Dancing with Fire's definitions

SVA

South Vietnamese Army; another name for the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN).

The South Vietnamese Army (SVA) had been financed by America throughout the late 1950’s, 1960’s and as a result of Vietnamization, to an even greater degree from 1970 to 1975.

by Dancing with Fire June 24, 2011

Erik Erikson

After spending some time traveling throughout Europe, Erik Erikson studied psychoanalysis from Anna Freud and earned a certificate from the Vienna Psychoanalytic Society. Erikson moved to the United States in 1933 and was offered a teaching position at Harvard Medical School. In addition to this, he also had a private practice in child psychoanalysis. Later, he held teaching positions at University of California at Berkeley, Yale, San Francisco Psychoanalytic Institute, Austen Riggs Center, and Center for Advanced Studies of the Behavioral Sciences. He published a number of books on his theories and research, including Childhood and Society and The Life Cycle Completed. His book Gandhi's Truth was awarded a Pulitzer Prize and a national Book Award.

Erik Erikson was the guy who came up with the Stages of Devlopment:

1) Infancy: Birth to 18 Months - Ego Development Outcome: Trust vs. Mistrust

2) Early Childhood: 18 Months to 3 Years - Ego Development Outcome: Autonomy vs. Shame

3) Play Age: 3 to 5 Years - Ego Development Outcome: Initiative vs. Guilt

4) School Age: 6 to 12 Years - Ego Development Outcome: Industry vs. Inferiority

5) Adolescence: 12 to 18 Years - Ego Development Outcome: Identity vs. Role Confusion

6) Young adulthood: 18 to 35 - Ego Development Outcome: Intimacy and Solidarity vs. Isolation

7) Middle Adulthood: 35 to 55 or 65 - Ego Development Outcome: Generativity vs. Self absorption or Stagnation

8) Late Adulthood: 55 or 65 to Death - Ego Development Outcome: Integrity vs. Despair

by Dancing with Fire September 6, 2011

Silat

Silat, sometimes also called Pencak silat, panchak, or montjak, generally refers to Martial Arts styles that originate from the Malay. These people can be found spread throughout Southeastern Asia, more specifically around Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, and the Philippines. Silat isn't just one style but is used to describe anywhere on up to a hundred different styles, or what they call alirans, and schools. As with many Martial Arts styles, learning silat is not just about fighting. While learning Silat, one learns the mental or spiritual aspects of life, self-defense, the fighting techniques, and the culture of the people the art originated from. For more traditional schools, this includes having a uniform that is based off the Malaysia culture, rather than the Japanese or Chinese one that most people see in Martial Arts. In addition, the schools will have their own "dance," which is composed of movements from their particular style. It is a way to distinguish one style of silat from another.

Silat has a strong influence of learning from the environment. Many of the movements will reflect animals that you will find in nature moreso than some of the other Martial Arts. One of the most important animals to them was the tiger, being seen by the culture as a symbol of importance. Thus, one will find the movements in Silat to be explosive and aggressive bursts of attacks. In ancient times, Silat was as much a part of their lives as any other form of education and prepared young men for adulthood. Because of this, there is a strong emphasis in this art on self-defense. This emphasis is what has made Silat spread through Europe and now the United States. When watching a Silat practioner, one will notice that the artist starts at a much lower stance than most other Martial Arts. In many forms, the practioner will actually go down on one or both knees to gain the advantage. Each step will not only move the fighter but also turn the angle of their body, thus constantly changing and protecting different zones from their attacker. Silat's growing popularity has brought forward several forms within the Western world based on this system. The more known and unique examples of these emphasis the use of small knives, which is one of many weapons seen in a silat arsenal.

by Dancing with Fire June 8, 2011

Battojutsu

Battojutsu is a sword-based Japanese martial art. Generally, schools which style themselves "battojutsu ryu" emphasize the perfection of Tameshigiri cutting technique, as opposed to iaido ryu which tend to focus on drawing/sheathing, or kenjutsu ryu which stress dueling ability. "Battojutsu" or "iaijutsu" can also refer to the concept of drawing and striking in a single motion. Batto/iaijutsu techniques often involve drawing the saya (scabbard) back and the sword forward, allowing the wielder to begin and complete the cut faster than would otherwise be possible, generally half to three quarters of a second. Historically, battojutsu was developed around the mid-15th century, around the advent of the uchigatana (a type of Japanese sword). The saki-zori curvature (more curved near the tip, as opposed to koshi-zori, curved near the hilt) of uchigatana aided greatly in iaijutsu because it allowed the strike to begin before the blade had completely left the sheath.

