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AI Journal N O V / D E C
EDITORIAL
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BY AIO PRESIDENT, SKIP CHAPMAN
a i k i d o i n t r u c t o r s . c o m
Marketing turned inside out. Many times you will hear dojo owners talk about December to January as being the slow time of the year. This does not have to be true. The fact is, if we do nothing at all and just turn on the lights, teach classes, and hope for the best then, yes, enrollments will dwindle. However this does not have to be the case.
student referred who enrolls. The options are only limited by your own creativity.
In my experience, some dojocho recoil at the thought of a referral program, stating that it isn’t very “aikido-like�. I respectfully disagree. As a Unlike past years, the modern day shopper is teacher, I appreciate it when my students take less likely to run to your dojo after finding a flyer the time to thank me. I treasure the small cards on their car. In addition, the effectiveness of yeland trinkets I receive from the youth in my dojo. low page advertisements stopped working a In turn, I give thanks to my students for a varilong time ago. Many dojos also do ety of things; one of which is helping Many dojos also do to spread aikido and grow the dojo. not have, or want to spend, a ton of money gambling on print advertising not have, or want to Referral programs are formal signs that may or may not provide results. of appreciation; a way to say thank spend, a ton of So what can a dojo that is looking to you to students who spread the joy money gambling on grow on a limited budget do to drive of aikido to others and help increase print advertising that dojo membership. In my experience up enrollments? Plenty! of running referral programs for over may or may not The first step is to look within your five years, students are excited and provide results. own dojo. Your current students are thankful for the acknowledgment of your biggest fans. These students, their efforts. In a day and age where from the first day of training, are excited about giving thanks occurs more and more seldom, aikido. They want to show off what they have expressing a little gratitude to those who are learned in class to their friends. They try nikkyo helping to spread the benefits of aikido and on their co-workers. They brag about how their growing the dojo by recommending their friends son has come out of his shell since he started and family is a positive thing for all aikido stutraining. We have all heard the same stories of dents. how aikido has benefited our students, yet many dojos have not tapped into that positive Letters energy in an attempt to draw new students through the door. Why? One reason is a lack AIJ welcomes your feedback on any matter about this of motivating referral programs that entice curthe martial arts industry, this magazine, or Aikido Inrent students to bring their friends to class while structors Organization. Please send your letters by encouraging prospective students to come and email to info@aikidoinstructors.com. try something new. Referral programs can be as simple as a free private lesson for a certain number of referrals or a gift card for each new
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Interview by Vince Salvatore Photos by Steven Fletcher Radzikowski
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COVER STORY
AIO: Sensei, before we start our business discussion, is there anything you might want to say or start with?
Stickles Sensei: Sure, actually if you don't mind, I‟d like to preface the interview with saying that Aikido is many different things to many different people. Although this will be primarily a discussion of business practices, I would like to make sure that the readership keeps in mind that, for me, I was attracted to Aikido initially to its philosophical and its spiritual side (as well as physical conditioning) and not so much as a martial activity. So, as we discuss business practices we kind of have to not lose sight of that and keep it in mind.
AIO: Ok, so business, what would you like to speak about? Stickles Sensei: Well, there's so much to talk about that it‟s going to be hard to cover everything, so let‟s try to pinpoint some essential elements. I find a common condition of Aikido dojos is the mentality that we are "different" from other martial arts or other exercise activities in general. Also, Aikido people are so passionate about their practice that the business end seems to almost be an annoyance to them. A perfect example is when I speak to a chief instructor and they tell me, "Well, if the phone rings during class we don't answer it!” This, to me, is a formula for business disaster. In addition, until recently there haven't been many true full-time professional Aikido teachers. It‟s often been the case that the majority of dojos were parttime where the chief instructor had his or her day job and the dojo got leftovers. Similarly, the focus was usually on the adult programs and the children‟s program did not get the attention it deserved. Another common mistake, which I also made for a long time, was that the children were
ing on seminars have not had the correct formula needed to have successful dojos.
