Knowing and Knowing

You can know about something but to truly know it takes a bit more then merely learning in an academic form. Being knowledgable is knowing the book stuff. It comes down to experience, this is the key to all things. To truly know something means you know it from all directions and having experience in the discipline is probably the most important part of the equation.

In what I have been informed about traditional karate is that one can fight/defend if they practice hard and long enough. It has also been told to me that practicing the basic techniques, the kata and the drills for self-defense is how you traditionally learn to fight/defend. When I hear of this I question it.

I question it because "experience" either in real life violent encounters or through some form of reality based training how can you possibly learn about all the things that are part of a world of violence if you are not involved in that world - either as a professional working in it or as a person living in it. I, personally, don't feel sparring, as most sparring is sport oriented, will not do the trick if that is part of you regimen. 

As to basic techniques, kata and drills, wonderful training tools on a fundamentally basic learning level but as to working in real life encounters I tend to have my doubts. Even if you take them as a training tool and go beyond the repetitive visualization stages as possible it does not introduce you to the heat and stress of combat along with all the effects you have to deal with in the state of mind-body. You may be able to get a good start with this traditional model but will it take you the full distance, that is the question I have. 

I am not saying there is no benefit to this type of training, there is in spades. To assume that it will take you the full distance all by itself is what I will question, now and in the future. It is a question all should consider in their training, regardless, if that training is about fighting, defense and/or combat. There are just to many conditions of violent encounters that tell us that this type of training, although still of great value, may not take us the distance necessary for defense. 

I have studied a lot of things over the years and have to admit that without a certain level and type of "experience" that the training may or may not actually work in an encounter. 

Yes, I have written about this before and I will write about it again in the future if for no other reason but to keep my reality on the ground, as much as any human can, and to keep reminding myself that just because my practice and training "seem" to be valid they may or may not actually work if for no other reason than the unpredictability of any encounter with all that it brings. 

Example: when your heart rate and pulse reach a certain level and you visual ability diminishes, your sense of time slows. Sound, memory and broader social understanding go out the window so that your lizard can achieve more heightened awareness of an adversary - directly in front of us. We get aroused until our bodies start to shut down many sources of information. Our motor skills go to the crapper. As our heart rate and pressure increase we then can lose cognitive processing, i.e. the lizard has take over completely. Your behavior becomes more aggressive, etc. etc. etc. (courtesy of LtCol Grossman's books - redacted and paraphrased for brevity). 

Practicing basics, kata, drills, etc without some reality that induces such states of mind-body may not be enough (personally, I don't think it is enough). Then there is the question of how can these ROTE practices achieve the chaos and unpredictability of attacks? Even the military training recognizes that until one can gain experience that their training is limited, it works to achieve enough experiences so that when the real thing occurs the Soldier, Sailor, Airman or Marine will not totally freeze and die. This is why military work diligently to have the experienced combat veterans train and lead the uninitiated. 

Just something to think about, knowing is not necessarily knowing without experience. I have a formula that is similar to the use of the makiwara where karate-ka shall include at least 25% of all training either hitting something or being hit by someone or something or the combination of both, i.e. bag work and makiwara for fifteen minutes of every hour in training. If your training does not include at least 25% at a reality based experience gain then you might want to look at what you are doing and most of all the reasoning for doing it or doing it that way. 

Ahhh, just some more mindless meanderings - just saying. 

Putting a Name to Things

Along with a solid explanation as to the why and what for of things this helps us achieve some semblance of understanding that goes a long way toward learning and doing things. This is also a fundamental to the learning, practicing and application of marital arts. This is that thing that must be done "before" a martial artist has to apply principles in violence. 

Just knowing a thing is not enough. It has to be encoded into our instincts so we can draw on it without the need to think about it. It must also be appropriate to the situation in that singular moment or it will either fail us or result in many bad things happening to us. Then the next step is putting it all back together into a more holistic use. This part is most important.

Leaning through dissection of things is good but the ability to put them and other things back together into one whole thing is critical. You don't want to get lost in the forrest for the focus you place on the trees, the limbs or the leaves. Leaves have a good deal to offer but they work best when you put them together with the branches, the limbs, the trunk for the whole tree. 

Putting the name to the leaf is fine but the enjoyment of what the tree has to offer means making the leaves a part of the tree as well as the roots that extend into the earth giving us the full and complete picture of nature, the tree. 

Yet, we tend to focus more on the leaves, the techniques, then what makes the whole of martial arts. I sometimes wonder why and things like today's post rise up out of the unconscious. 

Another Fine Post at Chiron Blog

"Your Nature" by Rory Miller at Chiron Blog. 

Year's End/New Year's Beginning

Keiko osame [稽古修め]

The characters/ideograms mean "last practice of year." The first character means, "think; consider," the second character means, "old," the third character means, "discipline; conduct oneself well; study; master." 

The year end practice is a time to reflect on what you have accomplished (or not), what needs to be improved, what and to who you are thankful to in your Budo training. An evening of cleaning, meditation, training, and purification, all in preparation for the coming New Year.

Hatsu geiko [初稽古]

The characters/ideograms mean "first practice of year." The first character means, "first time; beginning," the second character means, "think; consider," the third character means, "old."

The years beginning practice is a time for setting new goals and establishing the proper mental, maintaining your relationship with the dojo, and setting the physical and spiritual attitude of your practice for that year. New Year's training, which lasts several days and finishes with competitions and special events.

Accomplishments

I often think to myself, "what have I accomplished in my life?" I tend to think to myself that I have not done very well so I have this moment in my life, more often than I suspect, and I do what I do most of the time, I sit down and write about it.

When I am done I then realize that I have accomplished many things and I have done well my entire life. Then I take that writing and I destroy it completely. After all, the only person who really needs to know and accept that I have done well in my life is me. Once I establish that things are not as bad as I imagine I then destroy those writings because they have served their purpose. 

This seems to me normal behavior. We all, as humans, tend to want some validation that what we are and do in life has some meaning. It does not have to be anyone else's meaning, just one that satisfies our purpose in life. If we can satisfy ourselves that we are living morally right and with honor then we shouldn't feel a need for any further validation. It should be enough. 

We should also measure all that we did, do and want to accomplish with this in mind. If we do that and are comfortable with our service then we can be satisfied with life. As to specifics, that is not really important because if you answer your own question of what you have accomplished in life then you should be satisfied. 

Don't allow others to dictate to you what satisfies your life and the way you live it. You will end up chasing the rabbit in a never ending circle of continuous dissatisfaction that comes from everyone else but who is important to you, you. Don't allow others to judge you because they will do so with their own beliefs, perceptions and personal life contexts. It is their personal and infinite combinations of perceptions and memories combined with their sensitivities to what is perceived and remembered, then they project this on you often in an attempt to elevate themselves artificially into a belief that is false and detrimental to both them and you. 

Be your own person. Don't allow yourself to fall into your own delusion of life but take into consideration others as you perceive so that you may learn about things but always, always, determine what is best for you by you without allowing the others to directly or indirectly influence whether you take it as value or discard it as of no value - for you to you. 

The most difficult way of being human is to distance yourself from influences of others so you can make decisions and accept life's lessons without biases that would lead you down someone else's path. Your path is the only path for you and it MUST be your choice. To take outside influences for judgement and consideration before acceptance is to live for yourself. The ability to say "no" to outside influences as needed makes for a more robust way of living. 

Let the moment be your moment and yours alone. Live in the moment and make life decisions in the moment according to your personal life beliefs without reservation and undo influences as to others perceptions and beliefs. You might find things more satisfying. When in doubt, write it down and then decide what is you and what is others and then keep that which is of value to you. 

My Contingency Philosophy

Martial artists in their effort to cover every singly contingency in a defensive model can not possibly learn every single technique to be fully and completely prepared for a future emergency. This is how marital artists get caught up in the quantity of techniques model in lieu of quality of technique. No one wants to encounter a self-defense or combative situation where chance has a dominant position over how things will end. No one likes the uncertainty of the fight or combat and that is why we train, but we must train "smart."

This is why there are principles, those principles that are the same regardless of the system or style or the method trained. Balance is balance whether one is using a boxing method, a karate method or a ground art method. There are a plethora of techniques you can envision and practice to hit someone but a strike is a strike, a kick is a kick and a punch is a punch. The principles are all the same.

