Random Acts In Your Fencing Drills

Drills are an important part of both teaching new techniques and training in their execution. To provide the best training it seems reasonable that drills should be as realistic as possible, incorporating both sufficient repetitions to develop a skill and simulated bout conditions to increase the richness of the learning. When we look at the conditions of the bout, one of the obvious characteristics is the potential for essentially random acts by opponents. The challenge is in how to incorporate those in drills.

Unexpected random acts fall into two basic categories, acts of omission and acts of commission. Both can be incorporated into drills.

Acts of omission occur when one of the fencers fails to do something expected. A simple example is in a drill where one fencer attacks and the other parries and ripostes. Attackers may cooperate with the defender by offering up attacks that are slow, wide, and easy to parry. If the defender randomly does not parry, the attacker's incorrect attack will miss, providing an incentive to execute good attacks that the defender has to work to parry.

Acts of commission are a bit more difficult to inject into the drill, because the intent is not to break up the training value of the drill or induce free fighting. However, one fencer can be instructed to change the tempo, distance, or timing of an action randomly. For example, a drill might be structured so that one fencer starts at the rear of the strip and executes two steps and an advance lunge to hit with the desired technique, repeated down the strip and reversing roles at the end. Several possible ways to insert random acts that will make the drill more demanding suggest themselves:

- the defending fencer can randomly attack into the preparation, forcing the intended attacker to stay alert during the distance preparation, or

- the defending fencer can randomly parry and riposte on the final lunge, or

- the defending fencer can simply stop retreating at some point in the preparation or advance of the advance lunge, collapsing the attacker's distance (this might be considered either an act of omission or of commission, the latter especially if the fencer extends a point in line of stop action).

Random acts should not replace the main training or learning point of the drill, and probably should not occur in more than 10% to 15% of the drill repetitions. They require that the fencer who will do the random act understand it thoroughly and be able to execute it at an appropriate time. In the initial stages of instruction, their use is probably not appropriate, especially for beginners or where the skill is complex. They become more valuable as the level of experience of the fencers increases, both overall and with the specific skill. So if your fencers need a more demanding drill experience, consider inserting random acts in their drills.

Bipolar Disorder Is More Than Just Mood Swings

During the course of our lives, we all experience ups and downs. Some days we feel happy and care-free, while on other days we just can't shake the blues. While we may find these mood changes bothersome, they do not disrupt our lives.

In some people, more specifically those diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder, mood changes are so drastic and severe that those suffering from the disorder often cannot function in the normal world. Once called Manic Depressive Disorder, the disease responsible for these drastic mood swings is now called Bipolar Disorder.

Those suffering from the disorder will fall into one of four subcategories of the disease. These subgroups include Bipolar I, Bipolar II, Cyclothymic Disorder and Bipolar NOS.

In order for a patient to be classified as Bipolar I, they must have experienced at least one or more manic episodes or mixed episodes. During a manic episode patients will experience an extremely elated or euphoric mood. Along with an elated mood, the patients will usually also have increase mental or physical abilities. They also require little sleep during these episodes.

That sounds great, right? So what's the problem? While the manic episodes can bring on an elated mood, those suffering a manic episode may also be suspicious or irritated, have a low attention span or be easily distracted. Worst yet, a deep depression can sometimes follow one of these elated periods.

During these periods of depression, the patient may feel unable to even get out of bed each day. These individuals may also suffer what is called a mixed episode. This is defined as a period of time when symptoms of mania and clinical depression can occur at the same time. Bipolar individuals are often most dangerous, sometimes to others but mostly to themselves, during this state as their moods are in constant flux and easily changed.

Of all four subcategories of Bipolar Disorder, more people are diagnosed with Bipolar II. In order to be diagnosed as suffering from Bipolar II, the patient must have suffered at least one hypomanic phase and one depressive phase. A hypomanic phase is similar to a manic phase, but is generally not as debilitating or destructive as the manic phase can be.

