Please take a moment to read this post first, i.e. "A Different Perspective," before diving into this blog. Your comments, suggestions and participation are greatly appreciated.

Please take a look at Notable Quotes, enjoy.

Please take a look at the bibliography if you do not see a proper reference to a post.

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.


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.


“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

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Thursday, April 30, 2015

The Gentle Art of Chewing Gum

I read the “Calvin & Hobbs” comic strip. The little shit sometimes seems like a true psychopath and than simply like a small male child with an evil twist to his thinking. The recent comics have been about chewing gum. I chuckles at first, then laughed as the comic series progressed. I can hardly wait till tomorrows strip is published to see if that theme continues. Honestly, I think it could go on and on and on and on - almost forever.

Then, my funny bone kept tingling as I cruised through the various Facebook walls, blog posts and other martial arts oriented eArtilces, etc. then it occurred to me that the art of chewing gum symbolized how modern karate is being studied, i.e., inexperienced and trained folks lacking the full skinny tend to do the same things as Calvin. I do it too!

We look for brands and logos to tell us what is best for self-defense, martial arts and/or combatives - all dependent on our personal perspectives, perceptions, wants and desires. We then attach significant and insignificant rhetoric, importance and views so that we can delude ourselves into a feeling of importance, status and self-soothing related emotionally safe feelings. 

Chewing gum is a relative emotionally comforting endeavor that triggers our base instincts as well as hitting buttons in our pleasure centers like going to a favorite restaurant that severs “Road House,” style comfort food so that we feel good even if we know deep down that the comfort food is actually very, very, very bad for us health-wise (physical not mental because comfort food is all about feeling good ;-) ). 

Then you see how Calvin now has to get every single device to support that belief system much like those who stand in long lines all night to get the next, greatest and best app filled new phone developed by the “Madmen” of the cell phone industry. 

In karate or martial arts the same occurred, i.e., all the variations on a theme that was originally Zen like minimalistic in nature until we fill up our uniforms with colors, materials, brands, patches, and other accouterments meant to set status levels and accolade driven achievement bragging and so on. 


Now, take a moment and read the following series (also found here at the comic site: http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes#.UlcILChgm24 and then tell me you don’t get little hints toward same thinking processes seen in modern martial arts.

Click to read in a larger view.

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Martial Koan - Theorized Quote - Philosophically Speaking :-)

Caveat: This article is mine and mine alone. I the author of this article assure you, the reader, that any of the opinions expressed here are my own and are a result of the way in which my meandering mind interprets a particular situation and/or concept. The views expressed here are solely those of the author in his private capacity and do not in any way represent the views of other martial arts and/or conflict/violence professionals or authors of source materials. It should be quite obvious that the sources I used herein have not approved, endorsed, embraced, friended, liked, tweeted or authorized this article. (Everything I think and write is true, within the limits of my knowledge and understanding. Oh, and just because I wrote it and just because it sounds reasonable and just because it makes sense, does not mean it is true.) 

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.

The next quote is taken out of its context for a distinct and separate voicing of what it means when contemplated in meditative mind wandering fashion. When I read it I immediately began thinking of the current status of martial practices, especially when it comes to self-defense.

The author speaks with great authority simply because he has lived, breathed and fought in a life filled with conflict, violence and violent conflict. He has worked in fields and professions, even today, that are all about conflict, violence and violent conflicts with emphasis on self-defense, emphasis at least in one publication, “In the Name of Self-Defense.” 

Note I: This post/article is not about him, his teachings, his experiences or his quote below as to his meaning when he wrote it. Yet, I think I get it when I read it. This post is my attempt to study and understand what it means to my experiences, beliefs and martial arts practices. 

“We are not teaching people how to cope with conflict, protect themselves or even stand up for themselves. As a result they are traumatized by violence. Then this trauma is pointed to as proof as how horrible and bad violence is.” - Marc MacYoung paraphrasing a quote from George Silver.

First, if I were to have any regrets in my martial arts life it would be that I didn’t find out or fully understand what it is that was necessary for my teachings, at the time, to truly and completely convey self-defense martial arts training, practice and most of all applications. I am working to make that change and to get the word out from my position so that others will have the opportunity to see, feel and change, at least in self-defense communities within the martial arts communities. 

I happen to agree with his assessment that our modern society is working toward the wrong goal when it comes to conflict, violence and violent conflict. I firmly believe our ignorance and tendency to ignore the subject is just plain bad. I also feel that because we are trying very hard to “Hide” this subject from our children ans our parents tried so hard to hide it from us that we are now, as stated, in a place that makes the subject as “Bad” and as a subject that must be obliterated from society yet I also believe that we are only addressing one small part of conflict and violence as it is related to things we emotionally don’t understand, that threatens our comfort zones and that makes us feel uncomfortable. Our entire existence is derived from conflict and violence most of which is not about violent conflicts. 

I was a Marine so I was exposed to violence. Not combat per se yet I was exposed indirectly since I served at the end of one military police action, i.e., a war really but not. I was exposed to violence growing up as well. Mostly socially oriented but some asocial types as well. Actually they kind of bled over into each others realm, i.e., social/asocial violence. Granted, no where near what the author of the quote experienced in likely one or two days of violence and probably not even close to the levels but violence all the same. 

My generation came from the WWII and Korean war era and just after probably experienced the end of our societies more violent span yet in reality it may have been covered up and ignored. If it ain’t happening to me syndrome then it can’t happen to me syndrome. Those seem to me as the lead in and lead up to today’s ignorance and perception of the current inappropriate levels of horrible  and bad and trauma drama oriented view of conflict, violence and violent conflict. 

I feel that the author of the quote has a real, “Reality Oriented,” understanding of our world and I have even theorized benefits from having courses presented to the younger school ages students on the subject of conflict, violence, violent conflict, conflict communications, verbal self-defenses, etc. I believe if we want to remove more violence from human-kind that we can do that only when we know it, understand it, and appreciate its role in human existence. Only through knowledge, especially our historical experienced knowledge (learning from our past type thing) can we then create appropriate measures, attitudes and methods of change. 

Here is an example, we often get into arguments with other humans that are verbal. If we understood that verbal communications can and is a form of violence as well as confrontational then if we learned what that was and how it is applied then and only then can we create counter-verbal-communications that will combat it with a result of both win-win communications and to condition a person using verbal conflict and violence to use other means to get what they want, need and can have/achieve. 

