White Warlock

Building - I do marketing and small business consulting for a real estate and finance company here in California (i assist other companies as well, but this is my main). If you are need of assistance finding a commercial property, shoot an email to froila@prfs.net, the acting broker for the company and a whiz at creative financing. I'm sure she, or one of her associates, can help you find and purchase what you need. Insurance - Liability insurance is your biggest concern when dealing with martial arts. Second, is property insurance. Prices vary, so again, i recommend talking to Froila (above email) for assistance or referrals. Taxes - The most important thing to remember, is 'save your receipts.' An income and expense report helps you keep track of it all, and you can provide both of these to a CPA a few months before tax due day. Depending on the type of business, you will need to update-file once every 3 months, or not at all until tax time. Unless you're educated on the tax laws, i seriously recommend you hire an cpa 'when the time comes.' Generally speaking, it will run you around $200 to $1000 (depending on your tax returns, if any... or a straight fee. This is negotiable). Also, not all taxpersons are the same. Some really suck. I have a few i can refer to you that actually 'know' what their doing. Additional note on this: It would be prudent to incorporate. The expense is minimal, the protection optimal. Marketing - seems you're set on this, so i won't pester you, although... again, i can refer you to a good graphic/print man who also does websites. If interested, i'll shoot you a PM. Equipment - Well, first off get your business license and a retail license (you may already have the latter, considering your sales background), so you can contact major suppliers and obtain wholesale vendor prices. Bulk purchases are the way to go and, as you know, building a relationship with your sales rep will get you extra bennies. As to which one, pick one you respect. Try not to get equipment from a variety of different vendors. Not only will it cost you a lot more, but returns will be a pain. Employees - Ah, my specialty. I push this with every startup company i help, and that is... commissioned associates (contracted). Employees require a helluva lot of extra work that, unless you're big enough and rich enough to afford a human resources specialist, isn't something you want to touch. Not to mention it makes your tax issues a nightmare. Instead, have all your staff be contracted, working on a commission basis. Anywhere from 30%-70% to 60%-40% is reasonable. I recommend starting them out with a low commission, and then raising it up when they become lead or senior instructor status. And, if you feel this is more of a hobby for them than it is a job, you may be able get away with a lower 'starting' commission than the ones i mentioned. As they are contractors, you are not required to provide them medical coverage (and in this business, that's really something you don't want to have to provide), although you can (and i seriously recommend this) require that each of them provide 'proof of insurance' and/or 'proof of medical coverage.' The payment structure is also flexible. I recommend monthly payments to your contractors (to correspond with the payments received from the students). You don't pay them until you get paid, essentially. Office Equipment - I also setup networks and computer systems (hardware/software). My recommend here is, keep it simple. Purchase what you need, and keep it at that. The temptation is to buy truckload, but each and every item you purchase, will require 'maintenance.' Something so many small business owners fail to take into account. Additional questions can be answered by the U.S. Small Business Administration in California - http://www.sba.gov/ca/ I've found the San Diego branch to be the most communicative - http://www.sba.gov/ca/sandiego/ And, of course, there's me at - white_warlock@hotmail.com May you succeed.

Until you use it as a weapon.

No, you are all incorrect and i'm correct. My rectangle will take on your circle and straight line any day. Seriously though... this is so entertaining but unless we discuss choreographed particulars, or cement wholey in abstractions, these discussions really aren't altogether viable (as DM contends). The underlying factor that is not being weighed here is that each and every confrontation must be dealt with differently and that which may seem quickest or most effective in the test tube environment of the dojo, often finds an entirely new set of variables to contend with in the 'street.'

I have a point. It's at the top of my head.

?? Did i miss something?

In situations where you're dealing with multiple adversaries, taking out the leader, surprisingly enough, isn't necessarily the most effective route as a norm. What makes the biggest impact is taking out the biggest threat. If this so happens to be the leader, then fine... Of course, when dealing with multiple adversaries, the better route to go... is the one of quickest retreat. If, however, that's not an option, it is best to determine the best exit path, and then attempt to create it... whether it be via moving around your adversaries, causing them to bump into each other, and/or smacking down those who you deem as the most likely to prevent you from escaping. And as to the biggest threat issue, it's not necessarily the one who looks like he could cause the most damage, as it is the one who looks like he can run you down... as in... he looks like he can run faster than you. But, in most cases, the most aggressive adversaries are the ones who will invariably force your hand. All in all, multiple opponent confrontations are complicated and not easily described in just a few paragraphs.

hmm... well how about the triangle to overcome the rectangle, or the square to overcome the curve?

I thought i recognized the name. For that $70 a month, what do you get? How many hours, how many days, any private instruction, how big are the classes, etc?

I'll bite... what is kyusho jitsu, who created it, do you have his bio, how long has it existed, are you associated with any local, national or international associations, where is it taught, how much are the courses, what would you consider to be its strengths and weaknesses?

Soo... anyone else in the mood to type up any of these fun little pro/cons?

Gad, this is like watching a kid pull wings off a fly, and then feed it to ants. Cruel, yet entertaining.

In most cases, 8 hours is actually one to two hours too little sleep. The fact of the matter is, some people need more sleep than others. Other things to consider is that if you've been sick, your body would have been depleted of a lot of vitamins and minerals... so time to stock up again. If you're feeling seriously worn down, you should consider taking a short vacation from work, and giving yourself time to recover. Oftentimes people return to work too soon after a nasty illness, or work right through the illness, which is even worse (especially for the other employees that could contract your illness, or would have to cover for your decreased performance). All in all, if you've increased your sleep hours, revitalized your body's necessary nutrients, are eating healthy meals on a regular (not snack) basis, AND you've taken a short vacation.... but still feel worn down, then you may want to determine whether it's your job and maybe you simply don't want to work there anymore, but the rut holds you in place... even while your body is trying to push you out the door. Some thoughts.