It is knowing the value of a principal that transcends mere technique and allows us to apply the principles regardless of the technique involved. Knowing your options in a dangerous situation has far more value then an accumulation of techniques where you can apply motion and power to end a conflict. To know what makes something function at its peak efficiency where that something adheres to the principles of martial systems allows us to fully understand what motion is being applied to what target with maximum efficiency, etc. 

It can be said, "All techniques function from the same principles, any ignorance of principle manifest itself in every technique." Trying to cover every contingency with a encyclopedia of techniques without the substantive foundation in principles simply confuses our minds resulting in non-action - a freeze. It gives us plenty to talk about and to use as an exercise for health and well-being but leaves us without solid defensive capability. We could dance and reach that same model but this is martial arts for self-defensive/combat, etc. 

Life is like a box of chocolates

Life really is just a matter of chance as can be symbolized by the opening scenes in the movie "Forrest Gump." I have always felt over the years that I had control of the things I did and the things that happened in my life only to discover at age sixty I had absolutely no control over events and paths my life has taken.

I say events and paths I have taken but I really mean the events in life that influenced my path in life. Like the feather I was blown about here and there by circumstances and events that are affected by my environment and the people within that environment. I guess it is a bit like the discovery of the "one thing" of life that we all need to understand and this is it.

If I were to actually take control of my life then there are decisions I have made and decisions I will have presented to me that I need to take to heart and go with my heart. Then again, what is to say that the control of my heart doesn't reside elsewhere than in my hands.

Pooh kind of reminds me of Forrest in this graphic. 

Belief

It is amazing what things are crafted from mere words, how beliefs can form from books. It may be due to how people WANT to believe in these things. Not everyone wants to believe the truth. Then there is the whole subject (subjective nature) of truth. 

It has been said that the truth of history is one sided, the side that wins in war. War being a part of human evolution in societies. Belief has been the spark of many such wars from religion to political. 

Beliefs are influenced by words but the words have not substance without the underlying communications of the body, i.e. the face, as well as the tone or intonation of the voice. They all work in unison to convey words and those words make up the beliefs held dear to each person. 

Want is huge in this perception. How one might discover things about another and then form the words to persuade a person to believe in something even when the truth of it is not truth. It is incredible how a belief can lie to someone for the sake of comfort and security. We all want to be safe and survive so that belief becomes an intricate part of that survival. 

Once a belief becomes encoded in each human changing that belief becomes impossible except in the rarest of situations. It can be forced and over time those who follow tend to lose site of the fact that it was forced upon them so they then embrace a new belief - this takes time, a lot of time.

As a martial practitioner who embraces all aspects of the principles involved in the practice of the art it becomes necessary to have only one belief system, one that allows for changes in each and every moment of life and breath. This is not an easy belief to embrace because humans resist naturally and instinctively any change of a belief that is proven beneficial toward comfort, security and survival. This belief system will take time to achieve even for one lifetime. 

Shadowing (from a fictional series I am currently reading)

Kage [影]

The character/ideogram means "shadow; silhouette; reflection; image; presence; sign; light (stars, moon)." 

This term I have taken liberties with as to meaning. Yes, it means shadow or in my interpretation "to shadow." The shadowing model is one whereby a practitioner shadows a person who they wish to emulate, to learn from and to guide them in an endeavor such as martial arts. It is another way to convey the importance of the sensei-deshi, senpai-kohai, and tori-uke relationship. 

A shadow is a silhouette of the person being shadowed. It is a part of that person and makes the relationship one of importance. It is that something one assumes when they acknowledge the presence of the shadow. It is and will be a reflection on that persons efforts to teach, lead and guide in martial arts where the potential brutality of the discipline can be either for good or for evil. 

To be a persons shadow, shadowing, is be be in such a close proximity that they will detect everything the person has to offer making the person with the shadow assuming a responsibility that is immense. Immense in that the person is helping the shadow to shape and build themselves into something unique to the shadow, to shed light upon themselves through the teachings and efforts of the person they shadow not to become a mirror image of that person but the use the guidance to build a personal philosophy and moral system that will change the shadow so they become a person who another might wish to shadow. 

A shadow is to follow and observe someone very, very closely. It can be likened to that deshi of old Japan martial systems who becomes sensei's personal person not only learning the art but working as the sensei's personal attendant. A deshi or uchi-deshi [] who is sensei's "inside student." A live-ion who trains under and assists sensei on a full time basis. The uchi-deshi system existed in ancient Japanese arts such as kabuki, rakugo, shogi, aikido, sumo, and karate as well as other more modern Japanese martial arts. 

The shadow, although not actually as complete as the uchi-deshi, still provides a similar relationship that benefits both the person and the shadow. It is a symbiotic relationship where one both grows as one due to the mutual influences they exact upon one another. It is a system that allows the sensei to keep growing toward enlightenment while the shadow learns how to take that path within and upon themselves with a goal of achieving their own path unique to their own cultural beliefs, etc. 

Questions, questions and more questions .....

You study hard. You practice till you drop. You train and train and train. All for the day you achieve your black belt. All good and you continue on because you know in your heart you have only begun to learn and there is so much more you can achieve in your dojo. All good.

As you progress do you notice how often you ask questions? As you progress do you notice when you speak with authority and have less and less questions to ask? When is it that you no longer have to ask questions because you have assimilated all you can about your system and the martial arts in general?

As I age and as I put more years under my belt, no pun intended, I notice that when I think, teach or write I am leaning a bit more toward asking more questions to clarify what I know and to learn more of what I don't know. Questions, when I don't hear questions over statements of proverbial facts I begin to wonder if I have been doing my job on passing down marital arts to those who would follow. 

I would have thought just a few years ago that I had reached a level where I would not often need to ask questions yet I am actually noticing that what I am learning today tends to send me more questions to ask. Maybe that is key to any endeavor including martial arts, to ask questions constantly and continually to learn new things and to vet our what I already "think" I know. It is about the constant change that occurs naturally in nature and that means in our efforts of life and martial arts. 

Questions, are you asking questions? Are you caught in the making statements of what you think are facts syndrome? You can even have a balance in both making statements and asking questions or even making a statement of fact as if it were a question to validate or change what you know so you can be more informed - is this enlightenment or at least the path to enlightenment?

Is enlightenment actually knowing that you can not possibly know everything and questions are mere clarifications to the moment in time you live? Keep asking questions, keep learning and keep open to changes to what you know or think you know!

Dedication to Practice

I often wondered when I taught full time Isshinryu whether people were truly dedicated to learning. The reason I wondered was the amount of time they dedicated to practice and training. 

When I first began learning some form of martial arts I was a bit sporadic and inconsistent. I attributed this to the fact that what I was doing didn't meet what I wanted or needed. I guess I had not found my core, foundational, system of martial arts. I finally found Isshinryu on Okinawa under then First Sergeant Warner Dean Henry and knew that this was my core system.

I practiced daily, seven days a week. I did this for about twenty years until I finally gave myself a break by taking some weekends to myself. Even today as a retired sensei and a full time practitioner still devote a lot of time to my training and practice along with more hours of study as well. I still take time for weekends simply because in those many years I found my soulmate and married. I use what time I can find throughout the day to train, practice and study about not only my system but others as well along with the more esoteric studies the enhance and build on my system, such as it is.

I wake and train. I train at work breaks as well as work lunches. I often train and study evenings for an hour or so - most evenings. I actually think and breathe my studies and training/practice. It is something I enjoy so much that it is literally a part of my life as I believe martial arts should be to be a martial art. 

So, when I see someone showing up at the training facility two or three times a week for about an hour and a half I wonder if they are truly learning a martial art or are they simply participating in a club environment much like a jazzercize session, etc.? I can tell most times when someone is putting in time and effort outside the training hall. I wonder whether they actually have the dedication to practice they should have to be true and real martial artists? 

I am not advocating that someone dedicated the same amount of time and effort I dedicate and I know that there are those out there who dedicated a lot more time, effort and study to their practice and training than I do so I know my dedication is a middle of the road type thing. 

I also can tells, mostly, when someone reaches black belt, sho-dan, because they met some time and test criteria that may or may not be actually black belt jutsu or even "do (doah)" criteria, they simply attended a certain number of sessions and completed a basic set of requirements set forth in the syllabus set by the instructor, much like in schools, so they are given a black belt. 

So, what I would ask is if the person has a dedication to practice that transcends merely going with the flow, doing what everyone else is doing or simply follows the path of least resistance so they can say, "I am a black belt." What is your dedication to practice and are you a black belt or are you a black belt?