We are all taught in school how to make a sentence and what that sentence is made up from such as nouns, pronouns, adjectives, etc. but are we taught how to form them to combat verbal assaults through something like conflict communications? Not hardly, I never even realizes how verbal destructive I was until I read some of the materials I use now as references to write such posts/articles as this one. 

Until I was introduced to the knowledge of social and asocial violence along with force and force levels did I realize and understand that I was using inappropriate force levels through verbal and body language violence just short of actual violent physical conflict/fights, etc. i.e., social violence. 

In that light, how can we truly teach our students to avoid and deescalate if they don’t know what it is that they are facing. How can we expect students to act appropriately in self-defense be it verbal or physical if they don’t know about interviews and the  types of violence humans can, will and do use against us. How can we expect students or human young adults to learn how to handle frustrations, fears and angers if they don’t know that they are all a part of a whole that is “Human Conflict and Violence.” How can we expect folks to know, understand and avoid/deescalate, etc., if they don’t recognize it when it appears? How can they know the risks and dangers when they walk out the front door and past the gate into their yards walking the streets and moving through them, the communities, the cultures and the beliefs systems of other races, creeds and cultures if they are not educated in those disciplines especially regarding the use of conflict, violence and violent conflict used to manage, control and command for social cohesive existence and survival?

I am and will be an advocate to learning, exposure and gaining experience or training or practice in conflict, violence and violent conflict for the sole purpose of providing everyone, everywhere, those tools necessary to combat conflict, violence and violent conflict in “All Its Forms.” You can’t do that if you don’t know what it is and you can’t do that if the answers are based on emotionally reactions over actual factual knowledge, logic over emotions are important in learning, understanding and gaining knowledge. You cannot add and subtract until you learn the appropriate knowledge to add and subtract. You cannot get a drivers license anywhere without first learning about he laws and rules of driving and so on. You cannot prevent pregnancies without first learning about the birds and the bees as well as all the forms of contraception including abstinence. If you want to drive and avoid accidents you have to learn about accidents, what causes them, and how to avoid them if you wish to drive safely (a lot more violent accidents cause a lot more deaths than you might think and possibly at levels that meet or exceed those from violent conflicts, etc.). Right?

What I would like to see is a concerted effort to actually teach our society about conflict, violence and violent conflicts, etc. so that we have the tools to handle conflict, confrontations and violence in all forms be they small angry verbal assaults or the predatory process attack that damages and kills. If handles properly with out filters from emotional knee-reactions would be really beneficial but ….


Thanks you Marc MacYoung for pointing out such a glaring hole in the logic applied toward violent conflict, etc., in today’s society, much appreciated!

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Traditional Karate Instruction

Caveat: 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.

This article is mine and mine alone. I the author of this article assure you, the reader, that any of the opinions expressed here are my own and are a result of the way in which my meandering mind interprets a particular situation and/or concept. The views expressed here are solely those of the author in his private capacity and do not in any way represent the views of other martial arts and/or conflict/violence professionals or authors of source materials. It should be quite obvious that the sources I used herein have not approved, endorsed, embraced, friended, liked, tweeted or authorized this article. (Everything I think and write is true, within the limits of my knowledge and understanding. Oh, and just because I wrote it and just because it sounds reasonable and just because it makes sense, does not mean it is true.)

We all preach the sermon that one can only learn martial arts from a “Qualified Instructor.” What we fail to do sometimes is convey that a qualified instructor is one who can transmit all the principles of the system they teach. When we fail to find that qualified sensei then the students karate will suffer and each succeeding generation will suffer proportionally until karate disappears. It may still be present but it will lack any true substance, its essence will be gone. 

Minoru Sensei believes, “This is why a direct, individualized transmission of karate is essential for its survival as a true martial discipline and art, and why teaching more than a handful of students at a time, is rarely successful.” Isn’t it possible that he has it correct? He is considered a highly trained and proficient martial artist. Does that mean he is to be believed and his belief accepted? 

In the model Minoru Sensei each practitioner gets a more individualized form of instruction, training and practice. We are all unique and have unique needs and requirements in order to learn, grow and prosper. Example, knowing the sense mode of the student provides a more conducive learning experience since that allows sensei to teach that person using that mode as a primary teaching tool. This allows a manageable teaching format that adjusts to every student to address both their unique strengths as well as weaknesses. 

I have preached the sermon of what it takes to be the best sensei possible but not many reach that level yet many can achieve greatness in teaching, training and instructing if they can touch most of the qualities, requirements, abilities and knowledge of a solid and qualified traditional karate instructor. 

This also means that in some forms of what folks refer to as traditional instruction that remaining in a static, one size fits all, format where innovations are discouraged over some dogmatic belief that this is what makes traditional, traditional, is found to be patently incorrect and actually non-traditional. This type of thought process tends to be about a person trying to enhance their own personal prestige and mind-bend followers so they will remain and worship also to promote that persons views, beliefs and creations, many of these sensei tend to make exaggerated claims, to keep followers associated with their system, regarding connections cleverly chosen toward a unprovable genealogy that promotes their system, beliefs and creations stifling growth potential of both the system and their students. 

Karate’s true nature is about passing down the entire system as a complete and whole “One system,” and therefore requires one pass along with efficiency and productivity that can only come from a proper ration of sensei to student, i.e., often about three to five students per sensei. When your student body expands beyond that ration things begin to fall by the wayside becoming lost for all time. As each generation comes another part is lost and those loses mean karate becomes an empty shell devoid of its very essence.

Friday, April 24, 2015

Twenty Principals Shotokan Karate

Caveat: 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.

This article is mine and mine alone. I the author of this article assure you, the reader, that any of the opinions expressed here are my own and are a result of the way in which my meandering mind interprets a particular situation and/or concept. The views expressed here are solely those of the author in his private capacity and do not in any way represent the views of other martial arts and/or conflict/violence professionals or authors of source materials. It should be quite obvious that the sources I used herein have not approved, endorsed, embraced, friended, liked, tweeted or authorized this article. (Everything I think and write is true, within the limits of my knowledge and understanding. Oh, and just because I wrote it and just because it sounds reasonable and just because it makes sense, does not mean it is true.) 

Click for larger view
Funakoshi Gichin Sensei created this list of principles to guide practitioners in their system of “Shotokan” karate-do. I bought his short book on this subject and cannot really remember if he gave any sort of philosophy that explains his reasoning in creating the principles. They are widely available on the Internet and were published in a few books over the years. 

