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Mixed Martial Arts – The World’s Fastest-growing Sport

January 13, 2019

How soon things change. It seems like yesterday we were talking about how fast the fan base for Nascar was growing. Some people even foolishly talked about it possible taking over the NFL in popularity someday. Nascar’s growth and fan base has since taken a hit, most likely due to the recent economy problems over the last couple of years. That said, Mixed Martial Arts, MMA is the new reigning “worlds fastest growing sport” as we enter 2010, and looks to be for the foreseeable future.

Don’t get me wrong, the NFL is still the 800 pound gorilla when it comes to total fan base and world popularity, but MMA has shown substantial growth over the last decade, and even faster over the last 5 years. No growth like this ever lasts forever, but it’s hard to say how long it could last for MMA, given the momentum the sport has, and more specifically, the UFC or Ultimate Fighting Championship.

The UFC is currently MMA’s biggest promotion, and therefore has the world’s best stable of fighter’s. The UFC has also become the new darling of Las Vegas much to the chagrin of the powers that be in the boxing world. But instead of being bitter, the sport of boxing needs to take a look at why that is. For one, you can’t get any big fights for free anymore when it comes to boxing. The UFC on the other hand, air’s free broadcast’s labled “UFC Fight Night” on Spike ever couple of months at least, and usually more than that. And these are normally big main events that the hardcore fans want to see, not fighters that nobody knows.

And more recent, news of StrikeForce’s signing of the worlds best fighter Fedor Emelianenko shook the MMA world, and now Fedor will hope to become a household name by way of free network broadcasting of the sport’s most popular fighter in a contract with CBS.

The key to enjoying the excitement of the sport though, is to understand all the different aspects of the sport, and to recognize the transitions that you see throughout a typical fight. The least understood of these being the “ground game”. To the casual observer, this might seem boring compared to striking (the term used in MMA referring to the stand up phase of a fight). And sometimes it is with average talent. But when you have two world class grappler’s going at it, its the most exciting part of a fight in my opinion.

What a new fan should watch for on the ground is the use of “the guard”, and the escape from this position for the other fighter, also known as “passing the guard.” The guard position consists of the fighter on bottom to control his/her opponent by wrapping his/her legs around the waist of the fighter on top while controlling the head, keeping him/her off balance, making it easier to sweep or submit the other. Normally the fighter on top or “in the guard” will try to get his/her legs around the leg’s of the opponent, or to “ground and pound” the other fighter with strikes from the top position. There are usually no submissions from inside the guard.

It’s impossible to cover all the nuances of the sport in this article, but once the more common ideas of the grappling part of MMA is understood by new and non fans, the more enjoyment will come out of watching great fights and understanding how technical these fighters are, not to mention the level of conditioning that it takes to compete in this sport. Most think it rivals that of their counterparts in the NFL, or any other sport for that matter. So the next time you are around a new fan, take a minute to explain the fastest growing sport in the world. See you at the fights!

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Top 10 Selling items in Arts and Crafts Shows

January 9, 2019

Arts and crafts fairs are great venues to showcase your creativity and make money at the same time. There is a wide array of products, which can be showcased. Listed below are the 10 types of items that are very popular and generally sell very fast in an art and craft show.

1) For the Kids

Kids are priority always and parents are happy to buy things for them. It is good to encourage your kids creative talent and taking them to various art and craft shows is good way of boosting their talent. You can find many items for children aged 0 to 12 in crafts shows to catch their attention. Items like painting tools, paper crafts which the children can do by themselves, or which children and their parents can do together.

2) Limited Edition Crafts

Giving a timeline for an item is also eye-catching. When you make an announcement or put a tag on your item that it will only be available, for example, on that day because of limited stocks perhaps, then people tend to give attention and take advantage of its availability, like art collectible dolls, cards, home ware items etc.

3) Crafts with themes

Crafts items with theme also catch interests. For example, you may sell items for pets such as dog collars, leashes and pet clothes like dresses and sweaters.

4) Unique Items

Products that cannot be seen and bought easily in public places like malls or even online, gain attention too. Browse ebay.com or etsy.com for unique crafts items and you will find a new shape candle or design, or embellishments, which can also be customized.

5) Environment friendly

Recycled products made from organic materials are also a hit. This is because there are a lot of people now concerned about the environment. Examples are home displays made from used papers, sculptures from broken glass or paintings from coffee beans.

6) Jewelry

This may be a regular product in arts and crafts shows but it has never lost its touch. You may blend uniqueness in style so that each item would look like it’s personally crafted for the buyer. This difference will give the items an edge from the others selling jewelries too.

7) Glass products

Making glass items like vases, or mirrors with beautiful frames is not a common skill. Showing these types of items in arts and crafts shows also showcase the superior talent of the makers because this skill is really difficult. People who appreciate this kind of talent will show their appreciation by buying the glass items.

8) Items for women

Women make up a great proportion of any country’s population. Most consumers are the homemakers too. You can get their interest with items such as bags, knitted or crocheted tops, cross stitch items or homemade perfumes and scented candles.

9) Products for laptops and the like

Laptops, mobile phones and other products help people communicate are used by all these days. Feature items like laptop bags and covers and mobile phone holders or cases are also great selling craft items these days..

10) High Quality items

Quality is always essential for any product. Making sure your item may it be big or small has top quality will also ensure your buyers will buy and even comeback or refer you to other buyers even if the product is just a regular one.

