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.

Chambering Addendum dtd March 26th 2014




When chambering in karate it is taught that a certain position is assumed such as when chambering the fist, i.e. placing the fist at the hip/waist. What I would pose as a question is this, "Why chamber?"

We chamber the fist and other parts as a teaching tool. If we adhere to fundamental principles of martial systems as we progress, i.e. learning both is a fundamental basics learning process of martial arts, we will find that chambering is not adhering to proper principles. In a nutshell it violates "economy of motion." 

All of the martial arts must have some basic fundamental positioning to teach proper principles. When a person has learned them and starts to incorporate them all in practice and training there is a "change" that occurs. This change is explained in the "shu-ha-ri" principles of martial arts. To achieve proficiency and efficiency and power, etc. a martial artists must graduate from novice level thinking and training and actions. 

Chambering is a process of learning that is transcended as progress is achieved. It is allowing the natural way of the body, mind and spirit to achieve and exceed the basic fundamentals of teaching, learning and practicing. 

Watch a fight, watch a match such as boxing or MMA, etc. and watch any kumite session be it for sport or self-defense. No one chambers once things begin to move. It is a teaching tool and it helps one to achieve proper application of principles. 

Note: Chambering violates the principles of Efficiency, power paradox, simplicity, natural action, economical motion, speed, unnatural motion, etc. and this leads to bad technique of techniques, another principle, but is necessary to teach these and to promote proper alignment, proper structure and to teach us other principles directly and indirectly. 

Note: Chambering gives a practitioner a false sense of power as they assume in many cases that the travel from the hip, up and into a target is where power is achieved. Chambering does teach you about the rising punch but that punch or strike does not need to come from the chamber position to achieve its goals. 

Note: The chamber and rising action to a target teaches us to align the hand to wrist to forearm to elbow to upper arm to shoulder then all the sequential actions that contribute to the proper strike/punch but to achieve power and economical motion contributing to speed the real power must come from the movement of your mass as it contributes to power applied in a punch/strike, etc. Simplistic but enough to get you looking at principles and leave chambering behind when the training level reaches a certain point.

Note: Another way to look at chambering is to think of the enbusen line. The line has a start point and the line has an end point. Where the comparison diverges is the enbusen line is rigid and fixed especially as to start and end points while chambering has start and end points that are fluid. In the fight, self-defense, you don't want to waste time always returning to one fixed point, i.e. for the fist the hips/waist, but want the chamber to exist where ever your fists or feet are in relation to that fight, the present moment of the fight/self-defense. It involves additional principles as to applying techniques, tactics and strategies so that you follow principles to lengthen your line and reach your goal in the fight/self-defense. A fight, self-defense, predatory violence and combatives do not have the luxury of allowing time to achieve rigid, set and predetermined positions such as chambering to the waist or setting your "kamae" to specific starting points or ending points - there are no set points to start and end a fight, etc. Just the way it is.


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