Monday, September 14, 2009

Ass Off the Fence Has Moved

Hey guys, thanks for following my blog--Ass Off the Fence has defected to typepad. I'm still blogging but it's now Off The Fence at http://www.offthefence.typepad.com

You can look it up and follow me from there--it should be much easier to find now.

Thanks guys,
Ken

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Move @!*&$, Get Out da Way!

We finally decided to get bicycles this summer and, like thousands of fellow Montrealers, drive the car less. Before I became an avid biker I'd listen to my partner and good friend Eric Audet tell stories of altercations, some minor and some not so minor, that he'd gotten into with drivers and pedestrians concerning bike, car and pedestrian etiquette.

I use to tell him "Eric you're F@$*'in insane, riding is suppose to be fun, relaxing", but now I know exactly what he's talking about. I can't tell you how many times I've been riding, and in the bike lane to boot, and have some idiot pedestrian with their head up their ass step right into bike lane with no regard for their safety or mine and I have perform evasive manouvres to save both of our lives-- it happens every day.

What are they thinking when they see the bike lane?--"Wow there's so much room to walk now I love it, I can bring my whole family!" No you F@&! that's for bikes, that's why there's a big picture of a BIKE asshole.

I have a little something now for people who wander aimlessly into the bike lanes of Montreal. It's called scaring the SHIT out of them. This one prick was walking in the middle of the bike lane, plenty of room on the sidewalk but no, he prefered our lane so I rode right up beside him and yelled "BIKE LANE!" You should have seen the F2$%er jump! Hey, every action has a consequence.

Listen, I don't want you to think I'm hiding behind bushes looking to ambush poor, unsuspecting pedestrians, all I want is to enjoy my bike and to be safe, so please, if you're one of those people or know of one that just can't get enough of walking in the bike lane in the summer, well you get what you get.

Saturday, July 25, 2009

Another One Bites The Dust

Dana White and the UFC demonstrate once again that they have the mixed martial arts world by the balls. Affliction, which was the UFC's main rival, if you can call it that, had to cancel their latest promotion due to the positive steroid test of Josh Barnett.

Barnett was slated to fight Fedor Emelianenko, whom many believe to be the best mixed martial artist on the planet. Not only did Affliction cancel the whole card, but they also announced that they would no longer be in the business of promoting fights. Affliction will instead work with the UFC. No one is quite sure what this means, but you can bet the terms of the deal will be controlled by Dana White.

White always said that "Affliction made great T-shirts but they're not in the fight business, we are". The collaboration between the companies probably means that UFC fighters can now expect sponsorship deals from Affliction and who knows, maybe it means that Fedor will one day fight for the UFC.

This a great example of 'if you can't beat them join them'. Affliction definitely had the money to compete with UFC but their fight promotion IQ was too low. The only other orginization in North America that has been able to survive outside of the UFC has been Strikeforce, based in San Jose California.

Strikeforce never set out to compete with the UFC. Instead, they went after smaller, local markets and created a niche and are thriving in their own way.

So after being at odds for a little over a year I think this re-kindled partnership between the UFC and Affliction will good for both the fans and the fighters.

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

UFC 100

UFC 100 came and went without any real surprises, except for Brock Lesnar yelling at Frank Mir after opening a can of whoop ass on him then in the same sentence snubbing one of the UFC's main sponsors, Bud Light, by choosing to drink Coors Light instead, and then having to apologize for his behavior in the post-fight press conference.

Oh ya, what about Dan Henderson laying out Michael Bisbing with the right hand that Bisbing was circling into all night. To talk all that trash and to then be laid out like that, I thought Henderson killed him. It's kind of ironic, Bisbing looked exactly like his countryman Ricky Hatton when he was sent crashing to canvas courtesy of Manny Pacquiao's right hand. They both fell flat on their backs and looked quite peaceful as their corners tried to revive them after the referee counted them out at 30.

What can you say about GSP. He gets better with every fight and continues to put pressure on Anderson Silva for the pound for pound title. St.Pierre was never in any real trouble during the fight and again was able to take his opponent down at will. St Pierre is methodically cleaning out the welterweight division and in my opinion has already surpassed Matt Hughs as the greatest welterweight of all time.

Who's up next for GSP? Does it really matter, St Pierre is one of those rare athletes that it doesn't matter who he's competing against you'll want to witness every masterful performance.

Monday, July 6, 2009

Rags to Riches

With UFC 100 coming up the Spike network has a special called 'UFC's 100 Greatest Fights'. Watching it, I realize how far mixed martial arts has come from it's beginning as a side show with no weight divisions or gloves into a legitimate sport with some of the greatest athletes the world of athletics has seen.

