A karate-ka’s greatest strength

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“A karate-ka’s greatest strength is in observation, the more observed, the more the karate-ka comes to know. Such knowledge gives the karate-ka power, especially when others fail to see.” “The eyes must see all sides,” a ken-po goku-i meme as part of the whole that is the “goku-i.” Awareness is about seeing all sides or the myriad of things in the Universe. Our Universe is not just that of the vastness of the space that surrounds our Earth but the vastness of that space the surrounds each of us as if a micro-cosmic variation of the entire Universe.

To achieve such mastery of the seeing of all sides we must cultivate that which is observed more than merely seeing but to analyze all that we observe then synthesizing what we need to survive in our own Universes. It is truly our greatest strength and the greatest weakness of each individual karate-ka dependent on a myriad of things of which seeing all sides is but one. 

One, being the great “Tai Chi” that through the natural way of the Universe, i.e., Heavens, Earth and Hu-mans, is to divide into the four then the eight and finally into the sixty-four hexagrams that tell us how to travel the path of life as karate-ka. 

The more we can observe through the wholehearted efforts of education, training, practice and attaining of experience is how we accumulate the inherent knowledge necessary for mastery. Observation leads to education; education leads to knowledge; knowledge leads to understanding and understanding leads to analysis and synthesis of old, new and the creative - to see all sides of things. 

I would further add that “to hear in all directions” holds the same weight, i.e., as in “While a persons unbalance is the same as a weight” thus making a lack of observation leading to the end results null and void without the addition of hearing and weight and a loss of balance when these principles are missing or incomplete. 

To observe takes all the senses with the two of sight and hearing dominate, dominant sensory input processes that provide a wholehearted whole of observation and awareness, etc. This is one meaning attributed to the goku-i!

Bibliography (Click the link)

“In order for any life to matter, we all have to matter.” - Marcus Luttrell, Navy Seal (ret)

The Number 3: Numerology Anyone

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In my articles, postings but I like the term article more, I write about all sorts of things from my personal theories, to the physical aspects through principles, sometimes techniques as they apply to methodologies and force levels as well as philosophy, etc. Directly related to karate, the Asian connection if you will, I have noticed a lot of groupings in, “Three’s.” 

• Shin-gi-tai (Shin; Gi: Tai).
• Shu-ha-ri (Shu; Ha; Ri).
• Shoshin, Zanshin, Mushin.
• Awareness, Intention and Intent.
• Kihon, Kata, Kumite.
• Heaven, Earth, Humanity.
• Body, Mind, Spirit.
• Serenity, Tranquility, Humility.
• Kata in sections of three. 
• Morality, Civility, Honor.
• Humanity, Justice, Courtesy.
• Intent, Restraint, Action. 

and so on where the stages of karate and martial disciplines seem to be governed by numerology, particularly the number three, along with other ancient cultural beliefs directly implemented from their society into the study, practice and application of martial disciplines. 

Consider this, in the sciences of modern times mathematics are involved in explaining everything in nature and the universe. The code of the Internet is made up of 1’s and 0’s. Since it is often associated with astrology and horoscopes along with ancient studies of the I Ching that utilizes numbers within the selection by throwing a certain number of yarrow sticks or … wait for it, “Three coins.” Look at how we naturally use numbers to list items, to create bulleted items of knowledge that would trigger in-depth thinking, understanding and define those into greater detail. The list is endless and it associates numbers with everything. 

Note: obvious traits of the 3 are in the creative field. A powerful need to express feelings, ideas and visions of the imagination; For the 3 to become a well-rounded, balanced and happy person, it must learn discipline; Another unique quality of the 3 is its tendency to be "lucky," or rather, to be in the right place at the right time. This may be connected to its innate sense of rhythm; timing can be measured in seconds or in years, by the beating of a heart or by the movement of the stars. It is all only a matter of scale, either way, the 3 seems to be in tune with the cyclical nature of our surroundings; etc.!

Chinese Culture: The number 3 (三, Pinyin: sān, jyutping: saam1) sounds similar to the character for "birth" (生, Pinyin: shēng, jyutping: saang1), and is considered a lucky number.[citation needed] The number 3 is significant since there are three important stages in a man’s life (birth, marriage and death).

Universally: The universal meaning of three probably relates to man, woman and child—the fulfillment of birth and productivity. As a symbol of fulfillment, three often occurs in fairy tales as the number of tests to be passed or riddles to be solved; Three is a sacred number in most religions. The Ancient Egyptians had a powerful trinity of gods as did the Ancient Greeks and Romans. Hindus worship a trinity known as the Trimurti ("three forms"). Christians believe in a Holy Trinity. In Islam three symbolizes the human soul. To Pythagoras three symbolized perfect harmony, being the sum of unity (one) and diversity (two).

