February 2019

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Things Your Attorney Doesn’t Want You To Know!

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INTRODUCING THE DANNY ETKIN SIGNATURE SERIES NUNCHAKU

BOLD. DY NA MIC. COMPETITION C A LIBER .

Z T FI

TEAM PAUL MITCHELL KARATE MEMBER 60X WORLD CHAMPION

www.CenturyMartialArts.com • (800) 626-2787

“Century” is a registered trademark of Century, LLC. All rights reserved. © 2018 Centutry, LLC. #15677

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The Biggest E vent in the Industry is scheduled at the Bell agio Hotel.

Hotel Alert: You may be contacted by hotel discounters claiming to be association with the Martial Arts SuperShow, using high pressure tactics in offering accommodations. Many of these companies are known to engage in fraudulent behavior. To book accommodations at the Bellagio, we recommend using the reservation link on the MASuperShow website or call in your reservation at the number listed above using the Group Code: SMAR0619

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ANSWERS: 1) Bartitsu, although he misspelled it “baritsu.” 2) c. 3) True. 4) President Theodore Roosevelt.

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MARTIAL ARTS TRIVIA — CHINESE PROVERB

WORDS OF WISDOM

YOU ASKED WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO PURSUE MARTIAL ARTS AS A CAREER?

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HEAR FROM YOUR PEERS

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Does your school practice sparring?

93.7 6.3 %

YES

%

NO

Are your students allowed to wear protective equipment not purchased through your school?

50.5

%

YES

25.9

23.7

%

NO

%

SOMETIMES

On average, at what rank do students begin sparring with other students?

4 5.5 19.7 22.8 13 35 %

PURPLE

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%

BLUE

%

GREEN

%

YELLOW

%

%

ORANGE WHITE

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We’re seeking writers MASUCCESS is looking for freelance writers to join our dynamic team of U.S. correspondents. We pay some of the best rates in the industry and all payments are upon acceptance.

Writers should have some knowledge of the martial arts school business.

When responding, please feel free to pitch your story ideas (4 to 5 paragraphs including the type of photos/images that you can supply to accompany your idea).

We prefer email responses. Do NOT send any completed manuscripts. We do NOT have time to read completed articles and they typically do not t our standards or editorial format.

Please email your reply or story pitch to John Corcoran, Managing Editor, at jcorcoran@masuccess.com

We’re seeking story leads MASUCCESS is seeking reader tips and leads to nd successful school owners in the U.S. and Canada. If you know of a highly successful single- or multi-school owner who you believe can teach our readers the tricks of the trade, please submit his or her name, a brief description of his or her degree of success and his or her contact information. We will follow up on all legitimate leads.

Please email your leads to John Corcoran, Managing Editor, at jcorcoran@masuccess.com. jc

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Century®

www.CenturyMartialArts.com

FEATURES AND BENEFITS:

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GET A COACH. GET RESULTS.

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R E A L R E S U LT S “We dove into the first year using MAIA Elite’s proven systems and in 10 months, we doubled our active student count and tripled our gross revenue.”

— George Sky, Sky Centers Martial Arts “In the past 3 years, we’ve doubled our membership base, and no longer stress to pay the expenses AND ourselves. We have more freedom in our schedules, and a well-trained team that has stepped up to handle a lot more.”

— Chris & Amanda Hamm, Hamm’s Martial Arts “The people of MAIA Elite are already successful and have been doing it a while. What better way to be successful than to find successful people and model your business after them.”

— Scott Mischke, Lantana Taekwondo “Every time I go to a conference, I realize that there is more to learn and that I can still grow and maximize my business. I go to work these days because I want to, not because I have to.”

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A HELPING HAND IN YOUR STORY

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©2018 MAIA, LLC. #15869

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Date & Time Here

Cost Here

Your School Information Here

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INSURANCE

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“

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E

Valley Martial Arts made the iconic Cobra Kai and No Mercy fist patches for the Karate Kid film and we made the original uniform. We teamed up again to offer the original uniform. Don’t be fooled by imposters – these are the real deal!

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EXCLUSIVE

“Century” is a registered trademark of Century, LLC. All rights reserved. © 2018 Century, LLC. # 15686

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“

We came [to the U.S.] from a totally different culture,” says Lucie, “with two suitcases and just $1,500. Money that we were supposed to return. It took us a couple of years to pay it all back.

We didn’t even know how to rent an apartment. What is credit history? What is a social security number? We had no clue!

”

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“

Today, the Spicars have a second location about 3,000 square feet in the same city, run by Lucie and their chief instructor, Brian Garcia.

Between the two schools, they have over 400 active students and over 70 active black belts.

Four black belt instructors, plus Adam and Lucie, are paid staff members. Their monthly gross is about $75,000 and they average $4,000 in monthly pro-shop sales.

�

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,

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Bo Staff & Kama Instructor Training Workshop

Martial Arts Business Forum

Mackensi Emory, jackson MackensiRudolph Emory & & Robby Beard jackson Rudolph Date & Time: Sunday, June 30, 2pm-6pm

Cost: $99

Frank Silverman Date & Time: Monday, July 1, 9:30am-1:30pm

The Legends of Kali II

Cost: 2 people for $99

The Ultimate Instructor Development Workshop for Anyone Teaching 3- to 6-Year-Olds

Apolo Ladra & Dan Inosanto Dates & Times: Saturday, June 29, 3pm-8pm Sunday, June 30, 8am-1pm Sunday, June 30, 3pm-8pm

Cost: 2 Sessions - $299 3 Sessions - $350

Gameness Presents: Rafael “Formiga” Barbosa & Joao Gabriel Rocha

Melody Shuman Date & Time: Sunday, June 30, 2pm-5pm

Cost: $99

(Bonus Hour for PreSKILLZ members 5pm-6pm)

MAIA University Instructor College

Rafael “Formiga” Barbosa & Joao Gabriel Rocha Date & Time: Sunday, June 30, 2pm-5pm

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Cost: $99

Dave Kovar Date & Time: Sunday, June 30, 2pm-5pm

Cost: $129

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B Y H E R B B O R K L A N D

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How a poor schoolboy fr om Ne wark used mar tial ar ts to pr opel himself to fame and for tune is the basis of Andr e Tippe tt’s r emarkable life s tor y. As America pr epar es for Super Bowl 53, mee t the high-ranking traditional Okinawan karate mas ter who over came gr eat obs tacles to r each the pinnacle of mar tial ar ts and pr o-football success.

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ZERO TO HERO!

H E I S O N E O F U S! Despite all these accolades, what readers need to understand is that Andre Tippett, to this day, has always considered himself a martial artist first and foremost.

He first took up the martial arts in 1972, as a 12-year-old kid, long before he launched his celebrated football career. He’s owned and operated a karate school for decades, even during his football career.

