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.

Just the Facts Ma'am


Okusoku [憶測]

The characters/ideograms mean "speculation; guess; supposition." The first character means, "recollection; think; remember," the second character means, "fathom; plan; scheme; measure."

Lets add this one to kaigi and sotei or skepticism and assumptions. We use all this information to speculate as to how things work and what we can do about such things. This ties into defensive strategies. The more information gathered the better the speculative reasoning, i.e. our assumptions and their effect on our actions along with skepticism in validation.

Addendum dtd Oct 1, 2013 at 10:13hrs.

I hear a lot of speculation in the Isshinryu community. Some is with supporting information but not necessarily "facts." Yes, a person's personal experience is relevant but not "factual" because it relies heavily on a variety of factors - all subject to human perceptions and errors.

It is speculation, i.e. a personal viewpoint. Yes, initially when I hear someone provide their personal viewpoint supported by information, sometimes actual facts, then I believe it - until - some other fact or information comes along that has more weight than the previous.

Now, there are some in our Isshinryu community I respect and admire for their efforts to gather up the history of the system, Okinawan Isshinryu, and there are some that warrant listening too with reservations.

But, a big BUT, most of what is passed is still speculation. As to "facts," When I think of facts I think of data that has substance and general validation by some authoritative source such as research results or historical data documented by authoritative sources.

One viewpoint of "facts" is by Pierce, i.e. "truth is that concordance of an abstract statement with the ideal limit towards which endless investigation would tend to bring scientific belief, which concordance the abstract statement may possess by virtue of the confession of its inaccuracy and onesideness, and this confession is an essential ingredient of truth."

It must be noted that specific to "scientific," "investigation," "inaccuracy," and "belief." are paramount. One's word or the second hand conveying of another word toward some fact of possible inaccuracy due to culture, belief, perceptions, context, and time along with communication disparities leave "doubt" present in those facts.

It is not to say that a person's belief and viewpoint are not facts or accurate but open to disbelief depending on the viewpoint of the other side of the debate. Taking homage to such disagreements is dangerous and volatile - toward conflict of unnecessary egoistic pride driven self-need.

To achieve undisputed facts one needs to step a bit further along then reputation and personal perceptions regardless of how they seem to have validation from sources such as first person. First person is still subject to doubts simply because of the human equation, i.e. memory, age and cultural influences, etc.

If said viewpoint can not be disputed with facts then it is assumed to be a fact with the caveat that in some future time those facts will be disputed by some authoritative source putting the onus on the originator to willingly change their facts to reflect the new facts. This is after all, the fundamentals of facts.

Where I tend to discard facts of the first or even second person is when they are supported by attacks on other facts to cause disagreement and discord - two concepts of conflict, unnecessary conflict.

To claim one is personally disparaged by another is to then say one is guilty of disparaging remarks to the other and therefore feeds the conflict loop.

State the facts, only the facts. Compare the two facts in dispute without calling names or disparaging anothers integrity and you have a conversation leading to a final set of accepted facts.

Growth is fostered when both halves are in harmony and agreement. To gain anothers agreement is not accomplished by conflict except in dire situations and even then those dire situations come from a refusal of parties to discuss and exchange information through communications, i.e. active listening to the viewpoint and facts of one another to mutual benefit. The moment it falls into the conflict loop unless one or the other has the intestinal fortitude to remove the disparities contributing to the conflict the exchange of viewpoints is doomed.

So be it ......

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