Oh, regardless of black belt or black belt, when you get one do you continue with your efforts of study and practice or do you just quit thinking you have achieved all you can? You know, like earning your degree from college or diploma from high school, your done so why bother now? Hmmmmm?

The Ken-po Goku-i Translations

I have posted on this before. I thought it prudent to cover this once again because it is important, from my perspective, that one understand the fluidity of any translation especially coming from an language most difficult to understand even for those born to it.

The gokui has been written and spoken of as an important aspect of martial arts, karate, from Okinawa and its origins are born from Chinese influences. The Chinese thoughts and writings are even more difficult so this will give a tiny bit of perspective as to the difficulties but alas the real point is how each individual will interpret the gokui as it applies to them.

This is similar to the karate koan or gokui I use in my philosophies of karate-do. It is that something one must contemplate and study as they progress. This part is important as well because how we perceive, believe and live changes from moment to moment. What you get from the gokui in those beginning years will be different from what you get in the middle years and then again different as you enter the winter years. It is just how it is. Take a look at the characters provided for the Isshinryu gokui as passed down from Tatsuo-san depending on who presented them to you.

人心同天地 [人の心と同じ天地] person heart same heaven earth (person; heart; equal; heavens; earth)
血脈似日月 [血パルス似た日光の月] blood pulse similar sun moon (blood; pulse; becoming; sun; moon)
法剛柔呑吐 [方法ハードソフトドリンク串] method hard soft drink spit (principle; strength; weakness; drink; spit)
?進退離逢 [重量前進後退外れるが従事] weight advance retreat disengage engage
身[随?]時?變 [身体追従時間が変更に適応] body follow time adapt changes
手?空則入 [手の時間空規則は入る] hard time empty rule enter
目要視四面 [目は4面を見る必要があります] eye must see four side (insight; essence; see; four; face)
耳能?八方 [耳の能力は、8つの方向を聞く] ear ability hear eight direction

In the above I provided as many of the characters as I could find from the six or seven translations. It is important to remember that the characters/ideograms may not exist as they may have changed or are actually characters/ideograms either used exclusively for the Okinawan dialect or originate from Chinese characters/ideograms.

Notice that I give the characters/ideograms I was to understand came from Tatsuo-san then in brackets I give a translation that actually comes from inputting the English words that follow the bracketed characters/ideograms. In parentheses I provide my translation work as to the characters/ideograms that start each line as given to me as I understand came from Tatsuo-san. There are noticeable differences.

One should note that there were about three characters I was unable to find using all the English translations you will see above and none of them actually match up with what follows:

A Person's heart is the same as heaven and earth.
The blood circulating is similar to the moon and sun.
The manner of drinking or spitting is either hard or soft.
A person's unbalance is the same as a weight.
The body should be able to change direction at any time.
The time to strike is when the opportunity presents itself.
The eyes must see all sides.
The ears must listen in all directions.

Translated to ideograms/characters, etc.

人の心は天と地と同じです。
循環血液は、月と太陽に似ています。
飲酒や唾の方法は、ハードまたはソフトのどちらかである。
人のアンバランスは、体重と同じです。
ボディはいつでも方向を変えることができるはずです。
機会がそれ自身を示すとき打つ時間です。
目はすべての側面を見なければならない。
耳はすべての方向に耳を傾ける必要があります。

It makes me wonder who translated the characters from Tatsuo-san into English. It may be that the person involved took liberties and that Tatsuo-san accepted them readily simply because he expected, as was his prerogative, all his students both Okinawan and American to continue their studies and learn more about the esoteric aspects per the gokui and other teachings.

I actually put down over eighty pages in a iBook or eBook for the gokui. Even then as I went through it and edited it over and over again I either came up with new idea's or I came up with changes necessary to convey meaning to the reader as to how I perceive and interpret the gokui in my practice of Isshinryu.

I am not doing this to dissuade or disparage other translations because those are also valid. This is why it seems difficult to the Westerner and Western mind. It is vastly different in the method of thinking that it takes considerable study and contemplation to come to any unique rendering. This may explain why there are so many versions from other systems/styles of karate, etc.

In the end it is best to accept them all and consider what applies meaning to you and your practice without adhering to any one way so that your way can achieve its uniqueness along with fluidity through out your live as a karate-ka.

Interesting stuff!

Grading Train

Grading Train

I read a post recently about true karate of Okinawa and that failure to meet the author's set of standards, as they understand it from their exposure to Okinawan sensei, that speaks ill of dan grading but still those same folks all wear and acknowledge their ranking. I am puzzled, is this doing as I say and not as I do syndrome? Have you lost your way if you allow yourself to be tested, graded and awarded a dan ranking?

I can see how one might become disenchanted by all the McDojo grade or rank mills. It does, my opinion, degrade the overall meaning of any ranking in any martial art. Is there any way one could accomplish the meaning and spirit of Okinawan karate while adhering to any ranking system? 

When I hear of such things I tend to wonder who or what provided the particulars as to what makes a karate-ka a true classical or traditional practitioner? Even in Okinawan karate circles there is disparity as to what constitutes a traditional form of karate along with how rank or grades are handled. I then ask myself, what if we only had two belts, if any at all, being white and black. No kyu grade levels and no dan grade levels. Just a transition, arbitrary in that it evolves around the individual and the sensei, from white belt to black. All else is forgotten under the impetus of training and practice, training and practice, training and practice. Would that alleviate the thought process that one trying to earn recognition from sensei for effort, skill and proficiency by presenting the person with another level designation, i.e. from first to second dan and so on.

Then again, why has the dan-i or dan system become so important and popular since its inception. Is it because it appeals to some aspect of human nature? Is it because of the Japanese shikata system the has and does drive the way they live, work and play. Is it because of its popularity with the western mind raised on a hierarchal culture? 

Is it to be believed when one of the traditionalist states, "karate is about attitude and character," when they also still accept and display higher and higher dan levels? Did the original martial arts, before the dan system, use some measure to determine their skill levels and were they something similar to the system created by Kano sensei? 

Is it a derivative of some sense of individualism and group cohesion, i.e. belonging for a group survival instinct that is not truly apparent to todays environments? 

Are those who profess that anyone following a grading train simply projecting a personal system of belonging to differentiate themselves from the masses? All these questions and many more arise when ever I read or hear of such things. 

As to authenticity of the idea of true karate, I still think that it is a personal and individual belief that is fostered by that person or individual using themselves and others who they have respect for to measure and gauge their true karate. Rank and belt colors are not necessary unless to differentiate and identify senpai and kohai in larger training facilities where the ratio of practitioner to sensei too large. Even then it take care and diligence to keep such things from tainting the system especially since it is seemingly an inherent trait of humans. Is there truly any culture or belief system that does not separate the levels or as one might say of natures survival instinct, separate the stronger from the weaker?

I do agree with one such person that to truly experience the karate way you must do so alone. I feel it is truly a singular personal journey and that any relations to others is simply a training tool to achieve your own goals as karate-ka. 

Now, the other side of this coin is camaraderie. Humans exist and thrive in groups. We form groups all the time. A good example is where is work. One executive stated that to flourish we needed to rid ourselves of the apparent silo's of work we used for a more singular unified one in the name of production, efficiency and proficiency. After six years of hard work the changes did not remove the silo's, i.e. admins still gravitated to other admins, programmers still gravitated to other programmers and managers still remained outside the general work force staying attached to other managers. It may not be possible to extract one from the other, i.e. groups gravitating to other like minded groups, people gravitating toward other like minded people. 

If groups of like minded folks gather, get along and flourish due to that connection then that is a good thing. Regardless of the constant disagreeing toward the grading train I tend to think that it still provides growth to anyone who becomes a member - regardless. It comes down to what the person wants and do they get it in the venue they choose? If yes, then why should anyone disparage the other?

Take another look at the ancient classics that have greatly influenced the martial arts and ways. They all professed that the most advantageous method of society and leadership is one without ego and pride driven aspects and more traditional means of living and governing but still humans end up back in the same society hierarchal model of life. Maybe it is just in our genes and although we strive to leave such trappings behind we end up gravitating to them just the same, over and over and over again. 

Ok, nuff said until this comes around again in a year or so ;-)

Kyudosha [求道者]

The characters/ideograms mean "investigator; one who seeks the way." Kyudo means, "seeking the truth." The first character means, "request; want; wish for; require; demand," the second character means, "road-way; street; district; journey; course; moral; teachings," the third character means, "someone; person." 

