#Martial Arts Studio Software

[martialarts1]

Discover the ultimate Martial Arts Studio Software designed to streamline operations, enhance student engagement, and elevate your martial arts business to new heights. More info: https://jibasoft.com/

[clowningaroundmars]

morales twins hcs

i'm absolutely in love with the idea of miles42 and miles1610 being twins, i'm so glad most of the fandom has basically adopted 42 lmao

some of my own twins headcanons, just random stuff to add onto other ppls hcs ive seen:

☆ 42 loves his mamí absolutely but def acts the most like his dad, and haaaates when anyone points it out. it's the most obvious when 42 gets mad, he sounds EXACTLY like his father then lol

☆ in fact, the twins polar opposite personalities is probs bc 1610 takes after his mom's temperament more, while 42 is as stoic, stubborn and slightly dorky as his dad is

☆ whenever the boys made each other cry (by accident or otherwise) they did the typical little kid thing and tried immediately comforting the other. now that they're older 1610 handles his emotions better and is mature when talking about them, but 42 is the one who comforts 1610 more often

more below ↓

☆ as well as staying on top of his academics, 42 also plays basketball and trains in a couple martial arts studios after school. 1610 is taller than 42 bc of the spider bite but 42 has always been slightly bigger and more muscular than 1610 since he's the athlete. whenever the family attends 42's boxing matches, jeff gets an overwhelming sense of deja vu from back when he attended his own brother's matches before

☆ they both got thru school p okay, not many incidents of bullying mostly bc if anyone did try, 42 would put a stop to that nonsense immediately. 42 loves his bro with his whole heart and was glad to pick a fight with anyone who gave him any trouble at all. the whole neighborhood knew it too bc the only person allowed to bully 1610 is 42 himself!

☆ in fact, 42 doesn't win the lottery to enter visions in the first place, which saddened both brothers when they found out. so because they're at separate schools now, 42 makes sure his twin knows that if any fuckery is afoot at visions that he'd be more than happy to roll up and dogwalk any fool who tries it. 1610 laughs him off but knows his bro has got his back for sure

☆ 42 likes to pretend 1610 is the nerdy one, but they are both very big anime and manga nerds. every time they hit up any bookstore, they both make a beeline for the manga section and argue over who's gonna read the newest one first (they have to share cuz those books cost some moneeyyyy, man)

☆ 1610 and 42 love their uncle to pieces, OFC. they both pick up separate traits from him, even. 42 was inspired to start martial arts and boxing from watching videos on old digital cameras that aaron hung onto thru the years. they were of a much younger aaron back in his boxing days, when his family went to his matches and recorded them from the seats. 1610 was inspired to pick up graffiti and then even started doodling in notebooks bc of aaron

☆ 1610 is def the social butterfly and easily the most popular kid on the block by virtue of how friendly and outgoing he is. 42 is more introverted and keeps a small circle of friends, but everyone is cool with him nonetheless since they fuck with his twin bro

☆ since 42 stays at home the most (lol he a homebody) he picks up cooking much better than 1610 thanks to him staying in the kitchen to help his mom make dinner while they watch telenovelas together. 42 also knows how to dance bachata and salsa much better than 1610 too

☆ both twins love physics and math but 42 is more hardware-inclined. 1610 is about software, data, and formulas. 42 is good at taking things apart, putting things together, building and engineering. he kinda takes after his uncle aaron that way, and drove his parents nuts as a lil kid when he got his hands on radios, computers, clocks, etc

☆ 1610 loves softer brighter music like JID, steve lacy, smino, frank ocean, kid cudi, post malone, and nujabes. 42 is always bumping harder shit like pop smoke, waka flocka, zillakami, three 6 mafia, benny the butcher and some oldies like paul wall, wu tang clan, biggie smalls, MF DOOM and big KRIT. they tease each other's music tastes a lot since they're polar opposites in almost every way

☆ they actually have a shared playlist where they add new music they like (probs on some e-1610 spotify or soundcloud equivalent since everything is slightly skewed on e-1610 tbh). both of them check it periodically, and 42 is the more frequent contributor

☆ they both make art but 1610 is the artsier kid for sure. 42 doodles occasionally but he's not as enthusiastic about it as his twin is. they both go around the city tagging walls whenever they have any free time, though. 1610 loves colors, expressive styles and is good at coming up with cool ways to draw text. 42's lines, accuracy and technical skill can never be beat

☆ 1610 has superpowers, sure, but his fighting skills are trash! 42 was always the scrappy one, not 1610, so he shows his twin how to properly throw punches and other useful fighting knowledge. it def comes in handy in the future

☆ jeff loves his sons to death but he often finds himself butting heads the most with 42 since they're so similar, it kinda drives them both nuts. it def gets worse once aaron starts gossiping abt what jeff used to be like when they were kids, giving 42 plenty of ammo. they love each other but their relationship is just as complicated as it is between jeff and 1610, and 42 would be lying if he said he wasn't affected by the rift between his dad and uncle himself

☆ the minute the twins turn 16, 42 goes out and gets his drivers license on the first try (computer quiz AND road test aced) and rubs it in 1610's face almost constantly. 1610 likes to throw back that there's no parking space for another car on their block, so he can't even get his own car even if he wanted to anyways

☆ whenever the boys really fight, the whole city seems to know. they squabble a lot obvi, they're brothers. but the very few times they've given each other the silent treatment like for real, everyone in the family tries to get them to make up since it's unsettling to see two peas in a pod be so hostile with each other

☆ and since they've always been attached at the hip, 1610 being enrolled into visions felt. weird. everyone thought 1610 was gonna take it the hardest but surprisingly 42 had a harder time adjusting since he always saw his bro in the hallways at school, and was so used to him knowing the latest gossip of anybody in their grade. without 1610 around as often, 42 becomes even more withdrawn than usual

rio looks up from the pot suddenly, glancing at the time. dinner was almost ready and she… hadn't seen not hide nor tail of her son this evening. he returned home from school a couple hours earlier, choosing to skip going to his boxing class to shut himself in his room.

