tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62618196799321201402024-02-20T06:06:42.199-08:00My Personal Martial Philosophy<center>A vanilla blog. No techniques, no styles, and no systems. I post on my personal theories, ideas and viewpoints about martial philosophy, martial arts and self defense. I am nobody, please enjoy the blog. </center>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01716269250048431690noreply@blogger.comBlogger513125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261819679932120140.post-29682703664101482872018-01-15T08:36:00.001-08:002018-01-15T08:36:04.215-08:00Apologies, Sorry Folks<div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
But, I have not posted on the blogs for a while not because I don’t have something to write about but rather I have done like so many others in martial arts and karate. I have created a FBGroup where I now post and participate in other like groups.</div>
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If you wish to catch up on what I have posted you can find me on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/685893778285658/">FaceBook HERE</a>. The group is open to everyone to read and if you wish to make comments please click the join button. </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01716269250048431690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261819679932120140.post-1498882234507327362017-11-29T09:06:00.002-08:002017-11-29T09:06:26.240-08:00Challenging the Status Quo<div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<a href="http://isshindo.blogspot.com/2015/06/articles-caveat-blog.html">Blog Article/Post Caveat</a> (Read First Please: Click the Link)</div>
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Yeah, that would be what I feel I am doing for myself and if that causes others to do the same through my articles, posts and comments than all the better especially if that happens in a forward progressive way. </div>
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We, as a species, are very comfortable with status quo as it provides security in a psychological way that says comfort while providing fodder for our beleif systems all tied to the survival instinct as well as the one the drives our procreation. Now doesn’t that sound grand?</div>
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Regardless, if we get too comfortable and rely to heavily on that comfortable patterned way then we open ourselves to being vulnerable and susceptible to grave harm and death. Remember, there are gradients to that last of harm and death, we are subjected to all sorts of levels that cause us harm and harm comes from both the physical as well as psychological. </div>
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The only way to learn, to grow, to progress and to create is to open the mind and way to things that will make you uncomfortable. The only way to learn, to grow, to progress and to create is to exchange, communicate and group-analyze all sorts of data and experiences because, wait for it, that is the only way our species evolves and that evolutionary process is the only way our species survives. </div>
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Now, I hear the mind churning out there reading this and want to express this, “If you think this more aggressive view is not also exactly what happens in every day life and every day stimuli, etc., then you need to step back and open the mind.” When our species ventures out of the bubble that surrounds each of us to allow others to encounter us then friction gets involved and with friction comes the obstacles that often lead to the very things we assume are now “safe.” </div>
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In particular, in the martial arts communities with emphasis on Okinawan Karate (I started out with Oki-Isshinryu in 79 after a decade dabbling), I tend to challenge things if I perceive something out of kilter. Not to disparage or refute the practices and beliefs of any sources that I question but to create a communications channel between all parties to fact check, analyze, discuss, practice and test, apply in as realistic way according to the intent of said practice then synthesize it into something appropriate for the times, cultures and environment in which it is utilized. </div>
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I don’t advocate changing the core or essence or cornerstone of your beginnings, i.e., style or system since you chose it to fit your needs, desires and personalities. But, as I wrote about in another venue, you can create a more appropriate model using your original as the foundation. If you don’t then you remain stagnant in something that was appropriate at one time but may not be for you now. </div>
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It is about learning those things that are easily passed on so that we evolve, evolve as a species and as martial artists and as karate-ka.</div>
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Try it, you’ll like it and remember that if anyone, especially Sensei, balks at your questioning the status quo, it is likely that he is actually fearful and assumes you are challenging him or her rather than the system. We all as practitioners tend to dedicate a lot of effort both psychologically and physically in what we do to sometimes the point that any change seems like being challenged as to self rather than the model involved. </div>
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I believe wholeheartedly in Isshinryu! I practiced the way Sensei taught me as his Sensei taught him and almost fell into that dogmatic adherence to the way resisting any challenge or change until one day, I experienced an “Oh Shit Moment.” Since that day, I challenge the status quo, I question things and I challenge concepts and applications and philosophies - It Ain’t about YOU - so that I may understand, progress, grow and apply my understanding in all that I do - The point here is that we as a species and as a society have one inalienable right, to make decisions and to change. </div>
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“Make it So!”</div>
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<span style="color: #888888; font-kerning: none;"><a href="http://mymartialselfdefensephilosophy.blogspot.com/2013/11/bibliography.html">Bibliography</a></span><span style="font-kerning: none;"> (Click the link)</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01716269250048431690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261819679932120140.post-47009472558693825262017-11-22T09:47:00.000-08:002017-11-22T09:47:17.797-08:00Okinawan Isshinryu - It’s in the Brand Name<div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<a href="http://isshindo.blogspot.com/2015/06/articles-caveat-blog.html">Blog Article/Post Caveat</a> (Read First Please: Click the Link)</div>
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Branding is a concept we are all familiar with here in the America’s and elsewhere as well, it is what we use to symbolize things that are important to us as individual, as groups or clans or tribes as as a culture and society as a whole. </div>
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In recent conversations in the karate, and especially the Isshinryu, communities there has been various thoughts thrown around about Tatsuo-san’s Isshinryu as a name brand for his karate. Some say that if you change anything, as if the old adage applied “if it is good, don’t change it” holds special significance especially in the karate and Isshinryu communities. There is the belief, held near and dear to many, that any change in what we all feel Tatsuo-san taught as Isshinryu karate warrants a complete change in the name out of respect for him and his work.</div>
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Then, while mourning the loss of a family member today, the creative side of me in an effort to deflect certain feelings that one like me, a Intra-stoic (introvert-stoic) person, led me to think of Isshinryu as a brand name symbolic to the very creation of Tatsuo-san - I feel that is good.</div>
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Here is one for you and we all of a certain age can relate to it, Isshinryu is a brand and so is the automobile, “Ford.” Now, everyone knows and recognizes Ford and all of us of a certain age have fond memories of all the Ford’s we chose as our car. The great thing is this, when Ford, the man, first created and built the very first Ford it set in motion something that would span decades and lead into a variety of avenues such as racing cars and so on. </div>
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Now, if Ford and his followers had taken the mind-set that any change to the Ford required, in honor of Mr. Ford, one change the name then would we still have Fords? What to do, what to do, and the answer came through the creative processes of Ford and his staff, models - create models that hold to the very basic fundamental traits that make Ford, “A Ford.” We will call them models such as, “Ford Fairlane or … wait for it … Ford Mustang!” </div>
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Regardless of any changes that come on purpose or naturally by those who practice Isshinryu in truth and essence the very foundation, the core or corner stone of the dojo that Tatsuo-san built, is Isshinryu. Even when changes are instituted it doesn’t really change the very core of Isshinryu, it means the person or people have taken, “Isshinryu,” and created a model of that brand and system. </div>
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This seems to me to be honorable way to honor Tatsuo-san who himself continued to make ongoing changes in his perception and belief of Isshinryu all the way up to his final days. Yet, even he didn’t change the brand, the name, the title of “Isshinryu.” He simply changed the cosmetics of Isshinryu to suit is continued creative analysis and synthesis of his way of karate. We all accept that as truth, fundamentally, and yet some of us refuse to follow his way, as he professed he wanted all of his students to do, by owning Isshinryu and making it an American way while paying tribute to him, his beliefs and his culture - both personal and societal. </div>
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Remember, as I do, that all the luminaries, i.e., “Mitchum, Nagle, Long, Armstrong and Advincula” all have provided different versions of Isshinryu while all claiming to have stayed true to the original taught to them all by Tatsuo-san yet, “Why are there differences?” In truth, because all of them as we are all human and as a species unique in many ways where perceptions, intentions and applications in life and the dojo affect the very Isshinryu they practiced and that, in truth and reality, was paying homage and honor to Tatsuo-san.</div>
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In the end, as long as the essence of Isshinryu is there, there is no need to change the name but it might serve all of the Isshinryu community both historically traditional and the modern by using in the Dojo name something unique to the dojo while keeping Isshinryu as the inspiration and foundation that makes that dojo, unique.</div>
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One of the reasons I branded my dojo, a long time ago, “Isshin-do.” It was Isshinryu and it was my interpretation even tho, at that time, I worked hard to remain steadfast in the way it was passed to me by my Sensei.</div>
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Don’t make the mistake of making the Isshinryu brand anything other then a symbol of Tatsuo-san’s creative energetic creation but do adjust the model you teach to both give due to Tatsuo-san’s Isshinryu and to your own efforts as I tried to do so long ago.</div>
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<span style="color: #888888; font-kerning: none;"><a href="http://mymartialselfdefensephilosophy.blogspot.com/2013/11/bibliography.html">Bibliography</a></span><span style="font-kerning: none;"> (Click the link)</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01716269250048431690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261819679932120140.post-23037219028435591272017-10-28T11:30:00.002-07:002017-10-28T11:30:11.513-07:00Tradition - Traditional Martial Disciplines<div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<a href="http://isshindo.blogspot.com/2015/06/articles-caveat-blog.html">Blog Article/Post Caveat</a> (Read First Please: Click the Link)</div>
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Traditional is bandied about a lot in the martial disciplines but seldom do we get a solid accepted definition of what you think is traditional in martial arts, martial disciplines and karate. So, I came across a writing newsletter that talked about tradition and another term but we are going to stick with tradition. </div>
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<span style="color: #0433ff;">She wrote, </span>“Tradition comes from traditionem, referring to an act of delivery or handing over; the adjectival and adverbial forms are traditional and traditionally. (Trad occasionally appears as a slang abbreviation of traditional.) Adherence to tradition is called traditionalism, and one who advocates that philosophy is a traditionalist.”</div>
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In all my research trying to put a handle on the title of traditional no where does it specify anything other than what you read in the last paragraph. </div>
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Another definition of tradition goes like this, <span style="color: #ff2600;">“</span><span style="color: #ff2600; font-kerning: none;">the transmission of customs or beliefs from generation to generation, or the fact of being passed on in this way.”</span><span style="font-kerning: none;"> Now, this takes us closer to what we think of as, “Traditional Karate/Martial Art, etc.” </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">After a lot of mindless meandering contemplation and consideration going back to my previous definitions and explanations I have come to the conclusion that all of the forms of martial practices are all </span><span style="color: #ff2600; font-kerning: none;">“Traditional.” </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">There is the more ancient teachings of martial disciplines called, from the Japanese perspective as we understand it, </span><span style="color: #ff2600; font-kerning: none;">“Koryu.”</span><span style="font-kerning: none;"> Koryu teachings work very hard to stay true to the old teachings as best as humans can do and since the passing of said teachings are an act that delivers and hands down those teachings it is a traditional form of Koryu. One point tho, unless you were born Japanese, live in the culture and have trained and studied a Koryu it may not be the ancient koryu you think it is but a different set of “Traditional Teachings” that you received and now pass or hand down to your students.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Let me provide a view of Okinawan Karate, there are a lot of traditional forms of that discipline. You have one traditional form that was practiced before WWII’s influences; you have one practiced after WWII; you have the sport version; and you have the educational version and so on. All of those, except the pre-WWII version that seems to have disappeared completely, are traditional forms of karate from Okinawa. Every one, a tradition that is delivered and handed over to students both Okinawan and American, i.e., during the fifties and onward. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">If your style is taught to you and that sensei passed along what they understand is the system, even if he or she changed things, then it is a traditional form of karate being handed down to successive generations. Even if not exacting to the original sensei teachings it is still a tradition, traditional, being passed and handed down to those who follow, successive generations.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">MMA, is a traditional mixed martial art that is practiced and applied today while being taught to students who are passing it along to their students so, </span><span style="color: #ff2600; font-kerning: none;">“MMA is a Traditional Mixed Martial Art.”</span><span style="font-kerning: none;"> Get it, every single form of karate, martial art, or other as a fighting system; a competitive sport system; as a means of self-improvement, i.e., the way; as a system of self-defense; as a system of combative’s and so on are, </span><span style="color: #ff2600; font-kerning: none;">“ALL TRADITIONAL!”</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Now, using the style of karate I first learned while stationed on Okinawa as an example, Isshinryu, I can say emphatically and with great confidence that it is a traditional form of karate. Now, even in that system or style there are a variety of forms that are also traditional. There is the original Tatsuo-san traditions; there are Mitchum Sensei traditions; there are Long Sensei traditions; there are Nagle Sensei traditions; there are Uezu Sensei traditions; there are Armstrong Sensei traditions and there are Advincula Sensei traditions. Every one is a traditional form of karate from Okinawa simply because the entire community and structure of them all began, were born from, Tatsuo-san’s efforts and creation. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Where the argument begins due to a lack of understanding is this, everyone argues theres is the traditional form and the tendency to refute all others is a personal egoistic born of ignorance status type of argument while in truth every single one is correct in their belief that what they practice and teach is a traditional form. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">If we could let go, good luck with that with humans, of our need to have a unique we are traditional and you are not attitudes we can then accept that every single solitary form and model of ancient and modern martial disciplines are traditional forms and models then we have accomplished something great. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Good luck with that, right?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #888888; font-kerning: none;"><a href="http://mymartialselfdefensephilosophy.blogspot.com/2013/11/bibliography.html">Bibliography</a></span><span style="font-kerning: none;"> (Click the link)</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01716269250048431690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261819679932120140.post-55989067382655300922017-10-12T08:04:00.002-07:002017-10-12T08:04:46.250-07:00It’s Not About the Teacher<div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<a href="http://isshindo.blogspot.com/2015/06/articles-caveat-blog.html">Blog Article/Post Caveat</a> (Read First Please: Click the Link)</div>
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It’s not about the teacher, instructor or sensei, it is about the individual. Yes, teachers, etc., have an influence with the students but in the end the students proficiency, knowledge, understanding and expertise comes from within the student themselves, not from their teachers, etc.</div>
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Even the best of the best teachers cannot force, coerce or inspire a student if the student does not take the initiative and proactive effort for it always, always, comes down to the ability, attitude and EFFORT of the student. </div>
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Connections with others be they a teacher or a fellow student is just one aspect of the learning process for to have a group exchange provides a student with varying perspectives, perceptions and beliefs so they can personally analyze and synthesize their own way. </div>
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I know of some very good martial artists who excel beyond others who have famous names they can drop as to teachers, mentors and friends. This does not make either one better or worse; greater or not; expert or not; proficient and efficient or not. It is the student and it is the student alone.</div>
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Why then, does the connection to a famous martial luminary hold so much weight? Well, simply put it comes down to nature’s social survival drive … <span style="color: #ff2600;">‘STATUS’ </span>within the tribe, clan, family or group. We humans use such things to establish status and a pecking order within a group dynamic such as a dojo, an association or in Isshinryu’s case, like many other systems or styles, the style itself where the ‘status’ of being either a ‘first generation student of Tatsuo-san’ or a direct student ‘of a first gen student’ places the individual in a perceived higher status as if that association allowed them to gleam some special understanding and abilities others just cannot have, obtain or understand. </div>
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I learned a long time ago, in the dojo, that those types often were not as proficient as they thought of themselves. Understand, many were still most excellent martial artists but from my perspective and perceptions they didn’t hold any greater or lessor ability and understanding then those who say were my students over a first gen’s. </div>
