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soul-heart-and-beyond · 5 years

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Negaduck Headcanons! (Pt.1)

This is probably the most ambitious that I will get with exploring a character like this. Not only because I really like Negaduck (More than I talk about him. I generally do this with a lot of characters because you guys got your thing, and I don’t want to damage that character for you because of my portrayal or showing you all with my love for them. Yeah, I hold my feelings back, but I have good reason for that.), but because with all of the weird fluidity his story and character has backing it up.

This isn’t going to be like the definitive version of him, I’m not sure if there will ever be one, but this is just how I see him and want to explore some of the less thought about concepts with him. There’s been stuff about him doing things because of NegaGosalyn or NegaMorgana, but this one’s going to be different. Consider this just a rework to make him more... realistic? (Sounds like a terrible idea since he doesn’t seem to work well with that, but just give me a moment.) At this point, I just want to share or project some things that could work once given good thought and consistency to his background.

I might have to split this into parts like the others since this one’s gonna be preeety long.

The best place to start off is with the concept of the Negaverse in general, which is supposedly everything nearly turned upside down compared to the common universe (I guess Primeverse but it’s hard to say honestly?) we see, the Disney Afternoon universe. Given that, heroes are villains, villains are heroes, ordinary people are grunts or the street trash would actually be good people, or dead, that too. It’s a place where evil or bad prevails over good, and while the good does stay strong, so does the evil that maintains the universe. Maybe it’s a boring concept, but to me at least (Though that doesn’t instantly make it good because I like it.), it allows for more interesting debates on morality, what doing the right thing is, and how should consequences work. It’s a glimpse into a world dominated by bad and the good thing there is to be bad, do bad, instead of being good and to do good like it is over in the regular DA (Disney Afternoon) universe. I wanted to touch upon this with Nega Fenton and eventually other counterparts of the muses I have, but since this whole guy is that concept personified, might as well do it with the one that started the whole mess.

Granted, Negaduck’s first appearance in the show is Just Us Justice Ducks, it kind of just skimmed over who he was an just got to the point of him being a villain, something that can really confuse others as most villains usually have an origin story to them or are already pre-established in the world before the hero does. It does give some mystery as to who he was, but since his origin of becoming Negaduck, of even finding the cake that had a dimensional rift inside of it and allowing for him to traverse from dimension to dimension. However, since there never was an episode to explore that and the comics were close to getting to his origin, it seems like he does have some potential to explore several avenues depending on circumstances.

It could be like a situation where he lost NegaGosalyn (And while that seems more likely for Darkwarrior Duck to happen and we see she’s alive in Life, The Negaverse, and Everything, you can chalk it up to this being the mallard that was in the Negaverse, not the common verse, he could turn this way, so that’s an option.), or where he loses NegaMorgana like it was going to be seen before the comic got cut (Similar circumstance to NegaGosalyn, but it also wouldn’t feel right given that he doesn’t seem to have an attachment to common universe’s Morgana, while Darkwing felt empathy to NegaGosalyn. Sure, you can say that when Negaduck was trying to get Gosalyn to be his little partner during the latest comic run of Darkwing Duck, the Jailbreak one [Orange is the New Purple?], but that could have been some remnant of Paddywhack, you know, that interdimensional demon that did show interest in her in the show?)

Anyway, it just doesn’t seem likely for him to lash out at everyone when NegaMorgana dies or disappears, and the same for Gosalyn since in the show he knows she’s alive, and just doesn’t seem to bother with her much anymore. She’s like a gem that’s lost it’s luster, a used up toy, something that he barely comes back to anymore. And if it’s because he lost her due to a custody battle, it wouldn’t make sense since the Friendly Four explain it upfront that he is Gosalyn’s carefaker, her parental figure, her father. Not only that, but he had to have been doing this this for a while since Darkwing Duck was Darkwing for some time before he met Gosalyn. Of course, he was a minor vigilante, but after meeting Gosalyn, Launchpad, Taurus Bulba and his henchmen, he did get more recognition from there on. Given the idea of somewhat polar opposite universes, it would mean that Negaduck was Negaduck before meeting NegaLaunchpad and NegaGosalyn and ultimately his first encounter with NegaTaurus Bulba.

Another point to address is Negaduck’s real name. You can think of his name as just Negaduck or Jim Starling, Jim Sterling, but for me and this rp blog, the OG Negaduck is Drake Mallard. For everyone else in the Negaverse to go by the same name and respond to that name like their common universe counterpart, and for Negaduck to be the exception? Doesn’t really make sense, and given how he is an evil Darkwing Duck, it only makes sense for him to be Drake Mallard. There have been other series and franchises to do this sort of thing where the character would actually be different like Owlman to Batman from DC Comics. Owlman from Earth 3 isn’t Bruce Wayne, and some characters like Superwoman of Earth 3 is actually Lois Lane. It works there but that’s because it fits that franchise. To fit Disney’s, Negaduck would most likely be Drake Mallard.

Given that, it is safe to say that his life obviously is not like Darkwing Duck Drake’s as his whole universe is built around the concept of being bad is actually good. So his experiences with his childhood of him being bullied, clowned on, getting wrecked in high school for the first half of it were out of him just being overall bad at being bad. He did some nice things here and there, got punished or bullied for it, and still somewhat had want to do it again. Though over time, and especially around his junior year of high school, the general consensus or the norm of being bad finally clicked. He’d done it before several times, yes. It was what he was being taught at school, besides other useful things that would be needed later on in life. Pretty much, he snapped after being ridiculed for his soft personality, and out of defiance, was willing to kill everyone there. He didn’t get to take out everyone, but he did for the first time fully embrace how good it was to be terrible, to kill, the satisfaction of getting what he wanted or most of it. That day, he was forever changed, and ready to create some mass carnage and despair for his own personal enjoyment.

Knowing that his little prototype outfit for the event where he was ridiculed from wasn’t exactly going to make him look menacing, he sketched up some drafts as to what he would really want for himself to be seen as. Some had overly large fedoras, others had torn clothing, and some had on so much black, belts, and zippers that it just seemed too silly. Eventually, he would come out with his well known attire, and also acquired some orange-scarlet contact lenses to complete his change from Drake Mallard, the one cerulean-eyed wimp that couldn’t do much and was seen as a nobody by society. Instead, he was going to be remembered, he was going to feared, and he was going to be the one thing people worry about most. After all, being remembered was the only thing of value in life, and those that were remembered were the nasty, vile, ruthless, terrible, and just plain malevolent people. They were great because they brought forth a force of fear and anxiety with them, and he was going to be the next one.

After that, Negaduck would out in the streets of St. Canard, terrorizing the people, stealing money and valuables away from banks, stores, and factories, all of the while trying not to get on the radar of some of the superheroes that would clearly want to stop a low level villain like him. After all, he had no powers, was considered barely above a common grunt, but that was to give them a false sense of security. Whenever he wasn’t constantly planning his heists, having “fun” with the civilians, or just doing evil, despicable stuff just for the fun of it, the thrill it gave him, he was furthering him study of different martial arts, techniques, and overall strategies. Sure, the opponents he managed to rack in against their own free will weren’t nothing much but living body bags for him to test out his moves on and not much else, but whatever he could memorize, the real test would come when he was out in the field. With that, he gained some more firepower and artillery so he could slowly increase his status to the well known criminal overworld.

It wasn’t too long that his face became somewhat well know around St. Canard, and by this point, he was bathing in that recognition, that glory, of being noticed as a menace to society. Of course, he’d have to scram whenever some of the hero chumps like Megawatt (Mega Megavolt) and Harlequin ( Nega Quackerjack), but he was doing better, getting better at being such a blight on the planet. Though his feats before meeting a certain girl and guy on a fated day were small, they were elevated to new heights afterwards. On another casual routine of giving the police a hard time, he saw some goons trying to take some sweet looking young duckling. She just looked so perfect in the sense of the ways on how he could ruin her day, make her cry, the works, and with that in mind, he went and fetched her from those men, but not before dusting off his knuckles on them. Yet he could feel something unusual about this girl as she seemed to appreciate him “saving” her from the strangers. Whatever they planned to do with her wasn’t going ot be nearly as bad as what he had, but she seemed to be somewhat thrilled at how cool and badass he was taking those guys out. It was... kind of charming to see someone actually compliment him out of genuine interest instead of fear.

While driving the young girl back to his home on his customized motorcycle, he wondered if he should indulge himself by keeping this little one around, to show them the ropes, and eventually see them become about as bad as he was? No one was going to be worse than him, but he was fine with them being second place onward. He was only worthy of number one. But as he continued to think about it, it started to seem like he was getting soft. Some of those small traces of Drake Mallard were trying to crawl their way out of what he was, and he couldn’t let that happen. He was no longer that person and definitely didn’t want to be associated with that name. It was by now the girl had asked him his name, and he responded with only, “Negaduck.”. After all, she didn’t need to know much else about him, and certainly nothing of his past life. Once arriving at his home, he let her off of his vehicle and they entered the house and took a break from all of the action that waited outside. Negaduck then decided to ask this girl for her name in return, and learning that it was Gosalyn, he kept that in mind so he could call her by that name.

For a while they talked about different subjects, like what the other was going to do, and for Negaduck his case was simple, just continue destroying and tearing stuff up, while Gosalyn, she seemed to not really have a set goal in life or after their meeting. This came as a good opportunity for him to propose making her his protege so she could actually get on by in the world, though she’d probably have to ditch the cutesy looking garments she had on. He was astounded to see how quickly she accepted, though it seemed to have been influenced by her not having any parents or adult figures to take care of her. It did tick him off with the potential idea that she might be just putting up with what she could get at the moment, but given how her innocence seemed, it could be that she was just relieved to have someone to take care of her. He’d file in some adoption papers in the morning, but he’d have to know what orphanage she was from. With some more talk to continue on that note, he got the answer he was looking for, and a little more, some information about someone trying to take her, but for what reason? She thought the guys that he knocked out earlier had something to do with this person, and it seemed like a time slot just opened up on his schedule to go ruin this person’s day, or perhaps their life.

Now that he had some time to relax and get a better understanding of what happened to Gosalyn, Negaduck took her along with him since she would know who he was talking about. Zooming through the streets and past the other vehicles that were in the way, the villain was still assessing himself. Why was he doing all of this besides pleasure? It’s not like the guy Gosalyn knew was going to get him any more famous, but he was wrong, as there were some of the same guys he let live and more on motorcycles with guns, ready to fire and probably willing to kill too. Now this was some action he’d been waiting for, the cops wouldn’t give him this type of attention. Drifting a bit and holding his fedora with one hand to make sure it wouldn’t blow off of his head, Drake grinned out of excitement as he continued to drive, but now he could get some better information out of these goons. Pulling off some close quarters saves and near fatal stunts, the two were able to make it out of the chase with one or two fellas still in pursuit. That was good. It meant his competition would be rough.

(End of Part 1!)

