So who is this guy?

First of all, welcome to my blog. My name is Jim. I've been teaching Olympic-style taekwondo since 2000 under Grandmaster B.C. Kim (five world championships, including an Olympic gold medal in 1992). I hold a third-degree black belt. I am also a fitness coach (I hate the term "personal trainer", it just sounds so...). I've worked for several big-box chain gyms, and now I'm hanging up my own shingle.
My certifications? Currently, none. I've held three different certs, and they all have something in common: they're bullshit. Any semi-literate humanoid with the testing fee can get a certification. Being certified doesn't mean a person can teach, or that they know what the hell they're doing. The fitness business is full of sanctimonious would-be gurus who have a big fat opinion about "the only way to get fit". Let's get this straight: there are many paths to personal excellence, and it's our job to discover our own personal truth. My truth might not work and play well with your truth. That's okay, I won't take it personally.
When it comes to exercise, most people need a coach for optimum results. That's why the big-box gyms are full of people who plod along for years without making much progress after the first 3 or 4 months. Most of the people in any given gym simply don't push themselves hard enough, or don't have enough knowledge, or (most likely) both. By and large, the people who hire trainers get better results than those who don't. There are some very good trainers at the chain gyms, but eventually they get sick of splitting the money with the stockholders (usually the trainers get less than half of what the client pays per session, sometimes less than 25%) and start their own business. Now I'm one of them.
Why would you spend your money hiring me instead of the guy down the street? I have a wider range of experience than the average trainer. I won't piss in your ear and tell you it's raining. I will challenge you, encourage you, threaten you if necessary to get you moving and keep you moving. Right now I'm offering one-on-one coaching; in the near future I will offer small-group classes (no more than ten at a time).
Outlaws coaching is based on the kind of conditioning training preferred by combat sports: circuits, intervals, and an ever-changing arsenal of calesthenics and free-weight exercises. I'm also well versed in dynamic flexibility, so the post-workout rigor mortis will be somewhat kept in check.
Sound good to you? If so, and you're in the greater Portland Oregon area, call me at (503) 475-0867 to schedule an appointment or just chat.