Welcome to the Martial Arts & Life podcast Marc “Animal” MacYoung Episode. The use of manners. The rules of manners are contextual. Don’t think table manners. Although nice, table manners, are not the requirements of avoiding a violent situation. A biker gang meeting in a bar takes on a special set of manners. We even go into a moment from the life of philosopher Rene Descartes that involves a sword and not math. Dueling – the purpose and methods. And a swift visit to West Virginia to touch on the Hatfield-McCoy feud. As if that is not enough a sample of social no-never-mind rudeness. Then an extension of courtesy that flat out avoids unneeded violence.

Marc’s book: A Professional’s Guide to Ending Violence Quickly: How Bouncers, Bodyguards, and Other Security Professionals Handle Ugly Situations

The stories we tell ourselves, the real stories, and the not so real stories – the dangerous stories. The Assignment of the simple story to create the Cliffs Notes. How the story of Goldilocks and The Three Bears used as an example in the Tiny Tiger’s class, and they get it. The two-fer of why people come to the martial arts school. Once the deep dive into the real reasons and the initial story of why Martial Arts, the initial story becomes nothing more than window dressing. Having a perspective of an instructor based on a 1-second glimpse. How stores about Saints undergo embellishing (The technique has a name). And how that same embellishing happens to Martial Arts teachers of yesteryear.

Cliffs Notes

 

The drift on this topic can be wide and deep, but humor me and watch your mind drift as well during the podcast – that’s not bad, it is just about the target.  The elite military training in martial arts. Can it be done? Can you put military training into the martial arts, can you do a “Boot Camp?”  and what kind of weapon is being created from this form of adaptation.  You should get messy and do your stuff – but please for the love of all that is holy – keep your perspective.  A story about a movie star mimics. OK, It’s Steven Seagal.

 

 

 

So a listener dropped me an email and asked a simple yet complicated question, What do we do with people who have less than stellar abilities either mentally or physically in regard to the martial arts?  How do we rank them?  How do we treat them?  What do we do in the context of requirements and expectations?  And how are those to be adjusted if at all and for any reason? This is not an unusual quandary and it’s dealt with in many different ways sometimes not very successfully, as I have done in the past, but I have a new viewpoint which I hopefully think is more mature and I think more helpful for you in the long run. And I bet you never thought you would think a long-dead Senator from Minnesota would play into this either.  Take a listen and I hope you enjoy

 

 

The homelessness crisis is a big fat lie told to you by the people in charge. It’s a majority drug and mental health issue. Can you sense the frustration? Denver v. Seattle who has a worse crime problem and what can us, as citizens do about it when it comes to personal defense and safety? Introducing the MICA, (the Mentally Impaired, Chemically Addicted) A history throwback from How President Reagan got him in trouble. Harvard Business School, “Hide the money-making behind a noble cause.”  The money numbers – it’s profiteering.  Some profiling. We profile all the time and we should do it for our safety.  Coming in contact with panhandlers. How cultures make a difference in who gets hit-up and who gets passed over.  Under-reporting of crime, it is now the standard operating procedure. Junkies and no fear because they understand the game it adds up to a sandwich and a shower.   Who does our dirty work? “Negotiation without the ability to back it up in begging.”  How two circles can explain the situations you may face.

Nononsenseselfdefense.com

Attack your training. There is a downside to attacking your training or anything thing you do that requires a form focus and discipline.  Winning of the day? The nature of lions – well the nature of nature, lions are an example. How attacking can actually not serve you anymore. Yes, there is a place in life where it doesn’t work. Here is a real-life example that you may want to consider as an example. Plus,  Leave your trash outside the dojo. It is an acquired skill. Asking the question of, “What is your clarity?” and how eating ice-cream can be an example of what you might want to consider as an action plan. The, We’re All In This Together – Good Ice-cream v. bad Ice-cream.

Neapolitan Ice-Cream

The final weapon, John Steinbeck nails it! The true tale of how the mind made the difference while playing at the highest of levels. Mincemeat, in this instance is not a pie filling. Here is a twelve and a half minute explainer video of this historical watershed. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBaNrTMUQbM. As for sports, one man changed the rules of an international sport league, they added a rule just because of him! As if you need more proof the rule was rescinded after his retirement – can you spell dominate! Enjoy his Top Ten Great Moments and marvel at his skill. Simply mind-bending https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVxbkR4zsGw. The cautionary tale of JaMarcus Russell. I am not piling on but the facts are the facts, he was great at one level and less than stellar at the next level. Three examples of the mental game. The First In / Last Out rule (The FILO rule) gets touch upon. In The We’re All In This Together, section – A refreshing resignation.

 

The story of a Bounty Hunter, a Comedian, and an Attorney. All three of these divergent roles converge into one keen recommendation. Dog, Kathleen and Kathleen’s Dad. All become part of a three-point plan. Plus, the proof points from the biker world on why you talk and talk and talk. None of this constitutes legal advice in any manner. (but you may want to look at it with a discerning eye.) In the, We’re All In This Together, section. How the ego and the need to be loved are linked. How the ego seeks it within the videos of Youtube. I know, shocked! But you’ll be nodding your head in agreement as you too have seen the act I am pointing to as well.

 

Lies told. As a child I was taught, “You can be anything thing you want to be.” The dream you can be anything and/or do anything in your life you desire. How eight-year-old children have the ability to see the quality and how systems sometimes fail the achievers and the letdowns alike? The world is full of differences and that applies to the lie and self-deception. How rarity demonstrates this idea. The analysis of your place and your skills, not a low-balling of yourself, but the real look. In the, “We’re All In This Together,” section the topic is Deep Friendships. Also how smooth jazz can’t even destroy the history that we have inside our friendship. Oh, and bow and arrows! The algorithm, the third entity in a relationship.

To erase that Smooth Jazz from the looping internal song in your head, here is some Clutch. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4ABpbxIPFI

 

The deep values of what was painted on a wall in a Tae Kwon Do school in Orlando Florida. The first impression of a banner and my poor reception – until, “Upon further review,” as they say in the National Football League.  The enjoyment of the journey is important, so the blending of decisions, the goal the journey and how some goals are not going to work in random and alternate environments.” The ends justify the means,” and a brief lecture on the history how that goes sideways. On a lighter note “The Mystery of the Water Bottle.” in the section We’re All In This Together. 

Hey Engineer. You have a part in this as well!