And all of his black belt ranks were accomplished the “old-school” way — he genuinely earned them! No honorary ranks allowed here! In fact, over the years he’s trained in Okinawa with notable traditional karate masters.

The point is, Andre Tippett is one of us. A real-deal black belt who used his karate skills to elevate himself from zero to hero.

H O O K E D O N M A RT I A L A RT S AT 1 2 At age 12, in his hometown of East Orange, New Jersey, Tippett first studied bando.

Today, Tippett recalls, “I was hooked [on martial arts] from the beginning. I’d seen Bruce Lee and [the Shaw Brothers’ 1973 classic] Five Fingers of Death. There was a karate school in the neighborhood and I always wanted to go, but mom couldn’t afford $25 a month.

“So, every month, I saved up my 50 cents for the new issue of Black Belt magazine. And starting at age 12, from 1970 to ’72, I studied Andre Tippett’s immaculate professional football career is the stuff of sports legends.

A former University of Iowa All-American and 2008 NFL ProFootball Hall-of-Famer, Tippett got drafted in 1982 and went on to play 11 seasons — his entire pro career — for the New England Patriots. He was paid more than $1 million a year to create havoc for quarterbacks.

The 6-foot-3, 240-pound linebacker appeared in five Pro Bowls (1984–88) and, from 1984–85, achieved 35 sacks, the highest two-season quarterback sack total by a linebacker in NFL history.

In 1984, he established a new team record for quarterback sacks with 18.5. In 1985, the Patriots, for the first time in the team’s history, advanced to the Super Bowl. Tippett’s outstanding defensive playing was a major contributing factor to the team’s success.

When Tippett retired after the 1993 season, his 100 career tackles, 18.5 sacks in a single season and 17 opponent’s fumble recoveries were team bests.

“Karate means more to me than football. [The game] is a way of making a living and enjoying other things in life, but karate-do is my way of life.”

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bando at a local YMCA in East Orange, about 30 minutes from Newark.

If the instructors hadn’t left the area, I would probably have stayed with bando.”

BIG BROTHER ROLE IN A FA M I LY O F S I X Tippett grew up in Jersey, where “fighting for survival” was not a turn of phrase. It was everyday life.

“We grew up poor,” Tippett states. “My mom raised six of us. I was the oldest, so I somewhat became the [family’s] protector. [My situation was] no big brother to go to if a few guys jumped you. I was a big guy, too, so people tested me. You’re thrown into [fighting].”

“Many times, I had to fend off people,” Tippett says, “or take off running because I was outnumbered” So, to start with, he didn’t train to fight but rather knew how best to train because he was already a fighter. Street attacks were simply a “real foundation for self-defense [training] and kumite,” Tippett explains. “People say, ‘If it doesn’t work in the dojo, it won’t work on the street.’ I felt the other way: If it doesn’t work on the Jersey streets, it ain’t going to work in the dojo.”

W H E N T H E P U P I L I S R E A D Y, T H E MASTER APPEARS After his bando instructors moved on, Tippett stayed behind. Fatherless and hemmed in by violence, poverty and family responsibilities, he was too young to move forward fully as an adult. His core strength was a determination to get an education, but, even so, his sociological situation amounted to the same desperate grind which has destroyed the lives of countless young black males.

Without a father present in his life, Tippett had no supportive male role models. Once again, martial arts provided a way forward. In 1973, Tippett discovered his first important master.

Tippett recalls, “In the early sixties, a lot of eclectic stuff was going on, like the Black Panthers and Black Muslims. So, traditionally-trained martial arts people started putting together their own eclectic self-defense systems. So, from 1973 until 1978, when I graduated from high school, I trained in ‘Ninja Turtle’ karate.”

Say what?

In East Orange, New Jersey in the early 1970s, Sensei Edward W. Boze, Jr. (pronounced, “Bows”) and Sensei Fred Godfrey were actually teaching Ninja Turtle karate, a composite style using no katas. Boze had always called his own ju-jitsu-based art, “Turtle Tactics.” But then, in the late 1960s, he did a public demo with the well-respected local karate sensei, Godfrey.

“Godfrey wanted me involved with what he was doing,” Boze reflects today. “Newark children loved him and what he was doing. He never charged one penny [for lessons]. Out of respect for his Japanese karate, I changed Turtle Tactics to Ninja Turtle.”

Remembering their first meeting, Sensei Boze describes teenaged

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ZERO TO HERO!

A TOUGH AND PSYCHOLOGICAL S E N S E I / FAT H E R F I G U R E Andre as “A typical Newark young male. We tried to take individuals from off the street, to provide an alternative to the society they were part of.

“Andre was searching and wanted to learn. He often passed by the dojo, but was frightened by my teaching methods. Yet, he became a prototype. He wanted honesty, as do lots of students who didn’t have fathers. You pet animals but not people. I wanted students to handle themselves in such a way that a person would see a paradox: This man looks vulnerable, but I’m the one lying here on the ground bleeding.”

Tough, street-smart, neighborhood instructors determined to make a crucial difference in the lives of endangered young men model the “soulful” sense of community which characterized the 1960s at their very best. A strong, principled, slightly scary but deeply compassionate father-figure was exactly what Tippett needed at that moment in his life.

Boze was the real deal, and not by accident. Martial arts had saved his life, too. He was a childhood polio survivor who, paralyzed from the neck down, knew what it was like to sleep in an iron lung with just his head sticking out of a giant steel tank so he could breathe. But he also had a tough-minded father who had learned jiu-jitsu in the early 1900s from a laundromat owner.

“The laundromat owner taught dad, dad taught me fighting and how to center my mind. I wore Forest Gump leg braces. Starting in 1950, I trained seven years for my black belt test. The test lasted two days.”

“There is a need to get boys beyond just fighting,” Boze believes. “I wanted to extend to Andre the entire process of martial arts, which becomes spiritual. After go [5th] dan, become a master of. . .serving tea.” Sensei smiles. “In other words, intellect and spirituality are what makes you who you are, not your body.”

Of Tippett, Boze states, “I call him beni. In Hebrew, it means ‘my son.’ I am grateful to have been a vessel for him.”

These days, anyone in Andre Tippet’s company enjoys his honest warmth, intelligence and a matter-of-fact modesty, which is not always associated with pro sports heroes. But undoubtedly it began while becoming Edward Boze’s star student.

The “typical Newark young male” Boze saw walking into his

“Wrestling in high school, martial arts and football all worked together, especially for a defensive player like me. Football is hand-to-hand combat. They were trying to block me, so I was able to rely on [karate-inspired] hands and body moves and unexpected angles of attack.”

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600-square-foot dojo looking for “honesty” came away, five years later, as the “prototype” of sensei’s “paradox.” Tippett now displayed a polite and soft-spoken gentleman’s seeming vulnerability. But, out on the football fields, it was always the other player lying there on the ground!