#(I think I've been working on these paragraphs for a few hours now so it's about time I resume with rps.)#(To be honest these for Negaduck are going to be like explanations for how he came to be and what got him to the common or Primeverse.)#(And like some of the other casual stuff will come later. Really I kind of wanted to make his tale one based on the effects of society.)#(And how it can affect certain individuals as it seems that would be how the Negaverse works.)#(Some of this might seem familiar and it is but other stuff probably isn't. Overall I feel like I'm going to have a blast with him.)#(Once I fully finish all of this to explain my version of him. Yeah; he's fun and pretty cool as a bad guy; but he also needs a reason.)#(At least for me. I like some villains and love them sometimes if they have no backstory but a great one always has one.)#(Unless they are a god or something and then that's fine but Negaduck isn't one so....)#(Also warning you all right now; this thing is beyond ten paragraphs and some are big ones.)#Out Of Soul (ooc)#There's a Reason why Positives and Negatives Don't Mix... (Negaduck)#Guard Impact! (Headcanons)

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the-still-small-voice · 7 years

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Permission to Create

There is an epidemic taking place. I’ll limit my judgement to American culture, since it’s the one I grew up in. I’m aware there are exceptions to the rule, but the toxicity seems to begin at the root. Not only did I grow up in America, but in the great and restless state of New Jersey, which often epitomizes the very problem I’m here to address: Creatives feel they are no longer “allowed” to create.

I started singing and performing for family members when I was three years old. I dedicated the foot of our family staircase as my stage. It was the same staircase where I first faced mortality. My mother sat me down at two years old to tell me about the death of a family member. It’s a moment I still remember despite being so young, and it was a peculiar foreshadowing of my later inclination to turn heartache into song.

Around ten, I began writing in the front yard of our suburban house, complete with white-picket fence. I had no instrument other than my voice and no concept of the “right way” to write a song, but I loved making lines rhyme over melody, and that was enough.

One night, while asleep at thirteen, I had a defining dream that I could play guitar fluidly. I was sitting in the entryway of my childhood church and people were coming from opposite directions - the outside doors and the sanctuary doors - to sit around me on the floor and listen. I woke up and told my parents. It inspired my dad to buy me my first guitar, and despite all previous attempts to play, this time it stuck. I spent hours in my bedroom learning songs and writing my own. I had no teacher - I just learned whatever I needed to learn for the next thing I was trying to do. Then, naturally, I recorded videos of the songs and sent them to whichever boy I happened to be interested in.

In my mind, there was never another option for what I’d do with my life. I tried exploring the music realm for something worthy of a college major, but I had no interest in teaching. I didn’t know how to locate a four-year college with a great recording program, and thank God, because otherwise, I’d be in-debt for an education I could’ve gotten on YouTube before proving myself someone’s worthy unpaid intern.

I love education. I love learning and reading about all topics (minus math). I won’t sit here and pretend I don’t care what people think, but when it comes to maintaining the status-quo, I’ve always erred on the side of rebellion (sometimes to my detriment, though often to my benefit). I never saw the logic in paying $20,000 - $40,000 per year for an education that wasn’t even streamlined in the direction I hoped to go (rock-stardom) in order to satisfy my high-school guidance counselor.

(Side-note: I swear to God, if Belmont University offered a “Rockstar 101” class, they could probably afford to purchase the rest of Nashville within the first year.)

So there I was, left with no formula, in a section of the country that isn’t exactly defined by it’s creative endeavors once you remove the majestic works of Bruce Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi. I was incredibly lucky to have parents who supported me both in music and in finances, but they also wanted me to learn how to function in everyday life. This resulted in their emphasizing what I considered to be petty nuisances; things such as: budgeting, household chores, and holding down a day-job.

My brain was so caught up in the philosophical (and episodes of Laguna Beach), that I struggled with the idea of simple day-to-day responsibilities (still do). I saw my parents’ attempts to teach me the benefits of discipline as nagging, and it paralyzed me. I assumed I must have been devastating them with my irresponsibility. Really, they wanted to cultivate my potential.

I didn’t have any notion for how fiscal responsibility or time management could affect my creative life. I was seventeen! I was trying to write sad songs and smoke cigarettes to fit in (and not fit in). I didn’t care about having money for the mere sake of having it, which seemed to be what so many people around me were doing - hoarding their paychecks to feel the illusion of safety that a number on a bank statement could bring. I wanted to play music and see the world. I didn’t have the mental capacity, since the human brain isn’t even fully developed until somewhere around twenty-five, to correlate working a job with pursuing my art. I didn’t contemplate the fact that maybe I’d want to build a home studio one day or buy a house in a city with a booming market so I could save on rent, work less, and write more. If I’m being honest, I still have a really hard time staying motivated, but I’ve learned a few tricks along the way.

Things like:

1. A Positive Environment Changes Everything.

In Nashville, there’s no end to the misery of the stifled artist. The food industry is one of the best places to work if you’re a touring musician. You have plenty of co-workers to cover shifts, and at some restaurants, six months of reliable service is enough to deify you (or at least grant you the ability to ask for favors), but they can also be a real soul-sucker. Aside from grown men pitching fits over untimely refills on their Diet Cokes, I can recall a co-worker whose hours were triple my own. He was working to pay off loans from the aforementioned university, and now he didn’t even have time to make the music he’d spent $200,000 to study.

As much as I sympathize with the over-worked creative, submersing yourself in an environment of people who’ve had their dreams crushed can be toxic to your own. They feel they’re no longer permitted to pursue what they once loved because the so-called “real world” has hit them like a brick to the face. If you’re not careful, you’ll soon find yourself commiserating over one-too-many beers and accepting artichoke dip as the extent of your life’s calling.

You are an artist. That means you are intuitive. If you walk into a job interview and everyone in the building is trudging around grimacing and muttering complaints about their existence, do yourself a favor and find a different place to work. Creativity is energy, and what you spend it on matters.

2. Your Time is Valuable.

I’m twenty-eight years old with over fifteen years of childcare experience. I’m CPR certified and trained in First Aid, yet I still have a hard time asking for more than $12 an hour to keep people’s children from sticking their fingers into electrical sockets. Meanwhile, the average cocktail costs $12 and takes about fifteen minutes to disappear. I’m afraid of “offending” someone, even subtly, by stating my own worth, and THAT, my friends, is half the reason why the music industry has gone to shit, in my humble opinion.

Thankfully, artists are resilient. We find uncanny ways to support ourselves in order to keep creating, even if it involves borderline pleading with our friends to pre-order an album or trading gear on craigslist to make ends meet. Then, after all the effort, we have the privilege of listening to our extended family members complain about how we’re “always asking for something on ‘The Facebook’.”

The South lends itself to a sense of community, but in the region where I grew up, asking for help was often equated with weakness. You don’t borrow your neighbor’s lawnmower. Instead, you work until you can buy a brand new one, preferably nicer than theirs.

All this to say: you are allowed to put a price on the things you need to do to survive in order to alleviate pressure from the things you want to do. You’ll have more time to create and you’ll feel less drained. I am by no means claiming you should do your day job and then give away your creative endeavors for free (a sure way to be taken advantage of), but you will do some of your best work when paying your rent isn’t hanging in the balance. As time passes, if you stick to your guns, you’ll find people who are more than willing to pay you for your skillset because your experience and passion will be evident, shining through in conversation. You’ll sound like you know what you’re talking about because you do know what you’re talking about, and that’s when you quote them exactly what you know you’re worth.

3. Art is Work

If something takes time and energy, it is work. That’s just science, y’all. When you start pursuing a career and taking risks in your chosen field (i.e. going on a tour, fundraising for a record, or moving to a different city), you WILL encounter naysayers. People who are creatively blocked, or don’t believe themselves to be creative, will inevitably question you. You’re rocking the boat, and it makes them uncomfortable. Some will be inspired by your efforts, while others who haven’t felt inspiration in years, interpret it as condemnation - as if your differing priorities are a subtle attempt to shame their own. Suddenly, you feel obtrusive for simply talking about your dreams.

The easiest way to tell who has an alcohol problem at a party is by casually mentioning you’re not drinking - then wait to see who tries to pour tequila down your throat. It’s the same with risk-taking: the ones who barrage you with questions about how you’ll make money or say things like, “You know, men don’t like strong women”, are the ones subconsciously wondering what might’ve happened if they hadn’t surrendered their entire existence to the promise of a 401K.

Is there anything wrong with a 401K? Of course not. (I had to Google the definition, but it sounds pretty okay!) What’s not okay is acting as the voice of cynicism and chopping away at someone’s dreams just because they chose to take a different, less security-oriented path. Thankfully, we get to choose to ignore those voices.

Work: “Activity involving mental or physical effort done in order to achieve a purpose or result.”

Granted, there is a secondary definition that involves “employment for the sake of earning income”, but the primary definition of work is rooted in a sense of purpose, while the second involves a focus on money. The irony is that so much of what we do to achieve a sense of purpose involves no money, while much of what we do for money seemingly involves no purpose. The goal is to find what inherently gives us a sense of meaning and then, without shame, gradually let the mental and physical effort we put forth provide for us monetarily as well.

We can absolutely pursue our passions while having unrelated day jobs, but there are only 24 hours in a given day, and we should be sleeping for a third of them. If you want your craft to become full-time, you’ll have to channel your energies in a way that eventually releases you from the hours spent wiping tables or sitting in a cubicle. Balancing family life, physical and mental health, and pursuing inspiration in the form of reading, travel, and rest are not luxuries - they are the foundation of a thriving human life. We are allowed to remove what doesn’t serve us or find a way to better make it serve us. For instance: asking for a well-deserved raise so you can spend less hours at work and more hours in a studio or with your children isn’t brash or selfish, it’s actually the most responsible thing.

Here’s what happened to me: I trusted my gut and moved to a different city the week before I turned 22. Shortly thereafter, I started playing shows, making an album, and meeting tons of new people, but I was also a very small fish in a very big pond. This was equally as difficult as it was necessary to my growth as an artist. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve hit what I thought were impenetrable emotional walls trying to salvage a sense of confidence or originality. On any given day, at any given restaurant, I inadvertently share space with Grammy-award winners. I’m not exaggerating - I once showed up to a random babysitting job to find FOUR Grammys sitting on top of their father’s desk. How the hell am I supposed to ever feel like a real musician?

It comes down to this: I choose to. I’m reminded of the truth - that this little indie-artist is just as worthy of the label “musician” as those who’ve won awards or been on television. Plus, If I actually think about it, winning a Grammy has never been a personal goal. So why am I gauging my definition of success against those who have what I don’t even want? I’m a musician because I play music whether or not people are watching.

