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Copyright 2006 The National Learning Institute

As a manager many years ago when faced with my first challenge of selecting an external consultant, I found myself all at sea. Fortunately for me, I intuitively hit two of the three selection targets. The project was to produce a communication video, so it was relatively easy to see and compare what each consultant had previously produced. I had a number of consultants to choose from, but finally chose the one that I felt most comfortable with and whose work impressed me most. The project was succesful and in the process, I learned a lot.

Since that time, I have had to employ a number of consultants, I have been a consultant myself for almost 20 years, and I have worked with many other consultancies both large and small. The following suggestions for selecting a consultant are based on my experience as a manager and in the consultancy field.

What are the three targets that one must hit to successfully select a consultant? (Note; I am using the term “consultant” to refer to either one person or a consultancy firm). Firstly and most obviously, the consultant must be able to actually do the work. Secondly, the consultant must be able to fit in with the people in your organisation and particularly those who will be working on this project. Finally, if the consultant is good, you should always improve your own knowledge as a result of the project.

1. Can the consultant do the work? Seems obvious, but there are some traps. For instance, I remember when starting out as a consultant in partnership with another (who was also new to the role), submitting a tender for a fairly large job and being selected in the final few for interview. Individually, we’d had some experience in the type of work, but not as a partnership, nor had we worked in the prospective client’s industry. We won the job. Why? The client saw in us some creativity and freshness that was not evident in our competitors. However, this was an unusual client. Normally, I would not suggest taking on a consultant (like us) who has not had the depth nor breadth of experience in the project. So, unless one of your criteria is “freshness”, in terms of selecting for experience here are some tips:

• What are your specifications? Be very clear on the outputs you will require in the project. These should always be measured in terms of quality, quantity, time and cost. Use these output criteria to compare consultants.

• Who has recommended this consultant? Check their references – ask for the contact of the last job they did. When checking references, use your above “output criteria” as a guide.

• Are you looking for someone to implement solutions to a problem you have identified, or are you looking for someone to help you identify and clarify the problem? Or both? Sometimes it can be useful to split the project into these two parts.

• In discussion with the prospective consultants, do they really give you the time to say what you want before jumping to conclsuons? If they appear to “have all the answers”, chances are they do not listen very well.

• Does their suggested solution appear to be specifically designed for you or is it a “one size fits all”? Be wary if it is not specifically designed to meet your project criteria.

• Do they explain the things they can’t do as well as those they can? This is always a good test of integrity, truefulness and reliability.

• Is their initial response to your request up to your quality standards, sufficiently detailed (but not overly so) to make a decision, and within your time expectations?

• Does the consultant have depth of expertise in the subject matter and breadth of expertise in its application?

• Ask the consultant what is unique about him or her? What makes them stand out from all the other consultants you might choose?

2. Secondly, will the consultant fit in with the people they will be working with? This is a critical implementation issue, as whilst they might be able to do the work, if they can’t work harmoniously with the people, the results will be less than optimal. For instance, we once worked on a major government project (total budget in excess of M$43) where the client continually kept us at arm’s length (for example, on a residential workshop, we were not encouraged to eat or mix socially with the client project leaders). We met the output requirements for the client, but had we been allowed to work more closely with the client, they would have received a lot more value added service. In this case, the client should have selected another consultant.

The following tips will help ensure you get the right client/consultant match.

• Is the consultant likely to be able to gain the respect and trust of your key stakeholders?

• Could you trust this person (people)?

• What is the process they will use? i.e, How will they work within the organisation? How will they be seen? Try to visualise the consultant working with you and the other people as they complete the project. Will it work? Is it likely to be a good partnership?

• Who specifically (from the consultancy) will be working on the project and what will be their role? For example, will the people you are interviewing be carrying out the work? Be wary of consultancies that have “front people” that win the jobs, then send in less experienced people to do the work.

• Ask the consultant to describe what a “good working relationship” looks like to them. Is the description the consultant gives you of a “good working relationship” likely to be, and to be seen to be, a partnership?

3. Thirdly, will you be able ot learn from this consultant? One of the reasons you hire a consultant is that you (or your organisation) does not have the depth nor breadth of experienece to successfully carry out the project. One of your aims should be to increase your own experience through this project. For example:

• Why did you decide to employ a consultant? What were the gaps you could not fill internally?

• What will you be likely to learn from this consultant?

• Will you increase your knowledge of both process management (how the consultant works) as well as content management (their area of expertise)?

• Will the consultant strengthen and support your role in the organisation?

Finally, if all of your criteria have been met and you cannot decide between two apprently equal consultants, consider setting them a small task or part of the project to complete as part of the selection process. For example, some years ago we were in competition with another large consultancy for a sizeable project with an initial budget in excess of M$1. The client could not decide between the two of us, so he asked us each to undertake a small project (for which he paid us both), which would ultimately become part of the larger project. When we each completed the small project, he had an excellent idea of both our capability and the manner in which we worked. After all, isn’t the final selection criterion is actually trying the consultant out?

Oh, yes. In case you’re wondering, we won the job!

Edward Victor and Sarah Smith interview award-winning CNN, BBC and Al Jazeera journalist, Afshin Rattansi, about newsgathering and his novel, “The Dream of the Decade – The London Novels” published by Booksurge and available on Amazon.com.

Edward Victor: Afshin Rattansi, your new book looks at –among other things- the way news is made in newsrooms. Given that you have worked at three top networks, the BBC, CNN and Al Jazeera, do you think there has been any change since you wrote your book?

Afshin Rattansi: A character in the third novel of the quartet reappears to work at a large media organization around the time of the war on Yugoslavia. That war was covered in an extraordinary way and was widely criticised afterwards. After all, reporting on hundreds of thousands of people dying in the heart of Europe is what journalism textbooks after World War II were written for and yet, anyone using TV news to find out what happened in Sarajevo would have been confused at best. It was only after the war that some excellent programmes were made.

“The Dream of the Decade” deals with unwitting bias or unwitting lack of balance. Every story was nuanced by the life experiences of the kind of people that get the jobs in newsrooms. Though the book deals with coverage of stories on the environment, healthcare and many other issues, the in-built bias of journalists reaches its apotheosis with regard to war reporting. Whether it be the wars on Latin American states in the 1980s or the war on Yugoslavia in the 1990s, it’s remarkable how hard it is for a viewer to hear a spectrum of views on any war.

Edward Victor: You also started the developing world’s first English language 24 hour satellite TV news and current affairs network, based in the Middle East. As the man in charge, did you use your experience to produce news differently?

