1. The Bible: An Exposé: Introduction
2. The Bible: An Exposé: A Brief History
3. The Bible: An Exposé: Scriptures Galore
4. The Bible: An Exposé: Myth or History?
The Bible: An Exposé
Repeated archeological surveys […] have yielded only negative evidence: not even a single sherd [archeological term; refers to fragments of stone and glass vessels], not a single house, no trace of an ancient encampment. One may argue that a relatively small band of wandering Israelites cannot be expected to leave material remains behind. But modern archeological techniques are quite capable of tracing even the very meager remains of hunter-gatherers and pastoral nomads all over the world. [2]
The biblical stories of the two brothers Jacob and Esau provide [a] case of seventh century perceptions presented in ancient costume. Genesis 25 and 27 tell us about the twins – Esau and Jacob - who are about to be born to Isaac and Rebecca. God says to the pregnant Rebecca: “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples, born of you, shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the elder shall serve the younger” (25:23). As events unfold, we learn that Esau is the elder of Jacob the younger. Hence the description of the two brothers, the fathers of Edom and Israel, serves as a divine legitimization for the political relationship between the two nations in later monarchic times. Jacob-Israel is sensitive and cultured, while Esau-Edom is a more primitive hunter and man of the outdoors. But Edom did not exist as a distinct political entity until a relatively late period. [3]
Biblical archaeology has helped to bury the Bible, and archeologists know it. Ronald Hendel was exactly right when he said, “Archaeological research has – against the intentions of most of its practitioners – secured the non-historicity of much of the Bible before the era of kings.” We can now expand Hendel's observations and affirm that there is not much history to be found in the era of kings either. [5]
At this time there appeared Jesus, a wise man [if indeed one should call him a man, for] he was a doer of startling deeds, a teacher of people who receive the truth with pleasure. And he gained a following both among many Jews and among many of Greek origin. [He was the Messiah.] And when Pilate, because of an accusation made by the leading men among us, condemned him to the cross, those who had loved him previously dud not cease to do so. [For he appeared to them on the third day, living again, just as the divine prophets had spoken of these and countless other wondrous things about him.] And up until this very day the tribe of Christians, named after him, was not died out. (Antiquities of the Jews, 18.3.3) [Bracketed sections likely insertions by a Christian scribe] [8]
There are two references to Jesus in surviving copies of Josephus's Antiquities of the Jews. Josephus was a Romanized (and very pro Roman) Jewish scholar. These two mentions both look like interpolations by later Christian scribes. One of them is clearly such: it could only have been written by an enthusiastic Christian, which we know that Josephus was not. This passage is missing from an early table of contents of the Antiquities, and does not begin to be cited by Christian writers until the fourth century. At any rate, Josephus's Antiquities was most likely written in the 90's C.E. So it's too late to be an independent source: if Josephus had included references to Jesus, he could have gotten these from what Christians were saying. Josephus provides no independent testimony to the existence of Jesus, much less to any particulars about Jesus. [9]
The Bible: An Exposé: Myth or History?

I believe that the practice of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for Mixed Martial Arts and Self-Defense are closely related by similar techniques [...]
Many students looking for an instructional guide are under the impression that the more techniques they learn, the better off they are; adhering to this philosophy will get you nowhere. It is impossible to master all of the moves of a martial art. You will find that most great champions of any martial art do not use more than a few techniques to achieve their victories. It is important to observe this and imitate it in your own practice in order to achieve success, whether it be on the street or in the ring. Adding to this problem in a Self-Defense situation are uncertain elements, making reaction time, clear judgment, and the ability to call up techniques from memory difficult; this is also true in a mixed martial arts fight where you have the addition of strikes and subtraction of rules, which is not a consideration in a sport Jiu-Jitsu match. The slipperiness of your opponent and lack of gi for leverage will also reduce the amount of techniques that you can use effectively. These additional stresses make it extremely important for you to find a smaller number of techniques that will cover a broader range of situations, allowing you to be a master of something, instead of becoming a jack of all trades.