Japanese Culture: there are also numbers that are considered unlucky in Japan. The number four is considered to be unlucky because the word for four is shi (四/し) closely resembles the word for death shi (死/し). Likewise, the word for nine ku (九/く) sounds similar to the word for pain and suffering ku (苦/く). This is why gifts should never be presented in fours, but rather in sets of three or five; To prevent three years of misfortune, those entering their unlucky years will get purified at a temple or shrine; Japan also has special numbers which stand for good luck and bad luck. Lucky Number…8 (Hachi) and 7(Nana) “8” is written as “八” in Kanji. 八 is considered “末広がり(Suehirogari)” from its shape which widens toward the end. Suehirogari is to become more and more prosperous as time goes. Lucky “7” comes from Western culture, and Japanese also likes to choose 7 in any occasion. Unlucky Number…4(yon/shi), 9 (kyu, ku) “4” is pronounced “yon” or “shi” which is used differently depending on things. Especially, the sound “Shi” has the same pronunciation with “死” which means die, so people are in the habit of not using “4” in hospitals and congratulations occasions. “9” is pronounced “kyu” or “ku” which is used differently depending on things. The sound “ku” has the same pronunciation with “苦” which means pain or suffering. So, “49 (yonjûkyu/shijûku)” is a super unlucky number because it means “die with pain”; 3 Treasures – truth/courage/compassion, also the three jewels; From the Buddhist tradition, comes “The Triple Gem” or “The Three Jewels [The Mirror – symbol of truth and wisdom; The Jewel symbol of compassion; The Sword – symbol of strength and courage],” which is the Buddha (the enlightened one), the Dhamma (the teachings), and the Sangha (the community of followers).

More: Body/mind/spirit, which encompasses the physical, mental, and spiritual makeup of a human being; there are 3 primary colors with which it is possible to obtain all the colors; three types of universe: matter, astral (mental or soul) and spirit; three phases of the moon; past/present/future; Taoist:  Great Triad:  Heaven/Human/Earth.

Science: Three dimensions; We see the number three in many important, fundamental places on the subatomic level and on the cosmic level; there are three main types of stable particles: the proton, the neutron, and the electron. These are the three building blocks of atoms. All solid matter consists of atoms built entirely from these three particles; How many quarks are there in a proton? Exactly three. How many quarks are there in a neutron? Exactly three; there are three dimensions of space: height, width, and depth. There are three main types of matter: gaseous, liquid, and solid. There are three main types of massive objects: planets, stars, and galaxies; there are also three types of natural laws: the laws of physics, the laws of chemistry, and the laws of biology; the number 1836 has in its digits exactly three multiples of the number three: 18, 3, and 6. In fact, when we look at this ratio to seven decimal places, we find that it has six consecutive multiples of the number three; etc.

Ken-po Goku-i: Human (Person), Heaven and Earth; Sun, Moon and blood; Hard, soft, spit; advance, engage and disengage; Body, time and change; Hand, empty, void; Eyes, see, perception; Ears, ability and perceptions. balance, unbalance and gravity.

Read also: “The Line of Three.”

Read also: “Phases of Self-Defense Conditioning: Phase One “Knowledge (mental)”; Phase Two “The Physical”; Phase Three “RBC (Reality Based Conditioning”

Read also: “Kata in Three’s”

Read also: “The Three Exercises”

Read also: “Awareness + Retention + Intent”

Bibliography (Click the link)

“In order for any life to matter, we all have to matter.” - Marcus Luttrell, Navy Seal (ret)

Click for readable large view.

Goku-i-Do [極意道] (Goku-i-do Karate [極意道空手]) The Way of the essential point of karate.

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The Secret Road of Karate or the Essential Points of the Way of Karate (I don’t like the word secret but it is used in the translations of the kanji). In this sense and due to my personal perceptions and beliefs I would use, “The Main Point of the Empty Hand Way.” The first character means, “conclusions; most; highly; extremely; conclusions; end; highest rank,” the second character means, “thought; heart; mind; idea,” the third character means, “teachings; moral; course; journey; road-way; street,” the fourth character means, “void; empty; sky; vacuum; vacant,” and the fifth character means, “hand.” 

I kind of like this because, as I try to convey, as an individual who is and has been studying karate and martial disciplines I want my understanding and beliefs of the path I use for the moral and philosophical meaning and beliefs to actually guide my applications and experiences in karate and martial disciplines as they touch, guide and mentor my life, personally. 

In the fundamental principles it is seldom, as is the study of both the ken-po goku-i and Goku-i-do Karate, we find a balance in “Theory, Physiokinetics, Technique, Philosophy; and with the study and practice that embraces its core essence, principle of self-defense and principle of chemical dumps” holds up and supports a morally socially acceptable survival driven study, practice, training and application of the disciplines.

Note: I don’t use or recommend using such terms in translation as secret or hidden, etc., because they invariably lead to misunderstanding, misconceptions and incorrect historical data. 

So, all this then begs the question, “What are the essential points of karate from Okinawa?” That depends (a short terse meme often used by professionals especially in self-defense because such a chaotic fluid answer depends heavily on the person who asks and how they answer their own question from their efforts in following the way of the essential points of karate. 

My Goku-i-do Karate:

• A thorough understanding of the fundamental principles of karate.
• A thorough understanding of the ken-po goku-i as it was gifted in its terse form to me by my Sensei.
• A thorough understanding of its applications as to theory, physiokinetics, technique, philosophy, self-fense and the mind-state associated with mind-body-spirit connections especially under the chemical dump. 
• A thorough understanding of how the basics, kata, drills, kumite, etc., relate to the principles as they are also connected and applied to, “Multiple Defense Methodologies [actual tactics and attack methodologies of impacts, drives (pushes), pulls, twists, takedowns/throws and compression are best for stopping a threat (types of force applied such as spiraling, scissoring, carving, vibrating, and/or sheering forces.)]”
• A thorough understanding of the importance of, “Distinctions”, as they relate to the way of karate, i.e., in the distinctions between its many manifestations such as sport, fighting, combatives, self-defense and the philosophical side called the, “Way (doah).” 
• A thorough understanding of the moral implications of any discipline such as karate toward its implementation into a way of life along with its applications in life such as in self-fense (a defensives/offensive methodology that remains steadfast within social conditions, standards, and both legal and law for the survival of the tribe, society and self.). 
• A thorough understanding and commitment to a type of modern bushido code, called by me for me “The Code,” that underlies my studies, practice, training and teaching of the discipline. Read about my code and Bushido HERE.
• A thorough dedication to remaining within the acceptable, mine and societies, moral stand in all the myriad things that are or are near to karate and martial disciplines. 
• A thorough dedication to remaining open-minded to all concepts, hypothesis, theories, cultures, beliefs, perceptions and distinctions that are about the differences of martial disciplines even tho underneath they are all the same allowing for its continued growth while remaining steadfast, dedicated and a morally honorable attachment to the traditions and cultural origins of karate while allowing its natural and continued evolutionary growth and potential by the work of the individual practitioner. 