Some tend to use them as sound bites and those are seldom explained. The reason given is that one should contemplate and meditate on them to achieve understanding and enlightenment but that kind of triggers my resistance response. The following are just one version of the twenty and they each have my personal interpretation/philosophy attacked. This list was stolen, ops borrowed, from the article written by Jesse Encamp (http://www.karatebyjesse.com/the-20-precepts-of-karate-shotokan-jungle-trip/).

1. Karate-do wa rei ni hajimari, rei ni owaru koto wo wasuruna.
Karate begins and ends with courtesy.

It could be said that in his efforts to gain acceptance for Okinawan karate by his Japanese contemporaries he accepted this courtesy, reishiki, as dictated by Japanese feudal era shikata and bushido concepts. Regardless, having a philosophy toward deeds and actions based on a type of courtesy to one another promotes that fundamental principle of philosophy toward a more humane application of the skills one develops in the martial disciplines. 

As practiced in a dojo it reminds us of this and promotes that kind of moral turpitude in each practitioner and that is a good thing. It does not hide or block or dissuade us from seeing, feeling and hearing those human frailties from the instinctual natural need of conflict and violence. It has become about regulating how we exercise such violent practices.  

2. Karate ni sente nashi.
There is no first attack in karate.

This quote tends to be taken literally when it is not meant to be. It first must be understood that almost all violent conflicts are preceded by stages with definite warning signs. For instance, what is coined now as the “Monkey Dance,” as it applies to social violence you will find that it goes through the following stages until the fight is on, i.e., “Hard aggressive stare, a verbal challenge, closing the distance while showing signs of adrenal stress such as are swinging or chest bobbing or bumping, change in color or flushing skin, hand shaking, knuckles white, licking lips, and so on.”

Even before those warning signs appear there are things that occur that if you are situationally aware you can see what is coming. Even the asocial predatory violence has signs, different, such as the five stages of the attack, i.e., “Intent, the interview, positioning and then the attack and reaction.” 

If you are aware of what to look for you can avoid violence almost all the time. How does this apply to the quote, “Karate ni sente nashi?” 

First, avoidance is the hallmark and cornerstone of self-defense be it through karate or some other form including how you use verbal skills, etc. Most assume that you must to apply your physical skills against your adversary first or preemptively. Both the quote and the phrase/term preemptive are misunderstood in the application.

When you consider things like attack tells, i.e., stages along with using JAM or Jeopardy, ability and means, along with the stages of an attack or the signs of social conflict you can see, i.e., think of the gokui to see all sides, what is coming and therefore avoid using those physical techniques and avoid, deescalate, etc. therefore living up to the maxim of karate ni sente nashi. 

Another way to see this is if JAM is met, you failed the interview, he has positioned himself to attack - you saw it and failed to deter and avoid then you hit first, hit hard, hit often and do so until the threat is removed then you leave (assuming running away is unavailable that is). You are not violating the maxim of karate ni sente nashi because the actual attack was on way before you acted and because of your awareness you we able to attack before the attack thus utilizing your OODA loop, i.e., you shortened you line principle works, hitting the A part of the loop while your attacker is still in the positioning stage gearing up for the attack. 

Second, some believe that is why there is the rei or bow before each kata along with the first move being a defensive one. That too is a misnomer as those actions are more about the educational versions of karate created for the school systems in the early 1900’s, It is about the adaptation of Okinawan karate to the Japanese so it would be accepted and then utilized to prepare young adults for the upcoming WWII. The bow or rei comes from the concept of “Shikata” when karate was adopted and accepted by the Japanese culture. Things were added to make things culturally acceptable and as to implementation into the school system both that cultural aspect along with dumping it down to make it acceptable for training young adults ended up changing karate and the concept of there is no first attack in karate. 

It is not about taking an aggressive pre-emptive attack but simply achieving awareness so that you can avoid having to use karate first and preemptively because you wouldn’t use it that way unless you were already under attack and take this seriously when the first blow comes your way you can be assured that the attack was on long before that haymaker punch and that is when you counter-attack.

Counter-attack is a reaction and we all know that action is faster than reaction except in the case of awareness of the pre-attack tells or indicators. When you know that avoidance is not possible, when you know you have exhausted all the options including escape and when you know your adversary is getting into position to launch an attack by positioning then you attack preemptively, kinda since the attack was already on, making your actions actually actions over reactions therefore forcing the adversary into a reactive state or even better, causing them to jump back to the observe and orient stage of the OODA causing a freeze making your actions even faster. 

Karate ni sente nashi is not about the physical action or reaction, attack or counter-attack and it does mean more than the literal and understanding conflict and violence in all its forms along with the stages and signs preceeding any physical violence is what it is about. There is only one instance that defies this logic and that is the predatory process/resource surprise attack from the rear or back-side blitz where you will be reacting. That also is avoidable if situation awareness is not lost or temporarily distracted allowing the predatory to get at you, i.e., that made sure you passed the interview so he can attack, etc.

Not a simple quote or maxim but then again conflict, violence and self-defense are a very deep space type thing and goes way beyond the basics of karate, etc. 

3. Karate wa gi no tasuke.
Karate is an assistance to justice.

Justice is subjective but in a modern society that comes from the laws, rules, ordinances, procedures and process that govern while maintaining the cultural belief systems integrity. A part of the awareness of a practitioner must be the ability to see and hear how those variables of justice change according to location, society, culture and belief systems and how we blend in, adjust and follow the requirements to successfully travel through or live in that world. 

4. Mazu jiko wo shire, shikoshite tao wo shire.
Know yourself first, before you know others.

Self-awareness from attaining, studying and understanding concepts of human behavior as driven by those social, cultural and beliefs created toward tribal or social survival. You have to see what you see within and make those perceptions, perspectives and beliefs pliable toward acceptance, tolerance and change so we can achieve a balance where the knowledge and application of violence and violent conflict become unnecessary. It is about morality as dictated by the social norm, rules and requirements across boundaries of the same social tribal like socially accepted humans. 

5. Gijutsu yori shinjutsu.
Spirit before technique.

Spirit is often misunderstood as an aggressive application of martial disciplines where such spirit is necessary as a thermometer to measure the need for conflict and violence, i.e., conflict and violence inherent within each human therefore giving credence to the previous principle so that one can judge properly those same prinicples to those who are members of the tribe or tribes as a collective social tribe,

6. Kokoro wa hanatan koto wo yosu.
Be ready to free your mind.

Freeing your mind from the obstacles created by the mind of emotional actions and reactions toward a more human mind with logic and acceptance of self as well as others. The creation of a mind-set/mind-state that allows us to survive all of the obstacles that come from conflict and violence and violent conflicts. The mind must be free from past regrets and thoughts of doubt and it must not even allow any assumptions of future possibilities to muddy the waters of that present moment mind. Only the present and present moment mind from the effects and influences of the ego and emotions, something called the monkey brain, remaining present and in a state of “Mushin and Zanshin.” 

