Eye Square Martial Arts

Cultural Preservation… with Bruises (sometimes).

Category: Prepared Not Violent Series

  • Don’t Do the Enemy a Favor

    Don’t Do the Enemy a Favor

    I recently came across a photo from Comic Con—one of those celebrity photo ops you pay for.

    I got to meet Jason David Frank. Tommy. The Green Ranger. The White Ranger. (I think he even became the Red Ranger in one of the later series.) This guy was one of my childhood inspirations. I wanted to study martial arts because of him—and because of The Karate Kid.

    I didn’t get into martial arts until my 20s, but by the time I met him, I was 15 years into my journey. It was a big moment. I was starstruck and totally tongue-tied—especially after he complimented my back stance. That meant a lot.

    Life had gotten busy, and Comic Con had kind of lost its luster. But I always told myself I’d go back if Jason David Frank ever made another appearance.

    He never did.

    Jason David Frank took his own life in 2022.

    Finding that photo made me want to write this post. Around the same time, I saw a video from Habitual Line Crosser. He was talking about the epidemic of military and veteran suicide. At one point, he pulled out the full military “knife hand” and said, very seriously:

    “Don’t do the enemy a fucking favor!”

    He put it that way to get the point across to military types. And while I never served the sentiment stuck with me.

    That line wasn’t just for vets. It’s something that anyone might need to hear. I know I did.

    I’ll never get the chance to tell Jason Frank what his influence meant to me. But maybe this post will help someone else instead.

    So if you’re in that dark place right now, please hear me:

    DON’T DO THE ENEMY A FUCKING FAVOR.

    Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem.

    If you’re wrestling with those thoughts, reach out. Please.

    988 is the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Call or text anytime.

    You matter. You’re not alone.

    Tuhon Brandon in a back stance next to Jason David Frank, the Green/White/Red Ranger from Power Rangers.
  • The Right to Self-Defense: Why It Exists and What It Really Means

    The Right to Self-Defense: Why It Exists and What It Really Means

    Violence, whether we like it or not, is part of the human experience. And with it comes the unavoidable question: when force is used against you, do you have the right to respond with force of your own?

    The right to self-defense is one of the oldest and most widely recognized principles in legal and moral thought. It predates the Constitution, exists in nearly every legal system in the world, and resonates with something deeply instinctual—when faced with danger, we should be able to protect ourselves and those we care about.

    But how far does that right go? And in the American context, how does the firearm—perhaps the most effective and controversial tool of modern self-defense—fit into that framework?

    Self-Defense: A Natural Right

    At its core, the right to self-defense isn’t granted by any government. It’s a natural right—meaning it exists independent of laws, documents, or institutions. You don’t need a license to try to survive. And societies that recognize this right tend to codify it in laws that allow individuals to use force, sometimes even deadly force, when confronted with imminent harm.

    The American legal tradition, rooted in English common law, has always acknowledged this. Early colonists lived in conditions where law enforcement might be days away—if it existed at all. The responsibility for personal safety started at home and extended to family, property, and community.

    The Second Amendment as a Backstop

    Enter the Second Amendment. While it’s often viewed through the lens of resistance to tyranny, it also plays a crucial role in reinforcing the right of individuals to be prepared for self-defense. It doesn’t create the right—it protects it from infringement.

    Modern debates often miss this point. The Second Amendment isn’t about hunting, and it’s not exclusively about militias. It’s about ensuring that individuals have the practical means to respond to threats when law enforcement can’t—or won’t—arrive in time.

    “Whatever Means Are Necessary”

    When I say I believe in defending yourself by whatever means are necessary, I don’t say that recklessly. Violence should always be the last resort. But if a threat is real, immediate, and unavoidable, the response should be effective.

    And firearms, for many Americans, are simply the most effective tool available. They are a force equalizer. They don’t rely on size, strength, or youth. They allow a 110-pound woman to stop a 250-pound attacker. They allow a disabled veteran to defend his home when help is minutes—or miles—away.