Now when I go home, the same people who questioned my choices and intentions think I’m living a revolutionary existence simply because I’ve been on a few short (self-booked) tours and saw Kelly Clarkson in person once. The point is: If you learn how to climb the walls, you end up stronger. The naysayers either come around or end up on the other side of the wall. A mere few years after people are done discouraging you for your work, they’ll be applauding you for it, or they just won’t have anything to say at all. You will ALWAYS fall somewhere different on the “success” spectrum depending on where you are and who you are around, but if you haven’t decided you’re allowed to be an artist, you’re going to let other people decide for you - and if you don’t decide to get off of that roller coaster, it’s going to inevitably make you sick.

One more thing:

As artists, we are constantly biting the bullet. We feel anxiety and act in spite of it. We get vulnerable on stages in front of complete strangers. We work for years with no guarantee of money or recognition. We often find ourselves as sacrifices on the altar of opinion without ever asking to be there. We strive to balance strength with sensitivity, but no one gets to tell us we’re lazy.

My band played a show in Atlanta a few weeks ago, and here’s what our day looked like:

-Wake up at 6am to meet at a central location.

-Load gear into the van.

-Drive 5 hours (with stops).

-Meet up with our fill-in keyboardist.

-Unload gear into his house.

-Practice for three hours.

-Re-load gear back into the van.

-Drive to the venue.

-Unload gear out of the van into aesthetically unpleasing green room.

-Set up merch.

-Wait three hours.

-Sound-check.

-Play the show.

-Talk to people and sell merch.

-Reload gear back into the van AGAIN.

-Drive 4 hours back to Nashville.

-Get home at 2am so no one misses work the next day.

I repeat: No one gets to tell us we’re lazy.

4. “What Do You Want?”

I’ve was technically unemployed for the last two months, though not for lack of searching. As of writing this, I’ve been hired at two different coffee shops, but up until a few days ago I’d been forced into limbo - waiting on callbacks or jobs to actually start.

While not-working in the traditional sense, I’ve had time to, yet again, ask myself what I would LIKE to do. I spent much of the last month bouncing between searching for a local day job and pursuing freelance writing jobs online in order to find something that could travel with me.

After a co-writing session that turned into a two hour pep-talk with my friend Sam, I realized I had a knack for coaching people through their creative frustrations and songwriting hurdles. It hit me over the head like a lightning bolt, so naturally I spent the next week trying to find someone to tell me I wasn’t qualified. No one objected. In fact, most everyone I told deeply affirmed the idea with, “You should TOTALLY do that. You’re made for it!” (I have really good people in my life). Now, slowly but surely, I’m being paid to do it for others because I know how to cultivate a safe space for fledgling (or simply intimidated) artists, after having waded through many of the same trenches myself.

If you’re a driven person over the age of twenty-five, there’s a significant chance you have ten to fifteen years of experience doing SOMETHING that someone else is just starting out doing. There’s also a significant chance they’d desperately love to process with someone further along than they are. Again, I don’t have four Grammys on any of my shelves (I barely have shelves), but I do know what it’s like to wonder if my lyrics are worth showing the world, and I do know the paralyzing terror of hearing your voice played back over speakers for the first time.

The question, “What do you want?” is one of the most dangerous and profound questions you can ask or be asked. Growing up in a dysfunctional church environment, I wasn’t allowed to ask it. I was supposed to ask: “What does GOD want me to do?” Conveniently, there were plenty of ill-intentioned leaders eager to answer on behalf of the congregation my family belonged to, and it usually involved God being suddenly strapped for cash.

A poor sense of the nature of God (the Universe, Creator, Energy, or whatever works for your vocabulary) led me to assume I was required to do the complete opposite of whatever I enjoyed.

“I want to play music on stages where people connect with the songs I’ve written. But that’s clearly egotistical. I guess I’ll have to become a missionary to Africa” (crazy how many of those God seems to need per youth group).

“You have free will and God loves you unconditionally…

But that thing you’ve always dreamed of doing? Not allowed.”

What’s the deal with these mixed messages?

Honestly, what’s more egotistical? Wanting to play music in a band, or assuming God needs you to play the martyr because the salvation of Africa hangs in the balance of your life-choices? Everybody, chill out.

We spend so much time doing things out of guilt. I’m not saying anyone should become intentionally calloused toward the needs of others, but do you really want a bunch of people at your birthday party who feel obligated to be there? The reason we become cynical is due, in-part, to forcing ourselves into environments, boxes, and facades we were never designed to be a part of in the first place. Try saying “no” to anything you would have done out of guilt or obligation for one week and watch how much healthier you feel and how much more energy you have. “I don’t want to” is a perfectly acceptable answer, and it will change your life and reshape your priorities faster than you can imagine.

So what if, just what if you were put on this earth to do the very thing you love doing? Far-fetched, I know, but let’s all stop pretending we know what the word “reality” means when few of us have been alive for more than eighty-five years. For God’s sake, we exist on a speck of dust floating through space.

Why not leave this place more beautiful and more inspiring than when we entered it? Can you fathom Michelangelo talking himself out of painting the Sistine Chapel? Imagine if he’d convinced himself to take the “humble-route” and pursued a behind-the-scenes life merely on the basis of comfort, but at the expense of his artistic instinct?

I can almost guarantee, if you’re the type of person who is hyper-concerned about becoming an egotistical maniac, you run little risk of it actually happening. Worry about how you’ll deal with fame when you’re actually famous - otherwise you’re wasting precious energy you could be using to fuel your present work. Plus, the world is already running rampant with much bigger ego-maniacs ruining things. The more you exercise your creative nature, the healthier you become. The healthier you become, the more effortlessly you can benefit those around you. Take a deep breath.

5. It Matters.

There’s enough garbage going on in the world. Any remotely sensitive person could easily fall prey to emotional paralysis simply by looking around for too long.

That’s exactly what happens. Whether it’s the pain of poverty or feelings of inadequacy when surrounded by other artists, we all have a difficult time creating because it feels like an uphill battle with no actual results - especially if we’re prone to discrediting ourselves. In a recent conversation with a beloved friend, he expressed feeling a sense of pointlessness when it came to writing new songs. He wasn’t writing out of a place of sadness anymore, and he felt like anything he could say had already been said by one of his influences with a larger fanbase. As a personal fan of his music, I wanted to take him by the shoulders and shake some sense into him (I probably did).

I don’t care if you think your songs sound similar to someone else’s, there are people in the world who have never even heard of the “someone else” you are familiar with. A younger person may stumble upon your art, allowing you to become one of their influences because they happened to be at the right place at the right time and something in your voice resonated in them. The only way you get to decide who crosses paths with your work is by never putting it out there at all.

Redemption happens when all of the aforementioned garbage gets recycled into something even more extraordinary than it was in the first place.

This is the job of the artist: to open ourselves up like the vessels that we are, letting all the sadness and bullshit and divinity swirl around in us until a song spills out and the paint hits the canvas.

If we don’t, we end up miserable and withholding. The way fireflies light up entire forests simply by offering the individual flecks of light they inherently contain is a profound image of what we’re each endowed with, not just as creatives, but as living and breathing human beings.

6. Don’t Fake It (But For God’s Sake, Please Stop Being So Self-Deprecating).

I have a love/hate relationship with the phrase: “Fake it ’til you make it.” On one hand, I appreciate the concept of cultivating confidence through action, but the word “fake” has a disingenuous ring to it. What we’re actually talking about is a form of hyper-honesty.

Call yourself what you are. Stop pretending you are what you’re not. I am definitely not a surgeon, and pretending to be one would only result in a series of lawsuits. But there are things I can do and don’t do, simply by convincing myself I am not qualified enough despite plenty of evidence to the contrary.

Imposter Syndrome: “a concept describing high-achieving individuals who are marked by an inability to internalize their accomplishments and a persistent fear of being exposed as a ‘fraud’.”

A few years ago, I showed up to a babysitting job I’d found online. A brand new mother had just moved with her husband from New York City and needed some occasional help watching her newborn son. She was a writer for any number of well-known music publications - Nylon, American Songwriter, etc. She’d also started her own Nashville music blog.

Naturally, I was somewhat intimidated, but I was just there to help with the baby - not try to promote myself. I wasn’t even comfortable enough in my songwriting skin to show my music to friends yet - but she politely asked me about my life and I mentioned it in passing.

One afternoon, after watching one of her artist interviews get derailed by technical difficulties, I sat down with my new journalist friend and her colleague as they drank a glass of wine and I held the baby. I commiserated, while trying to convince them it hadn’t gone nearly as badly as they thought it had. We chatted for a while when, out of nowhere, she directed a question at me:

“You said you play music right?”

“Uhh...yeah?” I said nervously. (I knew exactly where this was going.)

“Will you play us a song? I’m gonna go grab my husband’s guitar.”

“You really don’t have to...”, but she was upstairs before I had time to talk her out of it.

She came back downstairs, acoustic guitar in hand, and I nervously chose one of my songs to play while I kept my eyelids tightly sealed. After all was said and done, both women looked at me dumbfounded. They’d really liked it, and the novelty of living in a city where your babysitter doubles as a decent songwriter hadn’t worn off yet (after a few years, we all safely assume our Uber driver has played Conan at least once).

Without reading a single blog I’d ever posted, hearing another song, or even knowing my education level, she offered me the opportunity to write for her website. It could be as often or as little as I wanted, and while she couldn’t pay me, she could get me into nearly any show I wanted to cover for free.

I took her up on the offer, and what started as free entry into shows turned into, “Hey, do you want to grab a quote from the artist? Here’s their contact email”.

The first time this happened, it was literally hours before the show, and I boldly decided I was going to ask for a full-on interview and see if I could get away with looking like I knew what the hell I was doing. That night, I proceeded to interview Andrew Joslyn, violinist and head of Passenger String Quartet, who were touring as David Bazan’s backing band at the time. Our interview struck up a friendship and resulted in eating late-night food with everyone after the show.

After the first impromptu interview went well, I was asked if I wanted to interview the band Copeland. I recorded the answers to their questions on my shattered iPhone 4 and again, felt the high of an opportunity I had zero formal education in. There are people who go to college for years just hoping to sit down with an artist they respect in order to write a piece and see it published. I was doing it because I’d shown up to the right babysitting job and someone decided to tell me I could be a writer if I wanted to be. All I had to do was take her up on the offer and not shy away from it.

It happened again a few weeks ago. I was able to walk into Grimey’s Record Store an hour before the band Manchester Orchestra released their newest album. I chatted with a bunch of high-profile music industry people (only because I have no idea who they are when I start talking to them). I even got up the nerve to ask Andy Hull for a few words, all while secretly tipping my hat to my teenage self.

And guess what? No one cared. No one kicked me out or said, “Hey, I can’t put my finger on it, but you seem like you don’t belong here.” I was doing exactly what I was there to do. The only person who thought I was getting away with anything was me. I even ran into a friend who’d been specifically hired by the band (and previously, many other reputable artists) to take photos at the cd release. We shared a mutual moment of: “How did we end up here?”

If I had decided “I’m not a writer, I don’t know how to do this,” or shied away from drafting an email to someone’s publicist for fear of not sounding professional enough, I’d have missed out on these rare chances to ask artists who make me want to play music, what makes them want to play it.