Only when the mind is free is one able to move freely in the mind, body and spirit and only in this way is one able to achieve master of the fundamental principles of the martial systems underlying all martial disciplines. 

Morpheus told Neo in the Matrix that he must, “Free his mind.” He was emphasizing that in the Matrix one has not limits if his mind is free, free from distractions, doubts and self-imposed limitations. Now, this is just a movie but the concept is a good one. When the mind is encumbered with doubts, distractions both external and self-imposed, and other self-imposed limitations on the physical and more importantly the mental then we experience defeat, defeat in all that we do. 

7. Wazawai wa getai ni shozu.
Accidents come from laziness.

Throught the mental, phsical and spiritual study and practice do we achieve a state of moving meditative mind-set/mind-state allowing us to see that continuous, diligent and hard effort are the way to achieve mastery in any endeavor and no other discipline achieves these goals as well as the martial systems if for no other reason than they often expose a practitioner to the conflict of violence where one can be gravely harmed and even killed. 

In violent conflicts one is exposed by a lack of awareness, knowledge and experience that can only be attained, gained and achieve progress by the effort and diligence applied in the trinaing, practice and application of martial prowess and this means from the moment of perception where one can avoid or use deescalation to the moment when actual physical levels of force are necessary to stop the threat, the adversary and the damage, i.e., the psychological, physical and economical. 

8. Dojo nomino karate to omou na.
Karate training goes beyond the dojo.

The driving principles and well as cultural beliefs created by practice, training and application of principles in actions and deeds must extend past the dojo walls as only in total immersion can one achieve the goals of the philosophy as well as perceptions, perspectives and beliefs necessary for survival in all aspects of life from the minor verbal disagreement to the full fledged all out blitz attack of surprise from a predator of process and resource asocial nature. 

9. Karate no shugyo wa issho de aru.
You will never stop learning in karate.

There is truly a limit to what you can learn physically. The physical of martial disciplines is where one sets limits on their ability because there are only so many ways that the human body can be applied in a physical violent encounter. When you consider the principles of both physiokinetics and techniques there are only so many although we practitioners tend to confuse those with variations on the same principle(s). A bit like the differences in styles, i.e., there is only karate, empty-hand, and the styles are created by the needs, wants and desires of the human practitioner. When one finds a way they can apply toward a philosophy, personal, and belief they find the applications take on a personal presentation and when ego enters the picture they create a style to make it unique to their training, practice and teachings. This attitude puts limits on learning by stifling creativity through dogmatic adherence to said Style.

The true learning comes from living a life under the teachings of martial disciplines, i.e., through theory where the limits are only limited by the expanse and openness of one’s mind, through physiokinetics applied in a chaotic ever-changing fluid dynamic application, the techniques that come from experience and the philosophy derived through a life time of study be it academic in nature while application toward the implementation of the mental, physical and spiritual growth of each moment experienced that creates and grows and prospers as a personal ever changing philosophy.   

10. Arai-yuru mono wo karate-ka seyo, soko ni myo-mi ari.
Apply karate to everything. Therein lies it’s beauty.

When exposed beyond the obvious and the literal one begins to expand the mind beyond the immediate perceptions, beliefs and perspective limited by not exposing oneself to the world beyond the immediate mind state, environment and experiences. The experiences of other environmental, cultural and beliefs of those environments and humans beyond our tribal influences and experiences. 

11. Karate wa yu no goto shi taezu natsudo wo ataezareba moto no mizu ni kaeru.
Karate is like boiling water. If not given heat, it will go cold.

Energy is necessary and the expenditure of energy generates heat and heat generates power and force. If the principles are given merely lip-service then like the water on the stove will not begin to heat and boil if the energy or fire or ki is not ignited by the mind and spirit. All the principles as driven by the mind, the spirit and the body give correct pathways to allow energy to flow, the flow of energy without obstacles and restrictions provide us with limitless power and force. It is this power and force that allows us to apply our martial prowess, i.e., applications in awareness, avoidance, deescalation and levels of force also being how we communicate, control our minds toward a logical human way over the monkey brain emotional irrationality to achieve great things. 

12. Katsu kangae wa motsu na makenu kangae wa hitsuyo.
Do not think of winning. Instead, think that you must never lose.

It is not about winning and it is not about losing, a misconception due to the times, culture, environment and beliefs of the person writing the principles. Forms of articulation, a very critical part of martial arts and self-defense, were limited for a variety of reasons of one which was a lack of education resulted in the best that could be conveyed at those times. Modern times has created a more articulate teaching that are enhanced by visual, auditory and tactile forms of learning, teaching and understanding. 

When conflict and violence are involved it is not about winning and losing but about survival, the survival of both parties. It is about freeing the mind from strategies and tactics that will only apply toward winning. It is about our concept of what a win is and that limits our options as well. It falls toward our mind-set and mind-state so that our actions are driven by our goal of survival. Running away is often never considered as a tactic or strategy because of its conception of not winning but losing, but what. If one survives, lives and can continue then running away, when possible and available, is a solid goal, a solid strategy and a solid tactic. Never limit options by labeling our goals, tactics and strategies by a mind-set/mind-state that conceives winning in a specified way but rather a way open to all possibilities. A kind of win-win strategy with no limits or restrictions as long as you “get-r-done.” 

13. Tekki ni yotte tenka seyo.
Make adjustments according to your opponent.

Fluidity, acceptance of all things as fluid, not hindered or restricted by anything but of the nature that allows us to create dynamically what is needed to achieve ending the threat. No one person acts the same way every time, no one way will get the job done and all ways are subject to both success and failure that is determined by pure chaotic chance. We can limit that by our diligence, effort and application of goals, tactics and strategies as long as we don’t fall for that comfort through familiarity, rhythm and set patterns, i.e., great as an introduction but a killer if you dogmatically stay there and fail to achieve shu-ha-ri. 

14. Tattakai wa kyo-jitsu no soju ikan ni ari.
The outcome of a fight depends on how you handle weaknesses and strengths.

