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.

Fluff, Chaff or Wheat

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

In karate, martial practices or other means and methods be they one intent or another matter. Can you imagine how often this subject comes up and you probably already know what is to follow and yet it behooves all of us to review this once and again simply because it is critical to your intent in training, practices and most of all, applications. Let alone the deep and abiding understanding one must have or achieve if they have certain intentions as to why and what for their training, practice and application of it all is directed. 

Most of what is taught and tested in, say karate, is bullshit. Bullshit if any part of that discipline even in some small and indirect way involves what most think of as, “Self-Defense.” Why you ask, because your intent must be directed at a specific and the other stuff like chaff just obscures the good wheat making it unusable. 

One professional respected by his peers once stated that in karate if you are teaching a student to hold a level head throughout his kata performance then, here is where I diverge from his comment, you are not learning, teaching self-protection and defenses. I would venture to say that in most karate dojo almost 90% of what is taught and required to achieve belts or successes in that dojo are simply filler or fluff meant to provide self-soothing satisfaction for the sensei and the students as well as associated orgs and people who foster, support and propagate it as self-defense. 

Don’t obscure your objectives and intent with stuff that is not going to meet those objectives and intent especially when it comes to dealing with aggression and violence regardless of marketing through compliance influence principled efforts. 

Your first objective if even a small part of what you want, not need but want, to achieve is self-protection through self-defense defenses is to remove all the chaff, fluff and bullshit being passed on as your karate system unless you remove the defense and protection part from the discipline. 

Our brains work in very funny and particular ways in creating and manufacturing concepts that drive beliefs, perceptions and memories and obscuring the simplistic goals and objectives on your intent with such things will get you hurt or killed. 

One very critical and important reason why, of many reasons, I stopped teaching karate was simply because in my early teaching days I didn’t know this stuff and until I started to receive such information it was the type that I didn’t know I didn’t know of and why I philosophize and theorize and present first and second hand idea’s, theories and concepts from my experiences and studies so that others can test, try, use and teach a more appropriate way so they may then remove the chaff, fluff and misc bullshit in self-protection efforts of karate or martial disciplines. 

When we use our philosophies such as, “The Way,” to justify our dissonances and biases for fun and profit we are simply avoiding the truth of it at our peril. It is only by pure luck and ignorance this has not reared its ugly head to bite the system, martial and karate systems, in the ass putting dojo, sensei and senpai in peril to include jail and economic ruin. 


Something to think about, don’t let luck run out on your watch!!!!! The information and guidance is out there, you just have to let it in!

Bibliography (Click the link)

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