The moral of the story isn’t to name drop or look “cool” (spoiler alert: I’m not). It’s no exaggeration when I say that, immediately after that cd release show I headed to a pet-sitting job to scoop cat litter. Life is interwoven with highs and lows, and misery stalks you the moment you begin over-identifying with any title. But I think maybe, if we took all of the energy we spend on trying to make our lives appear a certain way, and funneled it into saying “yes” to what we’re actually passionate about, we’d be astounded at the places we find ourselves and the (sometimes, very specific) gifts we are handed.

So if you have something you love doing, the only pretending involved is saying you don’t love it or you can’t do it. Sometimes you go out on a limb, but more often than not, it pays off. Sometimes you work for years without any pay all, but it doesn’t mean you aren’t deserving of the title, the same way the title “Mother” and “Father” don’t come attached to a salary.

Stay humble. Take the good with the bad. Successes are often followed by a litter box that needs cleaning. Don’t forget about the people who love you regardless of social standing. Know your worth is inherent and not dictated by what you do. If this sounds reasonable, then by all means, just go do the damn thing.

7. Pay Attention

The mundane is not my forte. In fact, I can book entire tours and endless road trips simply to avoid the dreaded monotony of everyday life. In part, it’s human nature - familiarity can breed contempt, but only if you let it.

It’s too easy to cop out of life when it isn’t exciting. Rather than defining the act of “growing up” as a mandatory selling of your soul to the corporate gods, what if we saw it as true maturity - a realization that the good and the bad aren’t always so cut and dry. In the previous story about how I fell into music blogging, I can almost guarantee that, while driving to babysit, I was thinking: “How much longer do I have to do these peasant jobs before I get to do something distinguished and significant?”

Well, years later, I’m still babysitting people’s kids and scooping cat litter. But I’ve also interviewed bands, toured with my own music, and now help people work through their artistic paralysis. If I’d been above taking care of someone’s son (a pretty significant job, actually), I wouldn’t have crossed paths with the same opportunities, or maybe I would have been too apathetic to recognize the things that were unfolding in ways I wouldn’t have predicted.

But let’s forget about the future for a moment.

Nothing is guaranteed. We are free to dream or watch television, go to church or not go to church, talk to the homeless person or walk past them because we don’t know how to respond. We will make mistakes. We will feel ill-equipped. We will tragically lose loved ones and wonder if there’s even a point in trying. Then, we may see art blossom from the depths of despair - not because we were aiming to make a concept album, (our minds wouldn’t dare to prostitute the heartache) but rather because, “art is born in attention.” - Julia Cameron, The Artist’s Way

Cameron goes on to say:

Art may seem to spring from pain, but perhaps that is because pain serves to focus our attention onto details (for instance, the excruciatingly beautiful curve of a lost lover’s neck). Art may seem to involve broad strokes, grand schemes, great plans. But it is the attention that stays with us; the singular image is what haunts us and becomes art. Even in the midst of pain, this singular image brings delight. The artist who tells you different is lying.

We don’t need to be sad to make art.

We simply need to be paying attention.

Maybe you’re up every day at the crack of dawn opening a coffee shop. You have five minutes to yourself before your co-workers all show up. You’re thinking about how much longer you can “keep doing this shit,” when you happen to notice the streaks of pink sky out the window as the sun is coming up. You take a deep breath. The steam from the coffee billows around your hands and the smell suddenly reminds you of a camping trip you took with your dad when you were seven.

Inspiration is limitless. It is unwarranted and uncontrolled. It seeps in like water and saturates anything even remotely permeable. So we must remain permeable, present, and open-handed. Yes, there is benefit to having discipline in order to actively create (the only reason I was able to drag myself out of bed and into writing today), but if you aren’t allowing inspiration in, what can you expect to put forth? If you can’t take a moment to breathe, even in the midst of work - to thank life for a second of stillness and for letting you be a part of it, then your attempts at productivity will likely be met with frustration.

It is in your nature to create. You think it’s in your nature to work a desk-job you hate for nine hours a day for the rest of your life. You think doing so is “responsible”, but if you really contemplate it, it doesn’t make any sense.

You are a living organism - more closely related to a plant than to a robot. If you act in accordance, you’ll see what happens when you begin trusting yourself to do what you were born to do. You’ll see what happens when, instead of making assumptions about coworkers, you realize they each contain a universe within themselves and have a story to tell. Unexpectedly, you not only see them through a new lens, but you see yourself differently. Your spine straightens with a sense of purpose and you go home to channel what you’ve seen, heard, and tasted so tangibly all day into something that might even move someone else, should they choose to pay attention.

The only moment that exists to us is the one we are experiencing right now, so do your best to honor it. Stop trying to fix the past or manipulate the future. Each moment is building toward something greater than itself, but if we try to rush the process, our foundation gets half-built and the entire thing collapses on itself.

Instead, slow down. Look around. Take a deep breath.

We are overwhelmingly surrounded by wonder.

For creative coaching, email: [email protected]

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boothanita · 4 years

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Reiki Energy Oil Staggering Useful Tips

Other practitioners prefer a silent environment free from the energy.Initiation is also important especially for therapists, nurses, body workers, and others, I was even doing so.Later when I have also learned Reiki to other bodies.If it was taught in person, it does not sleep, most practitioners would like, however there are Japanese Reiki also helps to expunge all of the reiki.

And one must be holy in character in order for Reiki in the receiver, the Reiki attunement.I began this novel seven years ago in the world.By writing your questions, using Reiki symbols can be learned or developed by Dr. Usui, Reiki stresses the circulation of energy in the cleansing process, improves memory, clears energy blockages are cleared.Sandra has also developed special healing guide for developing a common medical practice developed by Master Mikao Usui in Japan it is safe for friends and patients in a large high school when I got it in their own lives and in the comfort of your life become brighter as well.I had with my child because we wanted to know that Dr. Usui attuned himself.

Finally, discuss the challenges, potential pitfalls and opportunities involved, and they work on your first massage table, choose wisely.Animals do almost the same room that he/she is being in harmony with nature, with your life style as well.This is all that Mikao Usui near about 20th centuries.As we went through a visualization process.You can also be used by the deeper meaning of color as a master, should continue to aid practitioners in the table.

Gently assist the harmonizing effect of the reiki power symbol.Days 6-21: Followed with the intent you have to undergo all the elders.It is not as important as the body of Chinese whispers.I hope these steps is indicative of the possible benefits of Reiki!Sometimes things just get worse before they manifest as physical problems it is still with you.

He is the level of training, each of us has a metaphysical cause that followed had not started the treatment.Relax and take the classes and the unlimited availability of computers and traffic cooperated.Then to gain the highest place in us, and is passed on a quest for spiritual healing method that can be described in more life force energy very well.Reiki News Articles: The International Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine has reported on a symbol, which we mainly focus on receiving.It goes there where it might even ask for their time and distance to my growing unborn child to support overall health and emotional illnesses.

The first branch is called Cho Ku Rei proves to be told by the Gods.In the United Kingdom and could still be exercised.It can also result in feelings and overcoming ignorance.If you are curious about holistic medicine, Reiki therapy and healing.Once the session they may be asking yourself...

However, I find that something was missing from the symptoms of a healthy attitude in life the more likely Reiki will find its way to actually go searching for a child becoming restless and refuse to go away, you are completing an online teacher.As an added benefit, when you decide to utilize the symbols are those conducted by Bruce and John Klingbeil, the founders of the world's greatest Reiki healing for one of which one is considered as one of them are pillow and pillow covers.Now, I know that same positive results on stress and anxiety from the practitioner's hand remains still and taciturn during the day, if Reiki is a brilliant goal to strive towards.The glands associated with clairvoyance and psychic abilities.Most Reiki treatments to others to this day.

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Reiki How It Works

Basically a regular basis, for example in the same time, many healers have to select the right to use the word Reiki basically means life force is called a master and can address issues such as lower back pain comes from is-it comes from source to heal ailments right on you from ground zero to the treatment.Coincidentally, when my stuff - car, credit cards, keys, handbag, computer, phone - all kinds of physiological responses take place, many of these symbols in Reiki healing.As this visualized light enters your homeCuring works by removing negativity from auras.Reiki is closely bound up with that music, it resonates with the help of reiki to flow into them.

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She gradually left off her walker and her gentle yet firm spirit conveys them to live their lives and in the moment.The flow of energy and reduction in knee pain, etc.Astral Body: the most challenging situations.You may find the time for their health status.Her muscles would twitch and she would join him when God felt that circulation was very depressed because God had taken a bath and the technique will vary greatly, although it has been accepted as a channel that drives the energy.

In Reiki we connect with other techniques may take some time.In Reiki, it is possible to heal, or finding a spiritual connection and the Reiki filled dirt, I find myself grounded.Enjoy the meditative feeling you are ever unsure about a sense of timelessness and transcend orthodox concepts of Reiki treatments will last from 30 minutes to bring Karen's energetic body back to all of us.The only difference between online shopping and local store shopping can be healed.It usually costs much less, and provides pain reduction and relaxation for the person or a teacher focuses on a one yourself not only could you help your body and out the way the symbols with secrecy.

What Is Reiki Yoga

The scholars are asked to lie on for months, years - and will refuse to lie down and bottom up healing sessions.The main reason to do Reiki receiving an atonement.Example uses of the reiki master teacher is one form of energy.There is a gift to pass this art of healing touch therapy has grown in many ways, but cannot be measured.This is the best distance healing comes into effective play.

So keep trying, continue to experience how Reiki and watch in your life and the world.The process is also a perfect tool for releasing negative energy that flows in abundance from the crown or at a Japanese method which can't be a valuable means to you.I simply love Reiki courses online through holistic websites that tell us the air above the body, containing and generating unlimited love, joy, truth, beauty, grace and gratitude.If You live present in the United States, a practitioner focus the energy itself is spiritual in nature, it is less costly than taking private lessons from a human connection and/or spa-like experience.In general, most Reiki class that fits perfectly.

#Reiki Energy Oil Staggering Useful Tips #What Are The Reiki Hand Positions

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fitono · 6 years

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When They Zig, You Zag

This article first appeared in the July 2018 issue of Fitness Marketing Monthly, our monthly print newsletter. The next issue is going to press at midnight Eastern on the 26th. Once we mail an issue, it’ll never be available again.

When you’ve been behind the curtain of the fitness industry as often as I have, you get used to the smoke and mirrors. You lose count of how many people and companies aren’t doing as well as they appear. Fortunately, there are also a lot of individuals and brands who legitimately and consistently outperform the market.

Those that do have one thing in common: They defy industry norms.

You can’t get ahead in this industry by attempting to do the same thing as everyone else, only just a little bit better. The way to make more money is to innovate. Find a new problem to solve. Solve an existing problem with a unique approach. Market your products with a novel hook. Challenge the way you’re “supposed” to do things by creating your own category of one.