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When you strip away all the non-wheel barrow items and leave behind those items that actually physically fit in a wheel barrow you find either a good martial artists or a not so good martial artists. In the end, regardless, it depends. </div>
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Example: My sensei is a first generation student of Tatsuo-san. He said he trained in the honbu dojo and often saw Tatsuo-san sitting on the side lines observing. Now, depending on how you define training under Tatsuo-san the mere fact he was in the presence of Tatsuo-san and may have received personal instruction at one time or another could mean his status as first-gen is authentic. Then one day I came to realize that simply being in the dojo when Tatsuo-san was without extensive hands-on training with Tatsuo-san may mean that only those with this experience can or could say, <span style="color: #ff2600;">“First-gen student of the Master.” </span></div>
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Example continued: So, if true, then my sensei is not a first-gen student. Simply association in a physical sense without hands-on personal training under close guidance of the master means he and a lot of others are NOT first-gen students. I also understand that my sensei was a student of Nagle Sensei then like the above example I came to realize that, yes, he trained under the Nagle Dojo but like Tatsuo-san never had hands-on personal training under close guidance of Nagle Sensei. His brother tho, did and his brother taught him Isshinryu. </div>
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Example continued II: Yet, if I wanted to, I could say that I am a student of a first-gen Isshinryu’ist and that he was also a first-gen student of Nagle Sensei but in truth that would not be accurate. </div>
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You cannot attain any special understanding and ability simply by association but you can gain special understanding and ability through hard work, EFFORT, study and EFFORT and gain exceptional martial arts understanding if you put forth EFFORT. </div>
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Now, if you accomplish all this and you just happen to have such connections then you can, if you feel this is necessary for your expertise and abilities, gain a higher STATUS within your dojo or your group or your style. In the end, that is all up once again <span style="color: #ff2600;">“TO YOU!”</span></div>
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<span style="color: #888888; font-kerning: none;"><a href="http://mymartialselfdefensephilosophy.blogspot.com/2013/11/bibliography.html">Bibliography</a></span><span style="font-kerning: none;"> (Click the link)</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01716269250048431690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261819679932120140.post-2182676625698745082017-10-09T07:55:00.002-07:002017-10-09T07:55:48.969-07:00Measuring a Black Belt<div style="color: #0433ff; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: #ff2600; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">Note: </span><i>All of this post comes from my perception and understanding of what I read of Mr. Miller’s book (see bibliography at the end) and it is highly recommended the reader, read the book in its entirety for clarity, knowledge and understanding of the subject matter. Know that this post is merely the tip of the sword on his material, all a critical body of knowledge any self-defense instructor must know and understand in order to teach the individual self-defense. At least in my eyes!</i></div>
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<a href="http://isshindo.blogspot.com/2015/06/articles-caveat-blog.html">Blog Article/Post Caveat</a> (Read First Please: Click the Link)</div>
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Not the length/size but the qualifications so that it may be packaged, presented, sold, tested and awarded in machine built on societies product packaging machine. We as a species especially in the America’s make the assumption that what can be measured can be improved. The problem with black belts it has noting to do with one’s applied ability but how one studies and memorizes for the testing processes. </div>
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The complexities of modern martial defense applications are very easy to test and grade the practitioner but to measure success in applying those very same complex applications is hard at best and totally inappropriate and inapplicable to reality at worst. </div>
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This is why what is used, taught and tested in dojo around the world are fundamentally irrelevant and arbitrary in nature with nothing what so ever to do with getting the job done in an aggressive, adrenal and violent world that is the basis for both martial arts and self-defense. </div>
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What is, then, measurable of a black belt? It is the doing of things, it is survivability into situations where you either survive or not. This cannot be measured and tested or even laid out in a curriculum/syllabus for study and testing. </div>
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To try and test one for the ability to do the very things that would result in survival is something no dojo can do if for no other reason that ethics and danger to the practitioner and their training partners. </div>
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In martial arts teachers and students not in a profession, military and police, etc., have yet to realize that when under the pressure of the adrenal stress conditions of aggression and violent reality simple works and the complex fails. Again, the unspoken and unrecognized reasons why the industry rewards complexities through the secret or advanced techniques taught to the higher grades as a natural progression of the simplistic ‘beginner’ techniques taught to novices. In life, this is the exact opposite of real life. </div>
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That is why the great question presented in Rory Miller’s new book on principled teaching of self-defense goes to ask the question about how one would measure the black belt requirement of “doing.” </div>
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<span style="color: #0433ff;">Rory Miller wrote,</span><i> “In martial arts (except for sport arts) things tend to be judged by how they looked, not what they did. The karate sensei judges the alignment of the forearm and the stance and whether it looks right - and looks have little to do with how much kinetic energy is delivered. When a kinesthetic things is judged visually, that judging will always be arbitrary.” </i></div>
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Just think about that a minute then look at how one visually and arbitrary assumes a technique is powerful from how they muscle it and tense in performing techniques then think about how power, energy and force is applied in a real attack. The trouble even with this question is that most of them, if not all, don’t have any experienced reference to base an assumption or perception or manifestation of that kind of power.</div>
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Miller, Rory. “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Principles-Based-Instruction-Self-Defense-Maybe-Life-ebook/dp/B07585XY9M/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1507560259&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=principled-based+self+defense+rory+miller">Principles-Based Instruction for Self-Defense (and maybe life)</a>” Amazon Digital Services LLC August 2017.</div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><a href="http://mymartialselfdefensephilosophy.blogspot.com/2013/11/bibliography.html">Bibliography</a> (Click the link)</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01716269250048431690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261819679932120140.post-61132381608779592552017-07-05T07:32:00.000-07:002017-07-05T07:32:05.329-07:00Breathing for Everything<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;">
<a href="http://isshindo.blogspot.com/2015/06/articles-caveat-blog.html">Blog Article/Post Caveat</a> (Read First Please: Click the Link)</div>
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Seems an obvious statement but for many, especially in adrenal stress-conditions of conflict and violence, becomes a critical part of what they do, practice, train and apply to overcome those same effects so they may function adequately. </div>
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It is being stated that, <span style="color: #ff2600;">“</span><span style="color: #ff2600; font-kerning: none; text-decoration: underline;">Breathing is not just for oxygen; it’s now linked to brain function and behavior.”</span> Breathing is everything is a blanket statement that drives all the various breathing disciplines such as found in Yoga, Zen and other practices so that the practitioner can advance and achieve a mastery of themselves through breathing. </div>
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<span style="color: #0433ff;">It was further stated that, </span>“<span style="font-kerning: none;">the rhythm of breathing creates electrical activity in the human brain that enhances emotional judgments and memory recall.” </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">In martial disciplines to include karate rhythm, cadence and patterning all tend to balance our minds and bodies to the very world around us. In a recent article by one of the leading, and greatest, scientists it was said that the Universe itself is distributed uniformly throughout space. They, the galaxies, gather and cluster together that are formed because the galaxies attract each other into groups. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Groups much like how humans gather and survive and propagate so that in essence the very galaxies, solar systems and planets all move in a rhythmic rotating flat circular attracted way that binds them into groups and the groups, a separate and distinct galaxy of stars and so on are families that survive by their rhythmic patterned existence. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">This somewhat unscientific observation and study simply means to my philosophy and belief systems is that there are rhythms, cadences, patterns, etc. that exist in our many galaxies down to the planet Earth as well as to each living species. Even further down to the very atoms that make us up and deeper into those depths to pure energy, the energy called by the Chinese,</span><span style="color: #ff2600; font-kerning: none;"> “Jing and Chi”</span><span style="font-kerning: none;"> that make us alive. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">In recent theorists public speaking venue’s it was thought that deep down to the lowest </span><span style="color: #ff2600; font-kerning: none;">‘element if you will’ </span><span style="font-kerning: none;">the very atoms of protons and such go even further down to the proverbial base element of life, </span><span style="color: #ff2600; font-kerning: none;">‘pure energy,’ </span><span style="font-kerning: none;">that is believed to survive when our bodies end. Giving rise to what the Chinese refer to as Jing/Chi that is governed by the very Universe tied together through string theory. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The goal of martial disciplines regardless of the factions or distinctions or </span><span style="color: #ff2600; font-kerning: none;">‘branches’ </span><span style="font-kerning: none;">is to develop and connect with nature’s rhythms, cadences and other spiral like forces that balance the body, mind and spirit with the natural rhythms, etc., of the body, our environment, our Earth as it connects to the </span><span style="color: #ff2600; font-kerning: none;">“Heavens” </span><span style="font-kerning: none;">or nature and Universe. Making the connection provides us the connections we need to the very principled base methodologies and levels of force, energy, to </span><span style="color: #ff2600; font-kerning: none;">‘get-r-done’</span><span style="font-kerning: none;"> be it sport, fighting or self-defense, etc.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #888888; font-kerning: none;"><a href="http://mymartialselfdefensephilosophy.blogspot.com/2013/11/bibliography.html">Bibliography</a></span><span style="font-kerning: none;"> (Click the link)</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01716269250048431690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261819679932120140.post-71145902166404531742017-07-03T10:27:00.006-07:002017-07-03T10:27:41.592-07:00Style vs. System<div style="color: #666666; font-family: Times; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: #888888; font-kerning: none;"><a href="http://isshindo.blogspot.com/2015/06/articles-caveat-blog.html">Blog Article/Post Caveat</a></span><span style="font-kerning: none;"> (Read First Please: Click the Link)</span></div>
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<b><i>I have written on this before, it is often the style that is taught and that is good at one level but not so much at attempts to achieve higher levels in martial arts and karate disciplines. If you have studied well then refer back to things like shu-ha-ri and shin-gi-tai concepts to better understand and lead to further research. </i></b></div>
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<b><i>Styles are often set in stone in regard to, </i></b><span style="color: #ff2600; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;"><b><i>“Techniques or technique based models.”</i></b></span><b><i> This is good because those basics, drills and paired kata drills are about teaching principles and once principles are ingrained properly then it is about reaching beyond technique-based models into a more creative application of principles to a multiple methodology model where your creative spirit can make use of principles toward appropriate methods to get the job done regardless of it being avoidance, deescalation or self-defense. This is a system not tied to any particular technique or combinations directly connected to a response of any other applied attack technique or combinations. Technique-based models teach you to act and react to specifics while a predatory, process or resource, attacks are chaotic, unpredictable and totally surprising in nature. If your technique-based model does not detect its counter-part you get … wait for it … </i></b><span style="color: #ff2600; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;"><b><i>the FREEZE!</i></b></span></div>
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<b><i>Look at styles that teach technique-based models as the prerequisite to the system principled-methodology based creative models. To tie yourself and your self-defense capabilities to specific things does not leave you the ability to create appropriate responses in accordance with unique, chaotic, situations. </i></b></div>
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<b><i>Take a look at the following for additional information on this difference and remember, styles are more about identity, status and other such trappings with a bit of modern economic drivers that make them so important. They tend to feed the human nature to gravitate toward groups with similar identities, cultural beliefs and survival traits. The real shame is that one does not actually require the others but can exist or coexist in the dojo, the tribe, the style and in all systems. It is about acceptance, tolerance and understanding without borders, obstacles or hinderances toward the collective betterment of self, dojo and system (</i></b><span style="color: #ff2600; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;"><b><i>while styles can still exist but more relevant then restrictive</i></b></span><b><i>). </i></b></div>
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<b><i>Styles <a href="https://isshindo.blogspot.com/2014/10/styles.html">https://isshindo.blogspot.com/2014/10/styles.html</a></i></b></div>
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<b><i>Martial Systems <a href="https://isshindo.blogspot.com/2014/04/martial-systems.html">https://isshindo.blogspot.com/2014/04/martial-systems.html</a></i></b></div>
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<b><i>Basics vs. Principles (Basics+Systems) <a href="https://isshindo.blogspot.com/2015/09/basics-vs-principles-principles-through.html">https://isshindo.blogspot.com/2015/09/basics-vs-principles-principles-through.html</a></i></b></div>
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<b><i>Styles vs. Systems (Styles+Systems) <a href="https://mymartialselfdefensephilosophy.blogspot.com/2017/02/styles-vs-systems.html">https://mymartialselfdefensephilosophy.blogspot.com/2017/02/styles-vs-systems.html</a></i></b></div>
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<span style="color: #888888; font-kerning: none;"><a href="http://mymartialselfdefensephilosophy.blogspot.com/2013/11/bibliography.html">Bibliography</a></span><span style="font-kerning: none;"> (Click the link)</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01716269250048431690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261819679932120140.post-31580626883457482352017-06-29T11:06:00.002-07:002017-06-29T11:06:58.680-07:00Traditional Karate: Beliefs<div style="color: #0433ff; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;">
<a href="http://isshindo.blogspot.com/2015/06/articles-caveat-blog.html">Blog Article/Post Caveat</a> (Read First Please: Click the Link)</div>
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This subject has and will always be a bone of contention especially when each person and group picks and chooses what they want to be traditional and what they don’t want to be traditional. We, all of us, cherry pick those things our dissonance and biases want to be traditional to confirm our biases toward our self-soothing personal and group belief systems. </div>
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We humans suffer from a great many biases and dissonances all created by ourselves and influenced by others in the same fashion so it seems, to me, natural and expected. This is why I believe there are so many factions in the karate and martial arts communities and why I believe traditional aspects along with things like the dan’i system are always going to be in contention and arguable according to each system of belief. </div>
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For instance, in what I perceive as tradition to martial arts, not necessarily karate of Okinawa, there are titles used indiscriminately in the Wast such as Shihan, Hanshi and Kyoshi, etc. that traditionally speaking are not used but in very narrow and certain circumstances. So, in a nit-pickin/cherry-pickin way those groups and individuals choose to use them traditionally incorrectly because those titles feed their belief systems regardless. </div>
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They claim a traditional way but only follow those ways the suit them and their beliefs and call it, <span style="color: #ff2600;"><b><i>“Traditional.” </i></b></span>Don’t get me wrong, at one time I did it too but in the last decade or so of study I have come to my conclusion that I do NOT practice a traditional karate or martial art simply because it isn’t. </div>
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I do practice and train and study martial arts and karate that is based on and in a traditional way of those who came before me but different. </div>
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I use a term that you seldom see, <span style="color: #ff2600;"><b><i>“Eclectic Martial Art and Karate Way.” </i></b></span>Eclectic because what I study and train in is a compilation of experiences, knowledge and understanding influenced not just from a traditional way but one that is derived from ideas, styles, systems, and beliefs of a broad and diverse nature and range of sources. All of us at one time or another select and selected doctrines, beliefs and traditions from various sources from various cultures, beliefs and people (Sensei, Kohai, Senpai, etc). </div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: normal;"><b><i>Setchū-tekina Karate-do [</i></b></span><b>折衷的な - 空手道] Eclectic Way of Empty Hand!</b></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><a href="http://mymartialselfdefensephilosophy.blogspot.com/2013/11/bibliography.html">Bibliography</a> (Click the link)</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01716269250048431690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261819679932120140.post-42924640436385314482017-06-25T12:09:00.002-07:002017-06-25T12:09:15.049-07:00A Strong Foundation<div style="font-family: Times; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;">
<a href="http://isshindo.blogspot.com/2015/06/articles-caveat-blog.html">Blog Article/Post Caveat</a> (Read First Please: Click the Link)</div>
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<b><i>What comes to your mind the moment you hear someone reference having a strong foundation in karate or martial arts? In most cases it is reference to assuming a strong connection with the ground as demonstrated by the sanchin dachi when performing sanchin kata. It is thought of as taking an appropriate kamae and rooting oneself down again to the earth, the ground. So much so that many sensei have taught or passed on such teachings as, “Lifting the toe,” alluding to a source of power generation also touted through the term and system called, “Chinkuchi.” </i></b></div>
