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.

Civilian Warrior Mindset

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

We are all born as civilians and raised to an age of perceived maturity as a civilian with all that entails as a culture. We are not born into and  raised by a warrior culture as found historically in cultures like the Spartan culture. It is by choice within the civilian culture that one takes up the challenges of being a warrior, i.e., when one volunteers for military service. 


The greatest challenge in this instance is making the adjustments from civilian culture to one that is a warrior culture. Since all of us were born and raised as civilians, it is very hard to un-encode that instinct driven encoded attitude and belief of civilians. It is here, in the boot indoctrination of a military service, that one starts to learn, understand and put into practice that warrior ethos ensuring the entire group, as a whole one, achieves the objectives of the civilian leadership. Yes, in this culture the civilians remain in control of their warriors. 


As we become warriors we put civilian things aside and follow the ethos that is necessary and critical to the unit’s survival in achieving the goals and objectives of the society and its military leadership. The following are notes extracted from the book, “The Warrior’s Ethos,” by Steven Pressfield, a Marine Warrior himself as is the author of this article. 


Warrior discipline is taught to us (militarily and/or martially) we teach ourselves self-discipline using warrior discipline as our template. Key 🔐, is to understand if you begin with a goal of civilian warrior you learn and understand the warriors ethos (military) so that you temper training utilizing one to create the other because misunderstandings tend to send civilians to jail, or worse.


Virtues of Warriors:

  • courage;
  • honor;
  • loyalty;
  • integrity;
  • selflessness;
  • brotherhood;
  • patience;
  • self-command;
  • self-discipline;
  • will to endure adversity;
  • justice;

Code of Honor: An honor code is a set of ideals governing a group. It is based on what constitutes honorable behavior among group members. The use of an honor code depends on the idea that people within the group can be trusted to act honorably. [which, I might add, depends on how that group defines honor?]


Honor: honesty, fairness, or integrity in one's beliefs and actions. [which, I might add, depends on how that group defines honesty, fairness, and integrity…?]


A group may actually define their honor with the same exact terms but as to the underlying beliefs, perceptions and concepts that drive group honor can be vastly different.


Two Types of Cultures

  1. guilt-based: a trend or organizing principle in a society characterized by the use of guilt to promote socially acceptable behavior. Guilt cultures emphasize both self-control in the face of temptation and self-initiated responsibility for one's actions if transgressions should occur.
  2. shame-based: In cultural anthropology, a shame culture, also called honor-shame culture or shame society, is the concept that, in a given society, the primary device for gaining control over children and maintaining social order is the inculcation of shame and the complementary threat of ostracism.

Our culture is guilt-based: Shame-based, face/honor is everything and all that matters is what the community believes of is. Imposes it’s values from outside the individual. Bushido is shame-based. USMC/Military is also shame-based.


Boot camp for Marines, Army and any other warrior-based endeavors rely on “initiations” as an intricate part of one’s entry into the military and theses hazing-like challenges test one’s “metal” as to their ability to live up to a warriors ethos.


Warriors enter into a culture of the unit that endure harsh living and training like bathing in frigid streams, run barefoot to toughen soles of feet, train without sleep, food or water for days on end. One such test was standing at attention while sand-fleas chewed on our faces, arms, ears and other exposed tender parts without crying out, swatting or scratching - ever, for all nine weeks of boot 🥾! USMC RD Parris Island 🏝.


“Soft hands make soft people. Better to live in a rugged land and rule than to cultivate rich plains and be a slave.” - Cyrus


The military warrior encodes deep in the psych, into the deepest recesses of our beliefs, mind, that we inherit what I pridefully adhere to as my, “Pride, honor, integrity, the chance to be part of a corps with a history of service, valor, glory; to have friends who would sacrifice their lives for you, as you would for them - and to know that you remain a part of this brotherhood as long as you live. How much is that worth? “PRICELESS!” - well known (?) gunnery sergeant of Marines


Lycurgus, of Sparta, who created and started the warrior culture of the Spartan’s:

  • Common mess: to bind men together as brothers/friends. Those who break bread together form bonds and become attached to one another.
  • Passage to Warrior-hood: we dress alike, eat and sleep alike, speak alike, wear our hair alike, and achieve victory alike. Familiar to Marines, Sailors and Soldiers all!
  • Warrior Initiation’s: ordeals of initiation are gone not as individuals but as teams, as units, as brothers in arms.
  • When doing, training, practicing and fighting as a unit, we bind with one another with ties even deeper than blood/family. Thus we become a brotherhood of warriors!

