Here is an article on fixed fractional risk. 5K is not much but if you have an edge in scalping you can make it but this is very hard. IMO 20K for futures and 30K for stocks is minimum to start with so you can do swing or position trading.
You might want to look at optimal position sizing rather than the 2% rule. This will get you started: http://www.elitetrader.com/et/index.php?threads/kelly-for-traders.102205/
You sound like someone who put in a lot of effort. Who are you today ? Gambling 5k isn't hard work at all, you simply place your bet and hope for the best. The best athletes, doctor, directors have something to show for it ? What have the best "traders" aka internet gamblers here have to show for it ? I could not find a single one who dares to put up a bet. We don't even know they are betting. Nowhere have I ever stated anything is impossible. For this particular thread, I have indicated that ignoring the safe risk controls that professional managers use would be a road to failure. But we can all see why someone with 5k needs to gamble big. But when they gamble, they will lose.
Banks are older because they can withstand the test of time. Hedge funds have no comparable proven record. How much, you tell us.
I'm still on that road to success. That is more than what I can say for some who have a defeatist attitude. You won't get anywhere not trying or giving up. Some people do make a living being a trader. Just because you haven't does not mean it is impossible. Where did I say I was gambling 5k? I just made up a number to get the ball rolling. I don't even have 5k to trade let alone 20 or 30k as suggested. Good job assuming. Keep blabbing on about how you can't make money when there are some people here who clearly make a living trading. Or are all of these people lying? Because it is impossible right?
So if not all gamble, what do we have left? Some who use risk management and actually make money after back testing their strategy? Hmmm isn't that a weird concept. Go to the journals section. There are some there who consistently make money over the long haul.
Risk management is not a weird concept at all. It is quite well defined. But you seems to think you know better, because people in the journal section are making a killing.
Compare the net worth of James Simons, George Soros and Steve Cohen to the heads of any of the largest banks...Jamie Dimon (JP Morgan) is probably the most powerful of the bankers. No comparison. Dimon is probably not even worth $500 million, whereas the other three are all worth over $10 billion. Banks can't withstand the test of time when they make huge mistakes unless they get a government bailout. Hedge funds are smaller, so they are allowed to die. Banks only live because they are too big to allowed to die. That doesn't mean they are any good at trading. However, they are awfully good at nickel and diming their customers to continue to feed their trading operations. There are tons of examples of banks taking huge losses in their trading operations, including the "London Whale" of JP Morgan itself... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012_JPMorgan_Chase_trading_loss
JP Morgan, a banker, had a worth of $41bn. Discussion over, banker win. http://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-celebrities/j-p-morgan-net-worth/