fine. teenagers can be moody sometimes and rio would rather keep her moody son at home where she can keep an eye on him, rather than worry about what he's getting up to on the streets.

strange thing is, though... rio hadn't heard a single noise come out of that room all night. 42 usually liked to have at least some music playing, maybe video game noises out of his nintendo... oh, what was it called again? whatever, that nintendo thing he played on sometimes.

rio placed the lid on the pot and lowered the flame a bit before making her way over to her twin sons' bedroom door, hesitating a bit when she noticed no light was filtering out from the bottom either. okay... that was weird, too. neither of her sons ever went to bed before dinner. ever.

the one time rio dared to try and send her sons to bed without dinner years ago-- as punishment for fighting right there in the kitchen that time-- both twins hollered so loud they got concerned knocks on their front door from various different neighbors. never again, rio remembered thinking that time.

now, the bedroom door stands oddly quiet and completely hollow without any signs of life behind it. rio knocked anyways, hoping against hope itself that 42 didn't go ahead and sneak out of the house without her knowledge. if he did sneak out, he's grounded for 3 months, rio thinks to herself mostly as reassurance. she nervously picks at a nail and strains to hear anything behind the wood.

she thinks she hears a groan and decides to try her luck by slowly opening the door. hopefully he's not in there... y'know, doing teenage boy things, either. dios mío.

rio swings the door open to...

...a completely pitch-black room, save for the sliver of streetlight filtering in past a crack in the window curtains and casting an eerie yellow glow on anything it could touch. it is cold, and also deathly quiet.

rio is shocked.

she walks over to the right side of the room where 42's bed is pushed up against the corner, next to the windows. on that bed lies a big lump, buried under several layers of blankets. the lump stirs.

rio crosses her arms. "mijo, mi amor. are you sleeping? …pero qué te pasa, papí?"¹

42 rolls onto his back and glares sleepily at his concerned mother standing at his bedside. it's dark in the room, but rio's face is illuminated by the living room lights pouring in from the open door. she's wearing a tilted smile, but coupled with the worry lines on her forehead, it isn't fooling anyone.

42 slowly closes his eyes, chin still under the covers, and lets out the most world-weary sigh rio has ever heard coming out of someone as young as him. if it weren't coming from her own son, she might have even laughed.

she immediately sits down, lifting the cover off of 42's chin to check his temperature all over his face. he tries to wriggle away.

"maaaaaa, stop..." he grumbles, trying to pull the covers up higher over his head. "'m not sick, mamí, forreal… chill."

rio leans on a hand. "¿si no 'ta enfermó pues qué es?² what's wrong?"

42 doesn't answer for a bit and rio exhales through her nose. " 'moré, what are you doing in this pitch-black room all by yourself? no light, no music, no nothing. what's wrong? you look like you're on a death bed!"

42 finally opens his eyes again, and blinks a few times as he says, "nothing, ma. seriously, i'm just... tired. that's all. i'm fine."

"you don't look 'fine' 42, you look like 2 seconds away from flatlining."

another sigh from the boy. rio rolls her eyes and places her hand on his forehead again, then strokes his cheek.

"is it 1610? hmm?" rio asks 42. she asks so unbelievably gently, as if by only mentioning his brother's name she would shatter something in the room. a mirror or something.

42's heart clenches at the love and care his mother is showing around this particular topic. it was true, and he couldn't even deny it. having 1610 in the house less and less every week, not seeing him in the hallways at their local high school, receiving sparser and shorter replies to his texts... it was all building up in his chest and the dam was pretty close to bursting. especially now as his mom was lovingly stroking his cheek as she checked in with him. how embarassing. rio wouldn't see him cry, not right now. he closed his eyes and willed the tears away, for her sake.

miraculously, 42's voice didn't crack or waver when he said, "yeah. yeah, i miss 'im."

rio crooned something saccharine in spanish and placed a kiss on her son's forehead. she saw right through his cold tough guy act, as expected. with how much of a mama's boy 42 was, it would've been impossible not to. they spent way too much time together for her to miss how he dragged his feet getting ready for school in the mornings, how he's been skipping martial arts and basketball practice more often lately, and how unenthusiastic he's been in general.

rio chuckles as she lays her cheek on 42's forehead for a second before sitting back up. "ay, bendito. 42, you know your brother is just down a few blocks from here. why don't you go visit him soon?"

42 shuffles under the covers. he's unsure if he should even admit this, but he proceeds anyways. "uhm. he's not answering my texts lately, so." he feels strangely guilty about this, like he just snitched on his twin somehow even though he has no reason to suspect that at all.

rio sighs and looks off into the distance, bracing herself for what she's about to say. she looks back down. "yeah. i know. he doesn't answer mine, either. i was hoping he was talking to you, but... well. "

something in 42 stirs a bit. "i bet he thinks he's in some fancy private school, around rich kids, now he's too good for us," it's a weak attempt at a joke, but rio smiles down at him anyways.

"don't worry. the second he gets home this weekend, he's on house arrest. okay? he's gonna be chained to you the whoooole time. and i'm keepin' watch."

it's not much, but 42 still takes that little bit of hope and holds it gently in his mind.

"the second he walks through that door, i'm tackling him. i don't care." 42 smiles at the thought.

rio laughs, kisses his forehead again and stands up. "dinner is almost ready, by the way." she gives him a look. "you better eat with me tonight, because your brother is at school and your dad is doing overtime tonight. okay? okay."

42 sighs deeply to wake himself up a bit more as he sits up and scratches at his durag. "yeah, yeah. 'm comin', ma!"

