July 2018 by MASuccess

JULY 2018 • $5.99 US www.MASUCCESS.com

OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE MARTIAL ARTS INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION

THIS ICON IS DEFINED BY ONE WORD:

SENSEItional! MASTER FUMIO DEMURA

2017 MASUPERSHOW PROFILES OF SUCCESS

How Last Year’s Convention Attendees Transformed Their Schools!

“I USED THESE 5 LAWS TO LAUNCH MY SCHOOL AND REACH 100 STUDENTS” New Column on Achieving Excellence!

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ANYTHING ELSE IS CHILDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S PLAY.

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14564

Lifetime Achievement Award

Fumio Demura In the film industry, Fumio Demura is best known as Pat Morita’s stunt double in the Karate Kid films, where his expertise was key to bringing the character of Mr. Miyagi to life. In the martial arts world, however, he is known for so much more. Demura is a well-established figure in Japanese karate; however, his desire to spread the art extended beyond one country. In 1965, he moved to America and became one of the first true teachers of Shito-Ryu karate, as well as Okinawan kobudo, in the United States. He has taught and inspired thousands of students and serves as a living model of what a martial artist should strive to be, in training and in life.

Keynote Speaker Lt. Col. (ret.)

Rob Waldman

Lt. Col. (ret.) Rob “Waldo” Waldman, The Wingman, overcame a lifelong battle with claustrophobia and a fear of heights to become a combat decorated Air Force fighter pilot and highly successful businessman, Hall of Fame speaker, and New York Times best-selling author. His motto is “Winners Never Fly Solo!” Through captivating, interactive stories, and a high-energy video, you’ll learn tools and tactics to succeed in highly competitive and demanding environments.

#MASS18 PRESENTED BY

@MASUPERSHOW YOUTUBE.COM/MAIASUCCESS S P O N S O R E D B Y: .com

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CONTENTS FEATURES 30 THIS ICON IS DEFINED BY

ONE WORD: SENSEI TIONAL! I M A GES

42 BLACK BELT LEADERSHIP BY

DAVI D

B A R N E T T

Want to grow your school, improve your teaching, excite your staff, and train with some of the best martial artists and businesspeople in the industry? Attend the Martial Arts SuperShow in Las Vegas this July. It will be the best investment you make in time and money for your business this year! The proof? We asked freelance journalist David Barnett to interview two instructors and school owners from last year’s convention — without any input from us. Here’s how they used what they learned at 2017’s MASuperShow to improve their profits and professionalism.

I USED THESE 5 LAWS TO OPEN MY SCHOOL AND REACH A GOAL OF 100 STUDENTS BY

B RYA N

Z A R N E T T

So, you’re running a part-time school and thinking of taking the leap to full time. I never ran a part-time school. But I applied 5 Laws of Success to launch a new school and build a sensible plan to grow to 100 students. Following these same laws can help you move forward into a professional career as a school owner.

“ TOM”

G RI G G S

04 FROM THE DIRECTOR’S DESK

NEW COLUMN 44 IN THE CLASSROOM BY

DAV E

12 IN THE KNOW

KOVAR

Why Today’s Martial Ar ts Instructor Has to Be Top-Notch

62 TURNING POINT BY

HERB

22 PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

B ORKL AND

Bob “Thunder” Thurman: How a Mugging Changed his Life

64 DOCTOR’S ORDERS BY

50 MASUPERSHOW PROFILES OF SUCCESS 2017

NG UYEN

Pop’s Pearls of Wisdom

He is perhaps the most celebrated traditional sensei in America today, and for good reason. Master Fumio Demura was the first professional martial arts showman. He wrote the first best-selling books on Okinawan weapons. He was the inspiration (and stunt double!) for Mr. Miyagi in the original Karate Kid films. And he was a champion fighter back in his native Japan. This year, we’ll celebrate this living legend’s legacy at the 2018 Martial Arts SuperShow.

DEPARTMENTS

COLUMNS

BY M AS UCCE SS M AN AG I N G E DI T OR J OHN CO RC O RAN C OVE R

JULY 2018

DR.

JASON

HAN

Preventing Martial Arts Ankle Injuries

24 THE MAIA REPORT

66 YOU MESSED UP! NOW WHAT? BY

KATHY

OLEV SKY

26 MARKETING RESOURCE

Stop Waiting to Hire Help!

86 CONSULTANT’S CORNER

B Y M A I A C O N S U LT A N T A N T O N I O F O U R N I E R

“To Chat or Not to Chat.” That Is the Question!

68 SCHOOL SHOWCASE

88 MASTERFUL RETENTION BY

C HRI STOPHER

RAPPOL D

5 Key Tips about the Ar t and Science of Retention

90 THE KICK YOU NEVER SAW COMING BY

B ETH

A .

B LOC K

The 411 of 911

92 THE LEGAL LANDSCAPE BY

PHI L I P

G OS S,

JR.,

ESQ.

Injunctive Relief: A Knockout Punch or a 10-Round Bout Could Depend On One Short Sentence!

96 INSPIRATION OVATION BY

KAREN

EDEN

Bobcat with a Sinus Problem

MAXIM OF THE MONTH “CHALLENGES ARE WHAT MAKE THE MARTIAL ARTS INTERESTING. OVERCOMING THEM IS WHAT MAKES THEM MEANINGFUL.”

— JOE LEWIS, ICONIC AMERICAN KICKBOXING PIONEER

MASUCCESS

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REYMUNDO GONZAL

WARCATS TAEKWONDO, CORPUS C

He adopted student agreements, and the opportunity t money if they paid in full for his 12-month basic progra

Reymundo Gonzalez, Jr. is a 7th-degree black be do, holds rank in several other martial arts styles, instructor in Verbal Judo. He’s the owner and head Corpus Christi school, where he also offers aikido t

GE T THE

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Gonzalez recalls why he began attending the M Show in 2010. “I was curious to see what the SuperShow was

looking for ideas to improve my school,” he explain He found what he was looking for and has been ever since. “The first few times I went, I would just go with look at the seminar schedule, mark the sessions I

pretty good and felt I could benefit from, and atte 3 Most school ownersJULY and2018 instructors work hard t students, but staff and owners need a boost now

Asked if he could achieve just one result from atte 5/3/18 3:50 PM Show, what would it be, he responded, “Staying m

• • • • •

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WORDS OF WISDOM BY TIFFANY ROSS

MAIA ASSOCIATE PUBLICATIONS EDITOR

— MILTON BERLE, COMEDIAN

MARTIAL ARTS TRIVIA

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YOU ASKED HOW DO YOU DISGUISE REPETITION IN YOUR CLASSES?

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THE MAIA REPORT

Vegas Bound! G BY MELISSA TORRES

MAIA DIVISION MANAGER

“THERE ARE SO MANY INCREDIBLE SPEAKERS, INSTRUCTORS, TRAINERS, MARTIAL ARTISTS AND FELLOW SCHOOL OWNERS YOU ARE ABOUT TO MEET AT THE SHOW!”

et ready! Next month is the official time to pack your bags and make your way to Las Vegas for the 2018 Martial Arts Super Show! There are so many incredible speakers, instructors, trainers, martial artists and fellow school owners you are about to meet. And there’s so much to see and do during the Show and at the chic Bellagio Hotel venue. If you’re already signed up for the Show, you are no doubt looking for advice for growing your school. Or increasing retention. Or learning new ways of instructing. Or, you’rechecking out the latest products and services. In this column, I wanted to point out a few highlights of in the Martial Arts Industry Association’s (MAIA) booth. First of all, you must stop by to meet our incredible MAIA coaches. The entire team will be there, and will be excited to talk to you and answer any and all of your questions. Our goal is to help you succeed. So, don’t miss the opportunity to get your questions answered. Most of our coaches will also be leading pre-conference workshops and speaking in seminars. You do not want to miss hearing what they have to say! All of them run successful schools themselves. You also won’t want to miss the consultants in the Martial Arts Business Forum during the pre-conference events. Call MAIA and make sure you get signed up because there are limited seats.