The third subgroup of Bipolar Disorder is the Cyclothymic Disorder. Bipolars in this subgroup often show signs of mood cycling from hypomania to depression but those around them usually accept the mood swings as a personality trait instead of a disorder. Also, the periods of depression do not meet all the criteria of a major depressive episode.

The fourth subcategory of this disorder is Bipolar Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (NOS). This subgroup generally contains those who are suffering from some type of Bipolar Disorder, but do not fall into any of the above subcategories.

Bipolar Disorder is a disease of variations in mood. It can wreak havoc on the lives of those suffering with it and also those who must try to live and work with these people. There is help for those diagnosed with any form of Bipolar Disorder. Don't give up hope.

Angel Investors Vs Venture Capital Firms

One of the common questions that is asked among entrepreneurs that are seeking capital is the different between angel investors and venture capital firms. Within this article, we are going to address this question thoroughly. Foremost, angel investors are almost always individuals that are willing invest moderate amounts of money into small and medium sized businesses. In limited instances, these private investors will syndicate their investment with other funding sources if the investment is large but not large enough for a venture capital firm.

Typically, angel investors are men between the ages of 45 to 70. They usually have a net worth of $1,000,000 to $5,000,000 and they are willing to make an investment of $50,000 to $250,000 into any specific business. Generally, these private funding sources want their investment to be no more than 50 miles from their primary residence. Additionally, these individuals tend to live in areas where there are a number of other high net worth individuals. Almost all private individual investors are considered to be accredited by the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Venture capital firms are different from angel investors in that they have raised capital from a number of high net worth individuals with the intent to make investments on their behalf into promising start up companies and expanding businesses. Typically, venture capital firms have more than $100 million of financing available to them at all times. The largest of these firms can have upwards of $10 billion of capital. As such, these firms are typically looking to make investments that are at least $5 million. This is why using angel investors may be in your best interest as not only are they more flexible than venture capital firms, but they are also willing to make smaller investments.

One of the alternatives to private investors and capital firms is to use Small Business Investment Companies that are licensed by the Small Business Administration. These firms can act as a conduit between private investors and venture capital firms. One of the best aspects to working with these types of firms is that they can provide you with greater access to capital as your business expands. This is primarily due to the fact that SBICs have the ability to raise debt capital on your behalf through a number of different lending channels. In many of our future discussions, we are going to focus on how you can use these licensed capital brokerages rather than working with outside funding sources.

Promote Your Business and Get Paid for Doing It!

How can you gain credibility and exposure for you and your business, reach a motivated audience, develop a far-flung network, hone your presentation skills -- and get paid to do it?

Many writers, artists, speakers and entrepreneurs have found an answer: they teach classes in adult education programs.

Adult education is big business. In the new century, "change" is a hot topic and learning is no longer confined to traditional degree programs. As people want to grow their careers and enrich their lives, specialized programs have evolved to reach this market.

Some teaching venues require at least a master's degree. Others allow you to share your unique skills, from designing brochures to tarot reading. Temple University's continuing education program has offered a half-day class taught by a cleaning lady. The subject? Speed cleaning. If a target market exists for your business or if you have knowledge that people can use on the job, chances are a target market exists for you in the world of adult education.

By entering this world, you can demonstrate your skills to a receptive audience, meet some terrific people, learn more than you expected and even have some fun. Teaching requires more than a good speaking voice and a knowledge-filled brain. Every minute you are in the classroom, you are marketing yourself to your students. You must keep students involved for up to eight hours. Since the average adult attention span is about fifteen minutes, you have to design exercises, activities and questions. You have to deal with the unexpected. Students will arrive late, ask off-the-wall questions and challenge your expertise. Occasionally, students will be rude, insulting or even abusive.

Most people who teach find themselves exhausted after even a short class, yet also exhilarated. Teaching can be a high when everything goes well. The secret of successful part-time teaching is to identify your purpose in teaching and fine-tune your skills to your target market.