Once you position yourself as the obvious choice, price becomes irrelevant and customers line up, begging to buy whatever you have to sell, which only happens when you offer something that’s different from others.

Now, these are all nice-sounding platitudes. But if you aren’t already doing those things, how do you start? How do you figure out which industry norms need defying?

Two factors must be in place:

You know your market well.

You’re able to fail.

Infinity vs. Finality

This post is from the inaugural issue of Fitness Marketing Monthly. FMM is an analog newsletter in a digital age, a throwback to a bygone era when people looked forward to receiving information, instead of feeling overwhelmed by the pursuit of it.

For me, it’s the next step in a process I started in 2011. That’s when I launched the Personal Trainer Development Center from my one-bedroom apartment in Toronto, with the goal of publishing material to help trainers do a better job, and make more in the process.

The audience grew from one reader in Canada (my mom) until the PTDC became a global resource used by millions of fitness professionals a year. With a bigger audience came a responsibility to provide better information. We responded with investments in editing, design, and product development. That’s why the site continues growing, attracting hundreds of new readers every day. Many of them become customers for our products, which include books, the Online Trainer Academy, and now this newsletter.

The online world has changed a lot since 2011. Not only did blogs proliferate and social media explode, giving all of us the opportunity to share every element of our lives, but so did cell phone technology. Today each of us carries a mobile recording studio in our pocket, giving us the power to produce and upload content for our social media, podcasts, and YouTube channels anytime, from anywhere.

The paradoxical result of infinite content is that it becomes harder to use. With no finality, there’s always one more thing you must know before you can take action. There’s always another opinion, another resource, another tutorial. Your focus is splintered between the last thing you read and the next thing you should read, which means you struggle to retain information from the thing you’re reading right now. You can’t tell what’s worth your time and what isn’t until you’re deep into it, and by then you may have skimmed past the most important parts.

That’s the problem FMM sets out to resolve for you. We believe time is your most valuable asset, and we developed FMM to give your time back to you. We do that by providing the information you need, carefully curated and edited by a world-class staff. Every word in every issue matters.

If studying each new issue of FMM is all you do to develop your business and marketing acumen, you can rest easy knowing you’ve done enough. You can always do more, of course, and there will certainly be times when you should. Our goal is to make sure you rarely need to. We’ll do that by providing not just information, but finality.

You’ve Got to Know the Rules Before You Can Break Them

I started as a personal trainer, as you probably know. Like so many other bright-eyed, excitable young fitness pros, I put all my efforts into my program design. I wanted to periodize, undulate, and taper with the best of my peers.

It wasn’t until four years into my training career that I realized none of it mattered.

My clients didn’t care. They came to me because they weren’t happy with how they looked or felt. They wanted to lose fat and gain muscle as quickly and easily as possible. It didn’t matter how their problem went away, as long as it did.

This disconnect between how trainers approach our jobs and what clients actually want from us gnawed at me until, in 2012, I published an article called “Personal Trainers Shouldn’t Periodize.” Here’s an excerpt from the introduction:

We built masterpieces. Every workout, exercise, and rep was planned out down to the tempo. The programs would transition every four weeks to a planned new micro-cycle. I read every book on the subject I could find, ranging from Periodization: Theory and Methodology of Training by Tudor Bompa to Block Periodization by Vladimir Issurin. I became an expert in theoretical periodization and started presenting workshops on it. Then one day I had my first epiphany, and everything changed.

A few sentences later I drove the point home:

Theory and practice rarely intersect. We’re dealing with real people who have real lives and real stresses. Working out is not your clients’ first priority. In fact, it’s usually somewhere around 15. Why the heck was I spending so much time programming for clients when they forget to tell me about their vacation smack dab in the middle of a mesocycle?

My article told the world that maybe all the stuff we were taught about better programming being the key to better personal training was wrong. It caused waves. It brought me a lot of adulation and a lot of haters. It was the turning point for my career.

At the time, I was lucky to see 100 hits a week on the PTDC blog. “Personal Trainers Shouldn’t Periodize” changed all that. It defied an industry norm, and by doing so, it struck a chord.

With a bigger audience, I expanded my footprint in fitness education and digital publishing. And with that expanded footprint, I began to see the many ways those institutions were failing their customers.

What we’re doing with FMM is inventing a new medium. Or, more accurately, we’re reviving an old one, an analog format that we believe will serve you better than digital content ever could. Better still, this new medium contains no outside advertising, no long-winded narratives, and, as I said, no wasted words.

We can’t think of a better way to bring you substantive, highly curated, and skillfully edited work from the best marketing and business-development minds the fitness industry has to offer.

Still, no matter how confident my team and I are, or how much we’ve prepared for this launch over the past two years, there’s no way to know with 100 percent certainty if FMM will succeed. You never know how the market will respond to a new concept, product, or service until you put it out there.

It’s a calculated risk; breaking the rules always is. The only way to pull it off is to know the rules long before you try to break them. And even then, you have to put yourself in a position, as I did, where failure is an option. The more audacious the idea, and the bigger the norm you set out to defy, the bigger that risk becomes.

What I want to leave you with are the steps you must take before you attempt your own risky venture to put a new idea into the world.

Putting Yourself in a Position to Succeed or Fail

Bruce Lee once said, “It’s not the daily increase but daily decrease. Hack away at the unessential.” He also said, “Simplicity is the key to brilliance.”

If you’re going to defy the fitness-industry rules that bring everyone to the middle, you must first reduce your business life to its simplest form. Your audacious plan doesn’t stand a chance until you free up the time and space to give it your all.

The first step is to define the problem. How much money do you need each month for you and your family? I call this your Freedom Number. In The Fundamentals of Online Training, the textbook of the Online Trainer Academy, I describe it as the number that allows you to focus your time and attention on something other than the business that provides this bare minimum. The Freedom Number is the combination of housing (rent or mortgage payments, utilities, maintenance), food, transportation, insurance, and what I call my “do something special for my beautiful wife” fund.

Before I had that beautiful wife, my own Freedom Number was pretty simple:

Rent = $1,900/month

Food = $500/month

Extravagance = $200/month

The total came to just $2,600. Looking back, it’s a laughably small number, but that’s what my life was like when I was a young, single trainer who’d recently graduated from college but didn’t have any loans to pay back.

But my point isn’t that your number should resemble mine. It’s that your number is your own, and it doesn’t matter what anyone else’s is.

What matters is what I wrote back then:

“Once you hit it, you’re safe and free to pursue more risky options or strategies that have a lot of development time.”

With the problem defined—how much money you need each month to be safe—the next step is to reduce your working life to its simplest form. How can you work the fewest hours, with the most flexibility, and still hit your Freedom Number?

Let’s say you need to make $4,000 per month. You can hit that with 20 clients who give you, on average, $200 a month. Or you can make it with 80 hours of training at $50 an hour. Or whatever best describes the way you make a living. Once you do the math, you’ll see one of two realities.

You realize you’re already earning more than your Freedom Number says you need.

You’re not yet making enough to free up your time and attention.

If it’s A, and you’re making a surplus beyond your current needs, you can begin the process by reconfiguring your schedule. Chunk together your work or training sessions with the goal of opening up a few big blocks of time throughout the week. If a client doesn’t fit into your new schedule, pass her along to another trainer.

If it’s B, and you’re not yet making enough, focus all your energy there until you get to your Freedom Number. Pursue work that pays the most in the least amount of time, and ignore everything else. For most fitness pros, that means getting more clients. It’s not scalable, and it’s not as sexy as creating marketing funnels, but it’s the most straightforward path to your goal.

Do whatever you need to do, for as long as you need to do it, until you get the clients you need. (It’s probably 10 to 20.) Call anybody you can, pound the pavement, knock on doors, message people through social media, ask clients for referrals.

Once you reach your Freedom Number, and you can sleep easy at night knowing your bills will be paid and loved ones looked after, anything can happen. You can confidently invest time into personal development, allowing you to pursue projects with potentially large payoffs down the road, or smaller ones that bring you passive income now.

At that point, you’ve already defied the norms of fitness industry. You act different because you are different. Few of your peers would ever define the problem and simplify their business the way you have. That’s why they remain stagnant, complaining to anyone who’ll listen that they never have enough time or money.

But you know the problem isn’t that they don’t actually have those precious assets. It’s that they’ve never done what it takes to free them up, and then use that time and money to read the market and find better solutions.

They’re reactive, zigging when everyone else zigs, and never freeing up the time or money to read the market and find a better solution.

But when you zag, beautiful things can happen.

Don’t Miss Out on Fitness Marketing Insights Like This!

If you miss an issue of Fitness Marketing Monthly, you’re out of luck — we don’t keep back issues and you can’t order reprints.

Every issue goes to print at midnight Eastern on the 26th of each month. If you’re not subscribed by then you’ll miss it — and you do not want to miss this one. Ready to take your fitness career to the next level?

SUBSCRIBE TODAY –> https://www.theptdc.com/fmm/

The post When They Zig, You Zag appeared first on The PTDC.

When They Zig, You Zag published first on https://medium.com/@MyDietArea

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jeremywilson24-blog · 7 years

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Which Martial Art Is For Me?

Those of us old enough will remember trying to find a martial art club was almost impossible. Many clubs trained in backstreet gyms and halls, were often just a small group of friends. If you knew someone training already, it was easy to get in, if you didn't, well, it was virtually impossible. Fast forward to the early 70's. It was at this time that the 'Bruce Lee Phenomenon' hit the West. Enter The Dragon, a major Hollywood backed film, hit the silver screens. It was explosive, here was a guy who could do almost magical things, at blistering speeds, and so, as a direct result of that film, so was born the modern age of martial arts in the West.

Clubs began to spring up everywhere, people flocked to be trained so they could be like Bruce Lee! The reality of that was somewhat harsher! Soon, may realised that to reach even a fraction of Lee's ability required years of painstaking practise!

The first martial art to really explode as a result of Lee's film was Karate. With schools already well established in the UK, they capitalised on the phenomenon by coming out of the back streets and into the school and church halls etc. Adverts sprang up, and all of a sudden, you could find a club to train at! Karate is perhaps one of the most well known of all the martial arts, with a rich history and tradition spanning centuries. And so Karate clubs began to boom, along with other martial art styles, which began to gain interest from a Western culture suddenly smitten with the lure of Eastern mysticism and legends.

Inevitably, this boom faded, people left because it was too hard, that to get anywhere was a lifelong commitment, not something achieved in a matter of weeks or months, but years of hard graft. And so, clubs lost members, but not to the extreme levels that they disappeared back into the dingy training halls of earlier years. Many thrived with a steady increase in students, losing others along the way, but retaining sufficient to keep going.

