Posted by Mike Massie on September 2, 2010
Fact: Most People Do Not Want To Learn Martial Arts!
Fitness has everything to do with your martial arts training... and your school's success.
I coach a lot of martial arts instructors on how to start and grow a successful school; some directly and many more via my websites and written resources.
And, I’ve found that one of the most difficult concepts to impart to many instructors is the fact that most people don’t want to learn martial arts.
This is, quite simply, a fact. Think about it – how many people (outside of where you train) do you know in your community that train in martial arts? Do you think it’s because they don’t know about it? Sorry to burst your bubble, but people who don’t train in martial arts choose not to because of disinterest, not ignorance.
Even so, people are often disinterested because they simply don’t know enough about the martial arts, or they are misinformed about what practice entails. And, many times once people try it they discover how much fun it is and stick with it. But the ages-old challenge of martial arts instructors is finding ways to get the disinterested to take a first look at their programs.
The Business Benefits Are Undeniable… So Why The Resistance?
I realized early on that teaching fitness classes was a great way to get the disinterested into my school. While only a very small percentage of the public are interested in martial arts, almost everyone wants to be in shape. By offering fitness classes, I was able to both increase my income and expose the general public to the martial arts, thus attracting a clientele I would never have had access to otherwise.
It’s a proven business tactic, and I’ve used it for years as an integral success component in my own schools. Yet, when I introduce instructors to this approach, they often are resistant (sometimes to the point of criticism) to the idea of teaching fitness programs.
“But I don’t want to run a fitness club; I just want to teach martial arts,” is a response I often get when I present this business tactic to martial arts instructors. And while I understand where these instructors are coming from, I also think that they are using flawed logic to justify not wanting to get out of their comfort zone – even to the point of being hypocritical and cheating their own students out of valuable training.
The Argument For Fitness Training Being An Integral Part Of Martial Arts Practice
Let me repeat what I said earlier in case you missed it the first time:
“Instructors who refuse to teach fitness classes are cheating their own students out of valuable training experiences…”
Granted, what goes on at the local big box gym has little to do with martial arts training when looked at in a specific context. But wait a second – isn’t fitness an integral part of martial arts training?
Fitness And Martial Arts In The Modern Era
You bet your black belt it is, and martial arts history will back that up. Of course we all know what a fanatic about fitness that Bruce Lee was. In fact, he set an example that would be followed and expanded upon by modern mixed martial artists, by emphasizing the need for physical attributes; or what he called “basic requirements.”
Virtually everyone who is a fan or practitioner of mixed martial arts or other contact fighting pursuits understands that physical conditioning is prerequisite to success in the ring or cage. Everyone from jiu jitsu competitors, to mixed martial arts fighters, to boxers, to wrestlers, to judoka, to full-contact karate fighters understands that fitness precedes victory in the ring. No lungs and legs, no fighter; every modern fight trainer and coach understands this.
Fitness And Martial Arts In Ancient Times
Yet, the influence of fitness training on martial arts goes back much, much further than that. Most recently in history, we can examine the karate practitioners of Okinawa for examples of martial artists using physical conditioning methods to enhance their martial arts skill. Practitioners of traditional Okinawan karate use various weighted strength and conditioning devices, including lifting jars of sand and stone, lifting and swinging weighted devices similar to Indian club bells, and lifting stone weights reminiscent of kettle bells.
And, should we look further to the Shaolin temple, we find similar fitness conditioning training being an integral component of the martial arts regime. With the revival of the modern temple, film documentarians have recorded modern examples of the rigorous physical training of the monks firsthand.
Not to mention that the first monks were supposedly introduced to martial arts practice via exercises designed to improve their stamina and physical fitness. Although a hotly contested (and some would say disproved) legend, the influence of fitness training on the early development of martial arts is a central concept to the history of many martial arts traditions.
A Moral Imperative To Include Fitness Training In Your School?
Knowing all this, how can we then exclude fitness training and instruction from our overall syllabus of martial arts instruction, simply because it is not “martial”? The answer is, we cannot – and should not, for that matter, especially in a modern era where people live mostly sedentary and soft lives. Let’s face it, the average martial arts student that walks in your front door is out of shape (and many times even to the point of being unhealthy).
In my own experience with teaching modern students, I can tell you that most students who begin martial arts become frustrated with the training initially, not because they are unable to learn it, but because they are unable to perform it. And, more often than not, their inability is not due to a lack of aptitude – they are simply just not fit enough to perform the movements.
Certainly, over time this problem will “self-correct” if the student simply sticks with it. But if the student is continually frustrated in training, will they? Chances are good they won’t, which contributes to the exceedingly high dropout rates among adult students in the martial arts.
I figured this out years ago, and started encouraging my adult students to attend my fitness classes as an adjunct to their training. In every single instance when the student attended fitness training in addition to their martial arts classes, their rate of learning and their skill performance skyrocketed within just a few weeks.