Let is start with the greatest weakness of all combatives, fighting and self-defense. Reality, a reality based adrenal stress conditioning program that must exist within any martial effort, training and practice. Only a few can actually achieve and accumulate the experience necessary to deal with the adrenal stress chemical flood experienced in violent conflicts so exposure becomes critical in the training and practice stages. This leaves one final step, the step each individual has to make to leap across the chasm that divides theory from reality where one earns and gains experience. 

15. Hito no te ashi wo ken to omoe.
Think of hands and feet as swords.

In reality we must think, believe and trust that our minds are our swords and that we must keep the mind sharp and open and present. Our hands and feet become tools and extensions of the mind be it assuming a body posture that is non-threatening yet conveys ability and commitment so that the mind can cut deeply into the conflict and possible violence in achieving avoidance and/or deescalation. The goal is to survive and go home safe and that is the best weapon, the mind, we can apply as to strategy and tactics to end a threat. We see this when one FAILS the interview process and the predator veers off looking for easier prey, that is mind power. 

The hands and feet can also assume positioning that states emphatically that you are ready, able and committed yet allow the mind to strike out using verbal skills in conjunction to covey a face saving out for both the attacker/adversary and yourself, a win-win outcome, this is how one thinks when practicing karate. 

16. Danshi mon wo izureba hyakuman no tekki ari.
When you step outside your own gate, you face a million enemies.

In truth a bit hyper as creating a mind-set/mind-state that relies heavily on hyper-vigilance, Such a state is exhausting, inappropriate and debilitating in time leaving one vulnerable. When you leave your environment with all the principles intact and in play you remain vigilant in a state dependent on environmental conditions and your awareness levels where a more pleasing vigilance prevails until alarms are triggered where the ability to switch to a more combat vigilance takes command. In the times facing enemies outside your gate may have applied but in modern times it is more about an ability to perceive danger and safety on the fly. The only true constant enemy is yourself, your mind-set and your mind-state - if balanced then it is productive toward safety, security and ability. 

17. Kamae wa shoshinsha ni ato wa shizentai.
Fixed positions are for beginners: later, one moves naturally.

There are three phases or stages of practice, training and application of martial arts in self-defense called, “Shu-ha-ri.” Shu stages are where one learns all the intricacies and principles to make things work and those intricacies are atomistic in nature. One will be overwhelmed and overcome by the amount of teachings but with diligence, patience and time one leans and encodes such things where in the next stage, the “Ha” stage, one starts to blend, mix and create from that base of knowledge and experiences. This leap from shu to ha is the most difficult leap one will need to make in order to truly learn and apply martial disciplines in life let alone in a violent conflict. 

The idea conveyed here is a terse form that one must study like Zen koans to understand and achieve levels of enlightenment. It supports and validates all the principles because without that patience, effort, diligence, sweat, etc. one will fail to make the leap for that chasm will remain too far and wide to cross. 

18. Kata wa tadashiku jissen wa betsu mono.
Kata is practiced perfectly, real fight is another thing.

Basics, kata and even sparring, as well as the various drills, are about the shu levels of teaching and learning. It is about practicing those fundamental principles of martial systems so that they are applied naturally and with efficiency. These practices are about feeling and applying principles where actual combatives will derive from those leanings, understandings and applications of a dynamic nature. The perfection at this level encodes the mind and body into a symbiotic holistic one like yin-yang in balance. 

Actual self-defense, the fight, must be able to trigger the lizard brain, instincts, that are trained in this fashion where the missing link in most systems is implemented toward redirecting instincts toward proper applications from reality based adrenal stress conditioning type of programs. That actually sets things in stone so they work at the worst possible time and will actually draw from training rather than defaulting to the freeze, flight and resist model, etc.

19. Chikara no kyojaku, karada no shinshuku, waza no kankyu wo wasaruna.
Hard and soft, tension and relaxation, quick and slow, all connected in the technique.

Merely describes what was once indescribable or articulable now refereed to as physiokinetics (in the early days it was referred to as body mechanics, etc.). 

20. Tsune ni shinen kufu seyo.
Think of ways to apply these precepts every day.


A repeat of another principle, i.e., where emphasis switches to the twenty guiding principles of karate as stated by Gichin Funakoshi Sensei of Shotokan karate-do. 

Thursday, April 23, 2015

Commercialism: The Bane of the Traditional MA World

Caveat: This article is mine and mine alone. I the author of this article assure you, the reader, that any of the opinions expressed here are my own and are a result of the way in which my meandering mind interprets a particular situation and/or concept. The views expressed here are solely those of the author in his private capacity and do not in any way represent the views of other martial arts and/or conflict/violence professionals or authors of source materials. It should be quite obvious that the sources I used herein have not approved, endorsed, embraced, friended, liked, tweeted or authorized this article. (Everything I think and write is true, within the limits of my knowledge and understanding. Oh, and just because I wrote it and just because it sounds reasonable and just because it makes sense, does not mean it is true.) 

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

I was reading an old Black Belt article that was scanned and shared on a Facebook wall. It reminded me that commercialism has been and may always be a bane to the traditional practice of martial arts but I am going to step on the line because I now believe that for many reasons that excuse is just not valid. 

The article simply begins by saing that going commercial to make a living from teaching martial arts was wrong because it left out many of the aspects that made a martial art a martial art such as, “black-marketing budo,” and that commercial dojo failed to teach, “the philosophy and moral principles of the oriental arts.” 

Let me address these two quotes first before I continue my viewpoint, black-marketing budo is impossible since that term or expression actually says that it must be sold to customers to circumvent the law that states budo is illegal, such hogwash. This is merely a sound bite to inflame and trigger an emotional reaction toward some loss we might encounter when budo as a concept and philosophical teaching is not something you can put in a wheel barrow. Get over it, your reacting to your emotionally driven monkey brain and that is illogical to say the least.

The second quote says that a commercial dojo is not conveying and teaching the Oriental Arts philosophy and moral principles. Again, that is an emotionally charged sound bite that also triggers our monkey brains emotional brain thereby blocking any type of logical human brain thinking just to sell a point of view. A point of view that I personally feel is ludicrous, stupid and defeatist. In this and the other instance it comes more from those professing such dribble as a lack of self-esteem both personally and martially that if they don’t do the same, go commercial, that they may somehow lose that connection to the traditions of the art or system or discipline, poppy-cock.