M O V E T O T R A D I T I O N A L K A R AT E Starting as a 12-year-old in 1970, for the next eight years Andre Tippett competed in area tournaments on the New York and New Jersey open-karate circuit. Winning always mattered, but Tippett’s maturing grasp of martial arts no longer centered on simply surviving in the streets or out-pointing other black belts.

Polite questions asked by an inquisitive student about Tippett’s own style revealed to Andre his root art’s lack of the deep historical background traditional systems pride themselves on. So, the same student loaned Tippett a copy of the book, The Essence of Okinawan Karate-do by Shoshin Nagamine.

“I kept the book for a year. He pleaded for his book back.” Andre’s eyes twinkle. “I read it from cover to cover, and the information was unbelievable. Not taking anything away from my previous training, which gave me a lot, but hearing about lineage, history, kata, kumite and weapons opened my eyes to how much more there was out there.

“It was a wake-up call. There were so many other martial arts opportunities for me.

Back in Jersey, you had to know how to defend yourself. I understood discipline and respect, but this was different. It’s etched in tradition, and it’s about being humble, no matter how many levels up in black belt rank you are.”

Tippett was already a physical marvel, at 5-foot-11 and over 200 pounds. One day, dressed only in his street clothes, Tippett took to the football field at Newark, New Jersey’s Barringer High School for try-outs.

“My buddies took me along for the football team try-out in my school clothes. I don’t know if I ripped my pants or messed up my shirt, but I had a lot of fun.”

Even so, at first things didn’t go well for him. He didn’t make the team that year!

That’s right. The future NFL Hall of Famer flunked out at his first attempt to play football! That unexpected rejection made him more determined than ever and he did make the team the following year.

ARE YOU A ONE-MAN SHOW OR STILL WORKING OTHER JOBS?

MAIALaunch.com ©2018 MAIA, LLC. #15873

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ZERO TO HERO!

BY MASUCCESS MANAGING EDITOR JOHN CORCORAN

Andre Tippett, 48, was enshrined in the National Football League’s (NFL’s) Pro Football Hall of Fame at an official induction ceremony in Canton, Ohio, on August 2, 2008. This is one of the biggest honors in all of pro sports.

Although many NFL players over the years have also been — or claimed to be — martial arts practitioners, and a few of them are black belts, Tippett is the first black belt ever to earn the distinguished, elite Hall of Fame honor. The fact is, his integration of karate techniques into defensive football tactics gave the martial arts a shot of legitimacy it hadn’t previously enjoyed in pro-football circles.

A combination of speed, smarts and strength, Tippett thrived in New England’s 3-4 defense as an outside linebacker. He was the kind of player who gave opponents nightmares.

The martial arts, he admits, helped him enormously in his ability to blitz bullet-like through a line of tough defenders and get to the quarterback.

“Football is hand-to-hand combat,” he points out. “They were trying to block me, so I was able to rely on [karate-inspired] hand and body moves and unexpected angles of attack.”

Tippett was one of the first players to popularize the incorporation of martial arts techniques into his training — and set coaches across the NFL to thinking that some of those techniques might be good to add to their programs.

During a media conference prior to Tippett’s Hall of Fame ceremony in 2008, Patriots’ coach Bill Belichick spoke about Tippett’s martial arts to the Attleboro Sun Chronicle.

“There were a few players and a few organizations that had a little bit of an attachment to martial arts and that type of culture,” he said of the late 1980s and early 1990s, Tippett’s tenure in the NFL. “Certainly, Tip was one of the more prominent ones. The [Dallas] Cowboys had a guy come in and work for them for a while. But when you watched Andre play, you could really see it.

“You could see how fast his hands were and how he was able to swat people off or knock the blocker’s hands down to create better leverage situations for himself to rush the passer,” Belichick said. “As it turned out, it didn’t only help with the hand quickness and defensive attacking moves, but also the flexibility training that the martial arts people use. We put some of that in our football program.”

The NFL is a copycat league, and smart coaches like Belichick tend to incorporate what works elsewhere into their own program. In this case, Tippett’s outstanding use of his hands and arms to fend off tight ends and tackles became a learning tool for other teams.

“There are a lot of applications to those principals, whether you want to

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call it martial arts or football techniques. Andre was certainly one of the forerunners on that. Here, we teach it as football techniques,” Belichick told the Attleboro Sun Chronicle.

Today, Belichick said, most teams use similar martial arts drills as part of their football technique — and now it has the NFL Hall of Fame stamp of approval.

Patriots’ owner Robert Kraft presented Tippett’s Hall of Fame award to him, during which he said: “I will never forget the first time I met Andre. It was on the field at the old stadium in 1985 and Andre was doing a photo shoot. He wasn’t dressed in his Patriot uniform. He was wearing a white karate gi with a black belt wrapped around his waist.

“Now, I have met a lot of football players over the years, but Andre Tippett is the only football player that I have ever met in his full karate garb and the only one I know with a 5th-degree black belt. That’s an image I’ll never forget the rest of my life. What impressed me most that day was his graciousness. Hearing him talk about the love of the martial arts and the discipline required to excel at karate, I started to understand and appreciate how he was able to maintain his individual excellence.”

“Andre’s retirement coincided with my purchase of the team,” Kraft said.

“And the standard of excellence he had on the field has translated to the front office, where his impact continues to resonate through our entire organization and the entire New England community. He’s a great role model for our current players, and I encourage them to emulate Andre.”

I met Andre in person for the first time at the 1990 Battle of Atlanta Karate Championships. I was surprised when he told me he already knew of me because he had bought books I had written. Tippett is a well-educated man. In 1972, he earned his Bachelor of Liberal Arts degree at the University of Iowa. In 2003, he attended the Stanford University Graduate School of Business’ Stanford Executive Program in Business Administration and Management.

Memorably, Tippett also told me, “There are a lot of pro football players who claim to be a black belt. But I find out the truth when I invite them to spar with me. Most of them decline.”

I had to laugh out loud. Standing next to this 6-foot-3, 230-pound heavyweight superstar, I was, at 5-foot-6 and 100 pounds lighter, literally dwarfed. I thought to myself, “Who in their right mind would want to kumite with this giant?!”

Tippett is still professionally involved in pro football. He has worked in the Patriots’ front office since his 1994 retirement and serves as the team’s Executive Director of Community Affairs.

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DO YOU NEED NEW, QUALIFIED Record-holding linebacker Tippett was named to the NFL’s Hall of Fame Class of 2008, the first (and perhaps only legit) black belt ever to be so honored.

Photo courtesy of the New England Patriots

LEADS?

