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: about certain movements

Some questions about certain movements exhibited, performed or demonstrated in kata:

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

(Note: This exercise is not to say the author of a post that inspired them is either wrong or right, good or bad or even the subject of this post, but this exercise is one to achieve a better understanding as to what may or may not have been the intent in the post and to help me come to terms with my thoughts on the concepts used and posed in the article for one specific goal - for me to understand the efforts of other karate-ka and martial artists. [my comments, thoughts, ideas, theories and beliefs will follow each question in the brackets])
  1. What is a “Kata Exhibition?” [Not assuming I understand or even know what the author meant by using the term exhibition but to me to exhibit something means to present it as a performance and performance connects me to a more competitive sport oriented way where my kata is meant to teach me things usable and effective in self-defense.]
  2. What does it mean to be “Dazzling and Impressive” in kata movement? [Seems like expressions meant to dramatize the performance or exhibition toward some agenda that may or may not fit my views of karate and martial arts as means to defend and protect against conflict and violence. In my belief system it does not equate self-defense. My goal is not to dazzle someone nor impress them as to my ability but to achieve my self-defense goals; it is also about achieving my self-improvement goals as to philosophy of karate in every day existence where dazzling or impressing others is of an egoistic nature.]
  3. How does slow movement develop “Muchimi?” [Movement in muchimi is about using what is termed as “Sticky hand” so each practitioner can learn to feel tactilely how the body moves so they can lean how to control the adversary’s movement while apply appropriate methodologies in that control toward a goal in defense. It is about feeling the various contact points one can make in any given situation where one is close enough to touch and feel the adversary’s body; to achieve a sensitivity that will “tell or convey or transmit” a type of energy through movement that transmits the path the adversary is taking or most important the movement of any methodology he may or might use against us in the attack. The movement for a beginner is slow but that is only to start so movement in general is more apropos to learning, discovery, learning then applying tactile tactics and strategies to combat multiple attack methodologies while applying appropriate principled based multiple methodologies of defense to reach self-defense goals.]
  4. Does it truly develop awareness and conscious engagement of stabilizer muscles and how does that effect practice, training and most important applications in self-defense? [awareness of muscles comes from training our tactile senses, the sense of touch especially when an attacker gets in very close to pummel you, disrupt your structure and destroy your balance in an attack. According the Medline Plus, the NIH or National Library of Medicine there are three types of muscle tissue: Cardiac, Skeletal and Smooth. Cardiac muscle cells are located in the walls of the heart, appear striated, and are under involuntary control. Smooth muscle fibers are located in walls of hollow visceral organs, except the heart, appear spindle-shaped, and are also under involuntary control. Skeletal muscle fibers occur in muscles which are attached to the skeleton. They are striated in appearance and are under voluntary control.” It would seem on the surface the terms stabilizer and mobilizer are attempts to put a spin on an agenda toward knowledge of muscles to push a specific agenda that in this case is about teaching a tactile form of defense or ability. It is like using the phrase, “Muscle Memory,” to explain fundamental physiokinetic principles that control our bodies toward a goal in karate and martial arts. Look at them as inappropriate ways to explain things that is accepted as truth when in reality such terms are far removed from adequate explanations of how things work. It is a matter of understanding and distinctions that can leas us to appropriate understanding or simply false agenda driven easily misleading thoughts and ideas. The smooth muscles that are actually under voluntary control along with those skeletal muscles provide us mobility and stability but are not mobilizers or stabilizers per se as if they are distinct and separate. Muscles when flexed, relaxed, etc. provide us the ability along with the skeletal system, tendons, cartilage and sinew, etc. where structure, alignment, etc. provide stability and mobility when muscles, etc. are used according to the situation where sequential locking and unlocking, etc., all come into play to achieve physical defense goals. Then there is the knowledge and understanding that when we use our muscles and skeletal systems, etc. to move those movements and flexes/relaxations transmit a certain feel to each event that can be understood through tactile or touch sense. The goal is to develop the ability to read and interpret those tactile feelings through our most sensitive and largest organ, the skin.]
  5. What kind of results in particular can you influence and/or effect regarding stabilizer muscles? [The only effect you can have on stabilizing the body using the skeletal muscles by strengthening them where when using instant dynamic sequential locking/relaxation tension one can achieve greater ability to stabilize the body, etc., through things like appropriate structure, balance and body alignment, etc.]
  6. What are stabilizer muscles, how do they differ from normal muscles and can you actually influence those muscles? [As previously shown there are no actual stabilizer muscles or mobilizer muscles, simply muscles that can be used to both stabilize our structure and allow us mobility, in other words movement.]
  7. In what way can one influence stabilizer muscles? [See all the above, asked and answered]
  8. What are mobilizer muscles (is there such a muscle)? [There is no such thing!]
  9. Is relaxing muscles actually in reference to neutralizing the effects of the mobilizer muscles to learn how to activate stabilizer muscles and is this even possible making the assumption there are actually stabilizer muscles and mobilizer muscles? [There is no such thing as stabilizer/mobilizer muscles; the only muscles we want to utilize in physical action are the skeletal muscles that are under voluntary control to a certain extent. The cardiac and smooth muscle cells are involuntary and involve the heart and other organs.]
  10. Can you truly differentiate between mobilizers and stabilizer muscles? [There is no such thing!]
  11. Do these muscles and their activation actually become noticeable or can be felt tactilely causing loss of balance in an adversary? [No, balance is disrupted by the actions you take, not the way you activate the muscles as to dynamic tension vs. positive relaxation. You have to have trained your entire body to move and act in ways that will allow you to adhere to fundamental principles so that you can apply the appropriate methodologies to reach your goals in self-defense. Everything else is just rhetoric and fluff, although in many or most cases unintentional, that are used by the inability to relate the essence of such concepts, etc.]
Muscle Roles: Roles are what we use to describe how we use our physiokinetic principled-based muscles, skeletal and chemical systems to achieve goals in self-defense karate and martial arts. 

Note I: There are many sites, especially health and fitness programs, that use such terms as mobilizer, stabilizer, agonist, antagonist, fixator and/or neutralizer to describe how the muscles work to achieve certain goals. These types of descriptive terminology may or may not actually meet the medical and scientific description of muscles but they are adequate to help the laymen to understand certain concepts achieved by such actions and practices as sanchin’s dynamic or isometric tension programs, etc. The recommendation I always advocate is to research any term that relates to the physical body or mind at medical sources, a variety for spice, to achieve a better understanding. Do NOT just ACCEPT anyone’s or any terms just because they seem ot make sense, this could lead you down the wrong path to understanding - validate and confirm original sources with at least three other bonafide and medical/scientific sources with appropriate references and sources of study, etc.

Note II: When I searched out types of muscles, almost every single site said there are three types as I presented in this article. All others even when termed a descriptive of a muscle were actually roles of the muscles where the skeletal are dominant for our purpose of karate and martial arts.

Note III: What we can add is there are two roles of skeletal muscles involved called slow-twitch vs. fast-twitch and this concept of muscles actions can be important to karate and martial arts for self-defense. To discover just how valid this concept is about skeletal muscle see my upcoming article on, “Muscles that Twitch: Karate Value.” 

Bibliography (Click the link)



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