March/April 2021 by MASuccess

MASUCCESS MARCH/APRIL 2021 2021 MASUCCESS MARCH/APRIL

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How MyStudio and InCourage Created a New Business Model

OPENING NIGHT 2019 OPENING 2019 OPENING NIGHT OPENING NIGHT NIGHT Distinguished guest Distinguished guest THE LARGEST INDUSTRY PARTY ON THE PLANET

Automate Your School Processes for Maximum Success in the New Year! Celebrate the martial arts and the 20th anniversary of the SuperShow. Witness the Lifetime Achievement Award induction for Cynthia Rothrock. All happening on Opening Night at the Omnia Nightclub.

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Why You Should Attend the 2021 SuperShow

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YOU DON'T HAVE TO SEE THE WHOLE STAIRCASE, JUST TAKE THE FIRST STEP. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.

Â© MAIA 2020 #18833

, During these unprecedented times, we want you to know we are in this with you - now and always. Let us help you take the first step towards getting your school not just back to normal, but better than normal.

MAIAHub.com

CONTENTS FEATURES 24 FRUSTRATION IS THE MOTHER OF INVENTION BY MEGAN BAKER

Learn how InCourage Martial Arts and MyStudio created a new business model designed to help you run your business more efficiently and effectively.

36 SNEAK PEEK: 2021 MARTIAL ARTS SUPERSHOW

MARCH/APRIL 2021

COLUMNS 32 BLACK BELT LEADERSHIP BY NGUYEN “TOM” GRIGGS

Leadership Tools: The Hammer

34 IN THE CLASSROOM BY DAVE KOVAR

A Teacher’s Mindset

58 TURNING POINT BY HERB BORKLAND

Richard M. Morris: Having a War-Hero Father

BY THE SUPERSHOW TEAM

We prepared this ultimate guide because this year’s SuperShow will look different from all our previous events. Even if you’ve attended in the past, we encourage you to review this.

60 HEALTH KICK

BY ERIC P. FLEISHMAN

Get Your Dojo on the Map

62 YOU MESSED UP! NOW WHAT?

DEPARTMENTS 8 FROM THE DIRECTOR’S DESK 12 IN THE KNOW 16 HEAR FROM YOUR PEERS 18 PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT 20 THE MAIA REPORT 22 MARKETING RESOURCE 64 SCHOOL SHOWCASE

BY KATHY OLEVSKY

48 POST-COVID PROFIT PROCESS

Helping Ourselves Through Helping Others

BY ADAM KIFER

Here are the six tried-and-true transitions your martial arts school needs to make to defeat COVID and actually thrive in 2021.

54 SMART DESIGN

BY NGUYEN “TOM” GRIGGS

To help you find out how proper planning can lead to a more functional school and a better bottom line, we present this interview with a commercial interior designer with 25 years of experience.

66 CONSULTANT’S CORNER BY JASON FLAME

5 Ways to Stay in Touch With Your Students

68 MASTERFUL RETENTION BY CHRIS RAPPOLD

To Retain the Best, You Have to Give Your Best!

70 THE KICK YOU NEVER SAW COMING BY BETH A. BLOCK

Beyond Social Distance

72 THE LEGAL LANDSCAPE BY PHILIP E. GOSS JR., ESQ.

Employees vs. Independent Contractors

74 INSPIRATION OVATION BY KAREN EDEN

Pet Rocks

6 MASUCCESS

QUOTE OF THE MONTH “Advanced techniques are nothing more than the execution of basics in combination.” — APOLO LADRA, PEKITI TIRSIA

54 MARCH/APRIL 2021 7

FROM THE DIRECTOR’S DESK

BY FRANK SILVERMAN

MAIA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

“Even if we don’t see another pandemic in our lifetimes, there will be another crisis to take its place. The good news is we will be far better prepared for whatever is in store for us.”

