Dear readers,

I have been unemployed since a mass layoff at my previous company, in January of 2009. In the months since that time, I have spent hundreds of hours developing free martial arts resources, on this martial arts blog, on the DojoScore Martial Arts Directory and elsewhere. This is my ongoing contribution to the global martial arts community; a partial payment in kind for all the gifts I have received from my teachers, students, peers and friends.

Nevertheless, I had originally hoped that this website could generate enough income to pay its own hosting bills, at least.

I am pleased to declare that Martial Development has become so popular, that it now exceeds the resource quotas established by my web hosting provider. They have graciously allowed the site to remain available, for the time being, despite the fact that I have not ponied up for a more expensive, extra-strength hosting plan. (They did force me to shut down the forums a few months ago, unfortunately, after it was targeted by spammers.)

In May 2010, Martial Development was singled out for exclusion from the world’s largest web advertising network. It was excluded for no good reason, in my opinion; but then, large corporations never need a good reason for their decisions. They didn’t even pay me the last month’s balance owed, but decided to hold the money for themselves!

And, having driven any serious competition to the margins of the industry, they left no suitable replacement for their advertising services, which provided the bulk of this website’s revenues. Such is the danger of monopoly power, but I digress…

Long story short, Martial Development is a passion project, to which I had intended to donate my spare time and effort–but not my income, of which I currently have none.

Here in the real world, valuable information does not “want to be free,” as it has been alleged; information demands to be paid for. For the information I have shared on this website–and will happily continue to share, if circumstances allow–I have personally invested many thousands of dollars, and many thousands of hours. I have literally flown to the other side of the world to get it.

And I want to continue sharing it with you at a discount price…

One dollar per month. That is all I am asking of you now. If you enjoy reading Martial Development on a regular basis, please show your support by contributing just one dollar per month to the ongoing viability of this resource. It works out to less than 25 cents per post, on average. And by my calculations, if all our repeat visitors agree to make this small contribution, then the ongoing viability of this website will be established. I would still be earning far less than minimum wage for my own contributions, but at least the hosting fees would be paid.

If you balk at the cost of this proposal, please take a moment to consider the benefits you may have received in the past, and may receive in the future…

Martial arts tuition rates in the USA average around 75 dollars per month. If the information on this website has accelerated your progress by a single week, or even just one day…how much is that worth to you?

A movie ticket costs around ten dollars, for a ninety-minute feature film, of which only ten or twenty minutes might be genuinely entertaining. Compare that value with this website, where there are currently over one hundred posts in the Humor section alone…how much is that worth to you?

Because this is your website, really. Everything I write and publish, I already knew. Everything I highlight and feature on these pages, I’ve already seen or heard. Sharing it all here is just an extra step I’ve taken for your benefit, and now you get to decide exactly what all that effort is worth.

I think one dollar per month is more than fair. If you agree, please become a sponsor today. Personal and business sponsorship levels are available.

P.S. All personal subscribers will receive a free bonus. Visit the new sponsorship page to learn more.

At this point you may be wondering, what is the rebuttal that we all needed to hear? Here it is: I am a 90lb twat who types with his pinkies in the air, and you are all developmentally disabled.

In other words, they desperately wish to change the subject.

OK. I accept the concession, and will not belabor my point any further, as that would be unsportsmanlike. But before dropping it altogether, dear disabled readers, let’s squeeze these lemons dry!

Martial Development Charity Drive

If you have enjoyed Martial Development this year, I now ask for a small token of your appreciation; not for myself, but for the less fortunate among us. Five or ten dollars is enough; give more if you can, less if you must. Here is a list of deserving charities to choose from, or you can go with Special Olympics.

(In the spirit of the season, why not make your donations in honor of “Jack Frost”?)

After doing that, I would like you to leave a comment below, with the name of the charity you have chosen, and the amount given. (Feel free to omit your full name for privacy reasons.) Let the sum of those comments serve as evidence that martial artists can make a positive difference in the world, if they are properly motivated.

Given the number of subscribers and daily visitors here, I hope for at least 50 comments! (Until that number is reached, there will be no more posts on this blog.)

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!