    This isn’t about paranoia. It’s about preparation. And it starts with recognizing that the right to self-defense is real, valid, and worth protecting.

    Closing Thought

    Self-defense isn’t about looking for a fight—it’s about having the means to survive one. In the next part of this series, we’ll explore how firearms became woven into American culture and why that history matters more than ever in today’s debate.

  • There’s No Magic Bullet in Training

    There’s No Magic Bullet in Training

    Prepared, Not Violent is an ongoing series from Eye Square Martial Arts exploring how martial artists can understand, avoid, and prepare for real-world violence—without becoming consumed by it.

    This is Part VI: There’s No Magic Bullet in Training

    In an ideal world, learning how to protect yourself wouldn’t hurt. But we don’t live in that world.

    Online, you’ll find plenty of flashy videos showing “no-touch knockouts” or pressure-point wizardry that claims to incapacitate someone with a finger flick. It would be nice if that were real. But it’s not.

    Violence is dangerous.
    Violence hurts.
    And I’m not talking about feelings.

    “Anyone who says words cut like a knife has clearly never been stabbed.”
    — Rory Miller

    Martial arts make a powerful promise: that someone smaller or weaker can survive, or even win, against someone bigger and stronger. And it is true—but only if the training is real.

    The real advantages come from:

    • Recognizing attacks early
    • Understanding timing and rhythm
    • Knowing where the human body is vulnerable

    Those advantages don’t come from mystical techniques or secret shortcuts. They come from work. Real, sweaty, sometimes painful work. That might mean getting hit, pushed, or taken to the ground. It means drilling the uncomfortable stuff until your body doesn’t freeze under pressure.

    Even with tools like firearms—often seen as the great equalizer—the reality is more complicated. Drawing and firing under pressure is a skill, not a guarantee. It takes time to develop. And it brings new challenges: what if someone grabs for your weapon? What if you fumble the draw? Are you prepared to retain control in a struggle?

    The truth is: there is no magic bullet. Not in martial arts. Not in self-defense. Not in life.

    Preparation is uncomfortable. But that discomfort is the price you pay for readiness.

  • The Motivations for Violence

    The Motivations for Violence

    Prepared, Not Violent is an ongoing series from Eye Square Martial Arts exploring how martial artists can understand, avoid, and prepare for real-world violence—without becoming consumed by it.

    This is Part V: The Motivations for Violence

    At first glance, the motivations behind violence can seem random—chaotic events with no logic behind them. But the truth is: violence always has a reason, even if the victim is unrelated to the perpetrator.

    One useful framework for understanding these reasons comes from Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. From this model, we can break violence down into three primary categories:

    1. Survival / Resource-Based Violence
    2. Social Cohesion Violence
    3. Self-Actualized Violence

    🥖 Survival / Resources

    The lowest levels of Maslow’s pyramid include:

    • Physiological needs (breathing, food, water)
    • Safety needs (shelter, predictability, physical security)

    Violence motivated by survival often comes from desperation—especially when addiction is involved. A mugger isn’t typically trying to feed their starving family (despite popular media tropes); they’re often feeding an addiction.

    Important note:
    Withdrawals from substances—especially alcohol—can be lethal. Alcohol is one of the most dangerous and violence-associated substances in the world. People in the grip of addiction can become unpredictable, desperate, and, in a very real sense, possessed.

    This type of violence is often patterned and predictable:

    • The mugger selects known “hunting grounds”
    • They use routine tactics to maximize success
    • Creating a reactionary gap (e.g., throwing a wallet one direction and fleeing another) can help you escape

    🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Social Cohesion

    Maslow’s mid-level needs are:

    • Belonging
    • Esteem

    These are the layers where most Westerners encounter violence. It’s tribal—about status, respect, and group belonging.

    Violence at this level is usually “on script.” People are defending perceived status, correcting rule violations, or asserting dominance.