Preparing for Our New Future

H L

s we continue to work — and work our way back to normalcy — in 2021, I cannot help but reflect on how unique, tough and crazy 2020 was. The scariest part for me was the realization of how fragile our economy is and how fragile a business can be. A business, whether a martial arts school or something else, is almost like a living being. It needs certain resources (air, food and water for us; income and patrons for a business) to survive and thrive. Without them, a business will begin to “starve” and then will cease to exist. That by itself isn’t scary. We all know this. What is scary is that something we had never heard of, something that didn’t even exist two years ago, could be the force that suddenly cuts off these resources and changes our lives forever. What is really scary is that it can happen again, without warning, at any time. And most likely, it will. Even if we don’t see another pandemic in our lifetimes, there will be another crisis to take its place. The good news is we will be far better prepared for whatever is in store for us. Recently, I spoke at a MAIA event and gave my top five things I would do to prepare for a postpandemic world, operating under the best guess that it will happen again (although we all hope it never does). Keep in mind that this is a business magazine, so I focused on business necessities. Prepare for “virtual” to play a role forever. Most schools transitioned quickly to virtual lessons. For others, the change was a struggle. The latter probably would like to pretend that the need for virtual learning has largely passed — but now our students have a taste of it, and it will become a standard offering for schools that wish to be around in 10 years. In the event that you need to go virtual again (even short-term for a snowstorm or other weather emergency), make sure you have a better system in place.

8 MASUCCESS

However great you are now, become even better at connecting with your students and their parents. The schools that used Facebook, Constant Contact, text messages, emails, mailing lists and so on found that it was easy to get in touch early and stay in touch, and they had better retention rates than those schools that didn’t. Become better at this. It can only help. Have multiple banking relationships, including at least one relationship with a smaller community bank. When many larger banks closed, community banks were still there to help. Additionally, when PPP was enacted, the smaller banks were often far more helpful for small businesses.

M E A

Always have your estate planning up to date. I say this not merely because of COVID but because as disasters happen, we all need to be prepared for what would become of our businesses and, more important, our families without us. Have supplies on hand. I will never, ever be caught with only one roll of toilet paper or a half bottle of sanitizer. Add these and personal protection equipment to the list of emergency supplies to always keep on hand, along with the usual standbys such as batteries, water and so on. Let’s hope that all this is a waste of time — better safe than sorry. Should we have another pandemic or anything of a similar nature, however, we’ll be better prepared.

S To contact Frank Silverman, send an email to teamcfck@aol.com. Find him on Twitter and Facebook at @franksilverman.

01 21

WELCOME TO

HARRAH’S LAS VEGAS MODERN STYLE. EASILY ACCESSIBLE. AFFORDABLE PRICE.

Newly renovated Harrah’s Hotel & Casino is steps away from famous Vegas landmarks and just a short walk to CAESARS FORUM!

SPECIAL SHOW RATES AVAILABLE AT MASUPERSHOW.COM/HOTEL

S P O N S O R ED BY:

PR E SENTED BY:

STAFF

FROM THE DIRECTOR’S DESK

FRANK SILVERMAN IS THE

MELISSA TORRES IS THE DIVISION

Executive Director of the Martial Arts Industry Association, and the owner and operator of 11 martial arts schools in Orlando, FL. He’s also the author of Business Is Business: Passion and Profit in the Martial Arts Industry. Follow Frank on Twitter and Facebook @franksilverman. Contact him at teamcfck@aol.com.

Manager of the Martial Arts Industry Association. She is a practitioner of kung fu san soo, Cage Fitness and yoga. She is passionate about helping school owners succeed and achieve their goals. She can be reached at mtorres@masuccess.com.