Owning my own business, I look at the UFC a little differently. What really fascinates me is how the UFC went from near bankruptcy in 2004 to what it is today. How close was the UFC to just closing shop? Owner Lorenzo Fertitta called Dana White, president of the UFC, in 2004 and said "I can't do this anymore. I am blowing all my money."
He told White to get out on the street and and see how much he could get if they sold it. White was able to raise about $6 million, the bad news being that they were $38 million in the hole. Lorenzo and his brother Frank decided at the last minute not to sell, to figure out how to make it work instead.

Dana White has always said that one of the best moves in turning everything around was getting the Ultimate Fighter series on Spike TV. It was a huge gamble. The first season cost them $10 million with no guarantee that it would even work but before the show aired the company started building some momentum. Tickets where starting to sell and pay-per-view numbers showed some improvement, not to the point where they were making money, but enough to know that something was changing.

When The Ultimate Fighter finally aired everything took off, but it had taken $45 million before the business started to sustain itself.

So personally, when I look at the UFC I'd almost rather listen to how White and the Fertitta's brothers were able to dig out of the hole that they got themselves into than focus on who's on the next card.

Monday, June 29, 2009

Entrepreneurship: Taking the Plunge

With the recession in full swing, major corporations showing huge losses, and people from all sectors losing their jobs, folks are looking for other ways to make a living. The idea of becoming your own boss and becoming an entrepreneur seems to cross peoples mind more often during trying times such as these. In fact, throughout history huge fortunes have been made in down-times.

Deciding to become an entrepreneur can be an overwhelming and exciting endeavor. When I bought my first business I had no idea what the hell I was doing. I thought passion for what I was doing would carry me through and I would figure out the rest on my own. WOW. Although passion is a crucial part, passion on its own won't put money in your pocket.

The first thing you need to be is smart enough to realize that you don't know anything and that your going to need help. The first thing I did when I came to that realization was to start reading. I read books on how to be successful in business. The first book I read was one that was recommended to me: E-Myth by Michael.E.Gerber, which radically changed the way I looked at business, how a business should be run, and that I was going to be out of business very soon if I didn't get a handle on things.

I went from a guy who hated reading to reading at least one book a month on my new profession of being an entrepreneur. So my first piece of advice would be to educate yourself before you do something stupid.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Surviving Renovations

Renovating your business can be a stressful affair. Unless you're a multinational corporation or have loads of money and are able to hand over the project to a firm that specializes in this sort of thing, chances are you're overseeing the project yourself.

We started renovating our training center a week ago and we were naive enough to believe that we would only have to close for a couple of days, when in reality we should have closed for two weeks. Fortunately, we had the foresight perform the the work during our slow season.

Our business is dependent on memberships so for every day that we were closed we added a day to our members membership; just because you're stressed out doesn't mean your clients have to be as well.

Choosing the right contractor is crucial--not only do you want to get the work done at a fair price but you want to make sure that they really know their craft. If you don't know anyone off-hand ask friends, family, other business associates, and if you can, try to see some of the their finished projects.

It's also important to note that a residential contractor is different from a commercial contractor, so know the difference. Check to see if you need any permits, make sure you get those in order, and get an estimate in writing. We were lucky that I went to school with my contractor, although my memories of Robert when we were in college consisted of him drinking himself into a stupor, putting a garbage can on his head and asking, "who turned out the lights?", but god bless him, he's a great contractor.

When trying to figure out how much this will cost you believe me, no matter how much you sit and rack your brain about all the possible expenses that will arise it's going to cost you more, so whatever number you come up with add a cushion of about 20%--and that doesn't include lost revenue from having to close down operations.

So when performing renovations a little planning and research will help you to sleep better while your business is undergoing a make over.

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Think About It

I've owned my own training center for several years now along with my wife and my friend Eric. We do privates, semi-privates and group classes. My love for combat sports such as boxing, kickboxing and mixed martial arts has helped me create a business that uses my passion for these disciplines to help others achieve physical fitness, and have fun while doing it.

Most of my clients have no ambition to be professional fighters or pro athletes but were bored with their gyms, training regimes or just decided that they wanted to get in shape for the first time in their lives.

I've always believed that physical fitness should enhance your life and not take away from it. The reason I love using combative sports to get others in shape is that it not only works the body but forces you to think while training.

I don't focus solely on technique while training my clientele so as not to take away from the overall conditioning experience, people want to sweat, but at the end of a session people want to feel like they've learned something as well. If done correctly, they feel a double sense of accomplishment--not only are they working hard physically but they understand the mechanics of a left hook as well.

Saturday, June 6, 2009

Your Date With a Personal Trainer Shouldn't Be a Blind One

When considering hiring a personal trainer the quantity of degrees and plaques he or she has on the wall isn't always a clear indication of the type of service that you're going to get. Of course you want someone that is qualified and knows what they are talking about but at the same time you want to find a trainer that is passionate in their approach to fitness.

A private trainers duty is to help you navigate through various exercise routines, help you achieve specific goals that you have set for yourself, and give you advice on nutrition. A trainer also has to be a great motivator, knowing when to push you and when to ease off.

