Saturday, January 13, 2007

Top 10 Pick Up Artists Of 2006 Announced

Los Angeles, CA (PRWeb) December 31, 2006 -- ArtOfApproaching.com, the internet's leading website dedicated to dating advice for men, today announced on it's blog the Top 10 Pick Up Artist of 2006.

The website's webmaster, author Joseph Matthews, has been ranking the top Pick Up Artists for the last four years.

"Before I started officially ranking people, there was a lot of speculation as to who was the real deal and who wasn't," said Matthews, about his decision to rank men on their prowess with women.

"You had a lot of guys running around saying how good they were with women, but I actually started to go out and meet them and see for myself if they had the goods. Some did, some didn't. I wanted to point out the ones who did."

Ever since the release of the New York Times Best Selling book "The Game: Penetrating The Secret Society Of Pick Up Artists," there has been a lot of interest from people about the "Pick Up Artist Phenomenon."

"There are a lot of guys out there who are trying to make money teaching men how to meet women who have absolutely no business doing so," said Matthews. "Releasing the Top 10 every year was a way of highlighting the people guys should pay attention to."

The criteria for making the Top 10 list varies. First of all, candidates must have met with Matthews, or someone that he trusts, and seen them in action with women in person.

Secondly, Pick Up Artists are graded on their qualities and skills. Not only is their ability to get a woman attracted to them quickly taken into account, but their innovation, creativity, and willingness to give back to the community at large weighs heavily in the rankings.

"It's not just about whether you can get a girl to sleep with you," said Matthews. "It's about if you bring anything new to the table. If you can help men at large to improve their love lives in a healthy way that's beneficial not just for them, but for women too."

For that reason, you won't see any "sleazeballs" among Matthew's picks this year.

"It's going to be a controversial list this year," explained Matthews about his rankings. "We have a new number one, and it's not who you might expect. In addition to that, we also have a lot of new faces added to the list - some of which many aren't convinced should have been included, but I felt shook things up enough to be recognized."

Some of the people ranked this year will be familiar to readers of The Game. Some are fresh new faces. Others are old stand-bys looking to claw their way higher in the rankings.

In former years, those who've ranked highly in Matthews' Top 10 have seen their business efforts grow the following year. The number one Pick Up Artist of 2004 and 2005 - Neil Strauss, author of The Game, whom Matthews' discovered while he was still undercover and unknown - went on to release a course in 2006 that sold out in a matter of hours, netting the author a hefty seven-figure profit.

Erik Von Markovich, also known by his pick-up name "Mystery," went on to see his business grow from a small workshop service, to a multi-million dollar a year industry while being featured consistently in the top 3 of the rankings.

"I don't know if the rankings affect the business, or the business affects the rankings," said Matthews. "But regardless, it's great exposure for the people who are listed. Not all of them make money teaching others how to improve their love lives, but all of them definitely get a bump in credibility because of it. And it's not unusual to see someone venture into the commercial arena after being listed."

The top three was a close race this year. The title of number one Pick Up Artist this year goes to a man with the nick-name of Swinggcat, an under-the-radar author and dating coach based out of Los Angeles California, who rose to fame through his infamous ability to get women to have sex with him within just a few hours of meeting him - sometimes while their boyfriends were in the next room.

The number two spot goes to former champion Neil Strauss, followed closely behind by Markovich, who has recently completed a pilot for a TV show on VH1 based on his teachings.

1. Swinggcat

We have a new number one this year! And that honor belongs to Swinggcat, a PUA who is no stranger to the top of the list. He has consistently been very highly ranked in the top 10 for the past couple of years, and this year he finally breaks into the #1 spot, dethroning past champion Neil Strauss, who’s held that honor since the rankings have begun. This is not to say that Neil’s skill as a pick up artist has deteriorated in any way (in fact, he’s just as good as ever!). The reason for the sudden jump to number one has to do with many things…

Swinggcat’s game has been consistently getting better and better, and 2006 was definitely his year. Swinggcat has been going out pretty consistently since the year began, we’re talking like 4 to 5 nights a week. And more often than not, he pulls women back for a lay.

