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.

Hyper-Vigilance in Self-Protection

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

Speaking, or writing actually, from a principled based position the philosophy behind hyper-vigilance is a yin/yang oriented principled driven concept. You can imagine and probably already realize that this is anti-vigilance state one ends up in mostly due to "fear and/or ignorance." 

Hyper-vigilance, generally means, "Hyper-vigilance is an enhanced state of sensory sensitivity accompanied by an exaggerated intensity of behaviors whose purpose is to detect activity. Hyper-vigilance may bring about a state of increased anxiety which can cause exhaustion."

That is putting it mildly because when used for self-protection that exacerbate the mind-state resulting in often, mostly, over-reactive responses to the legal and moral requirements, mandates and laws governing the legal systems defining law of self-defense. HV is dangerous in self-protection because the anxiety, over stressed body and mind and the exhaustion, all negatively impacting the mind-state, will dampen or eliminate any ability to make decisions that coincide with the trained concepts for protection.

Add in the stressors of fear-based, the primary impetus of HV, those who end up in an HV state of mind tend toward over achieving and basing assessments that will far exceed reality will end up easily overcompensating toward dangers, perceived dangers and the levels of force and damage they use on an attacker. Another factor to consider is the perceptions of the actual self-protective methodologies being taught by teachers who have a misguided belief, understanding and concepts of aggression and violence both used on them and what they teach to use in response such as stomping the attacker when no longer a threat just to “teach them a lesson to not mess with you.” 

Those who train, practice and study any physical form of defense-protection must temper their reality so that it fits social and violence based realities and that takes a great deal of work outside the dojo or training hall…making a lot of work a pre-requisite to entering a dojo or training system that promotes, sells and advocates certain types of defense training. 

Remember, you can remember and imagine this can you not? Remember, that some who take self-defense can fall into a fear-based mind-state that produces hyper-vigilance. In my limited experiences if you don’t provide a yin/yang physical, philosophical and psychological base of morality and socially mandated realities along with a deep understanding of the legal and moral righteousness and law and requirements before you teach the fun stuff you open, as you can understand, students to the dangers that far exceed the damage of being physically attacked. 

It’s a big world out there; its a big universe they call self-defense; its a big legal system that is just as predatory as that criminal who attacked you so be prepared to handle things without a fear-based hyper-vigilant attitude and overactive mind. 


Vigilance is proper when balanced with appropriate knowledge, understanding, training, practice and realty-based training applications because true vigilance is someone innate to humans as we scan, observe, analyze and make decisions based on experiences, training both academic and reality-based, concepts derived from knowledge and understanding to create active/reactive concepts that will trigger due to appropriate stimuli within an environment according to the moment and situation. 

I am vigilant to traffic when I want to cross the street; I am vigilant to how folks drive next to me in multiple lanes so I may drive defensively and all of this depends in the particulars of any given situation as it triggers my concepts. So vigilance is a good thing when used in moderation within appropriate applicable methods and methodologies, etc. 

For reference and sources and professionals go here: Bibliography (Click the link)

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