As to the important question of the synergy between karate training and his championship football days of shatteringly quick play-action, Tippett explains, “Wrestling in high school, martial arts and football all worked together, especially for a defensive player like me. Football is hand-to-hand combat. They were trying to block me, so I was able to rely on [karate-inspired] hands and body moves and unexpected angles of attack.”

Tippett also points out that practicing martial arts helped his game because it taught him visualization through the practice of kata and bunkai (“applications”): “Visualizing before the game what I’d like to get done — and it works.

“That’s the difference between karate and football. Karate must show control and discipline. You can’t hurt people. Kumite is a game of fast tag. Football, on the other hand, is love of contact. That was part of my plan: to use my size and quickness getting off the line that fast. I was not there to hurt people, but the fact is football is a violent, vicious game.”

ENTER A SECOND MENTOR As Tippett’s appreciation for the depths and range of martial culture now became more sophisticated. It had begun with a raw enthusiasm for kumite (see sidebar story, “The Second ‘Karate Kid’”). Now it evolved into a mature understanding of classic katas and traditional weapons as the direct expression of a style’s deepest spiritual roots.

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ZERO TO HERO!

“Football is hand-to-hand combat. They were trying to block me, so I was able to rely on [karateinspired] hands and body moves and unexpected angles of attack. That was part of my plan: to use my size and quickness getting off the line that fast. I was not there to hurt people, but the fact is football is a violent, vicious game.”

From 1986 until 2000, Tippett trained in Okinawa goju-ryu at world-class sensei Chuck Merriman’s Niantic, Connecticut, dojo.

“Sensei Chuck Merriman was my mentor,” Tippett says. “He opened my eyes. All I cared for was kumite, but he taught me to want to be well-rounded. He’d say, ‘Present yourself out there, but, if you want to compete, put yourself out there.’

Promotions came quickly to one of the hardest-working and most physically gifted athletes of his generation. On May 15, 1988, Andre Tippett was promoted to first-degree black belt, along with earning his shi-doin certificate (“apprentice instructor”). He achieved thirddan and jun-shihan certification of full instructor rank by 1991, and, in 2007, was fully credentialed as a 5th-dan and also received his shihan certification (“master instructor”). He continues to strive for perfection, and 2012 brought Master Tippett his 6th dan.

Simultaneously, after earning his 2nd dan in 1989, Tippett began his continuing lifelong education in kobudo, the weapon systems of “old martial way of Okinawa.” He specialized in yamanni-ryu (bo staff and secondary weapons) under Shihan Toshihiro Oshiro. In 2017 and 2018, the circle of learning completed, and Tippett earned kobudo instructor status from Shihan Kiyoshi Nishime.

“I’m not chasing rank,” Tippett explains. “I could join associations that would give me rank. But there are too many people I respect, I wouldn’t want to tarnish my reputation. I want to emulate Merriman, my Okinawan instructors, seniors in our system, the kobudo group. I want to maintain respectability, which means a lot.”

By the late 1980s, Andre was facing the fact that tournament competition may be glorious, but, at some point, you must step away.

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This coming retirement, rather than diminishing his involvement in karate, actually worked to further fulfill it.

“I wanted to be a referee in the Amateur Athletic Union [AAU],” Tippett recalls, “and Chuck taught me the terminology, mannerisms, how to be a ref, judge and arbiter. He had so much experience! Because of him, I became well-rounded. I was an AAU ref for ten years, because he knew how to get the best out of everyone. He was the

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Besides his football fame, Tippett is most likely familiar to many veteran and now-retired tournament competitors, as a strong presence in the New York and New Jersey open-karate circuit.

From 1987-92, he was a member of the ground-breaking Atlantic Karate Team, sponsored

by Atlantic Oil, the first truly professional karate team in American martial sports. Coached

by Sensei Chuck Merriman, Tippett’s second main mentor, the team went undefeated for five years, both nationally and internationally.

It was during the waning years of his karate competition involvement that Tippett’s interest in traditional martial arts evolved.

“I had read all these stories in [Grandmaster] Nagamine’s book, and, suddenly, in ’91, I’m hearing my Okinawan instructor, Steve Banchick, talking about traveling home and [training with] all these senior guys. I’m getting starry-eyed. Because of playing ball, I couldn’t go in the fall, so Sensei Banchick and I started talking, and he asked about April. I told him I’d love to go along.”

Tippett laughs. “I felt like I was in the second Karate Kid movie! In April of ’91, I tested for 3rd dan in Okinawa and stayed for a month. I got to really see it up close and personal, watching these Okinawan masters do it the right way.

Most martial artists are never introduced to the concepts of running a small business. These 4 weeks can change your trajectory.

NEXT CLASS BEGINS

“Ten or 12 people were training each night. Lots of one-on-one. You were expected to walk off to a corner to work on correcting kata movements. Training with all the senior 8thand 9th-degree black belts — always a lot of love and care given, and a lot of intensity!

JANUARY

“My karate changed. I went there without expectations but my eyes wide open. I saw how it is supposed to be done, the intensity and how to treat each other. There was no personal twist [because of my football fame], only everybody welcoming you to the dojo. We did our very best and highest level of karate every day except on weekends.”

17, 2019.

TH

As a direct result of training in Okinawa, Tippett went into AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) (AAU) competitions after Chuck Merriman told him, “Your kata are looking really, really good.”

So, as Merriman once urged him to do, he didn’t just “present himself” as a fighter; now Tippett was ready to “put himself out there” in forms and weapons, too.

From 1990 until 1995, he went on, to compete in kata, kobudo and kumite in strictly traditional karate tournaments, including the AAU’s regional and national championships, the annual Osamu Ozawa Invitational, and the annual Uechi-Ryu National Championships.

As well as being a competitor, Tippett worked as a certified “A” AAU referee from 1990 to 2000, and, from 1993 to 1996, he served as New England AAU Karate Sports Chairman.

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ZERO TO HERO!

Tippett with California karate masters Kiyoshi Yamazaki (left) and Tak Kubota.

Vince Lombardi of pro karate.”

Today, Tippett is a senior member of the dan testing board for Okikukai (Okinawa Karate-Do Kyokai) Northeast. In 1991, he tested candidates for under 3rd dan, and from 1994 until 2000, his authority rose to 4th dan. Tippett took a leave of absence from the board from 2001 to 2004 and, from 2007 until today, is present on test boards to grade all black belts under 6th dan.

instructor, invited me to come speak to his classes.”

It was almost like coming home to his own childhood.

“These were kids with discipline problems — no different from me growing up,” he admits. “If you don’t know their home life, you can’t judge them.

“Anyway, the kids got excited to see me. I found the value of making a difference in folks’ lives, and Steve was such a great teacher, I could watch and learn how to teach the right way. Awesome!

“I started as a white belt, made my way through, but, because of him, I wanted to open a school and take it to another level. We would train hard, be well-rounded — karate, kumite, kata — and senior students will go through a referee program.”

