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.

Kata can be Practiced for Years …

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

The quote that inspired this article states, “Kata could be practiced for years and years, and the student would still be just scratching the surface.” This is said often by modern karateka but what I want to know is, “Do they truly believe this or is this just another meme used to promote some commercial like agenda by the teacher?” 

In essence kata can be practiced for an entire lifetime but the distinction explaining why are often not explained adequately to convey why a person would “WANT” to practice kata for a lifetime.

The reasons why kata can, should and would be accepted as a life long practice make for a belief as to its benefits and in modern times removing the boredom that can and does set in when one learns a pattern type physical movement that does not stimulate the mind, etc. In other words, to practice something over and over and over again without end modern humans, especially in the west, need some form of reasoning that stimulates the mind, to keep from boredom and to create new and innovative way to express kata and so on - make sense?

For me, kata serve a purpose and that purpose can be expressed in a variety of ways. Kata practice, in my mind, must be done and expressed in a way also explained by the concept of “shu-ha-ri and shin-gi-tai.” I practice kata for the following reasons:
  1. To lean how to move.
  2. To lean how to move and apply physiokinetic principles.
  3. To learn how to move and lean how to apply principles using multiple methodologies.
  4. To learn how to move fluidly, rhythmically and with varying patterns while adhering to the first three reasons.
  5. To learn the four while subjecting myself to the principles of self-defense.
  6. To learn the first five while subjecting myself to the adrenal stress-conditions of conflict and violence in training and through experience if possible safely and securely (as anyone can in reality).
  7. To learn through the principles of theory, technique and philosophy in understanding principles, methodologies, and realty based trained experience through the practice of basics or kihon, kata and applied sparring under the first six efforts.
When you understand the use of kihon and kata and sparring as a basic learning tool then you can find those distinctions and reasons to practice because as can be seen in the above list there are variations of every one of those levels, the levels expressed by shu-ha-ri and shin-gi-tai that take you through the three levels of experience, efficiency and proficiency toward a mastery-like progression that can keep your practice of kata alive, constantly moving and changing while remaining fundamentally the same on the outside, and mind-stimulating mind-setting and mind-state development that brings benefits to you as you enter the summer, fall then winter years of life.

Now, take the health, fitness and aging benefits of karate and martial arts practices. Even when you move away from the more active and physically demanding practice that exposes you to possible injuries, etc., the movement, patterns, rhythms, etc., of kata practice keep you loose, pliable, moving, mobile, etc. that will be affected by our aging process. It provides a type of exercise that promotes a health and fitness state that keeps the effects of aging in abeyance for as long as nature allows. 

Its practice even when both sparring in a adrenal stress-conditioned reality based practice still stimulates the mind and body and spirit through continued experimentation with all the lists items above making for a whole body holistic health, fitness and well-being benefit that transcends self-defense needs while helping to maintain that ability to a degree as we age and therefore become a possible target to predators.

These and the reasons you can divine from your own practice as you progress will give you your list that when practiced and experimented can make kata a fun and beneficial element that requires nothing more than your effort and some open-space to move. 

I have practiced kata and kihon in a variety of ways for just shy of forty years and I am not bored and have never been bored with that practice, not even close. I believe with all the new knowledge and a huge list of variations on principles applied to methodologies makes for a long time to come practice of these fine and creative tools for karate. 

Bibliography (Click the link)



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