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.

The Fallacy of Martial Arts in Self-Defense

Caveat: This article is mine and mine alone. I the author of this article 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 article. (Everything I think and write is true, within the limits of my knowledge and understanding. Oh, and just because I wrote it and just because it sounds reasonable and just because it makes sense, does not mean it is true.) 

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.

The fallacy is the mistaken belief based on unsound reasoning that because someone feels something without a foundation of experience to draw from tend to assume that modern martial arts provides us security and safety in self-defense. 

Students and Sensei practice in the modern dojo to perfect movements, these peopled are obsessed with minor details (atomistic vs. holistic, etc.) of technique which have no relevance to actual fighting. Dojo today do not show the reality of combat. They make technique seem much more complicated than it is, especially application (in the application of fighting and/or self-defense) wise. One’s techniques can “Look Good” and “Effective” in the dojo but when it is real and one is facing an adversary and actually facing grave bodily harm and even death, their skill at these techniques might not help them at all. This is because their practice in the dojo is not realistic or faithful to how actual attacks occur. When one is facing a real adversary trying to kill them they may freeze, choke or hesitate from the adrenal flood which is “Absent in the Dojo.” 

Modern dojo and sensei will argue what appears and feels to be correct but lacks any connection to reality, reality based conditioning training and/or reality based experience. It stems from a belief system based on teachings that lack such experience based understandings toward conflict and violence that is often incorrect, illogical and misleading. 

Such things are tied directly to a person’s self-esteem making it a part of their belief system whereby changes are instinctively most difficult to recognize, see and allow for change. Such logical fallacies are like illusions of thought, and they are very often sneakily used to perpetuate ongoing training materials that tend to get passed down to each successive generation of martial artists. 

The goal of fundamental principles of martial systems, in particular the philosophical principles, is to present those without the reality based experience and/or training to see the mistakes so corrections become a part of the belief system making such corrections possible in lieu of impossible. A solid philosophy allows the other principle of “Theory” to realize fallacies true face to be detectable thus changing it to a reality based on proper training, practice and experience. 

Theory and Philosophy, a more esoteric set of principles, allows the individual to see, observe and test things that normally are nor present in their lives as would be for professionals like police, military and corrections officers and so on. They allow the mind and body to see past the gossamer veils that cover truth and create fallacies that block clarity. 

It does not take much, once this level of perception and awareness are created, developed and/or increased, to achieve a reality based conditioning program that trains and teaches us to actually take the dojo practices into the realm of combat, fighting and self-defense as it relates to adrenal stress simulations and conditioning where adrenal effects have a chance to train our minds and bodies to handle and use such chemical dumps in lieu of them using us, especially to use us toward passing the boundaries that make a self-defense square. 

It should be stressed, “Styles for practicing are created by people often with no real experience or limited experience in actual combat, fighting and self-defense.” Most, if not all, styles have drifted away from the reality of combat, fighting and self-defense and its ultimate simplicity, its ultimate end, which is to defeat the adversary. 

You do not have to practice a lot of different techniques. You don’t need many techniques such as styles might teach when you are in a real combat, fighting or self-defense situation. You must have a sincere spirit, a willingness to engage an adversary and end the situation as fast as possible. 

The true dojo must walk away from a dogmatic/strict adherence to a style and look to the more pragmatic realistic way to combat, fight and defend against a predatory attacker. Practice those few techniques actually necessary in an attack scenario, i.e., combative, fighting or self-defense, that will work without regard to either fancy or complexities or quantity. Make it about quality, realistic adrenal conditioning will work quality necessary to end the combat, end the fight and end the self-defense situation. 


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