TECHNIQUE; SUB-PRINCIPLE: Leading Control

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This particular sub-principle as explained originally seems to fall more into the social and/or competitive arena. Leading an adversary toward a certain goal using their attack tactic to facilitate that end seems more appropriate to these other forms of martial discipline, i.e., sport and self-defense in social monkey antics violence and conflict situations. 

In the self-defense martial arts disciplines it is also a sub-principle that can be used but that often involves how one would move provided they had the time, distance and therefore opportunity to implement the tactic/strategy. When hit in a blitz fashion where one is surprised, the attack is fast, hard and very close along with the resulting fear and pain tends to make this more difficult. It is doable but difficult and requires reality based training to let it work.

This principle is basically based on the adversary’s movement and our reciprocating movement, i.e., he rotates his body and we join in that rotation accentuating it the same direction with our own goals as the end results over the adversary’s. We are actually taking the adversary’s move and forcing it and him to move to our projection, direction and force of our energy as a result. This strategy and goal tend to undermine the adversary’s mental and physical state - unbalancing the mind and body.

Changing the adversary’s course of action puts them into an OO bounce while taking advantage of their force, energy and power to then be supplemented and enhanced by our application of energy, force, power and direction to apply our goals, tactics and strategies. We apply our actions to exploit his actions and intentions to gain superior orientation, position and control.

This puts them in the OO bounce because their minds are locked onto their application and until that is completed they tend to remain there while the OO bounce keeps them in that application while trying to observe and orient to the change in his plans, changes from you and not his. 

There are a variety of ways to misdirect an adversary into actions that allow us to exploit leading control but those are geared more toward sport competitions and the social monkey antics already explained above. This is more about handling the asocial attacks from adversary’s who want either a certain process as a goal or certain resources as a goal. 

When under a predatory process/resource type of attack there is often no time to enact such strategies but you can still apply certain aspects of leading control to counter the blitz like attack of a process predator or fail the interview of a resource predator, etc., but a word of warning, there is far more to all this then presented here in this terse comment on leading control. 

In a nutshell, leading control is about the ability to control your adversary from his own attack. 

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TECHNIQUE; SUB-PRINCIPLE: Non-Telegraphing

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Telegraphing or tells are those signs self-defense martial artists look for to determine where an attack is going to start and that tells us, often, where the attack is targeted so tells becomes a solid course in self-defense martial arts. But, what is originally taught as tells is not exactly the most efficient way so that you give yourself both time and distance. 

When karate-ka and martial artists begin discussing the tells they feel are necessary you get things like, “When the guy is going to use a punch I look for the hand to cock back, the head and chin drop, weight is shifted and the shoulder will drop along with other factors.” This seems like the current tendency to collect a lot of techniques to combat specific techniques type of drill. It all can be condensed down into nine specifics, i.e., called hubs by Marc MacYoung - the shoulders, the hips, the elbows, the knees and the persons center. Mr. MacYoung provides you the type of things you can practice to see those hubs in your peripheral vision so that you can act long before trying to compile a list of things that will tell you a punch is coming. Who cares if he clenches his fist or drops his chin but you do care the moment the shoulders make that shift to throw the punch, right?

Now, lets go a bit deeper, what are the tells necessary for self-defense. A few examples are the five stages of a possible attack where you see a potential adversary whose body language and actions indicate a possible threat, who checks for witnesses, performs an interview of you as a potential target, assumes an attack position and displays attack indicators, and finally attacks. You have a few levels to make decisions as he approaches and can take appropriate actions that will deter his approach, fail his interview, and get him to break off over assuming the attack position. (also, don’t forget other tells you can determine that say you are in jeopardy, they have the ability and means to attack you)

Don’t get caught up in the atomistic accumulation listing all those things you use as “tells,” simply keep it simple as described and seek our additional information from the listed references at the end of this book. 

Now, as to our tells to the adversary, adherence to principles, especially physiokinetics, will reduce those tells, the hubs, your adversary will be looking for. It is a matter of lengthening your line to the adversary so that your tells can be almost unnoticeable. How you execute things matters. There are sometimes exceptions to this because there are times when you want the adversary to see your potential such as the interview, taking a certain stance and posture and attitude can actually present a tell to the approaching threat that you are not to be attacked and they shift and go find easier prey. 

Look to structure for force and power generation along with other principles that actually reduce the need for such movement that takes the unnoticeable to the obvious, don’t give your adversary any more than necessary. 

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TECHNIQUE; SUB-PRINCIPLE: Weak Link

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Weak link expresses the ability to use a weak link of the body to restrain/control an adversary. This particular sub-principle would be more apropos to professionals like the Police where they are required to use that level of force before going higher. It in and of itself may not be apropos to self-defense except in a possible narrow aspect of social monkey dance violence. 

The weak link discussed originally involves the recognition of the joints as the body’s weak links. There are other aspects that may be more appropriate toward self-defense. One weak link being our mind-set or mind-state. This could be as simple as consciously ignoring that there is violence in the world and when it happens to kick you in the balls you may find your mind locking up into a freeze resulting in your over reaction to pain vs. injury. First is the development of a strong mind that has all the facts ma’am to act in accordance with legal and social levels of force in self-defense.

Another weak link is a mind-set or mind-state that goes into frozen shock when attacked suddenly, explosively, aggressively with resulting pain, fear and surprise. The result requires a mind-set or mind-state that can break the freeze and then take action decisively in overcoming such gargantuan odds to survive. 