¹ "but what is going on with you, papí?" (papí being a common term of affection for a boy in spanish, it doesn't always mean "dad" lol)

² "if you're not sick, then what is it?"

☆ until they get "too old" for halloween, the morales twins ALWAYS wear matching costumes. every year. every single year, no matter what. what they usually end up wearing changes every year and they aaaaaalways argue over it, of course. notable costumes so far: batman and superman (age 13), two ninja turtles (age 9) (im thinking mikey and donatello bc of personality but lbr rio most likely forbade either of them to be leonardo bc the twins would deadass get into a fist fight over it), tom and jerry (age 2), mario and luigi (age 7), woody and buzz (age 5), peter pan and captain hook (age 10), and-- rio's favorite-- thing 1 and thing 2 (age 4)

☆ 42 was surprisingly always very popular with the girls at school. in middle school, 1610 was the geeky one with braces and acne. 42 got off relatively easy in that regard and as a result was labeled "a heartbreaker" from the jump, which annoyed him. he has no interest in dating whatsoever and swore to never get into a relationship before graduating high school. he's got his mom and brother to take care of and he's going places after high school, damnit! 1610 on the other hand is a huge romantic and has a crush on a new person almost every year of school, easily

☆ the literal second 1610 set foot in the house after his spider bite, 42 was all over him asking a million questions since they both have that supernatural twintuition, and 42 sussed him out immediately. 1610 obviously had to come clean and tell his brother he was spiderman just like he told ganke, otherwise he was never gonna be able to change into his spider suit at home (plus they share a room, so. there's that)

1610 didn't even get to close their bedroom door all the way before his twin leaped up from his own bed and stalked over.

"óye, bro. what's up? what happened at visions?" 42 circled his brother, squinty-eyed in the exact same way their mom is when she's suspicious. 1610 dropped his bag next to his bed and plopped down on his sheets, trying to put some distance between them.

"uhhhh what're you talkin' about?" he tries casually, and immediately regrets it.

"uhhhhh what're you talkin' about?" 42 mocks. "don't play dumb with me. you KNOW what i'm talkin' about, stupid. first, you answer, like, none of my texts ever. then dad comes home sayin' you never let him talk face-to-face when he visited you a couple days ago. mamí has been texting and calling you nonstop, no answer either. you are a brand new person now, huh? qué te pasa, yo?"

1610 hunched his shoulders as he got up and slumped over to his desk. he was quietly weighing his options, nervously rearranging papers and sketches on the wooden table, wondering how he was going to break it to his brother that he was--

"lemme guess. you have superpowers now," 42 says easily. he crosses his arms triumphantly when big round amber eyes suddenly turn up to his face.

1610 searches his face for any hint of a joke. no... no way. did his brother just...?

"you're playin' with me. no way. how did you--?"

42's eyes widen. "wait, are you being deadass right now?" he threw his head back and crowed with laughter. "that was just a guess!"

1610 leaped forward and pushed his hand onto 42's mouth, shutting him up. "heeyyy hey hey hey hey shhhhh, man. damn, could you possibly be any louder? look," he took his twin by the shoulders and gave him a slight shake, lowering his voice to a near whisper. "mom and dad can never know anything about this. okay? anything. not a word, you understand?"

42 pushes his brother off. "ok-ay man, cool it. i promise. we can shake on it, even."

wordlessly, they did their super secret handshake they came up with and perfected in the 4th grade in lieu of hooking their pinkies together. it was the morales shake, a move that binds them to secrecy and keeping promises til death. this was serious business. 1610 relaxes a bit once they're done.

"... okay. and i mean it, pencil braids. if you even breathe a word about this, or even think about--!"

"if you don't just tell me already, goddamn."

with a meaningful look thrown at his brother's way, 1610 raises an arm silently. 42 looks back expectantly.

1610 shoots a web up. he jumps up, using the web as a bungee rope to help him flip and land feet-first onto the ceiling. once his sneakers touch their ceiling, he stands up... upside-down. he stares at his brother and his brother stares back, mouth agape.

"niiiiiiice," 42 leans back and grins up at his twin brother, spiderman.

☆ 1610 is glad he has someone besides ganke to talk to about spiderman stuff, though. his brother listens way more attentively than his roommate anyways, and even tries to help sometimes esp when 1610 needs a quick distraction so he can switch from spiderman back into his regular clothes before the parents notice

☆ 42 is surprisingly cool abt his twin bro being spiderman, actually. even when they're texting 42 is careful not to imply 1610 is spiderman, and often calls stuff in to the police station if 1610 webs anyone up and lets him know. he also gets very good at bandaging up wounds quickly

☆ 42 is a hardass on the outside and contains his emotions much better than his twin, but he's kinda different around his family, since he loves them a lot. he jokes around a lot with them, esp around 1610. they also love pranking their parents, and are p creative at coming up with ways to make everyone laugh

☆ i personally picture 42's personality being sort of like huey's from the boondocks, especially around other adults. he becomes withdrawn and speaks very clearly and directly, and is very shy around strangers. some ppl mistake that as him having an attitude problem but his friends and family know better. only difference between huey and 42 is that 42 isn't nearly as woke lmfao

☆ meanwhile, 1610 becomes a motormouth around strangers and is quick to hug and kiss random family members at family reunions. as a lil kid, he'd always be the one up at the counter ordering for the both of them and chatting with the cashiers, or bus drivers, or whoever. as he gets older and used to the spiderman thing, he chats and jokes with randoms a lil less. he has to save the good material for when the mask is on

☆ 42 is a better writer than he is an artist, actually. he has notebooks filled with poetry and lyrics he scribbles down on post-it notes just to stick them in there for safekeeping. he's also been working on a sci-fi story since he was in 6th grade in absolute secrecy; he doesn't want a single soul to see it. he'd be mortified if anyone saw the nerdy shit he comes up with

☆ even tho 1610 has never fought anyone or been scrappy with anyone else, he's very good at wrestling and dodging punches thanks to his brother.