THE MAIA REPORT

DAVE KOVAR OWNS AND OPERATES NGUYEN “TOM” GRIGGS, ED.D.,

BLACK BELT LEADERSHIP

is a sensei in Japanese jujitsu at TNT Jujitsu under Hanshi Torey Overstreet in Houston, TX. He’s the owner of Lead Connect Grow, LLC. Organizations hire him to develop black belt-level professionals in the areas of Teams, Leadership and Conflict Management. Feel

IN THE CLASSROOM

free to email him at tom@ntgriggs.com.

a chain of successful martial art schools. Additionally, he operates Pro-Mac (Professional Martial Arts College), dedicated to helping martial artists become professionals in Business Management, Mat Mastery, Sales Mastery, Wealth Management and CuttingEdge Classroom Concepts. In 2010, he was the recipient of the Martial Arts Industry Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Contact him at dave.kovar@kovars.com or check out his blog at kovarsblog.kovarsystems.com.

HERB BORKLAND WAS ONE OF

TURNING POINT

Jhoon Rhee’s original white belts at America’s first taekwondo school and, later, a closeddoor student of Chinese “soft” styles pioneer Robert W. Smith. For three years, starting on ESPN, he hosted the weekly Black Belts TV show. He did the screenplay for Cynthia Rothrock’s HBO-featured Honor and Glory and is an Inside Kung-Fu Hall of Fame martial arts writer. He can be reached at herbork@comcast.net.

CHRISTOPHER RAPPOLD IS THE

MASTERFUL RETENTION

founder of a successful martial arts organization, Personal Best Karate, headquartered in Norton, MA. He’s a five-time world karate champion and is currently the executive director of the world-renowned Team Paul Mitchell, a championship team supported by sport-karate’s longest-running sponsorship. Rappold is the author of the landmark MAIA program Retention Based Sparring. He can be reached at founder@personalbestkarate.com.

MIKE METZGER IS A MARTIAL Arts Industry Association consultant and the owner of 14 martial arts schools. He has consulted for various school owners around the world. He can be contacted via email at mmetzger@masuccess.com.

BETH BLOCK, A 4TH-DEGREE BLACK

CONSULTANT’S CORNER THE KICK YOU NEVER SAW COMING! 10 MASUCCESS

belt in karate, is the president of Block Insurance in Orlando, FL. Block has protected businesses that serve children for the past 24 years. She is the writer of Martial Arts Minute, a weekly riskmanagement newsletter. You can reach her at (800) 225-0863 or beth@blockins.net.

STAFF MASUCCESS IS PUBLISHED BY

SARAH LOBBAN IS THE ASSOCIATE Publications Editor for the Martial Arts Industry Association. She has trained and fought in MMA and muay Thai, and currently trains in jeet kune do. She can be reached at slobban@centurymartialarts.com.

IN THE KNOW KATHY OLEVSKY AND HER

YOU MESSED UP! NOW WHAT?

husband, Rob, own and operate Karate International in North Carolina. Kathy is the managing partner in their five-school operation. She’s an 8th-degree black belt with 32 full-time years of teaching and operating martial arts schools. She can be reached for questions or comments at kathy.olevsky@raleighkarate.com.

ERIC THE TRAINER (ERIC P.

HEALTH KICK

Fleishman) is a Hollywood-based celebrity personal trainer with over 28 years’ experience. He has worked with top actors and musicians, MMA fighters, and the military. He hosts the popular TV show “Celebrity Sweat,” which you can watch on Amazon Prime. His enthusiastic message of living a healthy life has been adopted by many groups, most recently the American Culinary Federation. For questions or comments, contact Eric the Trainer at Mainemonster@gmail.com.

PHILIP E. GOSS, JR., ESQ. IS a member of the Florida and several other

THE LEGAL LANDSCAPE

Federal Bar Associations. Phil welcomes any e-mail comments or questions at PhilGosslaw@gmail.com and will attempt to respond personally, time permitting.

KAREN EDEN IS A 7TH-DEGREE

INSPIRATION OVATION

master of tang soo do. She’s a broadcast journalist who has appeared nationally on CNN, FOX and Animal Planet as well as on local affiliates for NBC and PBS. Karen is also a published book author and magazine columnist who has written for or been featured in every major martial arts magazine globally. Contact her at renedenherdman@gmail.com.