This, to date, matches my rendition and interpretation of the base terse tome of karate called the ken-po goku-i, i.e., the original eight I was given with an added ninth to cover a fuller and complete goku-i without numbering and without discernible voids between each so that the entire goku-i is considered whole and wholeheartedly. 

“A person's heart is the same as Heaven and Earth while the blood circulating is similar to the Sun and Moon yet the manner of drinking and spitting is either soft or hard while a person's unbalance is the same as a weight and the body should be able to change direction at any time as the time to strike is when the opportunity presents itself and both the eyes must see all sides as the ears must listen in all directions while the mind must grasp all the tactual data not seen on all sides and not heard in any direction.” - cejames, rendered from Tatsuo-san’s original. 

“A person’s heart is the same as Heaven and Earth while circulatory system is similar to the cycles of the moon and sun yet the breathing methods are either hard or soft while one’s posture should allow one to advance, retreat, engage, and disengage as the body should be able to act in accordance with time and change so that one must enter a state of emptiness (mushin/zanshin) allowing the eyes must see all sides and the ears should listen in all directions while the mind must grasp all the tactual data not seen on all sides and not heard in any direction. - My rendition per translation from Andy Sloane Sensei.”

Note: Bookmark this page if you are interested to see if any more essential points are added. After all, there is no hard and fast rule that says one must remain attached to the original and without changes often necessary to keep it up to date and valid for the moment. 

Bibliography (Click the link)

“In order for any life to matter, we all have to matter.” - Marcus Luttrell, Navy Seal (ret)

It’s NOT Personal

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

I write, a lot, and I am honored to have people view, read and comment on what I write. I find topics in a variety of ways such as other blog articles where some part triggers something in my mind and I write about it. Sometimes, folks will perceive this as being critical of the source material but I want to ensure everyone who reads this blog, “It is NOT Personal!”

As a fledgling author I write and I love to write. My goals in writing is to learn, build knowledge and create ever greater understanding of those things to which I write about. In Boyd’s OODA it is understood, by me, that a process of analysis and synthesis is an ongoing process that helps to meet goals such as mine. I try to do that a lot but being human, I sometimes mistakenly write in a way that seems and may be perceived as “Personal” to the reader. 

One thing I have tried to add at the end of each article is to express, at a minimum, a form of acknowledgement to the person, blog and/or article that inspired the one I write, wrote and posted. It may seem that because I ‘tip my hat or ritsu-rei’ to that person, etc., that the article must be a critique of the other source and author - sometimes it is true, but mostly it “IS NOT PERSONAL!”

I am saying this here and now because, similar to Colonel Boyd when addressing seniors at his lectures, I want to ensure that the person on the receiving end understands that it is not personal and that everything I write is about “ME” and my learning process along with allowing others to be exposed because one of the most critical aspects of learning, studying and coming to an understanding is through the exchange of communications with others who have something positive to contribute. This occurs, if done properly, on the dojo floor, in the classroom, at seminars and thorugh exchanges in blogs, video’s, books and other media (through comments and reviews, etc.). You cannot achieve understanding in just your own mind because it just doesn’t work. 

Humans have survived and become the animal at the top of the food chain, so to speak, because over the centuries a few have used such strategies and tactics in learning thus building our societies and species into what it is today. If not for this we all would still be hunting with rocks and sticks, running from predators and gathering food on the Serengeti plains of a thousand years ago or so. 

If I got something wrong, if you feel it needs correction or if you just think I am full of shit, comment constructively because it is how I learn, change and grow - change is critical but only change that involves many, not a few and especially not just the ‘one’. 

Thanks!

Bibliography (Click the link)

“In order for any life to matter, we all have to matter.” - Marcus Luttrell, Navy Seal (ret)

Anti-matter

This particle, which is called the positron, is the antiparticle of the electron, and it was the first example of antimatter. a proton has a positive electric charge, but an antiproton has a negative electric charge. The existence of antimatter partners for all matter particles is now a well-verified phenomenon, with both partners for hundreds of such pairings observed.

anytime a particle meets its matching antiparticle, the two can annihilate each other, that is, they both disappear, leaving their energy transformed into some other form.

Note: could I use the above as a fictional means of creating a craft propelled by this event, i.e., using the concept of anti-matter?

Modern theories of particle physics and of the evolution of the universe suggest, or even require, that antimatter and matter were equally common.

Note: This would validate the Chinese concept of yin-yang and yin-yang if valid would support and validate the above.

imbalance between matter and antimatter is a puzzle yet to be explained. Without it, the universe today would certainly be a much less interesting place, because there would be essentially no matter left around; annihilations would have converted everything into electromagnetic radiation by now. So clearly this imbalance is a key property of the world we know.

