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.

Chaos and Order (Yin/Yang)

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

Chaos (Konton [混沌]): Chaos; confusion; disorder; chaotic; uncertain; disarrayed. 
Order (Kiritsu [規律]):  Order; observance; discipline; rules; law; regulations. 
Konton to kiritsu [混沌と規律] Chaos and Order

In the dojo one builds skills through a process that begins with our natural tendency toward order because order provides us our comfort zone. The comfort zone is that which brings about a feeling of safety and security in a world filled with chaos. 

In order, as you will begin to visualize, to achieve true security and safety we have to deal with the chaos of conflict and violence so as a professional who already knows you have to insert chaos into training and practice to be successful in self-protection. Once a karate-ka achieves a certain level of expertise in the order, the orderly learning and application of the system of choice like Isshinryu, of karate they introduce the practice of chaos or what some refer to as a reality-based adrenal inducing training and practice program. 

Chaos training it that huge leap across the divide that separates order from chaos. Like the symbolic representation of the intertwining serpents of taoist yin/yang the interconnectivity and blending in of chaos and order provides a balance, i.e., we ride the border between the ever-entwined pair to achieve the skills and abilities to achieve, maintain and enforce boundaries created and set that help us avoid and deal with conflict and violence. 

In the universe, our world, order cannot exist without chaos and chaos cannot exist without order because the two apparently diametric forces feed off one another as depicted in the following: 
Not a true representation of the Taoist Yin & Yang symbol. 
  • Order and Chaos are the yang and yin of the famous taoist symbol: two serpents, head to tail. 
  • Order is the white, masculine serpent; 
  • Chaos, its black, feminine counterpart. 
  • The black dot in the white - and the white dot in the black - indicate the possibility of transformation: 
    • just when things seem secure, the unknown can loom, unexpectedly and large. 
  • Conversely, 
    • just when everything seems lost, new order can emerge from catastrophe and chaos. 
  • Meaning is to be found on the border between the ever-entwined pair. 
To allow one or the other to force one’s journey off that border line of the symbolic entwined pair of serpents leads us to death and destruction, the end of the universe and our world. The human species survives through its ability to gather and work as one group, a civilization if you will of communities and families that come together for the common good and fight against the incoming tide of chaos and the chaotic. 

To achieve this we create rules that speak to our values and our values glue our beliefs in a way that sets the foundation of our ability to ride the line that twines the shores of chaos and order to ebb and flow in peace and harmony for the furtherance of human survival even at the higher levels of harmony and enlightenment. 

It is and has always been said, "Virtues are simply ways of behaving that are most conducive to happiness in life. Cultivate judgement about the difference between virtue and vice, a beginning of wisdom.”

Embrace order to allow chaos into our lives for chaos can be tamed enough to allow the comfort and harmony found in order. Chaos is not to be avoided like some plague nor stopped through the inoculation of some desire but embraced as a part of life. Order begets order through the taming of chaos; chaos begets chaos when order fails. Yin/yang or balance within chaos and order. Mull this one over, let the mind meander and enlightenment reach our harmonious mind, body and spirit in the light of day and the dark of night where the between presents the beauty of a sunrise and a sunset. 

For reference and sources and professionals go here: Bibliography (Click the link)
I used: Tangorin Online 

Peterson, Jordan B. "12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos." Penguin. May 2, 2019.

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