When Neil Strauss, author of The game and soon to be known as the “Style” pickup artist: The pickup master paid by Mystery for a PUA training camp, said it wasn’t the proudest moment of his life.
His point of view would soon change. After PUA’s training with Mystery in the field, Strauss was hooked. But what is PUA training, how is it administered and is it good for you?
PUA Training Basics
First you should know that PUA stands for “pickup artist”. There are currently 3 methods of PUA training: printed materials, field boot camps, and online lessons and systems. You can pay anywhere from $15 for printed materials to $2,000 for PUA boot camps.
Printed materials: books and lessons
Since the pickup artist community was formed through online channels around 2001-2002, it stands to reason that there aren’t many books in print to help you with PUA training. Strauss’ The game it’s the closest thing available, but even that’s more of a memory than an instruction manual. Printed materials are the lowest cost ($15-$30, or the cost of a hardcover book) pickup artist training alternative.
Field training camps
Mystery’s Venusian Arts, Strauss’s Stylelife and Tyler Durden’s Real Social Dynamics are the top three providers of bootcamps in the field. Attendees typically travel to a major urban center (Miami, Honolulu, San Francisco, etc.) on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
The training is made up of short lectures in hotel conference rooms, with most of the time spent on PUA training in the field at local clubs and bars. Experienced PUAs act as mentors, providing students with critical feedback on their technique.
Prices scale according to the convenience of the location, with major US metropolitan areas costing the most. For example, Durden’s Real Social Dynamics charges $2,000 for its 3-day boot camp in Los Angeles.
Online lessons and systems
Online systems tend to fall on the lower end of the cost scale, with most ranging from $39 to $100. These online PUA training systems can consist of eBooks, streaming videos, audios, and forums just for members.
These online courses of attraction and seduction have become popular, since most men cannot afford the high price of boot camps in the countryside and find printed training materials inadequate.