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.

Confirmation Bias

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

“Is a bitch!” “Why, you’re saying?” Because it predisposes us to see things in accordance with our beliefs, beliefs are our reality, and even if false we see relationships that promote our beliefs and we even adjust them to validate said beliefs. 

Go ahead, go out to google and do a “define: confirmation bias” and read what it means too and for yourself. Don’t take my word for it, do the search!

Ok, herein lies the philosophy on the subject, we humans no matter our evolutionary status still go all the way back to the time we rose out of the primordial ooze to walk the Earth, we have a sole drive given to us by nature and encoded in our very DNA to … wait for it … you are expecting it right? … “Survive!”

Even today, although we are no longer hunted by nature’s natural predators we still deal with things that relate to that very nature, survival. It may not be about actual life vs. death but when stresses and anxieties hit it relates to that same triggered mental and physical effects from the monkey-mind, i.e., “The boss threatens your job status because you made a mistake,” and you are hit with things from the monkey-mind saying to the lizard-mind, “Oh shit, I am going to die!” This, even with the knowledge and understanding that if you lose your job it is not resulting in your death. That job is gone but you’re still alive and able to keep right on kicking. 

Now, that I have that out and in your mind, consider that confirmation biases are about survival. The only way we drop a belief is if it fails enough that you actually change your ways until the anxieties, fears and and reality change the way of it till you achieve enough successes in both training and experiences that the monkey-mind begins to believe that this new way means you live for another day to do things. 

Ever challenge a person on their beliefs in the dojo and find that even in the face of irrefutable proof, even from that persons respected elders, they just refuse to believe what you put right in front of their face? Yes, and just to set the record, I still find myself questioning and “initially” refusing to believe it when it goes against my grain and yet I have managed to achieve a state where I can let it mull in my mind, giving it it’s due and then changing to allow it to change my belief therefore my reality. 

Do you like magic? I do and I can tell you that most of the magic is about influence, compliance and misdirection that is successful in part because of our natural nature driven drive toward confirmation bias. 

Here is a way to learn how to not interfere with CB, but to recognize it when it hits so you can mull it over, contemplate it and then test, test, test it out to see if it can fit into your beliefs, i.e., reality. 

When you encounter information that triggers anxiety or fear or resentment or indignation or any one or all of,  that you feel in your body and experience in your mind then tell your monkey-mind to hold it, tell it to wait a minute and then consider it or part of it with the question, “In order to fully and completely understand what the other person is saying, writing or presenting in media, etc., you must assume it is true and try to imagine what it could be true of.” Then remember, even if the whole triggers angst in your, curb your knee-jerk responses and then live up to this quote to see if it or any part of it would be true.

Let me close by adding a quote from a professional violence expert:

“If your monkey/tribal brain is working your human/thinking brain is not. If you are feeling emotion, you are not thinking; that part of your brain is turned off. If it is about who did or said it and not what was said, you are in your tribal brain. If you label anyone, it is a tactic to put that person in another tribe specifically so that you don't have to listen to the content.”

“People who disagree with you are rarely stupid. If you cannot effectively, compassionately and convincingly argue the other side's point of view, you are the one in your tribal brain. You are the stupid one.” - Rory Miller at Chiron Blog "Silly Season"

Oh, and if you didn’t look it up: 

Confirmation Bias - the tendency to search for, interpret, favor, and recall information in a way that confirms or strengthens one's prior personal beliefs or hypotheses. It is a type of cognitive bias.


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