VOL. 22, NO. 2 // MARCH/APRIL 2021 EDITOR EMERITUS John Corcoran

MAIA LLC, 1000 Century Blvd., Oklahoma City, OK 73110; (866) 626-6226.

EDITOR Robert W. Young

Return postage must accompany all manuscripts and photographs submitted to MASUCCESS, if they are to be returned, and no responsibility can be assumed for unsolicited materials. All rights for letters submitted to this magazine will be treated as unconditionally assigned for publication and copyright purposes and as subject to the editorial staff’s right to edit and to comment editorially.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR MARTIAL ARTS INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION Frank Silverman MAIA DIVISION MANAGER Melissa Torres ASSOCIATE EDITOR Sarah Lobban MAIA INTERNATIONAL CONSULTANTS Robby Beard Kurt Klingenmeyer Jason Flame Mike Metzger Antonio Fournier Adam Parman Cris Rodriguez Shane Tassoul ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Donna Diamond ART DIRECTOR Paul Duarte DIRECTOR OF MEDIA AND PUBLISHING DEVELOPMENT Patrick Sternkopf COLUMNISTS & CONTRIBUTORS

David Barnett Beth A. Block Herb Borkland Karen Eden Jason Flame Eric P. Fleishman Antonio Fournier Philip E. Goss Jr., Esq. Nguyen “Tom” Griggs IBISWorld.com Perry William Kelly Kurt Klingenmeyer

Dave Kovar Sarah Lobban Mike Metzger Kristin Miller Kathy Olevsky Suzanne Pisano Christopher Rappold Frank Silverman Shane Tassoul Melissa Torres Dwight Trower

CORRESPONDENTS

Herb Borkland (VA) Karen Eden (CO) Andrea F. Harkins (AZ) Andre Lima (CA) PUBLISHER

David Wahl

Perry William Kelly (CANADA) Terry L. Wilson (CA) Keith D. Yates (TX)

MAIA, its owners, directors, officers, employees, subsidiaries, successors and assigns are not responsible in any manner for any injury that may occur by reading and/or following the instructions herein. As publisher, MAIA makes no endorsements, representations, guarantees or warranties concerning the products and or services presented or advertised herein. We expressly disclaim any and all liability arising from or relating to the manufacture, sale, distribution, use, misuse or other act of any party in regard to such products and/or services. MASUCCESS is a trademark of the MAIA. © 2021 MAIA LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. The mission of MAIA is to grow, promote and protect the martial arts industry, and to provide benefits to its members to help them become more successful.

MARCH/APRIL 2020 11

IN THE KNOW

BY SARAH LOBBAN

WORDS OF WISDOM IT DOESN’T BOTHER ME TO HAVE SEVEN, EIGHT CLASSES A DAY. THAT’S THE WAY I WANT IT. THAT’S THE WAY I GREW UP. PEOPLE SAY, ‘WHY DON’T YOU TAKE A VACATION?’ I SAY, ‘I DON’T NEED A VACATION. TO ME, EVERY DAY IS A VACATION. I’M DOING EXACTLY WHAT I WANT TO DO, AND THAT’S TEACH. — FUMIO DEMURA

MARTIAL ARTS TRIVIA 1

If you enter a Senegalese wrestling contest and are told your match will be avec frappe, what additional element besides grappling will it include?

List these bladed weapons from longest to shortest: wakizashi, katana, o-katana, tanto.

Which kanji characters spell the current word for “karate”?

A) Weapons B) Striking C) Gloves D) A delicious iced coffee beverage

Mas Oyama, founder of kyokushin karate, has been cited as the inspiration for which iconic videogame martial artist?