Here is the first rub that refutes such ludicrous claims, no one or at least hardly any one in the martial arts communities know, let alone practice, either an Asian Philosophy or know how to apply, teach and practice toward fundamental principles of oriental arts. Most traditionalists of that time and even today teach a sport and give lip service to philosophies and principles over competitions, etc., with trophies and accolades to provide instant gratifications over the more esoteric teachings that some believe are traditional. In other words, those traditionalists who scream such things are not traditional as traditional philosophies and principles would not even give a moments thought to the commercialism issue let alone comment. 

I will say that there has been a concerted effort in the last decade or so to acquire a more Asian related philosophical view and practice of martial arts. There is also a more concerted effort to bring back a more reality based teaching so that today’s martial arts would be more appropriately taught for self-defense, combatives, etc., while holding on to the sport aspects as well.

Except for the “Koryu Based” efforts most martial arts of today are more about a Western/American (in my view and perspective) philosophy and principles that suit modern times in lieu of ancient teachings for prosperity and historical reasons and beliefs, i.e., a traditional/classic perspective.

Now, as to commercialism directly. What most cry loudest about is already mentioned above but I will add in things like, “If it were possible for those crying the tune of commercialism bad, traditional good may be from their fear of failure and loss of followers (notice I say followers vs. students or practitioners) that would hit that emotional monkey who fears change, etc. 

Don’t get me wrong, there are those charlatans who will skew and use a commercial aspect for money but they usually fail after they fleece the unexpected and move on to the next thing. These unscrupulous folks are in every discipline and like spammers of todays electronic age will be there in the years to follow as long as they can sucker someone into falling for their crap. That does not mean that a traditional oriented martial discipline cannot earn a living with their teachings. 

The proof is in the pudding because there are far more commercial oriented dojo, etc., than traditional non-commercial venues to teach and learn martial arts. In fact, if not for commercialism karate, in all probability, or martial arts would have gone the way of the do-do bird long ago yet it has survived and survived in many unique ways and forms. 

I also believe to adhere dogmatically to a non-commercial traditional/classical form without change and growth for the times in which we live is actually going against those same Asian philosophical and principled teachings. There has been and always will be a blending as the discipline is passed down from generation to generation.

I can say that what I have learned and understand today for martial arts, disciplines and practices comes from all forms of teachings to include a commercialized perspective. 

Fear is a mind killer and in this case also contributes to the death of any discipline for to ignore and resist change is to kill that which has value because stagnation always results in death and loss. This fear of commercialism, thankfully, died (mostly, although it does rear its ugly head every once in a while) and we still have karate and other MA today, yeah!


Note: The scrupulous practitioners and teachers have the skills necessary to remain true to their system, dojo, style and origins so commercialism is not a bane but an opportunity, an opportunity to achieve a goal, success and still remain true to their art, style and discipline. Only those less capable will resort to the tactics and strategies that would subvert and degrade the system, style or discipline. Isn’t that the true way, the philosophy and principles that drive a traditional/classical teaching?

There are and always will be McDojo, get over it. 

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Martial Virtues (Budo Bitoku [武道美徳])

Caveat: This article is mine and mine alone. I the author of this article assure you, the reader, that any of the opinions expressed here are my own and are a result of the way in which my meandering mind interprets a particular situation and/or concept. The views expressed here are solely those of the author in his private capacity and do not in any way represent the views of other martial arts and/or conflict/violence professionals or authors of source materials. It should be quite obvious that the sources I used herein have not approved, endorsed, embraced, friended, liked, tweeted or authorized this article. (Everything I think and write is true, within the limits of my knowledge and understanding. Oh, and just because I wrote it and just because it sounds reasonable and just because it makes sense, does not mean it is true.) 

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

The characters/ideograms mean, “Martial virtues.” The first two characters/ideograms mean, “Budo; martial arts; military arts; Bushido.” The second two characters/ideograms mean, “Bitoku; virtue.” The first character means, “Warrior; military; chivalry; arms,” the second character means, “Road-way; street; district; journey; course; moral; teachings,” the third character means, “beauty; beautiful,” the fourth character means, “benevolence; virtue; goodness; commanding respect.” 

Martial virtues is about the development of a military oriented virtue, i.e., goodness, righteousness, morality, integrity, dignity, honor, decency, respectability, worthiness, purity, etc., that drive the use of violent conflict to solve socially driven issues between differing nations. This drives down toward a more personal or person-to-person combative method that comes from the same set of virtues. 

Budo Bitoku, martial virtues, is about those more esoteric fundamental principles of martial systems whereby things like moral turpitude is combated so that the power of martial disciplines are not set to violate such virtues as righteousness, morality and integrity. It is about making the dangerous and often destructive forces of martial disciplines to be directed toward a more virtuous and righteous, etc. direction. 

If we fail to instill budo bitoku into the spirit of the martial practitioner then were merely provide another human predator with the combative tools to use against others. The only way to combat such depravity of a system like martial arts is to train our practitioners toward a budo bitoku or martial virtuous way of practice, training and, most important, application of martial arts.  


It is the hope through the integration of all fundamental principles of martial systems we provide character development through wisdom, courage and compassion that budo bitoku that is the essence and corner stone of all martial disciplines. 

Friday, April 10, 2015

The Small and The Large

Caveat: This article is mine and mine alone. I the author of this article assure you, the reader, that any of the opinions expressed here are my own and are a result of the way in which my meandering mind interprets a particular situation and/or concept. The views expressed here are solely those of the author in his private capacity and do not in any way represent the views of other martial arts and/or conflict/violence professionals or authors of source materials. It should be quite obvious that the sources I used herein have not approved, endorsed, embraced, friended, liked, tweeted or authorized this article. (Everything I think and write is true, within the limits of my knowledge and understanding. Oh, and just because I wrote it and just because it sounds reasonable and just because it makes sense, does not mean it is true.) 

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.

“Know the smallest things and the biggest things, the shallowest things and the deepest things. As if it were a straight road mapped out on the ground, the first book is called the ground book.” - Miyamoto Musashi

The ground holds the foundation, the foundation those things that make for a complete structure capable of standing the test of time. Only in this way can one achieve master over any discipline. The discipline that is mastered leads to the understanding of many disciplines regardless of content. It allows us to see, feel and hear all the myriad things due to the inter-connectedness of Earh, the ground, the support of the foundation of all disciplines. All rely on how the foundation is laid, it must be laid by knowing, understanding and mastering the smallest of things, the biggest of things, the shallowest of things and the depth of things. All things are built on the foundation and the foundation is built on the ground, the Earth. 