Note: If true, that there has to be an imbalance between matter and anti-matter for the universe to even exist that requires an imbalance from a strict yin-yang concept. This means that if matter exists and anti-matter exists they both must exist and since the two tend to eliminate the other then we have to consider that matter and anti-matter are separated by something allowing for matter to exist therefore out universe to exist. Is it gravity? Is it a dimensional separation? That divide might provide many answers to the matter-n-antimatter conundrum.

subatomic world unfolds: the stranger this world, the quantum world, actually behaves; atoms are made of electrons that whiz around the fixed protons and neutrons in their nuclei, which are made of quarks. These particles all interact with each other by means of "force messenger" particles, such as photons, gluons, W's and Z’s; Particles and anti-particles have the exact same mass and equal, but opposite charges and magnetic moments; if they are unstable, they have the same lifetime; the existence of positively charged electrons. The result was an equation describing both matter and antimatter in terms of quantum fields. 

When a particle and its anti-particle collide, they annihilate into energy, which is carried by "force messenger" particles that can subsequently decay into other particles.

the laws of physics treat matter and antimatter almost symmetrically. If the cosmos began with equal amounts of matter and antimatter, where is the antimatter?

Note: Maybe, it is because through the theory to the great tai chi, the yin-yang duality of all existence, our universe is on the far end of the yang, the matter side of yin-yang where yin is the anti-matter side. As indicated by yin-yang there is always movement and it through the connectedness and mutual beneficial relations means that matter and anti-matter exist and shift, change, and ebb-n-flow back and forth explaining the big bang, i.e., when matter and anti-matter are in perfect balance of yin-yang onc or the other reacts causing a bang, i.e., one the big bang that we are aware of today, while the other causes the opposite of the big bang, i.e., likened to the existence of the black hole or some sort of vacuum the reverses the universe, etc. We are currently in the yang of yin-yang and it would seem since the universe is expanding that we have not reached that point that causes a reversal of expansion to contraction. Once contraction exists everything in the universe begins its process of reversal as if we reach old age and the aging process reverses until we revert back to the very seed that caused us to exist through the impregnation of egg and seed. In our universe through the act of contraction will bring us back to the balance point where matter and anti-matter balance out resulting in anti-matter triggering matter out of balance toward dominance of anti-matter creating what ever could exist as the opposite of the Universe - call it the under-verse. 

there is an approximate symmetry between matter and antimatter. The small asymmetry is thought to be at least partly responsible for the fact that matter outlives antimatter in our universe. 

Note: this could validate my theory because in my description above our current universe presence means matter holds a stronger hold over anti-matter, i.e., anti-matter has the smaller asymmetry so that our universe can exist? It may be our inability to see and believe such things is a result of human psychological reliance on the reliance/compliance principle, i.e., our belief systems of perceptual contrast from our commitment of what we currently know toward our human drive for consistency of past to present effecting our acceptance of things out of that realm for a future new paradigm belief. I quote, “Humans have a nearly obsessive desire to be (and to appear) consistent with what they have already done. We tend to have a strong pull to behave in a consistent manner with any commitment we have made, i.e., we make choices or take a stand so we are strongly pulled to those responses that justify our earlier decisions. What we experience are self-imposed, genetical instinctual if you will, personal and interpersonal pressures to behave consistently with those prior commitments. These pressures move us to respond in ways that justify those earlier decisions.”

Note: In the yin-yang you see the smaller dots of opposite colors and these represent that even in our matter dominant universe there must be a certain amount or level of anti-matter that validates that one cannot live without the other, a small amount is necessary to achieve existence of either matter or anti-matter. If matter and anti-matter at what ever ratio didn’t exist then nothing exists, i.e., there is always a small amount of both that exist together at a ratio that supports its very existence and what makes our universe of mostly matter possible and that smidgeon of anti-matter may be what makes the very fabric that separates the dimensions of our very universe. 

Note: It must be considered and remembered that we are subject so the commitment and resistance principle especially when it comes to knowledge and understanding that is often derived strictly from and within our human sensory systems, i.e., sight, sound, touch, smell, etc. We already know that more exists outside of our ability to detect it and detection is often about some form that allows the undetectable to be detected by our sensory systems. We therefor assume that matter obliterates anti-matter and vice-versa but what if something exists as a result of that obliteration that is yet undetectable to us that would mean that matter and antimatter coexist even when it appears to not exist. The obliteration on one or the other may simply push one or the other into a realm or dimension, if you will, that is yet to be detectable and observable to the sensory systems humans are contained and restrained by so our minds can handle things.

Note: Who can truly say without question that matter and anti-matter CANNOT exist together and who says when they do come in contact that the proverbial obliteration of one or the other takes one or the other out of existence when in truth their meeting merely pushes one or the other into some other existence that travels in parallel as if some fabric exists, also undetectable to humans, that allows them to travel the same path where one or the other traverses that fabric for some unknown reason in time, space, gravity and dimension that supports and triggers evolutionary events that actually allowed humans to come into existence. 

Note: Is it possible that the existence of gravitational existence is that very fabric that allows the two to exist and when events like black holes, etc. occur those are the breaks between the matter and anti-matter that drive the existence of ‘existence?’