    Examples:

    • A sincere, non-weasel-worded apology can defuse a tense social encounter.
    • Smaller individuals may provoke larger ones—if they lose, it’s expected; if they win, the social payoff is large.
    • Much of female-on-female aggression at this level manifests as social exclusion or reputation destruction.

    This is the arena of honor culture violence, bar fights, and public confrontations. The motives are understandable—even predictable—when you understand the rules of the group or environment.

    Recommended resources:

    🧠 Self-Actualization

    At the top of Maslow’s hierarchy is self-actualization—doing something simply because you want to, not because you have to.

    Normally, this is seen as a positive goal: becoming a great artist, helping others, or exploring your full potential.

    But the dark side of self-actualization is choosing to do terrible things just because you enjoy them. This is the realm of:

    • Serial killers
    • Sexual predators
    • Power-seekers who inflict pain and suffering because it satisfies something within them

    These individuals aren’t driven by need or status—they’re fulfilled by violence itself. This is rare, but it’s important to recognize it as its own category.

    🎯 Final Thoughts

    Understanding the motivations behind violence won’t make you immune to it—but it will help you recognize patterns, de-escalate where possible, and respond with the right mindset and tools.

    Not all violence is personal. But all violence is purposeful.

  • The Self-Protection Toolbox: Why Self-Defense Isn’t Just Fighting

    The Self-Protection Toolbox: Why Self-Defense Isn’t Just Fighting

    When I first started martial arts, I was a young man with borderline-high blood pressure and very little understanding of what violence actually looked like. The school I joined had a section of its curriculum labeled “Self-Defense Techniques,” and being the naïve student I was, I assumed that because I was learning martial arts, I was learning self-defense.

    Fast forward about ten years, and I came across Meditations on Violence by Rory Miller. That book hit me like a freight train. It forced me to reckon with the fact that I knew next to nothing about real self-defense—let alone the broader and more accurate concept of self-protection (a term that reaches far beyond just physical skills, and yes, self-defense is a legal term, not a tactical one).

    As I’ve explored in previous parts of this series, protecting yourself and others is about much more than knowing how to throw a punch.

    At the highest level, it begins with mindset:

    • Understanding why and where violence happens
    • Knowing what you’re willing to die for—or go to prison for

    Below that, you have conduct—how you move through the world:

    • The way you dress
    • What tools or gear you carry
    • How you carry yourself
    • Your ability to maintain awareness
    • Your willingness to enforce your boundaries

    With the right mindset and conduct, you can avoid the vast majority of violent situations. Most predators look for easy targets. If you don’t make yourself one, they’ll likely move on.

    But avoidance isn’t always possible. When conflict still arises, that’s when specific skillsets come into play:

    • Situational awareness
    • Emotional regulation (especially under stress)
    • Interpersonal skills and de-escalation tactics

    And only when all else fails do we fall back on physical force. Even then, it’s not just about “winning”—you also have to navigate the legal aftermath of a violent encounter.

    One of the cruel ironies of self-protection is this:

    The simpler the tool, the more often it’s needed.
    The more complex the skill, the less likely you’ll use it.

    It takes just a few seconds to think about how you dress and present yourself. But building the physical and emotional skills to handle a violent encounter might take years. And understanding the legal landscape? That could take a lifetime.

    This series exists to help you build a complete toolbox—mental, emotional, physical, and legal—for self-protection. Because being prepared doesn’t mean being violent.

    It means being ready.

    Want to build your own self-protection toolbox? Start with Part I: Flipping the Switch.

  • Controlling Your Center

    Controlling Your Center

    Prepared, Not Violent is an ongoing series from Eye Square Martial Arts exploring how martial artists can understand, avoid, and prepare for real-world violence—without becoming consumed by it.

    This is Part III: Controlling Your Center

    There are certain subjects that tend to get under my skin. Maybe you’ve got a few of your own. I’ve let myself get riled up before—enough that it’s cost me friendships.