Another weak link is also another mind-set or mind-state where the practitioner understands the concept that there are always things we don’t know and that we don’t know that we don’t know. It is what drives us to continue to seek out the knowledge, training and experience so we can get-r-done in conflict and violence, especially such extremes circumstances previously used as an example. The journey is long and hard but worth the effort when you need it most. 

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TECHNIQUE; SUB-PRINCIPLE: Natural and Unnatural Motion

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This particular sub-principle is almost exclusively about contests, social fights where one has the time and distance to use and exploit their own or adversary’s motions in a physical contest. Using this to try and overcome a predatory process is not advisable unless the training is such that it encodes the principle so it works as natural as breathing. 

Natural motion as it relates to a tactile use seems more plausible as self-defense that is very close, fast and hard can provide the lizard brain the type of information that will prevent or break a freeze. It is not about natural vs. unnatural but rather a means to feel the adversary’s body move in finding voids that will allow us to act and overcome. 

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TECHNIQUE; SUB-PRINCIPLE: Angling

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Angling should be thought of as how one orients themselves to an adversary. This is sometimes uncontrollable when the adversary attacks with speed, surprise, ferocity and with weapons.  Still, angling or our orientation to the adversary is controllable by us and our ability to control the angling or orientation of an adversary is still possible.

Angling/orientation is a subtle sub-principle and it means we are in very close proximity to our adversary especially as to attacks of a predatory nature. Our proximity should be assumed for self-defense as very close, within inches, where we actually smell breath, skin and other odors. 

The most advantageous angle martial arts self-defense achieves is the 22.5 degree angle of the adversary’s centerline. This involves training to overcome the instincts of humans to remain head on to one another’s centerlines, it means stepping to the side up to that 22.5 degree position or orientation. This angle opens the void of the adversary and can be considered a primo position. It must be understood that this angle is one taught in karate and martial arts but it should not be considered the only angling because in truth the best position and angle you can achieve is behind your adversary and about 22.5 degrees off center at his rear. 

Martial artists and karate-ka do achieve greater angling and orientation dependent on the given situation of the attack but everyone must go past that 22.5 degree position to achieve 45 degrees or even 90 degrees. The martial artists also realizes that to achieve positioning and orientation to other angles that would provide access to the rear of an adversary are also achievable but still passes through the 22.5 and other angles.

The first angle of 22.5 does accomplish a minimal of movement while achieving a position enough to allow us to avoid the adversary’s oncoming attack and still does not sacrifice our access to the adversary’s targets, both premium and optimal. Access to optimal targeting does change and/or diminish as the angling increases past 22.5 degrees. 

Consider the optimal angle of 22.5 degrees as common to such things as the proper angle of alignment for bones in striking as well as for wrist grabs and more. 

Some rationales for the optimum of 22.5 degrees - most self-defense situations tend to leave larger angles inaccessible and strikes the adversary applies tend to be way to fast for side stepping to exceed the distance and time necessary to achieve greater than 22.5 degree angles. This angle offers us greater ability and opportunity to offer effective positions for both defensive and offensive goals. 

Consider 22.5 degrees to have a greater tactical advantage and that we transgress it on our way to other, greater, angles and positions in relation to the adversary. Our position and angle need not be compromised in order to achieve appropriate orientations and that angling concerns how we orient ourselves to the adversary and how we control the adversary’s orientation in relation to ours in self-defense. 

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TECHNIQUE; SUB-PRINCIPLE: Positioning

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Position is what one will take when defending but also holds importance when determining the attack, i.e., positioning is one of the five stages used by an adversary to attack you (intent, interview, positioning, attack, reaction). The karate-ka and martial artists whose intent is self-defense must understand how positioning governs self-defense. 

The position we take in both social and asocial circumstances matters as it would apply toward avoidance. The position we take within our minds often governs how we apply self-defense in both the avoidance (also escape and evasion) model and the self-defense physical model. We can’t avoid conflict and/or violence if we assume a proverbial position as governed by our monkey brains such as participation in the monkey dance.

Positioning is how we defend physically as well. Where we locate and actively move governs our control over an adversary who attacks us. Our taking a position that puts distance between us and the adversary along with taking a position with obstacles that provide barriers between the adversary and us is also critical especially when you need to remain within the self-defense circle. It the adversary is also, by our actions and active movement, placed into a position where they cannot act against us then we have positioned him and ourselves in a positive, dominant and protective position. 

Positioning, as it regards the five stages of an attack, also means how an adversary achieves an “attack position” as described earlier in this book. It means the adversary has closed the distance, achieved good positioning, assumed an attack position and all that remains is his attack.

Other principles and sub-principles such as the triangle guard and angling influence the superior position of your positioning. A part of superior positioning in one sense revolves around our orientation toward the adversary except when circumstances allow to position ourselves into an even more superior position such as positioning ourselves to their rear to perform some appropriate methodology as a grappler might in applying a choke out hold (is that keeping in the SD circle and is it appropriate force to the situation?).

Whether you need to take proper positioning also relies heavily on JAM as well, i.e., jeopard, ability and means, as it applies to their ability to get into proper distance in order to assume an attack position with a proper attack posture resulting in the attack. 

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TECHNIQUE; SUB-PRINCIPLE: Uke

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Uke [受け · 請け · 承け] The character/ideogram means, “Receiver of technique (e.g. in martial arts).” The character without its modifier means, “Accept; undergo; take; get; catch; receive.” These same characters/ideograms also mean, “Popularity; favor; reception; defense; reputation; agreement; submissive partner of a relationship.” 

