Mo Murphy is after your head, and this self-described ninja salon owner means it.

"We are ninjas fighting against bad hair!" declares Murphy, owner of Miyagi, her Aveda hair salon in Northeast Minneapolis.

Indeed, tiny toy ninja figures are everywhere in Miyagi, the "dojo for beauty" that Murphy named after the martial arts master in "The Karate Kid."

Miyagi opened in August 2008 in a former butcher shop; the big metal sliding door in the back once led to the meat locker.

To prepare, Murphy, who graduated from the Aveda Institute in 1994, returned for a series of business classes. She didn't anticipate opening just ahead of a nasty recession.

"I have come to see it as a huge blessing," Murphy says. "If you open up your business in the worst economy since the Depression and you make it through that, you can make it through anything."

Murphy, 38, already had done almost everything else in the salon world, having worked as a stylist and colorist, teacher, manager and creative director. She still teaches several times a month and also styles hair for Voltage: Fashion Amplified and other high-fashion events and photo shoots.

It seemed like a good way to set us apart. It keeps us all focused. We want to give good service because we want to give good service, not to get a tip.

Being the best we can, continually learning and fine-turning our craft. We like to have a lot of fun and do good work too. We are not snobby. We are into people that enjoy a salon experience that's a little more laid back.