AIO: Why do you say that? Stickles Sensei: Because,
many of the successful pro“Also, Aikido people are so passionate about their practice fessional teachers would go out on the road and teach that the business end seems to almost be an annoyance to seminars, leaving their own home dojo poorly atthem.” tended. You can't expect to have a prosperous dojo if you're on the road half the taught in the same way as the adults. Until recently, there time. You need to stay close to home, build up a strong haven't been very many good role models to follow. As a base with a consistent curriculum, and a trained instruction community, we rejected the contract, competition-based staff that will attend to the chief instructors agenda, not their kid karate dojos. In addition, in my opinion, the Aikido own. Don't get me wrong, I like to travel occasionally and role models who were professional Aikido teachers focusteach a seminar but I also do a large number of major semi-
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RICK STICKLES, SHIHAN nars in my own dojo. Itâ€&#x;s a lot like parenting. How can you bring up your kids properly if you're not home. Wouldn't it be better if the neighborhood kids came to your backyard to play instead of your kids being gone all the time?
AIO: Can you speak more about the "essential elements" of business, in particular our dojo business?
Stickles Sensei: We need to realize that the essentials of any business are "product, promotion, and service". Especially in Aikido we are in a service based industry. We are competing for a "leisure" dollar. Our competition is not just other Aikido dojos but other martial art dojos, dance, gymnastics, personal training centers, heath clubs and gyms, yoga, Pilates, and the like. Quite frankly, we have a unique product - Aikido, which is a "leading edge" amazing activity. But without good business practices, including promotion, tuition collection services, data bases that properly track prospective students, proper assimilation of new stu-
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dents, and ways to retain them, good curriculum based introduction, and other sound business policies, the dojo will fail.
AIO: What is the most important thing for the new student to get when joining your dojo?
Stickles Sensei: The most important thing for the new students in their first few weeks is merely to have fun and leave the dojo with a smile on their face so they want to come back. Thatâ€&#x;s all. I will talk in a bit about the seamless transition I use between programs for both children and adults for retention purposes but let me reiterate that the only thing that matters in the first few classes is that they have fun and leave happy; feeling good about themselves. I have a set curriculum of five basic cross hand techniques that the new student learns and repeats over and over again for the first few classes. Sometimes the new students won't even take ukemi for the first couple of classes. If I see an apprehension there, I will slowly work
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them into the falling aspect. In some cases a student won't take a forward roll for a couple of months. If you think about it, almost every technique can be done with a simple back roll. This idea that they need to learn to take a forward roll right away is an antiquated one and can easily lead to losing many students at an early stage of their training, which is an injustice to both them and the dojo community. Also, in the beginning, I don't bog the new students with a lot of little details like the pins. The initial intention is to give them the idea of the big circular movement and have them fall in love with that.
turned things around for us. That, along with building up our kids program, made all the difference in the world. I didn't want to do a 12 month contract, actually we call it a Mutual Commitment Agreement and it is for six months. This commitment works well with our adult Seamless Transition Program.
AIO: What is the importance of using an automated billing
was shy about doing a twelve month contract with people, so I have what‟s called a six month commitment package. So it‟s six months with AAC, the billing company we use. I collect the first month‟s dues and then they are on contract with AAC for five months. We don‟t call it a contract. We call it a Mutual Support Agreement.
AIO: Could you explain this Seamless Transition Program you are speaking of?
Stickles Sensei: We have two: one for children, youth and teens, and one for adults. I'll speak briefly about the kids because I feel that the AIO members already have an amazAIO: What is the importance of using "modeling" as a ing amount of valuable information from AIO altechnique for growth? ready. Our children‟s programs overlap each other. It is set up for 4 and 5 year olds, 6 thru 11, and then 12 thru Stickles Sensei: Proper modeling is essential for success 16. However, depending on the physical size and level of in business. As stated before, I think, in general, we in the maturity of the student, these groups can overlap each Aikido community have not had a large number of good other. So we may have an 11 year old taking a kids‟ class in role models to choose from. Quite frankly, Skip Chapman a colored belt and then the same kid in the youth class in a white This overlapping philosophy “In some cases a student won't take a forward roll for a belt. allows a certain amount of flexibility couple of months. If you think about it, almost every in student placement and allows this seamless transition from one group technique can be done with a simple back roll.” to another. Then, by the time they are 14 or so they can seamlessly transition into the adult program. and AIO are some of the best models you can use. Skip has taken the time to join many karate business organizaAIO: So, how does your Seamless Transition System work tions, learn how they operate, and then adapt them for the for adults? Aikido community. In my experience, I have had several business coaches over time. Tony Robbins has been a big Stickles Sensei: It‟s an interesting question you have influence on how I have set goals and met them. It‟s imthere. Here‟s how I work the seamless transition for adults. portant to have a good business plan with clear, attainable As I‟ve said previously, we all, as AIO members, have a goals. In Musahi's Book of 5 Rings, he speaks of the "long massive amount of information about children and I think I and short views" using a series of short views to attain a should review that because I‟ve modeled a lot of what I do long term goal. In my dojo, I have what we call a Master after Skip Sensei‟s children‟s program. But with the adults, Mind Team, a group of business people who help me plan here‟s how I do my adults. We call the way we bring adults and execute my business plan. We meet on a regular basis, into the dojo The Mutual Commitment Package. And analyze our progress, and adjust strategies accordingly. that‟s instead of using the word „contract‟. Quite frankly, I system to collect dues?