Go forward and receive actively. Karate, traditional, uke is to advance forward while receiving. A difficult concept that is often assumed to be only about receiving from Tori, i.e., the exchange of techniques as pair drills. This is one concept of training and practice yet is not the full meaning and understanding of the art of “Uke.”

When you improve and master receiving the attack or counter attacks will improve as well. Uke is also considered the strength to attack/counter attack, and that is why Uke and Attacking/Counter Attacking are inseparable, i.e., Uke/Yin-Yang/Attack, etc.

It is also about the parable or karate koan that to be focused on “Winning” is different from training to “NOT LOSE” and not losing is about receiving, Uke. Uke is a skill in traditional karate and like many aspects it is an important foundation that traditional karate is built upon. 

“When one is only thinking of winning - that is why one has no style of their own.” Receiving requires one maintain calmness while receiving an adversaries attack. Learning the true nature of “Uke” is one of the hard obstacles all karate-ka have to overcome and that is often equated toward one’s ultimate adversary/opponent - the self. 

Learning to receive is what makes for traditional karate. To practice uke is to pair up and utilize each’s ability and technique. Each has to read the others forms of attack and then properly receive them. An indication that one is utilizing uke properly is upon attack the receiver should never have to back down or away from that attack. This indicates the proponent is properly receiving the adversaries attack.

Improper receiving often explains why karate-ka upon exercising their skills tend to resort to techniques that are not of the system of karate, they tend to fail at an adversary because they still think they have to “Win.” When winning is there one tends to forget uke and proper receiving with proper counters with the desire to get in and hit, strike or kick the body of the adversary. One should focus on receiving the adversaries attacks and the counters, attacks, etc., will come naturally.

How uke works and how one masters it is the question, the question is answered by following this more traditional path of Okinawan karate-do. A heart that does not fear receives actively and has the strength to take it on.  

When one thinks of style, the tendency is to think of the system itself such as “Uechi Ryu or Goju Ryu” when actually the style is the application of the karate, the creation of a person own movements, etc., as a result of receiving. This loss of style opens the doors so that the adversary is able to “Not Lose.” 

In order to train adequately in receiving there are other concepts one must learn to perform, learn and become proficient in uke. It is learning how to tell actions from observing an adversaries “Body hubs.” The hubs to observe when being attacked are the shoulders and the hips. By observing the hubs you see the attack be it hand or foot, regardless of the technique, coming way before it gets to you. 

If you master seeing the attacks before they attack using body hubs then you can fine tune your ability to receive an adversaries attack. This gives you an edge to see those actions before they reach across the distance between you and your attacker thus achieving a higher level of receiving or Uke. There are more but you need to discover them for yourself.

Uke [受け] -n- Tori [取り]

An "uke" is one who receives or the receiver of technique (i.g. in martial arts). It is also used to mean "popularity; favor; favor; reception; defense; defence; reputation; agreement; submissive partner of a homosexual relationship (usually written using kana along).

A "tori" is one who gives or the giver of technique (e.g. in martial arts). It's literal meanings are, "key performer; active partner (e.g. in judo demonstration). It has been adopted in karate circles when either demonstrations or training of kata and/or jiyu-kobo. 

It is often taught and utilized in more advanced practitioners where the role is like the flow of the yin-yang where either person can quickly change the role from uke to tori to uke and so forth. 

uke-tori is of similar nature as to comrade or dojo relations of senpai-kohai. Often the tori is senior while the uke is junior and the exchange is mutually beneficial where the senpai trains on his abilities and the kohai learns from the senpai while teaching him/her self to use karate waza coupled with strategies and tactics, etc. A very complex association within a dojo/training hall. 

Not to be mixed up with Torii, a Shinto shrine archway.

Kogeki [攻撃] vs. Uke [受け]

To attack means to allow for the receiver to counter or attack the attack after proper receiving of the attack. To receive puts you at the advantage and is the impetus behind the belief that one does not strike first. Once a person attacks they become committed to that course of action until it is either deflected or stopped by the receiver of that attack. 

There are several reasons why Uke reins as the more appropriate way in karate-do. First, its perception and appearance would indicate that the attacker is the aggressor while you as the receiver are the object of that aggression and appear as if a victim - this can be important in self-defense situations. Second, it allows you to observe the attack hubs to see the means that are being used to attack you. This gives you time to see it then take appropriate non-aggressive actions to receive thus deflect or block the attack. Third, it gives you choices vs. just attacking your attacker before that attacker can attack. The choices are to receive so that you provide yourself time while the attacker is restarting his OODA loop to leave, to avoid and to take actions that are perceived as a good faith attempt to deescalate by avoiding through actions in leaving to safety. It also provides the attacker a means to keep face and stop his attack. If he follows with the ability and means to continue the attack then you can continue to leave if possible or return to a position of superiority by remaining in a state of “Uke.”

Taking a position of Kogeki or attack makes you the aggressor. It will be perceived by your adversary/attacker as an attack giving them permission to respond and then be perceived as the victim in lieu of being the aggressor/attacker. Taking a position of kogeki puts you in a committed action that as above must be stopped or completed so leaving the opposition to receive and act in a manner superior to a committed attack. 

This also gives validation to the philosophy of “Never strike first,” in karate.