Second, you should stop by the MAIA booth to learn about the new and improved curriculums we have to offer. We have 12-month (or longer) curriculums that can help your school with retention, graining new students and keeping classes exciting. These are ready-to-implement, even if you’re not familiar with the material. We have taken the guesswork out of implementing them at your school. Experience and demo these curriculums: • PreSKILLZ. MAIA teamed up with child development specialist Melody Shuman. She is possibly the most creative person in developing drills, games, mat chats and parent communication. Meet Master Shuman and check out all the content we have developed for your 3- to 5-year-old students. • Retention Based Sparring. Do you have students not show up on days when you are practicing sparring in class? Or is attendance dropping the closer your students get to sparring with others? If so, then you want to meet Master Chris Rappold. He has developed a system that involves the instructor, parents and the students, to help combat that fear of sparring. He will walk you through specific drills that will lead you to effectively teach sparring. • The Flow System. Developed by World Weapons Forms Champion Jackson Rudolph, this system is a 12-month curriculum to teach students how to use the bo (staff). Even if your instructors don’t know the weapon, they will be able to build teaching expertise after watching the Instructor Training Module. This is a great way to invite new students and keep classes exciting week after week. Last, but not least, visit the MAIA booth to learn how you can change the trajectory of your school and your financial future. We offer programs to help you at every stage of your business, including MAIA Edge, Launch, Elite, and Wealth. We can help if: • You just need more done-for-you resources. • You are about to close your doors. • You need to grow your school. • You are very successful and want to think about your legacy. These are just brief descriptions of what MAIA can offer. That’s why I’m so excited to see you all in Vegas next month! We can figure out how to help you and meet your needs wherever you are in your journey. e

m M elissa Torres is the Martial Arts Industry Association Division Manager and can be reached at mtorres@masuccess.com.

MASUCCESS

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School Information Here

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ONE WORD DEFINES THIS MARTIAL ARTS ICON:

SENSEItional! He is perhaps the most celebrated traditional sensei in America today, and for good reason. Master Fumio Demura was the first professional martial arts showman. He wrote the first bestselling books on Okinawan weapons. He was the inspiration (and stunt double!) for Mr. Miyagi in the original Karate Kid films. And he was a champion fighter back in his native Japan. This year, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll celebrate this living legendâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s legacy at the 2018 Martial Arts SuperShow. By MASuccess Managing Editor John Corcoran

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SENSEI-TIONAL!

s a youth, Master Fumio Demura was so shy he couldn‘t speak without stuttering. He was so frail that he flunked his first white belt test. When he immigrated to the United States in 1965 to introduce shitoryu karate to Americans, he so struggled with learning English that it brought him to tears. Yet Master Demura, 79, overcame all of these obstacles and rose to astonishing heights in our industry. For decades, and all over the Western world, he’s been universally heralded as a superb technician, a dynamic showman and the consummate traditional sensei. A charismatic leader, he has built an organization with thousands of students. These and other similarly superlative labels are something that have become synonymous with karate master Fumio Demura since the late 1960s. He has,

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after all, spent an entire lifetime not only conquering any and all challenges in his path, but also pioneering so many martial arts milestones it would take a book to cover them all. It’s no wonder that he has earned the respect of even the staunchest nontraditionalists, including renowned early karate champions Chuck Norris, the late Joe Lewis and Mike Stone. Lewis called him “the ultimate sensei” and respected him as a fighter for having won the All Japan Karate championships. Back in the mid-1960s, when Norris, a tang soo do and kicking stylist, was planning to compete nationally, he sought out Master Demura to learn effective hand techniques for competition. Norris chose him, too, because Demura had won fighting championships back in his native Japan. Even the late, great superstar, Bruce Lee, sought instruction from Master Demura.

It was Demura, also a master of kobudo (Okinawan weaponry), who taught Bruce Lee how to use the nunchaku back in the late 1960s. Lee’s later use of it in his movies helped popularize the weapon throughout the world.

AMERICA’S FIRST PROFESSIONAL SHOWMAN Martial arts veterans with good memories know that Master Demura was America’s first professional martial arts performer. Many years before creative genius Ernie Reyes, Sr. of San Jose, California took the art of martial arts performances to the next level, Demura laid the foundation for Reyes and others to follow. Master Demura, the performer, transcended the routine martial arts demonstration with innovations that thrust it into the realm of legitimate show business. He accomplished this feat before anyone else in our industry gave it any

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ABOUT THE REAL MIYAGI Q&A WITH PRODUCERDIRECTOR KEVEN DEREK REPRINTED FROM BLACK BELT MAGAZINE BY PERMISSION

The Real Miyagi is a feature-length documentary produced in 2015 about the impressive life and career of Master Fumio Demura, who’s been called “the greatest karate master of a generation.” The 80-minute biography won five film festival awards for “Best Documentary.” The title relates to the fact that the late actor Pat Morita, who played Mr. Miyagi in the original four Karate Kid movies (198494), based his characterization on Master Demura. That inspiration is significant since Morita’s portrayal of Mr. Miyagi created a memorable hero who, like a wise ultimate sensei, taught young students life skills through karate training. Morita’s quintessential portrayal made the character the most famous martial arts personage in film history, and his outstanding performance earned him an Academy Award nomination for “Best Supporting Actor.” So beloved is the Mr. Miyagi character that people everywhere remember him to this day. Need I say, “Wax on, wax off.” Of historical note, too, the first Karate Kid film in 1984 was such a huge hit — grossing $90.8 million in North America on an $8-million budget — that it permanently changed our industry’s student paradigm. From that year to the present, over 50% of active martial arts students are kids/preteens. Master Demura was the actor’s stunt double for three of those four Karate Kid films, and the two formed a close, decadeslong friendship. “He indeed brought many, many qualities to my work that I was lucky enough to manifest,” says the late Morita in archival footage. “All he did was make me younger by his influence, steadiness, rocklike spirit and compassion for his fellow man.” Then, in jest, he adds, “One day, I will teach this man to catch flies with chopsticks and I will have contributed to his life.”

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Highlights of The Real Miyagi include not only the successes and challenges Demura has experienced through the remarkable journey of his life and career, but also incisive stories of family, friendship and loss. Overall, it’s beautifully depicted through photos, memories and testimonies of several famous actors, a few masters of martial arts and numerous students. Kevin Derek is a student of Fumio Demura’s, as well as the man who tasked himself with bringing his teacher’s story to life in the documentary. He’s a 1st-degree black belt in shito-ryu and also the director of the 2011 documentary, Empty Hand: The Real Karate Kids. Why did you elect to make this documentary film? Sensei Demura was my first karate instructor when I was nine years old. He’s always been like a father figure to me, someone I looked up to. I ran into him in Florida after not seeing him for 15 years. We went out for lunch, and that’s when I popped the question. I said, “Sensei, I’ve been wanting to make a story of your life for the longest time.” He looked me in the eye and said, “You better do it fast, because I don’t know how long I have to live.” With that said, I contacted my producer, Oscar Alvarez, and the rest is history. Fumio Demura is obviously a legend in the martial arts world. What was it like to work with a person of that standing? He looks very intimidating at first, but when you get to know him, he is the kindest person — very laid back, no ego whatsoever. Also, having been in show business, he is well aware of how this process works, so that made it easy for us.

three years that we worked on this project worth it. The most challenging part was the editing process, sifting through the 100 hours of footage and figuring out which direction to take. Sensei has such a vast history, it was difficult to compress his life story into 82 minutes. You were able to get interviews with a number of notable martial artists, including Michael Jai White, Billy Blanks and Dolph Lundgren. How difficult was it to round up this cast of characters and get them into the film? We made the list according to who Sensei had worked with. For the most part, they were all honored to be a part of the documentary. The most critical component of the story was [fight choreographer] Pat Johnson. He was the most knowledgeable about Sensei’s history, having worked on The Karate Kid film series together. Billy Blanks was very well-spoken, and Dolph Lundgren was a complete gentleman and a pleasure to meet. What do you hope audiences take away from The Real Miyagi? [That he’s] a man who came to the U.S. with nothing and influenced thousands of people around the world. Master Demura says he hopes that, if nothing else, viewers will walk away having learned one crucial life lesson from his documentary: “If something happens, don’t give up,” he says. “Look at me, I set the example.” He hopes the many ups and downs of his life in the martial arts will provide inspiration for everyone who watches The Real Miyagi long after he’s gone. For more information about the Fumio Demura documentary, visit therealmiyagi.com.

