Home Education Asset Classes Setup Blog FAQ
Log In
Trading Fundamentals
14 topics
What is Price Action?BEG

Price action is the movement of a security's price over time—the foundation of all technical analysis. Instead of lagging indicators, price action traders read raw movements: candlesticks, S/R, trends, and patterns.

Key Insight: Price reflects collective market psychology.

Understanding CandlesticksBEG

Each candlestick shows: Open, High, Low, Close. Body = open-to-close range. Wicks = extremes.

BullishHighCloseOpenLowBearishHighOpenCloseLow

Key Insight: Long wicks = rejection. Central to liquidity sweeps.

Doji & Indecision CandlesBEG

A Doji forms when open ≈ close, creating a cross shape. Shows market indecision—neither bulls nor bears won.

Standard DojiDragonflyGravestoneSpinning Top

Key Insight: Dojis at key levels often precede reversals.

Engulfing PatternsBEG

An engulfing pattern occurs when a candle's body completely "engulfs" the previous candle's body.

Bullish EngulfingBearish EngulfingReversal UpReversal Down

Key Insight: Engulfing at S/R = strong reversal signal.

Hammer & Shooting StarBEG

Single-candle reversal patterns with small bodies and long wicks.

Hammer (Bullish)At bottom of downtrendShooting Star (Bearish)At top of uptrend

Key Insight: Long wick shows rejection. Context matters—check trend.

Support & ResistanceBEG

Support = price floor. Resistance = price ceiling. These are zones, not exact lines.

ResistanceSupport

Key Insight: Broken S/R flips—resistance becomes support.

Market Structure (HH/HL/LH/LL)INT

Trends are defined by swing highs and lows. Uptrend = Higher Highs + Higher Lows. Downtrend = Lower Highs + Lower Lows.

UptrendHLHHDowntrendLHLL

Key Insight: Break of Structure (BOS) signals trend change.

Trendlines & ChannelsINT

Connect swing lows (uptrend) or swing highs (downtrend) to draw trendlines. Parallel lines create channels.

  • Need 2+ touches to validate
  • More touches = stronger trendline
  • Breaks often lead to measured moves

Key Insight: VLM Engine 2 trades trendline breakouts.

Multi-Timeframe AnalysisINT

Higher timeframes show trend direction. Lower timeframes show entry timing.

  • Daily/4H for bias
  • 1H/15m for entries
  • VLM: 15m-1hr intraday, 4hr-1day swing

Key Insight: Trade in direction of higher timeframe trend.

Volume AnalysisINT

Volume confirms price moves. High volume = conviction. Low volume = weak/fake move.

  • Breakouts need volume confirmation
  • Divergence (price up, volume down) = warning
  • Climax volume often marks tops/bottoms

Key Insight: VLM uses volume surge detection to validate signals.

Chart Patterns: TrianglesINT

Triangles show consolidation before breakout. Three types:

  • Ascending: Flat top + rising bottom → bullish
  • Descending: Falling top + flat bottom → bearish
  • Symmetrical: Converging → either direction

Key Insight: Measure triangle height for target after breakout.

Chart Patterns: Head & ShouldersINT

Classic reversal pattern: Left shoulder, head (higher), right shoulder, neckline.

  • Regular H&S at tops → bearish reversal
  • Inverse H&S at bottoms → bullish reversal
  • Volume typically decreases through pattern

Key Insight: Neckline break confirms. Measure head-to-neckline for target.

Session Times & KillzonesADV

"Killzones" = peak institutional activity windows:

  • Asian (7pm-2am EST): Range formation
  • London (2-5am): First major move
  • NY (8-11am): Highest volume
  • London Close (10am-12pm): Reversals

Key Insight: Focus trading during killzones.

Correlation TradingADV

Understand how markets move together:

  • DXY up: EUR/USD, GBP/USD down
  • Risk-off: Gold up, stocks down
  • Yields up: Dollar strengthens

Key Insight: Use correlations to confirm bias and avoid overexposure.

ICT Concepts
14 topics
What is Smart Money?BEG

Smart Money = institutional traders (banks, hedge funds) who move markets. They need liquidity to fill large orders, creating predictable patterns.

  • Accumulate during consolidation
  • Engineer liquidity via stop hunts
  • Distribute to retail

Key Insight: Trade with institutions, not against them.

Liquidity ExplainedBEG

Liquidity = resting orders (stop losses, pending orders). Price is drawn to liquidity pools.

Buy Stops Above HighsSell Stops Below Lows

Key Insight: Liquidity is the magnet. VLM maps these zones.

Order Blocks (OB)INT

Order Block = last candle before a strong opposite move. Shows where institutions placed orders.

Bullish OBOBBearish OBOB

Key Insight: Order blocks = institutional footprints.

Fair Value Gaps (FVG)INT

FVG = 3-candle pattern with gap between wicks. Price moved too fast, leaving imbalance.

Bullish FVGFVGBearish FVGFVG

Key Insight: Markets often return to fill FVGs.