A) 空手 B) 唐手 C) 空港 D) 塁手

ANSWERS: 1) Striking. 2) O-katana, katana, wakizashi, tanto. 3) Ryu from Street Fighter. 4) A 空手 12 MASUCCESS

YOU ASKED

WHAT KIND OF INSURANCE IS MOST OVERLOOKED — BUT STILL CRITICAL — FOR MARTIAL ARTS SCHOOL OWNERS? STATS SPEAK

Workers compensation insurance. Not only can you be sued [without it], but the commission can fine you heavily and cause you to close your doors.” — TOMMY LIGHTFOOT, LEAD BY EXAMPLE TAE KWON DO, FAIRFAX, VA

It’s the optional insurances that most owners don’t realize are extra: tournaments, inflatables and external events.” — CHRIS HAMM, LEGACY MARTIAL ARTS, HARKER HEIGHTS, TX

I think the most overlooked aspect of insurance is simply not having enough. It is important you work with someone like Beth Block who knows your business, explains the risks and makes sure you are covered.” — KRISTIN MILLER, CHAMPIONSHIP MARTIAL ARTS, NORTHBROOK, IL

In today’s world, I think that sexual assault/abuse insurance is almost more important than general liability insurance. Martial arts are generally getting safer, with better-educated instructors and improved training methods. However, the ways for instructors and staff to have inappropriate relations and conversations with students are increasing almost daily.” — DAVID CHURCH, CHURCH’S TAEKWONDO AMERICA, MARYVILLE, TN

14 MASUCCESS

STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT

PERCENT OF PEOPLE TRUST AN ONLINE REVIEW OF A BUSINESS AS MUCH AS THEY DO A PERSONAL RECOMMENDATION. SOURCE: FORBES.COM

LO O K S

L I K E

W E

O F

THE

A R E

B U B B L E G U M

ORIGINAL

B O D Y

O P P O N E N T

B A G

CHALLENGE ACCEPTED

s e e t h e f u l l l i n e o f t ra i n i n g b a g s a t

C e n t u r y M a r t i a l A r t s .co m /co l l e c t i o n s /t ra i n i n g - b a g s

HEAR FROM YOUR

PEERS 16 MASUCCESS

1 2 3

DO YOU ACTIVELY TRAIN STUDENTS TO BECOME INSTRUCTORS?

91% Yes 8 % No

DO YOU POST JOB OPENINGS AT YOUR SCHOOL ON JOB-SEARCH SITES (MONSTER, INDEED, GLASSDOOR, ETC.)?

11% Yes 89 % No

WHEN ASSESSING A CANDIDATE FOR A NEW INSTRUCTOR, WHICH OF THESE TRAITS CARRIES MORE WEIGHT?

80 % Personality

20 % Experience

MARCH/APRIL 2021 17

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

KicKing Century®

www.CenturyMartialArts.com

In this modern age — with all its modern challenges — finding a way for kids to maintain their interest in their favorite hobbies can be daunting. For many families, there is a new supervisor/instructor in town: the parents! The KicKing line is designed to make the challenge of keeping your kiddo in kinder-combat easy and effective.

A set of hand targets (oval and square) allows for interactive training, which is great for the best kind of bonding through shared accomplishment — plus it looks fun, and you know you’ll want in on the action! On top of that, bag wraps and Dojo Skinz are available to add some flavor to that bag practice. So the real question is, Is it complicated? Of course not! It may be hard to believe given the past year, but it’s never been easier to get the perfect home setup for that champion-in-training.

Centurion Gloves Century®

www.CenturyMartialArts.com

Every hero needs an origin story. Our Centurion Gloves are based on the design of Century’s first-ever grip-bar bag gloves, built with a vintage look and with modern standards of performance in mind. These gloves are made of genuine leather, dyed a deep burgundy and black. Additional features include pre-curved foam padding on the back, as well as extended finger coverage for heavy-bag training. A double wrist closure and extra-long wrist wrap provide the fit and support essential for hard striking, while the grip bars offer fist support and guide correct hand formation.

For more information on these and other great Century products, call a helpful Century Sales Representative at (800) 626-2789 or visit www.CenturyMartialArts.com.

18 MASUCCESS

ÂŠ 2020 Gameness Sports. #19676

THE MAIA REPORT

We’re Working for You! BY MELISSA TORRES

MAIA DIVISION MANAGER

“You are the school owners; you are the instructors; some of you are both plus the janitor and the frontdesk worker. You are the ones who know best what you need.”

