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.

A Typical Day

I was contemplating my daily workout to see if I am doing enough or doing too much. I am sixty-two years old and my wife got wind of my daily stuff and mentioned I may be doing way too much.
  • 0501hours: I get up from what is often a good nights sleep, about seven or eight hours.
  • 0502hours: I do a variety of calisthenics to include squats, pushups, trunk twists with weights and some dumb bell weight work. 
  • 0830hours: I take a break from work to run stairs. I do five flights, up and down, for about five repetitions, sometimes ten for a total of about twenty-five to fifty flights. 
  • 0930hours: I take a break from work to run stairs. I do five flights, up and down, for about five repetitions, sometimes ten for a total of about twenty-five to fifty flights. 
  • 1030hours: I take a break from work to run stairs. I do five flights, up and down, for about five repetitions, sometimes ten for a total of about twenty-five to fifty flights. 
  • 1130hours: I take lunch, an hour, perform chi-gong exercises then a tai chi chuan form. I then do squat jumps, pushups and two visualized kata with focus on different scenarios as well as principles, etc. Then I repeat that with the same routine but the next two kata the same way. Then I repeat until all ten kata are done along with the exercises, etc. I also do lunges before beginning the kata/exercise/visualization, etc. processes.
  • 1400hours: I always do ten repetitions of the five flights for a total of fifty flights up and down to finish out the day.
Note: Yes, I am at work but I have the privilege of working at a place with what we call flex hours, i.e., we call it exempt and non-exempt where I am the non-exempt. That means I can flex my hours throughout the day as long as I complete or make up to achieve eight or more hours of actual hands-on work. There are days when I don’t get any exercise because of the work loads or the time requirements or the project time constraints, i.e., end dates coming up fast. 

I also go home and occasionally walk two miles with my wife and we meditate for a minimum of fifteen minutes a day. Then there are the weekends where we walk two or five or eight miles dependent on schedules or how we feel. We do five miles without fail on Sundays and this weekend, being memorial weekend, with a three day weekend we will walk what I call, “The deuce (two miles), the wooden nickel (five miles) and the crazy-eight (eight miles) walks.” That doesn’t include chores or errands or outings with and without friends. 

Do you think I am overextending myself physically? I don’t feel it mentally at all except every now and then I get to thinking, I can stop now on these stairs I have done enough only to tell myself, I don’t think so, can’t quit and can’t turn back, gotta get it done mentality ;-) I am sixty-two years old after all and I am semi-retired, i.e., I don’t actively teach in a dojo, I don’t actively participate with others in the dojo now and I do spend considerable time self-individually-training in karate and martial arts with lots of research, study and other learning things ergo all the articles I write on my blogs. 

What do you think, too much or not enough?  (Note: I do spend an exorbitant amount of time contemplating, analyzing, studying, dissecting, and synthesizing things about writing, creating and developing things of martial arts disciplines and defense/offense, etc. Marc MacYoung has another writing on violence for defense out and it is awesome!)


1 comment:

Rick Matz said...

Too much or not enough; I guess it comes down to how you feel.As long as your're feeling good, got for it and test the limits from time to time.

I'm 58. I get up at 5AM as well. From 6 to 7 I alternate between running (between 4 and 5 miles) and Taijiquan practice where I break down the form, work on stances, maybe do some standing work, etc.

Fairly regularly at work (maybe 2 or 3 times a week), between everyone's coming and going, I find that I am alone in the office. I take that opportunity to work on the form as a flowing exercise.

I do my long run on the weekend. Right now a little more than 7 miles. By the end of summer, it'll be up to 10 then 12 in time for a half marathon I'm running in October (on my birthday this year).