“Fight for this alone: the man who stands at your shoulder. He is everything, and everything is contained within him.” - Dienekes


Civilian Culture for Warriors


Our society is NOT a warrior culture but rather a warrior culture that is embedded in a civilian culture/society.


There is a definite separation and distinct difference between warriors and civilians. The values tend towards opposites.

  • Individual freedom vs. unified (unit/tribe) freedom.
  • Wealth and celebrity vs. Honor.
  • Non-aggression vs. controlled aggression.
  • Luxury and ease vs. Adversity.
  • Selfish vs. selflessness.

These, and other inherent traits that are of the warrior’s ethos, make the warrior, “A Warrior!” To achieve a fuller understanding you have two routes and taking both is highly recommended:

  • First, volunteer for military service as Marine, Sailor, Army, Air Force or Coast Guard.
  • Second, read Steven Pressman’s book on the Warrior’s Ethos and then incorporate that into your martial arts training, practice and application. 

There are other ways to make and gain experience as a warrior or civilian warrior culture, i.e., join a service oriented profession such as, “Police, Corrections Officer, Security, Bouncer, Body Guard, Emergency First Responder, etc.,” and then put the ethos to work for you. 


One of the greatest challenges for the Warrior, military, is transitioning to a civilian warrior. I say civilian “warrior” because all that experience and understanding of the warrior ethos easily transfers over into the very fabric of the civilian culture. I give as example myself, a Marine of ten years active duty have been told in all my civilian experiences by civilians that the greatest assets they experienced in their civilian careers is persons with warrior culture experiences have been the greatest contributors to their and their businesses success(es). 


I can say that my warrior training, understanding, beliefs and ethos has been my greatest asset in every thing I have done and accomplished. Here is a simplistic resume:


Lifetime Resume


Construction Worker: Drywall

Food Services: Produce Stocking


USMC/Military (9 years 11 months):

  • Motor Transport Chief NCO/SNCO (Non Commissioned Officer/Staff Non-commissioned Officer)
  • Licensing & Training SNCO
  • Recruiter
  • Career Planner
  • Platoon Sergeant/Commander (SNCO)
  • Martial Arts Instructor Special Services

NWSC Civil Service (15+ years):

  • Motor Vehicle Operator Mail Services
  • Warehouse Manager/Forklift Operator
  • Materials Expeditor MAERU World Replenishment Manager
  • Communications Security Manager
  • Radiation Control Technician
  • Special Weapons Technician (WG-10)
  • UNION Chief Steward AFGE
  • Container Repair Technician
  • Physical Security Manager/Specialist GS-11 (retired)

UC Berkeley (18 years):

  • Mail Room College of Engineering
  • Programmer Analyst I/II
  • QA/Release Management Analyst III

I remember once, during my tenure at the Concord Naval Weapons Station when three consecutive layoff process occurred over four years,  a manager asking me, “Why isn’t there a layoff notice for you?” I simply said, I have accrued a variety of expertises over the last two decades that ensured during the process of “bumping (ability to qualify for other professions)” allowed me to be placed in positions still viable during that difficult layoff period. One reason for this, in the Marines one must know their responsibilities forwards, backwards and in four-dimensional ways as well as all the responsibilities for those Marines at your shoulder because, at any moment, one of you may die. This instills a brotherhood where all qualify for any positions and with the “do or die” beliefs we move as a unit, a cohesive brotherhood, that “gets the job done at all costs!”


This, and many other reasons, is why becoming, being and creating a warrior ethos becomes a huge asset when transitioning into a civilian warrior. 


In closing, after forty-nine years of service I was able, a year before the pandemic, to fully retire so I may pursue more personal endeavors of my life. I still indirectly contribute through my efforts as a productive self-disciplined person and you can do the same by embracing the warriors ethos to create a civilian warrior ethos that will support your efforts at every endeavor you decide to take on. 


Semper-fi, do our die, ohrahhh Leathernecks!!!!!


Bibliography:

Pressman, Steven. “The Warrior’s Ethos.” Black Irish Entertainment LLC, 14 March 2011


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


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