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TECHNIQUE; SUB-PRINCIPLE: Extension and Penetration

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On the surface karate-ka and martial artists will explain extension and penetration using a strike as example. It is about a mind-state or mind-set that visualizes and through such visualization we deliver force and power beneath the surface of the target. Aiming at the solar plexus we visualize that our fist will hit, penetrate and reach the spine itself (truthfully, to make a snap strike work it should penetrate about an inch with rapid retraction, etc.). This will actually be a more combative mind-set than self-defense. If we rely on this exclusively toward applying all methods we will find ourselves in the realm of possible excessive force for a given situation. 

It is often taught, incorrectly, that when in a real life threatening situation or even a grave bodily harm situation we must focus on this type of visualization that would manifest in maximum power and force into the target. In truth, to achieve maximum power and force visualization such as this is only a small part of achieving that goal. This is not recommended and what self-defense karate-ka and martial artists should do is adjust the level of force to the target depending on the target itself and the situation in regard to force decisions as related to self-defense. The goal is to stop the attack/threat, gain safety and remain within the self-defense square. 

Looking at our targeting goals we have to also look at the appropriate technique for that situation and make adjustment as appropriate to self-defense. Targeting is discussed in the section pertaining to that subject but in a nutshell you will be judged on what target you choose and what mtehods with level of force you apply so it must be considered, trained and practiced to remain within the SD square. 

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TECHNIQUE; SUB-PRINCIPLE: Active Movement

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First, active movement can encompass those movements necessary to overcome an OODA loop lock due to a predatory type attack that comes by surprise, fast, hard, close with pain and inducing fear so we need to actively move to overcome that OO loop, the freeze while we are receiving damage. 

Active movement also helps the karate-ka and martial artists to achieve victory in the more sport oriented forms practiced today. It involves a type of fighting stance as well as other things.

Fighting stances may or may not be viable depending on the type of adversary and type of attack. It could be a socially driven monkey dance or it could be a process or resource predatory surprise attack. In these two instances one may be able to assume a stance and in the other the adversary has already removed chances of taking a stance in defense. In other words, it all depends on the situation.

Lets talk about stances, those stance used to provide us a base to generate force and those that provide us stability with balance. In any instance or circumstance it behooves us to move, to actively move, not assuming any stance more than the moment to either act, run, defend, etc., or to move to the next stance. Stances are active movement unto themselves. Taking a static and/or stationary type stance is not recommended unless circumstances present enough distance and time to act regardless of its purpose (and if you have that type of distance why are you not leaving?), i.e., moving and using obstacles as protective barriers, moving toward an exit to leave or taking a posture and stance that allows you to apply de-escalation techniques.

We also take active movement that change our position as described above, i.e., to achieve some stance, posture and position for time, distance and to shield against aggression through natural obstacles or simply by running out of the dangerous environment. 

In another way active movement helps us achieve and keep distance and by that movement we either find a safe place or we simply take the adversary's targeting and ability to cause harm away from him.

One of the most difficult instincts to overcome for humans is to move off the adversary's center or centerline, i.e., stepping to the side at 22 to 45 degrees. Sidestepping also causes the adversary to re-boot his OODA loop back to observe and orient and that presents you with time, time to do something. 

It becomes very apparent to karate-ka and martial arts practitioners that our movement in relation to our adversary is actually a foundational trait of all martial arts for self-defense training, practice and application. 

Another aspect of active movement is that when an adversary commits to an attack they commit to a specific active movement that requires its completion before the adversary can change his movement. This also gives you time, time to do something productive.

Once an adversary commits to a specific active movement they cannot compensate for the movement we take in response. The adversary, in motion, is unable to move relative to our movement and so on.

It must be remembered that movement takes energy and  when in the movement there is no available energy to compensate for our actions or our active movement that could be to turn and leave, to side step in preparation to apply a methodology or to counter the adversary's movement.

There are three traits that effect active movement of self and adversary, i.e., first, being locked into an active movement or action makes the adversary unable to change until that action is completed. Second, when the adversary becomes unbalanced they have to regain balance before they can again move. Third, if the adversary cannot perceive or detect our movement due to our speed, i.e., puts them into a OO bounce, then the reaction time and ability become frozen for the adversary. 

Active movement achieves nothing if our adversary can move in response. 

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TECHNIQUE; SUB-PRINCIPLE: Live Energy and Dead Energy

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Another misnomer to explain is the sub-principle where one method of explanation might be the difference between a snap punch and a push punch. The snap and push punch are actually one of the examples used to describe this live/dead energy sub-principle. It comes down to a method of energy transference from us to the adversary and can also be expressed as a steady flow of energy over time and distance to a sudden burst of energy in an instance at the target. 

This particular sub-principle is often expressed by karate practitioners, striking arts, as the thrust punch and the snap punch. The argument is about which is best when reality tells us, “it depends.” It depends on the goal when using strikes be they thrust or snap. The Isshinryu system itself differentiates between the two in relation to who is teaching the system. All punches or strikes such as the thrust punch, the push punch and the snap punch have both pros and cons, the choice depends on the gaol. 

Live energy or the snap of a technique as in an instantaneous application of intense force and power is not just about strikes or punches. It also applies to things like restraining techniques or joint manipulations. The end results are compliance or serious injuries. Some tend to recommend that we karate-ka and martial artists snap our weight and mass in all techniques while maintaining control of our energy generation but that is also limiting. As with self-defense, what you apply depends on the situation as that drives your goals. 