The term battojutsu was used during the Warring States Period, while the term iaijutsu was developed slightly later in the period as evidenced by its more philosophical name. Since martial styles generally did not have intercourse because they were enemies (among other reasons, including geographic isolation), what one style (ryu) might call iaijutsu is what another style with similar movements would call battojutsu. The term iaido was not used until the end of the beginning of the 20th century, when it was first coined by Nakayama Hakudo, and therefore should not be confused with battojutsu. Battodo is another similar word and simply means the "way" of drawing the sword, while Battojutsu the "art" of drawing the sword.

by Dancing with Fire May 13, 2011

Juárez Cartel

The Juárez Cartel is responsible for smuggling tons of narcotics from Mexico into the United States throughout its long and turbulent history, and the group’s intense rivalry with the Sinaloa Cartel helped turn Juárez into one of the most violent places in the world.

Despite recent news reports, the Juárez Cartel remains one of the most powerful criminal organizations in Mexico and the region. Small cells carry out different types of operations ranging from transportation and distribution of drugs; gangs, mostly in the north, act as the enforcement wing and are involved in human trafficking and kidnapping operations.

by Dancing with Fire July 9, 2011

Jujitsu

Jujitsu is a martial art which reflects the movements of the attacker back upon him or her. It has been practiced in Japan since the sixteenth century, although Jujitsu has its origins in Chinese martial arts. Jujitsu uses a series of joint locks, small weaponry, and defensive tactics in combination with conserved energy to neutralize an attacker. Many other martial arts such as Judo and Aikido have their roots in Jujitsu. The word “Jujitsu” means the practice of gentleness, and in addition to learning the moves associated with Jujitsu, students also make changes in their characters. Jujitsu is supposed to focus and calm the students, with the aim of making them better martial artists and more refined individuals as well. The movements of Jujitsu are efficient, flowing, and circular, and it is a distinctly beautiful martial art to watch. Jujitsu is also usually practiced within a very small circle, and many Jujitsu moves have been refined for close quarters fighting. Jujitsu reached its heyday during the Tokugawa Shogunate, when weapons were forbidden to most Japanese citizens. Jujitsu incorporates joint locking and arresting movements which are extremely useful in hand to hand combat where neither warrior has a weapon. When used correctly, it is also possible to disarm with a joint lock. Grappling, take downs, throws, and strangulation also play a role in Jujitsu.

Most schools of Jujitsu also teach techniques with canes, short swords, and use of ropes. Defensive techniques against modern weapons such as guns are taught as well, with a strong focus on neutralizing an opponent without harming him or her. Some students of Jujitsu also learn healing techniques including massage, while other schools also place a heavy value on the study of spiritual and philosophical concepts. Jujitsu is differentiated from other aggressive martial arts like Karate because it is not an offensive martial art, but a defensive one. Jujitsu students learn the arts of surrender, patience, yielding, and efficiency. Jujitsu is also highly effective, integrating fighting techniques for a variety of situations, with or without weapons. Jujitsu techniques are often taught in self defense classes for women, because it is possible to neutralize an attacker quickly and escape using Jujitsu techniques. In the twentieth century, Jujitsu was brought to the West by a variety of masters, and became a very popular martial art. In 1977, the Ju-Jitsu International Federation was formed, with the idea of organizing and regulating international Jujitsu competitions. In competition, the Federation recognizes two types of entries. The fighting system opposes single members from different teams who spar for points. In the duo system, two athletes from the same team demonstrate defensive techniques on the mat.

by Dancing with Fire January 9, 2011

Product of the environment

It means that the person you are is a direct result of how you grew up. The "environment" you were brought up in influenced the decisions you make now. Your environment makes you who you are.

So for example, product of the environment implies that if one grows up in a home full of domestic violence, one of the children in that home may become violent as well when they have a family of their own. If someone grows up in the hood, that person may become a gangster. If somebody grows up in a descent home that is filled with good resources (computer, good books, television, radio, etc.), then they are more likely to become successful. If somebody grows up in a Christian home, they will most likely become a Christian. If somebody grows up in the Middle East or in a home with Muslim parents, they are more likely to be Muslim.

by Dancing with Fire June 18, 2011