Posted by Mike Massie on September 29, 2009
I really enjoy grappling. While I don’t consider myself even to be an advanced student of grappling, I really enjoy the training and conditioning it provides. And, without a doubt good grappling skills are essential to being a well-rounded martial artist.
Grappling is a lot of fun... and the great thing is there are tons of great resources available these days for learning more about the grappling arts.
While good local grappling instruction has become easier to find over the last five or ten years, some of you may not live close to a good grappling school.
And even if you do, I can tell you from experience that without understanding the principles and strategies that underlie good grappling technique, you can flounder for years at the same skill level… even when under the supervision of a knowledgeable instructor.
More Opportunities Than Ever To Get Top-Notch Grappling Instruction
The great thing is that there are some really phenomenal grappling instructors right here in the U.S. that have chosen to share their hard-earned knowledge with the public via DVDs, online content, books, and seminars.
In no particular order, here’s a short-list of four American grappling coaches that offer really top-quality grappling resources and information for instructors and school owners:
Stephan Kesting
I happened across an ad for Stephan’s DVDs a while back, ordered one, and was highly impressed with both the quality and the content of the material. More recently, I subscribed to receive his Roadmap for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu program, which I believe is the best free jiu-jitsu program for beginners I’ve ever seen.
In fact, his free books and DVDs are better than some of the grappling resources I’ve paid for in the past…
Stephan has a way of breaking down the basic concepts in a way that makes it easy to see the entire game of grappling, and how different pieces fit together. Stephan is also giving away a free grappling DVD right now, in order to promote his new online grappling concepts course (I don’t think he’s going to be offering it for much longer, so if you want the free DVD go get it now.)
David Meyer
David Meyer and his Aussie business partner John Will created one of the first Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu curricula designed to help martial arts instructors learn and teach BJJ. Although the course has been around for quite some time, the material is still relevant as a valuable resource for any school owner who would like to teach jiu-jitsu in their schools.
More an informal association than a draconian organization, their BJJ America affiliate program offers support and guidance for instructors who are sincerely interested in offering a legitimate grappling program in their schools. And although the DVDs and manuals aren’t cheap, their association fees are very reasonable (almost non-existent, in my opinion) and they are very easy to work with.
Roy Harris
It is my personal opinion that Roy Harris is the best-kept secret among American jiu-jitsu coaches and technicians. I have yet to meet anyone who combines the same degree of technical skill and overall intellectual depth as Mr. Harris. He turns out some of the most highly technical and physically precise jiu jitsu practitioners that I’ve had the privilege to witness.
You can find out more about Mr. Harris at his website, http://www.royharris.com/.
Erik Paulson
Erik is the guy MMA pros turn to when they need to know how to grapple for the cage and ring. One of the most highly respected grappling coaches in the United States, his knowledge of the grappling game and MMA makes him a highly sought after coach and trainer for both pro and up and coming amateur fighters.
You can find out more about Erik Paulson (and check out photos and videos of his new training center) at http://erikpaulson.com/.
In Closing
I know there are many, many more great grappling coaches here in the U.S., but please note that I chose to list the instructors above based on my own personal positive experiences with their DVDs and instruction.
At any rate, I hope that the above list may serve as a good starting point for those of you who may be just starting to add grappling to your repertoire, and also for those of you who are more experienced but are looking for new learning experiences.
Until next time,
Michael D. Massie
Blog: http://martialartsbusinessdaily.com/
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Posted by Mike Massie on March 3, 2009
When the sky is falling...
The Sky Is Falling?
So, we keep hearing all this bad news on television, and it seems like every time the president holds a press conference the stock market takes a hit. I opened the New York Times last Saturday (something I rarely do), and I have to say I have never seen so much “bad news” in a newspaper in my life. (No wonder the newspapers are failing financially… who’d want to read that mess?)
Anyway, Sunday’s message at our church was on cynicism, and it got me thinking about how our perception has a lot to do with how we deal with adversity.
And that’s precisely what I want to share with you today – how perception and choice can make all the difference in how your school fares over the next two to three years.