What parts of making the documentary were most rewarding? What were the greatest challenges? Seeing the reaction of Sensei Demura, overcome by joy at our first screening of the film, was the most gratifying. It made the

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SENSEI-TIONAL! serious thought. It was back at a time when the vast majority of martial arts demos were raw and unrefined. From 1968-74, Demura launched the first paid, professional martial arts performances in America. He formed a troupe of dynamic black belts, trained them in stagecraft, and presented a series of daily demonstrations at Japanese Village & Deer Park, a southern California tourist attraction. Among those troupe members were Sho Kosugi and Steven Seagal, both of whom went on to star in motion pictures. These were the first public performances to incorporate music, costumes, acting techniques and story-telling skits. Over this six-year period, they were witnessed by millions of spectators from all over the world. The mainstay of Master Demura’s karate shows was a dramatic, breathtaking display of basic karate techniques that normally

drove an audience to its collective feet. He also staged a samurai show, highlighted by an intense, very realistic swordfight between combatants. This skit contained humor as one of its story-telling devices, as I learned first-hand one day in 1974. I was an editor of Black Belt magazine at the time and had met Sensei a year before, when I had edited his book, Sai: Karate Weapon of Self-Defense. It was the beginning of a long friendship. Although we shared many laughs together, at the time I didn’t know that Sensei was a practical joker who enjoys pranking unsuspecting victims. Before the samurai show started, Sensei asked my then-wife, black belt Maryanne Corcoran, and me to come up on stage. He directed us to kneel at a low table and act like we were drinking sake from the empty cups atop the table. We were supposed to

just be “stage props,” according to Sensei. Little did we know we were being cleverly set up. The highlight of the demo was a mock battle between a bunch of opposing samurai. Swords were clashing and bodies were flying and “dying” all over the stage. When the climactic one-on-one swordfight commenced, suddenly the combatants, Sensei and his main opponent, moved the intense battle right over us, as we knelt below and then tried — futilely — to crawl away to safety! Futile because, to prevent our escape, Sensei and his villain, while continuing the swordfight above us, started kicking and stomping us repeatedly — yep, making real contact! Now, we were lying on our backs as we earnestly struggled to defend ourselves. It was a great practical joke, and the live audience, who clearly saw our genuine

FROM FLUNKING HIS FIRST WHITE BELT TEST TO BECOMING THE ALL-JAPAN KARATE CHAMPION! Master Fumio Demura was born in Yokohama, Japan, in 1938, into a family of four brothers and two sisters. Physically weak as a child, his father, a silk importer/exporter, and his mother, enrolled young Fumio in a kendo class under the direction of Sensei Asano in 1948. Asano also taught karate and introduced Fumio to that art. Asano moved away and Demura sought out Ryusho Sakagami, who remained his main sensei all the way up to Sakagami’sdeath in 1993. Sakagami taught him shito-ryu karate and iaido, the art of the sword. Neither karate, kendo or iaido came easily to the young Demura. In fact, he flunked his first white belt test under Asano! “When l failed, it embarrassed me,” he bravely admits. “At the same time, it made me angry with myself. So, I set goals and invested

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more effort. It’s an important experience to go through. Today, I appreciate my failures more because they made me succeed.” Despite this setback, Demura’s fierce work ethic helped him prevail. “Training [with Master Sakagami] was much harder because there were a lot more basics to learn,” Demura recalls. “I practiced three days a week, eight hours a day. I took kendo classes from four to seven o’cIock. Then, right after I finished, from seven to nine o’clock I took karate. There was no rest period between classes. After that, we continued practicing until my instructor kicked me out of the dojo. Many times, I would get out around midnight or later.” This training regimen continued for some 12 years. In 1959, Demura experienced a key turning point in his life. He met Shinken Taira of Okinawa, a weapons instructor of

kongou-ryu kobudo, who had migrated to mainland Japan. There, Demura learned all of the Okinawan weapons that were taught at the time. In 1957, Demura entered the competition arena. Two years later, he won the championship of the inaugural All Japan Karate Championships, Japan’s most prestigious tournament. The event marked the first time that all of the various major Japanese stylists came together to compete. That victory was another big turning point in his life. But instead of resting on his laurels, Demura aspired to improve his karate even more by studying a different style. He commuted to Okinawa in 1962-63 to train with the renowned Master Choshin Chibana, who taught kobayashi shorin-ryu karate.

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distress and ill attempts to exit, loved it! So did Sensei, who roared with laughter when I admitted afterward how expertly he had duped us. It is difficult, if not impossible, to estimate the tremendous influence these demonstrations had on the national growth of the martial arts. That’s because the millions of people who saw them came from all parts of America as well as other countries. Since the Japanese Village & Deer Park era, Demura and his troupe have presented countless thousands of performances at some of the most well-known tourist attractions in the Western United States, including Disneyland, Marineland and Sea World, and at seven different Las Vegas casinos.

BOOKS AND MOVIES In the martial arts world, Master Demura is perhaps just as well known for the

series of books he’s authored on Okinawan weapons, in particular the one on nunchaku. In 1970, he wrote his first book, Shito-Ryu Karate, to further introduce his style. But it was his how-to book, Nunchaku: Karate Weapon of Self-Defense, published in 1972, that sold hundreds of thousands of copies and introduced this popular Okinawan weapon to martial artists everywhere for the first time. This was a full year before Bruce Lee made the weapon famous in Enter the Dragon. Demura followed up with books on the bo, tonfa and sai, but the nunchaku book remains one of his most enduring legacies. Master Demura also cut a sideline career in entertainment. He’s had roles in dozens of motion pictures, television shows and documentaries. He received enormous recognition in the martial arts industry for being the inspiration for the beloved Mr.

Miyagi character, portrayed by the late actor Pat Morita, in the original Karate Kid films. (See sidebar story, “About The Real Miyagi.”)

PATHWAY TO AMERICA Despite the superb technical mastery for which he later became renowned, Fumio Demura was not a gifted athlete when he started his martial arts training as a youth in Japan (see sidebar story, “From Flunking His First White Belt Test to Becoming the All-Japan Karate Champion!”). But once he had developed that pictureperfect craftsmanship, it turned out to be, unexpectedly for him, the path to his destiny in the United States. It would, in fact, mark the biggest turning point in his entire life. I wrote a cover story on Master Demura back in 1980, at which time I also interviewed his long-time business partner, Dan Ivan (died, 2007), to get the full story (CONTINUED ON PAGE 38)

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MASTER FUMIO DEMURA’S CAREER AT A GLANCE

Seventh Dan, Shito-Ryu Karate-Do Genbu-Kai Born in Yokohama, Japan; Educated at Nippon University, Major in Economics

Started Teaching Karate in the US in 1965 Introduced Shito-Ryu Karate-Do to the United States Introduced Okinawa Kobudo to the United States

MARTIAL ARTS TRAINING

(Discipline, master, year began training under that master)

Karate-Do Sensei Asano Master Ryusho Sakagami Master Teruo Hayashi Master Yuchoku Higa Master Shoshin Nagamine Master Choshin Chibana Master Kenei Mabuni Master Yasuhiro Konishi Master Kenzo Mabuni

1948 1953 1962 1963 1963 1963 1970 1972 1980

Kobudo (Okinawan Weapons) Master Shinken Taira Master Motokatsu Inoue Master Hyogo Kuniba Master Teruo Hayashi Master Akamine

1959 1960 1960 1960 1964

Judo Master Mizuguchi (Kodo-Kan) 1958 Master Kazuo Ito (Kodo-Kan) 1968 Kendo (Sword Fighting) Sensei Asano Master Ryusho Sakagami Master Taizabura Nakamura Master Yasuhiro Konishi

