A Note ON Image Brand & Style + Individual Training

*Take care of your appearance. It’s important.

*Take care of your image. It’s important.

*There is nothing wrong, with having a style.

*A look can be based off of tech, video games, intellect and dignified mannerism, but you should not neglect working out.

*The Way is in Training. IN all things.

A personal look or brand established through the use of certain colors worn, accessories used and hair style, or articles of clothing can make someone look cool. So too can using physical training for aesthetic and athletic development to enhance a sense of personal style.

Smells and perfumes can be used in much the same way, as can facial creams and soaps.

Sometimes a style can just be a generic, rugged look as well, a crew cut or shaved head and a goatee, is not unstylistic or unstyled. Nor is long hair and shaved face or long beard unstylistic.

Sticking with a particular type of look and learning to match clothing with it in order to accentuate a particular look is not a bad thing. It is important also to think of upholding a standard of dignity for one’s own family and the honor of the family name as well as one’s own.

A personal aesthetic should involve looking healthy, strong and fierce for a man, that is my personal belief. Did you know, that features of the face on a man that have become soft or effeminate can become much more masculine, angular and well defined with training as testosterone spikes in the body?

Unfortunately scientific literature does not seem to have addressed this topic. But I can assure you from my own experience that a coach potato will have a potato face, however, should he become a gym rat his features become more angular, sharper and his cheek bones tend to get higher. His face will typically get leaner naturally. And over time his body composition will become leaner as well.

The same effect is observable in women actually, but they will not look manly as a result of going to the gym. Women do not feel safe going to the gym usually and it is noticeable and a good instinct. Women who do go to the gym, should go with other women in a group, or with their boyfriend.

People who are interested in athletic training do not need personal training and are often better off without it, but should instead read a textbook.

It’s better not to insist on women getting personal trainers, but if they do get one, it’s better that they be trustworthy female personal trainers. Because such women know how to train women, and also this can avoid problems (not a joke, protect your girlfriends).

The problem with personal trainers is that they may train athletes to the point of dependency on them. It can be helpful to get a personal trainer to help meet specific goals short term. The short answer would be: it depends.

For extreme athletic goals, a trainer of some sort is necessary in most any sport, but usually this is done and understood by an athlete in cooperation with his team. Not every athlete does this, and I have been very guilty of not cooperating well with a team before.

It is important that a top athlete understand his necessary and important role in *helping* to lead and organize his team, in cooperation with his coaches. Narcissism in the heat of competition is actually helpful only on the playing field.

When actually communicating it’s important to maintain a commitment to the sport and to one’s sporting career, and be able to cooperate as needed with the team. If there are problems outside of the ring or what have you, get them sorted out.

If sports are a priority, make them a priority, but understand that if every part of your life around sports falls apart, how do you play?

The answer is very simple: You fix whatever is wrong and maybe that means no martial arts for a while because you need to move out of where you live if you’re young and your home life is bad, maybe it means getting a job to be able to afford being able to eat.

*Note to coaches: If an athlete is very dedicated but still having problems that are difficult to pinpoint, it is probably a problem at home and/or a sign of extreme trauma (not necessarily just at the home).

*2nd Note to coaches: If an athlete exhibits extraordinary talent in some area(s) that should mean great performance, it may be that the athlete is experiencing extreme fatigue (mental or physical, or possibly being targeted in some way)

*3rd Note to coaches: The Way is in training. IN all things.

— Notes on Hair Color
Carefully dyed hair that is assuredly healthy on men with flaring colors, can look interesting and add a punk element of individuality. Especially with carefully groomed hair, it can still look professional, but it is difficult to apply such grooming.

(The spiky orange, yellow red look favored by punk rockers a while ago, is interminably cool. Especially when a man takes care of himself, women do notice such things. But natural hair color, is also acceptable.)

On women, such an effect is also interesting and many men might find this look attractive. To me, the best colors for hair are mostly just red (in various types, but not pink), yellow, blonde (platinum blonde looks good, but it might not work). Personally, I still prefer black hair.

*This can be through the use of well-groomed beards on men as well. Beards are somewhat costly to maintain, but not too unaffordable for most people.

*It is important not to cut hair with clippers down the scalp because it can cause premature (but probably temporary) hair thinning (maybe balding) in men.