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.

Secret Bone Breaking - Oh My!

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

Sigh! Sometimes I wonder just how gullible humans are and don’t for a second assume I don’t include myself in that inquiry because although rare, I do fall for such things from time to time because of our human nature to compliance triggers (see/read the psych of influence book for this one). Before I get into the concept of bone breaking techniques lets do some inquiries on bone-breaking in general.

“The amount of force required to break a human bone varies depending on which bone and its density. On average, the human femur requires 1,700 pounds per square inch to be cleanly broken, while a weaker bone, such as the clavicle, takes considerably less force to break. … Many factors influence how easily a bone is broken. The density of the bone and the force being put on it must both be calculated. If the force is concentrated to a single point, it is easier to break a bone. A bone with higher density requires a higher amount of PSI to break.”

“For a strong bone, such as a femur, it could take as much as 160 pounds of pressure to cause a fracture. This number can vary depending on different factors. Some of the factors include a person's age, how healthy he or she is, how strong a person's bones are, and how physically active he or she is.

According to some medical sources fractures occur due to high force impacts or stress. The question of causing bone fractures in the dynamics of violence, combat and fighting are iffy at best and often tested by groups and organizations who benefit from such findings so agenda’s are involved skewing those research results accordingly.

Some information regarding most bone fractures, i.e., they are most often caused by falls and accidents. The less obvious type of fracture one can endure are stress fractures that result from repetitive movements such as running improperly. Where this article may lead us is that a ‘crack (not only a break)’ in bones are also known as fractures, the breaks I consider a part of this article are what the medical profession call ‘clean breaks’ that don’t damage surrounding tissue or tear through the skin often referred to as simple fractures. 

“Most human bones are surprisingly strong and can generally stand up to fairly strong impacts or forces. However, if that force is too powerful, or there is something wrong with the bone, it can fracture.”

“Stress fractures, which result from repeated stresses and strains, commonly found among professional sports people, are also common causes of fractures.”

This should be enough about breaking bones to go on with the articles topic, “Secret Bone Breaking” in karate or martial disciplines. I recently read an article about how a karate-ka was teaching the secret bone breaking ability found in kata bunkai. Here is my take on it:

  • The use of the phrase ‘secret bone breaking’ is merely a sales tactic, a compliance strategy to trigger certain influence principles to get people to sign up for the program that teaches this secret for self-defense. 
  • In truth, even if the kata bunkai technique is actually and originally meant to break bones it is not the actual fracture but more a stress fracture that may, stressing the term ‘may’, lead to validation of this phrase in karate.
  • Bones alone are extremely tough and resilient then adding in health, fitness, musculature, structure, alignments the combination of tendons, cartilage, and bone combinations; then add in the movement involved in the dynamics of fighting or defense/offensive chaotic situations; then the dynamics of adrenal stress-induced conditions that add to the ability of the body to endure stresses that might lead to breaks or fractures you have a ever changing situation where the likelihood of all those factors being in alignment that would allow for a bone break are, in my humble opinion, virtually impossible. 
  • If a bone is broken it will likely come from the result of a technique that causes the person to fall and cause a fracture, not because of some manipulation of the body. 
  • Even tho many will profess that some MMA like compliance/manipulation techniques when applied will result in broken bones even those are questionable in a non-sport controlled situation such as an attack and even in the social monkey dance more often encountered in sport bars, etc.
  • In most attacks, there is not time to find the optimal situation that will allow one to implement their secret bone breaking technique. The skills and experience levels necessary to achieve such goals especially under the influence of surprise, the flurry of the attack, the loss of balance often involved and then overcoming the effects of the chemical dump, the adrenal flood, leaves little room even for the most practiced and experienced dojo training possible to break bones expect in controlled situations and fighting along with defense is not controlled but chaos. 

Yes, there may actually be bone breaking techniques and if they are being taught then they are NOT secret, just not as yet taught and that does not make them secret. Having, knowing and using bone breaking abilities require a lot of luck and more experience of reality than one often can achieve even with ongoing, continuous and dedicated training and practice.

Even those professionals who work and live in conflict and violent professions will admit that even little or more experience still has to make the leap across the chasm created by the adrenal effects of violence, etc. 

In closing, just knowing that say 25 lbs of pressure will break a bone does NOT mean that you can break a bone with any technique and in those cases where it does happen, is that when some predatory attack occurs and you are able to swiftly turn on your MMA compliance and control skills to overextend some body part to break a bone? Or, are you actually tearing ligaments, etc.? 

It is easy to get caught up in things where reality vs. drama-driven things mislead into believing there is some secret bone breaking bunkai that is often un-provable unless experienced in a true attack. I believe even professionals who may have broken bones will say that it may be possible one time and even if the next time all factors are the same and equal it may not work.

Last and important, if you extend beyond a control technique to break a bone, even if lucky to make it work, will that breaking be perceived by authorities as appropriate levels of force in self-defense? I mean, if I am amble to apply a technique that controls my adversary would going to the next level of breaking bones be justified? 

Here is my defense against such secret bunkai, movement. Movement, continuous movement often prevents an adversary from ‘setting up’ the secret bone breaking technique. Using the sensory system of tactile sensitivity any contact with an adversary should trigger some movement for the bodies armor, natural nature given armor, involves movement. Not the move-stop-set-move type you see in kata and are taught in self-defense but more the continuos movement taught is systems like ju-jitsu, etc.

Some things to think about!

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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