Naked chart reading means analyzing a price chart without any indicators — just candles, volume, and levels. It is the foundation skill of discretionary trading.

What naked charts reveal: - Who is in control: Bullish candles with large bodies = buyers dominating. Bearish candles with long upper wicks = sellers rejecting highs. - Conviction vs indecision: Long bodies = conviction. Doji candles = equilibrium between buyers and sellers. - Momentum changes: When a strong trend produces progressively smaller candles, momentum is fading before price reverses.

Exercise: Take any stock chart, remove all indicators, and spend 5 minutes describing what you see purely in terms of who is winning (buyers or sellers) at each price level. This skill — reading the battle — is more durable than any indicator formula.