Afshin Rattansi: I hope so. Though I was the editor of the channel, there were the constraints any manager would have on the way we broadcast news. Most recently, at the BBC, one realised the constraints on a very well established network when reporting the run-up to the war on Iraq. At the Dubai Channel, we came from a developing world perspective and concentrated on the financial background. “Follow the money” was the watchword when we covered, say the Ethiopia-Eritrea war or the privatisation of natural resource management demanded by the IMF. I always thought it was interesting that Business Week outsold The Economist and that Business Week magazine was often the best source for really getting a balanced view of a story. Everything from the most local – for example, food resources or crime prevention – to the most global – say, Kyoto, the drug trade or nuclear arms – usually has private profit at the heart of it.

Whether it be Hollywood or the matter of Palestine, following the money is a pretty good way for journalists to cover a story…and being very wary of Microsoft’s “copy and paste” functions when allied to Reuters and AP wire stories. Reuters, after all, is mainly a financial services company and though it has excellent journalists, their “daily wraps” of the main stories of the day will not be those that most concern ordinary people, certainly not the greatest proportion of humanity or the greatest audience.

Sarah Smith: Al Jazeera is launching an English language station. The expert on Al Jazeera, Hugh Miles, wrote about (in Al Jazeera : How Arab TV News Challenges America) how the Arabic language station hired you -as an award-winning journalist- once the channel became more successful and wanted to raise its profile. Will you be working for the English language station?

Afshin Rattansi: I certainly haven’t been approached. And whilst I think it has the potential to be something great – even building on the work that developing world international stations have been making since the Dubai Channel – I’m as yet unsure of the direction the channel is taking. They’ve taken on some excellent personnel. I think what will be critical – not only for sound editorial reasons – will be whether they can carve a niche that separates them from industry leaders such as CNN, the BBC and Fox. There are a lot of free-to-air international TV stations, now. But Al Jazeera Arabic was different because its perspective was shared by a swathe of people from the Atlantic to the Indian Ocean that just wasn’t compatible with the big corporate names in news.

Sarah Smith: But why have you not wanted to be part of such an exciting project – given your published work on managing start-up TV stations, getting cable access, writing remits and so forth? You were, after all, the first ever English-language recruit to Al Jazeera.

Afshin Rattansi: So far, I’ve already been told that there is no place for me on the network so, obviously, they’ve missed something very important in the start-up of the new channel! But, more seriously, it has to be said that within the industry, there are some great journalists who, I would have thought, would have been ideal recruits. International TV station start-ups are always complex and perhaps management of the new station has a long range plan that involves more commercial BBC-style news at the beginning to gain market access. My first boss at the BBC, Paul Gibbs, is one of the directors of the new channel so I know that they have some heavyweights when it comes to knowing the industry. He will be commissioning programmes and at the BBC Business Unit was known for innovative strands of programming.

Sarah Smith: The channel has hired some journalists very much from the neoliberal right. David Frost who is a friend of Israel even checked with the U.S. and UK governments before he would take on a job at the station. Their head of news, Steve Clark, produced extremely right wing programmes that were pro-Israeli. Do you have any fears about the channel?

Afshin Rattansi: As I said, start-ups are always quite fraught. And one must remember that there are a lot of people who are willing the failure of Al Jazeera International. I know Steve and he seemed relatively sane! I certainly don’t think it can be said – as some are alleging – that the English language station has been hijacked by the CIA or something, as some are having it.

As to the more disturbing bits of news we get about the start-up of the English language Al Jazeera channel, I think we should wait and see. Frost is a big name and TV stations do need stars. With all the money being thrown at the new channel, let’s hope that they are getting the really top notch producers and reporters and not those who are merely the dregs of big, corporate news broadcasting, looking for a tax-free salary and a bit of sun!

Edward Victor: The book that concerns TV news in “The Dream of the Decade” has been compared to Evelyn Waugh’s “Scoop”. Should it be read as a satire or did any of the things in the book actually happen.

Afshin Rattansi: Of all the books in the quartet, perhaps that one, “Good Morning, Britain” is the most autobiographical. Alas, some of the crazier things regarding the naivety of reporters are basically true. I certainly remember a very posh reporter who was unaware of public healthcare and when he went to cover a story about hospitals went to the only hospital he knew – a very expensive private one – so that the whole report became an advert for how wonderful medical care was in the UK. I’ve also met my fair share of war correspondents who delight in the perceived Hemmingway persona, obscuring the issues of geopolitical power in any theatre of war.

Sarah Smith: What broadcast news services do you think are good and how can journalism in general get better?

Afshin Rattansi: I think there are some gold standards at the moment. One of them is BBC World Service radio which whilst showing little in the way of innovation and often obscuring power-lines, still manages to feel truly global. Obviously, CNN when my little brother
is anchoring is also excellent! I have to admit that Fox News, which is doing well in the ratings, at least puts its heart on its sleeve – tacitly admitting it has an angle. It is much more frightening to watch news which suggests that it is unbiased when it is.

Ultimately, it will be up to the kind of people employed in journalism. At the BBC Today programme – shortly before the editor was fired – there were the beginnings of a recruitment process that was genuinely based on grouping people from different backgrounds to be in the newsroom. In Dubai, there were journalists from every country East and South of Algiers. But it’s not just ethnic diversity, it’s class diversity. You wouldn’t find many frontline journalists at the BBC from London’s Peckham area, nor at CNN from Dixie Hills. Ironically, the ratings on programmes which employed them would do well as so little on TV reflects the aspirations and concerns of the majority. However, I don’t think advertisers are that interested in those with low disposable incomes. And, in the UK, which has weathered the dumbing down of international TV better than most places, executives at government-funded stations feel the need – for complex reasons – to compete with commercial content.

A Boston vacation is a mesmerizing trip through the nation’s past and a celebration of its future and center of learning. Here in one city you can experience the start of the revolutionary war, see a coral reef, take a bus on a river, and experience the campuses of MIT and Harvard – and all before dinner.

You’ll find Boston vacations a refreshing mixture of historic and modern buildings. And what’s even better is you can see it all – or most – by foot. That’s right the ole soft shoe shuffle. You’ll save time and see more by walking the streets of Boston.

But before you do that I highly recommend an orientation tour first.

THE FAMOUS DUCK TOUR

One of the best and most unique tours is the Duck Tour ride. This is a popular 80-minute tour for first-time Boston vacation visitors. But be warned, during the summer tours are usually sold out by lunchtime – so make reservations in advance. You can pick-up and buy tickets for the tour at two places: The Museum of Science, and The Prudential Center in Boston’s Back Bay.

The tour is done in a renovated World War II amphibious vehicle. You get to not only experience Boston from the streets of the city, but also from the Charles River… and without getting wet!

That’s right, during the tour, the bus you’re on will become a boat, and you’ll see the beautiful Boston skyline from the river that separates Boston from Cambridge.

