TRACY BLOG
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Tue 03/09/10
Definition up-date
I should also point out that when you go to the Chinese set of definitions you will find in China they use two Major Dialects. Mandarin is the official dialect and Cantonese is more commonly used. The definition will first list the Mandarin name officially selected as the official Chinese language in 1995.
No matter what is said there will always be a controversy over the correct selling
Kenpo or Kempo
I have provided you with a link to the Japanese - English dictionary on the web.
http://dict.regex.info/cgi-bin/j-e/dict
It is quite simple to use - go down to the line where they ask for text - there will be a blinking curser. Go down 4 lines to: kanji should be in lined - check that box - the kanji will also appear.
1. First type in kenpo spelled with a "N" - you will get 22 hits - one is:
Chinese art of self-defence (defense)- when you learn how to use the dictionary you can also get it to print out the Kanji!2. Next type in Kempo - spelled with an "M" - surprise - it cannot be converted
Romani Conversion Error
Father time is catching up with all of us. Joe Lewis is now 66. Chuck Norris is 70.
As I talk to more and more of the "old Timers" they all say the same thing: Thank God for Medicare and (VA and VA hospital) for veterans. They all so point out - each month tax free Social Security makes the difference.
The critics of Medicare and Social security complain about all the money the government has to pay out each year in entitlement programs. This is not government money - this is money wage earners sent for years to Washington to save and protect us for retirement. That’s like a bank complaining that they have to give you all that money back from your savings account.
Fact: 43% of all retirees have less than $10,000 in saving. As one martial artist pointed out to me there are no jobs for 55 year olds let alone people 71.
In these hard time you may want to consider running a part time studio. For those of you who are younger, you better start thinking about your retirement even its years off.
My advice - in the future you will not be able to depend upon the government or company pensions plans for retirement. In the future, the only person who will want to hire you after you retire - is your self. The best retirement plan you can have is to set aside enough money to open a part time studio. You can easily open a good part time studio for under $5,000.
Many of our part time owners who have regular jobs are doing quite well. Once again their secrets: Keep your overhead low. Rents between $600-$1000 per month. Do everything your self. Get a smaller location in a better neighborhood.
Studio owners: If you have any chance for survival you have to get rid of high rents.
One of our top studio owners just gave himself a $18,000 a year raise by getting a better - cheaper building.
Below is a quick formula for surviving in a full time studio. Its called the 30/20 Rule. 30 adult students or families at $140 per month. 20 youth at $80 per month.
30 adults at $140 per month = $4200 per month
20 youth at $80 per month = $1600 per monthTotal monthly income (not including Intro- courses or retail sales!
$5800 = $69,000 annually!You must keep your overhead below $2000 per month or $24,000 per year! Many full time studios have total income in the $1,500-$1,800 range.
Take home pay with only 50 students will be over $45,000 per years.
You don't need 150-300 students!
Each new students that you add above 50 will add to your take home pay each year:
1 new youth = additional $960
1 adult or family = additional $1600
You must be teaching private lesson and use a 3/4 lesson introductory program!Why privates? How many of you will work for between $95 and $70 per hour? That is what you make teaching private lessons!
Warning: Do not bring in an outside instructor to teach an art you do not know - or cannot teach yourself - such as Tai Chi - Yoga - or Jiu-Jitsu.
One of two things will happen:
1. The instructor - for any number of reason will leave - leaving you with students you cannot teach, Just happed this week to one of our competitors.
2. The instructor will build up a following - leave and take your paying students with him/her. These students have no loyalty to you. You are not their Sifu/Sensei.
This is what happened when Ed Parker brought in Jimmy Woo and when Woo left, he took most of Ed Parker's advanced students.The old saying: "If you can't cook, don't open a restaurant"
Mon 3/08/10
Good Cop - Bad Cop!
About a week ago I came down with blurry vision and I could not see properly to use the computer to date the blog. I immediately when to my family Dr. Who told me I had Cataracts and would probably need eye surgery. I went to the eye specialist who did a complete eye work up and told me all I needed was new prescriptions for my glasses. So now I am up and running again.
As a follow up to Sen. Bunning and his one man filibuster. I was glad that he is retiring and will no longer be in the Senate. When I called Bunning’s local Republican phone number they would simply hang up on me. Obviously they had caller Id. When I would called back they simply refused to pick up the phone.
At least I thought Bunning will be out of the way. Bunning also has a Charitable trust that pays only 25% to charity. The other 75% goes to cover overhead? I wonder how many of his friends and relatives are on the charities payroll. It’s all legal! Who do you think writes the laws?
One liner: If you grew up during the witch hunts (1950-53) of Sen. Joe McCarthy, for communists in our government - you will know what this is all about.
"Are you now, or have you ever been a lawyer?"
We will see said the Zen Master.
It now turns out the two Republicans who are running for his vacated seat - backed him on his filibuster of extending unemployment benefit. Both also opposed to the stimulus package to create jobs. The say it is too expensive. They are going for what they think is the conservative vote. I know who is not going to get my vote.
This week end a local company was one of the first to get stimulus money to created new jobs. The jobs will pay $25-$35 per hour. They have opening for 100 people and over 2400 people showed up for job interviews. The unemployment rate in Kentucky is 10.7%
Why are your private insurance rates so high? Actually what you are paying for insurance is 2-3 time what you think you are paying. You are also paying (through taxes) the heath insurance for: all government employees, teachers, postal workers and prisoners and all military personal. Plus all the military prisoners in Iraq get the same medical as our military personal. The list goes on and on.
Is this Kenpo?
Recently one our students was at an American Kenpo Seminar. He had two questions and one point of observation.
First question? Why all the slapping?
Reality: I am going to be getting crude here. But I think you will get the point: You cannot be scratching your ass with either hand and at the same time use it for blocking or striking.
Reality: You cannot be slapping yourself with hand in a fight and use that hand for blocking or striking.
At least scratching you ass may serve a useful purpose.In the MMA/UFC fights the only time you see them slapping is when they "TAP OUT"!
Observation; The American Kenpo Instructor - was continuously hitting his Uki’s in the face. As one Uki nursing a couple of cuts and bruises commented: "XXX was sure wild today."
Law of speed of physical movements: The higher the speed the less accuracy and control.
Does "Wild Thing" mean anything to you!
Look what happened in the winter Olympics in the bob sled Luge. They added to the speed of the course and a person is now dead. At 90 miles an hour the ice is like concrete.
In skiing to win the downhill you have to be skiing on the edge of disaster. The same is true of Auto racing and other motor sports.
Second question - What is all this new terminology! I did not know what he was talking about!
Terminology
The object of language is communication:
If you have a person who only speaks Russian in a room with a person who only speaks Chinese you will never have communication. Just as bad is when you need Tech help on your computer or Bank credit card and end up speaking to with someone in India with a accents so heavy you cannot understand them. It also means all you personal and financial information is in another country
Real world: All airport in the world give and receive instruction in English in the control tower and aircraft.
Imagine what a failure "Star Trek" would have been if each of the aliens spoke only there own language. The first thing the writers did was to have universal translator for communication.
Ed Parker set about to redefine terminology in America Kenpo. A kick is a kick, a punch is still a punch, a block is still a block no matter what you call it. Gravity existed before Galileo ever defined it."Classical" A rose by any other name"!
You want terminology? You can’t handle Terminology!
Kenpo is basically a Chinese System - below is an excellent link to "Inside Kung Fu"
The Kung Fu Glossary
Is this what you really want?
http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/info/glossary.php#L
I have also given you a link to the Japanese terminology -
You might want to book mark these two links for historical reference.