20 MASUCCESS

have a confession to make. I know it’s not the best way to begin this column, but I have to get it off my chest. I’m not a school owner. I’m not an instructor. My role at MAIA is to work with our coaches who are school owners and instructors. Which is good because I’m not the person you want to call when you’re trying to execute your first summer camp or afterschool program. But I know how to get you in touch with the experts who can help. Even though I’m not a school owner, I’ve come to know many over the three and a half years I’ve had this position. I’ve enjoyed having the opportunity to visit their schools, listen to their stories, and hear about their successes and struggles. I have a good idea of what our owners and instructors want and need to grow their schools. But so much has changed in the past year. Schools now operate in a drastically different manner because of COVID. Most have instituted virtual classes, but there are a thousand other large and small changes. MAIA provides resources to help people like you. We offer coaching, programs, courses — even the magazine you’re reading right now. But we want to expand the resources that we provide. We’re passionate about assisting even more school owners across the country, helping them better their businesses, building amazing instructors and giving them the tools they need to impact students around the globe. To do this, we need your help. You are the school owners; you are the instructors; some of you are both plus the janitor and the front-desk worker. You are the ones who know best what you need. I would like to gather ideas from you regarding what you want: articles, blogs, video tutorials, coaching, resources or whatever.

Are you a brand-new school owner who needs a checklist of everything you should be doing now to set yourself up for success? Are you a seasoned school owner who’s looking to expand your class schedule or trying to figure out how to serve the adult market? Are you an instructor who is so bogged down with day-to-day tasks that you’re struggling to stay motivated? We want to know these things so we can tailor our content to you. More than anything, we want to be your go-to resource. We want you to know that you have a team of people in this association who are here to help, people who are fighting on your behalf in the industry while you’re changing the lives of your students. I created a quick survey to make it easy to submit your thoughts and ideas. Please take a few minutes and fill it out so we know how to better serve you. Thank you in advance and take care! To complete the survey, visit www.surveymonkey. com/r/MAIAContent.

To contact Melissa Torres, send an email to mtorres@masuccess.com.

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LESSONS IN LEADERSHIP ACQUIRING LEADERSHIP SKILLS IS A PRIME BENEFIT OF MARTIAL ARTS TRAINING. MOST STUDENTS FIND THAT THOSE SKILLS REMAIN VALUABLE THROUGHOUT LIFE.

School Info Here

To get your free customizable monthly Marketing Resource, visit MAIAHUB.com or get the download link from our Facebook page: fb.com/masuccess. 22 MASUCCESS

Cover_OCT_20

Cover_OCT_2018.indd 2

8/1/18 5:18 PM MP 81:5 8

HOW INCOURAGE & MYSTUDIO CREATED A NEW BUSINESS MODEL BY MEGAN BAKER InCourage Martial Arts, the parent company of MyStudio, is a highly successful martial arts chain located in Northern Virginia. Back in 2017, InCourage’s two locations made $1.7 million in revenue while impacting the lives of close to 1,000 students. This revenue was generated via martial arts memberships, an afterschool program, award-winning summer camps, birthday parties, “parents night out” events and more. Managing and selling all those programs required several seasoned staff members who could handle multiple registration appointments, repetitive follow-ups and the constant daily stress of managing a long line of customers waiting at the front desk. On November 30, 2017 — the last day of its summer camp preregistration sale — the lobby of the Springfield InCourage studio was packed. The crowd was composed not just of students try-

ing to squeeze in and take class, but also of parents who had lined up out the door while waiting for the three front-desk team members to help with camp and membership registrations. While they made nearly $80,000 that day, the leadership team at InCourage knew that many opportunities had been missed. This realization raised numerous questions about the registration process as a whole and the challenges it presented. One question, however, stood out: What if these customers could register themselves? This one question sparked an idea that would become a game changer, an idea that would shake up the martial arts industry as a whole and completely shift the standard business model to one that said, Let’s sell martial arts from anywhere and everywhere!

