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.

Optimal Performance High Stress HSA Axis Dump Training Recommendations …

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

When overwhelmed by events there are ways and means to reduce the demand and give support toward reaching back to the flow zone. 

There are three ways that follow:
  1. Practice and train the relevant expertise to raise skill levels to meet higher levels of demand.
  2. Enhance your concentration abilities so that you can pay more attention, because attention itself is a pathway into the flow zone.
  3. Take notice, be aware, when we and others have left the zone of positive good stress and peak performance, so we can apply the apt remedy.
Indicators, like, “threat displays and pre-attack indicators”, can “Tell” us when one is leaving the zone into the frazzle high bad stress zone. 
  1. Look for performance decline.
  2. Look for wondering attention.
  3. Look for loss of focus.
  4. Look for when the other person appears or feels like they are off their game compared to normal.
  5. Look for when they appear rigid in how they respond to issues in situations.
All indicate that the person is losing their cognitive efficiency.

Eliciting Flow includes a balance between the demands of the situation and a persons skills - often flow occurs when we are challenged to use our abilities to their utmost. This should be a goal of training and practice as if one were enduring shugyo or austere training. Shugyo should also, as part of the process, induce levels of adrenal stress releases into the body and mind. The important consideration is that each trigger that release the chemicals from the HPA axis of the brain, cortisol and adrenaline, change the way the mind and body release and handle the effects so that one might result in the zone while another could take us to the frazzle high stress zone. 

General Strategy for the Flow Zone:
  1. Practice (daily) methods that enhance concentration and relax you psychologically.
  2. Give your brain and body the chance to recover and relax.
  3. Meditate and breathe accordingly.
  4. Anything that truly relaxes you.
  5. Practice mindfulness.
The more you can break the cycle of the right prefrontal capture by the amygdala, the freer you will be to activate the beneficial circuitry of the left prefrontal cortex. 

Enhance Concentration Skills:
  1. Meditation, a training exercise for keener attentional focus.
  2. Any concentration enhancement technique that allows you to focus on A and whenever your mind wanters off to topic B or C, D, E, etc., and you realize that you wondered, bring it back to A again.
As can be readily perceived in this article many of the methods to achieve the flow zone are also practiced in karate and martial arts regardless of their objective and goals. To really achieve results, as with any practice and training, it must be done frequently, diligently, mindfully, emotionally and maintained by continuous practice in every facet of life especially under the duress of stress and stress released hormones so that you can perform methods to brain back peace, harmony and an entry into the flow zone for optimal performance be that personal entertainment and relaxation, home needs and requirements, family needs and requirements and finally work needs and requirements then when a need for self-defense arises you have the tools, the training, the practice and a limited amount of experience to get-r-done - in the flow zone. What could be better?

Bibliography (Click the link)



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