Fear Makes People Do Stupid Things…
Sure, lots of martial arts schools are seeing their students get laid off, transferred, etc. – this is a reality for us right now, and ignoring it won’t help. However, it’s nothing we haven’t seen before. In fact, this is very similar to what we dealt with in 2000 and 2001 when the dot com bubble burst and the bottom fell out of the tech sector.
During that time, my school lost about 1/3 of it’s members, but I didn’t let it affect my thinking to the point of panicking. Oh sure, I had a definite “oh crap” moment, but then I got on the stick and started cranking up our marketing, and also adding some additional revenue streams to the school. Before long, our income had stabilized, we had replaced the students we lost, and we were back at our previous monthly numbers.
Look, fear makes you do stupid things. There’s nothing wrong with cutting back when times are lean, but cutting back on marketing that has been bringing in students is just dumb. Yet, I know there are schools who are doing just that right now, because they are adopting a herd mentality and panicking with all the other sheeple.
The Adult Martial Arts Market Is Booming?
Yes, that appears to be the case. Last week I received the latest newsletter that David Meyer and John Will put out, and they report the following:
“Schools that are overly reliant on kids may experience a wobble or two, if their parents have to find that extra $200 a month to meet their mortgage – but schools who are into BJJ and MMA are usually catering for adults; and in that demographic we see nothing but growth!”
Now, these are guys that deal with hundreds of school owners around the world. I’d say they have an ear to the ground regarding what’s actually going on in the industry… and, my own observations more or less parallel their assessment.
What Smart School Owners Are Doing
...be mindful of what you catch.
- One school that I know of, located in a small town with a very high foreclosure rate, just reported to me that they enrolled five people last week and see no sign of it slowing down. Their competitors are struggling, but they’re thriving. So, what’s so special about this school? They are marketing heavily and not afraid to spend money on advertisement. In addition, they are especially focusing on their web presence and placing ads in local, family-focused media channels.
- I visited another friend’s school last night. His place is in a not-so-great section of town, located in a small, off the beaten path office park with zero street visibility. But let me tell you, it was nothing but wall-to-wall adults in there (and yes, his programs do cater to the adult market; MMA, grappling, and kickboxing). His “secret”? He markets heavily and does a lot of events for his adult students. In addition, the atmosphere at his school is extremely positive, and it’s clear they go out of their way to make people feel welcome. Oh, one more thing – his school has grown 17.6% over the last two years.
These are just two examples, but I know from the posts on our forums and the emails I am getting from the SAMAS members that they’re not the only ones experiencing moderate but steady growth in their schools right now.
A Pattern Emerges…
After reading between the lines, here’s the pattern that I’m seeing in all the schools that are doing well:
- These school owners are pro-active instead of reactive. They are proactively marketing and advertising their schools, stepping it up a notch instead of trying to cut costs by cutting corners in their marketing.
- These schools have been active in creating programs for and marketing to the adult market. They are offering fitness, MMA, and grappling in their schools, even if it’s not their “core” program. A wise person once said, “The secret to success in business is selling what the market is buying.” Even if you don’t want to offer MMA, fitness is an evergreen market, it never goes out of style. At the very least, you should be implementing fitness classes in your school that appeal to hungry buyers in your market.
- These school owners focus on solutions instead of “problems”. Whining about the economy is a waste of time and energy, and it’s not going to do a thing for your bottom line. So, stop whining and start spending that energy instead on tasks that actually provide you with a measurable and positive return… marketing/PR, advertising, and retention.
Coming To Grips With Reality Is Just The First Step
Lets face it; lots of schools became complacent after things settled after the dot com bust and before the gas crunch and mortgage crisis. For a while, it looked like things would return to the days of plenty we had during the mid to late 90’s, but that’s not how things fell out.
So if you’re one of them, coming to grips with reality is only the first step. After that, it’s time to get into gear and deal with the situation in a very real and actionable way.
The bottom line is that you can’t change the economy, but it’s your choice how you’ll approach your business during these so-called lean times.
Will you starve by choice?
Or, will you find a way to not just survive, but maybe even to experience growth over the next few years?
It’s your call.
—
Mike Massie is the author of Small Dojo Big Profits and runs a martial arts business coaching website for new instructors and small school owners, StartingAMartialArtSchool.com.
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