Face it, martial arts are cool. All martial arts. That’s why action heroes like Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan are household names. But, as a martial artist myself, there are four arts that I happen to think are the pinnacle of cool:
1. Hapkido
Hapkido is a Korean martial art that is derived from Japanese Jujitsu. It is a joint locking art – meaning that it specializes in manipulating, locking up and breaking the attacker’s wrists, elbows, shoulders, knees, etc. It also has an extensive throwing and striking repertoire. It’s the most thorough and comprehensive martial art I have ever seen.
2. Japanese Jujitsu
There are many styles of Japanese Jujitsu, including Danzan Ryu and Wally Jay’s Small Circle Jujitsu. But I’m thinking in particular of the highly refined styles of Hakko-Ryu and Kokodo Jujitsu. These are pain compliance styles, dealing with extremely painful joint locks and pressure point strikes. Styles like this can be tedious to learn and take many, many years to master. But here’s the thing: in the hands of an expert, they look like magic. Imagine someone grabs your shirt, shoulder or lapel. You lay your hand on top of his, and with no further contact you drop him down onto the ground, face down, shrieking in agony. Sound impossible? It’s not. It’s the coolness of Jujitsu.
3. Judo
Again, a nearly magical Japanese martial art. By learning to sense the energy of your opponent’s movement and harmonize with it, and by learning principles of leverage, you can flip a guy over your hip or shoulder, toss him through the air, and dump him on his head. Great stuff.
4. Silat
Here we’re breaking ranks a bit. The previous arts were all East Asian, but now we’re moving south, to Malaysia and the islands of Indonesia, where we find the most brutal and devastating martial arts ever created: Pencak Silat, or Silat for short. There are hundreds of styles of Silat, but all are viciously efficient. They are close-quarter arts, utilizing elbow strikes, knee strikes, head manipulation (whiplash), and low-line kicks to utterly destroy the enemy. They also focus heavily on blade work, including knife fighting, machete and sword. If you’re looking to fight off predators in the harsh urban environment, you can’t go wrong with the super-cool and super deadly art.
1,000 Ways to Make Money Online
This is a very cool book by Rob Rednalab, an experienced internet entrepreneur, that lists 1,000 different ways to make money online. Many of these require zero start-up capital. It’s the The ultimate encyclopedia of money making ideas!
I mentioned Blogging to the Bank 2.0 below, but there is an updated version out now: Blogging to the Bank 3.0.
It’s a simple method of making money by blogging (a LOT of money, in some cases) that works. It’s easy to master, and it can provide a steady and even lucrative income to anyone who takes the time to learn it. That’s pretty cool, you have to admit. In today’s economy, with layoffs everywhere, it’s good to know there are alternatives. I personally have not worked a “job” since 2003, and yet I bought two homes (the second one fully paid for in cash) and a car. So yes, I recommend Blogging to the Bank 3.0!
What do you get when you take the creators of some of the tastiest food in the world – Chinese, Indians and Malays – and squeeze them all onto a small island for hundreds of years and let them mix?
You get the best food in the world, namely the food of Singapore. Singaporean recipes include the most amazing flavors of the famous Singapore food stalls and restaurants. This is food that’s versatile, flavorful and healthy. It’s the coolest food in the world.
If you had Ten Cool Things, life would be perfect. So what are they? I like gadgets, martial arts, and ice cream. Maybe you like white wine, and French films. No problem. I’ve compiled a list of Ten Cool Things that supersede differences in taste. Everyone will find exciting things here.
1. Love: How to Be Irresistible to Women or Men.
Did you know that there are some fairly simple techniques you can learn that will make you virtually irresistible to the opposite sex? It’s true. Behavioral scientists have known about these techniques for a long time. Some people have them naturally and we say those people have “charisma,” but these techniques can be learned easily. They send powerful signals to a woman’s subconscious (or a man, if you are female) telling them that you are desirable and sexy.
2. Happiness: The Totally Tranquil Stress Relief Program.
Happiness is total relaxation, total comfort. This program is very cool. All you do is put on a pair of headphones and listen. It directly affects your brainwaves to induce euphoria, relaxtion and creativity.
Also Recommended: Success & Inner Strength. Four Simple Steps To Empower You In All Areas Of Your Life.
It might sound like just another workout program, but this book is really a plan to escape the prison of your past. If you’re haunted by feelings of depression, hurt and betrayal, this book will help you escape your emotional prison and embrace a future of hope, fulfillment and love.
3. Health: Fat Loss For Idiots.
Ok, maybe you’re not an idiot. And maybe you’re not fat. But we could all stand to lose a few pounds for our health and our sex appeal. Fat Loss 4 Idiots will get you there easier and faster than anything you’ve tried.
4. Strength: I’ve got one word for you: Dumbbells.
Yes, dumbbells! Gyms today are full of all sorts of complex machines, some of which are a mystery, and some that are downright dangerous. People have forgotten the basics. There is no better way to get totally muscular and ripped than with dumbbells. You can transform your body with dumbbells.
5. Charisma: Conversation Fire & Charisma Secrets.
What is charisma? What makes some people charming, magnetic and attractive, and others not? Wouldn’t it be cool if it were something you could learn easily? Well, it is! It’s about certain behaviors and subconscious cues that you send out that tell people that you are confident and sexy, and that make them want to get to know you and please you.
6. Sex: 500 Lovemaking Tips & Secrets.
Get more passion and intimacy in your life with these great lovemaking tips from an Oprah romance expert. I thought I knew a lot about lovemaking, but there’s some great stuff in here that was totally new to me, and not necessarily kinky stuff either, but little ways and places to touch and caress that drive a person wild… ok, enough of that, I’m getting hot now.
For Men in Particular: Sex God Secrets
This one is incredible and will blow you away. Most men never learn these secrets and the ones that do can’t keep the women away. There’s nothing else this good on this subject on the internet.
7. Money: Blogging to the Bank 2.0
Yes, this works. If I told you how much money people make blogging, you wouldn’t believe me. Just try it yourself. You don’t have to be a great writer, either. Just follow this blueprint that lays it all out for you: what subjects and keywords to write about, how to monetize the blog, and how to set it up so it runs practically on autopilot.
Also Recommended: If you already have a website and even a small mailing list, you have to check out 15k In 7 Days – Super Affiliate Style. This Walmart employee with a tiny mailing list made $15,000 in 7 days using this little known affiliate program.
8. Style: The Men’s Grooming Handbook
Men who are well dressed and groomed make more money, get more attention from women, have more sex, get better care from doctors, and are promoted more quickly at work. The Men’s Grooming Handbook will tell you what you need to know about clothing, hair care, hygiene issues, your smile, and more.
9. Food
Ah, food! A person can put up with just about any hardship if the food is good. Here is my favorite cookbook, loaded with delicious recipes:
500+ Healthy Chinese Recipes: Chef Nicholas Zhou has 45 years of experience cooking Chinese food. His book was a bestseller in China, so you know it has to be good. Now it’s available in English for the first time.
10. Free Fun – Painting in the Woods
“Never let lack of money interfere with having fun.” ~Unknown
Back when we were young, we may have asked our parents for money to do things, but more often than not, we found creative ways to have fun without spending a dime.
Here’s an idea: get out into the woods, tack a canvas up between two trees, and paint. Make sure to put a tarp on the ground so you don’t drip any paint on the forest floor. Don’t worry about being perfect. Just let your hand flow and paint what you see. You’ll get fresh air, hear forest sounds, and create something fun.
