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.

OPINION: Kata is Karate, Part II

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

Why do we karate-ka compare kata forms? How many postings, video’s and seminars have you experienced and viewed that try to compare kata of one style to your style and for what purpose? Mostly, experts tell us, it is to show similarities and differences between styles and practices or so we can speculate and assume, right? 

One karate luminary likes to demonstrate differences such as seisan kata of Isshinryu as compared to Shorinji-ryu for instance. Yet, when said and done no one discusses in any great detail why they did it except as assumed in the last paragraph as a way to observe and see differences yet similarities. 

Where I diverge is styles and differences and similarities don’t really matter except in some as yet to be understood way because in karate the applications or methodologies applied in a violent situation are the only thing that matter, the principles involved that make any technique work is what matters and those don’t require comparison because regardless of the style of kata differences/similarities principles don’t change like human skeletal structure, alignment, balance and so on. This goes for other principles such as there are only a few ways the body works like ball joints vs. hinged joints, they move specific ways and how you make use of that drives the methods applied regardless of specific techniques taught and applied, etc. 

Kata are merely recordings used to stimulate or trigger experienced knowledge so that a person of inexperience can readily see and apply certain methods of a principled nature as a foundation so when they are exposed to violence and aggressions for the first time their concepts are available upon triggering so they have something, from kata created by combat, if you will, experienced sensei, senpai, etc., right? This is how military teach recruits and why experienced NCO’s are paired up with “boots” in the hopes they survive their first five or six encounters to build their own new experience oriented concepts thus making them the leaders of boots to men, right? 

So, except for, as you already probably know, such comparisons are fun and interesting; they provide teaching material that can be tested for economic ranking needs and the fill in time that would often be filled with more boring repetitive practices and trainings and they trigger in folks that drive and need for instant gratifying wants leaving what they NEED out. 


Again, I bring up a subject that is often rejected due to dissonance driven adherence to beliefs because it will become apparent to many when they actually encounter a fully qualified teaching that will be there for self-protective objectives rather than succumb to compliance influence principles that SELL one stop shopping dojo that provides all your needs in one place for this amount to achieve black belt in this short fast period of time…

Bibliography (Click the link)

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