TOUGH QUESTIONS WHY DOES THE PROCESS HAVE TO BE SO PAINFUL AND TIME CONSUMING? HOW COULD THE STAFF REGISTER EVEN MORE STUDENTS? DO THEY NEED TO HIRE ADDITIONAL MEMBERS? HOW MANY REGISTRATIONS, MEMBERSHIPS AND STUDENTS WERE LOST? WHO WASN’T ABLE TO SET UP A REGISTRATION APPOINTMENT OR MISSED THEIR APPOINTMENT? WHAT IF ALL THOSE CUSTOMERS JUST COULD HAVE REGISTERED THEMSELVES? 24 MASUCCESS

Thus was born MyStudio, an innovative martial arts software company. Inspired by their own 28 years in the industry — and the five InCourage studios that are currently in operation — the MyStudio leaders used all their accumulated knowledge and experience to create a management system that evolves and adapts to the needs of martial arts schools, along with an app that’s easy for members and customers to use. Fully automating the registration process and moving sales to a mobile app, which allows sign-ups and registrations from any place at any time, has enabled studio owners to step away from the front desk and focus on what they do best: teaching martial arts, building relationships and improving the lives of their students.

With the staff able to focus once again on what truly matters, the quality of InCourage’s martial arts instruction naturally improved, and the product began to sell itself. Since the advent of MyStudio, InCourage has increased to five locations and $4 million in revenue. Other programs and software certainly can make tracking attendance, enrolling students, and performing other business and administrative tasks easier, but MyStudio is the first widely accepted mode that does all of that and permits studio owners to sell their products and memberships from anywhere. On the phone, the computer or the iPad, at home on the couch, outside on a walk, or in person at your school — it doesn’t matter. All of InCourage’s new registrations and memberships were

"IT JUST MADE SENSE FOR US TO NOT HAVE A LINE AT THE FRONT

COUNTER FOR SOMETHING THAT’S ON THEIR PHONE — SO WE CAN HAVE 100 PEOPLE AT ONCE [OR] 500 PEOPLE AT ONCE MAKE THE SAME PURCHASE AND NOT INTERRUPT ANYBODY’S WORKFLOW." — Greg Horton, Mastery Martial Arts (seven locations)

VISIT

MYSTUDIO.IO

Thanks to the MyStudio platform, new InCourage studios are devoid of offices and enrollment rooms—allowing the staff to focus on teaching.

MARCH/APRIL 2021 25

purchased by the customers themselves wherever and whenever it was most convenient for them. InCourage sold its memberships, classes, camps and products without having to lift a finger. Imagine hosting an awesome trial class at 5:30 p.m., coming home for dinner with your family and then receiving a notification at 9 p.m. that your trial student just enrolled in a membership by himself or herself. Or imagine arriving at your school in the morning to see three new students who enrolled overnight on their phones while you slept — no additional appointment, follow-up call or effort required.

You didn’t have to do anything except teach your class. How incredible would that be? With the current pandemic, this is an especially valuable tool because it enables members to get set up while social distancing, register for virtual classes, and sign up for additional camps and programs based on their rapidly changing needs. InCourage’s new location in Fairfax, Virginia, which opened after MyStudio was created, is designed to operate with the brand-new MyStudio business model. The studio boasts a fully open space with no office or front desk, as well as operations designed for one full-time instructor.

42.5 — AVERAGE WORK HOURS SAVED PER MONTH 28% — AVERAGE NET PROFIT INCREASE 12% — AVERAGE REVENUE INCREASE InCourage partner Tony Kim utilizes the MyStudio platform for every aspect of daily operations, helping to drive the location's annual revenue to $1.3 million.