In particular, I can recall a recent instance where a student that was considered “wimpy” by the other students soon became a terror on the floor (other students started to jokingly complain about partnering with this student; “she hits too hard” was a frequent comment).
Would You Cheat Your Students… Those Both Current and Prospective?
When I first began my martial arts journey, all I wanted to learn was fighting skill. But, I soon discovered that my nerdy 12-year-old physique was not quite up to the task of performing many of the skills I was learning. Many of them required a flexibility, agility, and strength that I had not yet acquired.
So, I began to do workouts at the end of my martial arts practice, and the improvements I soon made in class helped me stick with martial arts training. In short, fitness training kept me in the martial arts.
Every one of your students can greatly benefit from taking fitness training; I think you’ll agree with me on that. But here’s the flip side of it… often, students who are taking fitness classes with me start off having no interest whatsoever in martial arts. Yet, a good number of them (some, not all) end up doing martial arts after all.
I can only attribute this to their developing a certain amount of trust with me as their fitness instructor, which eventually translates into an increased comfort level and curiosity with the martial arts I teach. And, I often think about how many students I would have missed out on teaching, had I not offered some sort of fitness program in my school.
Besides all that, I also get martial arts students from my fitness classes, who aren’t in my fitness classes. Yep… these are the spouses and children of my fitness students, who are exposed to my programs through their parent, husband, or wife.
And what’s more… I actually get paid to do something I should be doing anyway, which is doing conditioning drills and training to stay in shape.
So, let me ask you this question: “Would you cheat your students, your school, and yourself of all these benefits, just because you think teaching fitness isn’t ‘martial’?”
Only you can answer that question.
How To Start A Fitness Training Program In Your Martial Art School
If you’re curious about how to start a fitness program in your martial art school – one that will greatly improve your students’ abilities, and add to your bottom line – click this link:
Posted by Mike Massie on March 5, 2010
Facing Down Hard Times In Your School?
If you're facing hard times in your martial art school, you're not alone. Here are some tips to help you make it through until things improve.
Facing down hard times? You’re not alone. I’ve heard from more than a few school owners who are feeling the crunch during this recession.
Here are some tips for those of you who may be struggling to keep your school open in the down economy.
The Mental Side – Survival Strategies
First off, focus on the positives – it’s the only way you’ll get through. Just keep doing that – your attitude is what will bring people into your school.
People are attracted to upbeat personalities. If you’re happy and energetic, it will really make you stand out and people will be drawn to it. Remember, your energy drives your school.
The Financial Side – Making It Through
First off, cut back on everything EXCEPT your marketing budget. Anything you don’t need to operate or survive should be cut from your budget.
However, it is imperative that you step-up your marketing activities, rather than slow them down. Those school owners that I coach who are growing in this economy are not doing so because they are lucky, located in “good” areas, or because they are martial arts superstars…
They are growing because they spend 80% of their work hours outside of class on their marketing – and they do this consistently, every single month.
Even so, you still need to make sure you’re spending your marketing dollars wisely. So, go through your marketing expenditures with a fine-tooth comb. If any marketing method is costing you more than it’s bringing in, cancel it and shift those funds to something that is actually giving you a good return on your investment.
A good rule of thumb here is that every dollar you spend on marketing should return $1 in revenue during the same marketing cycle (in out industry, 30 days).
However, I like to get $2 back on every dollar I spend within a 30-day time frame. You need those fast profits and high rates of return on your marketing dollars, because a martial arts school relies on cash flow for survival. So, your every marketing promotion should bring back a return of 200% within 30 days of running it.
Focus your efforts and resources only on those promotions that meet that criteria. And if you’re broke, focus on low-cost and high-return marketing activities like online marketing and door-to-door flier distribution. They take more time to implement, but they’re cheap and effective when done properly.
Keep Your Head In The Game
Finally, be present! If you check out on your school and students because things are not going so well, guess what? They’ll sense it and you’ll only be making the situation worse.
Remain fully invested in your students, regardless of what happens. Loyalty breeds loyalty, and you’ll be surprised at how many of them will be cheering for you and will stick with you, even if things don’t work out…
The Longview – What If Things Don’t Work Out?
“A mistake is a future benefit, the full value of which is yet to be realized.”
- Edwin Land, inventor of the Polaroid camera
First off, it’s not the end of the world if you have to go back to teaching part-time. So, don’t be ashamed of finding a part-time teaching location, ending your lease, and moving your classes somewhere without all the overhead and high rent.
Also, know when to call it quits on having a full-time location. Is it worth it to force yourself into major debt or bankruptcy, just so you don’t feel like a failure?