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TECHNIQUE; SUB-PRINCIPLE: Indirect Pressure

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Indirect pressure is actually, in my mind, a misnomer. It is an attempt to explain something that must be trained and practiced to achieve. It is about directing actions of the body from locations other than those connected to applied methodologies of an adversary attacking. Using the wrist grab, by the way not many attacks start with a wrist grab but will be found in dojo sparring and some systems drills for self-defense, as an example the mind of our adversary will tend to lock on his applied wrist grab and the recipient of said grab tends to focus the mind on the same. Where this comes into effect is when the recipient tries to break the grab, they tend to focus on moving the wrist and hand itself. 

Actually, it is best to redirect mind-state training to instinctively move other parts of the body and/or the body itself to break a technique such as a wrist grab. You can move optimally from the center in a way that using our entire body and mass to break the grab or you can go to the first level by using your elbow to move and break the grab and so on. It is not really “indirect pressure” and it is more about ignoring the target of the adversary’s applications and use our entire bodies to achieve the same results with greater efficiency and success, reaching our goal in self-defense. 

We also look to the sub-principle here of mind-body because to allow the mind to focus on a specific part of the body is limiting and an obstacle to success in self-defense. This also involves the appellation of other sub-principles involving the mind and body or mind-body/body-mind. Any one aspect if the focus of the mind locks the body into that same location or aspect. The truth of training is to achieve a whole body and whole mind-set/state that literally ignores the method of attack when it reaches what ever part of the body or mind or body-mind-body target. 

It is like the application of pain, if the mind is elsewhere the intensity and effect of that pain is diminished allowing for freedom of body-mind movement. It is about breaking the freeze and/or the OO bounce of observe and orient. 

Another way to apply this is addressing the application of methodologies to maximize power and force. It also involves many other principles and sub-principles to provide power that transmits and interconnects through the body, from the center, to the actual tool that hits its target. Taking the focus away from the mind toward the fist for a strike to moving from the center to generate and transfer mass in power, speed and force until it reaches the end of that pipeline and transfers, with chinkuchi, into the target, i.e., the adversary. Add in things like complex forces, i.e., the corkscrew punch, etc., for striking, and we can attain our goals in self-defense.

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TECHNIQUE; SUB-PRINCIPLE: Complex Force

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The use of the term, “Complex,” seems insufficient as the application of forces are not actually complex but rather a combining of forces in applications to overcome the bodies natural defense mechanism against what is termed, “simple forces.” When a martial artist strikes, uses take-downs or applies various methodologies for control they need to apply those complex forces involving a change to the simple forces. 

Simple forces  are those the body, over time and through nature, developed natural defenses for so that it can receive force effectively. This type of force also ensures survival of humans in a social context as well. When competing with others in the tribe for status, etc., having the ability to do without the danger of death or great bodily harm is necessary for the tribes survival. You see this in modern times as a social monkey dance where the blows are not intended to kill or give great bodily harm but rather a contest to achieve a goal for the tribes survival and so on.

Simple force can be described as straight, non-rotating energy that hits the body flatly. It describes how one applies the vertical fist strike against the body and also helps us understand why striking with the fist is not necessarily the best tool in self-defense regardless of the beliefs of karate practitioners. It does demonstrate the concept of simple force well. It applies direct and forward applied energy and power but fails to achieve one’s goal in self-defense, stopping the damage of the adversary.

But, when you add in the proverbial complex forces then that same vertical punch takes on greater abilities to get the job done (it is to be noted that regardless, the fist is still not the best tool as it is also physically created to accomplish work such as handling tools with dexterity thereby making the structure susceptible to damage and injuries.).  It should be noted as well that when striking with the fist karate-ka and martial artists often make the false assumption they need to compensate by simply applying more force and that violates other principles especially in regard to self-defense.

Delivering force and power to an adversary cannot be just about how much we apply, it has to be about the types of force applied such as spiraling, scissoring, carving, vibrating, and/or sheering forces. These are the forces that will, if applied properly, bypass and/or overcome the bodies natural defenses of a hard skeleton, flexible joints, and muscular padding and so on. These natural defenses are also exploited by the complex forces when applied. 

Spiraling is about applying the force while turning or twisting that strike, lock, etc., in a spiral or what some call a circular manner. We can think of this like the sub-principles of centripetal and centrifugal forces, etc. Spiraling exists in many karate and martial arts in the form of the strike, the twisting /corkscrew punch. It should be noted that in applying this or any force there must be application that is efficient and maximizes the force and power to the target. In the case of the corkscrew punch the application of the spiraling action/force must include a spiral action during the actual contact of the technique into the target/body. It can also be described as applying centripetal motion while hitting and penetrating the target on the body. 

Practitioners will recognize the spiraling force as taught by the Wally Jay Small Circle Jujitsu system. 

Scissoring involves the use of two opposing applications of pressure, power and force to the body as can be seen and felt through the application of joint locks, etc. It is done simultaneously with other principles involved such as basing.

Carving is about grinding force into the body using rotation and torsion forces. 

Sheering is best described as using a plowing motion to apply force and power.

Vibrating is a more subtle mixture of the above forces where one essentially applies a slight movement that actually causes the adversary to drop into a OO bounce thus ignoring the actual technique applied and so on. 

To explain vibration a bit further when a chokehold or wrist throw, etc., are applied one causes a slight movement that is vibrational like to force the adversary’s mind to focus on stopping that feeling, while forcing the adversary’s mind to ignore any one energy application so as to respond to the vibration force the OO to a non-important application allowing the actual application to achieve its goal. 

