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.

Blitz Attack - Some Hints

Caveat: This post is mine and mine alone. I the author of this blog assure you, the reader, that any of the opinions expressed here are my own and are a result of the way in which my meandering mind interprets a particular situation and or concept. The views expressed here are solely those of the author in his private capacity and do not in any way represent the views of other martial arts and/or conflict/violence professionals or authors of source materials. It should be quite obvious that the sources I used herein have not approved, endorsed, embraced, friended, liked, tweeted or authorized this post. (Everything I think and write is true, within the limits of my knowledge and understanding.)

If you have been targeted for a blitz attack you will find yourself in the “losing column.” It is a full fledged head on assault with aggression, surprise, pain, fear, and it will be sudden, i.e., hard fast and close. It will NOT be like sparring no matter how hard or intense you spar and no matter how intense and hard any competitive match may seem. In all likelihood it will be way out of your comprehension. The following are taken from the book Scaling Force by Rory Miller just to give you an idea of what you are up against in the study of self-defense martial arts (emphasis added by me).

In the attack everything feels all wrong.
The adversary/attacker made sure to set things up so you would be at a disadvantage - big time or he would not have attacked.
He will be close and fast.
Pain and damage are coming in fast and furious.
Your brain will be locked/frozen in the OO bounce as the adversary hits you four times before your brain registers, decides and, hopefully, acts.
If attacked by someone with a weapon, the speed remains fast and furious but the damage just increased - a lot.
Your mobility will be hampered, the attack close.
All your self-defense strikes must be effective at that close range.
You just got blitz attack, in most cases, from the flank or rear. 
Your targets and power must be adaptable to different ranges and positions, you need to know how to damage someone behind you.
Expect your body to be controlled.
Expect it to happen in an enclosed space with bad footing and limited visibility.
This level of force is considered a desperate situation and the damage ugly.
You may have been shoved against a wall or vehicle, unbalanced, awkwardly twisted, or falling.
You may be reeling from a punch or kick.
You may be stabbed or shot.

In the end, your self-defense must be able to fight effectively in all the above conditions along with injuries, etc. This is what your self-defense training must address and consider this a short, terse, not comprehensive list of how an attack happens. Assume as well that all the above will also be compounded by your adrenal flooding with those physical effects to deal with as well. 

This is just one of the many reasons discussed in all the references provided herein, as a basic start, in order to train, practice and apply self-defense. Also consider that you have to use, during all this, the appropriate levels of force along with all the legal and civil ramifications that could follow. We are  not even considering the medical repercussions “if” you survive. While the attacker lives with no rules you have to live with societal restrictions, perceptions and perspectives of others who are in all likelihood not knowledgable and/or experienced in self-defense. The same folks who are going to do there very best to make your life after the attack as miserable, complicated and dangerous as the attack itself. 

How many self-defense guru’s tell you this and how many teach to this? Do you train and practice to live with this kind of situation? How much experience do you have with this kind of stuff? That is why I list all the below references with all of my self-defense posts because these authors lived, breathed and survived this type of thing - frequently and for their jobs.

Primary Bibliography of Self-Defense:
MacYoung, Marc. "In the Name of Self-Defense: What It Costs. When It’s Worth It." Marc MacYoung. 2014.
Miller, Rory Sgt. "Meditations of Violence: A Comparison of Martial Arts Training & Real World Violence" YMAA Publishing. 2008.

Secondary Bibliography of Self-Defense:
Ayoob, Massad. “Deadly Force: Understanding Your Right to Self-Defense”Gun Digest Books. Krouse Publications. Wisconsin. 2014.
Goleman, Daniel. "Emotional Intelligence: 10th Anniversary Edition [Kindle Edition]." Bantam. January 11, 2012.
Miller, Rory. "ConCom: Conflict Communications A New Paradigm in Conscious Communication." Amazon Digital Services, Inc. 2014. 
Miller, Rory and Kane, Lawrence A. "Scaling Force: Dynamic Decision-making under Threat of Violence." YMAA Publisher. New Hampshire. 2012
Miller, Rory. "Force Decisions: A Citizen's Guide." YMAA Publications. NH. 2012.
Miller, Rory Sgt. "Facing Violence: Preparing for the Unexpected." YMAA Publishing. 2011.
Elgin, Suzette Haden, Ph.D. "More on the Gentle Art of Verbal Self-Defense." Prentice Hall. New Jersey. 1983.
Elgin, Suzette. "The Last Word on the Gentle Art of Verbal Self-Defense" Barnes & Noble. 1995
Morris, Desmond. “Manwatching: A Field Guide to Human Behavior.” Harry N. Abrams. April 1979.
Elgin, Suzette. "The Gentle Art of Verbal Self-Defense" Barnes & Noble. 1993.
Elgin, Suzette. "The Gentle Art of Written Self-Defense" MJF Books. 1997.
Maffetone, Philip Dr. “The Maffetone Method: The Holistic, Low-stress, No-Pain Way to Exceptional Fitness.” McGraw Hill, New York. 2000
Strong, Sanford. “Strong on Defense_ Survival Rules to Protect you and your Family from Crime.” Pocket Books. New York. 1996.
and more … see blog bibliography.
Jahn, C. R. “FTW Self Defense.” iUniverse. Amazon Digital Services. 2012
Jahn, C. R. “Hardcore Self Defense.” iUniverse. Amazon Digital Services. 2002.

My Blog Bibliography
Cornered Cat (Scratching Post): http://www.corneredcat.com/scratching-post/
Kodokan Boston: http://kodokanboston.org
Mario McKenna (Kowakan): http://www.kowakan.com
Wim Demeere’s Blog: http://www.wimsblog.com
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1 comment:

Charles James said...

Consider this, we all love the movies, right? Well, are movies reality? No, they are fictional, fun and dramatized concepts presented by the story teller. We all are transported into a realm of fantasy and the presentation can "fool us" into believing what is on the screen is real. It actually fools us into seeing, hearing and believing great time spans pass and that certain things are real due to editing, sound effects and so on. So, why do we assume that Youtube video's presented in regards to conflict, violence and other terrible events are real, complete, accurate and the entire story with all the dimensions of real life as seen from one direction, one view through a single lens and influenced by external issues such as video titles, commentary by emotional driven people who don't have the knowledge, expertise or experience in the subject matter? Yet, we will use such edited and controlled video's to make judgements and condemn with complete disregard for the truth, justice and so many other missed or ignored factors, facts and truths.

8:56 AM

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