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.

PERSPECTIVE: Being Marine

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

The Marines teach and train you to be independent, courageous and a can-do anything type of person. Yet, the true essence of a can-do Marine is doing the job with a sense of unity, brotherhood and comradeship with other Marines. In short, team-effort all the way. They teach you to have unlimited confidence in yourself while fostering a comradeship and esprit-de-corps with our Marine Brothers. 

Yes, a Marine has the confidence, ability and attitude that says they fear no one and fear nothing and can-do anything that could be misconstrued as a stand alone mind set that could, if the training were not comprehensive and realistic, set a Marine into thinking they can-do it all themselves. 

Karate is like this in that training leads the karate-ka to believe in themselves to a point where they may garner an attitude that speaks to them thusly, "I can go where I want; I can do what is my right to do; I am fully capable in handling anything!" They are not taught how to make what they are trained to do with the additional Marine concept of brothers working together as a unified wholehearted team to get-r-done, relying on one another to achieve the Marine objective while maintaining a level of independence, confidence and can-do attitudes that make the Marines... Marines! The Marines truly understand that no Marine is an island, the reality is the cohesive brotherhood of Marines is what makes Marines... Marines!

This is why karate would better achieve its objectives, emphasis on self-protection using our karate skills, if we taught how to rely on others as well as ourselves to achieve our goals. In this way, through the collective brotherhood of karate-ka, we learn to apply not just our karate skills but those of the group to achieve success in self-protection. 

Yes, there is the cooperation of karate-ka in things like drills and there is still the end lesson of the individual applying the skills solo rather than in the group collective. For instance, never ever even at the highest level of skill ability should a karate-ka expose themselves to dangers in an environment; never every even at the highest level of skill shall a karate-ka project attitudes that would exacerbate conflict except in an effort to avoid or deescalate if needed. 

A Marine in combat is trained to take not just his Marine brothers into account to achieve a mission, they are to take those who are in the environment of the combat mission into account and that means as to the positive and negative, i.e., threat or non-threat, etc. It is this collective mind-set to the group, socially or personal group, that must be trained, practiced and applied because it is only through the group that we survive.

If we temper our egoistic tendencies when one achieves higher levels of skill, ability and attitude then we can avoid those mistakes allowing us to recognize when attitudes and ego's and status, status-seeking, tendencies rise up from our emotionally driven monkey brains so that we can protect self, protect our group, protect the social collective and successfully traverse the mine-field that is the social and legal systems. 

You don't have to be a Marine to understand and develop this kind of personality and character, but it doesn't hurt so consider becoming a Marine, as long as you recognize the possibilities that come from such effort and make your training, practice and application a well-rounded fully capable system of karate and self-protection.


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

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