☆ 42 is the more fashion-inclined twin, even tho they're both sneakerheads. 42 just pays more attention to accessories, the fit of his clothing, how to pair the right shoes with the right jacket. 1610 throws on anything comfortable and calls it a day, and it gets even worse after he becomes spiderman. 42 clowns his brother SO HARD after he finds him wearing yellow sweatpants with an oversized red adidas hoodie and a green puffer jacket once (it was when 1610 came home from fighting a shapeshifting lizard that tried to take over cypress hills. the sweatpants were on backwards)

☆ 1610's sense of humor is geeky and he always tries too hard with his quips and jokes. he usually gets "secondhand embarrassment" chuckles from ppl. 42's style of comedy is a mix of dry humor and unintentionally being funny. this dude will say something clever with the straightest face ever and have the ENTIRE room in stitches without even meaning to

☆ just to nail home how different they are, even tho they share a room, you can tell EXACTLY which half of their room begins and ends. 1610's half is cluttered, vibrant, covered in posters and action figures, collages and trinkets on every available surface. 42's is as clean as a hospital room, and he ALWAYS makes his bed every morning. 42 has a poster or 2 hung up but he's not much for decorating in general. he's more into alphabetizing his bookshelf and looking for more efficient storage to put under his bed

☆ when jeff looks at his sons, he sees aaron and himself and sometimes it scares him. when the boys were around 12 (the Evil Year) he made SURE to sign them up for camp trips that summer and keep them close together as much as possible. he hates to see his boys drift apart at all and is the 1st one to call it out if he sees it. he just doesn't want his boys to end up like he and his brother did…

☆ … and then other times? it genuinely makes him feel a combination of irritation and also fondness bc sometimes 1610 and 42 really really remind him of aaron and himself, esp when they were young. ESPECIALLY when they argue. in every playful slap on the shoulder, every arbitrary competition started out of nowhere, every sleepy brother slowly sliding onto the other's shoulder during nighttime car rides, he sees it. he sees them, and then he sees his past. and with every little difference between the boys slowly cracking open like a chasm with each passing day, sometimes he thinks he can even see his future.

☆ 42 is cool or whatever but i also hc he's kinda… weird sometimes. it gets worse when his twin bro goes off to visions, he keeps staring at walls while sitting in dark rooms and eating at weird hours of the day. rio caught him fast asleep practically hanging off the window sill one night, and another time jeff found him having an entire conversation with a brick wall once while on patrol. 42 refuses to answer any questions

☆ after 1610 gets into visions, becomes spiderman, tells his parents abt his plans to go to princeton, etc... 42 eventually starts feeling a type of way (a jealous way…) their parents also seem to pay attention to 1610 more whenever he's home just to add insult to injury. he knows he's not supposed to, but he often finds himself thinking about the prowler gloves and schematics aaron left behind. he managed to grab them and hide them in a gym bag one day while helping his parents clear out aaron's apartment. the tech currently lives under his bed…

[miloscat]

[Review] Legend of Kay Anniversary (Wii U)

An unremarkable PS2 action-adventure.

After immersing myself in Avatar media for so long I looked around for any other games set in Asia-inspired fantasy worlds but made by Westerners. This let me knock one off my Wii U backlog, the 2015 remaster of the 2005 PS2 game Legend of Kay. Neon Software, the German studio behind the original game, are known to me for their Amiga Sonic clone Mr. Nutz: Hoppin' Mad, and it's somewhat fitting that their final game before closure was this other furry platformer. Some of the Neon cofounders went on to form Keen Games, which seems to have morphed into a new Kaiko... the original Kaiko being the company that the Mr. Nutz Hoppin' Mad team left to form Neon in the first place! Who knows how long they'll survive now under the aegis of the troubled and layoff-happy Embracer, but it's been four years since their last remaster...

Anyway, this game is a sort of 3D Zelda-like-slash-3D platformer filled with anthropomorphic animal characters, which as a Rare fan sounds up my alley. Comparing it to Starfox Adventures may be a little generous though: this is very much a B-tier PS2 action game, and a graphical revamp for new generation consoles can't magically fix the mediocrity.

To get the plot out of the way: it's extremely Normal. Kay is a "plucky" (read: obnoxious) protagonist, using his martial arts training to fight back against the occupation of his cat village by evil gorillas and rats. He travels his island to settlements of rabbits, frogs, and pandas to free them from oppression. I think it's telling that there are no credits given for story or writing; anything story-related is constantly undermined by overly shallow characterisations, completely functional video game progression (go here to get key to open door to go there etc.), and the most brain-dead "banter". For example, Kay thinks the height of action hero quips is to call a rat "cheese-breath" about a hundred times.

The latter issue is not helped by some misguided voice acting choices. It's a fully voiced game but you'll wish it wasn't with Kay's bland sarcastic schtick and almost every other character uncomfortably presenting as a borderline racist caricature. Mostly it's white people doing faux-"Asian" accents, although apparently crocodiles are Eastern European and frogs are... Jamaican, for some reason? I was glad to find a setting that let me skip any dialogue scene with a quick tap of X, because there's no other way to speed up the tedious exposition and pointless back-and-forth when you meet enemy groups.

There's only a handful of what you might call "puzzles", and the platforming ranges from "not bad" to "OK", serviceable but doesn't excel. The biggest strength and biggest weakness of the game is its combat, which is pretty involved. You can swap between three weapons which have different attributes, you often have to get around enemy blocks so there's a Wind Waker-style roll around move to hit their back, but you can also zip between targets during a combo, or use rolling, crouching, or jump attacks. You can carry up to 5 usable items which sometimes are used to explore but you have to rely on them for combat encounters late in the game when they start throwing waves at you with hordes of armoured enemies. When the difficulty spikes like this, it all just becomes too much and goes from an exercise in creatively using moves to keep your combo up to a struggle to survive (and if you die, you lose any consumables you used in your last attempt, also there's a lives system for some reason??).