Kyudosha, much like Yudansha, is a term used to describe a person who seeks the way and in my case as in many others this means seeking or investigating the way of the warrior. There are two methods also described as to how a person goes about seeking the way. 

The first is Renshu [練習]. The characters/ideograms mean "practice." The first character means, "practice; gloss; train; drill; polish; refine," the second character means, "learn."

Renshu is made up of two kanji, the first pointing to the personal discipline required to practice, polish and refine yourself and thus keep the true essence of karate, and the second kanji meaning to learn. The notion of renshu is a resolve, the discipline and the diligence to keep going, Shugyo, in the face of adversity both in the dojo and in life itself. 

The second is Keiko [稽古]. The characters/ideograms mean "practice; training; study." The first character means, "think; consider," the second character means, "old."

The first kanji in keiko, means to practice, train and study, i.e. to think and consider about what you are studying as in the discipline of karate. The second kanji, means old, as in the study of what comes before, i.e. that study that leads up to your practice and studies. The meaning of keiko, is to study wholeheartedly that which has gone before, i.e. the history and philosophy of the discipline you have chosen in martial arts. 

It is what takes the mere physical practice to the full or whole of practice, training, and application in martial arts. It goes beyond the discipline that masters techniques in order to develop strong, solid and sound karate. You endeavor to go beyond and ask about the history and the what, when, where, how and why of karate so that you may learn at a greater depth and breadth and that you may preserve it by passing it down to your students. 

Renshu-Keiko: This kind of cultivation of your mind, through keiko, and your spirit, through renshu, should not be taken lightly, as strong and lasting karate is not possible in conjunction with a weak mind. The mind always comes first; and whatever your body does, it does so only because your mind allows it.

Bibliography:

Clarke, Michael. "Difficult Research in Developing Karate." YMAA. Internet. 2013

http://ymaa.com/articles/2013/11/difficult-research-in-developing-karate-part-1

http://ymaa.com/articles/2013/11/difficult-research-in-developing-karate-part-2

Prolonged Dynamic Tension

Click for Large View :-)

In Isshinryu they refer to this as "Chinkuchi or prolonged chinkuchi." In the more modern western world it is dynamic tension first introduced to the world of body building by Charles Atlas in the 1920's. The principles of its practice are pretty much the same, i.e. a person tenses the musculature of the body or body parts while moving that body or body part as if they were working or exercising with weights. The dynamic tension movement is actually called "isometrics." 

What comes up in martial arts is prolonged dynamic tension through the practice of the sanchin kata is the question as to its health benefits and its health effects. Does this type of training, prolonged, cause any health concerns for the practitioner?

There is no solid information on health benefits or concerns that this author can find. You would think there would be some information since this type of training has existed, in the west, since the 1920's and for the martial artists that may extend into the 1800's or before since it is documented in various ancient classics as a practice by Okinawan's and the Chinese, the ancestors of Okinawa Karate. 

Isometrics can cause elevation in blood pressure. It is believed, although not backed up by adequate research, that performing an isometric exercise, for most healthy persons, resulting is a rise in blood pressure are of little consequence, but if you have hypertension that dramatic rise in pressure  could be a hazard or fatal. 

The American College of Sports Medicine tells athletes they should avoid isometric programs since they may have a negative effect on their cardio health. I, the author, don't know what kind of research this organization used to determine this but to be prudent and err on the side of caution one should ALWAYS consult a physician before starting such a program. 

I wonder to myself how many martial artist, karate practitioners who practice prolonged dynamic tension like sanchin, have explained the process to their physicians and gained their approval before embarking on a life long practice of sanchin or chinkuchi. 

Personally, I don't advocate prolonged sanchin/chinkuchi practice. I believe, personally, that their is a balance where the performance of sanchin or any other isometric/dynamic tension system is about tension and positive relaxation. The degree to which a person tenses the musculature is also important. After all anything of this type can be practiced beyond safety, health and fitness with a result of health concerns. In my minds eye, the cardiovascular is one of those critical area's where death is prominent. If you make a mistake you could die. 

I have practiced prolonged dynamic tension/chinkuchi, etc. and feel it a bit excessive, for me. I don't mean to speak against it in general and for all but rather speak to the persons caution when taking up this type of practice and training. 

Now, Charles Atlas's system of dynamic tension/isometrics has been around since I was a youngster (I actually wanted to get the program as a kid but didn't for some reason while my older brother actually used the system for his training). I have never known of anyone or any publicity that said his system resulted in health concerns or deaths so feel, if properly done along with a physicians approval, that it is beneficial to health and fitness. 

Think of it this way, we all tend to do a form of dynamic tension in our every day activities including sports. The body through sport for instance naturally goes through a process of dynamic tension and positive relaxation. It can be said to attribute to the athletes health, fitness and ability to perform the sport in question, i.e. basketball, football, etc. If this is true and the untested word in martial arts is true then there is a benefit with minimal health concerns provided you enter into this model of training with a bit of care and physical approval from a physician. 

Moderation is a key issue in sanchin for me and those who train or practice with me. I don't believe in prolonged dynamic tension and feel it is a detriment to health and fitness but to practice it in a balanced way would be acceptable to me, for me. 

Last word, if you are vulnerable to things like hypertension, aneurisms, etc. then see your doctor to find what you can and should do for health. Several postings from Doctors still say, "Isometric exercise, like weight lifting, etc. can definitely build muscles, which helps capabilities/fitness, but is limited because it does not help cardiovascular health, and during the exercise, blood pressure can be greatly increased. This can be very disastrous in people who are vulnerable, like those with aneurisms." 

Another source states, "Isometric exercises are often not recommended for individuals with high blood pressure or heart disease, because the constant muscle tension places pressure on the arteries, causing a dramatic increase in blood pressure. However, a 2010 review of studies published in the "Journal of Clinical Hypertension" noted that isometric exercise can be beneficial for building strength in hypertensive individuals who are unable to perform dynamic exercises requiring full joint range of motion. While isometric exercise elicits a temporary hypertensive response, blood pressure quickly returns to resting values after the completion of exercise. The authors concluded that isometric exercise can be effective in lowering resting blood pressure, and that isometric exercise should be recommended as a training mode for hypertensive patients."

Also: " 'Journal of Sports Science,' strength training with isometric contractions produces large gains in strength but adaptations are highly angle-specific. Training muscles isometrically over a range of joint angles may produce significant increases in strength compared to dynamic training. Edward R. Laskowski of the Mayo Clinic notes that while isometric training may increase strength, the mode is not effective for increasing speed or improving athletic performance."

And finally: "When performing isometric contractions, it is important to align your body to minimize stress on the joints. For example, in a yoga plank or side plank, your wrists and elbows should be aligned directly beneath your shoulders, with your arms perpendicular to the floor. In a static wall squat, your knees should be aligned directly over your ankles, with your lower legs perpendicular to the floor. To minimize stress to the rotator cuff, avoid prolonged isometric contractions of the arms at or above shoulder height. Isometric contractions of the muscles of the neck should be limited to eight to 10 seconds."

Bibliography:

Matte, Michelle and Demand Media. "What are the Dangers of Isometric Exercises?" http://healthyliving.azcentral.com/dangers-isometric-exercises-19702.html, Health Living, 

Judgement

Judgement, the crucial element in the snap judgement made during the stress of a crises such as a violent attack or some sort of high-stress event, etc. Even you judgement before encountering such an event is critical to avoidance of violence, conflict, etc. What makes for good judgement?

Preparation is what makes for good judgement along with experience. It comes from a long time spent under a rigorous course of education along with experience. It is what you learn, do and train for that matters when the rubber hits the road in a conflict or even that is high-stress and often dangerous. 

Judgement as developed and trained and experienced comes down to training our mind and bodies to make split-second decisions without being subjected to our stereotypes and prejudices, even those we may not believe. 

It is the experience that results in using our behavior and our training to interpret and decode what lies behind our snap judgements and first impressions whereby the results are dictated. 

Bibliography:

Gladwell, Malcolm. "Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking." Bay Back Books. France. 2007.

The Mechanics of It

When studying the application of military theory as to a new strategy it came to light that to become "so focused" on the mechanics and the processes that they never looked at the problem holistically (Zenjinteki [全人的] or Zenteki [全的]). In their endeavor to understand through the process of tearing something apart and into its atomistic state, they lost its meaning. 

In martial arts defense circles the focus has become so atomistic that they have lost sight of returning to a more holistic approach to applying martial technique, tactics and strategies in a holistic manner. The mechanics are a necessary part of laying the foundation to any skill but then you must let the atomistic mechanics go and allow the mind to reach toward a more holistic method of training and practice so as to release a more spontaneous improvisational method to achieve a more realistic and spontaneous application. 

