Gary Batman

Dear Saint Chuckles, thank you for the special, speedy, Easter delivery, however...

The video is an excellent demonstration from TikTok of the dangers of high kicks. They are generally, better as finishing moves, if the opponent is significantly stunned from earlier, less risky, defensive moves.

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Dear Chuckles,

I assume that was you that dropped off the delicious Apple Crumble for Easter. It was on the counter and my star tenant figured you had done one of your special, speedy, deliveries.

The tip is to be careful on the stock market...

Problem is, with only one piece, someone's (not with a Doctorate) blood sugar levels were blown sky high the next day. The pie will have to wait for your next visit.

Frankly, this reminds me of when you used to bring experimental new snacks over and the previous condominium owner, that I inherited this place from, 'The Boss' would be angry because you were poisoning her 'boy'.

Very good move, IMHO

I think the defensive move is effective. Admittedly, I have not practiced that type of gun to the neck, defence, but have practiced gun defences. The gloves are a good idea for being on the streets, when there is a reasonable danger of potential assault, in particular from bladed weapons. I may invest in a pair of legal, tactical gloves at some point.

In agreement with the video, I would move my head off the line of attack. My left hand defence would be the same or similar as this officer (it looks like he is a police officer). I would probably simultaneously use my right hand (or reverse, if required) to also grab the shooting hand, or gun if needed, while elbowing the attacker with my right elbow. Hopefully in the neck, or at least the jaw. If I do not grab the gun away from the attacker, I would aim to knock it down and kick it far enough away. While the attacker is stunned, I might use a guillotine choke, if the attacker is facing me from his/her front, or rear naked choke, if the attacker has his/her back to me. But this is only after striking the attacker multiple times with elbow strikes, knees, punches and low, non-grabbable, kicks, as needed.

Striking the eyes is certainly a good option, as are open hand neck strikes.

Monday images and bullets: Willing to agree with someone with a different worldview

• Image one, thanks to Pastor David Pitman for posting on Facebook. I often find optical illusion art and photography, interesting.

• Image two: I am willing to agree with someone with a different worldview, as all truth in God's truth. 

• Continued: That is hoping and praying that God has me in the truth, always, even as I am both finite and sinful.

• Continued: I certainly disagree with friends, sometimes, but agreeably, in the love of Christ.

• Image three: Sadly, my own personal observance of some people in life makes me reason these statements are often true.

• I was listening to John 1, online from the King James Version (KJV). 

• John 1: 17 struck me as interesting and so I looked it up in the Orthodox Study Bible, which is an excellent academic reference, although I am Reformed and not Orthodox.

• This study bible uses the New King James Version (NKJV).

• John 1: 17: For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

• The Orthodox Study Bible references grace with Romans 5: 21.

• The NKJV: Romans 5: 21: so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

• Again from the NKJV: The Orthodox Study Bible references truth from John 8: 32.

• John 8: 32: And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

• John 14: 6: Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

• John 18: 37: Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?” Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”

• Without the exact same wording and emphasis, there is clear theological consistency here between the Apostle Paul's view that the gospel is of grace through faith in the applied atoning and resurrection work of Jesus Christ; and what the Apostle John taught within the Gospel of John. 

• This New Testament theology is contrasted from both the Apostle John and the Apostle Paul by the Mosaic Law, of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament.

• Theologically, it is evident that the Apostle John and Apostle Paul, also agreed on the truth of the Gospel. Again from the NKJV: Ephesians 4: 15: but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—

THE ORTHODOX STUDY BIBLE, NEW TESTAMENT AND PSALMS (1993) Saint Athanasius Orthodox Academy, Nashville, Tennessee, Thomas Nelson Publishers

Brief Friday afternoon video thoughts, published in the late evening

TikTok video one

I originally viewed this video several years ago, seems to me. Reflecting on this video in the past, it did influence my change in martial arts approach. I could understand even more so than earlier in my life, after quitting Karate, that my doubts on traditional Karate, at least, were again justified. I also had been bottled in Manchester, England, and then received professional advice from a former, US operative online, and this especially served as a major influence to have me make many changes in my martial arts workout.  

I had been bottled in Manchester, while a friend left the scene (while a thug stood with him), that I had stepped into defend as he was being struck. I won the fights against three 'on points', by mainly using Karate, with some fusion from online reading. But as they could not take me, one of them threw a wine bottle (or like) from a distance. Over the next few months, I realized that if I was going to study and practice martial arts for exercise and self-defence, I needed to implement more instantly effective methods in a street fight. This included much more 'soft art' (not primarily striking, martial arts) techniques as well as weapons, when legal and necessary.

In the video, the Karate black belt seemingly has no idea how to deal with a grappling attack, whatsoever. Besides learning weapons after the assault, as mainly a stand-up fighter that also uses 'soft art' techniques that can be used on the ground, I learned some very effective choke holds, grips and the odd targeted throw, for a street fighting context. These choke holds and grips can work while standing and while on the ground. Also, I learned the basic guard move from my limited viewing of UFC, and by studying online videos. The Karate black belt should have implemented this when needed, as well as other possible moves. At approximately the 13 second mark, for example, there was an excellent opportunity to put the attacker in a guillotine choke.

