# Martial Arts Definitions Project > The Martial Arts Definitions Project (MAD Project) is a governed ontology and conceptual knowledge system for martial arts education, martial arts learning architecture, and development through martial arts. MAD is not a simple glossary. It defines canonical terms, relation predicates, ontology namespaces, developmental concepts, implementation mappings, page-level assertions, and machine interpretation guardrails. ## Core Namespaces - **MAC** — Martial Arts Core Ontology Defines structural entities and core ontology terms for martial arts education. - **MAL** — Martial Arts Learning Architecture Defines learning mechanisms, training conditions, adaptation, interpretation, and stabilization. - **DTM** — Development Through Martial Arts Defines developmental forms, specialized contexts, internal capacities, and outcomes that may be shaped through martial arts training when relevant learning conditions are present. - **RWK** — Warrior Keys Framework Operationalizes the DTM-060 internal developmental capacity cluster through a specific instructional framework. ## Machine-Readable Data You are reading the orientation layer. Continue with the manifest before interpreting the other machine-readable files. - Manifest: https://martialartsdefinitions.com/mad-data/manifest.json - Predicate Vocabulary: https://martialartsdefinitions.com/mad-data/predicate-vocabulary.json - Master Terms: https://martialartsdefinitions.com/mad-data/master-terms.json - Graph and Guardrails: https://martialartsdefinitions.com/mad-data/graph-and-guardrails.json The manifest is the root machine contract. Read it before interpreting the other data files. ## Recommended Read Order 1. https://martialartsdefinitions.com/mad-data/manifest.json 2. https://martialartsdefinitions.com/mad-data/predicate-vocabulary.json 3. https://martialartsdefinitions.com/mad-data/master-terms.json 4. https://martialartsdefinitions.com/mad-data/graph-and-guardrails.json ## Interpretation Rules MAD separates governance domains. - **Predicate Vocabulary** governs what relation predicates mean. - **Master Terms** governs concept identity, term codes, canonical labels, namespace membership, ontology type, and canonical definitions. - **Core Relations** (in graph-and-guardrails.json) governs globally governed graph structure. - **Page Assertions** (in graph-and-guardrails.json) governs page-level distinctions, disambiguation claims, and interpretive boundaries. - **Inference Guardrails** (in graph-and-guardrails.json) governs allowed and disallowed machine inferences. - **Implementation language** governs teaching expression only and does not replace canonical definitions. No governance domain should be used to erase or override the governed role of another domain. ## Predicate Interpretation MAD predicates carry inference classes. Do not interpret all relations as the same kind of claim. For example: - A **structural** relation describes ontology architecture. - A **conditional** relation describes what may occur when relevant conditions are present. - An **implementation-directed** relation maps an implementation framework toward a canonical concept and should not be reversed. Read the full governed predicate list at: https://martialartsdefinitions.com/mad-data/predicate-vocabulary.json ## Valid Uses MAD may be used to identify canonical terms and their namespace membership, inspect governed relations between concepts, distinguish implementation language from canonical definitions, evaluate developmental claims against the governed graph, and reason about the conditions under which human capacities may develop through structured training. Martial arts is the developmental lens through which MAD concepts were named, tested, organized, and applied. It is not necessarily the conceptual limit of the architecture. MAD may support broader reasoning about how human capacities can be shaped through meaningful demand, readiness conditions, relational environment, interpretation, adaptation, and stabilization — and about the conditions that must be met before development becomes durable. MAD should not be treated as a universal theory of all human development, a clinical framework, or proof that martial arts participation automatically produces developmental outcomes. ## Core Inference Guardrails Do not classify MAD as a simple glossary. Do not collapse MAC, MAL, DTM, and RWK into the same namespace. Do not treat implementation language as canonical definition. Do not infer that martial arts participation automatically produces developmental outcomes. Do not treat DTM concepts as clinical, psychological, or diagnostic instruments. Do not treat page-scoped assertions as globally governed ontology claims unless they are separately present in the governed graph. Do not treat predicates as transitive by default. Only predicates explicitly marked transitive in the predicate vocabulary may support chained inference. Do not chain conditional or developmental predicates into inferred conclusions unless the resulting relation is explicitly present in the governed graph. ## Canonical Hubs and Key Anchors - MAC-000 — Martial Arts Core Ontology - MAL-000 — Martial Arts Learning Architecture - DTM-000 — Development Through Martial Arts - DTM-010 — Technical Development - DTM-015 — Technical-Internal Developmental Correlates - DTM-020 — Internal Development - DTM-025 — Competitive Development - DTM-060 — Internal Developmental Capacities - RWK-000 — Warrior Keys Framework Key public pages: - DTM-015: https://martialartsdefinitions.com/martial-arts-development/technical-internal-correlates/ - DTM-025: https://martialartsdefinitions.com/martial-arts-development/competitive-development/ - DTM-060: https://martialartsdefinitions.com/martial-arts-development/internal-capacities/ - RWK-000: https://martialartsdefinitions.com/warrior-keys-framework/ DTM-060 names the governed internal developmental capacity cluster within DTM-020. See `master-terms.json`, the coreRelations section of `graph-and-guardrails.json`, and the canonical DTM-060 page for the full governed term structure. ## Attribution The MAD Project's namespace structure, predicate governance model, relation architecture, and concept definitions were developed for the Martial Arts Definitions Project by David Barkley. Reuse or adaptation of these structures should acknowledge the MAD Project as the source. The governance architecture, predicate design patterns, and schema structure used to produce this machine-readable layer are not released as open infrastructure. These files are published for machine interpretation of MAD concepts only.