DO NOT MENTION YOUR ABILITIES OR YOUR INABILITIES,NOR YOUR STRENGTHS OR WEAKNESSES-JUST APPEAR TO 'BE'

DO NOT LICK YOUR WOUNDS IN PUBLIC OR SHOW YOUR SCARS.

BE LIKE THE COSSACKS!

BE LIKE THE COSSACKS: ETERNALLY(PERPETUALLY) ON HORSEBACK(MOBILE),ETERNALLY READY TO FIGHT(DEFEND) AND ETERNALLY ON GUARD(AWARE & AWAKE)!

HAND-TO-HAND COMBAT & SELF DEFENSE

One of the areas of 'unarmed' combat is that of 'mano-a-mano' or simply,'mano-mano'...and for centuries people have been engaged in various styles, forms, methods, systems, etc. sometimes on a cultural or 'national' basis of origin.....lots of material on the history and development of such exists and is still being generated by groups and individuals and other organizations somewhat devoted to such 'arts' or 'sciences' or 'practices' etc. Many claim superiority and better functionality over others, especially those that are considered or labeled 'sport', 'traditional' and 'classical' or 'deadly' etc. All kinds of claims and theories and discussions on all of this abound and one can find such interesting, fascinating and bewildering... Therefore, I intend to also include some books, videos, and other information on things that I tend to somewhat favor or have found useful or extremely interesting and my discussion and listing of such things does not mean I fully endorse or practice or follow such....

THE BHAGAVAD GITA

Most western martial artists are unaware of the BHAGAVAD GITA as a martial arts text/manual/description,etc. and regard it merely as a 'religious' work, a part of the GREAT HINDU RELIGION & SYSTEM OF THOUGHT & YOGA and so concentrate their readings and studies on mostly those texts and manuscripts and writings and books,etc. that come from China, Japan, Korean and a few other places and keep ignoring the ones from India....but hopefully, this will changes as INDIA emerges from being seen as 'a third world nation' and becomes A SUPER POWER.....joining the ranks of CHINA, RUSSIA, and some other nations not far behind as the US continues to lag behind..... One need not be a member of ISKCON to appreciate the publications of the SACRED LITERATURE of INDIA and the colorful artwork that appears in them.....as they also contain some things that others might find useful, such as, sanskrit,etc. More on this at another time.

MOTHER INDIA

There are several areas on the Earth where special things have taken place and which have spread outwards to other parts of the World to create impressions and influences on various scales and levels as well as with a certain intensity, while some of these have,of course, remained a bit hidden, occult, arcane, and barely noticed........ INDIA is usually considered, whether evidence or not can be shown, to be the origins of modern martial arts, despite claims that other indigenous arts are to be found, and, of course, they are found, though not in their usual pristine and perfect form(s). India does serve as a special center in the spread of culture, ideas, religion(s), philosophies, some aspects of the sciences, medicine, and a great many other things, too numerous to mention here, even if the historical claims to such contributions to civilization seem rather tenuious at times. India and its culture has long been known to the Europeans and the same can be said for China, which received many injections and transmissions of things from India, especially Buddhism and forms of yoga, via Tibet, the Himalayas, Islam, and on to Japan/Korea and eventually in the 20th century mostly to the UNITED STATES...... Since India was a place ripe for the picking and plucking, and a vast subcontinent of diverse peoples, languages, beliefs, culture(s), and environments, it suffered numerous invasions which may have left some interesting traces still to be found, although greatly modified and adapted to the needs of the subcontinent civilization(s)....If we look at the areas not included in today's India and the nations surrounding it, and also examine their histories and cultures, we can see many things that will add to our information, knowledge, understanding, and appreciation of India as a focal point for mankind...which is not to say, that everything can be attributed entirely to Hindus and others found their.....or to the 'mythical aryans' that so fascinated Germans and other Europeans, leading them into various forays which are still with us in some modified forms..... Thus, the term MOTHER INDIA has served to show that as 'A GREAT GODDESS' India has indeed been worthy of 'worship' in the special sense that people tend to revere,if they do, all forms of motherhood..... Although many nations, such as France and Portugal,etc. set foot on the subcontinent and established, along with the Romans who came after Alexander with his 'contributions', left their lingering imprint in certain areas....it was the BRITISH in their colonization, which cannot be described in entirely glowing terms for various reasons, despite their claims to 'civlizing' and 'converting' natives of all their colonies when actually exploiting their resources, no doubt for the HomeLand and the Queen/King figures that they paid homage to on bended knee(long after we kicked them out of the area that became the United States of America......THAT brought some of the things we now know and admire about India which eventually was followed up by arrivals of persons who came from India and were 'Indian',many of whom brought such systems as yoga,vedanta, and nowadays ayuveda and martial arts plus dances that many in the West take up...as well as the influx of cinema and some other entertainments,etc. The Martial Arts of India and the Classical Dances of India,when studied and analyzed to a certain extent,show a relationship seldom understood or expected to exist by most Westerners, even though other cultures and nations may well have indicated such a relationship between their dances and martial arts..... Martial artists of the modern era are somewhat becoming a bit more acquainted with this aspect but,by and large, the ordinary perception of dance and martial arts keeps them apart...though the areas of exercise, body work, aerobics, etc. have somewhat 'married' them in various concoctions now being marketed by 'certified' instructors, most of whom have never set foot in India, Japan, or anywhere else that is the point of their origins...with some notable exceptions, however.... This blog will also take up some of the aspects of yoga and its possible relations to martial arts as well as dance,etc. or as much I care to discuss or focus upon, as those really and truly interested in such will undertake their own personal and individual explorations, ventures and efforts whatever such may be and whatever such will be revealed to them....as is said, the journey begins with a single step, but one has to be careful that first step is not a misstep, caused by tripping over one's ignorance and laziness...

THE WAY OF THE WARRIOR

THE WAY OF THE WARRIOR is seen as a separate way of HUMAN DEVELOPMENT,LIFESTYLE, and ACTIVITY/BEHAVIOUR......which is usually painted in various ways to form primarily a MASCULINE/MACHO/TESTOSTERONE/AGGRESSIVE MALE,etc. and only occasionally includes the WOMAN WARRIOR......all of whick follow stereotypes and mythic images,whether male or female..... The modern military forces of various nations today are said to be 'warriors' and persons devoted to fighting wars and using various technological implements to do battle, to kill enemies, and also the ubiquitous 'terrorists' as well as others who get in their way, whether friend, foe,innocent bystander, or civilians(the collateral damage) and the like...... One very neglected group of WARRIORS that only occasionally make the news reports and receive a 'isn't that terrible' comment is CHILD WARRIORS....usually boys and regarded much the same as 'child prostitutes'...as victims of the modern world and exploitive persons and groups,etc... The harsh realities of life and the constant presence of death are brushed under the carpets of the rich, well-fed, safely secured and locked up societies of the world, the elite who could care less, and those who hire the various warriors to protect them and see that their life styles are maintained.... Elevating warriors and other death-dealers to a Mythic Heroic Status is a way to help fragile egos as well as egomaniacs fantasize about the glories of war and conflict and of fighting...all of which are done on various SCALES AND LEVELS....whether in the streets among gangs and street fighters/warriors or with elaborate rockets handled by robots and software,etc. Fighting one's own battles in life and dealing with all kinds of personal conflicts,real, imagined, fantasized, or presented by others.....may,indeed, render one into becoming a 'warrior' of some sort....before one finally kicks off and ends up on the compost heap of humanity that fertilizes the earth...and feeds the 'gods of war'.....