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.

Transitions

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

This aspect of self-defense is discussed but in most SD programs only in passing when teaching technique-based programs. At least to my perceptions and to my limited exposure to such programs. Anyway, transitions to my view are absolutely critical to applying the appropriate levels of force through the multiple methodologies applied toward stopping the attack. 

Transitions are those mini-moments between applied multiple methodologies that allow you to keep moving especially when one method doesn’t perform to maximum proficiency so you can keep going till the job gets done or the attack breaks off the attack. There is more but first, defining transitions.

Transitions: In the general translation and definition a transition is that process or period or moment of changing from one state or condition to another. As a verb it is defined as undergoing or causing to undergo a process or period of transition, i.e., change, move, transform, convert, metamorphosize or alter, etc. 

Remember:
  • changing from one state or condition to another (changes are hard, the first few under the stress of an attack are even harder or so I am told)
  • undergoing or causing to undergo a process (think and read about it in the book, permission and initiative)
  • change, move, transform, convert, metamorphosize or alter
Other sub-principles are involved in this transitional process but first a reminder that all of this is driven by our OODA loop, the speed of that transition matters as does the speed in which one completes to OODA. Many factors previously discussed contribute toward that speed and therefore making transitions efficient. 

Transitions in self-defense also mean avoiding a freeze because to transition is to move and to move means moving from one method to another whether to repeat the one to complete the job or to move to another appropriate method to complete the job. How you transition is another factor that must be conditioned before making use of it in self-defense. That involves other factors already discussed in depth elsewhere such as the structure and grounding along with spinal alignment, etc., so power and force remain intact from method to method. 

Often in martial arts and karate self-defense training of kata or drills emphasis is made on moving, transitioning, between techniques with some hesitation but what is critical in an attack is the ability to transition without perceived hesitation because a committed attacker is going to use rapid transitions to multiple methods of doing maximize damage his chief tool to keep you frozen in the OO bounce while you succumb to the damage and so on. You won’t have time to think, consider possible techniques to score points or keeping your distance for relative safety because, as many professionals of violence have explained, in an attack of a predatory asocial nature the attacker will be up close and pummeling you while your structure, balance and mind are disrupted and in the bounce - in short, frozen and taking damage. 

I hope I have been providing some information about transitions that spur you on to further research so that with understanding you can evaluate your training and practice toward a more realistic form in self-defense but remember that is not enough and take a look at more realistic forms of training through drills that will condition your mind and body to act when attacked even in dire positions often coming from predatory attacks. 

You can find more accurate and informed ways of self-defense by looking to the Bibliography but for drills Mr. Rory Miller has a new book and set of DVD’s available on the subject, i.e., Training for Sudden Violence: 72 Practice Drills.” As a tease, in Amazon the description says, “The speed and brutality of a predatory attack can shock even an experienced martial artist. The sudden chaos, the cascade of stress hormones—you feel as though time slows down. In reality, the assault is over in an instant. How does anyone prepare for that?”

p.s. Remember, don’t turn this into something you have to focus on intensely, it is more about understanding one small component of hearing and training so that you can properly condition the mind and body for self-defense. Once you have an understanding then your karate and self-defense conditioning system can do its job, conditioning (yes, the term is better understood in context when you read the above recommended book and I still have a lot more work to do).

Bibliography (Click the link)



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