Stickles Sensei: I can't stress enough how important using a billing system is. In the beginning I was nervous about doing it but, quite frankly, going with the automated system
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The way we do it is we have a colored tip system for when new people join the dojo; they must join for six months. For the first six months, they have a colored tip on the end of their belt. The first month is yellow, the second month is orange, the third month is green, the forth month is blue, the fifth month is brown, and the sixth month is black. It‟s just a piece of tape on the end of their belt. Now what happens is at the end of each month they get a certificate of achievement in front of the class and everybody applauds. They don‟t have to do anything for it. There‟s no test involved. They just have to show up. Now the reason that works well for us is because we have a full and varied schedule. We have classes for beginners, mixed levels, and advanced. Anyone, who joins our dojo for the first six months, can take any of the classes for beginners or mixed levels. Now, if it‟s a beginners‟ class, the schedule for the classes runs for beginners. But if one of the students during the first six months takes a mixed level class, everybody in the class, including in the instructor, just has to look at the tip of that student‟s belt and, if it‟s an orange tip, they know the student is in his or her second month. If it‟s a yellow tip, they know it‟s that student‟s first month. So everyone can act appropriately with that student according to the tip that‟s on the student‟s belt. If the new student‟s in a mixed level class and there‟s a lot of advanced students, an instructor can see there‟s an orange tip who‟s only been around two months and they put that student aside with one of the seniors and the student gets treated very well. I stated earlier in the interview that my primary goal for students when they first come in is that they leave at night with a smile on their face and they feel good about themselves. At the end of each month they get a certificate and they get a new color on their belt. At the end of six months, they‟re ready to take their first test, which in the USAF is 5th Kyu. So by the time they get to a brown or a black tip they‟re ready to test. Once they test, they get 5th Kyu. Now in our system, although the standard USAF policy is that no hakama is worn until black belt, inside my dojo we have hakama at 3rd Kyu. What happens now, the way this thing works seamlessly, is that for the first six months they get certificates of achievement for just attendance and at the end of six months they get 5th Kyu. Now they‟re recognized nationally and we test during seminars.
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Once they have 5th Kyu, they say “Wow, you know what? Now I‟m a 5th kyu, I would really like to have a hakama on. I took 5th Kyu so all I have to do is 4th Kyu and 3rd Kyu and I‟ll have a hakama.” That entices them to stay on for 4th Kyu. Now they take their 4th Kyu test and then they‟re one test away from wearing a hakama. And at 3rd Kyu they get a hakama. Once they get a hakama, which you know a lot of students like to have a hakama, then they think, “Wow, I‟m only two and a half ranks away from black belt. So if I got this far, why can‟t I get black belt?” The Mutual Support Agreement is one sheet paper where we say our commitment to you, for the first six months, is to make sure that you‟re well taken care of and all your commitment consists of is that you agree to show up and put in an effort and try to get connected to the dojo. So the seamless transition then for the adults is six months of colored tips; 5th Kyu, they get the national certificate; 3rd
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Kyu they get the hakama; and, by 3rd Kyu, they realize that they can probably get black belt. That‟s the seamless transition that I speak of when I talk about the adult program and I think that it assimilates them well into the dojo. It‟s kind of like a carrot in front of a horse. You‟re dangling a carrot right in front of a student and motivating that student to get to the next level, to the next level, to the next level.
AIO: So in other words, you‟ve broken it down into smaller steps so that it‟s more doable for people.