1948 1950 1950 1960

Iai-Do (Eishin-Ryu) Master Ryusho Sakagami

1958

Aiki-Do Master Gozo Shioda Master Harry Ishizaka Master Dan Furuya

1962 1967 1980

Batto-Do (Toyama-Ryu Sword Cutting) Taizaburo Nakamura 1989 Takeshi Mochizuki 1989 Seiji Ueki 1989 Minoru Nishiki 1989 Toshiyuki Tateno 1989 Komei Sekiguchi 1989

POSITIONS HELD President/Chairman President/Chairman President/Chairman President/Chairman Director Chief Officer Chief Officer

Shito-Ryu Karate-Do Genbu-Kai International International Okinawa Kobu-Do Alliance Toyama-Ryu Batto-Do Hozon-Kai Ryukyu Kobu-Do Hozon-Kai Japan Karate Federation Rengo-Kai California Police/Fire Games Karate Committee (Retired) World Police/Fire Games Committee (Retired)

FILM WORK Rising Sun Showdown in Little Tokyo Bad News Bears Go To Japan Shootfighter

Karate Kid (I, II, III) The Next Karate Kid The Nude Bomb Back Alley Princess (Hong Kong)

The Island of Dr. Moreau Mortal Kombat Blood and Bone Ninja

TELEVISION WORK O’Hara Series Warrior Within Mike Douglas Show 20th Century Martial Arts Karate-Kung-Fu Self Defense Hollywood Senichiya Sabado Gigante BBC Martial Arts Special India TV Martial Arts Special Extreme Martial Arts - Discovery Channel

Power Rangers Hocus Pocus Grey Hound Call Me Bruce Martial Arts in America Martial Arts Today Bring ‘Em Back Alive A&E - Samurai Walker Texas Ranger Space Rangers

Merv Griffin Show Joanne Worley Special Tempo California Life Style Thicke of the Night Dora’s World A&E - Martial Arts BBC Special on Martial Arts History of the Samurai - History Channel

SPECIAL SEMINARS GIVEN History and Manners Aiki-Do – With Karate-Do Ken-Do Kama, Bo, Eku-Bo Martial Arts Philosophy Kumite (Tournament Fighting) Kihon (Basics)

Self Defense Kobudo Kumite Iai-Do (Eishin-Ryu) Batto-Do (Toyama-Ryu) Police Defense and Control Training (Taiho-Jutsu, PR-24) Karate-Do Katas - Shito-Ryu, Goju-Ryu, Shoto-Kan styles Okinawan Kobudo – Tonfa, Nunchaku, Sai,

PRODUCTION/ORGANIZATION RESPONSIBILITY Annual Martial Arts Against Hunger Demonstration (1990 to Present) Annual US-Japan Expo Tournament (1989 to 2000) Annual California Police Olympics Games, Karate Competition (1968 to 2005) Annual World Police and Fire Olympics Games, Karate Competition (1968 to 2005) Annual International Invitational Goodwill Karate Championships (1972 to Present) Annual Arnold Schwarzenegger Battle of Champions, Karate Competition (2002 to Present) Annual Hanamatsuri Festival Demo Team

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BOOKS WRITTEN (Ohara Publications)

Karate Shito-Ryu Karate Weapon - Kama Karate Weapon - Nunchaku Street Survival Karate Weapon - Tonfa Karate Weapon - Advanced Nunchaku Karate Weapon - Bo Karate Weapon - Sai

VIDEOS/CDS Karate Black Belt Series - I, II, III, IV, V (Warner Brothers Home Video) Karate Weapons Series - Nunchaku, Bo, Kama, Sai, Eku-Bo, Tonfa (Ohara Publications)

PROFESSIONAL DEMONSTRATIONS GIVEN Japanese Village (1968-1974) Knotts Berry Farm Special Boston Asian Expo Nisei Festival, Los Angeles Hanamatsuri Festival (1965-Present) Las Vegas Hilton (1974-1976) Marineland (6 months) Children’s Festival, Los Angeles Disneyland Festival of Japan Sea World Special Martial Arts Expo (France) Budo Gala (Germany) Martial Arts Show (Canada) Las Vegas hotels - Sahara, Frontier, Tropicana, Dunes, Ceasars Palace, Flamingo, Stardust Martial Arts Festival at the Los Angeles Convention Center Annual US-Japan Expo from 1980 to 2000, Southern California Special Karate Demonstrations performed all over the world

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AWARDS Black Belt Hall of Fame Instructors Award Golden Fist Outstanding Official Award Black Belt Hall of Fame Man of the Year Award Four Seasons Award Outstanding Martial Artist US Congressional Distinguished Service Award Zendo-Kai Martial Artists Association Hall of Fame Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Volunteer Service Award California Secretary Award by March Fong Eu Huesped de Honor by the President of Guatemala Golden Masters Best Instructor Award State of Kentucky Colonel Award Award of Recognition by California Governor Pete Wilson 20th Century Masters of Martial Arts World Martial Arts Hall of Fame • Most Distinguished Martial Artist Award • Golden Life Achievement Award (Excellence in Pioneering) National Association of Professional Martial Artists • Lifetime Achievement Award United States Karate Alliance • Black Belt Hall of Fame Award Special Recognition from the US Olympic Committee Black Belt Magazine Lifetime Achievement Award California Police/Fire Games Appreciation Award Award of Recognition by US National Karate Federation Dragonfest Martial Art Hall of Fame Lifetime Achievement Award Budo Koroshoo – Japanese Imperial Honor Award US Martial Arts Hall of Fame Most Distinguished Karate Legend Living Regency Award, Florida World Martial Arts Hall of Fame Lifetime Achievement Award American Karate Association Hall of Fame Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Lifetime Achievement Award World Martial Arts Masters Association Grandmaster Zenbei Butoku-Kai Lifetime Dedication Award MAIA Lifetime Achievement Award

1969 1973 1975 1981 1984 1986 1987 1989 1990 1993 1995 1995 1998 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2001 2001 2002 2002 2003 2005 2005 2008 2008 2008 2009 2018

COMPETITIONS/DEMONSTRATIONS East Japan Championships East Japan Championships 1st All Japan Championships 3rd All Japan Championships All Japan Shito-Ryu Championships 4th World Championships (Demo) US/Japan Goodwill Championships (Demo) International Itosu-Kai Championships (Demo) US/Canada Goodwill Tournament (Demo) 8th World Championships (Demo) Goodwill Games (Demo) USKA National Championships (Annual Demos) USKA World Championships (Annual Demos) AAU National Championships (Demo) Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Battle of Columbus (Demo) Ozawa Cup (Demo) Ohana Kata Competition

1957 1960 1961 1963 1964 1974 1979 1980 1984 1986 1989 1993 to Present 1993 to Present 2000 2002 1978 to Present 2010-09-29

1st Place 2nd Place 1st Place Best 8 2nd Place Long Beach, California Osaka, Japan Tokyo, Japan Vancouver, Canada Australia Seattle, Washington New Mexico New Orleans and Texas Columbus, Ohio Las Vegas, Nevada Anaheim, California

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SENSEI-TIONAL!

on how their partnership developed. Ivan, who was an American martial artist and former serviceman stationed in Japan in post-World War II, saw Demura perform a public demo and was dazzled. It was in 1963. Demura performed in a largescale martial arts expo featuring a plethora of Japanese disciplines as demonstrated by the country’s foremost masters. “Dan Ivan was a spectator there,” Demura explains, in an archived interview. “And I had a friend, Donn Draeger [the late esteemed martial arts author and authority], whom I knew for many years. He and Dan were also friends.” Explained Ivan in a taped interview, picking up the story, “Draeger was the only American involved in this Japanese festival of martial arts in which Mr. Demura was performing. When I saw Mr. Demura perform, I thought he was the most dynamic karate man around. I asked Donn to introduce us and that’s when we started the relationship.” What had distinguished Sensei Demura from the other masters? “The same qualities people judge him by today,” Ivan answered. “His strength and precision. You can tell when a man moves that he’s an outstanding performer. That’s why he impressed me even in those early days. He’s very versatile … in forms, sparring and weapons. I’d seen a lot of martial artists back in those days, but none of them measured up to Mr. Demura. It was a plus for the United States that we had him come over here.” Ivan began training immediately and earnestly with Demura. “At that point,” Ivan explained, “I was there only on a short visit for more training because I had already opened schools in [southern] California. They’d been operating for a number of years and growing so successfully, so large, that I needed help very badly. So, I asked Mr. Demura to move

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to the United States. Immigration was extremely difficult in those days and it took almost three years from that point to wade through the red tape and get everything in order. He first came over in 1965.” Demura reportedly arrived with one suitcase, $300, and just about no English. Even then, however, he had not yet considered teaching the martial arts as a profession. “I never expected to make my living through karate,” he says. “Even when I came over here, for the first few years I never expected that. I went back to Japan, then returned to the United States again. Only then did I make a firm decision to teach karate as an occupation.”