I said combat might be the game's strength and it was clearly a focus of the project, but I had the most fun exploring the little worlds. There's lots of goodies to collect, mostly in the form of chests and pots containing money. You quickly end up with more than you'll ever spend but I still liked finding it. The point multiplier mechanic may seem superfluous but when you get accustomed to the flow of the platforming sections, grabbing coloured crystals to keep this combo going to make your fights and coins worth more points becomes addictive. The level design may be nothing special but the zones you traverse have some character to them.

It should be noted that this is a semi-linear game, in that the levels are mostly open to explore with events and sub-dungeons within them, but you progress from one field to the next with no way to go back. This bit me on more than one occasion when I blundered into the story trigger to move on before turning in one of the rare sidequests or going down a side path to find a health extension, making it permanently missable. This frustration prompted me to occasionally consult a Gamefaqs guide with maps during each subsequent chapter. The game does give you a minimap in the corner of the screen but it can't be expanded to a full map so it's less useful than it could be.

Legend of Kay would have felt middling even at release but rereleasing it just makes its deficiencies even more obvious. It's still got some charm for being "of that era" (I was often reminded of The Hobbit's action-adventure game from the same generation, but with fewer instant death pits), so I got some enjoyment from it. And it has some ideas that work, like the acrobatic combat and combo system. While some of the environments look nice there were just as many drab areas, and the repeated character model reuse got old. Oh, and sometimes you ride an animal and it's not fun. On the whole, I can't recommend this one... even if you ignore the cringey cultural stereotypes!!

[kathanglangit]

okay here's how you design a fantasy weapon pls like and subscribe follow me for more tips-

Kidding- but this was sent to me by Dyl just a while ago and I just had to.

I do actually love seeing these wild designs, there's more imagination in them than you can beat out of a roomful of AI "artists".

Art by Peter Andrew Jones if I'm not mistaken.

I do wish there were more of them around, just over-the-top bullshit that doesn't take itself too seriously.

This one's from The Sword and the Sorcerer (1982). It's a sword with THREE blades. Two of them shoot out of the hilt as projectiles- I love it. I would never use it.

I set out posting my art online initially to design "practical fantasy weapons", and while I haven't abandoned the "practical" part myself, going nuts on weapon designs is still just really fun to do.

Saradomin Godsword from OldSchool Runescape and the newfangled RS3 version.

Doesn't have to be "practical". Depending on the context, the looks can be more important than the functionality.

Sanderson depicts shardblades in The Stormlight Archive as being ultralight to justify their size. Fun middleground, but not always necessary.

Art by Alex Allen.

There are weapons that will forever be iconic BECAUSE they went nuts with 'em.

Of course they also went nuts with the people using them, so there's internal consistency, but the point stands.

Guts' Dragonslayer, Berserk (1989-2021) by Kentaro Miura.

Cloud Strife's Buster Sword, Final Fantasy 7 (1997) by Square Enix, image from the 2020 Remake

Moonlight Greatsword, in one of its many iterations, this time as Ludwig's Holy Blade from Bloodborne (2015) in The Old Hunters DLC by From Software

Kratos' Blades of Chaos, God of War (2005), image from their iteration in God of War (2018) by Sony's Santa Monica Studio.

Just- don't pretend you could ever use them in the real world, yourself.

Actual martial artists can already hurt themselves using tried-and-tested weapons from history (i.e. there is someone to learn how they use them from), let alone the average untrained gamer with something out of fantasy.

Doesn't stop people from trying. Baltimore Knife and Sword are among the many blacksmiths who routinely produce real world versions of fictional weaponry (look up Man at Arms: Reforged on YouTube) and recently Digitally Twisted Outlaws (also on YouTube) started training with one such giant replica Dragonslayer, and dubbed their weapon-style the "Colossus Sword Form".

Bottom line, just have fun with it. Don't get too bogged down by what's consistent with real world usage, especially when the context is fictional.

[1997thebracket]

Round 1D

First Cell Phone Photo: Imagine a time when you carried a Nikon CoolPix in a protective case to capture your most momentous occasions... now count how many pictures of sandwiches are in your phone's camera roll. On June 11, 1997, Philippe Kahn captured a historic moment using his Motorola StarTAC mobile phone, his laptop and a custom software application he had developed. The photo was of his newborn daughter, Sophie, and it was sent to friends and family to share the joyous moment. This pioneering act marked the birth of "instant visual communication" through mobile phones, laying the foundation for the proliferation of camera phones and the way we share images in the modern digital age. Kahn's invention and the "first cell phone photo" it produced hold a significant place in the history of photography and mobile technology.

Wu-Tang Clan's Wu-Tang Forever: Wu-Tang Forever is the second studio album by the American hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan, released in 1997. This double album is a seminal work in the realm of East Coast hip-hop, renowned for its dense lyricism, gritty production, and intricate storytelling. It features all nine original members of the Wu-Tang Clan, including RZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, and Ghostface Killah; the album's production, largely handled by RZA, is characterized by its distinctive blend of soulful samples and martial arts-inspired sound bites. The album not only solidified the group's status as one of hip-hop's most influential acts but also expanded the boundaries of the genre, offering a complex and multifaceted exploration of themes like street life, spirituality, and the struggles of urban existence. While sales did not match their late peers Tupac and Biggie, critics were largely more favorable to Wu-Tang: Melody Maker wrote "It had to be this big. It didn't have to be this good. Every single track is a detonation of every single pop rule you thought sacrosanct. Wu-Tang Forever is one of the greatest hip hop LPs of all time."