    One example still stings. A former friend’s girlfriend clearly knew how to press my buttons. She poked at a topic she knew would get a rise out of me. I reacted. She cried to him. He ghosted me for a week, and then told me we couldn’t be friends anymore.

    But personal drama aside—there’s a deeper lesson here.

    When you allow someone else to trigger your emotions, you’re essentially handing over control. You’re letting them steer the ship.

    And that’s never good. At least, not for you.

    You Teach People How to Treat You

    Every time you react in a certain way, you reinforce the rulebook others use when dealing with you.

    If you explode when challenged, people learn to provoke you when they want to win.
    If you withdraw when criticized, people learn to guilt you into silence.
    If you overextend when praised, people learn to flatter you into compliance.

    Most people aren’t evil. But most people are human—and they’ll push for what they want, even when it’s not in your best interest.

    “If You’re Feeling, You’re Not Thinking”

    Here’s a hard truth: when your emotions take over, your reasoning shuts down. The limbic system—your “monkey brain”—hijacks your frontal cortex. That’s the part responsible for logic and decision-making.

    Worse, it doesn’t just override logic—it recruits it. Once your emotions are in the driver’s seat, your brain gets to work justifying your feelings rather than evaluating the situation objectively.

    Identity Is the Emotional Trap

    This is why topics like politics, religion, and even martial arts can cause otherwise calm people to lose their minds. These things get tied to your identity. And once something becomes part of who you are, any challenge to it feels personal.

    Disagree with my stance? You’re attacking me.
    Criticize my art? You’re disrespecting my identity.

    It doesn’t even have to be serious. Some people will go to war over what car you drive, what coffee you drink, or whether you put pineapple on pizza.

    And here’s the kicker: when researchers put people into MRI machines and asked them political or religious questions, the logical parts of the brain didn’t light up. The emotional centers did.

    We think we’re being rational, but we’re not.

    Keep Your Center

    In martial arts, the “center” is your balance point. Lose it, and you’re vulnerable. The same is true emotionally.

    If you want to be prepared—not just for violence, but for life—you have to own your center. That means not letting others manipulate your emotional state. It means noticing when your buttons are being pushed, and choosing not to react blindly.

    It’s hard. But it’s worth it.

    Control yourself—so no one else can.

  • Where Violence Happens

    Where Violence Happens

    Prepared, Not Violent is an ongoing series from Eye Square Martial Arts exploring how martial artists can understand, avoid, and prepare for real-world violence—without becoming consumed by it.

    This is Part II: Where Violence Happens

    I used to think violence just… happened. Random. Unpredictable. But as I’ve grown in my understanding of human behavior—and thanks to some great sources like Rory Miller—I’ve realized there’s often a pattern.

    Some of what Miller lays out is so head-slappingly obvious in hindsight, I’ve literally muttered to myself, “Well duh, Brandon.”

    “Best defense: not be there.”
    — Mr. Miyagi

    Here’s a concept worth drilling into:
    There are five common environments where violence tends to occur. Understanding these can help you avoid trouble before it starts.

    1. Places Where Minds Are Altered

    Alcohol, drugs, and adrenaline all change how people behave—and not for the better. Bars, clubs, house parties… all ripe for interpersonal conflict. A high percentage of violent incidents involve intoxication. Impaired judgment makes stupid decisions easier.

    2. Places Where Young Men Gather

    Statistically, most violent crime is committed by men under 24. Testosterone, ego, peer pressure—it’s a cocktail that doesn’t need much to go sideways. A big group of young guys with something to prove is a red flag.

    3. Territories in Dispute

    This can be literal—gang boundaries, disputed land—or symbolic, like sports rivalries. “My team’s better than yours!” often escalates into “Hold my beer.” The tribal instinct runs deep, and perceived threats to identity or territory can trigger violence fast.