Applying motions, simple forces, by applying such complex forces create a more powerful application of force and power to achieve “not how hard we hit, but how we hit,” in achieving our goals in self-defense. 

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TECHNIQUE; SUB-PRINCIPLE: Reactive Control

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As currently explained reactive control is more about competitive sport oriented martial arts. In self-defense reactive control begins with our ability to control our reactions, our monkey brains. How we react dictates how the adversary may react or act. 

Reactive control is about knowing, understanding and controlling conflict and violence scripts. They are either social or asocial in nature and that is just the skim off the top of the milk bottle.  We have to know what kind of scripts are involved and the best way to react in order to avoid, deescalate, escape/evade or redirect an adversary’s actions and reactions.

Reactive control, in the literal sense as currently explained, means we are behind the curve unless we apply reactive control way before it ever gets to the physical violence of self-defense. Recognizing our emotional monkey brains, train and practice to rein that creature in and allow our human brains to logically dictate our actions is reactive control. Reacting to an attack is often way past the curve and we will have to play a lot of catch up.

Reactive control in social situations comes from awareness and how we react to the detection of conflict and violence. Reactive control in asocial situations comes also from awareness but the reactions are about overcoming aspects of asocial violence such as a blitz attack that results in the freeze or OO bounce, i.e., recognize it and train to break out of it, etc.

Reactive control is better served by studying, learning and applying out of the box thinking, training and practices so the reactions in conflict and violence are appropriate to the situation and circumstances allowing us to remain within the self-defense square. 

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TECHNIQUE; SUB-PRINCIPLE: Balance

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Balance is not just about keeping our bodies stable and able, it is also about achieving a balanced mind therefore a balanced body and by balancing the two we create a balance of the spiritual. This is how the book is divided, we want to achieve balance in self-defense martial arts by balancing the physical, the mental and the spiritual. 

Review the part dedicated to the ken-po goku-i, a terse karate koan like tome given to many fledgling karate-ka in the hopes the mind contemplates and meditates on such concepts and principles that it eventually drives karate and martial artist into a holistic wholehearted person who then can apply their knowledge and ability appropriately. Look at it as teaching a balanced set of life skills such as, “Attitude, coping skills, emotional intelligence, emotional self-regulation, both empathy and kindness, meditation, people skills, boundary setting skills, social intelligence as well as the hallmark of such disciplines, confidence, courage, and patience.” 

The physical requires proper balancing of principles to achieve our self-defense karate and martial arts oriented goals as would and should be expected if the conflict enters into the physical violence stage. The physical also requires we balance our actions appropriately to remain within the self-defense square, i.e., as example knowing when to go to stop an attack and when to stop or not-go at the moment when the threat, jeopardy, ability, and means are gone. 

The physical manifestations of balance rely on achieving balance by the way we apply that physical, i.e., breathing, another sub-principle, helps us achieve a balance in our bodies as well as our minds as it requires us to drop our center of gravity. Our centeredness also contributes in the same way while achieving balance in our posture keeps our body mass and weight centered. Balance of the entire body promotes superior movement, movement that has force and power. 

Our ability to move feely depends on maintaining balance. Imbalance bleeds energy and makes us work harder in lieu of transmitting maximum energy of power and force to the target. 

The mind remains balanced by not allowing intrusive thinking to dominate thus freeing up the lizard to run the show. It is also about controlling the monkey brain so that the human brain and the lizard brain can work together to get-r-done. The lizard brain will look to the minds procedural memory to find appropriate responses in any given situation so a balanced training program and model achieve proper programming. 

When can also achieve balance by the application of timing-n-rhythm, angling-n-positioning, posture-n-structure with a strong emphasis of not breaking the chain that achieves power and force when the physical is the only choice left after avoidance, deescalation, and evasion and escape.

Balance also comes from the effort to remain in the self-defense square, i.e., like the go and the no-go concept where we go when we have no choice then when the jeopardy, means, and ability of an attack ends, we end our “go.”

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TECHNIQUE; SUB-PRINCIPLE: Rhythm

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When I think of rhythm I also consider things like cadence, tempo and those voids or spaces in between them regarding actions along with speed and timing. I feel they all inter-connect like all principles should. The rhythm and cadence, etc., are influenced by our mental state, our physical levels and our spiritual mind-state. Like music they produce the concerto and we in karate and martial arts have our own music with rhythm, tempo, and cadence - the kata. 

Regardless, sometimes in violent self-defense situations there is no discernible rhythm, etc., and there is no discernible voids or spaces because they occur with blitz like speed and timing often overcoming the victim’s OODA loop by pain, adrenal flooding effects, surprise aggressive hard and fast attacks. 

In one view, rhythm may be more inclined toward the sport and competitive orientation of karate and martial arts practice and training. We tend to train in most dojo with that in mind, either conscious or subconsciously. Self-defense karate and martial arts must entertain rhythm and such under the sport, the social and the asocial violence dynamics to truly meet the goals of self-defense.

Most karate and martial arts tend to assume the physical technique when first hearing of the sub-principle of rhythm but in truth we can attribute it to other aspects of self-defense such as communications, i.e., conflict communications as taught by Marc MacYoung and Rory Miller. The level, tempo, rhythm, cadence, tone, etc., of your voice have effects when dealing with conflict and violence. It can deescalate and its misuse can escalate into physical violence. All of it is driven by circumstances and so on. 