You want to reach students who are also potential customers. If a school features astrology and visualization, your course on finding the lowest mortgage rate won't fit, unless you suggest people consult the stars to meet their financial goals.

People who have added teaching to their promotional toolkit report finding success and fun along the way. One public relations consultant gets forty percent of her clients from adult education classes. A writer has developed a secondstream of income and a never-ending source of ideas. The opportunities are available to everyone, everywhere.

Want to learn more? Read Cathy Goodwin's ebook, published by intellectua.com: How to get started teaching in adult ed programs. For more information, contact Cath.

Family Tree Making Guide

If you are looking to make a family tree for the first time, here are some guidelines to help you complete the task in an easy and proper manner.

o First of all organize everything properly. Start by making a family group sheet for each member of your family. Remember you have to document every piece of information that you discover about your ancestors. You can also use a genealogy software program that can help you in storing your family's data in a more convenient way.

o Prepare some good research Questions. They can be simple personal questions apart from the general ones that include information on things like birth, marriage and death. Your questions should also uncover information on immigration, religion, occupation, adoption, preferred languages. You can also listen to some family stories.

o Look for baby books and wedding albums. Scout for divorce papers, awards degrees, diplomas, funeral cards, school yearbooks, medical records, military service records and employment records. Also look for any diaries or journals kept by a family member.

o Look for birth certificates, they always offer some valuable pieces of information.

o Also look for marriage certificates and licenses. You can track witnesses who may also provide you with some important pieces of information.

o Check out the local newspapers for obituary notices. They provide you with a treasure of knowledge. A look at an obituary can provide you a lot of information on the person as well as his or her friends and family.

o Obtain some church records, they will provide you information on baptisms, christenings, marriages, memberships etc. These will be as good as any vital records.

o Check out the census records. They are available for as far as the year 1790. They will help you find the missing pieces of information on your family members. You can get them from libraries and government departments. Apart from that you can also look for the records on the internet. They are easily available on a lot of websites. Most of them will offer those records for free, while the others will ask for a subscription.

o The key to make a good family tree is not to trust any information blindly. You should double check everything, so there is not any problem. The information you use should be authentic and reliable or else it can spoil all your hard work and will result in a wrong family tree.

Your Real Face is One Layer Down

Adult acne treatments are numerous, and if you have deep acne scars from your adolescent years, there are several methods that are proving to be effective in correcting your unsightly problem. A surgical procedure called punch elevation corrects boxcar scars that have sharp edges and normal appearing bases. A punch tool is used to excise the base of the scar which leaves the wall intact. After the base is excised, it is then elevated to the surface of the skin and attached with steri-strips, sutures or skin glue called Dermabond. This method is proving to be effective as it lessens the risk of producing a visible scar that can be seen when wound edges are sutured. It also lessens the risk of texture or color differences that are usually found with graft replacement.

Acne scar removal can be performed using a technique called subcutaneous incision, which is also referred to as subcision. Performed under local anesthesia, it is used to break up the fibrous bands that cause rolling scars. It is performed by inserting a specially-beveled needle under the skin so that is parallel with the skin surface. The needle is gently advanced and careful attention is focused on staying between the dermis and the subcutaneous tissue levels. The needle is then advanced and retracted in a piston-like motion that cuts the tethering bands. Some bruising does occur that usually abates within a week or two. There is a risk of bleeding and the formation of subcutaneous nodules. With the proper use of anesthetics and bandaging bleeding can be controlled, and the subcutaneous nodules can be treated by using injections of corticosteroids into the nodule.

Many skin defects are treated by using a technique called laser resurfacing. The most popular type of laser used for acne scars is carbon dioxide (CO2) and erbium lasers. The lasers work by burning the top layers of skin to a precise depth. The skin heals by replacing the layers that were burned with new skin. Postoperative care is critical after undergoing laser resurfacing. It is an important factor which determines the success of your acne treatment.