Located in Stoughton, Massachusetts, Tippett’s school was originally known as the Institute of Traditional Karate-Do, from 1990 to 2000. Then it went private and nonprofit under the name Tippett Karate and Kobudo Dojo. Today, 8th-dan Steve Banchick is its current instructor and still assists and trains at his own sensei’s dojo as well as privately at his own school.

The Tippett Dojo typically has about four assistants serving 75 students. You contact the school by email or a phone call; there is no front desk.

Tippett explains, “We keep it human contact all the time.”

A DOJO OF HIS OWN Tippett’s last remaining hurdle before becoming a total classic martial artist was to open a school of his own. As usual, a great mentor and role model came forward to lead the way.

“My high school coach used to remind me to ‘give back when you can,’” Tippett recollects. “When I got drafted by the Pats, Steve Banchick, a friend who was a school teacher on top of being a karate

“Located in Stoughton, Massachusetts, Tippett’s school was originally known as the Institute of Traditional Karate-Do, from 1990 to 2000. Then it went private and nonprofit under the name Tippett Karate and Kobudo Dojo. The Tippett Dojo typically has about four assistants serving 75 students. You contact the school by email or a phone call; there is no front desk.”

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Tippett with one of his chief karate mentors, Sensei Chuck Merriman.

T H E H E A RT O F A B E G I N N E R So, what has teaching in his own school taught him?

“A lot of kids and adults are afraid to work hard. Not crazy hard, but we have our routines. After a half-hour warm-up, every night is different from another. People come to watch class, and we’re doing the 30-minute warm-up, and they walk out in the middle. They don’t get it. Hard training is the best training.”

The obvious question: Do visitors come to watch karate or Tippett? “’He’s teaching a class! He’s on the floor!’” Tippett replies with a grin. “It’s a selling point, but they don’t know if they can do the hard work. So, they become uninterested because karate is hard work and endless. Also, no participation trophies! There is a good reason they have first, second and third places. What good is it to look like you won when you didn’t?

“Martial arts training is humbling. We have the ability to do things differently from most people who don’t do what we do. It can be scary, because there’s a lot of responsibility [in being a martial artist].

Choose to go any way you want, but I follow other folks. The best way is to walk softly and carry a big stick and help people. And never stop trying to improve.”

What exactly are you still trying to improve?

“Everything!” Tippett laughs. “The word shoshin means ‘heart of a beginner’ or ‘a white-belt mentality.’ That’s been etched in me. I’m a 6th dan now, but I still have the heart of a beginner.

“We all train. We all are martial artists of whatever style. I think the bottom line is to continue to train hard on the floor, put in the work, and give back as much as you can for the folks who’ve given to you.

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We get caught up in putting a price to everything, but I say, at some point, give it away.”

Just like Sensei Boze did for him and all the young men from the old neighborhood!

“For me, to teach kobudo, I have to pay a yearly instructor’s fee to be part of it,” explains Tippett. “I could put that cost on the folks, say, charging $5 a class, but I’ve chosen not to. My instruction is something I believe in. I teach as if the students were paying me a value, and I feel really good about it. These folks take the corrections I give them, and they value what they are learning.

In summary, Tippet exclaims “Life is good for me! I feel good about giving a piece of me away. Because, looking back, I’m just one of the humble folks who grew up in Newark, pulled ourselves up by our boot straps and did something with ourselves because of karate and sports.”

Andre Tippett stops speaking and looks out the window, then turns back to say, with quiet finality, “Training folks never treated me like a sports celebrity. Karate means more to me than football. [The game] is a way of making a living and enjoying other things in life, but karate-do is my way of life.”

Just for a second, Andre Tippett’s genuine and soft-spoken humility almost fools you into thinking he is vulnerable! e

m Herb Borkland of Front Royal, VA, is a veteran black belt who can be reached at herbork@comcast.net.

Through the newly-enhanced MAIA website, you can access nearly any piece of information, from A to Z, about what you want to help grow your school. Visit www.maiahub.com to also find other great features available only online.

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Gameness?

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I

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PA Y

SUP

PO

RT

TS EN M

S OF T WAR

E

Strong

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We Are Soliciting Schools To Present In Our School Showcase.

If you’ve ever thought about seeing yourself and your school featured in the pages of MASuccess Magazine, now is the time to act! Simply email Sarah Lobban, slobban@centurymartialarts.com saying, "I would like to be considered for the School Showcase."

Sarah will send you an application to complete and return. All applications will be reviewed by the Editorial Board, and will notify you if your are selected.

Š2018 MAIA, LLC. #15836

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DID YOU KNOW...?

IF YOU ARE TEACHING CHILDREN THE SAME WAY YOU TEACH ADULTS, YOU MAY BE MISSING THE MARK.

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MO S T S CHOOL S DO NO T H AV E A SE T S TA NDA R D F OR T E A CHING DR IL L S T O T HEIR 3 -T O - 6 Y E A R OL D S .

T H AT ’ S W H Y C H I L D D E V E L O P M E N T E X P E R T, M E L O D Y S H U M A N , D E V E L O P E D T H E U LT I M AT E C H I L D R E N ’ S C U R R I C U L U M F O R 3 -T O - 6 Y E A R O L D S .

Tr an s f or m your clas s e s .

V isi t Pr e SK IL L Z .c om today.

©2018 MAIA, LLC. #15481

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HOW TO AVOID FINANCIAL

Awareness and anticipation are essential components in any self-defense encounter. The same holds true in the business of school ownership. Owners must anticipate various scenarios and position their schools to survive and thrive in any environment. Thus, awareness of tax obligations, past financial performance and current financial condition is essential to attain and sustain profitable growth. Follow the advice of this veteran school owner and longtime CPA.

By Al Bartlinski, CPA, CGMA

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HOW TO AVOID FINANCIAL HARA-KIRI! In my travels speaking at seminars, I have had the opportunity to meet many school owners. The successful ones were tuned in to the operational and financial details of running a school. They knew

FINANCIAL AWARENESS

the numbers and their profitability and financial condition, and were frugal, but not cheap. They were willing to invest in their schools.

They went to seminars, took meticulous notes, and implemented one thing at a time.

I would run into them a couple or more years later, finding that

MAKING THE “NECESSARY EVIL” PAINLESS!

some, certainly not all, were facing tough times. When I asked, “What happened?” the reply used by more than a few was, “I took my eyes off the ball.”

I was curious as to what that meant and, more importantly, why it happened.

I found that it meant they stopped paying attention to the details of operations and finances — the very things that made them successful! Why did this happen?

For some, their success made them complacent. Others were simply burned out from doing it all themselves and let things slip.

Some were caught off-guard by the unanticipated curve balls that life threw their way.