The rhythm of your cadence when walking can tell a potential adversary you are not a good target just as much as a bad rhythm, etc., can say, “Victim or target.” As with most karate, martial arts and self-defense, it depends on the circumstances of any given situation and any given moment within. 

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TECHNIQUE; SUB-PRINCIPLE: Timing

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Timing first and foremost is about timing your go and no-go effort. In self-defense one needs to know the time when they go to get-r-done, i.e., stop damage, etc., then they also have to know the appropriate time to no-go or to stop applying physical applications because to do so would take us outside the self-defense circle and open us to legal and social ramifications.

Timing is also about knowing when to “hold-em, when to fold-em and when to walk away,” and that means when to avoid situations that will result in conflict and violence. When you can’t then you have to consider the timing necessary to respond to any given situation in all forms of violence while remaining within the square of self-defense.

Then timing takes on a more physical intent, i.e., if we can recognize when one is testing you with the interview, if we can recognize when one is assuming an attack posture and when an adversary is about to attack then we can act according to the situation and actually accomplish avoidance, escape & evasion, deescalation or self-defense as appropriate. It is not just knowing when to move but how to move and what move or act will best serve. As Rory Miller states in his books, “You want to avoid before you deescalate, you want to deescalate before you defend, and you want to escape and evade before you and so on.”

Sometimes you want to commit to action when you can perceive the adversary’s intention and that is often accomplished at the moment you discern movement at any one of the human hubs, i.e., the shoulders, the hips (and the center of the adversary’s body), the elbows, and the knees. You really don’t what to have to wait till you see a hand or foot moving because in most cases if that is happening the adversary is already at the proper distance and unless you are in a defensive posture you reaction will not be fast enough to stop the attack. Waiting to see the proverbial tells of one dropping down, retracting a hand or foot and so on violated optimal timing and speed since waiting that long diminishes your application of timing and speed.

Never wait for anything, take a defensive posture when you detect their taking an attack position after checking for witnesses and moving into range where your posture allows you to assume a proper posture and you can see the hubs of the adversary to detect attack by using the proverbial “thousand yard stare” that causes your peripheral vision, better at movement detection than direct vision, to speed up your OODA loop. 

Seize the opportunity and use your timing and other sub-principles and exploit those of your adversary to achieve your self-defense martial arts/karate goals while remaining well within the self-defense square. 

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TECHNIQUE; SUB-PRINCIPLE: Speed

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Speed first must explain itself through the OODA loop. One observes then orients then decides on a course of action and finally then ACTS. This is a process every human has to go through to do things and the time it takes is about speed. The faster you pass the loop to act over an adversary the faster you gain the advantage over that adversary. This requires complete and comprehensive training and practice. 

That training and practice includes knowledge, the type of knowledge for martial arts self-defense means knowing and understanding a lot about conflict and violence. If you are confronted by the unknown and/or unfamiliar then you have to go back to the start of the OODA loop thereby putting you behind and given the mental and physical speed to your adversary.

This is the knowledge necessary long before you take that first step on the dojo floor of a self-defense martial art or karate. You have to know what you don’t know and what you don’t know you don’t know otherwise the initial advantage is not yours. 

If you can train and practice toward a process that allows you to skip steps (procedural memory programming in zombie routines) in the loop you gain more speed toward reaching the action level. If your actions are such that it causes the adversary to bounce back to the OO section and remain there, the OO bounce, then you gain more speed and reduce his creating more time to achieve your goals. Remember, that applies to him as well. 

Then you apply the principles in such a manner that you literally “lengthen your line” in relation to the adversary’s line also adding to your speed. This type of speed is developed long before that of the actual physical speed of your body, i.e., hands, feet, elbows, etc., through economical motion, efficiency, proficiency, control, simplicity, natural action, etc.

Consider also that your awareness also contributes to your speed. The ability to perceive danger long before you encounter the situation provides you time, distance and speed in acting to avoid the conflict and violence before the physical applications of self-defense. This is also about adding speed to the loop while providing time to consider avoidance over defense methodologies in avoidance because your loop now has time to consider what it observes, you have time to orient you human brain so that it also has time to consider options so when you finally decide to turn and run your actions become those that avoid damage and those legal and moral ramifications self-defense involve. 

Lets talk a bit about the speed that involves application of karate and martial arts. Keep in mind that speed reciprocates timing and timing will be discussed in the next section. The first, most obvious, application of speed is best described as our movements being such that our adversary is unable to react thus speeding past their processing of the OODA loop. 

Another aspect is what some call movement speed, as already partly described above. It is about how fast our bodies move across space or distances. Then we need to know about how other sub-principles effect and enhance movement speed through structure, axis, relaxation, posture, and wave  energy, etc.

Look also at effectual speed, i.e., a more holistic view of the time it takes to compote a method to its final goal on target. Add in timing speed where we move faster in our response to our adversary, in other words we put our methodology into effect faster than they do - faster OODA loop.

Spatial speed, where we move less distance in executing our methods through superior economical motions. If we can execute the same method as our adversary but only through a shorter distance or path then we are twice as fast in its application barring any other possible similarities or dissimilarities. 

Speed involves various types of perspectives such as remembering that effectual speed involves movement, timing and spatial speeds. We don’t want to forget that the speed of traversing the OODA loop also contributes to overall speed.

