The Martial Arts Supershow is really geared toward martial artists who own schools. I have a small group of students I train with, but I don't have a typical "school" anymore. I didn't like running a school.

In 1975, I got into the news industry to be a reporter and to be able to write for a living. By 1989, I had become a news director, a manager in charge of the newsroom. I had to answer for every photographer who dented a news car, and I had to deal with anchors who threw temper tantrums or wouldn't show up to work on time like the employees who weren't stars. That's not what I got into news for, so in 1997, I left the business.

The same is true for me when it comes to martial arts. I always dreamed of owning a school, but once I did, I had to worry about making money, paying the rent and utilities, dealing with students who skipped a few months on their payments, and simply having to accept students who weren't serious.

I didn't like it.

Looking through the booths at the Supershow, there are good products for school owners and some that I find almost offensive ("buy a complete curriculum from me").

One of the good booths is by Lajust. They've developed a vest that you can put on a Bob training dummy or any standing heavybag. The vest is wirelessly connected to a receiver and a laptop. When you strike or kick the bag, the laptop shows how much power you've generated.

You can use this to judge how strong your strikes are and train accordingly.

I like it. The price tag was close to $2,000 (including the vest, receiver and laptop with software) if I understood him right, but apparently it's a big hit with students and I can see how it would be a great training tool.

The Supershow is sponsored by Century. I doubt that I'll attend another one -- I don't intend to have a typical school again -- but for those who do, and have to worry about making the overhead and making a living, I suppose this is a good event.

My next post will focus on the dumbest booth of all time -- and unfortunately, it's the closest thing to the internal arts at the entire Supershow.