It’s a great tour and you’d have to be “quackers” not to do it! Sorry couldn’t resist it.

THE FREEDOM TRAIL

The Freedom Trail is a 2.5 mile easy-to-follow red brick line that links 16 historical sites together around the streets of Boston… and it’s free. It starts from Boston Common and winds its way through Boston landmarks such as the State House, Boston Massacre Site, Paul Revere’s House, USS Constitution, before ending up at the Bunker Hill monument in Charlestown.

If you do the whole walk, plan on at least 2-3 hours for distractions – nice ones though – or better still take the whole day.

The trail also takes you through Boston’s famed North End, where you’ll be sure to return during your Boston vacation to sample the superb Italian restaurants or stroll around this little corner of Italy.

THE NEW ENGLAND AQUARIUM

As San Diego has its world famous zoo, then Boston has the New England Aquarium.

New England and its coastline have a history of fishing and whaling. But today instead of harpooning whales, New Englanders spend most of their time saving them. And the aquarium is a vital link in the area’s ocean preservation movement.

The centerpiece of the aquarium is the giant tank. The floors of the aquarium run around the tank and up four levels. At the top you get to peer down into a coral reef and listen as the staff explains about the tank and the fish that live in it.

You’ll get the answer to questions such as: “Why don’t the big shark fish eat the little tasty fish?” or “How old are those huge sea turtles swimming around down there?”

Your ticket will include a visit to the Discovery next to the main building, where you can see and learn about sea lions during an amazing show. A few years ago the Aquarium opened an IMAX theater that shows a mixture of sea-related and general science films.

A word of warning – this is a favorite Boston vacations attraction for families so it can get crowded. But you’ll always get in, even when the ticket line seems to stretch for miles.

BEACON HILL

Beacon Hill is a popular walk for people on a Boston vacation. Here just off Boston Common you can stroll around Louisburg Square and admire the picturesque block of perfectly preserved residences.

This quiet and bewitching area is full of alleys and narrow red brick cobbled streets, where time has stood still for the last century. It’s a sheer delight to walk. You’ll find walled gardens and an authentic 19th century neighborhood feel. Even the original gas lights remain on streets lined with ancient elms.

While many tour buses and trolleys drive through Beacon Hill, the only real way of experiencing it, is by foot. So put on some comfy shoes, take out your camera and breathe in the scenery… its fine.

THE CENTER OF LEARNING

Boston has a strong tradition in universities. With MIT and Harvard perhaps the best known worldwide, but with other great colleges such as Tufts, BU, Boston College, and of course Northeastern.

MIT and Harvard are just a short train ride across the river. Take the Red Line to Harvard Square and hang-out in the Harvard campus and stroll the grounds, and if everything seems familiar to you, it probably is. Many movies – including Love Story – where filmed here.

And come back and visit at night when on a summer’s evening street performers are everywhere and you don’t have to pay a nickel for some of the best entertainment on your Boston vacation.

AND THERE’S MORE…

Other places to visit on your Boston vacation are THE J.F.K Library and Museum at Columbia Point in South Boston – and the Boston Harbor Islands, tours to the islands leave from Long Wharf and Rowes Wharf, both located near the aquarium.

Boston has tons of things to do and see, and I’ve really just started to scratch the surface for you. The rest is yours to discover and for more ideas check out my website at http://www.new-england-vacations-guide.com/

Copyright 2006 Kristy Haugen

Despite advances in treatments available, tuberculosis (TB) still remains a global pandemic. One third the human population is currently infected with tuberculosis. What is tuberculosis?

The disease tuberculosis is caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis can affect any part of the body but usually infects the lungs. Tuberculosis is spread through airborne droplets occurring when an infected individual sneezes, talks, or coughs. However, prolonged exposure to the infected individual must occur before you may become infected. The body may harbor the bacteria while the immune system prevents sickness. For this reason, there are two forms of TB: latent tuberculosis and active tuberculosis.

With latent tuberculosis, the immune system is able to prevent the bacteria from growing. The tuberculosis bacteria remain alive within the body but are inactive at this time. However, the bacteria can become active later in life. Those with latent tuberculosis have no symptoms, do not feel sick, are not contagious, and may develop TB later in life if they do not receive treatment.

Active tuberculosis simply means that the tuberculosis bacteria are growing within the body causing an active infection. Signs and symptoms of active tuberculosis include fatigue, slight fever, chills, night sweats, loss of appetite, unintended weight loss, a cough that lasts three or more weeks producing discolored or bloody sputum, and pain with coughing or breathing. Active tuberculosis is highly contagious.

What is causing the tuberculosis pandemic? Improved public health programs have helped to create a steady decline of tuberculosis cases in the United States. However, the problem is far from solved. Factors that contribute to the spread of tuberculosis in the U.S. and elsewhere include the increase in number of foreign born nationals, crowded living conditions, increase in drug resistant strains of tuberculosis, lack of access to medical care, and the increase in poverty.

Poorly ventilated and crowded conditions help to spread TB. This is one reason tuberculosis cases have reached epidemic proportions. Although the incidence of TB cases in the U.S. is declining, the incidence in other parts of the world is increasing. Half of the reported cases in the U.S. (in 2000) occurred in individuals that were born outside of the U.S. Individuals that live in poverty, move or migrate often usually do not finish the tuberculosis treatment. This is leading to drug resistant forms of tuberculosis.

Drug resistant strains of tuberculosis are a serious problem. Tuberculosis bacteria have developed strains of the bacteria that are resistant to each of the major tuberculosis medications. There are also strains of tuberculosis that are resistant to at least two tuberculosis medications. This multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) is posing an even deadlier threat to those affected. Individuals affected with MDR-TB are much more difficult to treat requiring a long term therapy of up to two years. The medications required to treat these strains can cause serious side effects. This is one great reason to complete the entire course of medication as prescribed by your doctor.

Certain factors increase your risk of contracting tuberculosis. An individual in an immunocompromised state is at risk of developing TB. A number of factors can cause the immune system to be in a weakened state. Some diseases can suppress the immunity such as diabetes, HIV/AIDS, and silicosis. Certain medications can affect the body’s immune system which includes chemotherapy drugs and corticosteroids. An increased risk of reactivated tuberculosis has been associated with the use of arthritis medications Enbrel and Remicade.

Individuals within close proximity of those infected with tuberculosis are at an increased risk of developing disease. Individuals in areas of high rates of tuberculosis (Asia, Africa, Latin America, former Soviet Union) have an increased risk of developing tuberculosis. Certain races (Hispanics, American Indians, Asian Americans, African Americans) in the U.S. are at risk of developing tuberculosis. What other factors may increase your risk of developing tuberculosis?