If you're going to pay for private training you're going to need to have some sort of rapport with your trainer. Ask for a meet and greet--the last thing you want to do is spend good money only to realize that you don't even like your trainer.

For new clients I like to have them come to my training center and basically have a chat. Not only does this ensure that the potential client likes what I have to offer, but also ensures that I like and can help them as well. It's a two-way street. I don't want to waste their time and I don't want to waste my own time either.

You should never be charged for the meet and greet.


Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Drink Water Damn it!

So I was talking to one of our students, (who shall remain anonymous), and the student informed me that she doesn't drink water. Ever.

I couldn't believe what I heard: no water! Our body is made up of water. People-I can't stress how important it is to drink water.

If your urine is the colour of Jack Daniels, you're dehydrated. Your urine should be the colour of lemonade.

Whether you're going out for a heavy night of drinking, exercising, walking or whatever it is, your body needs water.

The first thing you should do when you get up every morning is "start re-hydrating yourself with at least 16 oz. of H2O". Bill Hartman of Men's Health also states that "German scientists recently found that doing this boosts metabolism by 24% for 90 minutes afterward, (a smaller amount had no effect.) What's more, previous studies determined that muscle cells grow faster when they're hydrated."

During your workout you should also sip water, the emphasis on sip as your body uses water much more efficiently this way.

So remember: sip water throughout the day, especially if you plan to train that day. The general rule is as least 3.5 liters of water during the course of a day.

Saturday, May 30, 2009

Exciting Boxers Rejuvinate the Sweet Science

Boxing fans finally have something to look forward to--Floyd Mayweather vs. Juan Manual Marquez. Boxing seems to be making something of a comeback after, in my opinion, taking a backseat to the UFC.

Manny Pacquiao from the Phillipines--who most people believe to be, pound for pound, the best boxer in the world today--is fresh off his two-round destruction of Britain Ricky Hatton. The thing that makes Pacquiao so exciting is his willingness to fight.

When you drop fifty bucks to watch Manny fight one thing you know for sure is that he's gonna bring it. He has that great mix of speed, power, passion for his craft, and a willingness to learn.

After fifty professional fights the man seems to be getting better.

For the most part he only had two punches in his early career: right hand followed by a straight left as Manny is a southpaw (right side forward). That was pretty much it--straight in, launch a one-two and get out.

It was pretty predictable--it's just that he hit so hard that usually he was able to get away with it--and don't forget that Manny started his boxing career at 16 years old, weighing 106 pounds, and worked his way through the ranks, growing up and out to eventually fight and dominate a 147 pound Oscar de la Hoya.

Now under Freddie Roach, he's added hooks, great head movement and solid defense on top of everything else. He also seems to love training, Roach himself has said that sometimes he has to tell Manny to take a day off.

Pacquiao seems to be on a collision course to fight Mayweather if Mayweather can get by Marquez.

Pacquiao has had two epic battles with Marquez and was awarded the decision in both fights though some ring observers believe that Marquez won at least one of those fights. Marquez is a classic Mexican warrior cut from the same cloth as other legendary Mexicans like the great Julio Ceasar Chavez, Eric Morales and Antonio Barerra.

Marquez goes hard to the body, especially with that beautiful left hook to the liver; it seems that all great Mexican fighters inherit that lust for the body. Marquez also carries a trait that all great fighters have: HEART.

When he fought Pacquiao the first time he was down three times in the first round and badly hurt but the fight still ended up going the distance--all twelve rounds. Marquez lost by decision but many critics believed he won the fight.

He's been cut, fought with a broken nose (a gift from Pacquiao in the first round of their first fight), and he's felt what it's like to have his heart broken (losing close decisions). He's felt every emotion possible as a fighter.

In my opinion, if it wasn't for Mayweather and Pacquiao then Marquez would be the best boxer in the world today.

However, Mayweather probably has the best defence of all the fighters out there. The thing that makes him so dangerous is his ability to turn his defence into offense. He slips and rolls with punches like no-one can, except maybe James Toney back in his prime.

Mayweather makes great use of his elbows and shoulders when he's infighting. Not only can he defend himself with his shoulders he can also use them to create space to launch his attack.

He's incredibly intelligent when it comes to boxing and for someone so slick he's also pretty tough on the inside. Ricky Hatton tried to rough Mayweather up inside but he got roughed up instead. Hatton even admitted that Mayweather was stronger than he thought inside.

Marquez vs. Mayweather should be an entertaining fight if Mayweather wants to fight--in my opinion it all depends on Mayweather. If Mayweather wants he could use his footwork and speed to win a boring decision but if he decides that he wants to make a statement with this fight and really engage Marquez then we could be in for a great show.

Mayweather might be stronger than Marquez on the inside and too fast for him on the outside. That doesn't mean that Mayweather is guaranteed a victory; Marquez has a great ability to recover after being hurt and if he pressures Mayweather and is able to sustain that pressure it could make for an interesting fight.