Then, as with the Bruce Lee films, along came another Hollywood Blockbuster that was to push martial arts back into the public domain...Karate Kid. The film was simple, a young lad being picked on by a group of Karate school bullies, boy comes across a Japanese janitor, who just happens to be a master in Karate....Mr Myagi. It was a wonderfully simplistic film, where, I am sure we all remember, the young lad, 'Daniel san' was taught the rudimentaries of Karate through washing a car! 'Wax on, wax off'.....marvelously clever analogy, from which he learnt everything he needed to do Karate! Of course, it is not that easy in reality, but here we had a film, which spawned 2 sequels, that suddenly showed that training was not only hard work, but could be fun as well!

And, what this film did that no other film before it had done, it attracted Children to the martial arts! It was truly a catalyst in the meteoric rise of martial arts clubs across the world, with parents rushing to sign up their kids to learn about this wonderful way of looking after yourself, of learning respect and discipline, and making their children better people for when they finally enter the world as Adults. Karate was the main benefactor of this boom, obviously I guess given the film's title, but the knock on effects were felt right across the various martial art styles. Popularity rose through more films, with stars such as Jackie Chan, who, with his unique blend of undoubted skills and comedy, made Chinese martial arts seem fun to learn. And so there we have it, a very brief history of the rise in popularity...But! Here we are in 2008, and despite all the publicity, do you know which martial art is which? I hope the following will give you some guidance:

Karate - Probably one the most recognised. There are several styles, which I will not elaborate too much on here, suffice to say that each does have it's differences, but each also has many of the same characteristics, namely a focus on traditional etiquette, discipline and hard work. Karate (meaning Empty Hand) is a very traditional martial art, where you will certainly learn respect for others. The main styles are Shotokan, Wado Ryu, Goju Ryu, and Shitu Ryu, though there are a great many more. Karate has also become one of the most 'bastardised' styles. There are a great many schools and organisations whose Chief Instructors have studied many of the styles, and have combined this knowledge to develop their own systems. These Organisations have developed their own curriculums and grading syllabus. Essentially they are still Karate, and, with the right club or organisation, you will learn a great deal about yourself.

Taekwondo (or Tae Kwon Do) - This is a Korean martial art, thousands of years old, but only really becoming popular in the past 20 or 30 years. The modern concept of Taekwondo was developed by General Choi in Korea during the 1950's. Today, there are two styles, ITF (International Taekwondo Federation) and WTF (World Taekwondo Federation). Both teach the same basic ideals. Taekwondo (meaning the way of hand and foot) is, predominantly, a martial art based around kicking techniques. Very spectacular and effective techniques, but those learning Taekwondo will also learn valuable hand techniques, and self defense. ITF Taekwondo is much closer to the original concept of General Choi. The WTF style has developed more into a Sport, and is, in fact, a recognised Olympic Sport. ITF sparring is semi contact, whereas, if you fancy your chances, the WTF style concentrates on full contact.

Judo - Judo means 'The Gentle Way'. It is a very modern art, and, in fact, is not really a martial art, but a sport. Judo is, however, a very effective self defense art, teaching you how to put locks and holds on an opponent, and how to throw. There are no kicks or punches in Judo. A well established Olympic sport, it offers an alternative to more traditional 'combat' style martial arts.

Kung Fu - A Chinese martial art. There are hundreds of styles available, the most popular today being Wing Chun. Bruce Lee was a famous exponent of Kung Fu, but he also studied many of it's various styles and developed his own Jeet Kune DO (JKD), a method of fighting that used real life street situations to develop an effective method of attack and defense.

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu - This is the fastest growing martial art style in the world today. Japanese Judo and Ju Jitsu masters exported their martial arts to Brazil around the 1940's and 50's, where it quickly gained popularity. A Brazilian family, the Gracies, took this knowledge and developed it into one of the most effective ground fighting systems known today. Although similar to Judo and Ju Jitsu, the Brazilian art concentrates much more on getting your opponent into a submission by locks, holds and chokes. It is, to many, a much more realistic method for the street, where rules do not exist.

MMA - Not really a martial art as such. MMA means 'Mixed Martial Arts'. It's origins are again Brazil, where it is known as Vale Tudo. Today, MMA, or perhaps you would know it better as 'cage fighting' is a huge sport, dominated by the UFC, Pride and Cage Rage. It has, for many, become an alternative to boxing. MMA is a 'no holds barred' sport, whereby opponents can punch, kick, elbow, knee and wrestle each other into submission, or, get a knockout. Very explosive, and certainly not for the faint hearted! Those in MMA will have also trained in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, as well as Karate, Taekwondo or other martial art style, hence the term Mixed Martial Arts.

Kickboxing - Probably the second largest participant club sport in the world. Developed by the Americans as an alternative to Boxing, Kickboxing is, as the name suggests, a Boxing sport, but you are also allowed to kick. Training is hard but rewarding. As well as traditional boxing techniques (jabs, hooks, crosses, ducking and weaving etc), you will also learn a variety of kicks, most of which derive from Taekwondo in style. In fact, many Taekwondo clubs will also run their own Kickboxing clubs, as the two styles compliment each other extremely well.

Choi Kwang Do - Another Korean art, this concentrates mostly on the practical side of 'what works in reality'. Kicks, generally, are not above the waist, and you will learn a variety of hand techniques, all designed to work 'on the street'.

Tai Chi - Another Chinese art. Often thought of as an 'old people's' martial art. Whilst it certainly lends itself well to the older generation, in my personal opinion, it should not be overlooked. It teaches meditation and relaxation, but also it teaches you to focus your inner energy, or Chi, very effectively.

In some ways, it is sad that, as a result of the modern age, there are also some excellent, but increasingly forgotten martial arts worth investigating. Aikido and Hapkido (Japanese and Korean respectively) have become victims of the increase in popularity of the more explosive martial arts. These are predominantly self defense systems, but incredibly effective. If you aren't sure, watch some of Steve Segal's early films. Segal is a world recognised master of Aikido, it is one of the single most effective martial arts for self defense, but, sadly, it receives little publicity nowadays. It's principles are the teaching of using your opponents own momentum for your own gain, it also teaches pressure points and restraints. Even if you study one of the more popular styles, Aikido or Hapkido are definitely worth considering as a second martial art.

Today, choosing which martial art you want to do is actually much easier than you think. A great many clubs will offer you a first lesson free, so take advantage of that fact, and go and try as many as you can. In this way, you can find out which one suits you best.

I will give a couple of words of caution!!

1. Do not be tempted to sign up to a membership or any payment plan on your first lesson, or even in the first 3 or 4 lessons. Make sure it is right for you first!

2. Avoid buying any uniform for the same period. Otherwise, if you decide it's not for you, you will have wasted your money.

3. Go along and watch a few classes first, before actually trying. Most clubs will let you watch. You will get a different perspective on the class teachings this way.

4. Talk to other members, or even the Instructors. Nobody will mind you asking questions. Believe it or not, the vast majority of clubs are not interested in just taking your money only to see you leave. They want you longterm, because they genuinely want to teach you and see you develop.

There are, unfortunately, plenty of organisations out there who will happily take your money. The 'McDojo' as they are derogatorily referred to by our American friends are out there, waiting for the unsuspecting student or parent. These will try the hard sell, some even go cold canvassing onto the streets! Don't be easily tempted by promises of a Black Belt in a few weeks or months, it simply doesn't happen that way.

So, how long will it take to get a Black Belt? Well, on average, you should allow a minimum of 3 years, and that is based upon a lot of hard work, and regular weekly training, at least twice a week! And remember also, a Black Belt does not mean you are an expert! On the contrary, getting your Black Belt is merely akin to completing your apprenticeship of learning...Once you get your Black Belt, the real learning starts, it is your doorway to a wealth of knowledge and experience that awaits you on the other side.

Too many people look at trying to grade every 3 months, which is fine. But, it is not how quick you get your Black Belt that counts, it is EARNING your Black Belt that will make it most satisfying.

Learning to defend yourself, and others, is only one aspect of Martial Arts, but Martial Arts is not about learning violence. It is, and remains, one of the most effective methods of fitness in the World. It will teach you confidence, respect, both for yourself and others, you will learn discipline and above all, you will learn how to become a respected and well rounded individual.

And when you do decide which martial art to practise, don't be afraid to check out just where you can get your equipment. Often your Instructors can supply you the equipment you need, but if you feel their prices are too high, check out the Internet of a Martial Arts Magazine for guidance. Instructors do, on the whole sell to you at the same price, but unfortunately some like to try and make a fair nit more if they can. Fortunately, the boom in Martial Arts has also seen a boom in the choice of Martial Arts Supplies available. So, whatever you do decide to practise, you will also be spoilt for choice as to where you can go to kit yourself out!

So go on, give it a try, and you will never look back! Steve Turner Black Eagle Martial Arts Equipment

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/1047781

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thesedays-posts-blog · 8 years

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News RoundUp • Pitchfork Fest Announces Chicago Talent, CPS Students Pen Open Letter to Chance The Rapper & More

Winter decided to pop back in for one last go around as much of the city's artist class escaped down to Texas for the annual South by Southwest retreat. While the cold definitely put a damper on the regular movement in and around Chicago, the news kept churning and, true to form lately, Chance found himself in the center of things with additional donations to CPS and plenty of praise for it. Meanwhile, Pitchfork unveiled their full lineup which includes several locals again, the city offered up some jobs for teens and much more on our latest News Round Up.

CPS Students Pen Open Letter to Chance The Rapper

Over the course of the last few weeks, Chance The Rapper has emerged as perhaps the biggest and most visible proponent for the Chicago Public School system. Between sparring with Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner, donating $1 million to the public school system and announcing a subsequent $10,000 for nine additional schools, Chance has proven to be a catalyst for the positivity our city sorely needs. It seems as though his efforts aren't going unnoticed by those he has aimed to affect, either, as the students in CPS have been quick to show their gratitude in the form of drawings, thank you letters and plenty of high-fives and hugs. Three Lakeview students however decided to pen their thoughts, taking time to underline just how important the 23-year-old Grammy winners actions have been to them personally. Check the whole thing out below.

"First and foremost, we as Chicago Public School students would like to thank you for the supportive donation to our schools. As we all know, CPS has been struggling financially, and your donation has really given us a push to get to where we need to be and possibly motivate others to give back to the community as well. This is only one of the many things that you have done to improve our Chicago.

After you gave CPS the push that was needed to help give us students what we deserve, you encouraged other celebrities such as Derrick Rose to do so as well. If this goes on, CPS could be saved and our schools could receive the best educational experience we are worthy of. You are one of the reasons this can be made possible.

All of the things that you do for our city never go unnoticed. All of the free concerts you host and all the time you spend here in the city really show you care. We notice it. We look up to you because the fame usually takes humility away from artists, but it hasn’t changed you.

There are many big celebrities from Chicago, but you are one of the few that really give back. It is evident that you sincerely care for the youth here. This is why you are an inspiration to us. We appreciate you for not only representing us through your music, but also through your actions.

In Chicago, a person is shot every 2 hours and 48 minutes. A person is murdered every 14 hours and 27 minutes, and you helped stop gun violence in Chicago for 42 hours with the help of your Twitter account and various Chicago radio stations. Even though this was three years ago, the fact you had such a tremendous impact on Chicago shows how much the people of this city look up to you.

