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.

Grip & Stabilization

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

I have been experimenting with the challenge and the “chinkuchi-esque” pushup bars for a while now and I have some thoughts on their use as to benefits. I want to share these now.

Doing normal, regulation, pushups tend to work the upper body shoulder girdle areas overall and the strength is there already while switching it up to either of the pushup bars tends to challenge the normal pushups in a way that feels and is perceived challenged by the need to grip the bars. 

The challenge begins with and is dependent upon hand strength, gripping. If you don’t have a stronger grip then no matter how many regulation pushups you can do you won’t be able to do that many of the challenge pushups. So, grip becomes a primary benefit because to hold the challenge/chinkuchi-esque bars requires a continuous strong grip with the challenge bars requiring more to be explained as we continue. 

Stabilization of muscles holds a higher proficiency requirement than mere strength so these pushups contribute a great deal to a type of strength that is not about lifting heavy weights but maintaining the integrity of the body structure especially in applying physical skills in karate for self-protection. 

I give the challenge bars higher marks because the single leg provides a skill whereby you must stabilize the hands and wrists, etc., so that it remains stable while movement in pushups allows the bar to move in all 360 degrees or directions. Once you try them out on your own you will realize that compared to the chinkuchi-esque dual leg bars that only require you to stabilize it so it does not move in only two directions. 

You might be contemplating this and think to yourself that your upper body and shoulder girdle are not really benefiting because the grip and stabilization are mostly in the hands and wrists but that would be misguided because the mere act of gripping and maintaining upright position of both bars also requires you add the forearms, upper arms, shoulder girdle and upper body through dynamic tension of those parts to achieve a stronger grip thus a greater stability overall. 

While normal regulation pushups is more focused on the upper body and shoulder girdle with benefits extending into the arms it seems that the use of the challenge and chinkuchi-esque bars reverse that starting with the grip/hands, wrists and so on in reverse of normal benefits of regulation pushups. 

In this light it seems that to achieve a strong stable structure you need to strengthen the muscles so that when multi-directional stresses are applied such as in the chaos of self-protection you need to make use of the following for karate:
  1. Challenge pushup’s in an extended way, i.e., when you reach the upper end of the pushup you flex the shoulders up to stretch out the entire shoulder, arm and hands. 
  2. Chinkuchi-esque pushup’s also in an extended way, i.e., when you reach the upper end of the pushup you flex the shoulders up to stretch out the entire shoulder, arm and hands.
  3. Regulation pushups also in an extended way, i.e., when you reach the upper end of the pushup you flex the shoulders up to stretch out the entire shoulder, arm and hands.
  4. Striking a moving heavy bag (it is noted that this goes to the legs as well, etc.)
  5. Striking a stationary makiwara. 
  6. Striking a moving makiwara. 
  7. Grappling skills practice. 
  8. Kumite using bogu-esque protection so one can apply hand skills, leg skills as well, with as much actual force as safely possible. 
  9. Experience building also through full-contact types of competition; reality based adrenal stressor training; and actual self-protection when that one rears its ugly head that we all work hard to avoid. 
In closing, I really like the challenge pushups and the chinkuchi-esque bars because I can feel how much is required of my grip and ability to stabilize to handle the stresses that come from the pushup. I feel the benefits every time not just in the grip, nor the stabilization that occurs as one gains experience thus increasing the repetitions one can do and the additional ‘different’ strengths that are added gained from regulation pushups to build an all round strong and stable upper body strength you cannot get from just building strength through power lifting, etc., like the circuit training one does and the new type of training called, “Cross-training“ where one does both strength with non-aerobic lifting supplemented with aerobic training. 

The stabilization effort seems the most critical because one who is found in the middle of a physical effort to defend and protect under the chaos of self-defense will find that their stabilization-strength coupled with endurance will be of greater benefit overall then merely strength. In the last decade I have refocused my efforts in this light personally and found that to be of benefit in other areas such as health, i.e., lower blood pressure, etc. 


Another reason to embrace such challenging skills, you benefit not just fitness and health but in the event you have to apply skills to defend and protect. 

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

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