THE REST IS HISTORY! The rest is what they call history. Ivan and Demura were train and businesspartners for decades and, from their Santa Ana, California headquarters, launched a large chain of schools. From the day the two combined their skills, their business climbed steadily to a profound level of growth. Roughly 300 students were actively enrolled at their custom-built headquarters. At one point, they oversaw more than 20 dojos in southern California alone, with branches throughout the United States. But Demura’s migration to the United States wasn’t without its share of problems. Besides the difficulty of adjusting to the

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new culture, he suffered a frustrating battle with the English language. “I cried in bed for two days,” he admits, “because it was so hard to communicate. Even today, I can’t always say the right words. The translation, for me, has been very difficult.” But one thing that wasn‘t difficult for the impeccable showman was doing what he did best — performing. And for that quality, he became a sensation throughout American karate. In addition, at his school he taught his main karate classes himself every day. When I interviewed Dan Ivan back in 1980, I asked him to define his and Master Demura’s business success at that time. “Karate has been very good to us,” he replied, “because we put in a heck of a lot of hours. So, although it didn‘t pay perhaps as much as another type of business would for putting in the same amount of time, it did fairly well for us. Through the years, we made some good investments with the capital that we were making, mostly in the area of real estate. At this point, you could say that Mr. Demura is very comfortable. He’s financially independent and doesn’t have to work any more if he doesn’t want to. “Which goes to show the integrity of the man because, despite the fact that he could retire right now [in 1981] — walk away and live great — he teaches 99 percent of his classes himself,” Ivan pointed out. “No other instructor of his stature teaches that many classes or is still as active. Most, by this time, have gone into semi-retirement or have their responsibilities delegated to a subordinate. “The point is that he doesn’t have to do it, but he does because he loves it,” Ivan concluded. “That’s why the people who most respect Mr. Demura are the martial artists themselves. He epitomizes the type of person they would most like to

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follow as a leader. That’s a hard quality to find in people.” “When I think back, I don’t know how I did it all,” Master Demura says today of his massive accomplishments. “But it became a habit; I worked seven days each week.”

A NEAR-DEATH SETBACK! For Fumio Demura, America really has been the land of opportunity. By all accounts, his life here has been a huge success. But, as has been the case since he was a child, life still throws down the gauntlet and presents him with challenges that need to be overcome. Such was the case in 2011, when he suffered a severe stroke that put him in a coma in the hospital and temporarily took away his ability to move his right arm and leg. He was given just a 5% chance of recovery and — perhaps miraculously — he survived! In 2015, he experienced kidney failure which required him to undergo daily dialysis. But he met both challenges head-on, as would a warrior. Demura has regained much of his lost movement, and his kidney functionality is greatly improved. Despite those health setbacks, Demura still devotes considerable time to the martial arts — as he’s always done. According to a Black Belt magazine article last year, Master Demura told freelance writer Christopher Cockrell his focus these days are on the challenge of preserving his legacy. “I don’t want to lose my art,” Demura said, which is why he’s pouring his energy into propagating the style. Having become, in essence, a shito-ryu missionary, he wants to make sure it doesn’t pass away when he does.

SUMMARY Perhaps it’s easy now for readers to understand how Master Demura built so much universal respect among martial artists from all arts and styles. Fighters respect him because he was fighting a champion. Performers admire him for his flawless technique and because he set the early standards for professionalized demonstrations. Instructors honor him for teaching life skills long before it was fashionable to do so. All of that has made him revered as the consummate traditional sensei. This is what we’re recognizing him for when we present Master Demura with the MAIA Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2018 Martial Arts SuperShow on July 1-4 in Las Vegas. e m maSUCCESS Managing Editor John Corcoran is a veteran karate black belt and the recipient of the 2004 “Funakoshi Award,” the elite award of the Martial Arts History Museum Hall of Fame. He has written millions of words about the martial arts in a 45-year body of work encompassing books, magazines and movies. He can be contacted at jcorcoran@masuccess.com. To read more about many other successful independent martial arts instructors, visit the Martial Arts Industry Association’s website at www.maiahub.com. Through this constantly-enhanced website, members can access a massive amount of useful information for school owners on just about any topic from A to Z.

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PRESENTED BY

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S P O N S O R E D B Y:

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PRE-CONFERENCE EVENTS

Separate registration fees are required for each pre-conference event. Please view pre-conference events on MASuperShow.com for each ticket price.

FRIDAY, JUNE 29 3:00PM - 8:00PM

Tuhon Apolo Ladra & Grand Tuhon Leo T. Gaje - Bring the Art of the Blade to Life

SATURDAY, JUNE 30 8:00AM - 8:00PM

Tuhon Apolo Ladra & Grand Tuhon Leo T. Gaje - Bring the Art of the Blade to Life

9:00AM - 1:00PM

Robby Beard - How to Host Great Community Events at Your School that will Attract New Members

9:00AM - 6:00PM

Kelly Bullard - Strong by Zumba

2:00PM - 5:00PM

Eyal Yanilov - Low to High Risk Negation: Stop a Punch; Stop a Shooting

2:00PM - 5:00PM

Marcelo Garcia with Ricardo Liborio - BJJ Gi Seminar

2:00PM - 6:00PM

Jackson Rudolph - The Flow: Weapons Training Camp

SUNDAY, JULY 1 8:30AM - 12:30PM

Frank Silverman, Shane Tassoul and Mike Metzger - Martial Arts Business Forum

1:30PM - 5:30PM

Dave Kovar - MAIA Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Instructor College

2:00PM - 5:00PM

Melody Shuman - The Ultimate Instructor Development Course for Anyone Teaching 3- to 6- Year Olds

SCHEDULE AT-A-GL ANCE

Events below and on the following pages are included with purchase of your MASuperShow ticket.

SATURDAY, JUNE 30 3:00PM - 5:00PM

Registration Desk Open

SUNDAY, JULY 1 8:00AM - 5:00PM

Registration Desk Open

12:45PM - 1:15PM

New Attendee Orientation

2:00PM - 6:30PM

Tradeshow Floor Open

3:00PM - 4:00PM

Josh Caputo - Military Combatitives, Exhibit Hall Stage

5:00PM - 6:15PM

Welcome Reception

7:00PM - 9:00PM

Opening Ceremony

*Subject to change

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2018 MA SUPERSHOW SCHEDULE MONDAY, JULY 2 SPARK ROOM 7:00AM - 6:00PM

MAIA ROOM

Registration Desk Open

7:00AM - 8:00AM 8:00AM - 6:00PM

TRADESHOW HOURS MIKE METZGER Turning Every Phone Call into a Student

9:00AM - 10:00AM 10:00AM - 10:30AM

BREAK

11:30AM - 1:00PM

JUNGSHIN - 20 min Demo, Exhibit Hall Stage SHANE TASSOUL Pack the House with 5 Levels of Marketing

10:30AM - 11:30AM

ADAM PARMAN Event Marketing with Facebook

MARIO AVILA Digital Stalking: The Top Digital Trends on How and Why Ads Are Tracking You BREAK