Heaven and Earth denote: Heaven signifies night and day, cold and head, times and seasons, hard and soft, waxing and waning and other phenomena.  Earth comprises of distances (maai, etc), danger, security, open ground and narrow passes, the chance of life and death where man stands on the virtues of wisdom, sincerity, benevolence, courage and strictness. 

Man is the fulcrum of Heave and Earth where heart relates to the ebb and flow of both. Man, humans, are a microcosm of Heaven and Earth, i.e., heart, blood, hardness and softness, balance and unbalance, directions, when and when not to take the opportunity, seeing all things, hearing all things and the ability to adjust and change accordingly. 

Heave and Earth direct and drive all of nature as to balance and equilibrium and by symbiosis govern that of humans internally and externally according the the yin-yang that is the one wholehearted myriad things of the Universe that was born of the singularity called, “The One.” The One is the Way, the Way is the map of life as laid out in the singularity mono-path that is time, time being the straight road that maps out on the ground of time, the path that one follows that is both small and large.

Alls things are driven this way such as the method and discipline that governs martial prowess and mastery. It is in this “Way” that one achieves success, morality, contentment, peace and tranquility in all the myriad things that comprise life’s roads paved in conflict and violence as in nature from pleasant weather to that which lifts the waves of the ocean to such stature of tidal and tsunami proportions. 


The smallest and largest of man: humanity or benevolence; uprightness of mind; self-respect; self-control; proper feelings; wisdom; sincerity or good faith. 

Those who can, do; those who can’t, teach.

Caveat: This article is mine and mine alone. I the author of this article assure you, the reader, that any of the opinions expressed here are my own and are a result of the way in which my meandering mind interprets a particular situation and/or concept. The views expressed here are solely those of the author in his private capacity and do not in any way represent the views of other martial arts and/or conflict/violence professionals or authors of source materials. It should be quite obvious that the sources I used herein have not approved, endorsed, embraced, friended, liked, tweeted or authorized this article. (Everything I think and write is true, within the limits of my knowledge and understanding. Oh, and just because I wrote it and just because it sounds reasonable and just because it makes sense, does not mean it is true.) 

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.

Those who can, do; those who can’t, teach.

“There are those that know who do, there are those who understand who teach, there are those who know and understand then there are those who did it and who do not do it now but still teach. Some think that it is about those who can, do; those who can’t, teach but they forget those who can, did, and teach even if they can do, they chose not to do and still teach. 

What this is about is that old maxim of, “Those who can, do; those who can’t, teach.” It is because this maxim is totally inaccurate because there are so many who can, who do and who did; all dependent on how one approaches and does that thing. There are people who do something well who can do that something for a living but make a conscious decision to not do that something for a living. Often, they do that something well, they can do it, but choose to do it for the pure pleasure of doing that something, while some will assume that people who are not able to do that something will still make a living by teaching, something. That is ludicrous, to do something whether for teaching or for doing you still have to have some level of knowledge and some ability of doing that something in order to do either. 

Often what I find to be true is one person will present this statement from a perspective and understanding that is nonexistent in regard to what it is someone can do vs. someone who can’t as a means to encourage them in a negative way through suppositions to force one to do something or not do something. 

Example: I am so discourages. My teacher said my attempt at writing a story is hopeless. Person: Don’t listen to that teacher, remember that those who can do, do; those who cannot do, teach. Pure unadulterated bullshit. On the surface it sounds good, a good sound bite but in reality it is a controlling verbal negative given often by those who are trying to self-sooth and promote their own agenda’s. 

In my life I have experienced many who can do, who teach, yet who shouldn’t teach simply because although they are highly proficient in what the can do they are not highly proficient in teaching - anything. Granted, those who cannot do may not want to be a teacher but in reality they could be a teacher and a doer, just not very good at either then sometimes that person through their efforts can be an outstanding teacher. 

Then there is the whole entire perspective that those who can do, do. Those who can do, often teach either in tandem with doing or after they are done, doing. Take football, many professional and successful football players will retire from “Doing” and take a position either teaching as a coach or presenting the game through a media position where they are NOT DOING but commenting and/or teaching. Does this make them less a person who can do, i.e., those who can’t, teach or comment/present commentary? 

Maybe this is why such statements are called, “Idioms.” An idiom is a statement that usually does not make sense such as “Kick the bucket or hand one’s head.” They are meant to convey some type of meaning as indirectly expressed by an individual but since it is not meant to make sense you have to wonder why they would say/use such a statement or idiom. 

It may be that the person uses such idioms to disguise there true meaning. It may be that such idioms tend to present a personal presupposition where saying it is actually a verbal attack toward who it is directed, i.e., in other words because you teach you must not be able to do that thing therefore your input is wrong or stupid or false or whatever the recipient might insert from their response of the attack. It is a way to attack another person while appearing to be magnanimous, enlightened and experienced in the thing doing or done or taught. 

Some who teach, teach from academic ability while some who teach, teach from experience and some who teach, teach from experience and knowledge both from that experience and from an academic study of the discipline. 

If you hear the statement, “Those who can, do; those who can’t, teach,” look at it as a verbal attack by someone who lacks confidence and self-esteem who has to resort to such underhanded presuppositions to attack the integrity of others while self-soothing themselves in lieu of accepting their lack of confidence and esteem. Know that the attack is from such a person, it is not personal and then allow your human brain to deal with it accordingly. 

Personal Example: I have practiced, trained and taught karate for a long time. In the first few decades I actually did “Do” and actually did “Teach.” Then I decided to stop “Teaching” so I could focus on my personal practice and training in karate as an art, as a philosophy and as a means to apply self-defense should I ever have a need for it. It was not until I stopped “doing (as in teaching with others)” that I started a wholehearted study of martial systems, disciplines and arts. It was then that I took up another discipline, the art of writing. I can, do writing and I don’t teach because like my early years in the dojo I would “Do my karate and Teach it.” I was a student the first part, an associate teacher the second part and a teacher who did “Do it” as well until I reached this current part of study and writing about this subject. No where is there a distinction that is separate as to what one “Does” vs. what one “Can do or cannot do” as it applies to “Doing and/or Teaching.” 

Like the concept of yin-yang, it is a matter of doing and teaching be it doing it in the dojo vs. doing it in seclusion along with teaching hands-on in the dojo or teaching through the medium of the written word via blogs and social media outlets. It is often a blending of many things and often the degree and level of what you do and what you teach or what you do and teach. It is NEVER such a distinct separateness that divides and isolates either or to achieve a goal. 