Eventually, in Japan, many different variations of the art (Jiu-Jitsu) took shape, including Karate, Aikido, and Judo. But these arts were missing essential pieces of what the complete art of Jiu-Jitsu originally held. Soon the day of the Samurai came to an end, the gun replaced the sword, and new sportive ways to practice martial arts were developed. This lack of reality created years of confusion that legendary Bruce Lee would later refer to as the “classical mess.” The “sport arts,” such as Judo and Kendo were wonderful in the way of offering their practitioners a safe way to realistically train in the techniques of their system, but often limited their practitioners with too many rules to maintain effectiveness as a combative style. The more traditional combat schools were simply practicing techniques no longer suitable for modern day combat, and with no way to safely test them, practicing these arts became like swimming without water.
The non-sportive practice of Jiu-Jitsu is usually referred to a “Vale Tudo” in Brazil. In this book, we will be looking at the non-sportive applications of Jiu-Jitsu for three outlets [...]
I use this as a general term for all fights that happen without any pre-planning, meaning one person was attacked by another. This is a very broad category where anything can happen. I have seen street fights that have a referee of sorts in the form of a bouncer or Good Samaritan. I have seen street fights with and without rules, so the concept that all street fights are life-and-death is a huge stretch. Street fighting may involve weapons or multiple attackers, and in either case, you had better be very lucky (the luck being that you are very good at fighting and your opponents are very bad), or a superhero with magical powers. I have used this book to concentrate on unarmed martial arts because that is what Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is all about. [...] For a reliable system of pistol and knife defense, check out “Self Defense Made Easy” (page 173). If you wish to advance your skill with weapons beyond that, check out the instructionals produced and/or recommended by the Special Operations Combatives Arts Association. Use of firearms is a part of modern martial arts, but it is not the focus in this Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu book.
I have suggested this book for the purpose of Mixed Martial Arts competition and Self-Defense because their practice is similar. Although street fighting has an incredible number of variables, the techniques of Brazlian Jiu-Jitsu are excellent for use in a self-defense situation, especially if you are concerned with legal ramifications.
In a street fight, anything can happen; two or more opponents, knives, guns, hostages, one opponent who knows nothing, etc. Although Vale Tudo means “anything goes,” a Vale Tudo match is usually between two trained opponents with no weapons or outside factors; that is the way I am using the term in this book. In the U.S., we might call it a No Holds Barred (NHB) match or Mixed Martial Arts. There is a great deal of uncertainty in a street encounter. In a Vale Tudo match, the level of your opponent is generally known, along with the comfort of knowing no new variables will be introduced. It is important to understand that as real as some Vale Tudo fights might seem, it is still a controlled situation. (emphasis mine in bold)
What many people overlook is something I refer to as a “medium-level situation.” These are the most common of all self-defense of Vale Tudo situations. These are moments where you are not in mortal danger, but the altercation in which you are engaged is not prearranged and has no rules. This may be an altercation between a family member or friend, or perhaps a simple physical dispute between two people in a social situation. In any case, the implementation of “deadly force” and techniques that may be severely harm your opponent is completely inappropriate. This is what makes a martial art whose fundamental techniques are for the most part of a deadly nature, almost useless in today’s civilized world. The aftermath and legal consequences must be seriously examined before applying techniques of a permanently harmful nature. Jiu-Jitsu provides techniques that are practical and acceptable for use in the most common types of altercation. (emphasis in bold in original)
The next two pages lay out an example of two scenarios where BJJ might be used against multiple attackers. In both scenarios Simco uses a low kick to one of his opponents’ knees, off balancing him, and quickly dealing with the other attacker before the other opponent is able to steady himself. This sounds very nice in theory, but what if he misses the kick (as can happen pretty easily when you’re throwing a side kick at someone’s leg; the target is much narrower than their waist for example), or the person moves at him, causing Simco to miss with the kick, and at the same time hits him? It’s not very wise to try kicks when it’s best to keep both feet on the ground and move. That’s the basic strategy against multiples. MOVE AND KEEP ON MOVING while you hit them in order to make an opening to get the hell out of there. That’s multiple attackers 101, though there is a bit more to it than that but this post isn’t about discussing multiple opponent strategies so I’ll leave that for another time. But Simco, not being versed in such strategies (because BJJ is not geared for true self-defense), claims that you’re not going to be able to perform the pictured techniques unless you are “far superior” in skill to your attackers. Way to inspire confidence in potential students, there, Mr. Simco!
