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.

How would you define "Effectiveness" in Self-Protection

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

A violence professional, uses a triangle to explain effectiveness, i.e., 

  • Mechanics (I refer to this as Physiokinetic's);
  • Knowledge of how to apply (the vastness of this part literally astounds me even today); 
  • Ability to apply in a situation (ahh, the situation that is not taught in defense training, etc.). 

He tells us that to take away any one of these three is similar to a three legged chair where one leg gone and chair falls or your effectiveness collapses. (my words paraphrasing)

Now, I shift things a might from this point on to try and connect the dots of what Mr. M writes to what I use, i.e., good physiokinetic's, principles, are required to generate energy so one can receive and deliver force and power;

Also, you must have created, trained and encoded into conditioned memory the strategies and tactics that will make use of principles in methodologies and force levels to achieve your objective. The objective is important in both mind and application given any situation in which you become involved. My objective, for example, would be to stop the damage and escape and evade to safety. 

Finally, it comes down to a reality check, i.e., training and practice to encode conditioned responses to stimuli so that you can create ad-hoc methods and force requirements in chaos while receiving damage resulting in on-the-fly problem solving.  

MKA are a collective meaning if one or more are missing in training and applications it means bad news for the person trying to apply his or her effective application of methods meant for self-protection. When it comes to martial arts and karate self-protection efforts often one or two of these three are missing. Not good!

I would also add that using a term or phase without adequate understanding of what the phrase or term are meant to convey such as body mechanics can leave a practitioner missing the very three legs of a triangle to make it whole or to stand as a stool solid and firm on the ground, so to speak. 

For instance, to have the "ability to apply in situations" when taught in karate self-defense through technique-based models often lacking any creative side means a lot of what may be required to apply in a predatory situation unknown and not taught through a technique-based model would cause a freeze and failure to get-r-done. Technique-based training has a purpose but that purpose is not to teach self-defense or self-protection but to get a novice to learn, understand and apply principles through multiple methodologies rather than tie them down to specific, often static and lacking creativity, technique based drills, i.e., he punches this way and you block this way to defend, etc. 

There are dynamics involved in real, realistic, attacks both social and asocial that are not taught in martial arts or karate defense lessons. It comes down to not knowing what you don't know and especially not knowing yet what you don't know you don't know. A good reason many in the know people in martial arts and karate do such extensive research of stuff and exchange ideas, theories, and experiences with group members, call it group dynamics of learning and understanding. 

Finding out you can't go the distance in the mix of an attack is a bit late so trying to find and encoded conditioned responses with a good plan along with tactics and strategies that manifest conditioned creative actions under the stressors of violence seems a bit more productive let alone avoiding ramifications that are not nice because you failed to go the distance. 

Note: As I continue to contemplate effectiveness I thought this, “Your effectiveness in research, reality based training and practice and, especially, your understanding of all facets to the process of human violence is especially important, make sure you don’t neglect it.” 


Note: part of the first part are from Marc MacYoung’s article in FB on the subject, the rest is my interpretations. 

Bibliography (Click the link)

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