7:00PM - 9:00PM

BARRY VAN OVER 10 Steps of Effective Business Execution

HIIT & Run - 20 min Demo, Exhibit Hall Stage STEPHEN REINSTEIN Know Your Demographic, Understand Their Needs, Provide a Solution: A Workshop in Online Marketing

4:00PM - 5:00PM

MELODY SHUMAN How to Effectively Grow Your Children’s Program by Positioning Yourself as the Child Development Expert

NINJA NATION - 20 min Demo, Exhibit Hall Stage

BREAK

2:30PM - 3:30PM 3:30PM - 4:00PM

MIKE METZGER Turning Every Phone Call into a Student

LUNCH BREAK

1:00PM - 2:00PM 2:00PM - 2:30PM

SHANE TASSOUL Pack the House with 5 Levels of Marketing

ROBYN SILVERMAN Key Conversations to Have with Students and Staff (and How to Have Them)

CENTURY GOLD EVENT (by Invitation ONLY)

TUESDAY, JULY 3 7:00AM - 5:00PM

REGISTRATION DESK OPEN

7:00AM - 8:00AM 8:00AM - 5:00PM

TRADESHOW HOURS JASON FLAME Building Bridges to Success with Your Community through Social Media

9:00AM - 10:00AM 10:00AM - 10:30AM

BREAK

11:30AM - 1:00PM 1:00PM - 2:00PM 2:00PM - 2:30PM 2:30PM - 3:30PM 3:30PM - 5:00PM

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FIGHT FIT - 20 min Demo, Exhibit Hall Stage KURT KLINGENMEYER Partners in Education: Establishing Relationships with Local School Districts

10:30AM - 11:30AM

RONDY MCKEE A Calendar Year of Special Events

AARON HENSLEY Hosting your Best Holiday Sale - Every Year

LUNCH BREAK NGUYEN TOM GRIGGS Leadership Kata: Repetition, Details and Application BREAK

BILL CLARK Overnight Success in Fifty Years

STRONG BY ZUMBA - 20 min Demo, Exhibit Hall Stage DARREN JACOBSON Building Your Brand: Stand Out in a Competitive Environment

FRED AND ROBIN DEPALMA I’m at the Dojo... Now What Do I Do? Daily Task Lists for Owners & Teams

EXHIBITOR TIME

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by ert

MASUPERSHOW.COM BLACK BELT MAGAZINE ROOM

CENTURY ROOM

BILL WALLACE An Early Morning Stretch

ANNIKA KAHN Jungshin Athletic Flow-Combat Style

DAVE KOVAR The Three Keys to Developing a World Class Team: How to Recruit, Train and Retain Staff Members

TOM SCOTT Bring Olympic Excitement to Your Classes

MASUCCESS ROOM

JUNGSHIN - 20 min Demo, Exhibit Hall Stage MIKE CHAT AND ERIC FLEISHMAN

EYAL YANILOV Building Courage and a Combat-Ready Mind 11:45AM - 12:45PM ERIC FLEISHMAN

JASON HAN Tackling Injuries Before They Arise with a Structured Approach to Performance

GUILLERMO GOMEZ Martial Fusion® : Bridging the Divide Between Traditional Martial Arts and Modern Fitness

NINJA NATION - 20 min Demo, Exhibit Hall Stage CHRIS RAPPOLD How Getting Students to Love Sparring Grows your School

TOM PATIRE Martial Ops®: The FINAL Level in Personal Protection Training

HIIT & Run - 20 Demo, Exhibit Hall Stage APOLO LADRA Bridging the Gap between the Office and the Mat

RICARDO LIBORIO AND BRUNO MALFACINE Old School and New School: Techniques to Change your Ground Game

ERIC FLEISHMAN

KATARINA CONRAD HIIT & Run

HERB PEREZ Creative Class Planning with MADrills

HARINDER SINGH Survival Tactics and Tactical Breathing: An Integrated Approach

FIGHT FIT - 20 min Demo, Exhibit Hall Stage ROBBY BEARD Becoming a Business Black Belt

DAMON GILBERT Become a Sparring Genius: Steps to Boost Your Point-Fighting IQ 11:45AM - 12:45PM BILLY BLANKS

JOHN HACKLEMAN Four Principles of Takedown Defense

STEPHEN HAYES Ninja Strategies for Tactical Victory

STRONG BY ZUMBA - 20 min Demo, Exhibit Hall Stage ERIC SANTAMARIA AND ABID BENWALI Develop Your Students’ Striking Abilites: Drills for Effective Footwork, Distance and Angles

BENNY URQUIDEZ Ukidokan Kickboxing Techniques

TOPIC COLOR KEY: MARKETING & BUSINESS OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT INSTRUCTOR / CLASSROOM PHYSICAL TRAINING WORKOUTS

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B Y D AV ID B A R N E T T

20 17

MASUPERSHOW PROFILES OF SUCCESS

Want to grow your school, improve

your teaching, excite your staff, and train with some of the best martial artists and businesspeople in the industry? Attend the Martial Arts SuperShow in Las Vegas this July. It will be the best investment you make in time and money for your business this year! The proof? We asked freelance journalist David Barnett to interview two instructors and school owners from last year’s convention — without any input from us. Here’s how they used what they learned at 2017’s MASuperShow to improve their profits and professionalism.

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ach year, the Martial Arts Industry Association (MAIA) stages the premier training and networking event for martial arts instructors and school owners, the Martial Arts SuperShow. Is your school growing the way you want it to, or are you struggling with your business? Are you excited every day when you head to your school, or are you missing the enthusiasm you used to have? Whether you’re happy or not, maybe you aren’t entirely satisfied. You know there’s always room for growth and improvement, the same lesson we try to instill in our students every day. Are you asking yourself questions like: • How can I grow my school? • How can I help my students improve faster? • How can I add value for my customers? • What do I need to do to make this year better than last year? • What impact can I have on my students this year? • How can I get motivated and re-energized? • How can I motivate and energize my staff? • How can I improve myself in 2018 and beyond? The 2018 MASuperShow is the place to find your answers. Whatever you’re looking to learn or accomplish, you’ll find it in Las Vegas this July. From opportunities to learn from the biggest and brightest (and most successful) school owners in the country, to the chance to train with some of the best martial artists around today, there’s something for everyone at the 2018 MASuperShow. It will be the best investment you make in time and money for your business this year! Each year, I write an article about several school owners and instructors who attended the previous year’s MASuperShow. They tell us how they used the information they acquired there as a springboard to improve their schools in the ensuing year. From small-school owners attending their first event to veteran multi-school owners with hundreds of students, these motivated individuals have used their experiences at this remarkable convention to drive themselves and their businesses to even greater success. Here’s how some attendees and their staff members implemented what they learned at last year’s Show to elevate their school’s success.

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“I WANT TO GO, BUT I CAN’ T!” B Y D AV ID B A R N E T T