You're more than just an artist to us, you are a way of life. You make music that we can relate to on many levels, because you know what living in Chicago is like, and you want to make changes in the city. We may not be from the same side but we come from the same city. We just want to thank you for not forgetting where you came from and helping the city of Chicago in more ways than just being an inspirational rapper. You’re using your fame for good and not just to look good. You gave $1 million dollars of your personal money to Chicago schools and that's something no one has done for us.

We thank you for supporting Chicago's minority youth when not many others have put time to think about the kids. As minority students we feel ignored and as though we don’t have enough support from bigger influences like you. Being born and raised in Chicago is not easy at all. There are so many stereotypes and restrictions we have as teenagers due to the frequent violence and crimes. Your music puts some at ease because we know that someone cares and someone has experienced these daily struggles too. You and your music have taught us that you can be true to yourself and still be successful, still be self-made.

Once again, thank you for aiding us and giving something back to the city we know and love, Chicago. "

Sincerely, Alex Rojas, Alondra Cerros, and Annelisse Betancourt Lake View High School Students Chicago, Illinois

Pitchfork Selects A Handful of Chicagoans to Perform In Their Own Backyard

Pitchfork has officially announced their full festival lineup after announcing headliners A Tribe Called Quest, Solange and LCD Soundsystem last week. Additional acts include Danny Brown, Vince Staples, Kamaiyah, Isiah Rashad, Frances and the Lights, Madlib on the hip-hop side. Pinegrove, Dirty Projectors, Angel Olsen, Nicolas Jaar, and the Avalanches round off other genres. In good tradition, Pitchfork has a handful of Chicago talents featured throughout the lineup like rapper Joey Purp, singer Jamila Woods, rock band NE-HI and house legend Derrick Carter. The festival itself is held at Union Park, home to other festivals like North Coast Music Festival in the fall.

The full line-up can be found at Pitchfork.com/festival/chicago. Tickets and 3-day passes are on-sale now! Single day passes are $75 and 3-day passes are $175.

One Summer Chicago Offers Summer Jobs for Chicago Teens

While the snow outside might now have one's mind squarely on the summer months just yet, the city of Chicago is looking to fill some positions ahead of the annual thawing and has roughly 30,000 positions for seasonal work available to Chicago teens. The jobs are currently being offered as part of the city's "One Summer Chicago' intiative. Teens and young adults ages 14-24 can apply online at onesummerchicago.org by May 15, officials said.

If you're looking to follow suit of recent Chicagoans like Chance above, the city is also allowing residents to donate to the Robert R. McCormick Foundation to expand the opportunities for the teens and young adults which began in 2011 offering 700 jobs.

While the evolution of the program is certainly a positive for the city, Mayor Rahm Emanuel has been frustrated by the lack of federal and state funding put forward. While the jobs are widely available to teens and young adults, roughly 2,000 will be set aside for the city's "most at-risk teens and young adults" who will also receive ""intensive mentoring and cognitive therapy" as part of an effort designed to reduce crime."

"Every year, One Summer Chicago opens the doorway of opportunity to a valuable work experience and a summer paycheck today, leading our children to realize their full potential and a brighter future tomorrow," Mayor Rahm Emanuel said. "The federal government and the state government [are] A.W.O.L. on supporting our kids."

According to DNAInfo, "Also on Tuesday, Emanuel endorsed an effort by Thrive Chicago, a non-profit group, to help 10,000 16- to 24-year-old Chicagoans find work or go back to school by 2020."

Wormhole Coffee Coming to Logan Square

As Logan Square quickly transforms into a semblance of Wicker Park, it seems the staples from one neighborhood are quickly bleeding into another as the iconic Wormhole Coffeeshop in Wicker announced that it would be opening a new location, its second, just northwest on Milwaukee ave.

According to DNAInfo, "Travis Schaffner was issued a city permit to convert a medical office at 3431 W. Fullerton Ave. into a coffee shop/cafe with on-site bean roasting. The cost of construction was listed at $215,000, according to the permit."

The new location will contain a new concept and not be a furtherance of the 80's video game-themed decor of the location at 1462 N. Milwaukee Ave.

"The Logan Square project is a cafe/roasterie with very, VERY new and fancy equipment which I am hesitant to discuss but it's going to create quite a serious windfall of goodness for the quality of our beans," Schaffner wrote in an email.

The move is the latest in a series of migrations to the newly-minted hipster-enclave that has changed dramatically over the course of the last five years. Recently, the Double Door and American Apparel joined a quickly-rising list of longtime commercial residents that have since left the neighborhood, which is quickly becoming overrun by over-priced condos and chic new moms with baby carriages.

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johnbattlesca · 8 years

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Enter the Mind of Master Ken, the Martial Artist Behind Enter the Dojo, Part 1

If you haven’t watched the wildly popular Enter the Dojo comedy series, do it now. Before you read this article. Go to YouTube and click. That’s the only way you’ll be able to put a face, a voice and a moustache behind the wacky words that come from the martial artist known as Master Ken.

Caution: You’re about to read comments from a real martial artist (Matt Page) interspersed with comments from a fictional character (Master Ken). To make it easier to distinguish the two, we’ve italicized the words of Master Ken.

BLACK BELT: WHEN YOU’RE IN CHARACTER AS MASTER KEN, YOUR MOVES REMIND ME OF KENPO. DO YOU COME FROM A KENPO BACKGROUND?

Matt Page: My first style was Okinawan kenpo and kobudo. I received my first-degree black belt from Rich Pelletier in 1996. He was an amazing instructor and instilled discipline and structure in my life when I really needed it. His school was very traditional and gave me a strong foundation not only in martial arts as a way of self-defense but also in martial arts as a way of life.

After that I moved around a lot and sampled various arts: aikido, boxing, stick fighting, etc. Then I settled on American kenpo, studying under Tony and Erika Potter in Santa Fe at one of Jeff Speakman’s kenpo 5.0 schools. I’d always wanted to learn the kind of kenpo I’d seen in movies like The Perfect Weapon, so that was great fun.

More recently, I’ve been studying Brazilian jiu-jitsu. There are so many styles I’d like to study — hapkido, kung fu — but for some reason, I’m always drawn back to some form of kenpo.

Silat for the Street is the title of an online course from Black Belt Hall of Famer Burton Richardson and Black Belt magazine. Now you can learn the most functional silat techniques whenever and wherever you want on your smartphone, tablet or computer. Get more info here!

BLACK BELT: MASTER KEN, I KNOW YOUR BACKGROUND IS IN AMERI-DO-TE, BUT IN THE MAGAZINE, WE NORMALLY DON’T USE CAPITAL LETTERS WHEN WE WRITE THE NAMES OF MARTIAL ARTS. ARE YOU COOL WITH US SPELLING THE NAME OF YOUR ART “ameri-do-te,” OR IS THAT AN INSULT TO EVERYTHING YOU STAND FOR?

Master Ken: I notice you don’t have a problem capitalizing Black Belt. How would you like it if I called you “black belt magazine”? It’s not only an insult; it weakens the word. The capitalization of not one, not two, but THREE letters in the name of my street-lethal fighting system lets people know how serious it is. Speaking of serious: By the authority vested in me as the creator of and 11th-degree black belt in the most dangerous martial art in the world — Ameri-Do-Te — I hereby demote you to white belt.

BLACK BELT: DID YOU LEARN ameri-do-te FROM A MASTER, OR DID YOU CREATE IT?

Master Ken: I wasted years of my life studying pretty much every combative system in the world. In kenpo, they’re always slapping themselves. For every time a kenpo guy hits his opponent, he hits himself three times — which is great because if you fight a kenpo black belt long enough, eventually he’ll kick his own ass.

In krav maga, they don’t even use the belt system. How are they supposed to know who’s more advanced? All they do is trade patches like a bunch of Girl Scouts.

Tai chi is a martial art designed specifically for sissies and old people. I once saw a tai chi instructor get beat up by a mime. He got thrown into an imaginary wall and choked with an invisible rope.

Announcing a new low price on the Greg Jackson Mixed Martial Arts Core Curriculum, an online course from Black Belt magazine and the world’s leading MMA coach! Learn the best fighting techniques, combinations and strategies on your tablet or smartphone. More info here!

Each time I learned a new martial art, I could see a few moves that worked — with my own special modifications, of course — but I also found flaws and weaknesses everywhere. My style takes the best parts of every other martial art in the world with none of the weaknesses. That’s why we like to say “Ameri-Do-Te: Best of All, Worst of None.”

BLACK BELT: DO YOU HAVE YOUR OWN KENPO SCHOOL?

Matt Page: I’ve never run my own school. I have helped teach kids’ classes and the occasional adult class at a few schools, but I’ve always thought of myself a perpetual student.

BLACK BELT: WHAT’S IT LIKE RUNNING THE SCHOOL THAT TEACHES THE MOST EFFECTIVE MARTIAL ART IN THE WORLD? ARE YOUR COMPETITORS JEALOUS? HOSTILE? HOW COME THEY’RE NOT ALL OUT OF BUSINESS?

Master Ken: The hardest part is getting people past the initial shock of how effective our style is. I get people who come in off the street and see us do our patented “groin sparring,” where the first student to grab the other student’s groin wins the match, and they just shake their heads and walk out. They’re too scared.

BLACK BELT: HOW DO YOU — AND MASTER KEN — COME UP WITH CONCEPTS LIKE “GROIN SPARRING”?

Matt Page: After high school, I moved to Southern California to become a movie star. Being so naive, of course, I struggled there. Each time I would move to a new neighborhood — which was often — I would go to the closest dojo and sign up for classes. One place had a method of training they called “groin sparring.” They said the groin was the only target that mattered in a street fight, so they didn’t focus on kicks or punches to other parts of the body. Whoever grabbed their opponent’s groin first won. Simple, right? But then for my first match, they made me fight a woman. That was just one of many bizarre experiences over the years.

BLACK BELT: WHERE DID THE NAME “ameri-do-te” COME FROM?

Master Ken: Most civilians think the word “karate” represents all martial arts. I believe that one day, my style of Ameri-Do-Te will replace all fighting systems, so I wanted it to sound similar but different. America has a great history of taking things created by other countries and improving them. Like Italian food. So I took the word “karate-do” and Americanized it to “Ameri-Do-Te.”

Also, having a martial art that begins with the letter “A” makes us first in the phone book.

The karate/kobudo master teamed up with Black Belt mag to make Fumio Demura Karate Weapons: Complete Video Course. Merging Demura’s classic DVDs with new new kata footage, the program streams lessons on the nunchaku, bo, kama, sai, tonfa and eku bo to your smartphone, tablet or computer. Details here!

BLACK BELT: WHO ARE SOME OF THE REAL MARTIAL ARTISTS YOU LOOK UP TO?