Note: Lets look at matter and anti-matter according to the space-time, focus time, where relativity speaks and the duality of time exists, i.e., the moment vs. the non-moment where non-moment is about the time that has passed and time yet to come is what the moment takes in that moment to create the non-moment that we perceive as the past. Matter when encountering anti-matter doesn’t obliterate it but merely pushes it past the fabric making it not just take another dimensions but merely pushes it a single moment into the past that follows moment-to-moment that present-moment of existence followed by the past-moment that follows creating a chain of past-moments. Our minds perceive a moment only to obliterate it into a past-moment therefore making that moment non-existent except in our memories. Existances is about the moment and the moment of existences is constantly being obliterated to make room for the next moment, i.e., matter obliterates anti-matter to make room for the next moment of existence of the matter aging the universe toward that moment of change from matter with a smidgeon of anti-matter so anti-matter turns into a dominance over matter and so on. 

Note: Is it possible that string theory speaks to the very connectedness of matter-n-antimatter existence and is that very fabric made of the strings that connect one to the other for a complete tai chi or yin-yang duality that is the universe?

Striking Opportunity

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

In some karate circles there are these terse teachings of the ken-po goku-i and one of those meme’s is, “The Time to strike is when the opportunity presents itself.” Good advice in the most general ways of things but warrants considerable study and understanding because without that effort many end up fighting and as we have come to know in modern society, “Fighting is illegal.” 

In a recent article the author created a quote that made me think of this meme, i.e., “ … You must be the one leading the dance, not the one following, so move first.” 

Granted, in certain specific situations you may have to resort to striking to achieve your self-fense goals. In just those particular spots the present those very opportunities you have failed self-fense already and are in the fight-zone. That is why I liked the second quote because regardless of the stage of conflict and violence if you move first, if you move earlier that your adversary or perceived threat you win. You are inside that persons loop and as long as you move quickly, change rapidly and vary the methods, etc., you are using you are going to overcome and find success. It is just a fact and proven by fire through the efforts of the loops creator.

If you take the lead you force others to follow or to miss the dance altogether. Your goal is to have them miss the dance by your moving first into avoidance mode along with escape and evasion. Finding those opportunities often presented long before conflict and violence manifest is actually striking, with a method of avoidance, escape and evasion (a part of avoidance), first but not with the fist or foot, with your mind, your mind-set and your mind-state. 

If you want to exploit all the opportunities that are presented along the way to conflict and violence you begin by exploiting those opportunities you have in training and practice to learn and understand all those factors of conflict and violence in yourself, your ego and how you act and do things in life, this is the early opportunity and to strike down those foibles in yourself goes a long way to leading the dance, your ego following the logical human mind-set you created and the staying inside your own loop of destructive behavior. 

If circumstances lose you that path then you will find, with this awareness, those other off ramps on the road to conflict and violence that you can take at the very first opportunity presented (cough cough, snicker snicker, you knew that was coming). 

It just goes to show that not everything is as plain as the nose on your face, that face covers up a mind that has many wonderful traits and aspects and personalities and character that when properly led tend to create a person of character and personality who takes the very first opportunities presented through the travels of life to include conflicts and violence of all levels and types so as to strike first for yourself toward those lofty, honorable and morally right goals you created. Ain’t life grand.

My dance card is full and I often work diligently to take the lead, create the opportunities before they are presented in other ways outside my purview and then apply them as best I can - ain’t life grand. 

Bibliography (Click the link)

Hat tip to <Sword and Circle> as the inspiration for this post.

OFF TOPIC: In a Nutshell

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What is missing in modern society and the cause of all this mess is this, “We are not in a state where everything is important and nothing is taken for granted and the world should be about the importance of human relations that is governed by whether you can trust the other person with your life.” 

If we could establish a culture and belief that every facet of life here is important and that nothing in our world, society and culture is to be taken fro granted and then if we can all establish and live a relation with others governed by how well we trust one another with our very lives I feel we could get back that spirit that made this country and its people great so long ago. 

Something to Mull Over ...

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The Tao of Yin-Yang (Physics)

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

When speaking of the physics of four dimensional space concerning the time-space relativity element physicists use a model that helps us visualize this due to the human sensory system and mind that just cannot fathom that through visualization. In this light, it came to me in a flash, that this representation and explanation also describes a visual representation of how true yin-yang works through the yin-yang symbol. 

Using the sphere shape seen in the tao of physics drawing, see below or attached “tao-physics-circle-on-sphere.gif”, you can readily see how yin-yang flows and ebbs not just in a linear circular fashion but actually in that four-dimensional way that makes life so interesting and byond our perception through our sensory systems. It speaks to how in meditation, Eastern belief and philosophy, the mind then can expand beyond the normal three dimensional view of our senses, i.e., sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch. 

Looking at the drawing, “yin-yang-sphere.png”, you see a cross section of lines much like the lines the cover a globe used for navigation that shows how the sphere is also in the shape of a ball and then go back to the first drawing and imagine the lines interconnection and at each point of connection another line is drawn and connected to the other side of the sphere/ball to criss and cross over passing through the space of that inner ball/sphere - this is how the mutual dynamic connectedness of yin-yang works. (see also the sphere_wireframe.png drawing)

Now, once you get a picture in your mind of what is a wireframe cross grid line covering the surface of the ball/sphere then you imagine the cross lines form one side to the other connecting all the cross-points of that wireframe shown in the sphere_wireframe.png you thin add in more connected lines that traverse all those cross lines in the space of the ball itself. This gives you the four-dimensional space-time visualization that also speaks to the power, depth and breadth of the yin-yang concept represented and symbolized in such a way to allow us to imagine and visualize the complexities of both. 