[theomenroom]

15 Questions for 15 Friends

I got tagged in this a month ago (thanks @incomprehensiblelentils) and have been meaning to do it for about as long.

ARE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? No? Almost? It's complicated.

WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? I struggle to remember tbh.

DO YOU HAVE KIDS? Nope. Maybe someday.

WHAT SPORTS DO YOU PLAY/HAVE YOU PLAYED? I went to a kinda nerdy martial arts school for a bit in college.

DO YOU USE SARCASM? No, never, not in the least, where would you ever get that idea? (yes)

WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? It varies. Hair, context, and clothes are how I remember them, though; I can't rememeber faces.

WHAT’S YOUR EYE COLOR? Blue

SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? If I have to choose, happy endings

ANY TALENTS? I habitually walk longer distances than people consider reasonable; I play the flute (sort of, sometimes), and I write.

WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Bay area, California

WHAT ARE YOUR HOBBIES? video games, writing, tumblr

DO YOU HAVE ANY PETS? I have a succulent! her name is Susie. Watering her every other week is about my limit for pet care.

HOW TALL ARE YOU? 1.9 meters

FAVOURITE SUBJECT? Math and math-y sciences

DREAM JOB? realistically? doing something in software development where I'm working in the middle of a tech stack making incremental improvements to things nobody but other devs knows about. unrealistically? making video games at a studio that has an unlimited budget and never needs to worry about funding

tagging @kiirasthursday @jonesinforjosie @hyenaswine @aspiewriter6390 @a-lil-bit-oooo-jessica @themself and anyone else who wants to can say I tagged them

[jibasoft]

JIBASoft’s OnMat Martial Arts Billing Software is a revolutionary solution to help martial arts studios manage their financial procedures in a simplified way. Read more.

[svgoceandesigns1]

Jiu Jitsu Bluey Characters SVG - Brazilian Martial Arts SVG PNG, Cricut File

Jiu Jitsu Bluey Characters SVG, Brazilian Martial Arts SVG PNG EPS DXF PDF, Cricut File, Instant Download File, Cricut File Silhouette Art, Logo Design, Designs For Shirts. ♥ Welcome to SVG OCEAN DESIGNS Store! ♥ ► PLEASE NOTE: – Since this item is digital, no physical product will be sent to you. – Your files will be ready to download immediately after your purchase. Once payment has been completed, SVG Ocean Designs will send you an email letting you know your File is ready for Download. You may also check your Order/Purchase History on SVG Ocean Designs website and it should be available for download there as well. – Please make sure you have the right software required and knowledge to use this graphic before making your purchase. – Due to monitor differences and your printer settings, the actual colors of your printed product may vary slightly. – Due to the digital nature of this listing, there are “no refunds or exchanges”. – If you have a specific Design you would like made, just message me! I will be more than glad to create a Custom Oder for you. ► YOU RECEIVE: This listing includes a zip file with the following formats: – SVG File (check your software to confirm it is compatible with your machine): Includes wording in both white and black (SVG only). Other files are black wording. – PNG File: PNG High Resolution 300 dpi Clipart (transparent background – resize smaller and slightly larger without loss of quality). – DXF: high resolution, perfect for print and many more. – EPS: high resolution, perfect for print, Design and many more. ► USAGE: – Can be used with Cricut Design Space, Silhouette Cameo, Silhouette Studio, Adobe Illustrator, ...and any other software or machines that work with SVG/PNG files. Please make sDisney Father's Dayure your machine and software are compatible before purchasing. – You can edit, resize and change colors in any vector or cutting software like Inkscape, Adobe illustrator, Cricut design space, etc. SVG cut files are perfect for all your DIY projects or handmade businDisney Father's Dayess Product. You can use them for T-shirts, scrapbooks, wall vinyls, stickers, invitations cards, web and more!!! Perfect for T-shirts, iron-ons, mugs, printables, card making, scrapbooking, etc. ►TERMS OF USE: – NO refunds on digital products. Please contact me if you experience any problems with the purchase. – Watermark and wood background won’t be shown in the downloaded files. – Please DO NOT resell, distribute, share, copy, or reproduce my designs. – Customer service and satisfaction is our top priority. If you have any questions before placing orders, please contact with us via email "support@svgoceandesigns.com". – New products and latest trends =>> Click Here . Thank you so much for visiting our store! SVG OCEAN DESIGNS Read the full article

[martialarts1]

JIBASoft's OnMat martial arts studio software & Dojo business management software helps you in running your school hassle-free, it is simple to use. Contact us now! https://jibasoft.com/

[thehealthcareinsights-blog]

Methods to Build a Successful Hybrid Fitness Offering

We learned during the COVID-19 pandemic that fitness is important for everyone, and digital fitness is not going away. Many industries have struggled during this period, and businesses must adapt in order to survive. In that situation, the fitness industry did what it needed to do and ran a hybrid fitness business. We can broaden our reach, support our community, and increase our bottom line when fitness is combined with digital and in-person elements in business. Successful hybrid work models allow you to earn money even when the gym is closed or restricted. 

Hybrid fitness training combines various approaches to training so that you get a little bit of everything- strength work, functional fitness, cardio, and endurance. It entails shifting away from a single focus and employing two or more training techniques concurrently. If you have a gym and a digital fitness platform where you can stream classes and offer on-demand workouts to digital members, you can combine physical and digital offerings. It consists of personnel in the studio, virtual coaching, and digital services. Continue reading this article to learn how to make hybrids work successfully.

Methods to build a hybrid fitness offering 

Creating a hybrid fitness offering is not an easy task. To create an effective and engaging program, careful thought and planning are required. Here are some ways to build a successful hybrid fitness. 