Stop Hunts & Liquidity SweepsINT

Price briefly breaks a level, triggers stops, then reverses sharply. Institutions use this to fill orders.

Previous HighLiquiditySweep!Reversal

Key Insight: VLM Engine 1 detects these sweeps.

Break of Structure (BOS)INT

BOS occurs when price breaks a significant swing high/low, confirming trend continuation or reversal.

  • Bullish BOS: Price breaks above swing high
  • Bearish BOS: Price breaks below swing low
  • Confirms shift in market control

Key Insight: Wait for BOS before trading reversals.

Change of Character (CHoCH)INT

CHoCH = first sign of potential reversal. Price breaks a minor structure level against the trend.

  • Bullish CHoCH: First higher high after downtrend
  • Bearish CHoCH: First lower low after uptrend
  • Earlier signal than BOS, less confirmed

Key Insight: CHoCH alerts, BOS confirms.

Premium vs Discount ZonesADV

Every swing divides into premium (above 50%) and discount (below 50%).

HighLowPremium (Sell)50%Discount (Buy)

Key Insight: Buy discount, sell premium.

Optimal Trade Entry (OTE)ADV

OTE = 62-79% Fibonacci retracement zone. Sweet spot for entries after displacement.

  • Wait for price to retrace into OTE
  • Look for OB or FVG confluence
  • Enter with tight stops beyond swing

Key Insight: OTE + OB + FVG = High probability.

Inducement & ManipulationADV

Inducement = price patterns designed to trap retail before reversal.

  • False breakouts
  • "Obvious" patterns that fail
  • Slow grinds building positions

Key Insight: If it looks too obvious, suspect inducement.

Displacement & ImbalanceADV

Displacement = strong, aggressive candles showing institutional intent. Creates FVGs.

  • Large bodies, small wicks
  • Often follows liquidity sweep
  • Confirms smart money entry

Key Insight: No displacement = no trade.

Breaker BlocksADV

Breaker = failed order block. When OB fails and price breaks through, it becomes a breaker—now acts as opposite.

  • Failed bullish OB → bearish breaker (resistance)
  • Failed bearish OB → bullish breaker (support)

Key Insight: Failed levels transform, don't disappear.

Mitigation BlocksADV

Mitigation = where institutions look to recover losses from failed positions.

  • Price often returns to "mitigate" before continuing
  • Strong reactions at these levels
  • Similar to breakers but focuses on loss recovery

Key Insight: Institutions don't forget their losses.

Power of 3 (Accumulation, Manipulation, Distribution)ADV

The daily cycle of institutional activity:

  • Accumulation (Asian): Build positions in range
  • Manipulation (London): Stop hunt, fake breakout
  • Distribution (NY): Real move, profit taking

Key Insight: Expect fake moves early, real moves later.

VLM Specific
8 topics
What is the Vector Liquidity Model?BEG

VLM is a systematic trading indicator that identifies high-probability setups using two complementary engines.

  • Engine 1: Fades liquidity sweeps (mean reversion)
  • Engine 2: Captures trendline breakouts (momentum)
  • Multiple confluence filters for signal quality

Key Insight: Systematic approach removes emotional trading.

Engine 1: Liquidity Sweep DetectionINT

Engine 1 identifies and fades institutional stop hunts at key liquidity zones.

  • Maps liquidity pools automatically
  • Detects sweeps with volume confirmation
  • Validates with price rejection (wicks)
  • Filters by zone age and quality

Key Insight: Enter after manipulation completes.

Engine 2: Trendline BreakoutsINT

Engine 2 captures momentum on confirmed trendline breaks.

TrendlineBreakVol

Key Insight: Engine 1 fades, Engine 2 trends—dual coverage.

Reading VLM SignalsINT

Each VLM signal provides complete trade setup:

  • Entry: Specific price level
  • Stop Loss: ATR-based (adaptive)
  • Take Profit: Structure-based targets
  • Signal Type: Engine 1 or 2

Key Insight: Review chart before entering. VLM signals, you decide.

Setting Up TradingView AlertsINT

Get notified when VLM generates signals:

  • Right-click VLM indicator → "Add Alert"
  • Choose notification: app, email, SMS, webhook
  • Set expiration or "open-ended"
  • Create separate alerts for each engine if needed

Key Insight: Alerts notify, but always confirm visually.

VLM Confluence FiltersADV

VLM uses multiple filters for high-probability signals:

  • Volume Surge: Confirms institutional activity
  • ADX Filter: Trend strength (>25 = strong)
  • VIX Filter: Volatility-adjusted sizing
  • Event Awareness: Reduced signals around FOMC, NFP, CPI

Key Insight: More confluence = higher probability.

Optimizing VLM SettingsADV

VLM works out of the box, but can be tuned:

  • Sensitivity: Higher = more signals, lower quality
  • Timeframe: 15m-1hr intraday, 4hr-1day swing
  • Asset class: Works on forex, crypto, indices, stocks

Key Insight: Default settings are battle-tested. Change cautiously.