The older adult is at an increased risk of developing tuberculosis due to a weakened immune system. Individuals who are malnourished, lack adequate medical care, or who suffer from long term drug or alcohol abuse are at increased risk of developing tuberculosis. Health care workers are at increased risk of developing tuberculosis also.

If you develop any of the signs or symptoms listed above, you should seek medical advice. Individuals with HIV should be tested for tuberculosis, since the leading cause of death in the AIDS patient is tuberculosis. HIV and tuberculosis have a deadly symbiosis, in which TB increases the rate at which the AIDS virus replicates and HIV reactivates inactive TB. Health care workers are usually tested at least yearly for tuberculosis by Mantoux test. Individuals with latent tuberculosis reveal a positive Mantoux even though no symptoms of the disease are evident. Tuberculosis is also tested by chest x-ray and culture tests (urine, sputum).

Tuberculosis is a preventable disease. There are a few measures one can take to protect their health. First, you should be tested regularly. If you have an immune suppressing disease, live or work in a prison or nursing home, were born in a TB prevalent country, or have other risk factors, then a Mantoux test should be done every six months.

If you test positive without symptoms, speak with your doctor about treatments to reduce the risk of developing active tuberculosis. The most important step you can do for the public and yourself is to finish the entire course of medication. Treatment that is stopped to early allows the bacteria a chance to mutate to a drug resistant form.

A common expression is that we’re “going on a diet.” The phrase suggests that, like a vacation trip, there is a beginning and an end. We dream of the day we will reach our weight goal and how wonderful it will be when we don’t have to lead a life of painful deprivation.

In the back of our minds, there is a comforting little tape playing, promising us that when our weight loss campaign is over, we’ll be able to stop counting calories, carbohydrates, or fats. We long for the day when we no longer have to clench our teeth as we refuse a favorite dish that always causes us to salivate in our sleep. We reach for the carrot and celery sticks without anticipation or enthusiasm while torturing ourselves with visions of the special treats we’ll enjoy when the diet is over.

Uh, hello?

Allowing ourselves to think of a diet as a delineated, restricted period within our total life span is a sure avenue back to tent city (that refers to what we wear, not where we live). To have any hope of attaining permanent weight control, we must approach it as a lifelong effort, watching our intake day after day, week after week, year after year.

You feel your heart sinking in your chest. You think “If I have to live like this all the time, it’s just not worth it!” That little voice promises you that you are different. You can relax because now you know how to lose weight, you can do it anytime you want. Gain five pounds and you’ll go back on your diet and be back to goal in no time at all.

But you won’t! Think back over your chequered weight history. We all believe that once our weight is down, it will be so easy to go on a short diet if we gain back a few pounds. It doesn’t work that way, though, does it? We start gaining a pound here and a pound there, but then there are some special events coming up and a diet would be so inconvenient. We don’t go back “on” our diet until we’ve gained enough weight to develop the self-disgust that warrants a new period of serious deprivation. We have become a full-fledged member of the yo-yo club, that vast majority of dieters who cannot keep the weight off for more than a few weeks.

The reasons we go “on” and “off” diets are numerous: they are boring, depressing, and very uncomfortable. They set us apart from friends, family, and coworkers who continue to snack, to feast, and to celebrate. We resent how diets make us feel and how they impact our daily lives.

Let’s look at the whole picture from a different perspective for a minute.

Instead of “a diet” envision a way of eating that involves living on a diet for the rest of your life. While the prospect may appall you, don’t say you can’t do it just yet.

First, consider another wide-spread concept many of us accept. To lose substantial weight in a relatively short time, we need to select the diet that seems to fit us and then stay with it, religiously, until we’ve reached our goal.

Let’s now take these two concepts, squish them together, and then turn them upside down.

We are not “going on a diet.” We are starting our diet-for-life. We then pick a diet, any diet at all, and make the commitment to stick with that diet for one week, and one week only. At the end of the week, we are going to pick an entirely different diet to which again we only commit for a one week period. This continues for virtually the rest of our lives with selected diets changing on a weekly basis.

What does this accomplish? A whole bunch of things:

1.

By selecting a different diet each week, it removes those common misgivings that maybe we should have gone in a different direction. We worry that we’re not getting the right nutrients or that we’re going to get sick or develop a rare disease. We read the diet ratings and panic at the warnings posted for all the popular programs. With our new approach, you don’t have to fret about if you made a good or bad choice because you’ll be making a new choice in a week.

2.

If there are particularly painful “No-Nos” in this week’s diet, resolve to try something next week that allows a currently forbidden fruit. For example, a primarily protein regimen has been found successful for many participants who often lose five or ten pounds in a week. However, they miss the vegetables and salad they enjoy. The next week could then be a vegetables and salad only routine, also successful for rapid weight loss but a bit lean on the protein you body needs for self-repair.

You may then find yourself craving some good bread so you switch to the Subway diet for a week until your craving is satisfied. Move on to something completely different – the cabbage soup diet or liquid shakes. Since there are literally thousands of diets, a few are bound to include the food you crave.

You are never more than a week away from having what you feel you absolutely must have in order to keep going. You can include spartan fad diets that move fat quickly and you can include calorie counting or Weight Watcher diets that allow almost anything so long as you adjust your intake to stay within the totals specified.

3.

The frequent changes in your eating patterns keep your body off-balance. Give the body enough time and advance notice and it will adapt to anything, turning protein into carbohydrates and storing even low calorie carbohydrates as little pockets of fat. By totally changing what you eat on a regular basis, the body gives up trying to figure out how to thwart you and spends its time efficiently processing what you give it. You are effectively using your smart little mind to outmaneuver your smart not-so-little body.

4.

The constant changes force you to buy food in smaller packages. It’s pointless and wasteful to buy those family packs of anything. That will help you with overall portion reduction, a must for any serious dieter. Your shopping goal is only to purchase items that you can consume within a week. If you see something that you particularly want but is not on your allowed list, make a mental note to find a diet for next week that can accommodate it.

5.

The need for a new diet each week requires that you read and research a lot of diets. The reading acts as reinforcement for your goals and will assure your continuing education on nutrition and fitness. When you see something that intrigues you or just makes a lot of sense, try it out. Perhaps one week will involve barely restricted eating but require a lot of exercise. Go for it – it’s only a week.

6.

You are in the happy position of having wide choices available but also the needed structure of an organized plan to follow. The regimented eating is within each week’s diet; the power of choice is operative when you decide what the next week’s program will be.

7.

Can you stay on a diet permanently? Yes, you can, because you’re not restricting yourself from anything for life, just for a week at a time. Should you stay on a diet for the rest of your life? Yes, you probably should as long as you are getting a balance of foods from an intelligent mixing of alternative diet plans. If you like one diet more than another, or if one particular program works exceptionally well for you, by all means cycle that diet into your routine on a regular basis. Just make sure you don’t use the same plan more than once a month or your body is going to be ready for it and Zap! you find it no longer works so well.

