Sometimes I hate not thinking in words. Usually it’s a superpower. But right now I’m struggling to explain something that I see as…gestalt is the best word I can come up with. Stayed up all last night trying to find the words. Sometimes words would bubble up and I can explain a piece of it, … [Read more…]
. . There are things way, way off about this situation. This is a rolling situation that apparently started on the ramp and then got onto the plane. I’m also willing to lay money on that this part of the trauma-drama was a shift in tactics by the woman. As in: A- Look how pissed … [Read more…]
The recent incident of a passenger being forcibly removed from an airplane has created a firestorm of traditional and social media commentary. There has been lots of talk of passenger rights, laws, contracts, corporate profits, corporate responsibility, the use of force continuum, and more. What most people don’t seem to realize that this incident is … [Read more…]
Anything in the human world is a complex interaction. I have a history, a set of assumptions, a suite of facts and things I want to believe are facts, communication habits and patterns, etc. And so do you. Somewhere in the interplay between our complexities, we communicate. To a degree. And almost everything is on … [Read more…]
I recently asked people to provide their definitions of the terms, Strategy, Tactic, and Technique. The idea was to determine if there was a general agreement/consensus on the termonology. Here are the results. STRATEGY – “Is more macro, an overall approach to long-term success/goal achievement. “ – “Answers the “what” question” – “Overall plans … [Read more…]
Saw an ad offering “No Bulls**t” self defense training. That’s laudable. That’s the goal. For that matter “No bullshit” should be a goal for training and talking and thinking and living. But it’s not that simple. The no-bullshit life is a goal, but if you ever think for one second that you’ve achieved it, you’ve … [Read more…]
“I want to learn some self-defense moves!” What self-defense instructor has not heard that request? When an instructor teaches a student a physical self-defense “Move” (or technique), he or she is engaging in problem solving. The instructor is providing the student with a theoretical solution to a future problem. This situation is analogous to … [Read more…]
…something I have been trying to get people to understand is there ARE differences. Very important differences. Starting with who can be treated with, compromised with (reliably), who is over the sanity horizon, who is harmless and who you might have to shoot in the face. Although I include that last option, I’m … [Read more…]
In combatives, you’ll hear people talk about the principles of a system, or principles-based training. That’s fine and dandy right up until you ask a senior practitioner exactly what those principles are. If you’re lucky, you’ll get crickets. If not, you’ll get the normal word salad of someone who has been pinned down in … [Read more…]
I use Maslow’s pyramid in a lot of my books and classes. Not because it’s great science, there are holes in it you can drive a truck through. I use it partially because it has great predictive power, but mostly because it is so common and universally accepted (which is not the same as ‘understood’) … [Read more…]