Now, as you visualize that add in liquid, much like the void but in reality the void is not truly void of things, that fills that sphere/ball, now visualize a miniature set/dual like balls floating around inside, one is just like the outer sphere but white while the other is just like the outer sphere but black. As each travels and moves using a magnetic pull and push that keeps them equal distance no matter where they float and move in the main sphere also have an equal amount of the opposite balls color in fluid that as the two move the two colored liquids flow, ebb and move accordingly to the travel patters of the two balls causing, at one frozen point, the appearance of the yin-yang symbol we are all familiar with but visualize it as dynamic, moving and not governed by any set pattern, etc.

Bibliography (Click the link)

Click for larger view/readability.

Click image for larger view, this one symbolizes a bit
what I am trying to convey here, found it today - thanks to
the person who created it, awesome. 

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It’s Not Personal

Listen, it truly is not personal. I can’t tell you how many folks read my stuff, especially for the first time, and take immediate offense as if I attacked them and their belief systems in a personal way. In my mind, that is impossible especially if you have the confidence and understanding of what it is you do in martial arts, karate especially since that is my main squeeze martial art practice and study.

My sole goal on my blogs and wherever I find myself writing or talking about my personal understanding of my personal training, practice and applications of karate-martial arts. I often find other articles and extract things that trigger my mind into its meandering and wandering way of learning using Colonel Boyd’s “Analysis and Synthesis” model of study. I have exctracted from many authors and even if my writings and talks stray away from the original intent of that author doesn’t mean I am taking aim at the person themselves or even their intent in the original article. 

I often find things said and then deliberately take them out of the original article and the author’s intent in that article because when the quote or meme or other derived information is extracted like that it is NO LONGER a PART of the original. What I do tho is give credit to that author and their article not to make it personal but to make it known that the inspiration of the article I write comes from that extraction.

After all, analysis often, as you can find in Col. Boyd’s explanation, is taking individualized parts of a whole to study separately and then work toward rebuilding into something else that most often has nothing to do with the origins of the used extracted data. 

If you end up taking anything I write and way personally then that is ALL ON YOU, not me. If you find you become uncomfortable with anything then simply write me or a comment expressing your concerns and beliefs - you may be able to change my mind about what I wrote and guess what, many have done just that over the last decade or so - Whopee, I learnt somethin!

JUST REMEMBER DUDES AND DUDETTE’s, It ain’t personal, was not meant to be personal and ain’t about you, none of you. Your inspired me to write something that may or may not be relevant to what you wrote or said or it might be but IT IS MY PERSONAL idea’s, theories, and understanding of what the subject matter is about - loosley. 

You can’t learn shit by remaining steadfast with what you know because it is what you don’t know or what you don’t know you don’t know you don’t know about that will cause you to not know something. Yes, all that came from someone else who said something about knowing, not knowing something and not knowing what you don’t know you don’t know thingy. Yes, I kinda borrowed it because, I liked it and you can see that in my writing too like recent studies of Colonel Boyd and the OODA, its a learning process for me and … wait for it … It is NOT personal!

Gokui, Principles and the OODA

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

These three concepts of karate and martial arts regardless of the why of the discipline are all mutually beneficial not only in relation to one another but to the relationship and connectivity of their individual parts. Everything is about “one” and everything is about “Duality of Yin-Yang.” Even these three, when combined and connected holistically, are about the one and the duality of yin-yang. Yin-yang drives them all and they all are derived from the mutual benefit of each one, the yin to yang and yang to yin.

The OODA is thought of in a linear mechanical way, this has been discussed before, and many assume a one-dimensional understanding where one “Observes” then when necessary “Orients” on the observed thing or situation or phenomena. Then once we orient we then have to make some sort of decisions such as, “Shall I cross the street or shall I remain here?” When the decision is made then we act, we stay or cross. This is how I once thought the OODA worked and that processing the loop faster would give me the advantage but in truth it is a lot more complex than that linear mechanical one-dimensional definition. 

Principles are the same way, when we thing of yin-yang we assume it means hard-soft (as to karate and martial arts applications) and that goes for other aspects of principles. We tend to take them one at a time, learn about them then apply that linear one-dimensional understanding to our practice and training. It is only when we truly look at the sub-principle of yin-yang that we begin to understand that it and other principles don’t stand alone and are not learned or applied atomistically, separately, but as a whole one principled based application toward the discipline regardless of the why of our practice and training. There is, like the OODA to be further explained later, an ebb and flow and morphed mixing of the two to get a balanced one whole product or action.

We can say the same to the gokui, the ken-po goku-i, that is a terse Zen-koan like tome that is also thought of and understood from a single one-dimensional atomistic linear mechanical meaning. When they read about seeing all sides they assume that means the eyes through direct visual signals sent to the brain provide us something to observe and orient on that could be either good or bad further influencing the decision processes. Seldom does the person or system go past the linear single dimension concept toward a more robust one holistic wholehearted continued concept and meaning beyond that singular belief. It is one reason I re-wrote the gokui into a continuous single sentence that can be analyzed into distinct and separate concepts where the individual then synthesizes back into a more robust and complete, unique, understanding that teaches us more about ourselves and our study of karate and martial arts. 

In the OODA the OO, observe and orient, are independent and distinct concepts and processes yet to work both mutually support the other in order to achieve the results intended. Humans observe everything in their environment then compare that to the perceived understanding of that environment, outer world, into an inner world. What is assumed is that the individual observing actually knows and understands what it is they see, hear, touch and so on because of their perceive inner world. They fail to understand that to orient to the observed phenomena they must first know of it and understand it completely and utterly. You must orient on what that is, what it is you must know, what you need to know and what you need to know that you don’t know. 

