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.

Everything Works (at least once)

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

In many of the postings and articles I have written it may have been insinuated that certain things don't work. For instance, I have made it known that mixing sport with defense protection as if they are one is bogus because a lot of what is sport may, may, not work in defense. 

I try to use words like, "may or might or could," simply because "everything works." What I mean to say is that there are those out there who play strictly with the sport aspect and may have faced a self-defense situation where they used it and, "it worked." 

What I do say is this, many of those in the sport, especially those in the more extreme versions, are very strong, healthy, fit and capable in applying their skills who have used them in defense, or so they assume and may have gotten away with as defense, but in reality they were successful due to "luck." 

Everything works for just about everything closely related in application such as technique-based self-defense drills toward what they assume in a bar or other venue is, self-defense. Again, they were lucky in that the person didn't die, the person didn't civilly sue, the person didn't put in a legal complaint and if they were involved, first responders, they were not mandated someone had to go to jail so they let all parties off the hook. 

If I had to lay a bet I would bet big that those self-defense scenario's were socially driven fights rather than the asocial predatory-like attacks some might encounter. 

What got, or gets, them through is a lot of luck and the fact that in all likelihood their fitness and mind-set toward a competitive discipline contributed a great deal to that luck because simply, if a social monkey dance, it wasn't much different than a sport competition except no referee's or rules mandate by the sport. 

Now, if asocial in nature then the fitness and sport helped the luck to have a greater possibility of success. 

It has been a double edged sword because simply 95% of those who take the proverbial self-defense martial arts and karate training never have and never will encounter a real self-defense situation because their lifestyle and environment dictate it. 

The few that this author is aware of where someone in say, MMA, used their MMA skills and literally broke the law and some were prosecuted and some not - again, luck of the draw as to where it happened and the mandates of the first responders. 

In truth, luck is huge in the defense-protection industry and that narrow path is shrinking to such a narrow alley one can barely traverse it turning sideways and bumping shoulders and hips against those boundaries set by the law and the legal system (two very distinct and dangerous systems themselves).

This is one reason why people hear all the time how one's MMA experience, or whatever other sport profession used, works for self-defense and why martial arts and karate self-defense is defended as capable of defending and protecting. The stats on those that worked are somewhat small and overall don't represent the reality of the defense-protection through self-defense - defense. 

I thought my stuff worked and was self-defense and only in the last decade or so, out of about forty-years, did I finally discover that through a huge bit of luck the few things I did got me through because today it would be seen as fighting and not self-defense. 


Why a lot of my work, training and practice have shifted drastically toward a more adequate defense-protection model of which I teach through my writing effort as with discussion with others as they occur. I found at my age to change and continue teaching on the dojo floor would not benefit my students but my more academic effort would - benefit others (active listening).

Bibliography (Click the link)

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