Engage with clients both online and in person: 

Find new and innovative ways to interact with online and in-person customers. The majority of your members will likely belong to either a digital or physical membership, but some may cross over between both. That means you must communicate with your entire customer base, whether via email, text, push notifications, newsletters, or a Facebook group.

You can effectively engage with all customers if we develop an engagement strategy that incorporates all aspects of the hybrid gym. During class, alternate between making eye contact with in-person students and using your camera, calling out names between classes, and focusing on universal movement, safety, and motivation cues.

Invest in the Most Necessary Equipment

To provide the best service to digital customers, you will need to invest in video and audio equipment. Digital fitness platforms are frequently a hybrid of live streams and on-demand content. Cameras, microphones, screens, tripods, lighting, and editing software are all necessary for recording workouts and editing videos. Online students may require stationary or no-equipment options in addition to in-person instruction at the same time. This requires some skill, but more planning can help it run as smoothly as possible. Your digital equipment must be able to recreate the experience that your members enjoy.

Hire a co-instructor:

If you have a large enough budget, you can hire a hybrid fitness instructor and good digital talent is required to create a great digital fitness platform. One can concentrate on in-person students, while the other can concentrate on everything online. This includes both groups’ individual modifications and corrections. This includes hiring technical video editors, content creators who can interact with your membership base and marketing experts. Your digital team will assist in the creation of a library of on-brand, engaging, and motivating content. 

Be distinct, genuine, and on-brand :  

Every business requires some level of uniqueness, authenticity, and on-branding. If you are known for your unconventional yet functional training programs, your digital fitness platform should reflect that. A great digital fitness solution delivers the one-of-a-kind experience that members have come to expect from you, and your social media, digital fitness, and in-person offerings should all interlink and complement one another. Your brand should be evident in all areas of your gym, whether you are a martial arts gym, a boutique gym, or a cardio gym. Make sure everything you do is authentic.

Think about customers’ privacy options:

Customers, both online and offline, value their privacy.  Even if a student shows up in person for your hybrid fitness class, that doesn’t mean that online students want to see him or her on camera. Make sure you have a private area or off-camera zone when you set up your camera angles. If anyone wishes to be off-camera, make a general announcement before class, identifying that area for those who may prefer it. You can also offer students a free piece of swag from your fitness studio or a free class in exchange for being on camera with you. Simply inquire as to what is best for your students or customers. 

Closing Thoughts

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, A hybrid approach to fitness is the way of the future. The pandemic has changed the way people exercise with online classes, live streaming, and virtual personal training. Building a successful hybrid gym is now a priority for many gym owners, as digital fitness has become the norm in many people’s lives. Juggling may be necessary for hybrid fitness classes. However, the more you plan, prepare, and test your workouts, the more engaging they will be, both in-person and online.

Visit More : https://thehealthcareinsights.com/methods-to-build-a-successful-hybrid-fitness-offering/

[humongousthomas]

Best Martial Arts Billing Software

You could have begun a martial arts studio for your personal Exercise in addition to to motivate Other people to remain in fantastic condition. In addition to you desired to modify your enthusiasm for martial arts right into a dwelling. Nevertheless, taking good care of the admin functionality usually generally usually usually takes pointless time. So, likelihood is large you will start out sensation that you've significantly lots considerably less the correct the right time and energy to commit to your enthusiasm. Not any more! You could potentially uncover over again your time and efforts and initiatives with by far quite possibly the most beneficial martial arts billing computer software package method. Billing Pc software program is just not merely for producing transactions strain-Completely cost-free, However it also offers all types of other properties. Down beneath surely absolutely are a couple of important qualities to look at When deciding on The best Martial Arts Billing Software application for payments and school/studio administration: Shopper helpful Make certain that the selected martial arts billing software is easy to operate. This could protect you from answering mobile phone phone phone calls or responding to texts and e-mail messages consistently. The perfect on the net software process for martial arts will have to make certain it is much less complicated for individuals to uncover and enroll in lessons in the web site. It need to: Keep track of your classes coupled with times, dates, in addition to other Guidelines. Enable learners to enroll in Digital classes – supplied you Provide you with classes by way of Google Satisfy, Zoom, or other Digital application package deal. Martial Arts Billing Computer software Really need to Current Adaptable Payment Program of motion Really should genuinely your opt for JibaSoft Dojo billing Computer system application software program, it can help make the payment solution rather easy. This is often why, it eradicates the issues of manually amassing The challenging cash and calculating them while in the Office setting. Outlined down beneath are absolutely the important elements to only choose into account when searching out for Modern billing Laptop or computer software program are: It accepts Plenty of payments, like debit taking part in actively playing playing cards, lender playing cards, and revenue establishment transfers. It really works from any Digital unit, By means of instance a cellular cellular cellphone, notebook computer, or tablet. You must Evaluation in spite of if it tracks payments by Review, earnings, credit history ranking record, coupled with other available solutions. The computer system need to also give adaptable payment alternatives, such as automatic recurring payments, at the side of only one-time payments. It must securely retailer economical facts and likewise treatment sensitive shopper details with solution. Furthermore, it have to simply accommodate Coupon codes, reward making the most of enjoying playing cards, or customer loyalty actively taking part in participating in cards. Scholar Administration — Provides Pupil Details in a single Space Would you like to select payments and Higher education university scholar registrations on line? In that scenario, it’s critical to assist maintain each of the important comprehension just in an individual area. But When purchasing a Dojo Business application, it truly is advisable to take into consideration the specified inquiries: Will it Supply you with supplemental data on the worth? For illustration, can the thing would be the classes taken by a higher training scholar? Have you been able to promptly insert notes For each and every pupil? Does This method Assist you to to watch the Make contact with data and info and details of all of the scholars? Have you been capable to collect and keep on that can help continue to keep non-public and vital data files, For instance waivers, in This technique? Also examine By the use of: Why Keep in mind Martial Arts Billing Application For Dealing with Your Studio Appropriately Martial Arts Billing Application deal Also needs to Give Organization analytics Remarkable martial arts software aids you observe scholar payments and signal-ups. However it even provides you beneficial aspects about a corporation. So, it can be a good idea to request out computer program that provides efficient analytics. Listed Here's chosen difficulties to take into consideration When picking software package deal contend with pupil administration along with payment: Can it current you that features a snapshot of The complete profits circulation and All round fiscal extremely very well obtaining of the web enterprise? Will it emphasize the latest developments in indication-ups of programs, like most very well-preferred situations and common courses? Will it comprise a durable earnings dashboard? Can it Permit you to monitor incoming and remarkable expenditures or payments? Can it sync and Mix with The existing accounting Laptop process application, one example is QuickBooks? Automatic dialogue A martial arts billing procedure need to also Existing you having an selection for automatic conversation. This could Enable you to provide automated payment confirmations, payment deadline reminders, coupled with other substantial e-mail messages. When choosing permanently program program, you must try and Find the supplied functions: Ability to send out computerized communications, for example course updates, impending functions, competitions, or new schedules. Computerized payment reminders and confirmations. Cloud-dependent Application to Accessibility from Where ever, Whenever And Finally, you may perhaps call for to produce specified that the martial arts billing system is cloud-largely primarily dependent. As a result, it could perhaps protect all the information you call for readily available and permit you to definitely entry it at any time. Also, you might access the knowledge from any gadget – it doesn't topic in which you are. It might be even great for allowing other employees retrieve ideal information and info correct once they might have it. Prepared to set up the most beneficial martial arts application for Performing your studio/school? JIBASoft Dojo small small business software program bundle approach is the best likelihood with Just about every on the offered capabilities. Make reference to us now to put in place this program package or To learn added.

