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.

Proprioception & Karate

Koyūjuyō [固有受容


A primary concept of learning martial arts, or any physical endeavor such as darts or golf or basketball etc., is teaching the mind and body proprioception to increase or speed, to instinctively know our body position and how to maximize our rotation in our environment while maintaining balance and orientation. Think of it as an internal gyroscope (a poor symbolism but sufficient for this article).


Often referred to as a “sixth sense.” Proprioception is our ability to know the exact position, speed, and rotation of all parts of our body without conscious effort.


It’s not sensing something external to our body, but sensing something internal to the body. 


This sense is far more efficient and faster than using our vision to do the same job. 


Vision is pretty slow and Ill-suited for helping one move through the world on its own, compared to Proprioception.


The incredible speed of Proprioception is critical to having control over our bodies.


National Geographic “The Brain: special issue did 9/9/22”


Notes:


Proprioceptive signals from mechanoreceptors of the joints, muscles, tendons, and skin are essential for the intact neural control of movement. (I extrapolated this as a benefit of chinkuchi)


Broadly defined, proprioception refers to the conscious awareness of body and limbs and has several distinct properties: passive motion sense, active motion sense, limb position sense, and the sense of heaviness (Goldscheider, 1898). However, it has long been established that proprioception has an unconscious component in which proprioceptive signals are used for the reflexive control of muscle tone and the control of posture that has long been recognized (Sherrington, 1907).


proprioception requires movement. (Kata requires movement; balance requires movement; fense requires movement, etc.)


any form of motor learning is associated with proprioceptive processing and thus may train proprioception. (Benefits of kata in karate)


the acquisition of motor skills, even those that are typically viewed to be visuomotor tasks such as reaching for objects or throwing darts, constitute a form of proprioceptive training.


Proprioceptive training is an intervention that targets the improvement of proprioceptive function. It focuses on the use of somatosensory signals such as proprioceptive or tactile afferents in the absence of information from other modalities such as vision. Its ultimate goal is to improve or restore sensorimotor function. (A bad term but you get the idea, i.e., “muscle memory”; may be better term instead of)


Studies seeking to train balance applied a multitude of activities including walking and stair-stepping exercises, single and double leg balance exercises with and without vision, sit-to-stand exercises, standing, walking, or jumping on stable and unstable surfaces and sport specific exercises 


https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4309156/


Proprioception is necessary for precise and fluid movements, making it essential to athletes and non-athletes alike. 


Proprioception relies on the relationship between the body’s central nervous system and certain soft tissues, including muscles, tendons, and ligaments (can you say “Chinkuchi?).


Continuous Effort: ongoing continuous effort is a method that effects proprioception (can you say repetitive practice).


Our entire body has tubular parts of each cell called axions that carry impulses to the brain so it knows the exact position of every part of our bodies. In the brain is the somatosensory cortex, that calculates the geometric adjustments necessary to land, say, your finger exactly on your nose with your eyes shut. 


kinesthesia focuses on the body's motion or movements, while proprioception focuses more on the body's awareness of its movements and behaviors. This has led to the notion that kinesthesia is more behavioral, and proprioception is more cognitive.


The sense (kinesthesia) that detects bodily position, weight, or movement of the muscles, tendons, and joints. Sensation or perception of motion.


The technical definition of kinesthesia is "awareness of the position and movement of the parts of the body by means of sensory organs (proprioceptors) in the muscles and joints." The literary definition of kinesthesia is similar: it's a type of imagery that evokes physical bodily movement, like a heartbeat or breath cycle.


Yin - proprioception Koyūjuyō [固有受容]/

Yang - kinesthesia Undō kankaku [運動感覚]


Gyroscope: a device consisting of a wheel or disk mounted so that it can spin rapidly about an axis which is itself free to alter in direction. The orientation of the axis is not affected by tilting of the mounting, so gyroscopes can be used to provide stability or maintain a reference direction in navigation systems, automatic pilots, and stabilizers.


More:


https://isshindo.blogspot.com/2018/10/touch-sense-training-practice-and.html?m=1


https://isshindo.blogspot.com/2016/03/the-complexity-of-movement.html?m=1


https://isshindo.blogspot.com/2012/08/mnemonic-processes-in-martial-arts.html?m=1


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