    4. Places Where You Don’t Know the Rules

    Every subculture has unspoken rules. Walk into a biker bar acting like a frat king? Bad move. The social dynamics might be invisible to you, but that doesn’t mean they don’t exist—or that you won’t pay the price for breaking them.

    5. Places Without Witnesses

    Nature might be beautiful, but it’s also brutal. A lot of assaults happen on isolated trails, in remote parks, or just off busy streets—alleys, parking structures, stairwells. Predators prefer places where no one’s watching. So should you—just in the opposite way.

    You can stack these danger zones, too.

    Take a college football game where a rival team is in town. You’ve got:

    • A huge crowd of young men,
    • Drinking like fish (minds altered),
    • Defending their team’s honor (territory),
    • Visiting unfamiliar bars (rule confusion),
    • And dark parking lots nearby (no witnesses).

    Congratulations. That’s a violence cocktail with a twist of regret.

    When you’re trying to keep yourself and your people safe, where you are matters just as much as who you are.

    Yeah, it sounds obvious. But Western society likes to sell us the idea that we should feel safe anywhere, all the time.

    And sure, that’s a nice thought. But reality?

    Reality is waiting to high-five your face… with a 2×4.

  • Flipping the Switch: The Importance of Being Capable of Violence

    Flipping the Switch: The Importance of Being Capable of Violence

    Prepared, Not Violent is an ongoing series from Eye Square Martial Arts exploring how martial artists can understand, avoid, and prepare for real-world violence—without becoming consumed by it.

    This is Part I: Flipping the Switch: The Importance of Being Capable of Violence

    The more experience I gain in martial arts—and in life—the more I’ve had to come to terms with something uncomfortable: I may one day have to be violent.

    Not because I want to be. Not because I enjoy the idea. But because I might need to protect my wife. My family. A stranger. Myself.

    The other day, a friend of mine dropped this video into our Discord channel:

    It’s a clip of Nick Freitas speaking about a convicted child predator who described how he chooses his victims—by looking for situations where the father isn’t present. That’s the kind of insight you want to hear, especially as a father. It’s disturbing, yes—but valuable information often is.

    Someone else in the thread responded, accusing Freitas of “promoting violence.” I pushed back. Freitas isn’t telling people to go out and start fights—he’s saying that you should be ready to do what’s necessary to defend the people you care about.

    I didn’t say it perfectly at the time, but I wasn’t hostile either. The guy shot back with, “Most people in America will never have to deal with violence.” And honestly? He’s probably right. Statistically speaking, most people won’t find themselves in life-or-death situations.

    But the thing is—some will. And when that day comes, it’s too late to start preparing.

    One key factor in avoiding violence is not looking like a victim. You don’t always need to use force to deter an attack. But you do often need to look like you’re willing to.

    Marc MacYoung tells a great story in In the Name of Self-Defense. A woman is walking through a grocery store parking lot. She notices two guys watching her. They split up and start approaching from different angles—classic encirclement. She reaches her car, puts the grocery cart between her and them, and stares them down—without saying a word.

    Then, she looks past them.

    What they didn’t know is that she had a concealed firearm—and was trained to use it. When she looked behind them, she wasn’t looking for help. She was checking for backstops—things that would stop bullets if she had to shoot through them.

    That look told them everything they needed to know.

    They left.

    This is what so many people miss when they talk about “violence.” It’s not about wanting to hurt anyone. It’s about projecting the reality that you can, and will, if you’re forced to.

    The people who most often criticize this mindset usually fall into one of three camps:

    • They’ve never been a victim.
    • They’ve never studied how real violence works.
    • They just like to virtue signal from a safe distance.

    But none of those positions help you when things go bad. Preparedness does. Training does. Strength does.

    A predator is always looking for a target that’s easy, soft, distracted. If you project confidence, capability, and clear boundaries, most predators will look elsewhere.

    So yes:

    Si vis pacem, para bellum.
    If you want peace, prepare for war.

    Because peace isn’t always granted. Sometimes, you have to earn it.