I used to meditate regularly. But since 94', after becoming engaged and then later ending the engagement two weeks before walking the aisle, meditation has eluded me.

Agreed Markusan. I got out of competitions in the 80's and have worked hard to avoid getting into full-on confrontations since. I collected enough injuries in my early years... to last me the rest of my life.

Actually, that's not true Thuggish, sorry. Hernias are caused by part of the intestine slipping between muscles and getting pinched. This often happens when muscles are overworked and during heavy lifting or exertion, and it often feels like a pulled muscles at the onset. If not addressed, the intestine could become distented... or worse. On the other hand, after rereading the original post, i agree that it sounds merely like an overexerted muscle. The fact that you're able to warm-up and the pain goes away when doing so does seem to suggest an overexerted muscle. If such is the case, spend more time warming up (double your warm-up time). Because of the area, i wouldn't recommend applying any salves, or wearing any Salonpas pads, and because it is more than 12 hours old, heat pads are not a good idea either. Yes, you got it. To help it recover faster, and assuming it is just a muscle, you'll need to ice it and massage it. Application of ice should be no longer than 10 minutes at a time, with a minimum of 30 minute intervals, preferably an hour. The massage should not be hard. It should be just below the pain threshold. I.e., if you feel pain when massaging, you're rubbing too hard. No more than 30 minutes at a time. Drinking plenty of water is always advised when trying to help the body heal itself. Hell, it's always advised.

Where in the abdomen? Provide additional information. It could very well just be a gas problem, or it could be appendicitis, or a hundred other things.

In an effort to bring this thread back to its original state, here go a few more of those entertaining pros and cons: Aikido cons - limited groundwork limited lower body attack limited clinch skills limited striking limited to no 'full contact' sparring no competitions pristine drills (assumes nothing goes wrong) does little to counter being 'punch shy' (limited/no sparring, encouraged by pristine drills) most practice is performed at reduced speeds dependency towards oppositional commission no improvisational training designed for non-lethal submission. I.e., non-combat oriented (as opposed to sport oriented or combat oriented) * requires a lot of training in order to gain competence Aikido pros - some of the best footwork (derived from kenjutsu) excellent training in upper body impact deflection excellent training in capitalizing on oppositional commission weapons training excellent techniques excellent training in opposing body control good training in conflict psychology good training in de-escalation designed for non-lethal submission. I.e., non-combat oriented (as opposed to sport oriented or combat oriented) * Karate vs: An aikidoist will fare very well against a karate practitioner. It was devised with countering Japanese striking systems in mind and therefore empasizes counters towards 'common' Japanese attack styles. Its weaknesses will be evident when posed against Westernized versions of karate, which have adopted a more boxing-style of fighting. I.e., little to no commission. The asterisk notation on aikido, emphasizing non-lethal resolution, is both a pro and a con. It provides the practitioner with the choice of defeating an opponent, without resorting to extensive bodily injury or death. However, this self-same emphasis tends to subconsciously limit the degree of lethality an aikidoist is willing to commit to.

No... it's the person behind the weapon. And the word here to emphasize is "some." Boxers are conditioned to strike full-bore against the skull and jaw, otherwise known as hard vs hard. The bones of the hand are significantly weaker than the jaw and skull, and are also not well reinforced by the hand/wrist muscles... even when well-conditioned. Also, i actually 'do' have a collection of bare knuckle fight videos, and those striking have either learned not to strike the head with their fists, or they have hand wraps to help reinforce and protect their hand. Despite this, far too many actually still end up with hand/wrist injuries and cannot continue to the next round of eliminations. Basic physics clearly indicates that, without adequate protection, the small bones of the hand/fingers will break, or the tiny ligaments/muscles will tear. Although there are many pain targets on the head, the two biggest targets are jaw dislocation and brain-jarring. Both of which require a substantial impact.

Were i to be afraid, it would be of the person behind the weapon.

Padded walls and all, eh?

Yeppers, just a bit over the top. His script choices seem to always pose him as some sort of superman, immune to the effects of kryptonite. I've heard tell he's planning on running a different route. Of playing parts in which he's flawed. Not sure he has the acting skills for that, but would be interesting to see. And aefibird, you're clearly not an idiot. Well, not unless you go out with someone like me.

lol

That's a good thing, right? Oh and Natural, the pictures do not show up when i visit that site. I think the pictures are showing up for you because your browser has it in cache, but the pics are simply not at the address the html pages are addressing. The website author must have relocated them, possibly placed them in a separate folder. Looking at the html, it seems the pics were originally on the root (not a good place). They aren't there now.

Well, there's some reasonable comparisons with a 9mm vs an AK-47. 9mm pros - has a short barrel, thus easier to manage in small spaces, can be easily wielded with one hand, easily wielded in close quarters, quick to aim/fire, minimal recoil, excellent at short range 9mm cons - poor medium & long range capability low stopping power not a lot of shots in a clip semi-automatic minimal melee functionality (makeshift club) AK-47 pros - melee functionality (especially if you include a bayonet at the end), lots of shots in a clip capable of semi-automatic, short burst and automatic fire decent stopping power (although not nearly as good as other assault rifles) good medium & long range capability AK-47 cons - very hard to wield in close quarters, poor short range capability, due to the long barrel and cumbersome design, requires the use of both hands, slow to aim/fire, sharp, disruptive recoil Okay... silly, but still... it does iterate there is no one perfect weapon.... or style.