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<b><i>Lets say many meme’s or platitudes abound on the subject of foundations such as the old Chinese saying, “To build a strong house, you must have a strong foundation.” Again, when you hear this what comes to mind? It is also thought of as taking a kamae and rooting oneself. This has led to many assuming that to take such a stance and root is how you generate power and force to the target. Is there something wrong with this way?</i></b></div>
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<b><i>Yes, it is very limited and filled chock full of misunderstandings and inappropriate and ineffective applications. Lets discuss one in particular, to generate energy to power and force in a technique you need to move, move you mass in appropriate ways using appropriate fundamental principles along with appropriate applied force to get the job done. That does not come from rooting except in very specific ways, i.e., best example is moving using a drop step coordinated and sequenced along with application of a method, say striking or punching, to the target where mass and energy equal, through movement and the step, to power and force transmitted, so to speak, into your target - what ever that target may be. </i></b></div>
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<b><i>Then we do into the true depth and breadth of having a strong foundation:</i></b></div>
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<li style="color: #0433ff; font-family: Baskerville; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><i>A strong foundation in fundamental principles with a bit more emphasis on physiokinetic’s.</i></b></li>
<li style="color: #0433ff; font-family: Baskerville; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><i>A strong foundation on knowing, understanding and applying principles based multiple methodologies and appropriate force levels. </i></b></li>
<li style="color: #0433ff; font-family: Baskerville; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><i>A strong foundation of a system rather than a goal oriented technique based set of memorized applications. </i></b></li>
<li style="color: #0433ff; font-family: Baskerville; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><i>A strong foundation of a philosophy representative of a cultural belief system driven by the needs and conditions of the self, family and especially of a social entity. </i></b></li>
<li style="color: #0433ff; font-family: Baskerville; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><i>A strong foundation of understanding of concepts such as the OODA process including especially the, “Data-mining, analysis, hypothesis and synthesis toward your system.” </i></b></li>
<li style="color: #0433ff; font-family: Baskerville; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><i>A strong foundation of health, fitness, intestinal fortitude, honor, attitude and application of your system. </i></b></li>
<li style="color: #0433ff; font-family: Baskerville; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><i>A strong foundation of training, practices and applications of your system based on karate and martial arts, etc.</i></b></li>
<li style="color: #0433ff; font-family: Baskerville; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><i>etc.</i></b></li>
<li style="color: #0433ff; font-family: Baskerville; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><i>A strong foundation of understanding of self-defense, defenses.</i></b></li>
<li style="color: #0433ff; font-family: Baskerville; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><i>A strong foundation of understanding of articulation of defenses in self-defense. </i></b></li>
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<b><i>As can be readily seen one can now perceive that foundation in the traditional sense needs some adjustment while opening the mind beyond the basic, initial and limited understanding of foundations in karate and martial arts to include the many facets of foundational solidity to also include spirit, character and personality conducive to apply the full spectrum of self-fense and combatives by professionals. </i></b></div>
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<span style="color: #888888; font-kerning: none;"><a href="http://mymartialselfdefensephilosophy.blogspot.com/2013/11/bibliography.html">Bibliography</a></span><span style="font-kerning: none;"> (Click the link)</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01716269250048431690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261819679932120140.post-473512566620431432017-06-20T10:50:00.002-07:002017-06-20T10:50:59.524-07:00Hard Black Belt Test, Trust Me …<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;">
<a href="http://isshindo.blogspot.com/2015/06/articles-caveat-blog.html">Blog Article/Post Caveat</a> (Read First Please: Click the Link)</div>
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A note was posted on Facebook about a young karate-ka being awarded the sho-dan level belt and the comment was that his tests was very hard and we should trust the author. Now, I do trust the individual as to their perspective and perception of the test and it being hard but where I diverge is the definition of what is hard and its purpose overall as to the distinction of that belt as to relevant standards according to the intent of the teaching and the students objectives in karate. </div>
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<li style="color: #ff2600; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #0433ff;"></span><b><i>Is it for the sport intent?</i></b></li>
<li style="color: #ff2600; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><i>Is if for the educational intent?</i></b></li>
<li style="color: #ff2600; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><i>Is it for the philosophical intent?</i></b></li>
<li style="color: #ff2600; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><i>Is it for the fighting intent?</i></b></li>
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and so on because that intent is important and it governs the standards for the belt and the meaning be it traditional or non-traditional and so on … yadda yadda yadda. </div>
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<span style="color: #0433ff;">Here is why, </span><b><i>“Black belts as a new thing not more than a skosh over one hundred years or less depending on perspective and teachings are not the level of perceived understanding they were when the first American service person earned that coveted black belt. It has, over the years, been subverted by the very business and economic needs, desires and requirements that have built the martial arts, karate and the belt system into its current state.”</i></b><span style="color: #0433ff;"> </span></div>
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When one says hard, I find in my observations that hard is relevant to a more, mostly, physical manifestation outwardly symbolized by the amount of sweat profusely jettisoned during the test, the amount of pain perceived on the face of the person tested and the QUANTITY of material and physical requirements one must memorize to achieve a passing grade on the test.</div>
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Now, add in the duration of the test much like a marathon of physical strenuous required actions of the person tested then you have somewhat defined a perception of hard testing. I ask, “Is this actually the standard we want to test, impress upon and require to wear the coveted black belt?” </div>
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<span style="color: #888888; font-kerning: none;"><a href="http://mymartialselfdefensephilosophy.blogspot.com/2013/11/bibliography.html">Bibliography</a></span><span style="font-kerning: none;"> (Click the link)</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01716269250048431690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261819679932120140.post-48189451147822206802017-06-15T08:55:00.002-07:002017-06-15T08:55:46.804-07:00Spirit and Character: The Missing Elements<div style="font-family: Times; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;">
<a href="http://isshindo.blogspot.com/2015/06/articles-caveat-blog.html">Blog Article/Post Caveat</a> (Read First Please: Click the Link)</div>
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<span style="color: black;">In a recent article written by Michael Clarke Sensei of the Shinseidokan Dojo blog fame he wrote about the principles of shin-gi-tai or, </span><span style="color: #ff2600; font-size: 13px; line-height: normal;"><b><i>“</i></b></span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; color: #ff2600; font-size: 13px; line-height: normal;"><b><i>Shin means your spirit, Gi means your technique, and Tai means your body.”</i></b></span><span style="font-kerning: none;"> His premise in this simple yet complex statement, or meme if you will, is that in modern karate the emphasis is almost exclusively on gi-tai or technique-body development. I feel he is speaking to the missing, critical, elements or principles of karate or any martial art that of,</span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; color: #ff2600; font-size: 13px; line-height: normal;"> <b><i>“Spirit and Character.”</i></b></span><span style="font-kerning: none;"><b><i> </i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">When we speak of spirit and character we are talking about certain principles that make these two terms to have substance, depth and breadth toward the training, practice, application and most important of all, </span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; color: #ff2600; font-size: 13px; line-height: normal;">“The Understanding,”</span><span style="font-kerning: none;"> of the discipline/art. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">When we speak of certain more metaphysical and philosophical aspects we sometimes refer to the systems</span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; color: #ff2600; font-size: 13px; line-height: normal;"> <b><i>“goku-i”</i></b></span><span style="font-kerning: none;"><b><i> </i></b>such as having, </span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; color: #ff2600; font-size: 13px; line-height: normal;"><b><i>“Balance.”</i></b></span><span style="font-kerning: none;"><b><i> </i></b>Balance is not just that ability to remain upright, mobile and able to apply multiple methods to achieve your objectives but a mental and spiritual one as well with a basic meaning that if we don’t balance our all aspects to include one’s spirit and one’s character then all we are doing is performing routines with emphasis on strength that fosters one’s ego, pride and status. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">If we are to truly embrace the martial arts and karate of the Asian culture, that many modern dojo pay a lot of lip service too, then we have to embrace a cornerstone of that social culture in, </span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; color: #ff2600; font-size: 13px; line-height: normal;"><b><i>“Harmony.”</i></b> </span><span style="font-kerning: none;">Harmony is achieved at all costs with even doing or saying things to return the balance of harmonious social order. Therefore to achieve a harmonious state of spirit, body-mind and physiokinetic in the manifestation of multiple methodologies of applied fundamental principles of martial arts and karate we must harmonize our shin and gi and tai, </span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; color: #ff2600; font-size: 13px; line-height: normal;"><b><i>“Our spirit, technique and body (note: technique does not mean what one thinks in this instance).”</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">When I speak of spirit I think of the production of said spirit from a model that is one’s character along with their personality, i.e., character+personality+mind-body=spirit (fundamentally, but more). </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Take maturity, think of what that means and then add in a strong mix of cultural social beliefs along with other factors that make one mature, i.e., emotional maturity, etc., then we have a foundation not just for martial arts and karate but for ourselves and our tribe or dojo or family or community. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We, the modern dojo, stress the physical because it is both the easiest and the hardest to master. It is the path to strength and all that brings with it. It is that something more concrete than a philosophical, i.e., theory, physiokinetic, philosophical, self-defense and chemical cocktails. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We see our bodies because it is that which can be seen and felt while the philosophical that feeds, builds and strengthens the mind-body manifestations that are a foundation of spirit and character are not seen and are the most difficult to define, teach, and understand simply because of the individual and differences between them.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; color: #343438; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;">Fundamentally speaking, </span><span style="font-kerning: none;"><b><i>“Your ability to do karate techniques comes from your body and your knowledge and practice of them, but wisdom comes from your mind, and your heart. Your ability to make the techniques work comes from your feeling for karate, not only your knowledge of it.”</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; color: #343438; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;">Although I really feel that Clarke Sensei has more understanding then I on this subject I still have strong feelings that would warrant me to say instead, </span><span style="font-kerning: none;"><b><i>“Your ability to do martial arts/karate come from your mind, your heart/spirit, your knowledge as to applying it proficiently, and your ability to connect to the body while wisdom and maturity toward spirit of character are a product of your mind-body, your heart and your philosophical cultural social belief system.”</i></b></span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; color: #343438; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;"><b><i> </i></b>(needs work)</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">This can best be exampled by saying that for self-defense from karate one often leaves out the shin as well for the technique and body while a plethora of educational material must be presented, learned and ingrained in order to understand the application of gi-tai or technique and body of self-defense whether by karate or martial arts or other means. If you don’t know and understand things like,<b><i> </i></b></span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; color: #ff2600; font-size: 13px; line-height: normal;"><b><i>“JAM”</i></b></span><span style="font-kerning: none;"><b><i> </i></b>and </span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; color: #ff2600; font-size: 13px; line-height: normal;"><b><i>“Force Levels”</i></b></span><span style="font-kerning: none;"> and </span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; color: #ff2600; font-size: 13px; line-height: normal;"><b><i>“Avoidance -n- Deescalation,”</i></b> et</span><span style="font-kerning: none;">c., along with,</span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; color: #ff2600; font-size: 13px; line-height: normal;"> <b><i>“Types of Violence”</i></b></span><span style="font-kerning: none;"><b><i> </i></b>and </span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; color: #ff2600; font-size: 13px; line-height: normal;"><b><i>“Monkey vs. Human Brain,”</i></b></span><span style="font-kerning: none;"> then simply learning the technique based material is tantamount to the missing elements of both,<b><i> </i></b></span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; color: #ff2600; font-size: 13px; line-height: normal;"><b><i>“Spirit and Character!</i></b></span><span style="font-kerning: none;"><b><i>”</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #888888; font-kerning: none;"><a href="http://mymartialselfdefensephilosophy.blogspot.com/2013/11/bibliography.html">Bibliography</a></span><span style="font-kerning: none;"> (Click the link)</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01716269250048431690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261819679932120140.post-3739356099943560982017-06-05T09:07:00.003-07:002017-06-05T09:07:58.769-07:00Censorship or Genron dan'atsu [言論弾圧; Suppression of Speech]<div style="font-family: Times; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;">
<a href="http://isshindo.blogspot.com/2015/06/articles-caveat-blog.html">Blog Article/Post Caveat</a> (Read First Please: Click the Link)</div>
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<b><i>Censorship is the suppression or prohibition of any parts of words, deeds, and expressions; books, films, news, etc., that are considered obscene, politically unacceptable, or a threat.</i></b></div>
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<b><i>Suppression of one’s speech; suppression of one’s actions; suppression of one’s deeds; suppression of one’s words, ideas, theories, beliefs, etc. In Martial Arts and Karate communities there is a huge amount of censorship. It comes when anyone talks, writes, or demonstrates an opinion, idea, theory or concept that does not meet the beliefs of another in receipt of said information, data or practices. It comes with an emotional immature reaction of loud, screaming, spittle producing in your face responses inappropriate to communications so that one is literally forced to believe without mutual productive discussions and communications toward a sole goal of knowledge, understanding and change (when appropriate to the shift of any paradigm). </i></b></div>
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<b><i>For instance, I was once a member of a Facebook wall of a very proficient karate-ka until it got to a point that person could not accept any counter-communications that would refute or challenge their beliefs so that led to my being let go of said wall and group. It was stated in some form that, </i></b><span style="color: #ff2600; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;"><b><i>“I was always dissing him,” </i></b></span><b><i>so I could not be his friend anymore on FB. Before I continue, that is and was his privilege and as I have a great deal of respect for him and his ability, knowledge and experience in karate I did not take it personal. </i></b></div>
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<b><i>In another instance I spoke in words that were perceived by the wall owner as disparaging remarks about his Sensei’s family member. In truth, the remarks were not kind but they were true as can be attested by those who accompanied me on that occasion when the event occurred. I have a great deal of respect for that person and his feelings on the instance in question but here is the critically important part. He sent me a personal text message and politely explained to me his feelings and his actions would be to remove the comment that offended him. I agreed and thanked him profusely for his letting me know but here is the kicker, he DID NOT unfriend me or remove me from the group. I can and do still comment and participate on his wall while respecting his wishes as to the content of comments. </i></b></div>
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<b><i>It becomes apparent quickly in such media types of communications as to whether one or the other is going to censor your stuff according to their set beliefs, etc., and they often spell our rules to say the same. Most have rules that are general such as not political stuff, no disparaging remarks and not profanity, etc., so it is easy to see when you cross the line but where my line resides is when the communications exchange is censored because it factually or theoretically refutes something written, said or taught without further communications and the accepted possibility that what is said or written or taught is factually true is censorship. Yes, if the theory or idea or fact is presented in a way that is personally attacking another then set that person straight but don’t censor the information. Refute it back, present the facts to your side and allow a proper relevant communication exist so all parties can participate, learn, understand and shift/change for the better. </i></b></div>
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<b><i>I once held a most dogmatic restrictive belief in my karate and its traditions, history and other such teachings until one day another person presented information that triggered a mind shift, a paradigm shift in thinking, that allowed me to grow, prosper and better understand all aspects of martial arts and karate that led to the more relative way of the tao, so to speak, to better grow in depth and breadth my karate. </i></b></div>