Creative talent is always great to have. You can either pursue it as a hobby or can also make living out of it if you are really good at it. Take the time to research items will sell in arts and crafts shows so that you can earn maximum profit out of your creation.

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Things You Must Do For A Successful Martial Arts School

January 5, 2019

There are three key actions you must take to achieve a successful martial arts business. Being a master of the arts is an enormous and impressive accomplishment, but to run a thriving dojo you must also be a master of the business of running a dojo.

This doesn’t mean you have to get your MBA, but it does mean that you must focus the business details along with the details of your art. The keys to having a successful martial arts business can be summarized with three main points:

* Getting new students

* Retaining your existing students

* Selling new products or services to your students (often referred to as “up selling”)

Getting New Students in the Door

Attracting new students to your dojo is all about marketing. This is how any business attracts new customers and that is what your students are – customers. Your dojo may showcase your martial arts skills, but your business office better be figuring out where and how to most efficiently spend those scarce marketing dollars.

Your target customers, meaning students, may be children or adults or both. Focus in on where your potential customers receive their information on recreational or educational activities. Possibilities could include schools, libraries, and community centers.

Once you know “where” your potential customers are, you can then decide on the “how”. Mailers, print advertising, posted flyers, free demonstrations – these can all be effective ways to get the word out about your school.

Retaining Existing Students Month After Month

That first month of martial arts is exciting for a new student. But once that student gets over the initial rush of a new activity, the student may become distracted, bored, or overwhelmed by the immensity of what they want to accomplish in the martial arts.

A successful martial arts teacher will pay attention to how to keep the students inspired and engaged. This can involve both the personal touch of one-on-one attention and encouragement along with varying drills and activities specifically designed for new students.

Structuring attainable goals and making sure your new students not only reach them but are recognized for reaching them is another important component of a student retention plan.

Selling New Products or Services to Your Students

Developing new products and services does not mean just thinking up ways to make more money for your martial arts business. The creative dojo master will regularly review his products and services to determine if there is a need that is not being met.

Do some students need private lessons for a more personalized learning experience or to prepare for advancement? Would printed learning material assist some students? Would T-shirts, sweatshirts, and equipment bags printed with the name and logo of your school inspire your students and market your business?

Will students benefit from a more advanced program? Which students show signs of becoming leaders in the school and thus be good candidates for your leadership programs?

A Business Master

Someone who has mastered the martial arts already has proven their commitment and passion to their art. The master of successful dojo is proof of their commitment and passion to their school and their students.

This master will always pay attention to the business aspects of his or her martial arts business as well as the art, both for their own financial benefit and also for the sake of their students. You must successfully recruit, retain, and meet the needs of your students if you are to achieve a successful martial arts business.

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Rules Of Shaolin Kempo Karate & Martial Arts Part 1

December 30, 2018

Rules of Kempo Karate & Martial Arts

Here are some principles that can get you some better leverage out of any art, not just Kempo Karate.

Establish Your Base

Any combative artist needs to be rooted on the ground. Its only from the rooting into the ground that your blocks, strikes and kicks will have any real power to them. It might help to think of pushing a car or sawing wood to get what I mean. If your not planted correctly you will have no effect.

Distance

This the distance your attacking limb moves before impact. This will very with each individual. Bruce Lee for example generated some pretty impressive power from his now famous 1-inch-punch. You can have the most powerful punch or kick in the world, BUT if you deliver it too close OR too far away it will have little effect. Bag work helps master this.

Your Block should be a Cocked Position

This is about making better economy of motion. The block you use should be the cocked position, or prelude to the strike. You should also have enough Distance to generate the power you need as well. An inward block followed by a back fist or cross chop is an example of this.

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Three Tips for Choosing a Culinary Arts College

December 23, 2018

Attending a culinary arts college has become an especially popular endeavor in recent years, with the rising popularity of television shows like Iron Chef and Hell’s Kitchen. Aside from the television screen, however, there are many opportunities for students interested in the culinary arts. For students interested in this discipline, there are several important factors to consider before deciding on the right school for you. This article will help to explain these factors and the options available to students of culinary arts.

1. School Accreditation
Culinary arts schools, before gaining prestige, must first undergo a series of examinations that look at curriculum, teacher certification, quality of school facilities, and student-teacher ratios. These examinations are often conducted by the American Culinary Federation. The American Culinary Federation is responsible for maintaining a high-quality level of service to students and making sure that all regulations are being adhered to. Schools with an ACF Accreditation are often older, since the process is very long. These schools are often most likely to have the highest quality education for students interested in culinary arts.

2. Cost of Education
Since culinary schools are usually specialized, they are often more expensive than a typical university degree program. However, this is not necessarily true for all culinary arts schools. Students should shop around before deciding on the right school for them. Often, schools also offer scholarships to qualified students, so this is another important factor to consider when looking at a culinary arts college. If you want to specialize in a particular area of culinary arts, be prepared to pay more for your education.

3. Quality of Facilities and Equipment
As a general rule, older colleges are better for students because they have a longer reputation and history. However, these colleges also tend to have more out-of-date equipment. Students should also visit the culinary arts college they wish to attend before applying, so they can examine the equipment available to students. Since culinary arts equipment is always changing, it is important for students to have the best equipment available so they can learn how to use the most recent culinary tools. Knowledge of more recently developed equipment will give students an advantage in the field when applying for jobs.

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