend and pivot per circumstances and remain locked unless force is applied. Once it becomes a recipient of force, as when chinkuchi/principles are applied successfully, the spine becomes a solid bar. 

Since force and body are being directed by the hara with sequential locking and chinkuchi/principles then that energy and force through relaxation, heaviness, etc. will flow through to the shoulders, upper arm, elbow, forearm, wrist, and fist. The forward movement, the hara, the locking process, relaxation, then the position, alignment, and final locking of joints, muscles, tendons, etc. as the fist strikes the target/adversary there is this final instantaneous locking and tensioning that is chinkuchi and principles applied to a single small point. 

After that instance we then instantly exercise sequential relaxation, we relax from the center outward to reverse the sequence that led to chinkuchi/applied principles, i.e. from the center to spine to sholder/hips, to elbow/knees to the wrist/fist/ankle/foot and then allow us to move into another appropriate kamae to once again achieve chinkuchi/principles as applied to another moment and another target/adversary. 

Remember that sequential relaxation is a positive relaxation state of mind-body. This positive relaxed state is that state we achieve with principles flowing from moment to moment in the fight. When needed the process is once again achieved for chinkuchi/applied principles. 

This is a quick and simplistic explanation/lesson/discussion on achieving chinkuchi that are a product of achieving application of the principles in martial arts. As can be readily seen this principle system transcends any one form, style or system of hand combat. It is the way to achieve maximum effectiveness in the use of martial arts as a system of defense. 

This is by no means a complete picture of what it means to have, apply and demonstrate chinkuchi or principles of martial systems. It is merely a key to open the door of the mind in seeing out adequate instruction in developing principles regardless of what discipline you study. It takes the individuality out of the styes and puts principles (with chinkuchi) in the direct foundation of any combative system of defense. 

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