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.

Jeremiah Johnson (1972)

What does this have to do with anything other than entertainment? Well, it has to do with awareness. It has to do with self-awareness and environmental awareness. Oh, do tell me how? Well, first, as our protagonist he ventured into territory that was hostile and unknown to him regarding rules and scripts that govern tribes, animals and the actual environment of the wild country he moved into.

It is about how a novice who ventured out of his comfort zone assuming many things due to his history and beliefs had to make changes in order to survive. When you leave your home and neighborhood along with work environment where you know all the rules and scripts you cannot take those with you to different environments and expect them to work because …. it’s different. 

Then take into consideration the hostility of the new environment he had to learn. That is a valuable lesson in and of itself, you have to be open to understand that what you came from may not apply to where you are going - a type of self-awareness. If you blindly go and assume your rules and scripts and beliefs are apropos to the new place you could end up hurt or killed. Jeremiah had to learn this about the wildlife in the wild country and along the way the various rules, beliefs and cultural requirements, rules and scripts of various tribes, tribes as in Indians.  

Add in all the trials and tribulations of all these variances that would result in conflict, violence and even death you have to admit that his knowledge, mind-set and awareness (Self and Environmental) were survival skills and through luck and good fortune he learned from others and by his own efforts. 

This is similar in self-defense. When we venture out into spaces and places that are different we have to either know or we have to learn about those areas and leave our personal culture, beliefs and scripts at home. I believe, although a movie and drama, that this brings about a symbolic representation of what is meant by awareness and most of all environmental awareness. 

You also will notice that when the opportunity presented itself Jeremiah remained calm and polite. He watched and listened to perceive, register and retain the knowledge that at the end favored him with survival and deep respect of the Indian tribe who sent warrior by warrior after him to take revenge. This also brings up those awarenesses necessary to know and understand who, what, when, where and HOW they would hunt him down and try to get revenge for is discretions against their beliefs and cultural especially when it occurred against their dead. 

So, when you are asked how to be aware you can at least provide some symbolic connectedness with this example to help students and fellow practitioners what it means to have environmental awareness. It is more than simply knowing the locale where you are but all those various seen and unseen, heard and unheard, recognized and not recognized issues, beliefs and scripts that will be encountered. 


Actually, I feel that one or two of the characters that befriended Jeremiah Johnson in the movie kind of remind me of an author and professional I am aware of …. kind of. 


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