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.

Karate is Not …

Blog Article/Post Caveat (Read First Please: Click the Link)

:-)

Karate is not a fighting art. Karate is not a combative system. Karate is not a self-defense system. Karate is a striking system and that means it is governed by those human conditions. How can I say all these things? Well, it comes from my studies and one of those is about using our fists. Using our fists means something that does not equate to violence at levels where grave bodily harm and/or death are involved except by accident (you punch a guy in the face, guy loses balance, falls, gravity takes hold, guy hits head on curb, guy dies).

When you begin to look closely at how karate is practiced and then take into consideration certain human conditions you start to realize that karate, in and of itself as a striking system, does not have those requirements that would cause grave bodily harm and death. Think about it and consider the next set of examples.

In karate the tori and uke tend to face one another. In karate sparring tori and uke use strikes and strike at only those targets that actually provide the human body protection, the bodies natural armor. In the majority of human fights it is of a social nature and therefore meant to be a communication tool rather than a means of causing great damage and death. In karate there are rules, rules for safety that incorporate less effective application of certain principles meant to deliver force and power. 

In karate the non-striking aspects that are far more effective in damaging and killing were removed. One reason was to promote health and a mental state of socially driven spirit that was meant to bring people together for the common good of the society toward survival, i.e., early 1900’s for the sake of war. Those non-striking aspects are just know coming to light and are just in the last decade or so being brought back into the discipline of karate for a more well-rounded system that can actually cause grave bodily harm and even death as the force decisions of both defense and combat may dictate. 

In commercial karate that has not happened except in a limited way. There has actually not been a real combative system using only striking, the empty hand. 

In regard to causing great harm and/or death striking is actually to most ineffectual method to get the job done. This can mean that karate, a striking system, may actually be more of a tribal or social communications and enforcement tool where grave bodily harm and death are not the goal. It may be that karate, the striking art, is the use of the ineffectual hitting of another to convey to the recipient they have broken some rule, some cultural requirement and possible some group dynamic that would expose the tribe to harm or death. Think about the use of the, “Educational Beat Down.(see this article by Rory Miller: http://ymaa.com/articles/more-about-violence-dynamics)” 

Rory Miller wrote, There are societies and sub-societies where violence is merely an easy way to solve problems; where a beating is considered as easy  and more effective than talking.” 

In human terms survival is about the group (I will refer to groups as tribes as well; interchangeably) and the group runs in a hierarchal model where within the group some will seek to challenge another in the group for increased status. The group will also have issues about certain unwritten rules as well as written rules, laws and such where, as the quote states, a beating will serve better to pull together and keep things in proper order, the EDB. Karate as a striking system and how striking works along with certain human conditions is a great way to enforce such human social group hierarchal systems. 

Also, take a look (actually read) the eBook by Marc MacYoung titled, “Writing Violence III: Getting Hit and Hitting,” and you will begin to see how karate, a striking discipline, is more appropriate and effective as a communications tool for such a group dynamic for survival. Except in rare cases where accidents cause grave harm or death the application of most of karate is far less effective, specifically the striking part using the hands or fists, so if applied in most socially driven conflicts it will not end in grave bodily harm, i.e., making the member of the group unable and ineffective in group survival needs, or death thus losing a valuable member and contributor to the group for survival. 

“In certain groups, this is normal. A casual beating is how rules are enforced and community standards, such as they are, are upheld.” - Rory Miller, More About Violence May 23, 2011 YMAA Article http://ymaa.com/articles/more-about-violence-dynamics

When you really understand human dynamics and group dynamics and how socially driven monkey dances are done it becomes a bit more clear as to a more realistic meaning of karate, karate as a communications and enforcement tool rather than a deadly combative fighting system to cause grave bodily harm and death system. 

Note: There has been a huge effort by a few dedicated professionals to actually bring back, if it ever truly existed in karate from its ancient origins, those aspects of fighting and self-defense that are actually more effective in causing bodily damage and death. Some liken it to revealing secrets and/or discovering ancient combatives lost, etc. In truth whether it existed in those ancient early times or not the effort to install them into karate and other martial disciplines is here today and only time will tell of that success, success in morphing karate, the striking system, into a truly effective combative fighting discipline OR an effective and comprehensively complete self-defense system.


Bibliography (Click the link)

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