Some readers may be saying to themselves, “It sounds great, but I just can’t go.” Maybe they feel they can’t afford it. Maybe they feel they can’t take the time away from their school or their jobs. There are tons of reasons, or rather, excuses. So, let me take a minute to give you my personal observations and experiences, from having attended almost every SuperShow (except the very first one). At these conventions, I’ve talked to countless attendees, from school owners and instructors to frontdesk personnel. Here are some comments: “Every year when I went, I came back with great ideas that helped my school grow and stay competitive. Our retention was always good, and the teaching and curriculum changes made it better.” “Marketing was always a challenge for me, especially since, like many school owners, I also had a full-time job outside of my dojo. I always took home ideas that were simple to implement and free or nearly free. [They] brought in more than enough students to pay for the trip.” “I had good instructors, but when I started taking them to the SuperShow, they got better. They were more motivated. They were excited. They became even more passionate. And they wanted to help the dojo succeed.” I have several friends who own schools as well. I’ve been trying to convince them into going to the SuperShow for years. But they said they couldn’t afford it, had a birthday party they had to go to during the SuperShow (I’m not kidding), didn’t want to close the school for a week, or said they were doing just fine on their own. One of them dropped from 100 students to 10 in less than two years and had to file bankruptcy. Another one of them is the same size as four years ago, with around 30 students. He’d like to make it a full-time profession, but just can’t understand why he’s not growing. Here are other common complaints I’ve heard: • They aren’t growing. • They aren’t getting enough students to replace the ones that are leaving. • Marketing is too hard. • They are spending too much time doing things they don’t want to do. • They’re getting burnt out and lack the passion that got them into teaching in the first place. All of these people worked hard. However, there’s a big difference between working hard and working smart. What about you? Are you where you want to be? Are you completely satisfied with the direction your school is heading? Are you growing each year? Or, are you frustrated? Is your school the same size as it was last year, or maybe even a little smaller? Do you wish you could breathe some new life into your school and staff? Do you want to touch more lives through martial arts than you are currently? I’ve been writing these “Profiles of Success” articles for 10 years now. I’ve never talked to a single person who went to the SuperShow and didn’t think it was worth it! Not one! If you attend the Show with an open mind and some goals, and learn from people who are successful and are where you want to be, you just can’t lose. You’ll take home some great ideas that will help you take your school, your staff, your students and your business to the next level. So, you owe it to your school, your family, your students, and yourself to be there! And, if you attend for the first time in 2018, I’d love to hear about (and write about) your experience. Contact me by email at DavidBarnettCS@gmail. com and tell me about it!

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WAYS TO GE T THE MOST OUT OF THE MARTIAL ART S SUPERSHOW

Whether you’re a veteran SuperShow attendee or this is your first time, here are some tips to get the most out of the experience. It’s a checklist to make sure you’re getting the most value for your time and money investment. 1. Set your key goals. What areas do you want to improve? What problems are you experiencing in your school? What challenges do you have? What do you want to be able to do better when you return from the Show? 2. Plan your attack. Study the session lineup in the Show’s handouts and decide which ones you will attend. Typically, four sessions/seminars take place at the same time, ranging from business topics to physical workouts. (If you have never been to one of Master Dave Kovar’s sessions, I highly recommend it.) Make a list of seminars you need to attend and the things you’d like to get out of them. 3. Divide and conquer. If you are lucky enough to have some staff members with you, split up and attend different sessions and share the information with each other. There may be some seminars that you want your team to attend together (like the aforementioned Kovar session). But you can cover more ground (and get more ideas) by splitting up. Challenge each staff member to come out of each session with at least one idea. 4. Take copious notes. This should go without saying, but take lots of notes during the sessions. I also always keep a separate sheet on which I jot down ideas as they pop into my head. A speaker might be talking about one thing, but it makes you think of something else. Write it down so you don’t forget it later. This also helps you focus on the current session. 5. Follow up. I’ve found that most of the speakers are more than happy to have a conversation with you or answer questions when their seminar ends, and even after the Show is over. Reach out to them if you have a question, or seek them out between sessions. (Just please be respectful of their time. Keep in mind that there are usually a lot of other people who also want a few minutes with them.)

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6. Meet other people/school owners. The Show is a great event in which to network. There will be hundreds of people at the convention with goals like yours, schools like yours and challenges like yours. Meet the people you’re sitting next to at the sessions and exchange business cards. Ask them about their schools. Almost every person I’ve written about in these “Profile” articles over the past 10 years mentions how much they love to see old friends every year that they met at the Show. After the Show, get in touch with some of the people and share ideas. Find out what they’re implementing and how it’s working for them. Some of my best ideas were received from other attendees after the SuperShow. 7. Check out the vendors. Even if you aren’t looking for anything specific, be sure to check out the vendors and all the new products and services. You might get some great ideas. We have purchased a number of products and programs at the Show over the years and have never been disappointed. 8. Spend time at the end of each day with your team. If you’ve brought team members, spend some time each evening to talk about the day and share what everyone’s learned. The seminars end around 5:00 p.m. each day. So, we used to meet before dinner, and each staff member was to share three ideas they got that day. It’s also a great bonding time, too. There’s so much excitement among Show attendees. I guarantee it will rub off on you and your staff members. If you’re attending by yourself, spend some time at the end of the day reflecting. Write down your top three ideas from that day. 9. Create an action plan. Either during the Show or immediately upon returning home, take your best ideas and create an action plan. Don’t put it off; life will try to get in the way! Break them down into categories. What can you do right now, or in the next two weeks, that will make your school better? What can you implement in the next two to three months? What can you do in the next six months? Make a calendar of the things you want to do. Focus on your biggest goals or challenges, and find things you can implement quickly. 10. Implement! None of this will help unless you actually implement your ideas. Take action, and you will see results. If you procrastinate, excuses will pop up and, a year from now, you’ll be in the same place as you are now! Or worse! Some ideas will be easy to implement. Others will take more time, effort, money and help. Figure out a way to make things happen. You are a leader, a black belt and a business owner. Strive for “black belt excellence” and you can do it!

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REYMUNDO GONZALEZ, JR. WARCATS TAEKWONDO, CORPUS CHRISTI, TX

He adopted student agreements, and the opportunity to help parents save money if they paid in full for his 12-month basic program. Reymundo Gonzalez, Jr. is a 7th-degree black belt in taekwondo, holds rank in several other martial arts styles, and is a certified instructor in Verbal Judo. He’s the owner and head instructor of his Corpus Christi school, where he also offers aikido training. Gonzalez recalls why he began attending the Martial Arts SuperShow in 2010. “I was curious to see what the SuperShow was all about, and I was looking for ideas to improve my school,” he explains. He found what he was looking for and has been attending the Show ever since. “The first few times I went, I would just go with an open mind. I’d look at the seminar schedule, mark the sessions I thought sounded pretty good and felt I could benefit from, and attend those.” Most school owners and instructors work hard to motivate their students, but staff and owners need a boost now and then as well. Asked if he could achieve just one result from attending the SuperShow, what would it be, he responded, “Staying motivated to run my business.” The convention is a great place to meet like-minded martial arts professionals, learn new things, and motivate both yourself and your staff. “You get to meet people from all over, and it’s amazing how people are willing to share their ideas and knowledge,” he says. The SuperShow offers seminars on various topics, from how to run a business, marketing techniques, instructing and training. “I like the fact that you have four types of seminars to choose from,” Gonzalez says. “I take my instructors, and we try not to attend the same sessions, so that we can get as many ideas as possible to improve our school. I usually attend the business seminars.” The trick to succeeding and growing your school is to take what you learn at the Show and implement some new ideas. Gonzalez has nearly 150 students and is growing. He talks about some of his successes. “We implemented student agreements, and the opportunity to help parents save money if they pay in full for our 12-month basic program. This helps with our financial stability. “We also implemented a rotating curriculum,” which is something Gonzalez learned about at the SuperShow. “It’s so much easier than trying to teach five different levels in one class with only three instructors. This allows our instructors to teach a larger group with one main instructor facilitating and additional instructors assisting students to learn the same material.” Another change he made to make his classes more efficient was his class schedule. “We have a new class schedule with no breaks between classes,” he explains. “This forces us to start and end classes on time, while also maximizing student engagement during instruction.”

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Gonzalez will definitely continue to attend the SuperShow in 2018. “I use the SuperShow for staff development to help my staff, including myself, stay motivated and excited, and continue to learn and grow. “Joining the MAIA Elite Team was probably the best decision my daughter/partner, Alexia Gonzalez, and I ever made. The benefits have been incredible. Not only have we doubled our student enrollment, but everything recommended by our consultant has improved our business and student retention.” Gonzalez offers this advice for those still thinking about attending. “Take advantage of this great opportunity. Empty your cup and go there with an open mind. You’ll be surprised how much we really don’t know. There’s no better place to go and learn from the most successful martial artists. I also highly recommend taking your staff, to empower them, motivate them, and make your team stronger.”