8.

Can you over-diet? We have all seen (although they seem to be harder to find these days) overly thin, cadaverous dieters with sunken cheeks and loose skin. That can be avoided by making your selected diets very diverse so you are never without needed nutrients for very long. For example, many retirement homes and assisted living co-ops produce thin seniors with pallid skin and protruding abdomens. Replace their mushy, high starch meals with any of the myriad high protein and vegetable-fruit diets and their color will improve, their energy increase, and their tummies fade.

9.

Can you ever be too thin? Visit an eating disorder facility and you will see the results of anorexia nervosa, not a pretty sight and highly dangerous from a medical standpoint. If you have a history of overweight, you may tell yourself that being too thin will never be in the cards for you. However, there are not infrequent cases of the perennial heavy who becomes anorexic through dieting too much with resulting anxiety about gaining back even an ounce of the flesh so painfully discarded. If you have a distorted body image, and reliable friends are concerned about your being too thin, get professional help.

10.

It all comes down to using your brain intelligently. When you are at your heaviest, with the most to lose, the logical choice is a rather spartan program that will get the fat moving quickly. As you lose, more moderate programs can be interspersed so that your skin and cheeks have a chance to adjust and fill in as your weight stores become redistributed. If a particular part of your body is resistant to reduction, exercise may become a more important part of your plan than simply a dietary approach. Once you are hovering at your ideal weight, simple calorie counting or support group involvement may be all you need.

The secret is to be rational about it all and use that wonderful mind of yours to set the program for your not-so-intelligent body with its insatiable appetite and poundage conservation cravings. Don’t try to cheat unless you want to cheat yourself and then be honest and admit that, for whatever reason there is, you want to avoid further weight loss. When you want and need to lose fifty pounds, an ice cream and chocolate diet is not rational. When you are at ideal weight or below, a stringent fad diet makes no sense.

Will all this mixing of diets result in consistent weight loss? There is never consistency in weight loss because there are just too many factors involved: water retention, digestive inefficiencies, the amount of energy expended, and individual body quirks. Over time, you will lose steadily but there will always be some ups and downs along the way.

Once the concept of “going on a diet” has been discarded, a lifelong eating plan can be embraced, guaranteed to leave you in control of your weight for the rest of your long slender life.

Copyright 2006 Karl Stadler

It is late afternoon as the sun is slowly setting, you are lying comfortably on your beach chair watching the waves and your sipping a pina colada with one foot in the sand. A gentle breeze is bristles through the palm trees keeping you cool. You have two waiters at your beck and call, and another on standby for just in case. Next to you the dachshund is comfortably in his own chair with the latest branded dog sunglasses, watching the French poodles go by, thinking, “If my legs were just a little longer”. The laptop by your side connected to the Internet via satellite, announces every few minutes with the all too familiar sound that yet another payment has been made into your account. The utopia we would all like to be in, on autopilot, doing the thing we desire.

Now close your eyes and imagine yourself there.

If the Internet business was as easy as it is sometimes made out to be we would all be on that beach. Thinking about it, it will become quite a crowded beach, so we will have to build some high rise buildings to get the view, and before long we will have another city with everything we tried to get away from…

For most of us that utopia is our room or office and the view is mostly the computer screen. Pina colada’s are replaced by coffee, but the dog is still in the same frame of mind. But honestly, nothing stops us from taking that holiday, I would however suggest leaving the laptop at home.

If you are reading this I assume you are a Internet marketer fighting your way through the dense jungle of cyberspace to get your spot on the beach.

This is a hard slog as the Internet is growing and changing daily and there is no surefire way of achieving top status and then just staying there, sorry if I just ruined your lifetime dream of a permanent beach vacation.

Making money on the Internet is as easy and as hard as it gets. Here are some tips on web promotion if you intend to get to the top.

There are three ways to drive traffic to your site:

1.Buy traffic, with PPC, banners, and so on.
2.Generic searches through the search engines.
3.Articles.

The first method is simple if you have enough cash to throw around, but I do believe that that is not the case with most of us. A well planned and executed strategy with advertising has it’s rewards and can be very profitable but most marketers go about it the wrong way, you just don’t put ads up and expect people to buy. It just does not work that way and that is why so many startup Internet ventures fail.

Method two is a longer term method, but if done correctly you will be able to sip some pina colada’s on the beach while all the others are stuck in traffic.

Web Promotion is the best route to follow for sustained long term success.

You have to get your website seen by the major search engines, and you have to get ranked well in order to be found by people who are surfing. The main idea is to rank well in Google, but I guess you know this by now.

To get a top ranking in Google the following needs to happen:

1.Your site has to be indexed.
2.You must have links.
3.Your web pages have to be optimized and search engine friendly.

You are competing with millions of other sites and getting to the top is a difficult task for anyone.

This you might not believe, but you can do it for free, or close to, the only difference is that it will take longer to achieve your goal. By the way 24 hours is not the goal, more like 4 to 6 weeks is a good estimate.

Lets work backward from point 3 to 1.

Web Promotion: On Page Optimization

Follow these steps to optimize your page:

1.The page has to have a title within the title tags ‘TITLE’.
2.The title must be relevant to your page.
3.Use your keywords in the title.
4.Choose 2 to 3 keyword phrases for your keywords, not a million.
5.Use overture search to find the right keyword phrases and check them in Google.
6.Choosing the wrong phrases will never get you ranked, when starting out aim low, 1000 to 2000 searches per month.
7.Your heading must contain your main keyword phrase and must be in the ‘H1′ tag.
8.You must have a sub heading containing your second or third keyword phrase and it must be in the ‘H2′ tag
9.Your content must contain your keyword phrases, one per two paragraphs, don’t overdo it, Google will see this as spamming.
10.In your content bold each keyword phrase once with the ‘b’ tag.
11.Make sure your main keyword phrase appears in the last 25 words in your body text.
12.Your content should be original, and shouldn’t be less than 500 words.

In a seashell that is the basics of what you should do to optimize your page.

Web Promotion: Links

For Google however, off page optimization is the most important feature to determine your rank. This is nothing else than links to your site. This is the factor that determines the importance of your site.

Thousands of links will mean nothing to you, you have to get links that are relevant to your site and your site content. Choose your links wisely because unrelated links will count against you. You can use link farms but be very careful it can easily come back and hit you in the face.

There are two ways of getting good relevant links to your site:

1.Find websites that are similar to yours and email the web masters and ask for a link.
2.Write articles.

By writing articles you get two distinct advantages:

1.You will generate web traffic from your resource box in the article, anyone who reads it can click through to your site.
2.You will receive relevant links to your site from each website that publishes your article.