Stickles Sensei: Absolutely. And one of the things that I talked about earlier is what‟s the most important thing for new students to get when they join a dojo is that they‟re just happy; they„re just having fun and happy and leaving the dojo with a positive feeling about themselves. So the first six months they‟re constantly being re-enforced with these certificates. And then they get 5th Kyu, 3rd Kyu, and
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then black belt. I find that that works really well. A lot of schools have a 6th Kyu certificate where it‟s a really beginners rank and speaking to the USAF which has recently instituted a policy of 6th Kyu, for me I did 6th Kyu certificates years ago and I found out that it didn‟t work because the students are intimidated even to take a 6th Kyu test. This way, with the color tips, they don‟t have to do anything except show up. I find that it works extremely well as a motivator and a retention tool.
off all the satellites to my senior students that could keep them going and then concentrated all my efforts into one dojo. It‟s similar to earlier in the interview when I said about teachers traveling too much and doing seminars. You can‟t spread yourself too thin. You need to stay home. You need to develop a strong home base before you can actually go out. So the satellite system, which I know a lot of people experiment with, I found for me didn‟t work and I dispensed with it.
AIO: So that‟s that.
AIO: That‟s really the value of having an interview like
Stickles Sensei: That‟s the seamless transition for adults AIO: So, Rick Sensei, at the end of the month they get the tips. They don‟t have any tests.
Stickles Sensei: No, no, no. At the end of the month, what happens is the student that‟s behind the desk as people come in sees who‟s taking the beginners‟ class and they see who‟s ready to for a tip. I sometimes will give them a tip a little sooner rather than later just so they have that positive reinforcement.
AIO: Okay, great. We know that you experimented with
this; learning from other people‟s experiences. Because you were out in the battlefield, battling, learning how to get people in here, so you can save us a lot of time and energy by sharing your experience, I think. Can you speak about how you designed your facility and how you see it function pertaining to meeting the students‟ needs.
Stickles Sensei: I designed the facility to be very friendly, open, warm, and accessible to the student body. Before I was a professional Aikido teacher, I was a production manager and designer in theatrical productions, so I have a sense of design. We have very similar set up to a lot of other dojos. We have a lounge, a flat screen TV, DVDs,
a series of satellite dojo systems in the past. How did that work out for you and do you still use them?
Stickles Sensei: No. I started a satellite system in the late „80s where we had a lot of mini little clubs within shouting distance of the main dojo; YMCAs or health clubs or whatever. To make a long story short, I found myself driving from one place to another and spreading myself so thin, that no one ever really got me. So in the late „90s, or the year 2000, I dispensed with the satellite system; spun
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Richard M. Stickles, Shihan has been practicing and
teaching Aikido and its related arts for 35 years, and is one of the few full-time Aikido teachers in the United States. Sensei Stickles is certified as Shihan by the United States Aikido Federation and the World Aikikai Foundation (Tokyo). A distance runner for 10 years, Sensei Stickles attended NYU on a full athletic scholarship, receiving a B.A. in theater and communications. Shortly after graduation, he was introduced to Aikido. Sensei Stickles began training as soto deshi of Yoshimitsu Yamada Shihan, 8th Dan, chief instructor of the New York Aikikai. During his apprenticeship, Sensei Stickles traveled throughout the U.S., Europe and Japan, studying with over two dozen of the principal disciples of Aikido's Founder, Morihei Ueshiba. In addition to responsibilities in his own dojo, Sensei Stickles teaches Aikido seminars both on a national and international level. Sensei Stickles is on the instruction staff of the New York Aikikai and founded Aikido Schools of New Jersey in 1977. He continues to run on a regular basis and is a daily practitioner of Dzogchen (Tibetan) meditation. Outside the dojo he loves spending time with his family (he is married with three children) and playing a round of golf whenever and wherever possible.
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and internet access. We have an open kitchen area where Stickles Sensei: Yes, you‟ve taught here. You‟re a regupeople can store food. The bottom line is that I created a lar teacher here and very well received as well. facility which is very inviting and very inclusive rather than AIO: Thank you. Currently, are there any special promoexclusive. We let the parents watch class. We let the kids tional items you are working on that you would like to play in the lounge. We have toys for the kids. The facility‟s share? very beautiful and we encourage the students to stay as long as possible. I‟m fortunate to have a relatively large staff so Stickles Sensei: One thing, people have to try to take the dojo is actually open from 6:30 or 7:00 in the morning till advantage of what is going on in front of them. It is an 10:00 at night almost seven days a week, so people come in interesting kind of concept. Steven Seagal Sensei is actually and practice on their own. They know they can come in here and sit in the lounge with their computer, get “We encourage people to come, bring a friend, on the internet, and do work. They bring their kids, and there‟s a system of behavior and stay as long as they want. On Friday nights, that the kids need, they can‟t go crazy, but it‟s after class, we have a pizza night and people very warm, it‟s very friendly. Some dojos like to get their students in and out; we encourage hang out.” our people to stay as long as possible. If people want to look on the website and see the facility itself, starting a show in December called Steven Seagal: Lawman. they‟re welcome to do that. Now a lot of people will think that it is kind of goofy, but I
AIO: Do you feel that that helps with retention and builds a sense of community?