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<b><i>It has led to my effort to question everything regardless, regardless of whether it is my sensei, another sensei or some luminary sensei who holds many years of proficient mastery over the subject because what I have learned is this, </i></b><span style="color: #ff2600; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;"><b><i>“We are human and subject to human foibles such as memory, biases and other effects that make a dogmatic adherence to a supposed belief and system questionable at all times.” </i></b></span><b><i>Such an effort is about avoiding as many biases as possible including both cognizant dissonance and confirmation bias so one can grow and prosper and no remain mired in the quicksand of set traditional dogma, etc.</i></b></div>
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<b><i>Recognizing when a tradition and/or belief is holding someone back vs. driving them forward to growth, prosperity and enlightenment is paramount to this effort of study, practice, application and understanding. If stagnation is perceived then it is necessary to seek out that which holds us back and change or remove it even if it is classified as tradition. The only set true tradition is a tradition of relevant change. Simply seeking out that which just self-serves confirmation of set static beliefs is non-productive. Challenging your own beliefs especially when they are uncomfortable and trigger the monkey brains, </i></b><span style="color: #ff2600; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;"><b><i>“I am gonna die if I do this”</i></b></span><b><i> effect is necessary to stay relevant and productive and efficient to the times, the moments, of life. </i></b></div>
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<span style="color: #0433ff; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;"><b><i>If you are challenges in what you believe take a moment and recognize the monkey kicking in to say, </i></b></span><b><i>“Not my beliefs,”</i></b><span style="color: #0433ff; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;"><b><i> but letting the anxious stress feeling run its course then ask ourselves, </i></b></span><b><i>“what is making me uncomfortable with that comment, fact, theory, or idea?</i></b><span style="color: #0433ff; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;"><b><i>” Then ask, </i></b></span><b><i>“Is it possible then go about doing a fact check with one eye remaining on the confirmation biases so you don’t just seek out confirmation of your belief, etc.”</i></b><span style="color: #0433ff; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;"><b><i> </i></b></span></div>
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<b><i>Censorship or Genron dan’atsu is not productive, beneficial and supportive to growth in any endevor especially martial arts and karate for the more defensive intentions of practice and training. </i></b></div>
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<b><i>I have and always will invite and expect comments no matter how presented because in almost all cases there are always gems of fact and truth to dig out and check. If what I write, say or do goes against what you believe simply comment and present your side for consideration. You never know just how much more you grow when you are open to the possibilities. </i></b></div>
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<span style="color: #888888; font-kerning: none;"><a href="http://mymartialselfdefensephilosophy.blogspot.com/2013/11/bibliography.html">Bibliography</a></span><span style="font-kerning: none;"> (Click the link)</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01716269250048431690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261819679932120140.post-47219121246814722082017-05-31T10:25:00.003-07:002017-05-31T10:25:49.944-07:00Karate Lifestyle<div style="font-family: Times; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;">
<a href="http://isshindo.blogspot.com/2015/06/articles-caveat-blog.html">Blog Article/Post Caveat</a> (Read First Please: Click the Link)</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Songti SC'; line-height: normal;"><b>生活様式</b></span><b><i> Seikatsu Yoshiki meaning, </i></b><span style="color: #ff2600; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;"><b><i>“Way of living.” </i></b></span><b><i>Add in karate [</i></b><span style="font-family: 'Songti SC'; line-height: normal;"><b>空手</b></span><b><i>] and you get, [</i></b><span style="font-family: 'Songti SC'; line-height: normal;"><b>空手生活様式</b></span><b><i>; Karate seikatsu yōshiki]</i></b></div>
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<b><i>In our culture a life style is a typical way of life of an individual, group, or culture. A person seeking a particular lifestyle is one who is developing a way to live life. In our species of human beings that involves socially driven and acceptable lifestyles that make for the social cultural belief systems that promote security, safety, and overall survival along with our genetic disposition to procreate. </i></b></div>
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<b><i>Lifestyle can include interests, opinions, behaviors, and behavioral orientations of an individual, group, or culture; or any combination of same dependent on the needs and objectives of the group and individual members collectively toward the groups survival. </i></b></div>
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<span style="color: #0433ff; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;"><b><i>It is and has been stated that, </i></b></span><b><i>“Lifestyles are determined by intangible and tangible factors, i.e., Tangible factors relate specifically to demographic variables, i.e. an individual's demographic profile, whereas intangible factors concern the psychological aspects of an individual such as personal values, preferences, and outlooks.”</i></b><span style="color: #0433ff; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;"><b><i> - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lifestyle_(sociology)</i></b></span></div>
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<b><i>Now, that is how it is perceived fundamentally regardless of group dynamics, culture, beliefs and hierarchal controls both implicit and explicit, this article is going to try to associate lifestyle to what I term, </i></b><span style="color: #ff2600; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;"><b><i>“The karate lifestyle.” </i></b></span></div>
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<b><i>A lifestyle fundamentally in karate or any martial art is about a social position, a way of thought as to philosophy, and the actions derived by the study, understanding and application of said lifestyle. Since we are all human and certain factors of modern times affects both social and karate lifestyles, a karate lifestyle also reflects people's self image or self concept; the way they see themselves and believe they are seen by the others. Our social dynamics in the dojo connect to the very same drives of our species toward survival and procreation at the bare essential cultural needs system that often drives everything else. </i></b></div>
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<b><i>This is where the article diverges from the general or basic or foundational aspects and drives into my personal karate lifestyle as an example of, </i></b><span style="color: #ff2600; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;"><b><i>“Just one way,”</i></b></span><b><i> an individual must first adhere to that lifestyle taught by sensei then into the next stage where one compares, studies and creates their individual lifestyle until finally that lifestyle become unique to their beliefs and ways in karate to enhance, build, create and apply their lifestyle to their lives, their practices and their applications toward their socially driven lifestyle outside the dojo yet connected dynamically to that microcosmic lifestyle in the dojo. </i></b></div>
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<b><i>Now, first and foremost, karate or a karate lifestyle is not about fighting, combatives and no where near self-defense. It must be clear to practitioners that distinctions such as these are critical toward ensuring the practice, the studies, the understanding and especially the applications must be appropriate to the distinction such as self-defense. </i></b></div>
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<b><i>In my practice/studies I focus about 80% on the self-defense aspects with a foundation of fundamental principles toward the application of multiple methodologies and force levels, etc., for the application of self-defense - not just the physical but the entire spectrum as explained on </i></b><a href="http://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/"><b><i>NNSD</i></b></a><b><i> (http://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com) and the books by Marc MacYoung, Rory Miller and other professionals (see bibliography).</i></b></div>
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<b><i> Since the principles, i.e., theory, physiokinetics, techniques (not what you think of as techniques), philosophy, self-defense and chemical adrenal effects, etc., are the mainstay I also spend a great deal of time with the more philosophical and theory of study toward understanding. Understanding, in any lifestyle and discipline, is that foundation the drives our logical and emotional maturity for understanding things like, anger for example, teaches me that anger is a very useful tool when controlled and a dangerous escalational effect when left to run on its own willy nilly. </i></b></div>
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<b><i>Anger when used properly and at appropriate levels toward coping with variables of life can be a true benefit so understanding that anger has its uses and understanding those uses along with understanding how to use them and when, etc., will be a useful anger tool. </i></b></div>
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<b><i>To understand something is to bring it forward and out of the darkness of emotional immaturity toward both logical and emotional mature ways and means to achieve objectives in daily living and no where else is that more pronounced then in disciplines where the mere practice and training exposes the practitioner to injuries and damage. </i></b></div>
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<b><i>After understanding I put in, “Analysis, Hypothesis and Synthesis,” as critical to understanding and knowledge that leads toward application in life as in the dojo as in life. Once you gain a certain level of experienced understanding, i.e., living life while experiencing and being exposed to the environment with its social cultural dynamics leads to experiences, that intertwines in a way that leads, like Boyd’s Loop, to a better construction in our mind of reality where we apply that understanding and experience as gained by study, analysis, hypothesis, synthesis and application to learn and create. A complex loop that can be one stream that branches off into two or multiple streams, i.e., karate/MA being the main stream branching off into self-defense stream, fighting (social and competitive) streams, combative (military professional, etc.) streams and then the philosophical (the way or Dao) stream. They are distinctly separate, often do not work together except in very basic ways, streams that require individual understanding with a commitment and ability to apply according to circumstances while adrenalized and able to not drop out of one stream to be influenced by the other and so on. </i></b></div>
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<b><i>Note: Very, very, very few can adequately apply more than one stream effectively although many try. </i></b></div>
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<b><i>The reason I do 80% self-defense and 20% philosophical is because to apply the one properly you have to have the mental/philosophical mind-state and mind-set so they are applied appropriate to any given situation that in and of itself is not just critical to SD but about the most difficult if you don’t live/work in that violent social dynamic. </i></b></div>
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<b><i>As you can perceive at this juncture of the article the karate or martial art lifestyle is a complex creation done through the training, practice and application of the discipline. There are so many ways and so many differences and so many applications that one can end up on any number of streams where knowledge and understanding are the absolute corner-stone of the entire structure where just one ingredient not proper or adequate will cause the entire structure to fall into a rubble of mortar, stone, brick, blood and lives. </i></b></div>
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<b><i>Meditate on this!</i></b></div>
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<span style="color: #888888; font-kerning: none;"><a href="http://mymartialselfdefensephilosophy.blogspot.com/2013/11/bibliography.html">Bibliography</a></span><span style="font-kerning: none;"> (Click the link)</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01716269250048431690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261819679932120140.post-25269018289511635582017-05-25T09:33:00.000-07:002017-05-25T09:33:08.781-07:00A Good Foundation<div style="font-family: Times; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;">
<a href="http://isshindo.blogspot.com/2015/06/articles-caveat-blog.html">Blog Article/Post Caveat</a> (Read First Please: Click the Link)</div>
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<b><i>It was once quoted, “It all starts with a good foundation,” while a young white belt stands in a stance. It is the first step in many to find out what exactly is a foundation in karate and martial arts as to combatives, fighting, and self-defense. You DO have to have a solid foundation in order to learn, study, and understand a martial art and karate system.</i></b></div>
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<b><i>The foundation is made up of many things far and removed from just learning how to assume a proper rooted kamae. A good foundation comes from a many faceted endeavor that will make up a personal system that allows us to learn, change, adjust and believe not just in the system but in ourselves as well. </i></b></div>
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<b><i>A good foundation starts long before learning how to make a fist; learning how to assume rooted stances; learning how to perform upper and lower basics techniques; learning how to form and study kata; learning how to learn from two person drills in basics, kata and kumite. You have to have all the right, correct and relevant materials to achieve a, “Good Foundation.” </i></b></div>
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<b><i>Foundational Materials:</i></b></div>
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<li style="color: #0433ff; font-family: Baskerville; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><i> A moral compass.</i></b></li>
<li style="color: #0433ff; font-family: Baskerville; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><i>Social coping skills - basic.</i></b></li>
<li style="color: #0433ff; font-family: Baskerville; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><i>Emotional Intelligence.</i></b></li>
<li style="color: #0433ff; font-family: Baskerville; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><i>Visual Intelligence. </i></b></li>
<li style="color: #0433ff; font-family: Baskerville; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><i>Logical Intelligence.</i></b></li>
<li style="color: #0433ff; font-family: Baskerville; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><i>Common sense.</i></b></li>
<li style="color: #0433ff; font-family: Baskerville; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><i>Rational Intelligence.</i></b></li>
<li style="color: #0433ff; font-family: Baskerville; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><i>People Skills.</i></b></li>
<li style="color: #0433ff; font-family: Baskerville; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><i>Balance in mind, body and spirit.</i></b></li>
<li style="color: #0433ff; font-family: Baskerville; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><i>Curiosity.</i></b></li>
<li style="color: #0433ff; font-family: Baskerville; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><i>Confidence.</i></b></li>
<li style="color: #0433ff; font-family: Baskerville; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><i>Maturity.</i></b></li>
<li style="color: #0433ff; font-family: Baskerville; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><i>Character and Personality, not mutually exclusive but mutually supportive, etc.</i></b></li>
<li style="color: #0433ff; font-family: Baskerville; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><i>Adaptability.</i></b></li>
<li style="color: #0433ff; font-family: Baskerville; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><i>Flexibility.</i></b></li>
<li style="color: #0433ff; font-family: Baskerville; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><i>Social Intelligence. </i></b></li>
<li style="color: #0433ff; font-family: Baskerville; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><i>Positive Attitude.</i></b></li>
<li style="color: #0433ff; font-family: Baskerville; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><i>etc., etc., etc.!</i></b></li>
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<b><i>Another aspect of attaining a good foundation is the ability to seek out knowledge and understanding and then use analysis and synthesis both as an individual and then in connection with others in a social professional sense. This could continue on until a large book is filled only to leave many important materials to build a good foundation but the idea here is to instill and trigger your curiosity so you seek it out in detail. All part of the journey. </i></b></div>
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<b><i>Read also: </i></b><a href="https://mymartialselfdefensephilosophy.blogspot.com/2017/03/a-strong-foundation.html"><b><i>A Strong Foundation</i></b></a><b><i>; </i></b><a href="https://mymartialselfdefensephilosophy.blogspot.com/2015/07/building-foundation.html"><b><i>Building a Foundation</i></b></a><b><i>; </i></b><a href="https://isshindo.blogspot.com/2011/12/physical-foundation-vs-mental.html"><b><i>A Physical vs. Mental Foundation</i></b></a></div>
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<span style="color: #888888; font-kerning: none;"><a href="http://mymartialselfdefensephilosophy.blogspot.com/2013/11/bibliography.html">Bibliography</a></span><span style="font-kerning: none;"> (Click the link)</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01716269250048431690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261819679932120140.post-9005002907959788402017-05-17T13:34:00.000-07:002017-05-17T13:34:03.843-07:00Society is …<div style="font-family: Times; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;">
<a href="http://isshindo.blogspot.com/2015/06/articles-caveat-blog.html">Blog Article/Post Caveat</a> (Read First Please: Click the Link)</div>
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<b><i>Society is about a collective of people that through communications and cooperation survive. Marc MacYoung wrote something about three years ago about moving parts. Society, the tribe, the clan and the family all band together for various reasons but none as important as both survival and procreation. The issues rise up when people come together because physics of psychology enter the dojo and it is called friction.</i></b></div>
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<b><i>When I rub two sticks together in an environment that has a potential of flammability you get … </i></b><span style="color: #ff2600; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;"><b><i>“Fire!”</i></b></span><b><i> Now, you might automatically jump to the thought that fire is bad and in a lot of cases it is, it burns. But there are times when fires are good such as controlled burning to combat forrest fires during dry fire seasons, etc., (you firefighters out there let me know if I got that right?). </i></b></div>
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<b><i>Human Conditions dictate the type and intensity of that friction and survival is all about how each individual and the collective groups cope with that to the benefit of the entire family to tribe to clan to the larger social structure (the larger social structure is a new modern thing). This is where the shift in the article comes in toward martial arts, karate and self-defense of conflict and violence. </i></b></div>
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<b><i>Unless an individual lives alone and in isolation assuming they can get food, shelter and provide a safe and secure environment, there is always going to be friction when encountering others even when direct blood family. There are and must be rules and those rules along with the group dynamics and rules both written and unwritten (mostly unwritten), are to be understood and followed or there are repercussions necessary to keep the group strong, safe and capable of survival and all that goes with it. Our species has this entire spectrum of things related to this in order to keep the species alive, productive and procreating. </i></b></div>
