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.

About "Street Fighting"

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

Let me start by directing you to an article by Iain Abernethy Sensei titled, "The Problems with Street Fighting," that can be read by clicking the title. What follows is something that I tend to do, hyper-analyze the term street fighting. Note: In the article I want to emphasize the following quote, “In recent years I’ve (Iain Abernethy Sensei) been making a concerted effort to get stricter and stricter with my terminology when teaching. I feel this is important because loose terminology can lead to confusion and errors in training.”

Break it down into its individual parts, first define “Street,” and second, define, “Fighting.” Then combine them and define the two words in a generic way before dealing with how it is used in certain conceptual situations like self-protection.

Street: 
  • performing or being performed on the street;
  • the roads or public areas of a city or town;
  • a public road in a city or town, typically with houses and buildings on one or both sides; 
  • and others far and away from how it is used with martial arts, etc.
Fighting: 
  • the action of fighting; violence or conflict;
  • displaying or engaging in violence, combat, or aggression;
  • take part in a violent struggle involving the exchange of physical blows or the use of weapons;
  • engage in (a war or battle);
  • quarrel or argue;
  • endeavor vigorously to win (an election or other contest);
  • attempt to repress (a feeling or an expression of a feeling);
  • take part in a boxing match against (an opponent);
  • command, manage, or maneuver (troops, a ship, or military equipment) in battle;
  • and others far and away from how it is used with martial arts, etc.
Street Fighting: 
  • Street fighting is hand-to-hand combat in public places, between individuals or groups of people. Unlike sport fighting, a street fight might involve weapons, multiple opponents, and no rules.
Now, it is apparent to all, you probably already know that its use depends on the situation and environment along with overall intent and in the martial disciplines that is exclusively about use in self-protection and defense against aggression and violence. 

It is suggested that the term or phrase is inappropriate in use for a martial term. The following are extracts that I felt, personally, were important to understand going in especially in regard to “WORDS.” I advocate going in that terms, terminology and the resulting phrases, quotes, meme’s and especially the verbiage used in teaching become critical. I quote, “Unclear terminology can be a symptom of unclear thinking. And unclear thinking can lead to unfocused training; which, in turn, can lead to inappropriate actions in very dangerous situations.”

This one quote should be pretty clear because it is concise and to the point, intent or intention matters and that is why his second quote speaks volumes, i.e., “Whether you wish to use the term ‘street fighting’ or not is obviously a personal matter, AND I would suggest that all the terminology we use needs to be carefully considered.”

So, you can imagine that finding a term appropriate to the intent of one’s training and practice matter a great deal BECAUSE inappropriate and misunderstood terminology leads to inappropriate and misunderstand applications both mental and physical, emphasis on physical. You already know THAT avoidance, escape-n-evasion, deescalation are all far better actions to learn and take then resorting to the physical of self-protection AND you can know this as true, can you not? 

I am coming to like the term currently, as to the article itself, is set as a more generic and appropriate one, the term is “enemy.” I once again take the liberty to quote Abernethy Sensei from his article, “The best term to use is ‘ENEMY’ because it does not have connotations of being defensive – in action or in mindset – nor does it suggest the consent we would normally afford to an opponent.”

I agree, and you already probably knew at the onset of this particular article ;-) 

Defining Enemy: a person who is actively opposed or hostile to someone or something; a thing that harms or weakens something else; a hostile nation or its armed forces or citizens, especially in time of war; synonyms: opponent, adversary, foe, archenemy, rival, antagonist, combatant, challenger, competitor, opposer; the opposition, the competition, the other side, the opposing side. 


Bibliography (Click the link)

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