I look at it as a blend where doing and teaching are symbiotic in nature that give to each other to gain mastery. I like to have students teach new students and such because they will see things from another angle allowing them to learn and understand, teaching will do that. 

Example: Mr. <name here> was a doer and still is a doer but what he does has changed. He began doing by doing and that taught him a lot and over time he actually stopped doing one apsect of his profession to “DO” another aspect of his profession and that entailed “Teaching.” As a teacher he was not denigrated because he was no longer “Doing” an aspect of his profession even tho he was “Doing” while “Teaching” in another aspect of his profession. Now, he has taking off or retired from “Doing his profession, both aspects (or even more aspects as I am not familiar with all that he did in his profession)” and now is doing other things where he teaches by both doing it as a teacher for hands-on training along with doing it as a writer in his books. Then we add that he is doing in other media like videos but that also involves his teaching. Kind of what I am saying, the best of both worlds but in the beginning he was”doing his job” and thereby increasing his knowledge, abilities and proficiency that lead to his doing and teaching today. That kind of takes that idiom and puts it out to pasture.


So, if you hear someone say it or you find yourself saying it, “STOP.” Find something else to do and leave the ones you were saying it to or going to say it to alone, they don’t deserve such verbal violence. 

Thursday, April 9, 2015

Bunkai, Why? (or as the old song says, “Hm, what is it good for, absolutely notnin … say it again!)

Caveat: 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.

This article is mine and mine alone. I the author of this article assure you, the reader, that any of the opinions expressed here are my own and are a result of the way in which my meandering mind interprets a particular situation and/or concept. The views expressed here are solely those of the author in his private capacity and do not in any way represent the views of other martial arts and/or conflict/violence professionals or authors of source materials. It should be quite obvious that the sources I used herein have not approved, endorsed, embraced, friended, liked, tweeted or authorized this article. (Everything I think and write is true, within the limits of my knowledge and understanding. Oh, and just because I wrote it and just because it sounds reasonable and just because it makes sense, does not mean it is true.)

Why bunkai? Well, it provides us information but the real question is what information and to what purpose? What the hell is this guy talking about, again, on bunkai? It is my contention that the purpose of bunkai and its study makes or breaks the relevance and applicability of bunkai.

Some say it lends authenticity to the study of martial systems. Some say it is an academic endeavor to understand the system and those kata within those systems. Some say it is to learn how to apply combat tactics. Some say it is about teaching. On a semi-regular basis I most often hear that bunkai teaches you how to fight and are the answers to using martial arts for self-defense. Is this or any of it true?

What I have come to conclude is that bunkai is about social connectedness in the dojo. It is about adding curricula to a bloated syllabus to give an impression of substance, depth and breadth of a system of teaching. It is a lot about self-delusions toward a mind-state of power and ability that will likely never be tested or proved outside of sport and the dojo environment. 

Most who profess and work on bunkai have never been in a fight, nor combat and never had to apply anything in self-defense. One of modern times great things is most will never have to worry about or encounter the type of conflict and violence that requires one fight and defend. It is easy to carry the delusion when you will never have to test them or apply them in a self-defense and/or combative situation. 

In one karate system proponents brag about how many kata and how many kata bunkai they know. It is like having the large quantity of knowledge means you are a great martial artist and that may be true in a vary narrow band, i.e., the Way of karate as a self-improvement and enlightenment system that never has to fight or defend, ever. Knowing this and accept this is the distinction over a defensive system be it martial arts or something else altogether. 

When one says, “I believe I practice karate, a form of empty handed combat … ,” with no experience in combat, in the fight and in self-defense with absolute no experience or training or practice in reality based adrenal stress flooding conditioning then I feel like I am hearing a self-soothing proclamation of knowledge, ability, proficiency and experience that does not exist. 

Bunkai simply gives a lot of folks something to talk about, something to fill in those long and boring hours of practice and something that provides a sense of accomplishment that in reality is nothing more than filler. How many of them learn, train and TEST those bunkai in a real fight, i.e., the social monkey dance all the way up to the predatory process/resource violent encounter? How many of them even simply test thoroughly their bunkai from a position such as a sudden, aggressive, surprise attack from behind or from the side rear zone that puts them into a crowded, unbalanced and structurally disrupted position where the OO bounce grabs you and places you into a repeated loop, i.e., the freeze? 

Mostly, in most places I have participated including many of my own dojo teaching sessions, I see them go through the motions of this technique has this bunkai and then expand on how many variances that are achieved to present other applications and techniques that never get used and never get tested in any real and realistic way. Who actually has the experience to test and validate such bunkai and then think, do we really need to know and practice all those distinct and separate bunkai? Are we not merely flooding our minds with stuff that the brain, neither human or monkey or lizard, can make hide nor hare of in a clench let alone under both situational and adrenal stresses and effects? 

Is the truth of bunkai an answer to something we fear deeply and want to truly avoid by flooding our minds with trivia in the form of bunkai so we delude ourselves into believing all of this activity keeps us out of harms way? 

Isn’t it about time we truly consider that our practice of karate is NOT a practice toward empty handed COMBAT or FIGHTING or DEFENSE but rather a means of social bonding, clubbing with friends in a dojo environment, etc.? 

Hmmmmmmm, something to think about, something to consider and something to test and validate toward a more appropriate and relevant endeavor. Then again, who really is going to give a shit?

In closing, I believe bunkai are important. I believe bunkai can and does teach how to fight and defend. I believe wholeheartedly that to study and practice the model called bunkai takes a more realistic and reality based validation process not found in many systems. I do believe that there are dojo and martial artists out there doing just that, teaching reality based adrenal flood conditioning bunkai. I also believe that more important than bunkai is our goals in self-defense. Like principles, goals will get-r-done faster than a lot of bunkai, etc., as principles are better than techniques so are goals better than bunkai and so on. I do believe I have come to understand the differences and distinctions. I believe bunkai are tools, tools to teach at the novice levels but don’t necessarily transition into a more progressive level of teaching, practicing and learning - think shu-ha-ri.

Thanks to Mark Cook, this display is for entertainment purposes and training, it is not
used as an example for my article, merely a window dressing. Cook Sensei's book
of Oldman Bunkai/Boobishi is a comic relief serious work that I would highly
recommend be added to the martial artist library of all practitioners. 
The following lyrics, simply replace “WAR” with “BUNKAI” :-)