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<b><i>From the moment of birth, if each generation is passing along all those rules, requirements and other stuff, the person is exposed to all sorts of stimuli from parents, to brothers, to sisters and to the tribe or clan in which the family is a member. This social order and structure makes a society work and in the mirror of that we have micro-social groups the foster this social coping skill set in a system that transcends an individuals needs, rights and requirements. Survival and Procreation trumps them all and makes the foundation of the why our species does things.</i></b></div>
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<b><i>Karate and martial arts dojo are micro-social groups where folks of like-mind gather for a singular purpose as is the case here to train, practice and apply proficient skills, multiple methods with appropriate force levels principled based, etc., to accomplish that objective. The objective is often referred to as self-defense or combatives in certain professions but in reality it connects silently to the core of species survival. </i></b></div>
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<b><i>The dojo has rules that bind with a hierarchal system demonstrating status and required services both given and received in a spirit of cooperation that teaches each individual the very social coping skills necessary for survival outside the dojo. We see similar objectives in other disciplines like the various sports such as football and so on. Without this, nothing works for long and often spells out doom to the group involved unless …</i></b></div>
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<b><i>The one caveat is that the dojo environment and its teachings must adhere to certain social human needs and requirements that are sometimes symbolized by the dojo kun, things like bushido codes of honor, integrity, etc., that are positive in nature and create a level of harmony within the groups, etc.</i></b></div>
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<b><i>The group dynamics of species survival has limitations imposed by nature herself that fit the current evolutionary stage of modern times. An example is a teacher to student ratio that if exceeded degrades and destroys the objective of teaching and learning. Society and its coping skills of survival and procreation requires cooperation and that comes from the moment of birth where that environment and its stimuli are input through sensory systems to our brains that teach each of us as individual how to survive - in a group. The ratio I am talking about in the teaching example has been found to be about four to one, i.e., four students to one teacher. In modern society it has come to be believed that the massive size of the entire society, the entire United States Population in this case, must and should and will adhere to rules and requirements that go way beyond the ratio’s of a family to group to clan where maybe in the clan/tribe one hundred and fifty would work. Our modern society consists of millions!</i></b></div>
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<b><i>Like the teaching environment in schools everyone admits that once the ratio of students to teachers reaches a certain level it degrades the quality and productivity of that teaching environment but our current level of society population of students as related to that of teachers has taken that ratio and turned it into an ineffective, degraded and unproductive one where teachers today still accomplish much good but have to fight that ratio disparity because we lost control of our population and all that entails. </i></b></div>
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<b><i>Going back to the dojo, commercialism has driven the ratio out of kilter. To have a large dojo environment means it has to remain true to the ratio’s, i.e., one sensei for four practitioners so if the membership is up to sixteen then you really need FOUR qualified and experienced sensei to make that work. In all honesty three to one works best. One Sensei cannot adequately pass along their knowledge, experiences and understanding of such a system or discipline without help and support. </i></b></div>
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<b><i>Consider this, in the military it takes four men (one of the four the leader while the other three qualify as leader just in case) to make one team that we call a, </i></b><span style="color: #ff2600; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;"><b><i>“Fire Team” </i></b></span><b><i>in the Marines. Then you have a combination of thirteen where you have three fire-teams and the one squad leader. That squad leader leads the three fire team leaders who lead the three team members - the ratio over many centuries works and is why it continues. </i></b></div>
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<b><i>Four squads makes a platoon with a platoon leader and so on. In this environment and professions, as in life itself, it involves survival and can result in grave harm or death of the individual, his or her team members, the team leader, the other fire-teams who can and do work together to the squads and platoon. One major chink unfilled and corrected when broken in that chain spells doom for the entire platoon.</i></b></div>
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<b><i>So, in that configuration and collective two factors are required to make it work. One, cooperation that is taught, trained, practiced and experienced with full understanding that further requires to make that work, communications. Communications requires understanding words, etc., and a cooperative endeavor to communicate and learn and teach one another when developing plans, implementing plans and then after the event discussing the plans in what some pro’s call the, </i></b><span style="color: #ff2600; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;"><b><i>“After Action Report, etc.!”</i></b></span></div>
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<b><i>If those involved don’t know and understand the groups dynamics, hierarchal and status requirements, etc., then they cannot effectively communicate and therefore will fail in the cooperative effort to perform the mission, the plan. It is, a big example, like pulling tougher people of vastly different culture, beliefs and especially language and expecting them to survive. Yes, its possible and it can be done but not before working through obstacles and achieving certain objectives such as finding a common language, etc.!</i></b></div>
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<span style="color: #0433ff; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;"><b><i>Here is a dojo example: </i></b></span><b><i>There are styles of karate; everyone believes wholeheartedly in their style and its superiority; everyone is acting in a species human way and is expected and natural; each has its own way along with culture, i.e., one is a hard style while the other is not, etc. and in that model it creates individual groups and dynamics that will not match with other styles. I know of one style that has become such a belief system that the style actually creates a state of entitled elitism where only students and members of certain groups are allowed to benefit from the teachings.</i></b><span style="color: #0433ff; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;"><b><i> </i></b></span></div>
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<b><i>If we wanted to remove the styles and create one system or group the only way to accomplish that mission is to teach a principled based multiple method realty-based system that actually lies under all the styles regardless of there individualized belief structures. </i></b></div>
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<span style="color: #888888; font-kerning: none;"><a href="http://mymartialselfdefensephilosophy.blogspot.com/2013/11/bibliography.html">Bibliography</a></span><span style="font-kerning: none;"> (Click the link)</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01716269250048431690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261819679932120140.post-76732183432908426072017-04-27T09:39:00.001-07:002017-04-27T09:39:39.275-07:00It’s That Something<div style="font-family: Times; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;">
<a href="http://isshindo.blogspot.com/2015/06/articles-caveat-blog.html">Blog Article/Post Caveat</a> (Read First Please: Click the Link)</div>
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<b><i>That something that triggers your spidey sense in that what you are experiencing or observing has something that sits just to the side of the consciousness leaving a puzzled look on your fact until suddenly like a flash of light, you get what it is. </i></b></div>
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<b><i>I observe and have observed kata practice both live on the dojo floor and via social media such as Youtube. I can watch and sense when someone is performing kata, performing kata ROTE and living the kata. What is </i></b><span style="color: #ff2600; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;"><b><i>“Living the Kata?”</i></b></span><b><i> Well, being difficult to explain but it is a sense of spirit, understanding and intent within the practice and applications. </i></b></div>
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<b><i>Most know it when they see it even if they are unable to explain what it is they are perceiving. I say perceiving because that involves both the conscious and unconscious. When a true adept of karate practices there is something in the way they project their attitude, something in the way they move and something that is projected like the first morning rays of warm sunshine at dawn over a prairie with a backdrop of the majestic mountains of this wonderful world in which we reside. </i></b></div>
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<b><i>Another way to describe it is as if you were clairvoyant and can detect the tells that speak of something interesting, unique and spiritual but not religious in nature. It is like when you watch a couple in love you can perceive in their body language and the underlying aura that says to you they are truly in love or at least deeply infatuated with one another. </i></b></div>
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<b><i>Its’ that something similar to where you watch a group and you can feel, see, sense and even taste the connectedness that projects when the move together like watching military maneuvers especially those of spec-ops types, they instinctively know what each is doing and what they are going to do, etc. </i></b></div>
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<b><i>Likened to the Tao Te Ching or the I Ching, it is something that becomes instinctual in nature, a reflex that makes your eyes go wide and you intake a deep breath of surprise. It is that moment when you are in the wild and you come upon a predator stalking prey, the movement is likened to moving within the environment as if a part of it like the cool soft breeze causing the tall grass to move rhythmically. </i></b></div>
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<b><i>When I see kata today I see body language and facial expressions of boredom and ROTE, moving to meet a minimal standard of connecting various disparate techniques to make one long dance. It is as if one is merely moving haphazardly with no story, no intent and no meaning. It is empty, an empty shell of various individual movement to form a form, a form without substance as if copying a pattern onto material so you can take scissors and cut along the lines. </i></b></div>
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<b><i>As you can see it is most difficult to put labels and meaning on true kata being presented through moving meditative intent, purpose and substance. It is that something that you seek when you train and practice karate but can’t get exactly what that something is but with diligence, honor, consistency in training and practice, searching for more while absorbing deeply that which was found, and letting go of what must be let go then on that one day, that one hour and into that very moment you are suddenly thrust into understanding, a </i></b><span style="color: #ff2600; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;"><b><i>“Oh Crap, that’s it!”</i></b></span><b><i> moment.</i></b></div>
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<b><i>Karate is just a vehicle to get you to that something and it is your efforts that fuel karate until that moment, a solid valid beneficial and worthwhile wholehearted journey. </i></b></div>
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<span style="color: #0433ff; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;"><b><i>Think </i></b></span><b><i>“Living breathing sentient human vs. zombie Kata.” </i></b></div>
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<span style="color: #888888; font-kerning: none;"><a href="http://mymartialselfdefensephilosophy.blogspot.com/2013/11/bibliography.html">Bibliography</a></span><span style="font-kerning: none;"> (Click the link)</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01716269250048431690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261819679932120140.post-41580345931624339142017-04-20T09:09:00.002-07:002017-04-20T09:10:02.269-07:00Reframing to Refute (Martial Communications)<div style="font-family: Times; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;">
<a href="http://isshindo.blogspot.com/2015/06/articles-caveat-blog.html">Blog Article/Post Caveat</a> (Read First Please: Click the Link)</div>
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<b><i>In a dojo, while assisting the Sensei, another yudansha approached me and said, </i></b><span style="color: #ff2600; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;"><b><i>“You're explaining too much.”</i></b></span><b><i> In short, after a discussion to clarify is message and intent, he was saying that I talked too much. On one side I tended to agree and on the other side I tend to disagree and you ask, </i></b><span style="color: #ff2600; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;"><b><i>“How can you both agree and disagree?”</i></b></span><b><i> </i></b></div>
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<b><i>It’s about communications, knowledge and understanding. First, I was trying way to hard to convey decades of study, learning, and understanding in one conversation. Second, I needed to parse the teachings down into what one media source would call, </i></b><span style="color: #ff2600; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;"><b><i>“Baby Steps.” </i></b></span><b><i>Baby steps in that I should be more general in verbalizing a subject, etc., then follow up with more details as they progress in chunks that are more conducive to learning, and most importantly toward retention. A bit like giving a topic with a very short initial paragraph to cover the main points like they do in news stories or newspapers, etc., then expanding in the content that one can either read or not read as the moment dictates. At least the story is there for future reference and study if the practitioner so desires. </i></b></div>
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<b><i>Then, when warranted in training and practice as each moment presents some inspiration it could warrant another discussion of similar duration with follow up detailed discussion or written material or video, etc. </i></b></div>
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<b><i>Humans can only take in so much in one sitting ergo why lectures at University are often an hour where notes are taken, research is done as followup or homework, papers are written and reviewed with comments to direct effort and progression is achieved through this process. Over time, the practitioner/student will grow, expand and understand while building up a source of data they can rely on in their pursuit of martial and karate proficiency and expertise. </i></b></div>
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<b><i>In the art of, </i></b><span style="color: #ff2600; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;"><b><i>“Martial Communications,”</i></b></span><b><i> as with conflict as well as social the techniques are the same while the discipline and subjects involved change, constantly. Humans are social and that social drive is about species survival through cooperation and evolving human communications skills are how we do that, survive and thrive. </i></b></div>
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<b><i>In martial arts as well as karate in modern times those who have come before are starting to recognize and realize how modern practitioners are now finding gaps in their knowledge, applications and understanding of martial arts and karate (emphasis on self-fense due to its inherent violent dangers).</i></b></div>
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<b><i>It is because of this that I attempt to convey a new principle called, </i></b><span style="color: #ff2600; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;"><b><i>“Martial Communications.” </i></b></span><b><i>Communications are about cooperation, i.e., in this instance about the exchange of information, theories, ideas and experiences to communicate what is needed and necessary to both evolve as martial artists and karate-ka but to survive in a world that still has conflict and violence (as I define it from a simply emotional discussion to the full blow all out wars humans endure).</i></b></div>
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<b><i>The following notes are provided to present thoughts toward further research, study, practice and understanding. It is about presenting terse like information that triggers facts, ideas and theories you can study, analyze and then synthesize into a form of martial communications that will span not just the dojo floor but the world when applying martial self-fense skills in avoidance and deescalation, i.e., what professionals might call conflict communications (google conflict communications to learn about this). </i></b></div>
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<b><i>“Presenting facts that conflict with an individual’s worldview, it turns out, can cause people to dig in further. Psychologists, aptly, dubbed this the ‘backfire effect.' Learn how to communicate facts/information strategically.”</i></b></div>
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<b><i>“In addition to presenting facts and figures, they appeal to emotions. This could mean not simply explaining the science of how something works but spending time on why it matters to the author and why it ought to matter to the reader.” </i></b></div>
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<b><i>“Communicators can be more effective after they’ve gained the audience’s trust.”</i></b></div>
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<span style="color: #0433ff; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;"><b><i>Refuting stories that deny martial beliefs by addressing each claim and explaining why it’s wrong is not that productive. In fact, it could be counterproductive: </i></b></span><b><i>“If you repeat the myth, that’s the part people remember even if you immediately debunk it, she says. A better approach, she suggests, is to reframe the issue. Don’t just keep explaining why your view, theory, idea or belief is true and real - explain how your view, theory, idea or belief will harm and adversely effect practice, training and the practitioner. Communication that appeals to values, not just intellect, research shows, can be far more effective.”</i></b></div>
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<span style="color: #0433ff; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;"><b><i>INQUIRY: What is rhetorician? It is, </i></b></span><b><i>“An expert in formal rhetoric; a speaker whose words are primarily intended to impress or persuade. The art of effective or persuasive speaking or writing, especially the use of figures of speech and other compositional techniques; language designed to have a persuasive or impressive effect on its audience, but often regarded as lacking in sincerity or meaningful content.”</i></b></div>
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<b><i>Create a model of, “Martial Communications.” </i></b></div>
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<b><i>Explain martial arts and karate strategically:</i></b></div>
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<li style="color: #0433ff; font-family: Baskerville; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><i>Gain your audiences trust (be it many or just one).</i></b></li>
<li style="color: #0433ff; font-family: Baskerville; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><i>Don’t Refute, Reframe and present references to support your views.</i></b></li>
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<li style="color: #0433ff; font-family: Baskerville; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><i>Refuting stories that deny martial beliefs by addressing each claim and explaining why it’s wrong is not that productive.</i></b></li>
<li style="color: #0433ff; font-family: Baskerville; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><i>Don’t just keep explaining why your view, theory, idea or belief is true and real - explain how your view, theory, idea or belief will harm and adversely effect practice, training and the practitioner. Communication that appeals to values, not just intellect, research shows, can be far more effective.</i></b></li>