Combining VLM with Manual AnalysisADV

VLM is a tool, not a replacement for skill:

  • Use higher TF for bias, VLM for entries
  • Add your own S/R, FVG, OB analysis
  • Skip signals against clear HTF structure
  • Journal results to improve filtering

Key Insight: VLM + your analysis = best results.

Risk Management
10 topics
The 1-2% RuleBEG

Never risk more than 1-2% of account per trade.

  • $10,000 account = $100-200 max risk per trade
  • Allows 50+ losing trades before ruin
  • Compounds protect capital

Key Insight: Survival > profits. Size accordingly.

Position Sizing CalculatorBEG

Calculate position size based on risk and stop distance:

  • Risk Amount: Account × Risk % (e.g., $10k × 1% = $100)
  • Stop Distance: Entry - Stop in pips/points
  • Position Size: Risk ÷ Stop Distance

Key Insight: Smaller stop = larger position (same $ risk).

Risk-Reward RatiosBEG

RRR compares potential loss to potential profit:

  • 1:1: Need >50% win rate to profit
  • 1:2: Need >33% win rate
  • 1:3: Need >25% win rate

VLM targets 2:1 to 3:1 RRR.

Key Insight: You can win 40% of trades and still profit.

Journaling Your TradesBEG

Record every trade for improvement:

  • Date, asset, timeframe
  • Setup type (Engine 1/2, manual)
  • Entry, stop, target, actual exit
  • Result in R-multiple
  • Screenshot + notes on execution

Key Insight: Weekly review reveals your patterns.

ATR-Based Stop LossesINT

ATR (Average True Range) measures volatility. ATR stops adapt:

  • High volatility = wider stops (avoid noise)
  • Low volatility = tighter stops (protect gains)
  • Typical: 1.5-2× ATR from entry

Key Insight: VLM uses ATR stops automatically.

Scaling In & OutINT

Don't go all-in/all-out. Scale progressively:

  • Take 50% at 1:1 RRR
  • Move stop to breakeven
  • Let remaining 50% run to 2:1+
  • Consider adding on confirmation

Key Insight: Scaling locks profits, lets winners run.

When NOT to TradeINT

Sitting out is a position. Avoid:

  • Major news: FOMC, NFP, CPI, earnings
  • Low volume: Holidays, late sessions
  • After losses: Revenge trading kills accounts
  • Emotional: Tired, stressed, angry, euphoric

Key Insight: No trade > bad trade.

Daily & Weekly Loss LimitsINT

Set hard limits to prevent spiral:

  • Daily max: 3% of account (e.g., 3 losses at 1%)
  • Weekly max: 6% of account
  • Hit limit = stop trading, review

Key Insight: Limits protect you from yourself.

Drawdown ManagementADV

Understand drawdown math:

  • 10% loss → need 11% to recover
  • 25% loss → need 33% to recover
  • 50% loss → need 100% to recover

Key Insight: Losses compound faster than gains.

Trading PsychologyADV

Master your emotions:

  • Fear: Cutting winners early, skipping setups
  • Greed: Oversizing, moving targets
  • Revenge: Trading after losses to "get back"
  • FOMO: Chasing missed moves

Key Insight: Systematic trading (VLM) reduces emotional interference.

Practical Trading
6 topics
Building a Trading PlanBEG

Every trader needs a written plan:

  • Markets: What do you trade?
  • Timeframes: Analysis vs execution
  • Setups: Specific patterns you take
  • Risk rules: % per trade, daily limit
  • Routine: Pre-market, during, post

Key Insight: No plan = gambling.

Backtesting StrategiesINT

Test before trading real money:

  • Use TradingView replay or scroll back
  • Record 50-100+ trades minimum
  • Track win rate, avg R, max drawdown
  • Be honest—don't cherry-pick

Key Insight: Backtest builds confidence and reveals flaws.

Paper Trading / DemoINT

Practice without risk before going live:

  • Use demo accounts with realistic sizing
  • Trade it like real money (emotions differ)
  • Minimum 1 month profitable before live
  • Track same metrics as real trading

Key Insight: Demo success ≠ live success, but it's a prerequisite.

Understanding Spreads & SlippageINT

Hidden costs of trading:

  • Spread: Bid-ask difference (cost per trade)
  • Slippage: Fill worse than expected (fast markets)
  • Wider during news, low volume
  • Factor into stop/target calculations

Key Insight: Trade liquid markets during active sessions.

Choosing Your BrokerINT

Broker matters. Consider:

  • Regulation: FCA, NFA, ASIC preferred
  • Spreads: Compare on your pairs
  • Execution: Speed and slippage
  • Platform: TradingView integration for VLM

Key Insight: Cheap spreads mean nothing with bad fills.

News Trading vs Avoiding NewsADV

Two approaches to high-impact news:

  • Avoid: Close positions before, wait for dust to settle
  • Trade: Wait for initial spike, trade the reversal (advanced)
  • VLM reduces signals around major events automatically

Key Insight: Unless you specialize, avoiding is safer.

Ready to apply what you've learned?

Get early access to VLM and start identifying high-probability setups.

Get Early Access