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.

Goals vs. Systems

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

“A goal is a specific objective that you either achiever or don’t. A system is something you do on a regular basis that increases your odds of success in the long run. If you do something every day, it’s a system. If you are waiting to achieve it someday in the future, it’s a goal.”

A technique is a goal, you expect to learn it sometime in the future. A methodology is something you do constantly and consistently regardless of the supposed techniques involved, that is a system.

Goals are a reach-it and be-done situation, whereas a system is something you do on a regular basis with a reasonable expectation that doing so will get you to a better place in your life. 

Systems have no deadlines, and at any given moment you can tell if it is taking you in the right direction. Techniques as a goal have one application so when it is done it is completed even if it is not appropriate for the situation and methodologies as a system have a variety of applications not hindered or obstructed by the given moment or situation with success highly likely while techniques as goals are narrow with no ability to deviate or create as situations change. 

Systems have no limitations and are flexible to fit any situation at any time under any circumstances. Goals are specific with specific limitations and are not flexible at all. If the goal succeeds it ends and if it does not succeed, it ends so you can create another goal to end a situation. Systems are generic in nature making them a creative way to achieve any need for any situation that arises, i.e., like, but not exact, systems achieve individual inflexible goals and systems readily accept new, changed and differing goals to continue indefinitely to get things done. 

A system works consistently again and again while a goal works once and is discarded. A system works not just consistently but successfully more often than it fails and failure is not from any failure of the system but of the person using the system. 

The biggest mistake any human makes is thinking goals are a system and then blames the so-called system when it is the goal that failed. We humans, often through social conditioning and conditions, create goals while ignoring the necessary systems needed to accomplish goals. The creation of goals dominates in karate and martial arts especially for self-fense, i.e., we have a goal to earn a black belt, we have a goal to learn self-defense techniques and we have a goal to win yet we don’t recognize that to achieve all these goals we need a system to get-r-done. Sensei, commercialized programs, therefore unconsciously perceive that the goals will fail so are driven to make the goals easier and easier to achieve so they maintain attendance and income. In self-defense they leave methods out because they are systems that are not readily testable and gradable for techniques and patterns that are and live, breath and teach knowing that chances of failure in a real life situation is rare reducing the failure rate even further. 

Systems require long, diligent, consistent and constant work with sweat and blood equity along with a modicum of experiences that build on and support the systems consistently even with occasional failures natural to any good system.

Any good system with multiple methodologies that provide for any situation regardless will succeed at much higher rates of consistency over time than any goal(s). Once a goal fails, it is done; if a system fails, it is luck and viable for the next situation because systems are not tied to any one goal, situation or time. 

System: a set of interacting or interdependent components that form a whole. Every system is delineated by its spatial and temporal boundaries, surrounded and influenced by its environment, described by its structure and purpose and expressed in its functioning. Easily adjusted to work indiscriminately for the situation in that moment. A set of detailed methods, procedures and routines created to carry out a specific activity, perform a duty, or solve a problem. ... An organized, purposeful structure that consists of interrelated and interdependent elements (components, entities, factors, members, parts etc.).

Gaol: the object of a person's ambition or effort; an aim or desired result; the destination of a journey; a point marking the end of a race.

In martial arts and karate you use that system to achieve certain goals, i.e., a certain number and type of basics; kata and kumite, then those goals are set aside to use the results, set fundamentals, etc., to achieve the synthesis of a system unique to you as an individual that will be your system of fundamental principled based multiple methodologies that break out of the restrictions of goals to achieve anything possible in the chaos of conflict and violence where goals are more an obstacle rather than inspiration of creativity that makes a system viable, functional and generic. 

Systems are the way, the path that never ends and provides exits and off-ramps at every junction, every turn and every obstacle ergo why they call martial arts and karate efforts, “The Tao or The Way” Goals at the novice level give you the tools to create the system that gets you on the path and it is the resulting system that provides the “energy” to take you the distance. 

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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