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<li style="color: #0433ff; font-family: Baskerville; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><i>Explain why it matters.</i></b></li>
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<li style="color: #0433ff; font-family: Baskerville; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><i>Explanations lead to curiosity and curiosity leads to study and study leads to connecting to others and conneting to others lead to communication and communication comes through cooperation and cooperation leads to evolving, growing and understanding of self, others and society. </i></b></li>
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<li style="color: #0433ff; font-family: Baskerville; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><i>Refrain from scientific like factual explanations and speak to the emotional side of the topic or subject under review/discussion.</i></b></li>
<li style="color: #0433ff; font-family: Baskerville; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><i>Don’t attack the belief system by reframing the subject, presenting the facts, explain how that hurts them and their practices and their beliefs, and appeal to values along with research, references and to intellect. </i></b></li>
<li style="color: #0433ff; font-family: Baskerville; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><i>Use figures of speech and symbolism to persuade (compositional techniques).</i></b></li>
<li style="color: #0433ff; font-family: Baskerville; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><i>Be sincere and provide meaningful content.</i></b></li>
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<span style="color: #0433ff; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;"><b><i>Martial communications is many things but in short I would consider it as, </i></b></span><b><i>“Communicative competence is a term in linguistics which refers to a language user's grammatical knowledge of syntax, morphology, phonology and the like, as well as social knowledge about how and when to use utterances appropriately.”</i></b></div>
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<b><i>QUESTIONS FOR RESEARCH: </i></b></div>
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<li style="color: #ff2600; font-family: Baskerville; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #0433ff;"><b><i></i></b></span><b><i>What is communicative competence?</i></b></li>
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<li style="color: #0433ff; font-family: Baskerville; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><i>Communicative competence is a term in linguistics which refers to a language user's grammatical knowledge of syntax, morphology, phonology and the like, as well as social knowledge about how and when to use utterances appropriately.</i></b></li>
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<li style="color: #ff2600; font-family: Baskerville; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #0433ff;"><b><i></i></b></span><b><i>What is syntax?</i></b></li>
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<li style="color: #0433ff; font-family: Baskerville; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><i>the arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences in a language.</i></b></li>
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<li style="color: #ff2600; font-family: Baskerville; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #0433ff;"><b><i></i></b></span><b><i>What is morphology?</i></b></li>
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<li style="color: #0433ff; font-family: Baskerville; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><i>the study of the forms of words.</i></b></li>
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<li style="color: #ff2600; font-family: Baskerville; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #0433ff;"><b><i></i></b></span><b><i>What is phonology?</i></b></li>
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<li style="color: #0433ff; font-family: Baskerville; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><i>the system of relationships among the speech sounds that constitute the fundamental components of a language; the branch of linguistics that deals with systems of sounds (including or excluding phonetics), especially in a particular language.</i></b></li>
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<li style="color: #0433ff; font-family: Baskerville; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><i>The collective body of knowledge produced by your community or social circle is what is known as social knowledge. In a social or cultural context, social knowledge can be the collective knowledge base of small groups, like a family, or it can be a massive and constantly evolving body of knowledge, like Wikipedia.</i></b></li>
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<li style="color: #ff2600; font-family: Baskerville; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #0433ff;"><b><i></i></b></span><b><i>What are compositional techniques?</i></b></li>
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<li style="color: #0433ff; font-family: Baskerville; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><i>In the visual arts, composition is the placement or arrangement of visual elements or ingredients in a work of art, as distinct from the subject.</i></b></li>
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<li style="color: #0433ff; font-family: Baskerville; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><i>The act of combining parts or elements to form a whole; manner of being composed; structure; the act or process of producing a literary work.</i></b></li>
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<b><i>What I am trying to do is create an atmosphere and dojo community that will foster and build a small group who come to understand the many myriad things that make martial arts and karate so fruitful, beneficial and provide us all the tools we can use not just for Self-fense or competition but in every day life itself. </i></b></div>
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<b><i>Becoming better people, better citizens, and better friends and neighbors is how we all survive; how we live in relative harmony with an enlightened sense of mutual connective social emotional maturity that helps us all, “Just get along.” </i></b></div>
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<span style="color: #888888; font-kerning: none;"><a href="http://mymartialselfdefensephilosophy.blogspot.com/2013/11/bibliography.html">Bibliography</a></span><span style="font-kerning: none;"> (Click the link)</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNyrnu3LvruQfMJmO7JJFx-t4DeIigfz4IYN9Ezd9YIdf74m1xWkXsq2iq3EA2lOUs2Ad2kPktgE0SK3B3TfKenTr6TbhWlYW81m7S1d424HNptujmA6cOW8TM5CO1BM63Sgh7Uq5Ijjs/s1600/conflict-comm-book-rory-miller.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNyrnu3LvruQfMJmO7JJFx-t4DeIigfz4IYN9Ezd9YIdf74m1xWkXsq2iq3EA2lOUs2Ad2kPktgE0SK3B3TfKenTr6TbhWlYW81m7S1d424HNptujmA6cOW8TM5CO1BM63Sgh7Uq5Ijjs/s320/conflict-comm-book-rory-miller.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This article and my thoughts, theories, ideas, etc.,<br />
have nothing to do with this book and I HIGHLY<br />
RECOMMEND IT if you teach or work in a<br />
profession that deals with conflicts and violence, etc. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01716269250048431690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261819679932120140.post-9830378221639052972017-04-17T12:49:00.000-07:002017-04-17T12:49:07.228-07:00Keiken soku (経験則) Rule of thumb (Empirical rule) <div style="font-family: Times; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;">
<a href="http://isshindo.blogspot.com/2015/06/articles-caveat-blog.html">Blog Article/Post Caveat</a> (Read First Please: Click the Link)</div>
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<b><i>The rule of thumb is a vitally important physical signature of Isshin-ryū Karate gokui. The rule of thumb is a distinct key characteristic of Isshin-ryū Karate. Understanding its concept unlocks and locks one of the fundamental principle of Shimabuku Tatsuo Sensei's teachings.</i></b></div>
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<b><i>Passai no kamae. This kamae is in Sunsu kata.</i></b></div>
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<b><i>It’s funny, I would venture to guess many wonder why I, </i></b><span style="color: #ff2600;"><b><i>“Question Everything.”</i></b></span><b><i> Well, because it is the only way to fact find, fact check and understand what it is that people are trying to teach others especially in such a public venue like blogging or FaceBooking, etc. I especially question things that, </i></b><span style="color: #ff2600;"><b><i>“Don’t make sense; Don’t seem accurate; Don’t or Didn’t exist in the earlier days, for men anyway; Seem contrived; Seem something that tends to trigger the more academic side of me in logic and common sense.”</i></b></span></div>
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<b><i>I admit, it is clever to use the Japanese terms and symbolically connect the meme, </i></b><span style="color: #ff2600;"><b><i>“Rule of Thumb,” </i></b></span><b><i>to the symbolic connection of the thumb, as a rule, to a perception of the thumb placement, at one time considered unique to Isshinryu, on the fist as a direct connection to Isshinryu and its vertical fist. </i></b></div>
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<b><i>Long, long ago I wrote about the vertical fist along with the twelve traits of Isshinryu one of the Isshinryu Luminaries presented in those earlier years where the vertical fist and thumb on top as trademarks of Isshinryu. </i></b></div>
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<b><i>Read, if you wish, The Twelve Isshinryu Features https://isshindo.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-12-isshin-ryu-features.html</i></b></div>
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<b><i>In short (good info in rest of article if you wish to read it);</i></b></div>
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<b><i>10. A fist made with the thumb on top of the fist as opposed to the thumb being over the two fingers. Such a position, with the thumb on top, locks the wrist and serves to tighten the fist.</i></b></div>
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<b><i>I will not address the exact physics of the thumb but will readily admit that even today this particular form of the fist and its use are still a distinctive feature of Isshinryu yet you will find that a good deal of today's Isshinryu dojo don't actually use it. </i></b></div>
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<b><i>11. A vertical punch, which increases speed and power. </i></b></div>
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<b><i>A vertical rising punch might be a bit more accurate. In reality when observing the use of the vertical fist you find that only in the rising punch does the fist actually remain vertical. In truth it shifts slightly to one side or the other depending on targeting and where that target aligns with the height of the person applying it to the person on the receiving end. This is pretty much truth to all forms of the punch.</i></b></div>
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<b><i>Now, as to fundamental teachings this is a feature of Isshinryu that has since been adopted by many other systems except that most don't actually put the thumb on the top vs. down the side, etc.</i></b></div>
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<b><i>You see, even with the above said along with the twelve features of Isshinryu, presented not by Tatsuo-san but one of his students upon returning to the States to teach, I still don’t get the connection it is the proverbial “rule of thumb” toward understanding all the aspects of the system that drives Isshinryu as a form of karate. I don’t see how it:</i></b></div>
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<li style="color: #0433ff; font-family: Baskerville; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><i>It holds a position of great importance as some physical signature (what does physical signature even mean?) of the ken-po goku-i or any other goku-i provided by Sensei? </i></b></li>
<li style="color: #0433ff; font-family: Baskerville; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><i>I cannot see how this proverbial rule of thumb is distinct as to any characteristic of Isshinryu except that its position seems unique in regard to other systems or styles who form the fist in other ways. Matter of fact, every fist formation has a purpose so they are all relevant but it may just be that Isshinryu practitioners are seeking out some unique thing that puts them and the system in a higher status but in the end, who knows?</i></b></li>
<li style="color: #0433ff; font-family: Baskerville; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><i>How can understanding the thumb on top of the fist unlock or lock any fundamental Principle of Tatsuo-san’s teachings, i.e., what is unlocked and what is locked and what does that even mean and what principles because there are a plethora of principles in karate and martial arts that are and are not the first principles of physiokinetics, technique, philosophy, theory, self-defense and chemical adrenal stuff? </i></b></li>
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<li style="color: #0433ff; font-family: Baskerville; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><i>Principles are what drive the fists and feet regardless of formation and applications, they are not dictated by any one physical physiokinetic sub-principle. </i></b></li>
<li style="color: #0433ff; font-family: Baskerville; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><i>The fist and thumb alone or even coupled with other structural principle based connection provides any holistic and/or wholehearted teachings conveyed by Tatsuo-san at least according to the research on those five luminaries of Isshinryu who brought it to the United States. </i></b></li>
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<li style="color: #0433ff; font-family: Baskerville; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><i>The fist and any formation regardless is just one single entity of a huge collection of principled based multiple methodologies used in karate and martial arts so it eludes me as to how this one trait can be such a huge contribution to the overall teachings of any one Sensei or his system, style or teachings.</i></b></li>
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<b><i>So, as with many of the Isshinryu Features the attribution of such importance to any one things is, in my mind, ludicrous and misleading. It does not promote a system of effectiveness and proficiency but smacks of the, “Twaddle Tendency, Information and Confirmation bias, etc.” </i></b></div>
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<span style="color: #0433ff;"><b><i>Then I would ask, </i></b></span><b><i>“What is the Rule of Thumb?”</i></b><span style="color: #0433ff;"><b><i> What I found is this, </i></b></span><b><i>“The rule of thumb is a broadly accurate guide or principle, based on experience or practice rather than theory.”</i></b><span style="color: #0433ff;"><b><i> It is also stated by some sources as, </i></b></span><b><i>“A rule of thumb is a principle with broad application that is not intended to be strictly accurate or reliable for every situation. It is an easily learned and easily applied procedure for approximately calculating or recalling some value, or for making some determination.”</i></b></div>
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<b><i>Granted, there are many things within the teachings of Isshinryu or for any karate system or martial arts system that fits the bill of being a rule of thumb but to generalize it toward an “iffy” reference of Tatsuo’s teachings leaves a lot to be desired. Does the person advocating this believe it and how do they explain it adequately to themselves let alone to fledgling students? Or is this one of those things where they assume everyone will understand because,”That is how my Sensei told me so it must be true!” </i></b></div>
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<b><i>If one truly wishes to understand then it is best for them to look for, “just because or should, etc.,” in the explanation or for vagueness or questioning faces saying, I don’t get it but I ain’t going to ask and look the fool, type thing. You have to ask questions, you have to get answers, you have to fact check those answers, you have to analyze it and then you need to synthesize it into your own. </i></b></div>
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<span style="color: #888888; font-kerning: none;"><a href="http://mymartialselfdefensephilosophy.blogspot.com/2013/11/bibliography.html">Bibliography</a></span><span style="font-kerning: none;"> (Click the link)</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01716269250048431690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261819679932120140.post-91306212814073246212017-04-10T09:24:00.000-07:002017-04-10T09:24:28.006-07:00Morality in Karate?<div style="font-family: Times; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;">
<a href="http://isshindo.blogspot.com/2015/06/articles-caveat-blog.html">Blog Article/Post Caveat</a> (Read First Please: Click the Link)</div>
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<b><i>In my many years of study toward a better understanding of my marital arts and karate I have come to the tentative (because things are in a constant state of flux) belief that many of the more esoteric aspects not being defined to a mutual understanding and acceptance are left to the individual whereas that understanding is of questionable nature due to the human frailties of perceptions, distinctions and beliefs, etc.</i></b></div>
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<b><i>Lets take the belief or ideology of, “Morality.” We all assume we understand it but do we truly understand it and does it actually fit the criteria of a first principle that transcends individuals and ideologies and cultural social influences but rather sits underneath them all providing support? </i></b></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;"><b><i>Generally speaking morality is defined as, </i></b></span><b><i>“Principles concerning the distinction between right and wrong or good and bad behavior; a particular system of values and principles of conduct, especially one held by a specified person or society.”</i></b></div>
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<b><i>“Morality (from the Latin moralis ‘manner, character, proper behavior’) is the differentiation of intentions, decisions, and actions between those that are distinguished as proper and those that are improper. Morality can be a body of standards or principles derived from a code of conduct from a particular philosophy, religion, or culture, or it can derive from a standard that a person believes should be universal. Morality may also be specifically synonymous with ‘goodness’ or ‘rightness’.”</i></b></div>
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<b><i>I have a feeling that we all can accept that the two quotes give a good basic academic presentation of what one in our society would consider a basic meaning of morality. So, if that were true then why does it diverge, often drastically, when it is asked of individuals and groups?</i></b></div>
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<b><i>In karate and martial arts the term morality is often coupled with philosophy so I asked myself if this were appropriate and good enough and the following is my tentative understanding.</i></b></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;"><b><i>Moral Philosophy: A branch of philosophy concerned with ethics. Ethics being defined as, </i></b></span><b><i>“Moral principles that govern a person's behavior or the conducting of an activity (the moral correctness of specified conduct); the branch of knowledge that deals with moral principles. Now we have to add in moral principles because it may or may not relate directly to morality or moral philosophies.” </i></b></div>
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<b><i>“Ethics (also known as moral philosophy) is the branch of philosophy which addresses questions of morality. The word ‘ethics’ is ‘commonly used interchangeably with 'morality,' and sometimes it is used more narrowly to mean the moral principles of a particular tradition, group, or individual’.”</i></b></div>
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<b><i>“Moral principles are driven by the principles of right and wrong that are accepted by an individual or a social group; a rule or standard especially of good behavior; the principle that conduct should be moral; (rule of personal conduct; the moral principle that behavior should be determined by duty).”</i></b></div>
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<b><i>It is also of the belief that human morality is not innate nor gene driven but derived from influences one encounters from the moment of conception, i.e., if you believe that external stimuli the mother experiences is also experienced to a degree while in the womb, or birth from the environment, etc. As we develop and evolve, in that evolve meaning what we learn and absorb and understand each moment of life experience, we change accordingly and some where in all that stimulus we learn, develop, become aware of and follow our own moral beliefs, philosophies and understandings of morality. </i></b></div>
