Why MMA does great propaganda

A few months ago on Twitter I saw a video of a MMA fighter man-handling a so-called Kung Fu “legend.” Why do I say “so-called legend?” Because I doubt this legend even knew the difference between kung fu and kung pao chicken. Frankly, it didn’t look like he knew where he was at all. Kind of like when Creepy Joe enters a room and starts wandering around. And I’m not even exaggerating. That was exactly what he reminded me of. Anyway, it was also a typical example of MMA propaganda on Twitter which could possibly even be better than the kung fu propaganda from the 1970’s. I have watched a lot of it on there as I find it both entertaining and worthy of study, as all effective propaganda is. In fact, MMA propaganda videos like the one above remind me a bit of what the notorious Count Dante did back in the 1960s, which MMA propaganda tries to be, but is not nearly as extreme — and whose mantle I am anticipating an insane MMA guy will pick up eventually. Self defense often thrives on on propaganda and politics. And I suspect the propaganda'll get way more wild soon enough. Whatever the case, speaking of Count Dante & propaganda: Count Dante was especially famous in comicbook ads for his “Dim Mak” (i.e., Death Touch”) self-defense book. I would not be surprised if he sold millions of dollars worth of his books in comics. And if you have any old comicbooks from the 60’s and 70’s chances are you’ve seen them. But those don’t even begin to tell the real story behind this mysterious man. Or even begin to teach his astonishing marketing tricks. Here are some facts about him: * Co-founded the United States Karate Association (USKA). * Retired undefeated from pro competition in 1968. * Was a legit Karate sensei who organized the first US MMA event. * Created his own system of fighting called “Dan-Te” or “Dance of Death” system. * Used his marketing wiles to create such a cult-like following, he was able to engineer a series of “Dojo Wars” — consisting of attempted arson, booze, dynamite, building invasions, and, tragically, the death of one of his students. * Changed his name from plain vanilla “John T. Keehan” to Count Juan Raphael Dante, i.e., “Count Dante”, claiming his parents were secretly royalty from Spain who'd fled to America during the Spanish Civil War. * Was (oddly enough) also the director of a wig and hair-piece company, a world famous hair stylist, and creator of the “natural seductive hairstyle” of many top Chicago models and Playboy Bunnies. * He died of stress induced ulcer bleeding at the height of his fame/reach. One of my former copywriting clients Captain Chris Pizzo — easily the biggest marketer on the planet in the self defense niche before he sold his company — told me all the above, as well as this: === Used to read his ads as a kid which were most certainly the inspiration for my first run as Lieutenant X…Dude was a legit Karate sensei and organized the first US MMA event. Then made so much money with the Count Dante/Black Dragon stuff he went nuts believing his own hype, and started doing crazy cult-like shit with his peeps (including attacking other dojos- where one of his guys ultimately died). Guy died of stress induced ulcer bleeding at the height of his fame/reach. Martial arts are f’n crazy. The whole Dan Kennedy martial arts crowd (me, Furey, Lloyd Irvin, Stephen Oliver, John DuCane, etc) used to analyze/talk about him all the time. There’s probably a whole shit-ton of stuff we did based on it that I’ve forgotten about. === Translation: Count Dante was no fluke. He was also, in my opinion, a great World-Builder, too. Which brings me to the punch: If you buy my new BizWorld book before tonight’s midnight EDT deadline, I will give you a 90-minute bonus in my mobile app (so you’ll need a smart phone) about Count Dante, his advertising, and his approach to World-Building from what info I have, and what I have observed. You can read more about this bonus in the P.S. below. To get this bonus that is in my mobile app you’ll have to do this: 1. Buy the book in print or Kindle by tonight, Sunday August 6th at midnight EDT 2. Send me the Amazon receipt by that deadline (not just buy it, but send me the receipt by the deadline too — send a screenshot of your receipt if you have to, that is fine) Here is the link: [https∶//www.EmailPlayers.com/bizworld]( Ben Settle P.S. Some of what you’ll get in the above bonus in my mobile app (you’ll need a smart phone) IF you buy by tonight’s midnight EDT deadline and IF you send me your receipt by that deadline (not after) include: * The little-known psychology behind how old comicbook ads were able to crawl right into the psychology of their readers to create literal mail-order millionaires even though they mostly were completely BS offers. (Not suggesting you sell crap — but what works to sell crap works even better to sell gold…) * How to make your cold ads (Facebook, Google, banner, space, classifieds… whatever it is) stand out like a MAGA hat at an AOC eat-the-rich fundraiser