Web Promotion: Indexing

Last but not at all least, you will only turn up in a Google search once your site has been indexed.

Getting your site indexed basically boils down to your links, if you have links pointing to your site, Google will follow those links from other sites find your site and index it. Again writing and publishing articles for web promotion purposes is the cheapest and best route to take. If you need your site to be indexed faster, you are able to get indexed in 24 hours or 2 days. For a 24 hour index you must have a link from a PR7 page, and for a 2 days index a link from a PR6 page. There are sites where you can purchase these links if you are really in a hurry.

These methods, shortly described here are the basics of getting a better life for the dog, some really good looking French poodles, and some relaxation time for you on the beach.

You can read more on writing and submitting your articles by following the link in the resource box.

Never stop dreaming!

To learn to play guitar is difficult and easy at the same time. The guitar is a fascinating instrument. It is very difficult to master in some areas but you will also find wells of easy to play but nice sounding treasures among the strings.

In this learn to play guitar article I will give some examples of easy to play guitar chords and progressions. I will use guitar tab to help you find the notes on your guitar.

In this article i will only use the first four strings on the guitar. In the guitar tab staff notation I will also use only the first four lines. The first string is the thinnest string on the guitar or the E-string.

The first guitar tab progression will be in the key of D. The chords of the progression is Dmaj7 and Em7. Here is the guitar tab:

1. –2—0—
2. –2—0—
3. –2—0—
4. –0—0—

The guitar chord progression above can be used as a little intro in a song in the key of D. It can also end a song or be used as a break between verses in a song. You can repeat the progression to make it last longer.

The next example will use the first chord and a Gm6 as the second chord. This little passage can also be used as an intro in a song if you like it:

1. –2—0—
2. –2—3—
3. –2—3—
4. –0—0—

The following example will use just one chord, the D chord and it will be moved two frets up. When you move the chord up it will not be D anymore. It will change into a E7 or if you want E/D. This means that you play an E-chord with the note D as a bass note.

The chords in this guitar chord progression will be D and E7. Try it!

1. –2—4—
2. –3—5—
3. –2—4—
4. –0—0—

When you move the chord up the two frets you don’t need to lift you left hand fingers. Just release the pressure of your left hand fingers a bit and slide up to the new position.

This method of sliding to new positions can be used when you change between chords. Many times you can keep one or more of your fingers on your fingerboard and slide when you change to new chords. This will make it easier to find the chord and will speed up the chord change.

Our last little guitar chord progression will use the same progression with just a different way to play the E7 chord.

Remember that all these chord progressions can be repeated over and over as intros or something else in the key of D on your guitar.

1. –2—0—
2. –3—0—
3. –2—1—
4. –0—0—

Observe that you can slide with you first finger that you hoopefully have pressed down on the second fret of the third string when you play D. When you change to the second chord you can slide to the first fret.

The above progressions use the open D-string as a fundament so to speak and this bass note creates an illusion of peace in the chord progressions. In tonal music this bass note is called a pedal point.

If you like finger picking on your guitar I will give you a pattern that can be used with these chords. I will use the common classical guitar symbols for the right hand fingers. P denotes the thumb, i the first finger, m the middle finger and a the ring finger.

1. –a———–a—
2. ———-m——-
3. ——i———–
4. –p—————

I hope you will find this little learn to play guitar lesson helpful. There are a lot of chord progressions that sounds nice but are very easy to play. In other words, I will be back!

Copyright 2006 Emmanuel Segui

Others call it getting rapport. I call it creating links.

Let’s face it! Communicating is tough.

Have you ever asked yourself how you can get others to understand yourself easily? You thought: “This is so important, I don’t want them to misunderstand my meanings!”

Have you ever said to yourself: “He doesn’t understand a word of what I’m saying anyway!” with a feeling of disgust or criticism?

It’s like dialing a number, but dialing in the wrong order.

I’m sure you have felt this.

Dear friend, will you do me a favor?

Jot down 3 numbers for me… on a scale from 1 to 10, ten being the best, how would you rate these…

1. Your communication with your spouse or partner? 2. Your relationship with your children? 3. The effectiveness of understanding others and their point of view?

Now, what kind of difference would it make if you knew the keys that could unlock the tough doors of communication?

Okay, did you answer? Because knowing and using these keys on a daily basis is very possible, when you discover exactly how to create links to communicate at your best.

Without these keys, you can’t really learn superior communication.

The human potential is unlimited and good communication with your husband, your wife, daughter, son, friend or boss can definitively be achieved.

As a fact, studies show that 95% of unemployment is due to poor relationship and communication skills but only 5% are due to bad technical skills. Communication is vital to success.

Communication skills have the tremendous value of gaining a leadership position, a manager’s position or a successful marriage; they are priceless.

Learning superior communication is the ultimate security in a very un-secure world. Your ability to achieve effective communication through the power of language is truly the equivalent of modern day alchemy.

It’s like transforming lead into gold.

When you master interpersonal communication skills and create links with others, you can accelerate a career, make better profits, attract more clients, build customer relationships of trust, gain expert recognition, produce high impact, avoid a divorce or deal with it positively.

Imagine the feeling of confidence you’ll have knowing how to create a positive impact on other people’s life and get your ideas across the first time.

Powerful?

Successful?

So what kind relationship do you want to save?

And with whom do you want to create links?

Because when I understood that the first key to effective communication is to know myself, I couldn’t believe it.

You see, most people think that it’s the other person’s fault. “He doesn’t understand! He’s stupid or what? Didn’t I explain it to him twice; I can’t believe how slow he is? He’s too emotional”.

The mistake most people make is that they judge others who are created differently and thus communicate differently thinking and feeling that the other person is wrong, inept, lazy, rude, sloppy, or tense.

Communication is the response you get.

Wrong response? Then change your strategy. You just communicated the wrong way.

Suddenly, the point of focus has changed. It is not about them anymore, it is about you!

When you integrate that and make it your train of thought, you begin to act and think like a master achiever and great communicator.

Imagine being one of them.

Trust me, they knew that key a long time ago. That’s what lead them where they are now. They know themselves, understand others, their needs, their wants and are instantly capable of meeting them. And they got the sale, the raise, and the respect.

Knowing yourself is the number one key for effective communication. When you understand your communication style and how you perceive the world around you, you are on your way to being a great communicator.

Get Pre-Approved BEFORE you start shopping. This is the easy part, in a way. Remember I told you at the beginning of these articles to take charge of your car deal instead of letting the dealer lead you by the hand. It all boils down to financing.