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<b><i>There is another theory and belief supported to a degree with research that can be read at the following reference, i.e., “</i></b><a href="http://www.intellectualtakeout.org/blog/why-conservatives-cant-understand-liberals-and-vice-versa"><span style="color: #ff2600; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;"><b><i>Why Conservatives Can’t Understand Liberals and Vice Versa</i></b></span></a><span style="color: #ff2600; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;"><b><i>.”</i></b></span><b><i> The article is about a set of political views but the underlying information of morality drives the article and that is the focus of the reference to this article. </i></b></div>
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<b><i>I provide a quote of the five primary categories of moral foundation in humans for emphasis:</i></b></div>
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<li style="color: #ff2600; font-family: Baskerville; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><i>Authority/subversion: This foundation was shaped by our long primate history of hierarchical social interactions. It underlies virtues of leadership and follower-ship, including deference to legitimate authority and respect for traditions.</i></b></li>
<li style="color: #ff2600; font-family: Baskerville; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><i>Sanctity/degradation: This foundation was shaped by the psychology of disgust and contamination. It underlies religious notions of striving to live in an elevated, less carnal, more noble way. It underlies the widespread idea that the body is a temple which can be desecrated by immoral activities and contaminants (an idea not unique to religious traditions). </i></b></li>
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<b><i>For me, as a side note, I find it difficult to believe that we somehow have gene’s or instincts carried down through the generations that say we will naturally to care about others except maybe toward the learned primal conditioned ability to form into groups for survival where that survival depends on cooperation, etc. I can see that over time, as to group dynamics of survival, humans learned how to care and protect and secure one another. That would be passed along from generation to generation but I don’t believe, so far, that we have gene’s or instincts (instincts of this level would hinder evolution and survival as current theories and research would indicate) that we trigger somehow when we reach a certain stage of development, etc.</i></b></div>
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<b><i>This goes to say the same as to the other four categories where I can see and perceive that all five come from the developed need of humans to band together for mutual benefit and these traits or principles were learned quickly to survive. </i></b></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;"><b><i>The issue with morality in the dojo and in the application of martial arts and karate toward a socially and individual safety and security model called self-fense is that, </i></b></span><b><i>“The human inclination is to believe in one’s own understanding of morality, and many people will live their entire lives without seriously attempting to understand their ideological counterparts.”</i></b></div>
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<b><i>Here is where the divide come into play and individual dojo, like individual human collectives called social groups, come together in small groups to achieve a balanced and mutual beneficial survival and safe/secure group. This is why, I believe, we have such diverse differences in things like morality, philosophies and beliefs, humans were not meant to exist, survive and evolve in such large diverse collectives inherent in modern societies. Ergo, why martial arts and karate communities tend to exist in small groups often symbolized as unique due to the naming of its system or style regardless of the fundamental (first) principles and methodologies that exist regardless of style or system or dojo affiliations, beliefs or symbolized naming, etc. </i></b></div>
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<b><i>This therefore begs the question, “What is your moral code to the belief, understanding and application of martial arts and karate?” I ask, because even in the sport oriented practices of martial arts and karate a moral heart is required if it is to be applied in a manner conducive to its evolution along side that of the human species. </i></b></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;"><b><i>Like many group dynamics starting from the family unit to the neighborhood, city, county, state and country we find that, </i></b></span><b><i>“Even many intelligent and reasonable people, after all, will have a difficult time agreeing on anything if they view the moral underpinnings of society through vastly divergent lenses.”</i></b></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;"><b><i>That adds thoughts of, </i></b></span><b><i>“Can such a diverse and divergent understanding and belief of a moral fortitude contribute to a larger group dynamic such as the larger country group lead to a moral existence without the more egregious conflict and violence of such things? Are humans, due to their very nature (what ever that may mean) able to coexist in such lager confines with such diverse peoples along with the natural friction between each that tends to lead to conflict and violence?”</i></b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;"><b><i> </i></b></span></div>
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<b><i>It comes to my mind that this is why martial arts and karate leans heavily toward styles and dojo entities because those tend to be in sizes that are more conducive to human group dynamics of a more positive, safe, secure and morally defined groups. </i></b></div>
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<b><i>In the end, moral turpitude is something that results when groups fail to live by and survive under a sense of justice, honesty, or good morals but end up in a state of moral turpitude, i.e., </i></b><span style="color: #ff2600; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;"><b><i>“An inherent quality of baseness, vileness, or depravity (the extremes of turpitude) with respect to one’s duty to others and to the group and to society.”</i></b></span><b><i> We see this example in the best of cases microcosmically represented in dojo membership and members. </i></b></div>
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<b><i>Thinking of this from a stricter marital karate perspective where one assimilates a code much like the Bushido Code of Japan, the modern one since the ancient one really didn’t exist, where I personally see each of the seven virtues is what many would believe and assume are the very principles underlying a moral right of a martial artist and karate-ka. Take a look, don’t these eight virtues fit into the above definition, basic, of a morality toward the practice and application of martial arts and karate as well as life in general?</i></b></div>
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<b><i>One of good moral fortitude is a person of courage with a strong sense of benevolence/mercy who is polite, honest and deals with the group and others with sincerity, honor, character and self-control. A person of considerable loyalty to self, dojo, dojo-mates and others. This seems to support a moral code that drives a person and groups morality in the dojo as well as in life. Without such a moral code it is too easy to have such aggression driven physical and mental and wholehearted use and applications to go down the deep and dark hole of morally questionable actions and deeds. </i></b></div>
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<span style="color: #888888; font-kerning: none;"><a href="http://mymartialselfdefensephilosophy.blogspot.com/2013/11/bibliography.html">Bibliography</a></span><span style="font-kerning: none;"> (Click the link)</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01716269250048431690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261819679932120140.post-11904713195635433502017-03-30T11:27:00.000-07:002017-03-30T11:27:20.035-07:00Satori-wo-hiraku<div style="font-family: Times; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;">
<a href="http://isshindo.blogspot.com/2015/06/articles-caveat-blog.html">Blog Article/Post Caveat</a> (Read First Please: Click the Link)</div>
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<b><i>Satori-wo-hiraku [</i></b><span style="font-family: 'Songti SC'; line-height: normal;"><b>悟りを開く</b></span><b><i>] to achieve enlightenment; to attain enlightenment. First character/ideogram translates to mean, </i></b><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; text-decoration: underline;"><b><i>“enlightenment; perceive; discern; realize; understand,”</i></b></span><b><i> while the second one translates to, </i></b><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; text-decoration: underline;"><b><i>“open; unfold; unseal.” </i></b></span></div>
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<b><i>The ultimate goal of our pursuit of the disciplines of conflict and violence, i.e., karate and martial arts, is to open the mind, to unfold the mysteries of the three levels that take us from the technique-based basics all the way up to the chaos of creativity that spans beyond technique into the realm of conditioned reflex responses of multiple principle-based methodologies that would transcend the mere logical thinking process into the realm of the mystic-like responses according to the situations, moments and times where we are confronted with and by obstacles of conflict and violence regardless of levels and severities, etc.</i></b></div>
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<b><i>To unfold our potential and allow the full range of possibilities within us that blossom into great oak trees of discipline, confidence and ability beyond what our initial open minds can comprehend without the experience, knowledge and understanding study, analysis and synthesis can produce. </i></b></div>
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<span style="color: #888888; font-kerning: none;"><a href="http://mymartialselfdefensephilosophy.blogspot.com/2013/11/bibliography.html">Bibliography</a></span><span style="font-kerning: none;"> (Click the link)</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01716269250048431690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261819679932120140.post-49676490207529454142017-03-29T09:44:00.000-07:002017-03-29T09:44:07.258-07:00Variations in Performance<div style="font-family: Times; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;">
<a href="http://isshindo.blogspot.com/2015/06/articles-caveat-blog.html">Blog Article/Post Caveat</a> (Read First Please: Click the Link)</div>
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<b><i>In all disciplines, I mean all, humans will experience both extreme performances interspersed with less extreme ones. Humans, simply because we are human, will not achieve the same top results but rather a system or state of, </i></b><span style="color: #ff2600; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;"><b><i>“Variations in Performance.” </i></b></span><b><i>It is a matter of, </i></b><span style="color: #ff2600; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;"><b><i>“The mean,”</i></b></span><b><i> meaning, </i></b><span style="color: #ff2600; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;"><b><i>“the average of both extreme performance and less extreme.” </i></b></span><b><i>In truth, it is a matter of timing where one who enters a match does so with the thought and intent to reach the higher level of the mean, extreme performance, so they can do their very best and succeed to the top spot in that match. We will call this one a milestone where the practitioner works to achieve his extreme performance level at the exact same moment they participate in a match, contest or competitive endeavor. </i></b></div>
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<b><i>The way to achieve this goal is to train and practice with a system that embraces the upper, mean and lower levels of the performance with a milestone of elevating the overall performance to levels where the lower end is less of a lower end, elevating the entire system so when the actual less extreme performance level exceeds the higher performance level of those who are competing with him or her. </i></b></div>
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<b><i>To ignore this regression of mean can lead to less than optimal consequences. When you hear someone say, </i></b><span style="color: #ff2600; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;"><b><i>“I threw bad darts but after I practiced for five hours over the weekend my Monday game was spot on.”</i></b></span><b><i> In reality, the practice may have exceeded the optimal practice interval for true progress and the person merely traveled the path back into the upswing of his performance level to extreme performance. Often, such marathons of practice are more a feed into this fallacy of regression of mean. </i></b></div>
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<b><i>What this means is the practitioner of any discipline where performance be it mental or physical or both is about understanding that we all have this system the travels the path as if a set of waves ebbing and flowing with upside waves we ride like a surfer and the downside waves that literally throw us under the water and willy nilly to the shoreline. You can’t ride the perfect wave on top all the time, you will always slide down the front and endure the cascade of the wave top tumbling you down as if you were a novice surfer. </i></b></div>
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<b><i>Variations in Performance are like breathing, it is what humans do naturally and according the nature and its physics. Like being full of energy during the early hours of a day, and early energy person, then slowing down in the afternoon, not a late day person, until your energy level is at its lowest. The Chinese medicines all teach this diurnal system of the human body, i.e., patterns of the body and mind from full energy to falling and into resting energy toward recharge, etc.</i></b></div>
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<b><i>We call this the, </i></b><span style="color: #ff2600; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;"><b><i>“Circadian Rhythm,”</i></b></span><b><i> where the bodies biological processes oscillate during a twenty-four hour span much like the ticking of a clock. These circadian or diurnal rhythms are set according to the environment in which the human lives to included its weather, etc., such as light, temperature and other effects. Add in the environmental effects of the tribe, clan or social order along with culture and beliefs then you get a system that dependent on other factors to the individual provides a clock where you may be at your best at 8am and worst at 8pm. </i></b></div>
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<span style="color: #888888; font-kerning: none;"><a href="http://mymartialselfdefensephilosophy.blogspot.com/2013/11/bibliography.html">Bibliography</a></span><span style="font-kerning: none;"> (Click the link)</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01716269250048431690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261819679932120140.post-74408470286184523902017-03-28T09:31:00.000-07:002017-03-28T09:31:52.336-07:00Evolution - It’s a Group Thing<div style="font-family: Times; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;">
<a href="http://isshindo.blogspot.com/2015/06/articles-caveat-blog.html">Blog Article/Post Caveat</a> (Read First Please: Click the Link)</div>
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<b><i>It consists of cooperation, amiability, learning, etc., all involving an efficiency that starts with the group, the tribe, the clan or whatever group and family designation one uses according to the groups cultural belief system. </i></b></div>
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<b><i>When anthropologists look back over human history and trace, as best as they can, human evolution from the humanlike ape, to apelike human, and finally through the various stages to the state of humans today, the anthropologists were struck by an important realization: that cooperation and competition both are responsible for our evolution, our very existence. This, and other factors, puts a new spin on our competitive nature of today. </i></b></div>
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<b><i>One must note, as expressed by those same anthropologists, is that evolution of man from what ever origins such as animals is that the process of evolution is gradual, continuous and very, very slllloooooowwww. This gradual process did not proceed in straight lines or in some arborizing fashion as believed but rather resembles a reticulum in which there were lots of crisscrossing along with new developments. There is some evidence that humans evolved faster that generally believed/supposed.</i></b></div>
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<b><i>Here is where I feel group dynamics is explained, i.e., it is now recognized that the evolutionary process is a result of whole populations of humans who changed over that period. Evolutionary processes took place within groups sometimes widely separated from each other. </i></b></div>
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<b><i>Our evolution involved a need to adapt to many different and changing conditions, accidental genetic mutations useful to our survival according to specific places at specific times that were retained, learned patterns of behavior that were to become a part of the culture that are then transmitted from generation to generation. Then we add in one more item, chance (sometimes luck too). </i></b></div>
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<b><i>In such groups there had to be cooperation and mutual aid. If not for those two it is believed that humans who, as many thought, depended on competition and mutual hostility that our species would never have evolved to a state of humanity. Had we been natural born killers with an innate aggressive and hostile ‘instinct’ then we would have had a much harder time surviving. </i></b></div>
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<b><i>It is because of cooperation and mutual aid, to provide necessary services to the tribe or group, humans would not have developed the physical attributes and the intelligence to cooperate with each other, they might well have been killed off by other predators. It is a required attribute of our species to evolve through cooperation among individuals; without it we would not have evolved.</i></b></div>
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<b><i>Ever wonder why we have both eyes in the front of our heads vs. one eye on each side? This type of vision is called, “Binocular.” It is a type of vision that makes it possible for us to see in three dimensions, and that means the ability to judge distances and depth. Ever hear of, </i></b><span style="color: #ff2600; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;"><b><i>“Arboreal?” </i></b></span><b><i> Since we are believed to come from a type of man-ape and that our ancestors came out of the trees it is, </i></b><span style="color: #ff2600; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;"><b><i>“Us, living in trees.” </i></b></span><b><i>Such a life was good regarding brain development: it was a life filled with surprises, every surprise called for quick response, the reward for correct response was living to another moment and incorrect response could possibly mean a fatal penalty. </i></b></div>
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<b><i>In short, the ones with the quickest response (OODA :-) ) and the greatest ability to make correct decisions and to survive incorrect decisions is the one creature most likely to live long enough to pass on those genes and that comes from the development of our brains. </i></b></div>
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<b><i>A side note: primates are either or not our ancestors but it is believed that among those very primates were the “Australopithecines,” what some believe are our close relatives if not ancestors. They were what I have already termed, from the anthropologists, etc., who did this study, ‘ape-men. Ape-men that were men non the less who were about four feet tall, with a brain larger that that of present-day chimps and they may have had the power of speech. Primarily vegetarians - fruits, nuts, seeds - who on occassion also ate birds eggs when they came upon them, and the experts say we can add small slow moving animals to their diet. </i></b></div>