Throughout my 40 years in public accounting, the statistics about

Accounting is often looked upon by business owners as a “necessary evil.” It’s not fun (unless you’re a Certified Public Accountant!) and it doesn’t directly drive revenue. But, without an adequate accounting system, it is unlikely that your martial arts school will survive the long haul.

Software, such as QuickBooks, can streamline your bookkeeping requirements. A CPA knowledgeable about martial arts school operations can set up the system so that it provides the information you need to manage your school. If needed, he/she can likely provide training so that you are quickly up and running. (See sidebar story, “Choosing a CPA.”) Once your accounting system is installed, you will be able to monitor the financial aspects of your school on a timely basis. You will have an accounting system that quickly and efficiently provides the financial information you need to run your school and is painless to operate.

small business mortality have fluctuated a bit, but the survival rates have always been daunting. So, if I take the worst-case scenarios over that time, it might be something like this: On average, most small businesses (say 75%) don’t make it past the fifth year of operations.

On top of that, after ten years, 75% of the survivors are gone; and just 25% of those survivors are doing it right!

By “doing it right,” I mean that the business runs well. It’s profitable and has good cash flow — with or without the owner(s) present — provides them with a good quality of life.

One of the top reasons small businesses of any type fail is poor business decisions caused by inadequate financial information.

Specifically, inaccurate, incomplete and untimely information. This article will provide some tried-and-true tools to help school owners anticipate what the next pitch may be and keep their eyes on the ball.

It will also address some tax-compliance issues that are important for martial arts school owners to be aware of.

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FINANCIAL AWARENESS HOW AM I DOING? School owners sometimes ask me, “How am I doing?” To answer this question, there must be a benchmark, or a goal, to compare to.

One of the reports that owners need to understand to effectively

Horizontal analysis is a great technique to use in managing this phenomenon.

It’s simple to do. Presenting three to five years of P&Ls side by

manage their school is the Statement of Income, or, as it is also known, the Profit and Loss Statement (P&L). It reflects the results of operations and is formatted as follows: • Gross Revenue

side allows for effective analysis in searching out these profit leaks.

(QuickBooks allows you to easily download several P&Ls into a spreadsheet, such as Excel, to facilitate this process).

Exhibit #1. (See the illustration chart of this exhibit in the article.)

• Less: Cost of Goods Sold • Equals: Gross Profit • Less: Operating Expenses • Equals: Net Income (Loss) If you want to know how you’re doing compared to last year, you

Starting with the earliest period, it compares each account on the P&L with the succeeding periods. Note the percentage or dollar amount of the change, period over period. Also, compare the same for the first period with the last. If the owner feels any variance is worth investigating further and finds waste or inefficiencies, process

might compare current-period operating performance (the “Profit & Loss” or P&L) with the same period last year. This side-by-side comparison is referred to as horizontal, or trend, analysis.

Over time, seemingly imperceptible changes can occur in a

improvements can be made.

One caveat: It’s tempting to dismiss seemingly minor changes in each account as insignificantly small. You may find that your bottom line will increase substantially due to the cumulative effect of the

business that result in profit leaks. For example, expenses may inch ever higher, without any awareness on the part of an owner.

“small” changes in various accounts. In more cases than not, it’s a game of singles, not home runs.

“If I take the worst-case scenarios over [my 40 years as a public accountant], it might be something like this: On average, most small businesses (say 75%) don’t make it past the fifth year of operations. On top of that, after ten years, 75% of the survivors are gone; and just 25% of those survivors are doing it right!”

EXHIBIT 1

ABC MARTIAL ARTS, LLC COMPARATIVE STATEMENT OF INCOME

GROSS REVENUE COST OF GOODS SOLD

OVERALL INCREASE

INCREASE

INCREASE

20X1

20X2

(DECREASE)

20X3

(DECREASE)

(DECREASE)

323,730

332,380

8,650

363,311

30,931

39,581

8,514

7,971

(543)

9,826

1,855

1,312

315,216

324,409

9,193

353,485

29,076

38,269

ADVERTISING

23,741

35,450

11,709

28,528

(6,922)

4,787

SUPPLIES

5,473

11,580

6,107

14,364

2,783

8,890

SALARIES & PR TAXES

152,827

158,331

5,504

143,544

(14,787)

(9,283)

RENT

42,205

42,202

(3)

42,303

101

98

OTHER EXPENSES

91,575

95,130

3,555

107,748

12,619

16,174

315,822

342,693

26,872

336,487

(6,206)

20,666

(606)

(18,284)

(17,679)

16,998

35,282

17,604

GROSS PROFIT OPERATING EXPENSES

TOTAL OPERATING EXPENSES NET INCOME(LOSS)

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HOW TO AVOID FINANCIAL HARA-KIRI!

AWARENESS HOW AM I DOING? GOING VERTICAL Exhibit #2. (See the illustration chart of this exhibit in the article.)

The P&L should also be analyzed vertically. In this method, expenses are compared to some constant base, such as total revenue. As can be seen in Exhibit #2, advertising represents 7.85% of revenue. Said another way, for every $100 of revenue, $7.85 is spent on advertising.

I’m sometimes asked by school owners about the appropriate percentage level for various expenses. Many school owners adhere to standards established by the late Educational Funding Company (EFC) chairman, Nick Cokinos. He posited that advertising and rent expense each should not exceed 12% of your gross revenue. Payroll (including owner compensation) and payroll taxes should not exceed 35% of

“[It’s been] posited that advertising and rent expense each should not exceed 12% of your gross revenue.

Payroll (including owner compensation) and payroll taxes should not exceed 35% of gross revenue.”

EXHIBIT 2

ABC MARTIAL ARTS, LLC STATEMENT OF INCOME 20X3

% OF REV

363,311

100.00%

9,826

2.70%

353,485

97.30%

ADVERTISING

28,528

7.85%

SUPPLIES

14,364

3.95%

SALARIES & PR TAXES

143,544

39.51%

RENT

42,303

11.64%

OTHER EXPENSES

107,748

29.66%

TOTAL OPERATING EXPENSES

336,487

92.62%

NET INCOME(LOSS)

16,998

4.68%

GROSS REVENUE COST OF GOODS SOLD GROSS PROFIT OPERATING EXPENSES

gross revenue.

Standards, such as these, are broad-based averages over many businesses in the same industry. Averages take into consideration the best and worst performers. Rigidly adhering to these standards isn’t iron-clad.

For example, a school may be able to reduce the percentage of advertising expense due to paying higher rent at a better location.

My approach has always been to keep the sum of these three percentages to 59% (12% + 12% + 35%).