You have to forget, not literally as it will be stored or encoded into the unconscious mind, the mechanics and then rely on your ability to Coup D'oeil or grasp the situation with the power of a glance. Snap judgements based on your instincts using the mechanical atomistic knowledge encoded to the unconscious through study and practical experience. 

Spontaneous Improvisation Drilling

Improvisation is the ability to take the drills beyond a mere repetitive drill and into the type of skill needed by anyone forced into a defensive posture. It is a skill whereby one must use sophisticated decisions making on the spur of the moment, without the benefit of any scenario or strategy or tactics - it is about that instant surprise attack.

Improvisation is the lead into spontaneity and that is only possible when you first come to an agreement with your partner, i.e. the senpai-kohai thing. You have to agree to accept what ever comes from either the senpai and/or the kohai. Before you do this you must spend time, lots of time, in repetitive practices using drills that are structured and highly repetitive in practice. You use drills to perfect your abilities then you introduce the concept of improvisation and thereby introduce spontaneity. 

When the high stress conditions of a violent attack occur you will have trained and developed your rapid cognition through the practice of improvisational drilling. This is what is meant by the spontaneous introduction of differences within a drill, i.e. changing some small aspect of the attack and defend nature within the drill so as to create acceptance from senpai-uke to develop and condition improvisational spontaneity while being subjected to high stress conditions. 

Then you introduce the drills with greater and greater speed and constantly changing improvisation to achieve a more realistic ability to act in accordance with what ever is thrown at you. Simply, after a long period of repetitive practice in drills, introduce some simple change that results in acceptance and spontaneous improvisational actions appropriate to the improvisational introduction of change, etc. One rule, if a change is introduced both must accept it without reservation. 

Creating an environment with the right framework (drills), all of a sudden, engaging in the kind of fluid, effortless, spur of the moment surprise changes makes for good training and practice - and it will be easier as time and practice continue until you can improvise in any situation with any strategy, tactic and technique(s). 

Create the conditions in the dojo for successful spontaneous improvisational actions!

Combat Karate

I had a senior karate-ka tell me once that he/she has taught for a long time and his students practice and train in karate as a combat system. In addition I found out that he/she does not train using any type of free form fighting, etc. They rely solely on basics, kata and drills. I have written about my thoughts, philosophies and theories on the subject of basic techniques, kata practices and kumite/drills, etc. so won't get to deep here but I have to think to myself, "how can one believe that predefined kata and drills will be effective in combat."

I admit that basics, kata and drills have a purpose and without them the entire system or martial art will be weakened in the long run except I have to believe that this aspect is merely the tip of the martial iceberg. It comes down to my theory and practice that to achieve effectiveness in martial arts that one must take practice and training beyond the basics of basics, kata and drills. 

Can a martial art, like karate, be considered a combat art or system with those types of limitations (my term and theory)? Do we have the tools and information to take this beyond that level of practice and training? 

Is it possible that this direction this person took in teaching karate leads those who practice into a false sense of effectiveness that often is never tested in the fight, violent street encounter or even combat (thinking of the military here). Do we simply and blindly follow this method because of the credentials of the person leading or do we question it because we need to make sure what may have worked for them would work for us, me or you as the individual?

Any drill or predefined combative techniques or technique or combination as a teaching tool for a novice is good and solid training and practice but until it is, the individual with said techniques, etc., tested by fire may or may not actually be effective. Thinks of it this way, most military drills and training are derived from the blood and sweat of those who we follow, who have bled in battle and gained the experiences, as set down in those drills and training practices but are subject to change by the experiences achieved in combat experiences for those individuals during the current moments in time. Complicated, isn't it?

Personally, I don't think spending years and years learning and practicing drills alone will suffice in a fight or defense. It relies heavily, initially necessary, on ROTE practice, i.e. set patterns and rhythms, that need more flexibility to achieve effective fighting/defensive skills for the chaos of violent encounters. To this end this is not combat karate or even self defense karate. It has value but in those limited scenarios lacks substance to carry the day - maybe.

If I am right, then the larger and more complex question rears its ugly head - how do we achieve combat or fight/defense readiness without exposing ourselves to violent situations where it may be a bit too late?

Philosophy Principle (Personal Philosophy)

"The true nature of any human being supersedes its outer appearance in terms of importance." - Butcher/Dresdon

Part of the principle of philosophy is a personal philosophy connected the the general martial philosophy principle that makes all of it a persons own. As martial artists we tend to give lip service to principles such as mind, mushin, kime, non-intention, yin-yang, oneness, zanshin and being, non-action, character and the empty cup. 

A personal philosophy is taking the principles and creating something unique to you, the person. One of the reasons I find this principle of importance is that without a personal philosophy that lives up to a moral and societal standard leaves the remnants of a brutal fighting/combative empty hand system that is often used inappropriately. 

In a Wester endeavor to achieve notoriety with trophies, belts and accolades from our contemporaries we sometimes forget this aspect of martial prowess. The tempering of ego to achieve something more appropriate and worth wild to us as a person and us as a member of a tribe, group or society. 

It comes down to taking these philosophical principles and making them our own - a personal philosophy. It takes what one might see outside and turns it into an inside, a true nature of self. 

Failure; Mistake; Blunder

Failure is the learning tool of life - especially in martial arts as a self-defense system. Why? If we had no failures or mistakes then what would we or could we learn. It is the accumulation that breeds right knowing and right doing. It is that gradual gathering of mistakes, flaws, blunders and failures that provide us a means to learn, grow and prosper as humans and especially as martial artist of self-defense. 

To achieve mastery in martial arts we must be self-conscious of all our failures. Self-reflection and self-analysis is hard but diligent use of these tools provides us the ability to learn from our mistakes so we can make corrections, updates and changes necessary to improve.

"If there is nothing to learn because we know it all, what is the challenge, why would the effort matter, what would be the point?" - unknown

The basis of why humans are fallible and why we need to make shippai or failure a more accepted and positive feature of life that is embraced as what is truly is, a learning tool.

How can we self-reflect and self-analyze, we have to question everything even if it is success because every success has its own flaws, errors and failures. There is always room to improve. Evolution is about change. If we all remained constant then we all would be living in caves and dealing with the original human condition - the predator-prey relationship and condition. 

Hostility Loop

Hostility, passed on, comes right back at you and becomes still more hostility that has to have somewhere to go.

When you express hostility toward people, they are likely to express hostility back. That will make you even more hostile and start you round the loop again, with each person's negativeness feeding the loop and provoking more of the same. 

If hostility turned inward is allowed to simmer inside you long enough, you will pass it along to someone else - often someone who had nothing to do with it "until you decided to use them as a hostility dump!"

Fear can lead to anger. Anger is always expressed as hostility. Hostility is always contagious which is expressed with more hostility. It is a continuous self propagating loop of escalating anger + hostility. DEAL with the emotion, just the emotion.

Leave the underlying trigger until the "logical problem-solving" part of the brain is released from the emotion and the resulting chemical (adrenaline) dump so the "true issue" can be resolved. 

As long as emotions are involved nothing will be fixed. Stop the loop, address only the emotions, i.e. anger+hostility first, then after time for Emotional-Clarence and Ventilation we can have an open-minded, honest and loving discussion. 

Bibliography

Perceptions

You can't trust the evidence of your senses.

You can't trust the evidence of your feelings - your internal perceptions - either.

It all depends heavily on such things as what you have been told about them in advance, what is fashionable at the time, whether they are part of your culture and ethnic group, and what power relationships exist between them and you.

None of which has anything to do with "reality." Like "real" pain and "real" illness or disability, the specifications depend upon the "perceiving" individual.

What we have to deal with in our daily lives is the evidence gathered by our perceptions.

We need to keep those perceptions as accurate as possible, by being willing to perceive things with an open mind and being careful to pay attention to things so that they will yield adequate data.

Remember that the evidence of our personal perceptions may be drastically different from the evidence of some other person's.

Realize that our body-mind reacts to what it "perceives" as real, whether it is "out there" or not.

The mechanisms we use to process information from both internal and external environments are our sensory systems - sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste.

Bibliography

Bibliography:

Note: This is not comprehensive simply because I was not tracking my sources until someone was kind enough to point out its importance. I started to gather the list so that others would realize that although it may sound as if I am the all wise martial artists and MA philosopher it is actually a compilation of other sources along with my own thoughts, ideas, theories, and knowledge. 