Orient on that first, encode that to the perceived inner world of your mind and then use that to compare when you observe the outer world so that you can make a decision that you will act upon. Still a simplistic explanation but shows how we circle around the entire loop rather than one, the next, the next then the act or actions. Orient also effects our decision processes because to find an appropriate actions you need to decide on one and that comes from experiences as perceived by our observation of things and how we orient on those things making decisions along the way as to what is appropriate to what event and what is not. You have to observe that you need to know something, you have to orient on that, then you have to decide to study and understand what it is you need to know then you have to decide on how that gets encoded in procedural zombie sub-routine/functions memory and that also takes your orientation and decision so that when you act, in training and practice, you make the right decisions according to your observation and orientation during the training and practice processes, actions and decisions along with analysis and synthesis processing in an appropriate way as another decisive actions on your part. 

Using the OODA processes is how you first learn of the principles, then you analyze them as individual distinct things until you understand and begin to orient them with one another to make for one holistic whole that changes rapidly in the moment and situation so that you end up absorbing and encoding the entire principles so that progressive training will allow you to draw on them in the decision and action process of the loop.

Then there is the gokui, did you know that the gokui also makes references to the Chinese ancient classic, The Art of War of Sun Tzu? It is not just the first two lines that are more spiritual or mystical as to the sun and moon or the heave and earth, that also connect to the ancient book the I Ching, but to the way and means of battle in the art of war. It comes to mind once this is accepted that the simplicity of the gokui acts as a key to open the door to what you can achieve for yourself and in your use of the disciplines as related to the art of war. 

Balance and unbalance being like a weight is not just about physically unbalancing an adversary but also is derived from Sun Tzu’s teaching that a battle best won is the one not entered into, i.e., unbalance your adversary in mind and spirit and you can avoid doing battle, or fighting. 

Sun Tzu speaks to energy, the ordinary and extraordinary forces used in battle, speaking to how they “end and recommence; cyclical, as are the movements of the sun and moon. They dies away and are reborn; recurrent, as are the passing seasons. As the sun and moon cycle through the heavens that surround us cause the Earth and man to experience the passing of seasons and those seasons matter in the strategy of the art of war. 

The OODA, the Fundamental Principles and the Ken-po Goku-i are all like the teachings of Sun Tzu in his chapter on Energy, i.e., “The primary colors are only five in number but their combinations are so infinite that one cannot visualize them all.” His teachings are inter-connected and mutually beneficial and our other concepts of karate and martial arts also connect; if you open your mind, your body and your spirit to change, chaos, and an opening of the box you can see what cannot be seen, you can hear what cannot be heard and you can touch that which seems untouchable. 

These are the concepts of the Gokui, the Fundamental Principles and the OODA and yet, they are not the end all of what is out there. You just have to let them in. 

Bibliography (Click the link)

Editorial - Opinionated Opinions - Lecturing - Teaching - Mentoring

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

There will be days like this and there will always be days like this but truthfully that means there will always be days like this that teach and where I learn. When I editorialize, where I provide opinionated opinions, theories, ideas, etc., where I lecture as a teacher, instructor and mentor, when I lean toward a teaching form my editorialization, opinions, lectures and lessons I am mentoring but with one caveat, a need to learn, a need to understand and a need to find out more so I can editorialize, express opinionated opinions, lecture, teach and mentor. Does that make even a bit of sense?

Editorials: an article written by or on behalf of an editor that gives an opinion on a topical issue. A part of a newspaper or magazine that are not advertising. The question is in our modern tech world, are blogs and other venues of electronic publication qualified to present editorials on issues, topics or in my case disciplines such as karate, martial systems and self-defense? Or are editorials a purview of only newspapers, news television, or magazine publications? There are political editorials, there are business editorials and there are debate type editorials but what are they really? Are editorials actually just opinions form authors/writers who have some expertise on the subject of editorials because I do have some expertise on the subjects I write about in my blogs? An editorial, in general, is an opinion piece written by that often expresses an opinion of a publisher and yet it can be any other written document that reflects an opinion of a periodical but can it also reflect the opinion of an author who writes on a subject they have extensive knowledge of? My blogs are of a single topic and theme with text expressed as my opinion and is often in a lecture format, is that an editorial piece?

Opinionated Opinions: first, an opinion is a view or judgement formed about something, like karate and martial arts and self-defense and philosophies of the three, etc., not necessarily based on fact or knowledge (my opinions and editorial articles tend to come from facts researched and knowledge gained from studies, practices and experiences). As to opinionated, that is a view of a person or material presented perceived as conceitedly assertive and dogmatic in one’s opinions. My question is who gets to decide what is opinionated and what is not for an opinion may be perceived as derived from that persons perception of their inner world and beliefs and may not actually be a correct perception of that opinions. There can be and seems to be a very fine line between an opinion presented in an editorial article, article or blog entry  based on an individual perception of conceited assertive dogmatic opinion. Can it be a misinterpretation of an confident presentation vs. an actually opinionated piece and how do you tell the difference? Opinion to opinionated seems to be defined by terms such as dogmatic, fixed views, dictatorial, pompous, self-important and arrogance but how can that be detected in a written piece without knowledge of the author/writer, a perception through sensory data input like body language, voice inflection or attitude? The written word is only a very small part of that communications leading a belief that when one feels a persons written word without a knowledge and understanding of the authors personality, etc., is a judgement as to the persons own personality in expressing and receiving opinions. If the author of an opinion piece, an editorial or lecture type written article, how do you determine if it is truly opinionated as to conceit and dogmatic especially if that person is presented with refuted information and/or opinions that stimulate change in the authors view, opinion and understanding and does one determine opinionated views of the author before or after making such determinations, I wonder? 