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COMPLIANCE CASH UNDER THE TABLE

I’ve helped school owners qualify for mortgages and

flow problems, many owners have made the fateful

other loans. Part of this involves getting their financial accounts in order and presenting the data in a favorable

decision to forego paying payroll taxes. Those tax funds are then used to pay rent, payroll, other operating

way. From time to time, I was told by owners that “the numbers aren’t the real numbers.” In other words,

expenses, as well as loan payments, to name a few.

their “real” financial performance was better. They just weren’t reporting some cash payments. In other words, evading taxes.

Banks grant financing based on their assessment of the applicant’s character and cash flow, among other criteria. What does cheating on taxes say about character, let alone the effect on cash flow and ability to pay the bank?

Watch out for karma! It usually comes back to bite you! Evading taxes is a crime! Report everything and leave the rest to your CPA (Certified Public Accountant).

COMPLIANCE Failing to Timely File Payroll Tax Returns and Pay Withheld Taxes When taxes are withheld from employee paychecks, employers are required to remit them to the Internal Revenue Service and State and Local tax authorities on a timely basis. Further, payroll tax returns are to be timely filed. Failure to do either results in penalties and interest.

When a business has employed poor financialmanagement policies and begins to experience cash-

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In these circumstances, the owners’ natural “can-do” optimism leads him/her to believe the cash crunch is short-lived and that things will get better soon. They rarely do. The factors that created the problem have usually been brewing for quite a while and require analysis and time to determine and fix.

Unlike other creditors, the tax authorities usually take a bit more time to become aware of and address the situation. This exacerbates the problem because, usually, several months or quarters have elapsed, causing the deficiency to grow. However, once the collection process commences, tax collectors are relentless in their pursuit of satisfying the delinquencies. Add to the taxes the assessment of penalties and interest, and the balances can be steep.

Regardless of your form of doing business — LLC, corporation, partnership, proprietorship, etc. — the owners, and possibly others, can be held personally liable for the withheld taxes. This is referred to as the “trust-fund penalty.” And beware: This penalty cannot be discharged in bankruptcy.

If you find yourself in this situation, engage the services of a CPA knowledgeable in these matters to represent you.

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HOW TO AVOID FINANCIAL HARA-KIRI!

AWARENESS

ANTICIPATION

MANAGING CASH FLOW

EMERGENCY RESERVE FUND

Cash flow is how money moves through your business. It has to do with amount and timing, when it comes and when it goes. It’s about having the money to pay bills when they become due.

Some school owners may make spending decisions based on their bank account balance without considering other obligations. I have seen some substantially increase their personal standard of living when the checkbook is flush with cash. When a downturn or other unanticipated event occurs, they find it virtually impossible to scale back, causing a financially stressful situation.

As previously mentioned, a strong balance sheet would include an emergency cash-reserve fund. But how much cash should you retain for this purpose? Well, the answer to that is, “It depends!”

Your cash flow forecast is the starting point. If you wanted maximum protection, refer to your forecast’s “worst-case” scenario cash low point. It may be that a safe balance would be more than you would care to self-finance. In that case, you could consider working with your bank.

Become more aware of your financial condition. A good start could be to review and understand your balance sheet with your CPA. A balance sheet includes your assets (what you own) and liabilities (how much you owe). A strong balance sheet would reflect assets exceeding liabilities.

Assets might include a strong cash-reserve balance to weather any future, unknown, storms. Which leads to the next element of a sound financial-management strategy: anticipation.

ANTICIPATION FINANCIAL FORECASTING Income and cash-flow forecasting is a great way to get a sense of business performance under various conditions. It’s an essential tool in helping a business to survive and thrive under various economic conditions.

Consider forecasting income, expense and cash flow each month over the course of a rolling 12-month period. A good start would include reviewing the results of the horizontal and vertical analysis of past year’s activity, to get a sense of how the business is travelling.

This will help you make reasonable estimates.

Then, do “what if” scenarios that consider significant reductions in income (25%), increases in expenses (25%), or both. Evaluate the impact on cash flow. Could you survive it? For how long? This will help you avoid being caught flat-footed by unforeseen events.

This same model is used for business growth and development planning. Forecasting income, expenses and profit provides benchmarks to measure against actual results. Reviewing the comparison of actual results with expected results allows for adjustments to the activities that drive growth and profitability to keep the plan on course.

This may seem tedious, but once the spreadsheet has been created, it’s relatively simple to “brainstorm” the financial effects of various courses of action. And, it stimulates “creative juices,” sparking winning business strategies.

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WATCH OUT FOR THIS TICKING TIME BOMB! Do you sell uniforms to your students? Do you offer prospective students a trial program that includes a free uniform or some other tangible inducement?

When school owners purchase inventory for resale, sales tax is not required to be paid to the supplier. When the uniform is sold to a student, however, the student should be charged sales tax. The owner should then remit such sales taxes to the appropriate tax authorities.

The sales tax is charged to the end-user of the product.

Where a free uniform is provided to a prospective student, the school has become the end-user of the item.

In this case, the uniform is now used as a marketing item (hence the term “use tax”). As the end-user, the school is required to pay a use tax, which in many tax jurisdictions is at the same rate as a sales tax.

These rules also apply to online or mail-order out-of-state purchases. If school owners buy equipment, such as floor mats or other equipment, and don’t pay sales tax to their home state, they are required to remit the tax that would have been paid if the item was purchased in-state.

States are getting more aggressive in enforcement action in this area. Auditors sometimes audit only one year of data.

Any shortage of tax is presumed to be representative of the previous four years. They multiply the one year by four and assess penalties and interest.

The first thing you should do if you are notified that you’re being audited is contact your CPA (Certified Public Accountant).

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HOW TO AVOID FINANCIAL HARA-KIRI!

“Some school owners may make spending decisions based on their bank account balance without considering other obligations. I have seen some substantially increase their personal standard of living when the checkbook is flush with cash. When a downturn or other unanticipated event occurs, they find it virtually impossible to scale back, causing a financially stressful situation.”

CHOOSING A CPA Many successful business owners rely on their Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) as their primary business advisor. Accordingly, care should be taken in choosing one.

Not all accountants are CPAs. To become a CPA, one must have a college degree with at least 150 credit hours and pass an examination in four different disciplines: accounting, auditing, taxation, and business law. In addition, a CPA is required to have, on average, 40 hours of continuing education annually.

ANTICIPATION WORKING WITH YOUR BANKER Develop a relationship with your bank’s commercial lending officer. Educate him/her on what you are about. Share your financial statements and financial forecasts with him/her. Just having these would lend to your credibility as a knowledgeable businessperson.

This will increase their respect for you.

To shore up your cash reserves, you could apply for a commercial line of credit to provide cash if a downturn suddenly occurs. Many businesses apply for these during a rough patch. The ideal time is when things are going well. It’s easier to get approved. It’s more difficult to secure funding when the hard times are upon you. Further, a banker may question your business acumen for not anticipating and preparing for such an event.

Some things to consider include: • Has experience working with martial arts schools.