[wehire4u]

CTO for B2B Sports SaaS

Gymdesk provides modern, online management software to gyms, martial arts schools, yoga studios and other fitness and wellness businesses. In an industry dominated by outdated and cumbersome products, we provide the superior user experience people expect in 2023. We are looking for a senior technical leader who still likes to roll up their sleeves and write code. We have over 1000 businesses use…

[classbugs-blog]

Martials Arts Management Software

Running a Martial Arts studio is not easy because you need to don many hats of administrator, instructor, and observer. Don't end up sitting in office for extended hours and spend more time in teaching martial arts with an effective, integrated all-in-one Martials Arts management software developed by Classbug that helps to ease the stress of handling all administrative tasks with full suite of automated studio management features that reduces the workload on your staff.

[martialartsbillingsoftware]

Tips to Make Your Martial Arts School More Profitable

Let's face it. The US martial arts industry is very competitive. There are more martial arts studios and franchises in the US than anywhere else in the world. According to IBIS World, the number of businesses has grown by 6.6% over the past five years. Majority of the martial arts schools are operated by a single instructor. All these schools have one common goal – to make profits. Profit margin is essential to the sustainability of your business. If you are also the owner of a martial arts school and looking to gain better margins, then this article is for you. Here is a quick list of the things you need to do to make your martial arts studio profitable in 2019 and beyond.

 1. Embrace Technology

The business world is changing rapidly and you have to catch up with it by adopting the latest technology. If you look at your current administrative process, you will realize there are a number of repetitive tasks that can be automated using martial arts student management software. Doing these things manually can take up a lot of your time and may also result in mistakes. Instead of hiring manpower to complete tasks like tracking attendance, sending daily emails, payment reminders and class schedules, and more such works, you can simply utilize martial arts school software. This will reduce operational costs, save hours of manual efforts, and eliminate errors.

 2. Measure Everything

There is an old proverb, “You cannot improve if you don't measure.” You can't quantify success unless you define metrics and then measure them to see where you stand. To measure the success of your martial arts training, you assess your students and measure their performance during skills and belt promotion. This is exactly what you need to do with your school. Every month track number of new enrollments and dropouts, demand for different martial arts programs that you offer, website traffic and leads, social media engagements, and operating costs. This will help you make better decisions around expenses, marketing, and enrollments.

 3. Track Payments and Billing

It's time to look for the payments! You may be collecting fees in the form of ACH payments, eChecks or credit card. How do you send invoices to your students? How do you tell students about their payment due date and late or failed payments? If you do all these things manually, you will need to dedicate one staff to this effort. The good news is, there is an option that will save time and bring transparency into the process. Use an integrated martial arts billing software to streamline and automate the billing cycle. No need to hunt for payments anymore as you can set up recurring payments, accept global payment methods, send automated invoices, and generate cash flow and tax reports.

 Three Ways to Make More Money from Your School

Once you have implemented the above-listed things in your school, you can go for these tactics to earn additional revenue from your existing and new students.

·        Organize workshops in your local schools to tell students about the importance of martial arts in life and fitness. This will increase the number of enrollments in your studio.

·        Sell custom martial arts gear like belts, headgear, uniforms, bags or bottles at your school, during school events or tournaments. It will create bring tremendous benefits to your school – brand awareness, market presence, and extra sales opportunities.

·        Organize tournaments in your school once a month. This will enrich your students experience through the spirit of competition and will help you increase awareness about your school among local people.

 So there you have it! These changes will make a big difference in your monthly revenue. To grow your profit numbers, embrace advanced technology by implementing martial arts student management software, measure everything you can, and automate your payment process using billing software. Take action now to see a positive result.

[ifitsbritishimprobablyafan]

the daily dread before I sign into my meetings for the day to help people figure out how to use their account lol

[jibasoft]

Explore why JIBASoft’s OnMat is the best martial arts studio software in 2024. Read about its features, pricing, and reviews to know in detail.