I will put a bibliography at the end of each post if one is applicable but sometimes you may want to refer here for sources when you don't see a bibliography at the end of my postings. 

I apologize to those who came before me if I have forgotten you and your material, which has contributed to my search for knowledge, and hope that if you recognize something and don't see your sources properly acknowledged you will let me know with kindness and understanding.

Primary Bibliography of Self-Defense (Some titles have RBC drills included):

MacYoung, Marc. "In the Name of Self-Defense: What It Costs. When It’s Worth It." Marc MacYoung. 2014.

Miller, Rory Sgt. "Meditations of Violence: A Comparison of Martial Arts Training & Real World Violence" YMAA Publishing. 2008.

Boyd Bibliography:

Angerman, William S. “Coming Full Circle with Boyd’s OODA Loop Ideas: An Analysis of Innovation Diffusion and Evolution.” USAF Institute of Technology. Ohio. 2004.

Boyd, John R. USAF. “A Discourse on Winning and Losing.  

Boyd, John R. USAF. “New Conception for Air to Air Combat.”

Boyd, John R. USAF. “Patterns of Conflict.” www-d-n-i,net. 2007

Coram, Robert. “Boyd: The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War.” Back Bay Books. New York. 2004. 

Hammond, Grant T. “On the Making of History: John Boyd and American Security.” USAF Academy. 2012  

Hammond, Grant. “The Mind of War: John Boyd and American Security.” Smithsonian Books, New York. 2004.

Osinga, Frans. “Science, Strategy and War: The Strategic Theory of John Boyd.” Eburon Academic Publishers. Amsterdam. 1963.

Bibliography Articles on Self-Defense/Conflict/Violence

The main page leading to the articles I have chosen as a starting point to attain knowledge of conflict, violence and self-defense is: http://ymaa.com/articles/society-and-self-defense where you can navigate to the below or you can simply find a title below and click for direct access to the articles. Most of these are actually introductions to the references written by the authors themselves. It is advisable to start here then move on to the more in-depth stuff in their publications. This section will get you a beginning understanding necessary in phase one of learning self-defense. 

The Players in Self-Defense http://ymaa.com/articles/2015/1/the-players-in-self-defense

The Practical Problem of Teaching Self-Defense http://ymaa.com/articles/2015/1/the-practical-problem-of-teaching-self-defense

I.M.O.P. Principle—Intent, Means, Opportunity and Preclusion http://ymaa.com/articles/2014/10/imop-principle-intent-means-opportunity-and-preclusion

Account for Adrenaline http://ymaa.com/articles/2014/09/account-for-adrenaline

Common Sources of Knowledge About Violence http://ymaa.com/articles/2014/03/common-sources-of-knowledge-about-violence

The Victim Interview http://ymaa.com/articles/2014/02/the-victim-interview

The Ground. The Dirty, Filthy, Dangerous Ground http://ymaa.com/articles/2013/04/the-ground-the-dirty-filthy-dangerous-ground

Lethal Force: Firearms - Part 1 http://ymaa.com/articles/2013/01/lethal-force-firearms-part-1

Lethal Force: Firearms - Part 2 http://ymaa.com/articles/2013/02/lethal-force-firearms-part-2

Level 6-Lethal Force http://ymaa.com/articles/level-6-lethal-force

Introduction to Violence: Scale of Force Options http://ymaa.com/articles/introduction-to-violence-scale-of-force-options

Interacting with Law Enforcement Personnel http://ymaa.com/articles/interacting-with-law-enforcement-personnel

An Introduction to Force Decisions http://ymaa.com/articles/an-introduction-to-force-decisions

How to Evaluate a Force Decision http://ymaa.com/articles/how-to-evaluate-a-force-decision

Counter Assault: Surviving Attacks http://ymaa.com/articles/counter-assault%3A-surviving-attacks

Saving Yourself in a Crowd http://ymaa.com/articles/saving-yourself-in-a-crowd

Facing Violence: The Unconscious Stuff-Finding Your Glitches http://ymaa.com/articles/facing-violence-the-unconscious-stuff

A Plethora of Weapons for Self-Defense http://ymaa.com/articles/a-plethora-of-weapons-for-self-defense

Violence Dynamics http://ymaa.com/articles/violence-dynamics

More About Violence Dynamics http://ymaa.com/articles/more-about-violence-dynamics

Self-defense: Down and Dirty http://ymaa.com/articles/self-defense-down-and-dirty

The Seven Aspects of Self-defense http://ymaa.com/articles/the-seven-aspects-of-self-defense

Violence: What Everyone Needs to Know About Fighting http://ymaa.com/articles/violence-what-everyone-needs-to-know-about-fighting

Never Surrender http://ymaa.com/articles/never-surrender

Meditations on Violence http://ymaa.com/articles/meditations-on-violence

Secondary Bibliography of Self-Defense (Some titles have RBC drills included):

Ayoob, Massad. “Deadly Force: Understanding Your Right to Self-Defense”Gun Digest Books. Krouse Publications. Wisconsin. 2014.

Branca, Andrew F. “The Law of Self Defense: The Indispensable Guide to the Armed Citizen.” Law of Self Defense LLC. 2013.

Burrese, Alain., “Hard-Won Wisdonm from the School of Hard Knocks.” TGW Books. October 2013. 

Goleman, Daniel. "Emotional Intelligence: 10th Anniversary Edition [Kindle Edition]." Bantam. January 11, 2012.

Miller, Rory. "ConCom: Conflict Communications A New Paradigm in Conscious Communication." Amazon Digital Services, Inc. 2014. 

Miller, Rory and Kane, Lawrence A. "Scaling Force: Dynamic Decision-making under Threat of Violence." YMAA Publisher. New Hampshire. 2012

Miller, Rory. "Force Decisions: A Citizen's Guide." YMAA Publications. NH. 2012.

Miller, Rory Sgt. "Facing Violence: Preparing for the Unexpected." YMAA Publishing. 2011.

Miller, Rory. “Training for Sudden Violence: 72 Practical Drills.” YMAA Publications. New Hampshire. 2016

Miller, Rory. “The Practical Problem of Teaching Self-Defense.” YMAA. January 19, 2015. http://ymaa.com/articles/2015/1/the-practical-problem-of-teaching-self-defense

Elgin, Suzette Haden, Ph.D. "More on the Gentle Art of Verbal Self-Defense." Prentice Hall. New Jersey. 1983.

Elgin, Suzette. "The Last Word on the Gentle Art of Verbal Self-Defense" Barnes & Noble. 1995

Morris, Desmond. “Manwatching: A Field Guide to Human Behavior.” Harry N. Abrams. April 1979.

MacYoung, Marc. “Writing Violence #1: Getting Shot.” NNSD. Amazon Digital. 2014.

MacYoung, Marc. “Writing Violence #2: Getting Stabbed.”  NNSD. Amazon Digital. 2015.

MacYoung, Marc. “Writing Violence #3: Getting Hit and Hitting.” Amazon Digital Services, inc. NNSD. April 20. 2015. 

Elgin, Suzette. "The Gentle Art of Verbal Self-Defense" Barnes & Noble. 1993.

Elgin, Suzette. "The Gentle Art of Written Self-Defense" MJF Books. 1997.

Maffetone, Philip Dr. “The Maffetone Method: The Holistic, Low-stress, No-Pain Way to Exceptional Fitness.” McGraw Hill, New York. 2000

Strong, Sanford. “Strong on Defense_ Survival Rules to Protect you and your Family from Crime.” Pocket Books. New York. 1996.

and more … see blog bibliography.

Jahn, C. R. “FTW Self Defense.” iUniverse. Amazon Digital Services. 2012

Jahn, C. R. “Hardcore Self Defense.” iUniverse. Amazon Digital Services. 2002.

Bibliography of RBC Drills (Some titles have RBC drills included):

MacYoung, Marc. "In the Name of Self-Defense: What It Costs. When It’s Worth It." Marc MacYoung. 2014.

MacYoung, Marc (Animal). “Taking It to the Street: Making Your Martial Art Street Effective.” Paladin Press. Boulder, Colorado. 1999.

MacYoung, Marc. "A Professional's Guide to Ending Violence Quickly: How Bouncers, Bodyguards, and Other Security Professionals Handle Ugly Situations." Paladin Press. Boulder, Colorado. 1996.

Miller, Rory. “Drills: Training for the Sudden Violence.” Amazon Digital Services, inc. Smashwords. 2011.