Stickles Sensei: Absolutely. I try to create an environment where people feel like they have a second home. The only downside to that is that sometimes they think that my staff members are here just for their entertainment. Sometimes a lot of people just want my staff members not to work and just hang out and BS with them, but we balance that out. We encourage people to come, bring a friend, and stay as long as they want. On Friday nights, after class, we have a pizza night and people hang out.
AIO: Do you do that every week? Stickles Sensei: Yes, just about. And also after Iaido on Thursday night is a separate Iaido group. So it‟s very warm, very friendly, very inviting. The colors are all grays, light grays, very meditative, plants, and a lot of decorations. Very, very Aikiken: very pleasant to the eye, very inviting.
AIO: So it doesn‟t look like a typical UFC or MMA type of ground and pound kind of school.
Stickles Sensei: No, no. We invite our members to go on our website and check it out.
AIO: Yes, it‟s a beautiful place. I‟ve been there. AIKIDOINSTRUCTORS.COM
am taking advantage of it. What I am going to be doing is I did a series of promotion shots of me in the parking lot with one of my students acting like a thug and me taking him out using a lot of the jujitsu part of aikido. And what we are going to do is print up a flier likening me to Seagal Sensei‟s television show, develop mailing lists and contacts within the law enforcement department, and get these fliers out in the hopes of getting a mini burst of law enforcement personnel in the dojo. It‟s kind of like when Above the Law hit, I don‟t know if you remember when it hit, in around 1989, the phone didn‟t stop ringing for a year. So I think something we have to do is to look around your area and see what promotional activities might help you in the moment. When the economy hit a bad patch, our public relations idea was based on the theme „Invest in Yourself‟, because everything at the time was about the economy. You cannot control the stock market, but an investment in yourself is an investment for your health. So we took advantage of the economy and we used that and we actually found that to work very well. Our children‟s program, which Skip Sensei will attest to in his material, requires you to do a lot of work in the community. Right now we are working on a fund raiser for a local children‟s hospital. We are doing a roll-a-thon for them and we are enlisting the kids to get sponsors who are going to pay them 10, 15, or 20 cents for every forward roll they
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do. Then I will be soliciting corporate sponsorship too. We are hoping to raise at least $5,000 for the local Children‟s Specialized Hospital. You have to kind of look around and see what is going on in your area and take advantage of the moment, like if a storm comes up, raise your sails and use the wind.
AIO: Rick Sensei, I know that this interview is going to be printed into two parts. In our next interview you will be discussing your deshi programs, your unique selling proposition and how you integrate golf into your aikido, or should I say your aikido into your golf! As we end this first half of the interview, is there anything you would like to say to the readers to help them in their pursuit towards building their dojos and in turn building the practice of aikido?
Stickles Sensei: Live your passion. It is contagious and people will want it. People want what you have. When they walk in the door, they need to see a beautiful facility, they need to see happy people, and they need to see a chief instructor that is passionate and growing on a continual basis, always growing, always now..... always now.
To be continued……...
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Salvatore Sensei, 6th Dan Aikikai Vince Salvatore was influenced at an early age by his uncle, who was a black belt in Aikido. In 1987, in search of the masters of the art, he moved to Japan. He was accepted as a live-in apprentice at the original Aikido School under Saito Sensei in Iwama. Studying intensively under Saito Sensei, he lived in Japan until July of 1999. Salvatore Sensei has experience teaching people from all over the world, and has been the Chief Instructor at "Aikido of Reno" since January, 2000. In addition to teaching Aikido, Salvatore Sensei also teaches seminars on Conflict Resolution in the world of business. Salvatore Sensei is a valued consultant and moderator for Aikido Instructors Organization.