In those days contests were extremely rough and not infrequently cost the participants their lives. [...] Competitions were of such a drastic nature that few tricks were barred and were did not hesitate to have recourse to the most dangerous methods in order to overcome an opponent. (347)
One of the main problems with the practice of defense against a deadly weapon is the lack of a realistic training methodology. For example, I know that chokes work because I use them. I know arm locks work because I use them. If I get hit or choked during routine practice, I will not die. However, how can I practice being stabbed or shot on a daily basis? You can use rubber knives, but you will likely develop bad habits and false senses of reality and security due to the lack of danger involved. The same can be said for firearms. (54)
In one example, shown to the right, he tells you to cover the opponent’s mouth because in an MMA match it will cause your opponent to be unable to breathe very well, causing his endurance to drop. This is clearly a sport-based technique/strategy. All the other techniques warn you to be wary that your opponent can hit you and whatnot but nothing about any of the dangers that any true reality based martial art should: weapons, terrain, multiples, dirty tactics (biting, eye gouging, groin crushes, etc.) and how to avoid them.
In another photo (among several others), as seen to the left, Simco demonstrates the back mount, and with this particular technique you insert your “hooks” and push your hips forward, causing your opponent to lie flat on his stomach further limiting his mobility. But this position puts a lot of pressure on the knees as they are driven into the ground. This is fine for the mats but horrible should you find yourself fighting on concrete. Locking up with your opponent in this manner (and other examples) also limits the speed with which you can disengage your adversary should a second opponent come into the picture. The more you get tangled up the less chance you will have of standing up fast enough to respond to a second attacker.
Another issue I saw was Simco’s often poor examples of striking while grappling. These little love taps that are designed to “wear down” your opponent is a fine strategy for the ring, but where time is precious, and it’s dangerous to be on the ground in a real fight, it’s best to make your shots count. Properly position yourself and unload on your opponent with a good strike that will actually do some damage. And, unlike what many sport grapplers tell you, it is absolutely possible to hit with sufficient leverage and power on the ground, even when on your back, if you do it properly.
Why No Groin Attacks?
- Not good for workplace defense, schoolyard and medium level domestic situations.
- Gender-specific move.
- Dependant on no protective equipment.
- Pain tolerance.
Why No Attacks to the Eyes?
- May cause unwanted permanent damage.
- Not good in school yard or workplace.
- Heavily reliant on no protective equipment.
- Pain tolerance.
- May have legal ramifications if situation is not severe enough to warrant technique. Taking time to decide this slows down effective self-defense and dull awareness to the problem at hand.
Why No Punches?
- May break hand.
- Relies on size and strength.
- Legs are much stronger and afford better reach.
- In some cases, escalates situation.
No Rules Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, by Gene Simco: A Book Review

The first attack that is demonstrated is a rear bear hug with the arms trapped inside. Simco points out that many martial arts may try a backwards head butt, groin grab, or foot stomp, but claims that an attacker may be out of reach, or wearing “ steel toe boots,” and such techniques would fail. It’s funny but while watching him demonstrate how the groin grab would “fail,” his attacker moved away from his right hand, and moved closer to Simco's left hand, causing his groin area to become vulnerable to Simco's other hand, but Simco completely ignores this.
To escape the bear hug Simco uses the step around the attacker and trip him over your leg method; a classic Jiu-Jitsu technique that I’ve seen many times.
One thing that surprised me was he mentions awareness of a second opponent, but I don’t feel some of the techniques he shows prepares someone for that fact because grappling by its very nature is for one on one combat – at least the kind he is teaching here. He also neglects weapons being pulled while on the ground (although later on he shows a knife defense while top mounted but nothing about something being accessed while performing the other techniques) and foul tactics. For example, with the first throw presented, Simco fails to mention that having your back to your attacker could be dangerous should he attempt to reach around and gouge the eyes the second they hit the floor. The attacker won't always have his wind knocked out of him either, unlike what Simco says. In some cases he may not even be phased by the throw, but Simco is not planning for a worst-case scenario, but a non-threatening playground tussle.
