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 Memories

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

It is incredible the research results regarding human memory and how that memory works. Like our finger prints, memories are unique to the individual having them. Just to get you started on what I am trying to convey here are thee sources of memories to review, this does not count the research out there I have tried to study. 

Read “Unreliable Memory”; Read “Memory”; Read “The Reliability of Memory Theories…”; and Read “How Many of Your Memories are Fake.” 

It must be remembered that for humans memories are not infallible but fillable in nature, they are a compendium of old memories shapshifted by emotions and set by the current moment, etc. As you will be able to determine yourself in the above articles this is not how shapeshifting memories are because that is shapeshifting at each moment passed by each individual and so on.

Even those who have what some term, “Exceptional Memory Capabilities” tend to have erroneous facts for truth at about the same rate as people with normal memory. Hmmm, interesting. 

First person discussions and interviews are not factual but once again a compilation of both true and not quite accurate memories being compared, compiled and synthesized into the story, at that moment and subjected to other factors you can understand by reading the links above. 

No matter, in the world and communities of martial arts and karate, especially karate with its limited historical data, the only proof of things we have are the stories told by those who came before us. What to do, because those stories as affected by emotions, cultures, beliefs, perceptions and intent along with many other factors are created on the fly to fit and meet the needs of those asking and listening. Not to forget often karate enthusiasts tend to ask agenda driven leading questions that many Okinawans, due to cultural issues, will shape-shift just to meet the needs of cultural harmonious drives. 

One of the reasons one professional recommended and to which I wholeheartedly agree, a person studying history must read any given material several times, discuss that understanding with others who have committed to the same study and then discuss, compare, analyze with the hopes that mutual understanding and a more accurate historical rendering will occur. This in and of itself requires a certain open-minded flexible ability of mind, body and belief to make it work. 

Happy Hunting! Question, question and question; discuss with contemporaries, discuss and discuss some more; analyze, analyze and analyze some more and then with some confidence synthesize, synthesize and synthesize some more. This is how we learn and understand, this is how humans learn to survive and it is as natural as breathing BUT, our modern saturated overwhelming stimulus of society today has pushed us into a mechanical automatic click-n-whirr tape of conditioning that more often leads to falsehoods, etc. Think about it!

Bibliography (Click the link)

“In order for any life to matter, we all have to matter.” - Marcus Luttrell, Navy Seal (ret)


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