So the prevalence of his seduction prowess has really grown in 2006 - both in club game and day game. In fact, I’d go so far to say that he’s pulled as many chicks from walking down 3rd street promenade in Santa Monica as he has from the night clubs in Los Angeles. Not only that, but evidence of him pulling girls away in front of their very own boyfriends and banging them in a nearby bathroom while the boyfriend wonders where his girl went is getting to be a pretty standard staple for Swinggcat, who seems to have perfected the art of “instant powerful attraction.”

But more than his incredible pick-up prowess, and probably the biggest reason why he has jumped up to the number one spot this year, has been his innovation and development of pick up skills. Though Neil Strauss had the Annihilation Method, which was definitely a huge benchmark in 2006, Swinggcat has been developing a very different - but no less powerful, method of seduction and attraction. Unlike Neil, though, Swinggcat has kept this system mostly to himself, though he’s shared a few of his new ideas with me, and I must say, they are quite fascinating.

Not only that, but Swinggcat has also been actively involved in the community in 2006, in a distinctly non-commercial capacity, which is another reason why I decided to rank him #1 this year. Where other seduction gurus tend to charge for workshops and seminars, Swinggcat has been very good about meeting up with local pick-up artists and taking them out to sarge. He’s even fostered a few guys I know of, taking them under his wing and showing them the ropes.

All these factors have combined to bring Swinggcat to the top of the list. A surprise, no doubt, to some - but not anyone who’s seen Swinggcat in action this past year, for sure.

2. Style

I had to think long and hard about the role Style was going to play in this year’s Top 10. Sure, technically he’s “out of the game,” but ever since his break up with his girlfriend, I know Neil has been up to his old tricks. This was a tough one, because I have such a high respect for Neil and his abilities, and the fact that Swinggcat and Mystery are both such impressive PUAs in their own right, that Mystery should probably be in the number two spot this year, but I’d be remiss in giving Neil anything less than a second place ranking for one very big reason…

2006 was most definitely the year of the Annihilation Method. Neil’s revealing of his special techniques to a lucky 375 people was clearly the biggest event of the PUA community in 2006 - not just for the fact that he revealed an incredible amount of Pick Up knowledge, but the success of his product could very well change the business landscape of the community at large.

But as always, Style is one of the best there is, and unless he settles down in 2007, I’m sure he’ll be on the list next year as well. Heck, he might even be able to reclaim his #1 spot!

3. Mystery

I feel bad about dropping Mystery to #3 this year, probably because he deserves better due to his skill set, but there were a few factors that weighed heavy on my decision. The first was the lack of innovation Mystery showed this year. Not to take anything away from Mystery Method, but it’s exactly the same as it was last year. Mystery also cut back on his workshops, so he wasn’t as prolific as he was in previous years. But that said, 2006 wasn’t a bum year for the man. His business got huge, he created Project Miami, the sequel to the ill-fated Project Hollywood house, and he also shot a pilot for VH1. And of course, Mystery is still Mystery - charming, funny, sauve, and crazy as ever. I’m hoping to see great things from him in 2007, and maybe he can finally be ranked in the #1 spot he, by all rights, deserves.

4. Zan

Zan is back on the list this year, and with a vengeance, running all the way back to the #4 spot after getting just an honorable mention last year. I had the opportunity to hang out and talk with Zan in 2006, and like a fine wine, the guy is getting better with age.

Zan has entered the field of commercial seduction teaching with his Enlightened Seduction business, and his philosophy on life and love is definitely a very powerful influence on me personally.

Zan no longer has his 6-girlfriend harem, but he’s down to two women he really loves, but that of course doesn’t stop him from following his passions when the opportunity arises. Expect to see great things from Zan the Man in 2007.