If you can walk in with a check in your hand, you are in control. I will recommend a few companies that are reputable, have a proven track record in sub prime loans and all mail the check to you at home. You then will simply go into a dealership and pick out your vehicle, negotiate and buy like a cash buyer!

These companies are Household Finance, Capital One Finance, Americredit and E-Loan. You can do a Google search for all four, apply online, and get either an instant approval or one really quickly. When you are approved, they mail the contract to you and then the check. It’s that easy. You can also read about each lender HERE:
http://bad-credit-card-applications.com/auto-bad-credit-financing-loan.html

There is nothing more valuable than time and nothing more rewarding than piece of mind. Please don’t go running from dealership to dealership. Wrong. Pick out the 3 models of auto that you can afford. If you are looking for a program car (rental), call dealerships and inquire as to whether or not they have any. If you want a new, ask other people that are driving that particular model where they bought theirs and would they purchase there again. If you start hearing a lot of “I’ll never buy from them again”, move on. Something is wrong. Your new or used car is only as good as the service you will get AFTER the sale.

Negotiating:Most people hate this. I have only met 2 people in 14 years that enjoyed it; they were both retired and had nothing better to do. One did it for the fun of it and never even bought if you agreed to his price. Don’t waste other people’s time. If you don’t like the car, don’t negotiate on it. When you do find a car that you would own, tell the salesman you’d buy it right then if the price was right and if they provided you with a Car Fax. The keyword here is: ‘If the price is right’. How do you know what a good price is? Well…glad you asked. If it’s a new car, Kelley Blue Book will have dealer cost. Go to: http://www.kbb.com

If it’s a used car, compare used car figures at http://www.kbb.com
And
http://www.nadaguides.com

What’s the difference? Most dealers (with the exception of the West coast) will use NADA as their guide.

Here’s a quick rundown of what has occured so far.
Before you ever drove the car, you went by the dealership on Sunday, when there are no salespeople and you got the Vin# of the car and the equipment, year model and had a good look at it. You already knew that if you liked the car when you drove it, that you would buy it. The list price is in your pre-approved check category, to boot. You’ve already gone online and gotten wholesale, trade-in and retail values for the car.

‘Retail’ is what the dealer should ask for the car. This will help you to know whether or not the salesman is trying to add money to the car, or if the dealership is. ‘Trade-in’ is a figure to gauge approximately what the dealership traded for the car for. It will give you an idea of what the dealer paid for the car, before reconditioning fees and any ticket from service.

Now, not every make of car will bring trade-in value. Two that will at this time are a Honda and a Toyota. Those cars will bring trade-in value. Domestic cars generally will not bring trade-in value, with the exception of new, hot models. Other models will only bring ‘wholesale’. As an example, Kia makes a great car, but most will not bring close to trade-in value. Mitsubishi is going through changes and also won’t bring close to trade-in value. There are exceptions to the rule: Katrina and Rita-two hurricanes that created a short supply of used cars.

If you live in the south, that will be the case for a while. With the exception of a Honda and a Toyota, you can probably be safe offering less than trade-in. Not thousands, mind you, but less. Take into consideration the other costs of trading for a car. Also, ask the salesperson how long they’ve had the car. If the salesperson slips up and tells you they’ve had it a while, your negotiating should be easier. The reason behind that is that the dealer is paying interest on the car every month it does not sell. The book value is also dropping every month so it needs to go.

Throughout the car deal, make sure they know you are paying cash. Don’t mention that you have a check from Americredit or whoever. That’s none of their business. When you make a deal, insist on the Used Car Manager running a Car Fax before you sign any paperwork. A Car Fax will show if the vehicle has been involved in a serious wreck, was bought back from the original customer or is salvaged. This will put your mind at ease. If you don’t like the Car Fax, don’t buy the car.

Throughout your shopping, I can’t stress this enough-Do NOT fill out credit applications at each dealership. Every time you sign a credit application, the dealer pulls your credit report and your beacon score goes DOWN. That’s why I advise on getting approved ahead of time. There are numerous advantages to getting approved ahead of time. The main advantage is that you are in control, not the dealership. That’s worth a fortune in itself. Their job is to take control of you from the start of every meeting. Believe me; I know what I’m telling you. I lived that life for a long time.

For some reason, should you not be able to get pre-approved because your credit is extremely bad (a discharged bankruptcy is an instant-approval, by the way), and you have to go through an online clearinghouse like cars.com, don’t despair. Continue to follow my previous steps and advice and negotiate and insist on a Car Fax report.

When you do decide on a car and go into the Finance Office to sign the papers, I would like for everyone to know that you do not have to purchase any products in order to get the loan. If anyone in Finance tells you that you have to purchase a warranty and credit life to get the loan, that is a bold-faced lie.

Why would a Finance Manager do that? Because they work on commission, also. Surprised? Don’t be. That’s the way dealers set up Finance Offices from the start when they realized how much money could be made. The Finance Manager makes money off of the rate they quote you, the warranty they sell you, the gap insurance and the credit life and disability you buy. That’s how they make a living.

I’m not saying that any of these products are bad, though. I believe in extended warranties. I’m just telling you to shop around first. If you find a cheap warranty, check out the company and make sure they will give the dealer a credit card over the phone immediately when in need of repairs in any state. All in all, I will say this-a manufacturers warranty is always better than an after-market warranty. Always. Just negotiate on it if you want it.

The only reason why you would not want gap insurance would be if you literally paid cash for the car. Otherwise, gap is cheap (should retail around $495) and will pay the portion that insurance won’t pay if it’s totaled. Just remember what I said about the book dropping on a car every month. It will never be worth what you owe unless you put down a lot of money at the time of purchase and finance for a very short term.

Credit life and Disability insurance are a personal matter. If you have a life insurance policy, it can be used to pay off the car in the event of your death. If you are single, why do you need Credit Life? The only benefit would be if you are married with a family, it cuts down the payout time. In this situation, your spouse would not lose the car. Credit life in this situation will pay off quicker than waiting for an insurance policy to pay.

Disability Insurance pays out for a specified amount of time. It will not pay out for the entirety of the loan. It also has a specified start date from the time you are disabled. It doesn’t just kick in immediately.

This is a lengthy article, but the gist of it is this: do your homework at home first. Then get approved online. Then shop on Sunday. Then go get your car and negotiate on everything. It will be the easiest car-buying experience you have ever had. Regardless of your credit situation, if you follow my steps, you’ll have a car in no time and you’ll be an educated and informed customer during the process. Good luck!

Most people when they think of serious self-defense for their home and family think of acquiring a gun. The logic of such an acquisition is compelling; simplicity, easy of use, firepower and the finality of results.