Lecturing: is a delivery of an educational lecture to a class or other audience that would include readers of a blog, of a Facebook entry, of a twitter submission or a forum site, etc. It is often used to present materials in a educational arena such as an institution of higher learning, a University lecture. Lecturing, dependent on the perceptions of an internal nature of the recipient, might be also a view of a serious talk or of reprovingly nature to someone but that too is about the recipient rather than sender although one would hope the sender or lecturer would do so after a connection is made such as an empathy connection, etc. It is a difference of a scolding, chiding, admonish like deliver that in all honestly cannot be conveyed or determined by just the written word especially understanding just how difficult it is to convey such views without first knowing the person more intimately and being in physical presence while lecturing to perceive their body language, etc., as the necessary additional sensory data output needed to make such a determination. 

Teaching: is an informal method of lecturing and discussing or a series of lecture on a subject of public interest or of personal interest to say, students in a lecture hall or participants of a tech social connection forum like a blog, a wiki or a FaceBook social site. Sensei teach and to teach such a complex and difficult subject of a skill based knowledge of karate, martial disciplines and especially self-defense you have to participate in prolonged periods of “Lectures,” speeches, and editorialized written materials, etc. conducted often without interruption by members of an organization like school faculty or invited guest speakers at other education institutions or when used as a technique in  a social protest, etc.

Mentoring: is about one who comes before or one who has a knowledge of a subject and/or skill who advises or trains someone in that subject, skill and/or discipline. A mentor promotes, advocates and is a resource for mentoring but is not all knowing of the subject or skill but rather a knowledgable person who has a good understanding of the discipline, skill and knowledge, etc.

In my blogs, in my writings and in my books I am a person lecturing and teaching on a subject and skill that is about karate, martial disciplines, self-defense and a philosophy on all of that so I mentor and I teach and I lecture and I am of a certain opinion but I am open to change when properly presented and later validated by my own efforts in research, etc.

Isn’t that they way it is? Does it mean that it is opinionated and does it mean that the lecturing is negative or is it just the excuse some give to justify remaining steadfast, dogmatic, in their status quo belief system? 

Bibliography (Click the link)

The Universe

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

In the ken-po goku-i reference is made to the Heaven and the Earth as well as the whole Universe but it took a quote from Einstein to make another aspect of the goku-i a bit clearer. 

“A human being is a part of the whole, called by us ‘Universe,” a part limited in time and space. Man experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us.” 

Me vs. Others, if we are unable or cannot identify with others, those resonance circuits of our brains shut off. We see others as objects, as “them” rather than “us.” We literally do not activate the very circuits we need in order to see another person. This shutting off of circuits of compassion may be one explanation for our violent history as a species.

Under threat, we may distort what we see in others, project our own fears onto their intentions, and imagine that they will harm us. We may also perceive malevolence where none exists, and then retreat to the fight-flight-freeze survival reactions of a threatened state of mind. If the threatened state creates within us a “Fight” response, than we get the object out of our way however possible. 

Feeling threatened takes over our perceptions, sometimes to our benefit and other times the same brain mechanism can dramatically affect the way we behave toward others. 

When we see people like us we become kinder and extend ourselves ore to care for their welfare. We see them as members of our tribe, our clan, and fellow inhabitants of our cave, and we protect them from the harm we’ve been primed subliminally to fear. The people not like us, others, are more likely to be treated with disdain, disregard and contempt - as if they are potential enemies and perpetrators of harm. We banish them more easily, create more intense punishments for any wrong doing, and judge them more harshly. 

Without awareness of these issues and mechanisms of the ind that classify “us vs others,” during moments of threat, our survival is at risk. In the modern instant-information, instant-gratification, high-tech world, not having the mind-state to disengage the rapid, sub-cortically driven alarms can have dire effects. 

When driven by survival, we lose any or all of the nine middle prefrontal functions, we become reactive, we revert to primitive behaviors without flexibility or compassion or empathy. We act impulsively, lost our ability to balance our emotions, and fail to exert moral reasoning. Instead of being guided by understanding and compassionate concern, even for those who threaten us, our mind-states response is to become hostile and inflexible, and to lose our moral compass. 

Dissolving fixed mental perceptions created along the brain’s firing patterns and reinforced relationally within our cultural practices is not simple accomplishment. Without an internal education that teaches us to pause and reflect, we may tend to live on automatic and succumb to these cultural and cortical influences that pus us toward isolation. We need to learn how to examine the ways in which our cortical processes create the top-down influences from prior experience that cloud our vision. We need to develop enough mindful mind-states to clear us of these restrictive definitions of ourselves so that we can grow toward higher degrees of integration within our individual and collective lives.

How do we dissolve our top-down automatic processes? We need to see our own minds clearly. We need to understand and believe that physical separations and differences become less paramount as we see our actions have an impact on the interconnected network of humans without which we are just a part. 

Remember, physically and genetically, our brains may not have evolved much in the last forty-thousand years - but our minds have. The minds uses the brain to create itself. 

Bibliography (Click the link)