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TECHNIQUE; SUB-PRINCIPLE: Torsion and Pinning

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This particular sub-principle upon further consideration seems inappropriate for a fundamental principle of martial systems. Too many aspects described in the original texts seem contradictory when relating to other principles such as the description of grabbing techniques with an assumption that performing such techniques takes away from efficiency in other principles such as the mind-body whereby the grab is said to also grab the mind and focus it in that location. Where this seems contradictory is when the author used torsion and pinning as a model that does not grab the mind when in reality all applied techniques have the tendency to lock the mind on that technique or set of techniques, i.e., using combinations. 

In addition it should be explained that all methodologies at one level or another require a certain amount of tension. One reason I advocate calling it positive relaxation vs. simply relaxation but the true nature of applied principles is the reduction of as much energy consumption through things like tension is our ultimate goal in this instance. 

Almost all applied methodologies be they grabbing, torsion or pinning actions require some use of other or all parts of the body. This is especially true if one wants the mind-body to move all movement from the center of the body, centeredness. To truly control tension and other aspects of principle applications a karate-ka and martial artists must control the mind, like taking a mushin and zanshin state of mind, by focusing the mind on the center and train so that the lizard brain (procedural memory) runs the physical applications of self-defense. 

Depending on applied methodologies our bodies will use other body parts such as the upper torso (note the torso also effects the waist and shoulder girdles as well as the spine), shoulders, and neck, etc.

I would then advocate without reservation the abilities to grab in appropriate situations along with utilizing the ability to use torsion and pinning also as appropriate in self-defense martial arts. 

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PHILOSOPHY; SUB-PRINCIPLE: Mind

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The mind, mind-set and mind-state, about our ability to deal with conflict and violence. Conflict and violence, regardless of societies stand on it, is a part of the human condition and we deal with it at one level or another in our daily lives. Everything about life is about our mind, how we deal with things is about our mind and to handle conflict and violence is … wait for it … about our minds. To train the mind is to train the body is to train the mind. The mind-body connection is to be connected by a philosophical sub-principle of yin-n-yang. Not as to separate and distinct things but two things that are one. 

When it comes to self-defense karate and martial arts it becomes physical and it is that physical most consider the root to martial arts but reality will tell us that it is all about the mind. The mind-state-n-mind-set we acquire, build and harness is what will take us through all conflict and violence. 

One person of professional status said something that most fights end when the person gives up, a mind-set or mind-state. It is not about a greater physical ability but rather how we perceive things as they get physical. If one has a strong, resilient and powerful mind then no matter of the physical prowess, i.e., a larger, stronger adversary for example, of an adversary the person with the strongest mind will prevail.

Therefore, creating a mind-set/mind-state becomes extremely important in self-defense. That means a practitioner must open the mind to all aspects of conflict, violence and self-defense (why self-defense was added as a principle). If you don’t know what you don’t know then how can you create a strong and resilient mind-set/mind-state?

Some speak to intestinal fortitude but that is just another symbol of the mind-set/mind-state. Exposure to conflict and violence allows a practitioner to accept it and to build a mind-set/mind-state that will prevail even when they are attacked, placed at a disadvantage, exposed to pain, damage and a close in adversary who is hell bent on dominant position  while causing your brain to lock up who may also be using a weapon with damage coming fast and furious holding you immobile from acting leaving you in  a position without power to apply effective defense and so on. You have to know this, accept it and then make the moral and legal distinctions while choosing the appropriate actions to achieve self-defense. 

I.e., your mind contends with the following:

If you have been targeted for a blitz attack you will find yourself in the “losing column.” It is a full fledged head on assault with aggression, surprise, pain, fear, and it will be sudden, i.e., hard fast and close. It will NOT be like sparring no matter how hard or intense you spar and no matter how intense and hard any competitive match may seem. In all likelihood it will be way out of your comprehension. The following are taken from the book Scaling Force by Rory Miller just to give you an idea of what you are up against in the study of self-defense martial arts (emphasis added by me).

• In the attack everything feels all wrong.
• The adversary/attacker made sure to set things up so you would be at a disadvantage - big time or he would not have attacked.
• He will be close and fast.
• Pain and damage are coming in fast and furious.
• Your brain will be locked/frozen in the OO bounce as the adversary hits you four times before your brain registers, decides and, hopefully, acts.
• If attacked by someone with a weapon, the speed remains fast and furious but the damage just increased - a lot.
• Your mobility will be hampered, the attack close.
• All your self-defense strikes must be effective at that close range.
• You just got blitz attack, in most cases, from the flank or rear. 
• Your targets and power must be adaptable to different ranges and positions, you need to know how to damage someone behind you.
• Expect your body to be controlled.
• Expect it to happen in an enclosed space with bad footing and limited visibility.
• This level of force is considered a desperate situation and the damage ugly.
• You may have been shoved against a wall or vehicle, unbalanced, awkwardly twisted, or falling.
• You may be reeling from a punch or kick.
• You may be stabbed or shot.

In the end, your self-defense must be able to fight effectively in all the above conditions along with injuries, etc. This is what your self-defense training must address and consider this a short, terse, not comprehensive list of how an attack happens. Assume as well that all the above will also be compounded by your adrenal flooding with those physical effects to deal with as well.

Then and only then does one take on the actual karate and martial arts practice and discipline. Taking karate and/or a martial art for self-defense without such reality based knowledge, training, practice and experience makes that marital art merely a method of health and well-being. Making the mind strong, steeled to the dangers of conflict and violence allows us to act, to give ourselves permission to act while maintaining the self-defense square’s integrity. 

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