Why I Read A LOT!

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

Study is that something that builds knowledge while utilizing that knowledge in applicable ways builds understanding of said knowledge. The two lead to a sort of enlightened application of things appropriate, if you do it right, for environmental situations both normal and abnormal to living and surviving. 

Here is an add-on to the statement or question of why I read a lot, I don’t just read things once but several times. I will use Marc MacYoung’s book, “In the Name of Self-Defense (I also highly recommend visiting his NNSD web site “frequently”),” in that I have read it at least four times to date and have the kindle edition ready to start the fifth. 

When I was reading his NNSD site today on some of his newest additions of a psychological nature I realized once again that I had read it once before but reading it again not only brought out stuff I missed but made me realize that even tho it was a repeat it was also new. New in the fact that each time Mr. MacYoung presents, in written form, both new and old stuff the mere fact he wrote it again in a different way opened more doorways to knowledge accumulation toward a better understanding. 

I have a great deal of experience in this form of study because there is no facet of my life, my education, my knowledge base and my experiences that have not benefited from the art of reading, a LOT! 

My wife often chides me with, “Why are you saving all this stuff?” To which I respond, “Because I am not done studying it yet!” She then makes the obvious perception that with all the stickies and hi-lights in the book it is apparent I have read them thoroughly but as you can see here my response was that I haven’t absorbed it to a full understanding YET. 

I may never achieve a full understanding ergo why I read A LOT. I, as a semi-retired practitioner of martial arts and karate (semi in that I still practice but don’t teach or attend a formal dojo), who writes on the subject especially as it may apply to self-defense I find that even when I feel good about my understanding that many of the sources and references I come back to time and again simply present something new, something different and different ways of saying the same things as well trigger my firm understanding that there is much, much more to learn and understand. 

I remember once in a flame war on a subject where cognizant dissonance as with many other bias led to a statement that, “I was busy actually training on the dojo floor so I couldn’t respond to your wrongness.” I didn’t respond because at that stage no matter how I put things and no matter the right or wrong of it all that person was in a state of mind that said he or she would not accept or believe in anything other than his position on that or any other subject.

Here is the crux of it, yes it was wonderful that people step on the dojo floor and train BUTTTTT, what is the content and intent of that training, practice and possible applications? Many of the professionals whose stuff I read a lot and study a lot have said time and again that much of what is taught in the self-defense industry is inadequate to the reality of self-defense. Just go visit NNSD and read that ton of information and then realize that it barely scratches the surface, his beliefs not just mine and mine come from the acceptance of his beliefs. 

Then I have to address, as I have before, the content of that dojo floor training as it comes form sensei and sensei’s sensei. If the entire line of sensei to sensei has the content and intent missing parts of the reality of self-defense, for instance, then the entire line of descendency is faulty to the danger point. 

The entire community and business of self-defense be it martial or karate by nature must achieve an open minded perspective in order to change and adjust according to the present moment situation and that starts on the dojo floor, for martial arts and karate self-defense. A good starting point if you have not already started is his article in NNSD, “Psychology of Self-Defense.” I stress this because since it is on the subject of psychology and we can all agree wholeheartedly that martial arts, karate and self-defense all rely heavily on the mind, the mind training is where one should begin. Oh, we call this mind-set and mind-state!

Bibliography (Click the link)

http://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/psychology.html