Quinn, Peyton. “Real Fighting: Adrenaline Stress Conditioning Through Scenario-Based Training.” Paladin Press. Amazon Digital Services, inc. 1996

My Blog Bibliography

Chiron: http://chirontraining.blogspot.com

Cornered Cat (Scratching Post): http://www.corneredcat.com/scratching-post/

Kodokan Boston: http://kodokanboston.org

Mario McKenna (Kowakan): http://www.kowakan.com

Mokuren Dojo: http://www.mokurendojo.com

McYoung’s Musings: http://macyoungsmusings.blogspot.com

Martial Views: http://www.martialviews.com

Shinseidokan Dojo: http://shinseidokandojo.blogspot.com

The Classi Budoka: https://classicbudoka.wordpress.com

Wim Demeere’s Blog: http://www.wimsblog.com

General Bibliography:

Bibliography (updated 21-08-2014):

Advincula, A. J. The Naming of Isshin-ryu: In the beginning there was the one. Isshnikai:The Official Website of Sensei Arcenio J. Advincula. http://www.isshinkai.net/history03-birthofisshinryu.html. 2009
Advincula, A.J. Isshinkai Yahoo Group. http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/isshinkaiKarate/. 2010
Advincula, A. J. MSgt USMC (Ret.), Isshinryu Sensei. "His writings and postings of Isshinryu and Kenpo Gokui on Isshinkai. California 2009.
Advincula, A.J. "Chinkuchi". Isshinkai Group Thread: February, 2007
Advincula, Arcenio J. Isshinkai Yahoo Group; isshinkaiKarate@yahoogroups.com: April, 2007
Advincula, Arcenio J. Isshinkai Yahoo Group; isshinkaiKarate@yahoogroups.com: May, 2007
Advincula, A.J. "Chinkuchi". Isshinkai Group Thread: February, 2007
Advincuala, A. J. http://www.isshinkai.net/
Advincula, A.J. "Isshinryu no Gokui." Online Posts. 13 April 2001 to present date. IsshinKai Yahoo Group.
Anthony, Carol K. “The Philosophy of the I Ching.” Anthony Pub Co. Massachusetts. 1998.
Ayoob, Massad. “Deadly Force: Understanding Your Right to Self-Defense”Gun Digest Books. Krouse Publications. Wisconsin. 2014.

Benforado, Adam. “Unfair: The New Science of Criminal Injustice.” Crown Publishing. Random House. June 2015.

Bolton, Robert, Ph.D. "People Skills: How to Assert Yourself, Listen to Others, and Resolve Conflicts." Simon & Schuster. New York. 1979. 1986.
Boyd, Charles. Kenpo Gokui. Isshinkai Yahoo Group Post 2009.

Branca, Andrew F. “The Law of Self Defense: The Indispensable Guide to the Armed Citizen.” Law of Self Defense LLC. 2013.

Breed, George. "Embodying Heaven and Earth: A Radiant Model of Transformation." Publication: International Journal of Humanities and Peace Publication 2003

Burkett, Tim & Fischer, Norman. “Nothing Holy About It: The Zen of Being Just Who You Are.” Shambhala Publications. Amazon Digital Services. 2015.

Burrese, Alain., “Hard-Won Wisdom from the School of Hard Knocks.” TGW Books. October 2013.

Chu, W. K. and Sherrill, W. A. The Astrology of I Ching. New York. Penguin Books. 1976
Chu, W. K. and Sherrill, W. A. An Anthology of I Ching. London. Routledge and Kegan Paul. 1977.
Clarke, Michael. "Shin Gi Tai: Karate Training for Body, Mind, and Spirit." YMAA Publishing. New Hampshire. 2011.

Coram, Robert. “Boyd: The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War.” Back Bay Books. New York. 2004.

Davies, Cath. “Shu Ha Ri: The Aikido Journey: The Metamorphosis of Form.” Shoshin Press. Amazon Digital Services. 6 April 2014. 

Davies, Roger J. and Ikeno, Osamu. "The Japanese Mind: Understanding Contemporary Japanese Culture." Tuttle Publishing. Tokyo, Japan. 2002.
DeMente, Boye Lafayette. "Japan's Cultural Code Words: 233 Key Terms That Explain the Attitudes and Behavior of the Japanese." Tuttle. Vermont, Tokyo and Singapore. 2004.
DeMente, Boye Lafayette. "Kata: The Key to Understanding & Dealing with the Japanese." Tuttle Publishing. Tokyo, Vermont and Singapore. 2003
Bibliography:
DeMente, Boye LaFayette. "Samurai Strategies: 42 Martial Secrets from Musashi's Book of Five Rings." Tuttle Publishing. Vermont. 2008.
DeMente, Boye LaFayette. "The Origins of Human Violence: Male Dominance, Ignorance, Religions and Willful Stupidity!" Phoenix Books. Kentucky. 2010.
DeMente, Boye LaFayette. "The Japanese Samurai Code: Classic strategies for Success." Tuttle Publishing. Vermont. 2004.
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Isshinkai Yahoo Group, "Re: [Isshin Kai Karate] finding Personal hexagram Okinawa History & traditions" dtd Tue, Jul 20, 2010 at 1:13 AM isshinkaiKarate@yahoogroups.com
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Bibliography Research Traditions of Karate

