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.

Martial Belief

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

In a nutshell, as a refresher since you probably already know this, a belief is: "an acceptance that a statement is true or that something exists; trust, faith, or confidence in someone or something."

Therefore, a martial belief is the acceptance that what we learn, practice and apply is true, it exists and we do so with the trust, faith and confidence in those who come before us with something they wish to pass down to us. Our responsibility is to believe in the someone's and the somethings to only the degree necessary to create our beliefs, perceptions and to create appropriate concepts that build on said belief. 

This is all fine and dandy...except when the belief becomes such that the believer becomes so imbedded in what that someone teaches them of that something to the point of fanaticism. In this instance the fanaticism is something that is taken as the gospel according to sensei to a point they are on a pedestal behind a podium preaching the word of .

This is a dangerous "way (doah or Do)." Many fall into this because they are presented with something by someone that becomes important to their very identity modifying their belief's coming into the dojo for the first time and having it modified through the proselytizing of sensei on the merits and mysteries of the style or that something they wish to pass down.  

We, as sensei, have a huge responsibility that comes with taking the mantel on as a sensei, teaching the teachings of that something to those someone's because without the proper understanding and expertise in teaching regardless of what something is being taught and to whom it is being taught too. 

There is a reason, as you already know and can readily imagine because we are all a product of one type of teacher or another as we go through life where said teachers are required to meet certain standards and requirements to actually teach, right? Yet, every Tom, Dick and Harriet who dons a black belt, often sho-dan, immediately assumes they can open a dojo and teach their something to someone, who by the way in most cases is forking over their hard earned cash thus reinforcing the very dissonance's that develop in the teachings. 

Sensei then, in these hopefully rare cases, tends to advocate and promote that something while attaching their own personal beliefs, perceptions and concepts to those someone's who come to them expecting expertise of a kind that leaves out such emotionally oriented egoistic beliefs making the original less than, original. 

It then, by a slow gradual evolution in the dojo, turns from teaching to conversion or an attempt to convert those who would follow to sensei's agenda even if sensei didn't mean to or even realizes that they have switched from sensei to something else. This is where the origins of the martial belief, practice and teachings becomes NOT the martial arts or karate's origins but something else for it is easy to slip into this mode ergo why teaching MUST be by experts.

What is a teaching expert especially of the martial arts and karate? Good question that all to often never gets answered simply because most who teach are not teaching from a foundation of expertise, they are teaching as businessmen and women who teach for profit. This is not a bad thing, it simply adds another complex layer to the art of being a sensei who teaches something to many someone's. Do they consider this as a part of becoming a sensei? Not so much. 

It must be noted here, there are a huge number of sensei today that actually fit the model of expert martial artists and expert teachers, many will read this nodding their heads simply because they did the work.

Example: before becoming a sensei, teacher and instructor if you will, the black belt must travel through the three phases of learning and understanding the system they wish to pass down to those who would follow. Think of concepts like shu-ha-ri and shin-gi-tai, etc. Few follow that path and yet more are getting on that train to follow the rails to the path of true understanding...yeah!

As to what may be teaching requirements to achieve adequate credentials through a self-policing model since martial disciplines are not governed by anyone or any recognized organizations that society, in general, would accept the following is provided as a start-off point to learn. 


In closing, I have been in the marital disciplines for forty-two + years and the reason I don't have the dojo and don't teach the hands-on disciplines is because I realized that I have not transitioned through the three phases and feel it would be unjust to teach those impressionable someone's who would follow for they must have a fully qualified expert teacher, guide and mentor in the martial disciplines (especially and critically when taught and practiced as a self-defense/protection discipline).


Bibliography (Click the link)

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