Well, guess what? All entrepreneurs fail at some point in their careers as business owners. It’s part and parcel for the game. Don’t feel bad if things don’t work out this time around. Just roll with it, regroup, and the next time around you’ll be wiser for your experience.
Remember, there’s ALWAYS another opportunity waiting just around the corner. The past is just a memory, and come tomorrow today will be the past.
You will recover and you will be able to start over again. So, stay positive and just keep looking for those opportunities as you move forward.
Posted by Mike Massie on February 2, 2010
“But I Can’t Do That In My School Because Of…”
Your services are likely worth much more than you think they are. So long as you set your prices lower than your value, you will never experience the true potential of your success.
Last week I sent out an email that listed actual enrollment numbers for three members of the Martial Art School Alliance website.
These are three instructors who are kicking tail despite the down economy. And, one of them actually lives in an area where the unemployment level is 15%.
It just goes to show you can succeed in this economy, and that most of the things we think are holding us back from being successful are internal and self-imposed.
Which bring me to today’s topic…
What To Charge, What To Charge
Earlier today, I received the following question from a reader regarding that email:
“Even with their below average facilities, do you recommend them charging $99 a month?”
People quote me on that $99 a month figure all the time (and the 10% of your gross for marketing – it’s a guideline, people, not an unbreakable rule) and I have to remind them that was the absolute lowest I thought a school should charge…
Back in 2003.
Seven years later, your cost of doing business has increased significantly. You need to be charging at least 20 – 30 % more today than you were seven years ago. That is, you should if you want to have something left over after overhead, taxes, inflation, and the sinking value of the dollar are done with your revenues.
They Are Doing What With What?
For the record, two of those guys have nice schools. Jim is the one teaching out of a warehouse facility, and he is doing phenomenal at it due to having the right mindset and being an awesome teacher and coach. (And actually, I kind of like his school… it takes me back to when I first started training. Who needs heat and AC, anyway?)
But here’s the kicker – all three of these guys charge about $150 a month average in tuition.
Now, I know for some of you out there this isn’t a shocker. You’re already charging that much or more.
But for many of you, you’re thinking that’s an impossible figure to charge your students for lessons.
Some of you are outraged, thinking these guys are ripping their students off (baloney – every one of them is worth that and more). Others of you think they must have something you don’t in order to demand those rates. Still others of you are wondering if I’m even telling the truth.
And that’s why you’re always broke.
You Can Lead A Horse To Water…
I’ve argued and argued this point for years. Well, I’m finally sick of arguing and fighting with instructors about how much to charge.
For those of you who are willing to believe your value merits charging a premium for your services, outstanding. You deserve to be successful and well-respected. Just keep adding value to your services and bringing value to your communities and you’ll continue to be rewarded for it.
But for those of you who don’t want to believe you can charge a premium for your services, for whatever reason, that’s fine by me as well. You can stay broke, while instructors who know their value will have nicer schools, better equipment, higher salaries, and a better quality of living.
Not because they have something you don’t.
No, it’s because they have the proper mindset for success.
Until next time,
Michael D. Massie
P.S.: I am inundated with requests for “free” advice these days. I am simply too busy to give away my valuable time and knowledge for free, as it’s a disservice to my paying clients.
Remember, if you are a MASAI member you can almost always get your questions answered at no additional cost in the member forums. However, if you need to correspond with me by phone or email for help with a pressing business issue, please visit the MASAI online store and order phone or email coaching with me.
Thanks for your understanding!
Posted by Mike Massie on October 13, 2009
Your MMA Strength And Conditioning Questions… Answered!
Technique is important, but everyone knows that being in top condition is a prerequisite for success in MMA
I’ve decided to mix it up a little bit this week…
So, I’m asking you to post any questions you may have related to conditioning for martial arts athletes – especially pro or amateur MMA fighters.
All your questions will be answered by Eric Wong, noted MMA strength and conditioning expert and the author of The Ultimate MMA Strength and Conditioning Program.
If anyone were qualified to write the definitive guide to mma conditioning, it’d have to be Eric. The guy has impeccable credentials, and a track record of helping athletes get in tip top shape for the ring.
(By the way, Eric recently sent me a copy of his book to review, and I was very impressed. Head and shoulders above most of the stuff I’ve read on the topic. If you fight or train fighters, I’d suggest it as a solid resource.)
Here’s How To Get Your MMA Strength And Conditioning Questions Answered…
All you have to do is click the link at the end of this article. Post your questions as a comment (try to be as specific as possible – it’ll help us address your questions) and I’ll forward your questions to Eric.
After we’ve collected all your questions on conditioning and workouts for MMA fighters and martial athletes, I’ll publish your questions along with Eric’s responses in a future blog post.
Just be sure to post your questions by Thursday, October 15th at midnight – that’s so we can get Eric to answer your questions in time to post the answers sometime next week!
Click here to post a question on conditioning for MMA fighters