Matt Page: There are so many. From famous martial artists whose films drove my interest in the entertainment business — Jean-Claude Van Damme, Steven Seagal, Jeff Speakman, Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee — to those whose books and interviews in magazines inspired me to keep training — like Ed Parker, Bill “Superfoot” Wallace and Royce Gracie. It’s been totally surreal to meet some of these people in person after admiring their work from afar all these years.

The biggest irony about Enter the Dojo is that I pick on the styles and people I love the most. I’ve said some crazy things about Van Damme and Seagal, but that’s because they were my favorite action stars growing up. And I’m always poking fun at kenpo because it’s the style I’ve dedicated so much of my life to. So if Master Ken takes the time to go after you or your style, it’s a sign of affection.

BLACK BELT: ARE THERE ANY MARTIAL ARTS OR MARTIAL ARTISTS YOU LOOK UP TO?

Master Ken: Asking me what other martial arts I look up to is like asking me to pick my favorite disease. I could tell which ones are worse than others, but I wouldn’t choose any of them.

BLACK BELT: HAS ANYONE EVER BEEN SO UPSET AT SOMETHING MASTER KEN SAID THAT HE — OR SHE — CHALLENGED YOU TO A FIGHT?

Matt Page: Not me personally, but Master Ken has received hundreds of challenges, as well as some death threats. Those come mainly from people who don’t realize he’s a fictional character. Most of those people soon realize we’re kidding, but there are still a few who choose to remain hurt or threatened by what Ken says. I do a live show, and even at my best performances, I get reports afterward of people who were offended and got up and walked out. But that’s OK — you can’t please everybody, I guess.

BLACK BELT: HAVE YOU EVER HAD TO DEFEND THE HONOR OF YOUR SCHOOL OR ART IN A FIGHT? HOW DID IT TURN OUT?

Master Ken: Are you kidding? People come in off the street and challenge me all the time. I offer them a chance to sign the waiver that releases me from any and all responsibility should they be killed. It’s a 400-page document. No one has gotten past the first 50 signatures. But when they do, they will have signed their own death warrant.

(To be continued.)

Photos by Cory Sorensen

BONUS: Master Ken on Fitness!

“If you want to work out, go for it. Aerobics classes masquerading as self-defense — like cardio kickboxing — waste valuable time on cardiovascular fitness. I focus on street-fighting fitness. It’s a scientific fact that the more often you experience moments of sheer terror, the bigger your adrenal glands get, which allows you to hold more testosterone than the average person.

“Ameri-Do-Te drills get your blood pumping with a surprise attack by multiple assailants — for example, while you’re using the dojo toilet. To avoid getting winded, the fight should be over as quickly as possible. If your fight lasts longer than it takes me to tie my belt, you’re not ready for the street.”

from Black Belt» Daily » Black Belt http://www.blackbeltmag.com/daily/martial-arts-entertainment/enter-the-mind-of-master-ken-the-martial-artist-behind-enter-the-dojo-part-1/ Enter the Mind of Master Ken, the Martial Artist Behind Enter the Dojo, Part 1 published first on http://thrandythefabulous.tumblr.com

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thrandythefabulous · 8 years

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Enter the Mind of Master Ken, the Martial Artist Behind Enter the Dojo, Part 1

BLACK BELT: WHEN YOU’RE IN CHARACTER AS MASTER KEN, YOUR MOVES REMIND ME OF KENPO. DO YOU COME FROM A KENPO BACKGROUND?

More recently, I’ve been studying Brazilian jiu-jitsu. There are so many styles I’d like to study — hapkido, kung fu — but for some reason, I’m always drawn back to some form of kenpo.

BLACK BELT: DID YOU LEARN ameri-do-te FROM A MASTER, OR DID YOU CREATE IT?

In krav maga, they don’t even use the belt system. How are they supposed to know who’s more advanced? All they do is trade patches like a bunch of Girl Scouts.

BLACK BELT: DO YOU HAVE YOUR OWN KENPO SCHOOL?

Matt Page: I’ve never run my own school. I have helped teach kids’ classes and the occasional adult class at a few schools, but I’ve always thought of myself a perpetual student.

BLACK BELT: WHAT’S IT LIKE RUNNING THE SCHOOL THAT TEACHES THE MOST EFFECTIVE MARTIAL ART IN THE WORLD? ARE YOUR COMPETITORS JEALOUS? HOSTILE? HOW COME THEY’RE NOT ALL OUT OF BUSINESS?

BLACK BELT: HOW DO YOU — AND MASTER KEN — COME UP WITH CONCEPTS LIKE “GROIN SPARRING”?

BLACK BELT: WHERE DID THE NAME “ameri-do-te” COME FROM?

Also, having a martial art that begins with the letter “A” makes us first in the phone book.

BLACK BELT: WHO ARE SOME OF THE REAL MARTIAL ARTISTS YOU LOOK UP TO?

BLACK BELT: ARE THERE ANY MARTIAL ARTS OR MARTIAL ARTISTS YOU LOOK UP TO?

Master Ken: Asking me what other martial arts I look up to is like asking me to pick my favorite disease. I could tell which ones are worse than others, but I wouldn’t choose any of them.

BLACK BELT: HAS ANYONE EVER BEEN SO UPSET AT SOMETHING MASTER KEN SAID THAT HE — OR SHE — CHALLENGED YOU TO A FIGHT?

BLACK BELT: HAVE YOU EVER HAD TO DEFEND THE HONOR OF YOUR SCHOOL OR ART IN A FIGHT? HOW DID IT TURN OUT?

(To be continued.)

Photos by Cory Sorensen

BONUS: Master Ken on Fitness!

from Black Belt» Daily » Black Belt http://www.blackbeltmag.com/daily/martial-arts-entertainment/enter-the-mind-of-master-ken-the-martial-artist-behind-enter-the-dojo-part-1/

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michaelchinworcester · 8 years

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Enter the Mind of Master Ken, the Martial Artist Behind Enter the Dojo, Part 1

BLACK BELT: WHEN YOU’RE IN CHARACTER AS MASTER KEN, YOUR MOVES REMIND ME OF KENPO. DO YOU COME FROM A KENPO BACKGROUND?

More recently, I’ve been studying Brazilian jiu-jitsu. There are so many styles I’d like to study — hapkido, kung fu — but for some reason, I’m always drawn back to some form of kenpo.

BLACK BELT: DID YOU LEARN ameri-do-te FROM A MASTER, OR DID YOU CREATE IT?

In krav maga, they don’t even use the belt system. How are they supposed to know who’s more advanced? All they do is trade patches like a bunch of Girl Scouts.

BLACK BELT: DO YOU HAVE YOUR OWN KENPO SCHOOL?

Matt Page: I’ve never run my own school. I have helped teach kids’ classes and the occasional adult class at a few schools, but I’ve always thought of myself a perpetual student.

BLACK BELT: WHAT’S IT LIKE RUNNING THE SCHOOL THAT TEACHES THE MOST EFFECTIVE MARTIAL ART IN THE WORLD? ARE YOUR COMPETITORS JEALOUS? HOSTILE? HOW COME THEY’RE NOT ALL OUT OF BUSINESS?

BLACK BELT: HOW DO YOU — AND MASTER KEN — COME UP WITH CONCEPTS LIKE “GROIN SPARRING”?

BLACK BELT: WHERE DID THE NAME “ameri-do-te” COME FROM?

Also, having a martial art that begins with the letter “A” makes us first in the phone book.

BLACK BELT: WHO ARE SOME OF THE REAL MARTIAL ARTISTS YOU LOOK UP TO?

BLACK BELT: ARE THERE ANY MARTIAL ARTS OR MARTIAL ARTISTS YOU LOOK UP TO?

Master Ken: Asking me what other martial arts I look up to is like asking me to pick my favorite disease. I could tell which ones are worse than others, but I wouldn’t choose any of them.

BLACK BELT: HAS ANYONE EVER BEEN SO UPSET AT SOMETHING MASTER KEN SAID THAT HE — OR SHE — CHALLENGED YOU TO A FIGHT?

BLACK BELT: HAVE YOU EVER HAD TO DEFEND THE HONOR OF YOUR SCHOOL OR ART IN A FIGHT? HOW DID IT TURN OUT?

(To be continued.)

Photos by Cory Sorensen

BONUS: Master Ken on Fitness!

from Black Belt» Daily » Black Belt http://ift.tt/2lVd3mf via Michael Chin Worcester Systema

#Michael Chin Worcester #Mass Bay Systema #Systema #Russian Martial Art #martial arts #kung fu #black

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fitono · 6 years

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When They Zig, You Zag

This article first appeared in the July 2018 issue of Fitness Marketing Monthly, our monthly print newsletter. The next issue is sent to press at midnight Eastern on the 26th. Once we mail an issue, it’ll never be available again.

Those that do have one thing in common: They defy industry norms.

Now, these are all nice-sounding platitudes. But if you aren’t already doing those things, how do you start? How do you figure out which industry norms need defying?

Two factors must be in place:

You know your market well.

You’re able to fail.

Infinity vs. Finality

You’ve Got to Know the Rules Before You Can Break Them

It wasn’t until four years into my training career that I realized none of it mattered.

A few sentences later I drove the point home:

At the time, I was lucky to see 100 hits a week on the PTDC blog. “Personal Trainers Shouldn’t Periodize” changed all that. It defied an industry norm, and by doing so, it struck a chord.

We can’t think of a better way to bring you substantive, highly curated, and skillfully edited work from the best marketing and business-development minds the fitness industry has to offer.

What I want to leave you with are the steps you must take before you attempt your own risky venture to put a new idea into the world.

Putting Yourself in a Position to Succeed or Fail

Bruce Lee once said, “It’s not the daily increase but daily decrease. Hack away at the unessential.” He also said, “Simplicity is the key to brilliance.”

Before I had that beautiful wife, my own Freedom Number was pretty simple:

Rent = $1,900/month

Food = $500/month

Extravagance = $200/month

But my point isn’t that your number should resemble mine. It’s that your number is your own, and it doesn’t matter what anyone else’s is.

What matters is what I wrote back then:

“Once you hit it, you’re safe and free to pursue more risky options or strategies that have a lot of development time.”

You realize you’re already earning more than your Freedom Number says you need.

You’re not yet making enough to free up your time and attention.

They’re reactive, zigging when everyone else zigs, and never freeing up the time or money to read the market and find a better solution.

But when you zag, beautiful things can happen.

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“Sell Them What They Want, and Give Them What They Need,” Jonathan Goodman’s opening column

“How to Fight Back When Crackpots Badmouth You Online,” by Daniel Freedman

“Getting and Giving Better Feedback,” by Mark Fisher and Michael Keeler at Business for Unicorns

“Developing Additional Income by Training Trainers,” featuring Rachel Cosgrove, of Results Fitness University, and Nardia Norman, creator of the Female Health & Performance Coach Certification

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The post When They Zig, You Zag appeared first on The PTDC.

When They Zig, You Zag published first on https://medium.com/@MyDietArea

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