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<b><i>Since these Australopithecines were considered more than apes, they stood up and moved about on their hind legs, etc., which gave their ever developing hands freedom to explore, to hold things, to poke, to squeeze, to reach, to grab, and thus to feed the curiosity that even then was becoming an important tool or mechanism for </i></b><span style="color: #ff2600; font-size: 13px; line-height: normal;"><b><i>“Learning and Understanding and Adapting.” </i></b></span></div>
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<b><i>Now we can look at another important mechanism that fed the evolutionary process, </i></b><span style="color: #ff2600; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;"><b><i>“Sociability.” </i></b></span><b><i>It is believed and understood that one of the major reasons we have survived and evolved is our group dynamic of sociability. The dual concept is, </i></b><span style="color: #ff2600; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;"><b><i>“Sociability and Amiability” </i></b></span><b><i>because they, like a yin-yang thing, go together often. Humans to survive live in groups, spend most of their time in groups, and carry out almost all their projects - eating, copulating, raising young, and protecting the group from predators - in groups. </i></b></div>
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<b><i>Humans being of this nature tend to apply punishments short of death that maintain the order and discipline of the group by meting out the worst possible punishment of our species - put in solitary confinement. Loneliness is widely considered the most severe malady one can suffer, we all have an emotional reliance on one another. This characteristic has had great significance for the evolutionary development of our species. Evolution would not have been possible in any form like it did without emphasis on cooperation and mutual aid. </i></b></div>
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<b><i>Example, Hunting: To hunt could never have developed without a high degree of cooperation among members of the group who were working together for the mutual good. Groups that hunted together and shared food were healthier; the individuals in these groups tended to live longer than individuals who went out alone, and groups that did the best job all around tended to prevail. </i></b></div>
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<b><i>The same principle - that groups are better than individuals - applied when it was necessary to protect themselves from other hunters. A group is clearly better equipped to stand off predators than a single individual. </i></b></div>
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<b><i>Speaking of flight-or-fight, etc., fighting among australopithecines is unlikely to have been any moe frequent than it is among apes because they had already developed the ability to </i></b><span style="color: #ff2600; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;"><b><i>‘FLEE’ fr</i></b></span><b><i>om dangerous situations and flight rather than fight would, in many cases, have been to their advantage. Flight of a group is safer by far than flight alone for each individual in that group. This brings us to a mainstay of this article, </i></b><span style="color: #ff2600; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;"><b><i>“Learning.” </i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0433ff; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;"><b><i>LEARNING: </i></b></span><b><i>“The most important function of the tribe, the group, in the evolution of early humans was in the area of ‘learned behavior’.”</i></b></div>
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<b><i>It is possible to learn alone, by trial and error, but it is much easier and faster to learn from</i></b><span style="color: #ff2600; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;"><b><i> ‘watching others’</i></b></span><b><i>. Often times, learning by trial and error is way to slow. There is no question that learning from other members of the group is an important component of evolution and survival. </i></b></div>
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<b><i>When threatened by lions, fleeing to trees is good and such behaviors obviously represents several kinds of learning - from observation, from adult to adult, from adult to young. The advantages that accrue when many learn from a single experience is evident and obvious. It is also understood from research and studies that long before the emergence of the first true human beings, the patterns of cooperative living had been established and individuals were helping each other survive. </i></b></div>
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<b><i>Remember, evolution depends upon circumstance and environment, upon the challenges met and surmounted, and upon chance mutations in the genetic material in each group. As we now understand as to our history, the development of hunting among early humans and it later extension to the hunting of large animals probably served to intensify the importance of cooperation in the lives of the group. Cooperation enhanced their chances of developing and evolving and eventually becoming something more. </i></b></div>
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<b><i>Side note: The whole question of division of labor, i.e., hunter-gatherer where men hunted and women gathered along with caring for young, etc., between the sexes evidently goes back to our earliest days as humans. During prehistoric times such an arrangement was necessary for survival. Natural selection, in fact, greatly favored those individuals and those groups who cared for their young for extended periods, and whose tribal lives were organized on the highly cooperative principle of mutual support between men and women. </i></b></div>
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<span style="color: #888888; font-kerning: none;"><a href="http://mymartialselfdefensephilosophy.blogspot.com/2013/11/bibliography.html">Bibliography</a></span><span style="font-kerning: none;"> (Click the link)</span></div>
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<b><i>Montabu, Ashley. “The Nature of Human Aggression.” Oxford Press, New York. 1976, 78.</i></b></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01716269250048431690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261819679932120140.post-91925272291926496032017-03-27T13:07:00.000-07:002017-03-27T13:07:42.191-07:00Lip Service<div style="font-family: Times; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;">
<a href="http://isshindo.blogspot.com/2015/06/articles-caveat-blog.html">Blog Article/Post Caveat</a> (Read First Please: Click the Link)</div>
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<b><i>What is lip service? How does this apply to martial arts and karate regardless of intentions in practice and training? Lip service is an, “Insincere agreement; to, “pay lip service” is to consent in one's words while dissenting in one's heart.” I have and still see a huge amount of lip service being used in martial arts and karate, i.e., “Sensei support the consolidation of the arts while never committing him or herself to the implementation of it in any substantial way.” </i></b></div>
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<b><i>One example of reality is the phrase bandied about in dojo, “Ichariba Chode [</i></b><span style="font-family: "songti sc"; line-height: normal;"><b>行逢りば兄弟</b></span><b><i>] or Once we Meet, we become Brothers and Sisters.” Many dojo promote this as the institutional belief of a brotherhood often found in military services and other such professions. It is touted as a means of establishing and promoting things like respect, social interactions for the benefit of the dojo and its members, and a camaraderie of practitioners that glue them together much like the human group dynamic of survival. </i></b></div>
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<b><i>One definition actually states: </i></b></div>
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<b><i>Ichariba chode (</i></b><span style="font-family: "songti sc"; line-height: normal;"><b>行逢りば兄弟</b></span><b><i>) is a Japanese phrase meaning “though we meet but once, even by chance, we are friends for life”.</i></b></div>
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<b><i>Ichariba Chode, as a work of fiction, is a story that follows the unnamed and scrapped concept of a female protagonist for the first generation games – one commonly referred to in fandom as “Beta Blue” or “Classic!Leaf” and one referred to in-story as just “Blue” - as she travels alongside Red and his Charmander, starting in Pallet Town and ending at the Hall of Fame.</i></b></div>
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<b><i>and another says:</i></b></div>
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<b><i>(http://beokinawa.jp/). "Ichariba-chode" is an Okinawan saying and approach to life, meaning "once we meet, we become brothers and sisters."</i></b></div>
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<b><i>Now, here is where I get a bit concerned as to its true meaning, the characters/ideograms when translated at one site gave me the English words of, “Yukiairiba kyōdai,” with a translation of, “brothers.” Another less concise translation is, “Journey, meeting elder or big brother or younger brother and those faithful to elders.” I can’t use the word clarity on the last but you can come to a conclusion that it could, may and might mean when traveling one can encounter others where friendship is found. A stretch I might add but …</i></b></div>
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<b><i>Some of the strangeness in translation may come from the belief that it is an Okinawan phrase used when meeting someone new, i.e., meaning though we meet but once, even by chance, we are friends for life. Where this means more to my views and theories is in my studies of the Okinawan’s throughout their history and from sources of others not Okinawan, even European, it is always said of them just how friendly and kind all Okinawan’s are. Even today, the phrase is being used to convey the friendly atmosphere of Okinawa in regard to visitors for the promotion of tourism so even if it dose not originate in some ancient form it is meant to be relevant and accurate toward the modern views both of Okinawans and those not of Okinawan origins. </i></b></div>
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<b><i>It is interesting that my research didn’t actually find any sources that state in some form that the phrase is used in martial arts and karate circles even tho, in general, it is a cultural use so naturally would be in the dojo as it would in any other venue of the Okinawan culture. </i></b></div>
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<b><i>Lip service, is this actually something given to lip service in the agenda driven meaning that helps sell martial arts and karate commercially or its it really something believed in and lived in dojo’s around the country? </i></b></div>
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<span style="color: #888888; font-kerning: none;"><a href="http://mymartialselfdefensephilosophy.blogspot.com/2013/11/bibliography.html">Bibliography</a></span><span style="font-kerning: none;"> (Click the link)</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01716269250048431690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261819679932120140.post-47793521782428051162017-03-24T10:15:00.000-07:002017-03-24T10:15:00.595-07:00Defining Survival<div style="font-family: Times; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;">
<a href="http://isshindo.blogspot.com/2015/06/articles-caveat-blog.html">Blog Article/Post Caveat</a> (Read First Please: Click the Link)</div>
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<b><i>When you hear the word I would guess that it triggers specific pictures in your mind and I would go on to bet that many of those visualizations are from the entertainment industry, i.e., movies, television and books, etc. Am I right?</i></b></div>
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<b><i>Defining survival is a bit more involved, survival in a narrow sense according to the dictionaries is, “the state or fact of continuing to live or exist, typically in spite of an accident, ordeal, or difficult circumstances; Survival is the act of surviving; to stay living; Survival skills, safety techniques used in dangerous situations; and then the definition provides examples in categories:”</i></b></div>
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<b><i>In a fundamental way, survival is about:</i></b></div>
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<li style="color: #0433ff; font-family: Baskerville; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><i>Walking across the street without getting hit by a car.</i></b></li>
<li style="color: #0433ff; font-family: Baskerville; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><i>Seeking a job that will pay enough wages to live, i.e., eat, have shelter, etc.</i></b></li>
<li style="color: #0433ff; font-family: Baskerville; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><i>Developing character and personality skills to get along with others especially in our group, tribe, clan, family, etc.</i></b></li>
<li style="color: #0433ff; font-family: Baskerville; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><i>Developing coping skills to live safely and securely.</i></b></li>
<li style="color: #0433ff; font-family: Baskerville; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><i>Eating, exercising and developing an attitude that gets along with others. </i></b></li>
<li style="color: #0433ff; font-family: Baskerville; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><i>Gaining knowledge and understanding of survival especially as it is regard to conflict and violence - at all levels.</i></b></li>
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<li style="color: #0433ff; font-family: Baskerville; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><i>Conflict and violence from a discussion of a difference of opinion.</i></b></li>
<li style="color: #0433ff; font-family: Baskerville; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><i>Conflict and violence from a heated discussion that may escalate into an angry exchange with loud voices up to shouting and posturing to demonstrate one’s commitment to the subject.</i></b></li>
<li style="color: #0433ff; font-family: Baskerville; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><i>Conflict and violence where one used physical forces to communicate through damage and harm their commitment to some subject, etc.</i></b></li>
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<b><i>Note: These bullet points are examples and not a complete, comprehensive or exhausting list. It is to convey the idea that survival spans a wide spectrum beyond what you might have pictured when you read the first paragraphs. </i></b></div>
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<li style="color: #0433ff; font-family: Baskerville; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><i>Going to the store to purchase food, i.e., a form of hunter and gatherer where gatherer dominates by the act of shopping, etc.</i></b></li>
<li style="color: #0433ff; font-family: Baskerville; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><i>Performing or engaging in activities that mimic or symbolize acts our species uses as primal reflexes toward a base survival. </i></b></li>
<li style="color: #0433ff; font-family: Baskerville; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><i>etc. etc. etc.</i></b></li>
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<b><i>Yes, every day living efforts of all kinds, conditions, culturally driven social needs and services all fill the needs of our species toward, survival. It is the human ability to be aware then process stimuli through perceptions as to experiences accumulated in our environment so that we may make distinctions accordingly to act in appropriate acceptable social ways to avoid, deescalate, etc., those conflicts and violences that would hinder our continued survival and create obstacles to our evolutionary processes, also about survival. </i></b></div>
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<b><i>What we do focus on in martial arts and karate is survival skills and as with the above definition, “Survival skills, safety techniques used in dangerous situations,” we may also trigger specific visual-images also from entertainment media that do not span the full spectrum. We assume that safety techniques involve those technique-based instructions when in reality survival skills for safety and security involve communications skills for avoidance and deescalation, actions taken to avoid physical conflict such as turning away or walking away or running if the situation allows and then there are those methods and force options we take when things do go into the physical. </i></b></div>
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<b><i>Take for instance the teaching of fighting skills. It is often glossed over or simply avoided that fighting is illegal regardless of the level and forces used so even a school yard scuffle to communicate and convey information between two persons is considered illegal. Fighting skills are aggressive and aimed toward grave harm. Fighting skills are those necessary actions and deeds only used when the other avenues of conflict resolution are exhausted. Yet, fighting skills to modern martial arts and karate, even under the heading of self-defense, are sports competitive fights and have nothing beneficial to do with a predatory process/resource attack out of the dojo, out of the competitive arena and especially out of the entertainment and philosophical way. </i></b></div>
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<b><i>Once a long time ago while riding a deuce-n-half to the field I noticed a peculiarity in the engine, the way the vehicle moved and the efforts of the drive that the engine had a, “Governor,” on it. A governor is a device that stops acceleration of the engine/vehicle when certain conditions are reached such as a set top speed. It was an effort by the organization to control and govern how the drivers drove the vehicle with emphasis on safety through conditions set to ensure no one exceeded the speed limit. You can call it an inhibitor or a restriction set by device or any number of other descriptive words but in the end it was a form of social conditioning. </i></b></div>
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<b><i>Social conditioning is not something the individual can avoid, mostly. It is something, like the installation of a vehicle governor that is put in place without the driver’s consideration but as a control, an involuntary control, instead of training and other incentives to get drivers to voluntarily control their impulses so they stay within the speed limits. </i></b></div>
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<b><i>Social conditionings can be similar and if those creating and instituting such conditions themselves are unaware of what they don’t know and understand along with what they don’t know they don’t know and what they don’t understand they don’t know they don’t understand can lead to conditions and conditioning that does more harm than good. This seems to be where we are today even in the martial arts and karate for self-fense.</i></b></div>
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<b><i>We just don’t know we don’t know this yet. </i></b></div>
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<b><i>Social conditions, conditioning along with rules both implicit and explicit must come from knowledge, understanding and experience. That means we have to take the uncomfortable and balance it with the comfortable. We have to accept that we don’t know and we don’t know what we don’t know so that we can communicate, discuss, debate and then decide as a society what is best for us toward our very survival. </i></b></div>
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<b><i>Extend this down into the microcosmic world of self-fense regardless of the systems used be it martial arts, karate or some other form of self-fense so that we talk, discuss, debate, etc., until a unified consensus is reached in creating a fundamental foundation that spans differences such as styles or systems or individual cultural belief systems. A neutral factual beneficial foundation that everyone can get behind for the benefit and survival of everyone and every tribe, clan or group. </i></b></div>
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<b><i>This is how I perceive and distinguish survival, survival that spans every aspect and facet of our human existence and drives every thing we say, do and believe regardless of differences, a foundation for survival through understanding and acceptance of a fundamental state of principles that are factual and unemotional in nature - logical, beneficial and neutral in nature. </i></b></div>
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<b><i>BELIEF: I firmly believe that “survival” is the very seed that spells out our species drives and those drives are conditioned in our environment as to the stimuli our sensory systems feed our brains. </i></b></div>
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<span style="color: #888888; font-kerning: none;"><a href="http://mymartialselfdefensephilosophy.blogspot.com/2013/11/bibliography.html">Bibliography</a></span><span style="font-kerning: none;"> (Click the link)</span></div>
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