Before using the basic guard if taken down, for better balance, a fighting stance should be much wider than the one used by Karate black belt, as the grappler 'shoots' in quickly taking away punches and kicks from the opponent. This is a major reason why someone serious about learning self-defence needs to know how to use elbow strikes when an attacker attempts to take away punches and kicks. Elbows are more difficult to tie up than punches and kicks, in my humble opinion. As well, there are often opportunities for the defender to use a rear naked choke hold, guillotine choke or even a gable grip against an aggressive attacker attempting a takedown, or after a takedown, leading at an attempt at a submission by the attacker. 

In the video, the Karate black belt seemed very ill-prepared, like I reason, in similar situations, the 'hard art' (primarily striking, martial arts) 'Karate' student or expert will be unless he/she has a more in-depth knowledge of fighting and martial arts techniques. A reason I quit Karate, read books, watched videos, sparred with a black belt in Aikido, and finally took professional training from an online MMA trainer. A reason, I workout with weapons.

TikTok video two

For clarity. I strongly dislike this scene, and have no interest in watching the film. The scene came up on my random TikTok rotation. I publish and comment on it, in the context of self-defence. Robert Di Nero, a trained actor in violent films, pulled out and fired that gun out so quickly, the character played by Bridget Fonda, at that distance, had little chance to not be shot. Shot twice it appeared. A similar scenario could occur in real life. Comments:

1. It is best to avoid violent people in life. One example from Proverbs: 

Proverbs 4:14-17 King James Version (KJV)

4 Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. 15 Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away. 16 For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall. 17 For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.

2. If one ends up near a person that might pull a weapon, the potential victim should keep much more distance than was demonstrated in the film clip. Also, a potential victim should take a side stance, not front stance, so the attacker has less body to physically aim at, and less vital organs to aim at. The victim must be able to effectively flee or use a form of legal, self-defence.

Photo: Izrezak, the basic guard bjj spot

Beware of the hot water tank Inquisition

NPR

The Inquisition: A Model For Modern Interrogators: January 23, 2012 

Image: Capture, NPR, Halton Archive Getty Images, the first Inquisition 

Cited

An illustration shows heretics being tortured and nailed to wooden posts during the first Inquisition. 

Those are nails on the right hands of those 'offenders', also known as heretics, to the powers that were.

History.com

History.com/Inquisition 1184 

(Inquisition, established circa 1184)

Cited

The Inquisition has its origins in the early organized persecution of non-Catholic Christian religions in Europe. In 1184 Pope Lucius III sent bishops to southern France to track down heretics called Catharists. These efforts continued into the 14th Century. 

NPR continued

Cited

Clerics were given authority to use torture in a document issued by the pope in 1252. They were also given advice manuals with instructions for interrogating suspected heretics. Murphy says he was astonished by the similarities between the Inquisitor advice manual and modern-day guides for intelligence agencies and police departments.

If our church was like that, I would have to have my martial arts weaponry with me while attending, just in case. 

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Beware of the hot water tank Inquisition

Today, two very kind members of our strata council, knocked on my door three times with surprise visits. There is some type of hot water leak in the building. But it has been determined it is not from the hot water tank in my storage room, which is also my academic library. Regardless, even with no visible leaking, the hot water tank is showing some new rust and God-willing will be replaced next week, as I have already left a message with a local heating company.

Brief Friday aggressive vids with humour

 Photo: star-and-galaxies-alignment-Webb-Mar-16-2022-1-scaled, nasa 

Video 1: Okay, sometimes I even think I am weird. I heard that musical introduction in a dream early this morning. I thought CBS program introduction. I am pretty certain there is no way I have heard it recently while awake. Searching on You Tube, it was the CBS Special Presentation introduction from the 1970's until the early 1990's. Some You Tube commenters were mentioning it often was placed before a Charlie Brown Christmas Special. It seems to me, I may have seen that take place as child or adult and reasoned that the intro was way over the top macho (masculine and aggressive) for those goofy Charlie Brown kids. Yes, that seems like an old thought...(I do like those old animated films)

Pondering, it seems to me that introduction would work well with a Planet of the Apes, film (not a favourite).

Video 2: TikTok- The presenter has skills, but personally, I would use a double handed grab/block of the attacking arm. Simultaneously, I would attempt to strike the attacker in the head, or neck, with my right elbow, turning in a side stance similar to the one demonstrated in the video. I would then use a technique to have the weapon removed (arm lock or wrist lock, most likely) and follow up with a rear naked choke or guillotine choke. I might also use knee strikes to the mid-section and groin areas.

I have zero interest in attempting to hold or pin someone in a real life, self-defence situation. Remember that nowadays, a person could easily be facing multiple opponents, and multiple armed opponents. The video is funny, but I have no intention of ever using violence against a female, and that includes non-physical violence. Love your neighbour as self (Matthew 22, Mark 12, Luke 10, Galatians 5).

A recent article on my first website, where I do some new research on some areas I have not written on much. Thursday, March 31, 2022 The Orthodox Study Bible: Creed-Part II