The role of guns in our history is profound and historically well documented. “The right to bear arms” is embedded in our constitution and the very notion of freedom and liberty is closely associated with firearms. Guns are considered equalizers for all people. Anybody, regardless of status, size or physical power becomes a potentially formidable threat when in possession of a firearm. Given the availability and prominence of guns in our society, most people tend to scoff at the need to train in martial arts. Why spend years of time and commitment to forge our bodies, minds and spirits in the ways of the warrior when all one has to do is acquire a firearm?

People don’t realize that guns are just tools and with such powerful tools comes great responsibility. Tools used in the wrong way can become a threat to the user and to society and training is required even in the domain of guns. Legal issues, safety issues, control and effective deployment and use of these tools is critical to the existence of a safe, secure and functional society.

If training is not important then why do our elite protection agencies of society such as law enforcement groups and military forces engage so extensively in it? The prestige and reputation of various agencies is distinguished by the amount and type of training each has received. Special military forces such as army rangers and navy seals are held in higher regard than the average soldier because of their higher level of training. For the same reason FBI and Secret Service is held in higher regard and status than the average municipal police officer.

Similarities of Wing-Tsun-principles and firearms

A gun is a relatively simple but sophisticated tool for firing small projectiles at high velocity to penetrate the target with a straight trajectory. In a similar fashion, Wing Tsun (WT) is an unarmed system designed to achieve similar results.

Wing Tsun trains the body to be like a firearm mechanism. The hands accelerate explosively along a straight path to the target with the centerline analogous to the barrel of a gun. The forward steps serve as the gunpowder, or charge for the projectiles, as well as being the flight path for the attacks. In addition to the hands being likened to bullets, they can also be viewed a soldiers in war. Man Sao, or the front hand, is likened to one’s perimeter defense. Wu Sao, or rear protective hand, is likened to rear defense.

The value in guns and soldiers for self-defense is actually their offensive firepower to protect targets. Similarly, in Wing Tsun, when the limbs (i.e. the hands) are sent into “battle” and hand attacks are “chained” together, an “army” is created.

The invention of guns and firearms changed the whole philosophy and approach of warfare. In Medieval times very heavy body armor was used to protect one’s targets and consequently large heavy weapons such as the claymore broadswords and heavy battle maces were used to penetrate this heavy body armor. Mass and power were the order of the day. With combatants dressed in chain mail and body armor empty hand attacks were just not practical at that time. The advent of firearms rendered bulky metal armor and chain mail obsolete as well as the use of heavy hand weapons for warfare. Rapiers, sabres and light clothing, hand held muskets and cavalry, evolved and developed. Speed and mobility became more important, and in that regard, fencing was the principle swordplay that came into being.

Ironically, because of those developments that were set into motion by firearms, modern empty hand boxing became a practical supplement and alternative means of self-defense. Straight combination hitting, falling steps and shorter upright mobile stances became the foundation for modern empty hand combat. Additionally, grappling arts have evolved with modern times and in this arena speed and mobility are also paramount.

Firearms have also continued to evolve and develop in terms of improved materials and design. Modern guns possess greater firepower and have higher capacity clips and magazines. Today’s preferred handgun of choice for most police officers are semi- automatics, as opposed to the standard six shot revolver. Similarly, modern assault rifles also have large rates of fire and high capacity magazines. These types of arms have proven the most effective on the battlefield.

Wing Tsun is designed much like today’s modern firearms. This unique art stresses great mobility with its footwork and put emphasis on rapid rate of firepower. Chain punching in Wing Tsun can be likened to a machine gun, and with its fast and flexible footwork, it simulates a mounted machine gun on a mobile turret. Additionally, much the low thrusting kicks can be likened to a pump action shotgun, with their powerful blast like effects on the mid section, thighs, knees, shins and insteps of an enemy.

Wing Tsun Training to Supplement Firearms

As previously mentioned, complete, total self-defense based entirely on firearms is not sufficient or even adequate for today’s needs.

It has been well documented that many a law enforcement officer has been disarmed by determined criminal assailants when taken by surprise in close quarters. There has been much discussion on weapon retention techniques and programs. These in fact, constitute a study of martial arts. It is also known that most savvy, veteran law enforcement officers, carry a backup smaller pistol, in the event that their primary firearm fails, or is lost to them. In similar fashion, we in the civilian world can only learn and emulate form our better trained brethren. While the average citizen may not go on daily or weekly military maneuvers, martial art training is an undervalued, misunderstood and unappreciated tool for survival.

“The preservation and protection of our health” are foundations of our very existence here in this world. It is known that the law of nature is harsh, and the so-called civilized human world is no different at its core. Just like wild nature, human predators and prey abound. In every sphere of being, it is important to know where one is and to hone our instincts and intuition; to avoid, escape and, if necessary, fight predators. Self-protection and the protection of our family, loved ones and nation are primal instincts, desires, and responsibilities of everyone. Military and law enforcement are there to supplement our self-protection needs, not the reverse. Learning the ways of the warrior are necessary skills to our survival and growth, for we are all on the “food chain” whether we are aware of it or not.

In some states of our country, it is relatively easy to legally acquire a firearm for hunting or self-protection. In fact, more states allow a concealed handgun permit for law-abiding citizens. Even in these states, where people have exercised their rights to possess firearms, it is not always practical or convenient to carry a firearm. In addition, within a radius of 10-15 feet, unless one’s firearm is deployed, it is not a useable option, and in fact, in a close encounter, it could be readily taken from and used against the owner. And not every self defense encounters legally and morally justifies the lethal, final results that firearms produce. Martial art training gives the user many greater options of control.

Similar to veteran officers and warriors, martial arts training is the “backup pistol” we all need to invest in our survival and well-being. In this regard, Wing Tsun is the perfect addition to every modern, contemporary citizen. Besides the aforementioned technical features that virtually make Wing Tsun resemble a gun, the accompanying physical and spiritual training of the programs make it the best value of this century.

The average person of modest physical talent and ability can effectively and readily employ Wing Tsun to protect and improve the quality of their lives on a daily basis. Not every martial arts style or program can truthfully make this claim. Many styles and systems require excessive physical power and ability, rendering them impractical for the average civilian.

Our Wing Tsun and self defense programs are fun, logical and train the students on multi-levels in a short period of time. They strengthen the body and the balance, and hone ones physical, mental and spiritual abilities. Strategy and tactical skills are also taught, and these are further integrated into an understanding of philosophical and legal arenas.

The Wing Tsun system is based on an ingenious integration of mathematics, physics and philosophy. It continues to grow and evolve based on its scientific and Buddhist, Confucian and mainly Taoist philosophical roots.

In summary, firearms are effective self defense tools but you may need Wing Tsun training to fill the gaps in your personal safety net. Do you have your gun on you right at this moment?

We offer several classes and programs for beginners, advanced martial artists and instructors who are looking to offer new classes to their members.