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CHRIS HAMM

LEGACY MARTIAL ARTS, HARKER HEIGHTS, TX In 2015, his school was about to close when he and his wife attended their first SuperShow. They returned with ideas, knowledge and motivation that turned their school business around. Now they have 210 active students! Chris Hamm is a 4th-degree black belt in taekwondo. He’s the owner and head instructor of his Harker Heights, TX, school, where he teaches taekwondo and krav maga. In addition to his regular classes, his school has a Tiny Tigers program for 3- to 4-year-olds, and Black Belt Club and Masters Club programs for his 210 students. In 2015, Hamm’s school was on the verge of closing. “Our school was on its last leg,” says Hamm. “We were out of money, out of patience, and the school just wasn’t growing.” Attending the MASuperShow was their last hope to keep the school alive. “My wife and I, at the suggestion of another school-owner friend, decided to give the SuperShow a try. We literally emptied all of our accounts and made the trip to Vegas, in the hopes that the knowledge we gained would save our school.” The Hamms come to the Show with goals in mind. “We wanted to gain the knowledge that would save our school, to discover that ‘missing piece’ that we didn’t have,” he says. “It was like having a huge puzzle with missing pieces and no reference. We knew that the puzzle could be a masterpiece, but we didn’t know what those pieces even were. “So, really, the goal was to just soak up everything that was said or done, take massive notes, and coordinate a game plan at the end of each night for what our school needed when we returned.” Hamm adds, “Thank goodness that I had such a supportive and awesome wife!” Their first SuperShow gave them the ideas, knowledge and motivation to turn their school around. Now, they want to continue building on those successes and keep growing. “Now that our school is doing (literally) three times better than it was three years ago, our goal is different at each SuperShow. Our current goal is to reinvigorate ourselves and to glean a little more knowledge to help our students and staff.” What does Hamm like best about attending the convention? “The experience!” he replies. “To be completely immersed in the world we love, and to learn from and meet some of the biggest and most successful [people] in the industry. It’s like Cloud Nine for any martial artist, especially those that want to see their school grow and be successful.” The trade show is a major feature of the SuperShow. Attendees can discover the latest state-of-the-art products and services, talk to vendors and purchase new equipment. “We love to see the innovations at the SuperShow,” Hamm says. “Usually, we gather information, then discuss how that product or service could best be used in our school. We signed on for the membership software, which played a big part in our growth.”

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INTERESTED IN SHARING YOUR SUCCESS STORY IN A FUTURE MASUCCESS ARTICLE? If you would be interested in sharing your MASuperShow experience and subsequent success story for possible inclusion in next year’s “Profiles of Success” article, email David Barnett at DavidBarnettCS@gmail.com, or text your email address to (719) 290-1508 today.

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At the SuperShow, Hamm also learned techniques and methods for marketing in local schools. “We redoubled our efforts to do Career Days and School Talks. We help out [local academic schools] with Field Days and school-supply drives, and give [to them] without expectation. Since then, we’ve been requested almost every weekend for more events and participation in local schools. [Now,] parents and kids alike recognize us all over.” Many school owners can probably relate to Hamm’s experience with teaching. “We always had a pretty strong base on the floor, but the problem lied in the fact that the methods had always been personality-driven. Basically, this meant that I always taught every class, and ‘no one else could do it like me.’ Now that we have systems and training programs [in place], we can replicate [my teaching methods] in every class and provide that same level to the students, no matter who is teaching.” I asked Hamm what the number-one benefit he received as a result of attending last year. “I can say, without a doubt, it was a mind shift,” he explains. “[I was able to] recognize the problems in the business, and then be able to fix them.” The Hamms will enthusiastically attend the 2018 SuperShow. “Absolutely!” Chris says. “We need the reinvigoration. And [look forward to] seeing all our old martial arts friends there. Plus, you never know what you’ll learn or see at the SuperShow. “The martial arts industry needs the SuperShow,” Hamm concludes. “Every school owner out there can benefit in some way from attending.” e m Colorado Springs’ David Barnett is a 5th-degree black belt in taekwondo and a 2nd-degree in goju-ryu karate and has been studying martial arts for over 30 years. He can be reached by email at DavidBarnettCS@gmail.com, or you might run into him at the 2018 MASuperShow. People who succeed are those who take things they learn at the Show and implement them. “We jumped on [joining the] MAIA Elite [program], the number-one, biggest, most impactful, amazing, life-saving decision we ever made!” Hamm says with obvious great enthusiasm. “The knowledge and accountability have allowed us to actually take home money!” Hamm learned about the importance of creating systems within his school, to make his business run more smoothly and efficiently. “Creating systems is a ‘way of doing things’ so that our staff all handle things the same way, every time. This consistency helped us easily train others on our culture, and helped us grow exponentially.” Improving their school also gave Hamm the confidence to increase their prices. “We found out that we were undercutting our services by a lot. We were afraid that our market wouldn’t support higher prices, but we tried anyway. We [increased our rates], and it actually increased our student count and growth.”

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To read hundreds of articles and columns vital to your school business, visit the Martial Arts Industry Association’s website at www.masuccess.com. Through this constantly-enhanced website, members can access an enormous quantity of useful information on just about any topic from A to Z.

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I USED THESE

5 LAWS TO OPEN MY SCHOOL

AND REACH A GOAL

OF 100 STUDENTS

By Bryan Zarnett

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If you’re running a part-time school today and pondering the jump to full-time ownership, you will want to pay strict attention to this article. I’m going to share with you what I call the “5 Laws of Success.” I faithfully applied these laws in 2012 to change careers and open a full-time martial arts school, Durham Modern Martial Arts in Whitby, Ontario, Canada. Further, those laws were part of my reasonable plan to reach 100 active students over a period of years. Today, in our sixth year of operation, we have exceeded my original goal of 100 students. These laws worked for me, and I believe they can work for you, too. Admittedly, I did have one big advantage. I held a corporate-management job before I

made the career transition to martial arts school ownership. Thus, I had a good grasp of business before I made the career change.

The Importance of 100 Students Answering the 100-student question was the key that kick-started the development of my school. Why 100? The number 100 comes down to industry statistics. It’s a hard number to reach and an even harder number to surpass. At 100 students, you should be able to demonstrate consistent success in your activities. One-hundred students allows you to have a retrospective: a look at the past to help you determine what went well, what did not, and allow you to use your experiences to understand

what you need to do to then break 120, 140, 160 and stream through 200. Could I have reached my goal of 100 students faster than I did, you might ask? Yes, probably. But I chose the path of sure and steady growth over speed, in order to help build consistency in the systems and practices I implemented. I did this in a manner that promoted good stress over being in distress, and resulted in a school that I would love to be at each and every day. Once I reached 100 students, I set a financial goal more than an active-student count. I like the metric of an active-student count, because it’s easy math to determine a monthly income, if nothing comes through in any other profit center. The big number I established was financial. I wanted $16,000 to $20,000 per month in income from one or more profit centers. I also established a reputation-based goal. I want us to be better known as a source of success for kids and adults in our community. Right now, we’re at 110 active students and have set in motion plans to break 120 to 140 by the end of this year.

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Here are the 5 Laws. • • • • • • • • •

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operations systems expectations industry characteristics manufacturers problems concerns success stories and, of course, failures

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• Be a self-motivator • Seek continual education • Act as a thought-leader that is willing to take risks • Put in “sweat equity” • Solve problems • And be a master of time, task and project management

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“Learn about risk management and risk mitigation. It starts with defining the risk: the positive outcome as well as the worst-case scenario, followed by the steps to move things in the next direction. As a business owner, you don’t just take risks — you manage risk to move to the best possible outcome.”

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1. 2. 3. 4.

E-Myth Revised E-Myth Mastery Duct Tape Selling Duct Tape Marketing The Four-Hour Workweek Tribe of Mentors

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• print advertisement • Internet and social-media advertisement (like Facebook and Google ads) • press releases • SEO (search engine optimization) • public relations (promotions, events) • email • referrals • social media publications

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• • •

“Teaching a great class means your students are smiling, sweating and learning. Being a black belt does not automatically mean you can teach effectively. Our industry has recognized that being a great teacher is a separate pursuit from being technically proficient in a martial art.” JULY 2018

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M s s te n h

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Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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

Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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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