5. Sinn

I finally got to meet Sinn this year. Now, this isn’t the original Sinn, from the book The Game. This is the NEW Sinn, Mystery Method’s top instructor. When I met the guy, I was quite impressed with his confident demeanor, easy going attitude, and charm. He also has very powerful interactions with women, from what I’ve seen. No doubt, we can expect great things from this rising star in the future, should he ever try to strike out on his own and innovate the field any.

6. Lance Mason

Also known as “Sensei,” Lance has been tearing up the San Francisco scene as he continues to expand his workshop company Pick-Up 101. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that PU101 is the only workshop business out there that can conceivably compete with Mystery Method in that field, and this is in no small part due to Lance and his drive to help men get better with women. Lance has also worked hard to deliver some quality products sharing his thoughts and ideas to the marketplace this year. While he hasn’t shared anything completely groundbreaking with the world, his style is a nice alternative to the uber-scientific aspects of Mystery Method, which seem to reign at the moment.

In short: Lance is a PUA to watch.

7. David DeAngelo

This year was a real treat, because I actually got to hang out with David D in Las Vegas for a weekend and see him in action for myself. Needless to say, the guy picked up a new stripper every night. As Borat would say - NICE! I don’t think anyone can argue about the influence this man has had on the community at large (in fact, I’d argue the only person with more widespread appeal is Neil Strauss), and now that I’ve gotten to see his skill for myself, I can honestly say he belongs on the Top 10. He may not be as prolific as someone like Mystery, or as dedicated to his craft as someone like Swinggcat, but the man has the goods where it counts. Seeing his cocky/funny style in action (and keep in mid, this is the guy who created it!) was really enlightening. I think if he had focused more on Double Your Dating this year than his other business ventures, he’d probably be higher on the list.

8. Juggler

Up from number 10 last year, I’d say Juggler is now officially here to stay. Since his big comeback in 2005 with his appearance in The Game, he seems to have really focused on building his Charisma Arts business into an industry staple. People who take a Juggler workshop swear by the guy, and because of this, he has a very loyal fan base. He’s also embracing more mainstream media coverage, and taking a more active role in the community it seems, which is the reason for his bump this year.

9. Playboy LA

Back on the list this year is Playboy LA (who ironically enough lives in New York). Having known Stephen for a while, I can attest to his incredible skill as a pick up artist. In fact, he likes to joke that he’s the “Real Life Hitch!” 2006 saw Stephen part ways with his CECI buddy Sickboy, and striking out on his own. He now runs CECI on his own, and is steering that company in a direction that is specifically unique to him. Stephen seems very dedicated to not only improve the technology of Pick Up, but innovate it and help men realize better self confidence and more opportunities with women. I’m really excited to see what Playboy is able to pull of in the new year!

10. Mehow

It was a tough decision to put Mehow on the list this year, for a number of reasons, not the least of which is — I’ve never met the guy! (Usually a big factor in getting ranked) But I’ve heard from enough people who have seen him in action that he’s the next big star in the community, and he’s been aggressively courting attention both on the web and the mainstream media. I’ve heard he’s not only a part of Project Miami, but also a part of Mystery’s VH1 pilot (And in addition to all that, he seems to have been able to charm Mystery away from his long-standing relationship with his business partner Nick Savoy!). Not only that, but he seems to be making a concerted effort to teach other men how to do better with women, not only trough offering his own workshops, but apparently he’s also posted videos of himself sarging for free up on Youtube for the world to see so other guys can learn from example — and all this has gotten him some attention. Of course, a big drawback to Mehow is the fact that he seems to be doing pure Mystery Method to the extreme, and this lack of his own style and innovation could mean he’s just a “pretender to the throne” of Mystery Method, but I’ve heard from enough people that it’s quite possible he could break out on his own and take the PUA world in a unique direction. Who knows? 2007 could be the year of Mehow! Only time will tell, I suppose.

posted by UncommonBusiness at 1:20 AM