dinner. * A tasteful way to shamelessly milk money from fear & pain in your marketing. * Best “sleeper” place in long form sales copy to create lots of prestige and trust in you, your business, and your offer. (Believe it or not, this alone can potentially make the sale for even very high priced offers.) * An admittedly sneaky (but totally ethical) way to sell “between the lines” in your ads, sales, letters, and emails. (You won’t always be able to do this, but when/if you can — it can potentially pull all kinds of new sales your business might not get otherwise.) * The blatantly politically incorrect “fat chicks” secret for finding out exactly what your market’s worst pains & insecurities are to sell them more of your offers. * Absolutely one of the most cunning ways ever invented for using your competition’s own offers to help sell more of YOUR offers. * How to structure a near-perfect sidebar for your long form sales pages, ads, and sales letters. (If you do it right, a sidebar can do much of the heavy lifting — or possibly even make the sale on its own — to move more of your offers.) * Examples of how to make ordinary and “plain vanilla” offers sound exotic and sexy in your marketing without lying, deception, or exaggeration. * Stan Lee’s secret for writing product & offer titles people can’t resist wanting to buy. (Grown ass men & women still look for his fictitious countries like Wakanda & Latveria on maps 60+ years later, if that tells you something…) * How to write your name in ads to give your brand an almost Biblical-like epic feeling & power to it. * Real life example of how World-Building can sell your business’ offers with or without any formal advertising or marketing whatsoever. * The “U-Word” that can help add thick layers of proof & credibility to nearly any kind of offer or claim. * Example of how a literal $10,000 guarantee can be done without putting your business on the hook for any risk. * A quickie power lesson on how to add Showmanship to your marketing. * The blue check secret that gets people believing your offers and claims even if they hate you. * Hands down the single best spot in your ads to place your proof & credibility for maximum impact, belief, and response. (I learned this while writing an ad for a client who would add more zaniness and drama to my copy even after I thought I’d taken things too far!) * A shrewd way businesses still trying to grow a brand can use to help create proof and credibility almost out of thin air. * A secret method discovered years ago by a cunning weight loss author you can use TODAY (right after you learn it) to help combine showmanship, credibility, and intrigue for your business. * How to foil businesses in your market who give away everything free on YouTube. (A lot of marketers worry about this — but when you know what you’re doing, these give-away artists in your niche might be all but sending your business free customers.) * A completely “unorthodox” copywriting technique (used by a notorious comicbook writer/artist to prevent Batman from being cancelled back in the 80’s) that can help make your sales copy compulsively readable and engaging. * A hair-raising example (you should definitely use with caution) of how to turn your best customers & followers into soldiers — sally forth’ing into the internet, and picking fights with your competitors. (A lot of business people cannot handle this sort of thing, and it can get crazy… but it can also potentially make your business a lot of new sales, too.) * A bizarre (but ingenious) way to use an ordinary Bible to help make your sales copy, emails, & other writings more dramatic and engaging. * An old school Hollywood screenwriting trick (used by everyone from Walt Disney to Peter Jackson — in fact, a great example is in the first Hobbit movie) that can help make even the “plain vanilla” ordinary and mundane exotic and irresistible. * How introverts can grow rock-solid relationships with people on their email lists without engaging in mindless small talk and chit-chat. * How swiping John Caples can potentially get you thrown in jail! (Copywriters fight me on this, but what I say about this makes it no less true. If you’re going to swipe John Caples, tread very carefully.) * And a ho’ bunch more. All right, one more time: To get this bonus (which is ONLY in my mobile app, and not available anywhere else) you must (1) buy BizWorld in print or Kindle format before the Sunday 8/6 at midnight EDT deadline AND (2) send me your receipt by that deadline. If you send me your receipt after that? You will be ignored. And I don’t give a shyt what your excuse is, the answer is NO after that. Here is the link to the buy the book: [https∶//www.EmailPlayers.com/bizworld]( This email was sent by Ben Settle as owner of Settle, LLC. Copyright © 2023 Settle, LLC. All Rights Reserved. No part of this email may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission from Settle, LLC. Click here to [unsubscribe]( Settle, LLC PO Box 1056 Gold Beach Oregon 97444 USA