Category: Trash Talk Tuesday

The final post in this series from which we martial arts bloggers learned:
1) How NOT to make a case for or against someone or something
2) Why certain comments set our teeth on edge
3) How to stay focused when discussing our arts

 

 

One thing I absolutely love about Karate  is it’s been around awhile.   Yes, I’m fully aware that the particular style I’m studying is less than a century old and maybe its founder is rolling around in his grave because of some of the changes that have taken place.  I’m talking about Karate in general.  Yes, I know Japanese Karate, which is where my style comes from, is different from Okinawan Karate.  I’m looking over a pretty big swath of time and across cultures here.   Anyway – back to my point.  Karate’s long roots stretching back over time appeals to me.  But is that the only reason I should keep studying?  Absolutely not!

Appeal to tradition and appeal to modernity are propaganda techniques that might come in handy for advertising.  Let’s keep them in that realm.  Really and truly, can MMA claim to be better than Karate based on how “modern” it is?  Can Karate claim to be better than MMA based on its traditions?  NO.  It’s all about what the student wants out of his or her art.  Yes, advertise to attract the people you want.  But don’t stop there.  Give your potential students some real benefits to studying with you.  Provide your credentials and some statistics.

Each art has its share of really impressive people.  Learn.  Keep an open mind.  Most of all, please respect each other.

Thanks to Nathaniel Bluedorn and Hans Bluedorn, the authors of  _The Fallacy Detective_

Trash Talk Tuesday:

Time once again for us martial arts bloggers to learn:
1) How NOT to make a case for or against someone or something
2) Why certain comments set our teeth on edge
3) How to stay focused when discussing our arts

Boys!  Do you want to be real men?

 

Three months ago, this guy was a scrawny little nerd.  He enrolled in Sensei Rockum Sockum’s Home Study Karate Kourse and look at him now!  He can beat up anybody and chicks dig him.  So what are you waiting for?  Get off your duff and sign up!

The advertiser is hoping young men will transfer their positive feelings about the prospect of becoming big and strong to the product being sold.  We still haven’t been given Sensei Rockum Sockum’s credentials, and he hasn’t proven the effectiveness of his teaching methods.  There’s nothing wrong with a little bit of transfer in advertising – but please be sure and include at least a modicum of proven benefit.

Transfer can also be used in an attempt to shift negative feelings about someone or something.  Consider the following advertisement from Master Trik-Ki Woo’s Kung-Fu Kollege:

 

Don’t let this happen to you!  Come to Master Trik-Ki Woo’s Kung-Fu Kollege and learn how to defend yourself from the upcoming Alien Zombie Invasion!  Don’t be a victim!

If you’d like to learn more, you can follow along in the book _The Fallacy Detective_ by Nathaniel Bluedorn and Hans Bluedorn

Trash Talk Tuesday:

Time once again for us martial arts bloggers to learn:
1) How NOT to make a case for or against someone or something
2) Why certain comments set our teeth on edge
3) How to stay focused when discussing our arts

Hurry!  50% off sale!  Buy now before it’s too late!  Supplies are limited!

Exigency is used a lot in advertising.  The advertiser is hoping you will rush right out to spend your money without thinking about if the product is right for you or if you can really afford it.

It’s beyond the scope of this post to outline the pros and cons of contracts for martial arts lessons.   But I will say this – if a martial arts school does use exigency for the purposes of advertising, the owners would do well to follow up with some good, solid reasons for someone to buy in.  What are the qualifications of your instructors?  Outline the benefits of your arts.   Tell about how your school shines.  Have some respect for your potential customers and give them good solid reasons to sign up.  Please don’t just pressure them with a deadline.

Oh, and Master Trik-Ki Woo would like to remind everyone to enroll in his Kung Fu Kollege now before the Alien Zombie Invasion.

If you’d like to learn more, you can follow along in the book The Fallacy Detective by Nathaniel Bluedorn and Hans Bluedorn

Time once again for us martial arts bloggers to learn:
1) How NOT to make a case for or against someone or something
2) Why certain comments set our teeth on edge
3) How to stay focused when discussing our arts

 

Teenage Boy: ‘Bye Mom!

Mom:  Where are you going?

Boy:  Kevin’s house.

Mom:  You have homework.  No dice.

Boy:  Awww…  But we were all gonna work out together.  You said you wanted me to get more exercise.

Mom:  What exactly were you intending to do at Kevin’s house?

Boy:  Kevin and some of the guys bought Sensei Rockum Sockum’s Home Study Karate Kourse, and we were just gonna, you know, just fool around with some moves.

Mom:  Upstairs and do your homework, young man.  That is too dangerous.

Boy: But, Moooooooooooooooooom!  Everyone is doing this!  There’s even videos for free on YouTube!

Mom:  NOW.  March.

Boy:  Awwwwwwwwwwwww!

Mom:  Quit complaining, get a good grade on the next history test, and we’ll see about getting you into a real Karate school.

Ohhh, the classic “If everyone jumped off a cliff, would you do it?”

Just because “everyone” is or isn’t doing something doesn’t mean there is a good, sound, logical reason to engage in an activity, buy a product, or refrain from doing something.

Even if three quarters of the world is, let’s say, ice skating, and even if all those people can give good, solid reasons for continuing to skate, does that mean ice skating is an excellent activity for every single person in the world?  Not necessarily.  People living in desert countries might give it a miss.  Some are too obese, too old, or to young to balance on skates.  You get the idea.

Bandwagon is often used in advertising.  One might find bandwagon catchy or attention-getting in the context of advertising one’s school. But when it comes down to making a case for or against something like contracts or wearing groin protection, bandwagon just doesn’t fly.  Good solid research helps.

If you’d like to learn more, you can follow along in the book The Fallacy Detective by Nathaniel Bluedorn and Hans Bluedorn

Trash Talk Tuesday:

Time once again for us martial arts bloggers to learn:
1) How NOT to make a case for or against someone or something
2) Why certain comments set our teeth on edge
3) How to stay focused when discussing our arts

In an interview for an obscure martial arts blog podcast, Sensei Rockum Sockum had this to say:

“Hey, I’m the victim here.  Those guys who badmouth me and my Home Study Karate Kourse – they’re just jealous.  I ask you, is it fair to judge my training methods just because they’re different from the so-called traditions?  I have the right to train my students however I want.  To top it all off, there’s a rumor going around that I got my black belt in a Cracker Jacks box!  Geez, that’s really low.  So hey, tell you what.  Don’t listen to those bullies – listen to me and give my Home Study Karate Kourse a try…”

Yeah, Sensei Rockum Sockum is laying it on really thick.  Do you notice the lack of supporting evidence in the case he’s making for himself?  He didn’t say who trained him, he didn’t refute those who question him with solid evidence of how well trained his students are…  We’re supposed to buy into his Home Study Karate Kourse just because we feel sorry for him.  Yeah, right.

If you’d like to learn more, you can follow along in the book The Fallacy Detective by Nathaniel Bluedorn and Hans Bluedorn