Near the end of the DVD he shows some weapon defenses. First he shows his knife defense, which is one of the worst I’ve ever seen. He tells you to attempt to grab the attacker’s knife wrist, and then grab the blade. What?! His thinking is that if you grab the blade and wrist, you will prevent him from switching hands, or twisting out of your grip. But realistically if the guy’s strong enough, you’ve only got a one handed grip and you’ll more than likely get your fingers severed as he breaks that one handed grip. He also claims that by grabbing the blade you shrink the length of it and while struggling if you happen to get stabbed it will penetrate less. But Simco argues that after you get a hold of the wrist and blade you’re told to twist it out of the guy’s hand, much like you would in stick training and the like, but this isn’t a stick! Does Simco expect an attacker to come at you with a butter knife or something?Self Defense Made Easy, Vol. 1: Defensive Techniques: DVD Review
The shield may look like the Muhammad Ali “rope-a-dope” but there are subtle differences. These differences many people often criticize the shield for but it is only their ignorance of the application and use of the shield becoming vocalized. A group of MMA fighters I was in a discussion with several years ago argued that your’re vulnerable for body shots and leg kicks and sweeps, and are vulnerable to knives and baseball bats, arguing that a blade would pass between the arms of the shield, and a bat would shatter the arms. Another complaint was that it would not be effective when defending barehanded strikes, only if an opponent were wearing boxing gloves, otherwise the fist would pass between the forearms. One complaint was also that, John, the man in the picture to the left was supposedly off balance and had too much weight coming forward. Another criticism was it’s seemingly defensive nature. It was argued that should you successfully defend a barrage of strikes an attacker would simply overwhelm you and eventually bash through your arms.
Second, you must position your body so that it can absorb force. The shield is not a block or a parry (when you first start out, though there are one-arm shielding tactics that allow you to deflect attacks at more advanced levels) and so you should focus on staying compact and close off any holes. You must lean your spine forward with a brace leg behind you to absorb the impact. The energy hits your arms, travels down your spine, down your brace leg, and into the ground when done properly. You must fight to keep your spine forward; do not allow your spine to be knocked backwards, or you will lose all power from your lower body to drive and throw a powerful counter-attack and absorb any energy from an attack. See the picture to the left.

If an attack happens to come from the side you shift the arm back to cover the side of your head as seen to the left.
Regarding the stopping of a takedown attempt, the shield works because in order to get a good takedown a grappler must get body to body contact with you. By using the shield like a wedge between you and him, it temporality keeps him off of you, but as I’ve said again and again, you must immediately attack the attacker because it will not keep him off forever. It will buy you enough time to stop the takedown attempt and counter-attack as seen in the picture to the right. The same body mechanics apply with a grappling attack as with a punching attack. The only difference is you are slamming into a person who is coming in on you low, so your hands will not be quite as high as with the shield as done against a punching attack to the head.
How the person who made this remark could have said such a thing I am not sure. A reminder about balance I heard a long time ago was toe-knee-chin. As long as these three body parts are all in a straight line, you are in a good balanced position. If, say, your chin passes over your knee you are then out of balance. But look at John’s posture here to the left. Does he really look off balance? I even added a line I made sure was perfectly vertical. I even used a leveler to silence any critics! No, John is in perfect balance. As I said, all balance points are aligned, and his spine is forward necessarily in order to absorb the impact of an attack, as I explained earlier. This is not a “fighting position.” It is a fluid, constantly changing, defensive position for close range fighting and the goal is to stay there only as long as you have to in order to protect yourself and launch your counter-attack.
The Dynamic Combat Shield Concept
13-404. Justification; self-defense
A. Except as provided in subsection B of this section, a person is justified in threatening or using physical force against another when and to the extent a reasonable person would believe that physical force is immediately necessary to protect himself against the other's use or attempted use of unlawful physical force.
B. The threat or use of physical force against another is not justified:
1. In response to verbal provocation alone; or
2. To resist an arrest that the person knows or should know is being made by a peace officer or by a person acting in a peace officer's presence and at his direction, whether the arrest is lawful or unlawful, unless the physical force used by the peace officer exceeds that allowed by law; or
3. If the person provoked the other's use or attempted use of unlawful physical force, unless:
(a) The person withdraws from the encounter or clearly communicates to the other his intent to do so reasonably believing he cannot safely withdraw from the encounter; and
(b) The other nevertheless continues or attempts to use unlawful physical force against the person. [1] (emphasis mine)
Self-Defense 101