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.

Words are Power(ful)

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

The experts tell us that, "Words have energy and power with the ability to help, to heal, to hinder, to hurt, to harm, to humiliate and to humble.” Considering the 'powerful force' of the words we utter, we must discipline ourselves to speak in a way that conveys respect, gentleness and humility."

I would extend this meaning of the word, "help," to teaching, passing down that information to those who follow as a means of survival or today, "security and safety of self and families." 

In recent postings and articles it has been said by those who don't believe that words have power that the need for such words one must act, perform and practice to achieve growth and change in karate and martial disciplines, in particular.

I believe wholeheartedly that words have power and I believe that it goes a lot further than mere words. Words do have literal meaning as one can imagine when looking up a new word in the dictionary. The definition is an approximation of what social reality wants us to understand as to meaning, literal. It changes as you probably already know when used, i.e., it comes to make true meaning once we add in the human component. 

Words written have meaning and can be powerful.
Words SPOKEN have greater meaning and power because of all the traits that make up communications.

Each human carries with them certain traits that are expressed in a variety of ways toward helping others receive and understand the spoken word-message. This is a two stage process much like the diametric pairing of speaking words-n-active listening to words. 

What happens when people begin to communicate with words to one another, the process as you can imagine is far more complex and complicated as it seems. Humans, especially today, take words and communications for granted in that they ASSUME what they do is proper and adequate when as you already know it is more complicated than that.

Lets us a few words to break it down:
  • Human Components: Culture, Social Reality, Concepts, Experiences, vocabulary, understanding, tone, rhythm, cadence, facial expressions coupled with body language, attitude, character, personality, connection with recipients as to social reality, listening over speaking abilities, focus, respect (allowing for face saving, etc.), acknowledgment of other speakers, observation skills, reflecting, appreciation of others, motivation toward listening over speaking, attentiveness, positivity, ...
  • Avoid jumping to conclusions.
  • Avoid assumptions of what a speaker is saying.
  • Avoid interruptions.
  • Using all our sensory systems as humans to actively listen. 
  • Posture. (Body Language)
  • Mirroring. (Body Language)
  • Remembering and Positive Reinforcement.
  • Appropriate questioning at appropriate moments in the communications (Clarifications, etc.).
  • Summarization when appropriate.
Principles of Communications:
  1. Stop talking, actively listen.
  2. Prepare to listen: focus on the speaker, put extraneous thoughts out of mind, avoid distractions, etc. RELAX body and mind.
  3. Focus on what the speaker is saying; pay attention to their body language and facial expressions, set your body and facial language, the unspoken influences.
  4. Empathy when appropriate.
  5. Patience, patience, patience. 
  6. Avoid prejudices from seeping into thoughts as the speaker communicates. 
  7. Listen to the person’s “tone, rhythm, emotional content, cadence and content, etc.” Listen for idea’s, concepts, BELIEFS and related experiences, etc. Listen to those words and concepts conveyed by these traits. 
  8. Pay attention to the non-verbal communications for often the words and non-verbal don’t match, listen to the non-verbal body language and facial expressions first. 
    • To active hear;
    • To understand;
    • To remember;
    • To properly and appropriately and accurately interpret;
    • To properly and appropriately and accurately evaluate;
    • To properly and appropriately and accurately respond. 
Words do have power; the human non-verbalization has greater power and reinforces or disavows the spoken words; the combination of non-verbal, social reality, beliefs and experiences support the non-verbal and can support the words.

You see, as you can imagine and as you already know and understand words are powerful when utilized with other forms of human communications to convey idea’s, theories, concepts, experiences and other factual related information for change, evolving of the species and its very survival. No where else will this concept be of greater importance than in those actions and deeds we humans take toward self-preservation, i.e., our abilities to applies skills for self-protection and self-defense. 

Read these words, seek out literal definitions to understand their essence then communicate to the author or speaker in an active way to learn their actual concept and intent in that written word - or spoken when using the art of avoidance and deescalation - by performing the art of active listening, to the WORDS and all the underlying non-verbal communications that drive the words, meaning and understanding of the speaker/author. 

Bibliography (Click the link)

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