• Understands your business problems.

• Has the nowledge and experience to help you grow your school.

• Is knowledgeable about taxes and other business-compliance issues and how they affect martial arts schools.

• Clearly explains technical concepts.

Finally, don’t be cheap! The right CPA should more than pay for him/herself in the form of better profits, cash flow and peace of mind.

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PRICE

“Without an adequate accounting system, it is unlikely that your martial arts school will survive the long

A TRIED-AND-TRUE WAY TO INCREASE PROFITS, CASH FLOW AND FINANCIAL STRENGTH

haul. A CPA, knowledgeable about martial arts school

In past years, I’ve met many school owners who were just not making it happen financially. I believed many were undervaluing

the information you need to manage your school.”

themselves and simply weren’t charging enough for their services. So, I presented a seminar on “value-pricing.”

I opened my first presentation with a question. “What would happen if you doubled your prices?” Several hands went up. The first person that I called upon said, “I’d lose half of my students!” That’s the answer I had been hoping for!

I told the attendees “Think about it. Working half as hard for the same money!”

Although possible, the odds are that he wouldn’t have lost half of his students.

Pricing your services must take into consideration your marketing strategies, so it must be approached thoughtfully. But, if you want to immediately increase your gross revenue, bottom line and cash flow, consider raising your price. I find many school owners, as well as owners of other businesses, have an aversion to raising prices. They believe they will lose customers for having done so. However, studies have shown that a surprisingly low percentage (15%) don’t buy or stop buying because of price alone. Other factors come into play.

I strive to be in the upper tier of price within my market. I’ve developed meaningful, verifiable reasons to drive value to justify the rate, such as student/teacher ratio, state-of-the-art equipment, welltrained staff, and good product/service mix, to name just a few.

I’ve found that when I raised prices over 47 years as a school owner, my active count, profitability and cash flow increased! I’m willing to bet that many of you have experienced that same phenomenon.

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operations, can set up the system so that it provides

FINAL THOUGHTS Awareness and anticipation are essential elements of any competitive engagement, including self-defense and business.

Implementing the tools and concepts presented in this article will make you aware of where you’ve been, how you got to where you are now, and better help you predict the effects of future alternative courses of action. You’ll be better positioned to have the resources, assets and people to provide the financial strength and agility, and be empowered to take your martial arts school to new heights! e

m Al Bartlinski, CPA, Chartered Global Management Accountant, has been helping martial arts school owners nationwide with accounting, tax, and financial and business-management needs for over 30 years.

In addition to owning a CPA firm, he has owned a full-time martial arts school in Glen Burnie, MD, for 47 years. Al can be reached at al@ albartlinski.com or at (410) 761-4417.

To read many more insider tips about becoming a better instructor and successful school owner, visit the Martial Arts Industry Association’s website at www.maiahub.com. Through this constantlyenhanced website, members can access a massive amount of useful information on just about any topic from A to Z.

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I WILL NOT BE SILENT

MACKENSI EMORY WORLD CHAMPION TEAM PAUL MITCHELL KARATE

“Century” is a registered trademark of Century, LLC. All rights reserved. © 2018 Century, LLC. 011/2018 #15779

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©2018 MAIA, LLC. #15779

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CONSULTANT’S CORNER

BY ANTONIO FOURNIER MAIA CONSULTANT

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I WILL NOT BE SILENT

JUSTIN ORTIZ WORLD CHAMPION TEAM PAUL MITCHELL KARATE

“Century” is a registered trademark of Century, LLC. All rights reserved. © 2018 Century, LLC. 011/2018 #15779

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LET’S UNITE & SPEAK OUT AGAINST BULLYING Team Paul Mitchell Karate and Century Martial Arts have joined forces around the mission of bringing an end to the silence of bullying.

Together with UnifyAgainstBullying.org we are encouraging your schools to get involved in sending a strong message to your community.

#UnifySelfieChallenge Thank you for your support on October 13th for the Social Media Takeover. Let’s keep the momentum going and continue to stand together against bullying!

Encourage your students, parents, and staff to take the Unify Selfie Challenge.

It’s easy! Just write the word Unify on the back of your hand or a piece of tape, place it over your mouth, and take a selfie! When you post on your social media just use the text below. Make sure to challenge your friends, favorite martial artists and celebrities!

TYLER WEAVER WORLD CHAMPION TEAM PAUL MITCHELL KARATE

“Century” is a registered trademark of Century, LLC. All rights reserved. © 2018 Century, LLC. 011/2018 #15779

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©2018 MAIA, LLC. #15779

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#WEARBRAVEBEBRAVE Y OUR JOUR NE Y BE GIN S HE R E L E A R N M O R E A T i n f o . C e n t u r y M a r t i a l A r t s . c o m / Tr a i n B r a v e

www.CenturyMartialArts.com (800) 626-2787. “Century” is a registered trademark of Century, LLC. All rights reserved. © 2018 Century, LLC. #15610

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ARE YOU A PASSIONATE, DRIVEN, AND CREATIVE INDIVIDUAL?

CENTURY WANTS YOU! Century Martial Arts is looking for new people to join our growing company!

We’re the world’s largest martial arts supplier, and an industry leader in innovation.

Do you love martial arts?

So do we! Here, you’ll be part of a team that shares the same values – courage, respect, humility – as you. You’ll have the opportunity for personal and professional growth, and the chance to make your mark in a thriving, ever-changing industry.

Sound exciting?

Check our website for a list of open positions or reach out to our HR Recruiter to make a proactive application!

• Health, dental, and vision insurance plans

• Paid time off and 8 paid holidays

• 401K savings plan with company match

• Tuition reimbursement plan

• Life insurance

• Product discount

• Flex Spending Account {FSA}

• Free on-site martial arts classes

• Employee Assistant Program {EAP}

• Free on-site weight gym

• Short/long-term disability

• Near-site care clinic

Check out all available Century careers at http://www.centurymartialarts.com/careers Send your resume to aleewright@centurymartialarts.com and mention this ad!

Join the Century Martial Arts Talent Network today and stay up-to-date on our openings as they continue to become available!

Please visit http://www.jobs.net/jobs/centurymartialarts/en-us/

“Century” is a registered trademark of Century, LLC. All rights reserved. © 2018 Century, LLC. All rights reserved. #14505

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BY KAREN EDEN

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R O N LY L E (R IG H T ) V E R S U S M U H A MMA D A L I .

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ZSOLT MÓRÁDI TEAM PAUL MITCHELL KARATE FIGHTING CHAMPION

CenturyMartialArts.com/cgear (800) 626-2787 “Century” is a registered trademark of Century, LLC. All rights reserved. © 2018 Century, LLC. 09/2018 #15604

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This price for the 2019 MASuperShow EXPIRES March 31, 2019.

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