Amdur, Ellis
2001 Women in the Martial Arts: Japan. In Martial Arts of the World. Thomas Green, ed. Pp.
699-702. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO.
Appadurai, Arjun
1990 Disjuncture and Difference in the Global Cultural Economy. In Global Culture:
Nationalism, Globalization and Modernity. Mike Featherstone, ed. Pp. 2995-310. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications.
Arnason, Johann
1990 Nationalism, Globalization and Modernity. In Global Culture: Nationalism, Globalization
and Modernity. Mike Featherston ed. Pp. 207-236. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications.
Ashkenazi, Michael
2002 Ritual and the Ideal Society in Karate. In Combat Ritual, and Performance: Anthropology
of the Martial Arts. David Jones, ed. Pp. 99-118. Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers.
Befu, Harumi
1993 Nationalism and Nihonjinron. In Cultural Nationalism in East Asia. Harumi Befu, ed. Pp.
105-135. Berkley, CA: Institute of East Asian Studies, University of California.
Chan, Stephen
2000 The Construction and Export of Culture as Artifact: The Case of Japanese Martial Arts.
Body & Society 6(1): 69–74.
Csordas, Thomas
1990 Embodiment as a Paradigm for Anthropology. Ethos 18(1): 5-47.
Cvetkovich, Ann & Kellner, Douglas
1997 Introduction: Thinking Global and Local. In Articulating the Global and the Local. Ann
Cvetkovich & Douglas Kellner, eds. Pp. 1-30. Boulder, CO: Westview Press.
Donohue, John
1992 Dancing in the Danger Zone: The Martial Arts in America. Journal of Asian Martial Arts
1(1): 86-99.
1993 The Ritual Dimension of Karate-Do. Journal of Ritual Studies 7(1): 105-124.
Johnson: The Japanization of Karate 76
Featherstone, Mike
1990 Global Culture: An Introduction. In Global Culture: Nationalism, Globalization and
Modernity. Mike Featherstone, ed. Pp.1-14. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications.
Friman, Richard
1996 Blinded by the Light: Politics and Profit in the Martial Arts. Journal of Asian Martial Arts
5(3): 10-19.
1998 The Art of Regulation: Martial Arts as Threats to Social Order. Journal of Asian Martial Arts 7(3): 11-23.
Goodman, Roger
2005 “Making Majority Culture,” In A Companion to the Anthropology of Japan. Jennifer
Robertson, ed. Pp. 59-72. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley-Blackwell.
Gusfield, Joseph
1967 Tradition and Modernity: Misplaced Polarities in the Study of Social Change. American
Journal of Sociology 72(4): 351-362. Hassell, Randall
2007 Shotokan Karate: Its History and Evolution. Los Angeles, CA: Empire Books. Hobsbawm, Eric & Ranger, Terence, eds.
1992 The Invention of Tradition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Hudson, Mark
1999 Ruins of Identity: Ethnogenesis in the Japanese Islands. Honolulu: The University of
Hawaii Press.
Keenan, John
1989 Spontaneity in Western Martial Arts: A Yogācāra Critique of "Mushin" (No-Mind).
Japanese Journal of Religious Studies 16(4): 285-298. Kerr, George
2000 Okinawa: The History of an Island People. Rutland, VT: Tuttle Publishing.
Ko, Jong Jae & Yang, Jin Bang
2008 The Globalization of Martial Arts: The Change of Rules for New Markets. Journal of
Asian Martial Arts 17(4): 8-19.
Krug, Gary
2001 At the Feet of the Master: Three Stages in the Appropriation of Okinawan Karate Into
Anglo-American Culture. Cultural Studies Critical Methodologies 1(4): 395-410.
77 Journal of Contemporary Anthropology Volume 3 (2012), Iss. 1
Madis, Eric
2003 The Evolution of Taekwondo From Japanese Karate. In Martial Arts in the Modern World.
Thomas Green & Joseph Svinth, eds. Pp. 185-208. Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers.
Moening, Uda
2011 The Evolution of Kicking Techniques in Taekwondo. Journal of Asian Martial Arts 20(1):
9-31.
Morris-Suzuki, Tessa
1996 A Descent into the Past: The Frontier in the Construction of Japanese Identity. In
Multicultural Japan: Paleolithic to Postmodern. Donald Denoon, Mark Hudson, Gavan McCormack, Tessa Morris-Suzuki, eds. Pp. 81-94. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Mottern, Ron
2001 Karate, Japan. In Martial Arts of the World. Thomas Green, ed. Pp. 232-240. Santa
Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO.
Mottern, Ron
2001 Karate, Okinawa. In Martial Arts of the World. Thomas Green, ed. Pp. 240-249. Santa
Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO.
Mottern, Ron
2001 Kobudo, Okinawa. In Martial Arts of the World. Thomas Green, ed. Pp. 286-291. Santa
Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO.
Mottern, Ron
2001 Okinawa. In Martial Arts of the World. Thomas Green, ed. Pp. 363-367. Santa Barbara,
CA: ABC-CLIO. Nakane Chie
1970 Japanese Society. Berkeley & Los Angeles, CA: University of California Press.
Rosenbaum, Michael
2002 The Fighting Arts: Their Evolution From Secret Societies to Modern Times. Boston:
YMAA Publication Center. Sugimoto, Yoshio
2003 An Introduction to Japanese Society. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Traphagan, John & Thompson, Christopher
2006 The Practice of Tradition and Modernity in Contemporary Japan. In. Thompson &
Traphagan, eds. Pp. 2-24. Albany, NY: Wearing Cultural Styles in Japan: Concepts of Tradition and Modernity in Practice State University of New York Press.
Johnson: The Japanization of Karate 78
Ueno, Chizuko
1987 The Position of Japanese Women Reconsidered. Themed Issue, “An Anthropological
Profile of Japan,” Current Anthropology 28(4): S75-S84.
Amdur, Ellis
2001 Women in the Martial Arts: Japan. In Martial Arts of the World. Thomas Green, ed. Pp.
699-702. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO.
Appadurai, Arjun
1990 Disjuncture and Difference in the Global Cultural Economy. In Global Culture:
Nationalism, Globalization and Modernity. Mike Featherstone, ed. Pp. 2995-310. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications.
Arnason, Johann
1990 Nationalism, Globalization and Modernity. In Global Culture: Nationalism, Globalization
and Modernity. Mike Featherston ed. Pp. 207-236. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications.
Ashkenazi, Michael
2002 Ritual and the Ideal Society in Karate. In Combat Ritual, and Performance: Anthropology
of the Martial Arts. David Jones, ed. Pp. 99-118. Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers.
Befu, Harumi
1993 Nationalism and Nihonjinron. In Cultural Nationalism in East Asia. Harumi Befu, ed. Pp.
105-135. Berkley, CA: Institute of East Asian Studies, University of California.
Chan, Stephen
2000 The Construction and Export of Culture as Artifact: The Case of Japanese Martial Arts.
Body & Society 6(1): 69–74.
Csordas, Thomas
1990 Embodiment as a Paradigm for Anthropology. Ethos 18(1): 5-47.
Cvetkovich, Ann & Kellner, Douglas
1997 Introduction: Thinking Global and Local. In Articulating the Global and the Local. Ann
Cvetkovich & Douglas Kellner, eds. Pp. 1-30. Boulder, CO: Westview Press.
Donohue, John
1992 Dancing in the Danger Zone: The Martial Arts in America. Journal of Asian Martial Arts
1(1): 86-99.
1993 The Ritual Dimension of Karate-Do. Journal of Ritual Studies 7(1): 105-124.
Johnson: The Japanization of Karate 76
Featherstone, Mike
1990 Global Culture: An Introduction. In Global Culture: Nationalism, Globalization and
Modernity. Mike Featherstone, ed. Pp.1-14. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications.
Friman, Richard
1996 Blinded by the Light: Politics and Profit in the Martial Arts. Journal of Asian Martial Arts
5(3): 10-19.
1998 The Art of Regulation: Martial Arts as Threats to Social Order. Journal of Asian Martial Arts 7(3): 11-23.
Goodman, Roger
2005 “Making Majority Culture,” In A Companion to the Anthropology of Japan. Jennifer
Robertson, ed. Pp. 59-72. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley-Blackwell.
Gusfield, Joseph
1967 Tradition and Modernity: Misplaced Polarities in the Study of Social Change. American
Journal of Sociology 72(4): 351-362. Hassell, Randall
2007 Shotokan Karate: Its History and Evolution. Los Angeles, CA: Empire Books. Hobsbawm, Eric & Ranger, Terence, eds.
1992 The Invention of Tradition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Hudson, Mark
1999 Ruins of Identity: Ethnogenesis in the Japanese Islands. Honolulu: The University of
Hawaii Press.
Keenan, John
1989 Spontaneity in Western Martial Arts: A Yogācāra Critique of "Mushin" (No-Mind).
Japanese Journal of Religious Studies 16(4): 285-298. Kerr, George
2000 Okinawa: The History of an Island People. Rutland, VT: Tuttle Publishing.
Ko, Jong Jae & Yang, Jin Bang
2008 The Globalization of Martial Arts: The Change of Rules for New Markets. Journal of
Asian Martial Arts 17(4): 8-19.
Krug, Gary
2001 At the Feet of the Master: Three Stages in the Appropriation of Okinawan Karate Into
Anglo-American Culture. Cultural Studies Critical Methodologies 1(4): 395-410.
77 Journal of Contemporary Anthropology Volume 3 (2012), Iss. 1
Madis, Eric
2003 The Evolution of Taekwondo From Japanese Karate. In Martial Arts in the Modern World.
Thomas Green & Joseph Svinth, eds. Pp. 185-208. Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers.
Moening, Uda
2011 The Evolution of Kicking Techniques in Taekwondo. Journal of Asian Martial Arts 20(1):
9-31.
Morris-Suzuki, Tessa
1996 A Descent into the Past: The Frontier in the Construction of Japanese Identity. In
Multicultural Japan: Paleolithic to Postmodern. Donald Denoon, Mark Hudson, Gavan McCormack, Tessa Morris-Suzuki, eds. Pp. 81-94. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Mottern, Ron
2001 Karate, Japan. In Martial Arts of the World. Thomas Green, ed. Pp. 232-240. Santa
Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO.
Mottern, Ron
2001 Karate, Okinawa. In Martial Arts of the World. Thomas Green, ed. Pp. 240-249. Santa
Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO.
Mottern, Ron
2001 Kobudo, Okinawa. In Martial Arts of the World. Thomas Green, ed. Pp. 286-291. Santa
Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO.
Mottern, Ron
2001 Okinawa. In Martial Arts of the World. Thomas Green, ed. Pp. 363-367. Santa Barbara,
CA: ABC-CLIO. Nakane Chie
1970 Japanese Society. Berkeley & Los Angeles, CA: University of California Press.
Rosenbaum, Michael
2002 The Fighting Arts: Their Evolution From Secret Societies to Modern Times. Boston:
YMAA Publication Center. Sugimoto, Yoshio
2003 An Introduction to Japanese Society. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Traphagan, John & Thompson, Christopher
2006 The Practice of Tradition and Modernity in Contemporary Japan. In. Thompson &
Traphagan, eds. Pp. 2-24. Albany, NY: Wearing Cultural Styles in Japan: Concepts of Tradition and Modernity in Practice State University of New York Press.
Johnson: The Japanization of Karate 78
Ueno, Chizuko
1987 The Position of Japanese Women Reconsidered. Themed Issue, “An Anthropological
Profile of Japan,” Current Anthropology 28(4): S75-S84.