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: KISS my Karate

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

There is, mostly with few exceptions, a huge disconnect between what is taught as karate and what is relevant, efficient and effective in karate for self-protection. One principle that is often ignored is the KISS principle, keeping it simple is the most effective and efficient way to apply methodologies based on fundamental principles doable in the "heat of an attack." Think adrenaline stress-based realistic predatory asocial resource-or-process attacks BECAUSE the social violence of humans is ALWAYS avoidable. - cejames with a little help from his sources

If one’s training and practice are about the philosophical self-help side of the arts then we are all good to go and if one’s training and practice is all about the sport competitive side of the arts… again, we are all good to go YET if there is even one small aspect of it being taught as self-defense THEN we are doing our students a great disservice by not removing the chasm that makes the disconnect real so that they can step across the great divide and actually train, practice and apply the reality that is self-defense defense. 

It has puzzled me for years now, since I began to see the light provided by the professionals (see my bibliography) who have gone to great lengths to pass along a bit of the wisdom they have achieved and gained by living on that edge between the safety, seemingly, of modern times and the reality that lies just under the surface that is true reality violence. All kinds, levels and degrees…

When the shift happened it was an “Oh Shit Moment,” that still surprises me to this day. I have no regrets because all that I did and accomplished and passed on were the very things that opened the door to my reality and the reality of reality in violence and self-defense and self-defense defense in self-protection. Those missteps provided me a solid base of understanding that if gleamed earlier on in my pursuit of martial knowledge it would have made a huge difference in today’s efforts YET that is not how the Universe works BECAUSE if not for those missteps I may have missed a lot more for the “TIME IS NOW” to accept, realize and understand that much of karate and martial arts lives with the disconnect that cannot be seen, disconnect that cannot be realized and the disconnect that is real, alive and dangerous… more dangerous in truth than the dangers if applying what you think, believe and assume is an ability to defend against violence/conflict. 

Take a moment, see in your minds eye all the effort to jump that chasm that disconnects us from reality and the mystical make-believe of our self-defense efforts. There are a few out there that are doing this right now but all too few when you take a gander at the self-defense industry. This is the hardest battle to win, removing the biases and dissonances that hide the truth from us, ourselves, and leave us vulnerable to the square that is self-defense and karate and martial arts. 

Take a moment, consider that what is stated is TRUE and visualize just how that matters to you, your training and practice and to the very applications you may need one day.


Kanpai my Martial Brothers, Kanpai!



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