"THE MYSTUDIO APP HAS BEEN

GREAT, ESPECIALLY MANAGING 14 SCHOOLS … YOU CAN CHECK IN AND SEE HOW MEMBERSHIPS ARE GOING, HOW EVENTS ARE SELLING, AND BASED ON THAT DATA, YOU CAN SEE WHAT TO CHANGE OR WHAT TO TWEAK IN ORDER TO GET BETTER RESULTS." - John and Lana Bussard, Kicks Karate (14 locations)

INOVATION DRIVES A NEW MODEL

Thanks to MyStudio, parents and adult students easily handle their own enrollments while instructors teach.

From the beginning, the whole system was intended to have every registration and sales transaction purchased by the customer through the MyStudio app or the studio’s website. In 2020, after only two and a half years in business and with just one full-time staff member, the Fairfax InCourage location grossed $330,000 — in the middle of a national pandemic! While the goal of any martial arts school remains giving students an incredible and life-changing martial arts experience, the ultimate goal of MyStudio is to continue innovating to save businesses time and money, promote their growth and improve the overall customer experience.

Fully Automate the Registration Process 42.5 — The average number of hours a month saved at each studio when it replaces registration meetings, paper filing and data input and, in general, streamlines a host of manual processes. This is important because the key to giving students the life-changing martial arts experience they expect and need is allowing instructors to prioritize their time wisely and dedicate more of it to helping those students — and the whole business — grow. Instructors should not have to spend their valuable time doing paperwork, counting retail inventory and making registration appointments.

"WE ARE BEING PRAISED AGAIN AND AGAIN BY OUR CUSTOMERS

VISIT

ON HOW EASY THE MOBILE APP IS AND HOW IT MAKES THEIR [REGISTRATIONS] HAPPEN WITHOUT A HITCH. WE BELIEVE MYSTUDIO IS THE BEST PLATFORM YOU CAN CHOOSE FOR YOUR MARTIAL ARTS SCHOOL." - Adam Spicar, Reveal Martial Arts (two locations)

MYSTUDIO.IO MARCH/APRIL 2021 27

There’s a classic saying: Time is money. Right now, time is more valuable than ever. MyStudio saves studio owners time by taking the power of enrollment out of their hands and placing it instead into the hands of the members — literally. During live class times or busy camp hours, members can manage their own transactions and registrations, taking away the need for time-consuming membership appointments. In addition, sign-ups and registrations are streamlined to make everything easier, and the use of digital agreements reduces administrative work, removing paperwork and filing tasks that used to take hours.

In late 2019, MyStudio and Century Martial Arts collaborated to create a new Century Direct platform. It’s currently servicing more than 900 studios, eliminating all the work and hassle of selling merchandise while depositing profits directly into the schools’ bank accounts the next day. Century Direct eliminates the need for studio owners to take care of stock, overstock, inventory, storage, shipping, returns and fulfillment for retail products. Century Direct ships the merchandise to the student, and the schools earn a profit from every single sale.

"BECAUSE OF CENTURY DIRECT, WE ONLY CARRY UNIFORMS

AND T-SHIRTS AT OUR STUDIOS. THE REST OF THE REQUIRED SPARRING AND AT-HOME TRAINING EQUIPMENT [IS] PURCHASED BY THE CUSTOMER ONLINE, AND CENTURY SHIPS THE PRODUCT TO THEIR FRONT DOOR. ALL OF THIS SAVED TIME IS REPURPOSED FOR STAFF TRAINING, STUDENT RETENTION, MARKETING, LESSON PLANNING, HOSTING MORE FUN EVENTS AND CAMPS, ETC. — ALL OF WHICH HELPS US TO GROW." — Minh Wilson, COO InCourage Martial Arts (five locations)

VISIT

With administrative time savings, logistical planning for varied events and offerings has improved for the InCourage team members.

MYSTUDIO.IO

The InCourage team now enjoys being able to focus on what they enjoy most—teaching students and being a critical part of their personal growth.

Reduce Payroll, Software and Billing Costs 28 percent — Average increase in net profit resulting from reduced payroll, software and payment-processing expenses. In the past, each InCourage studio required two or three fulltime employees to operate according to the old business model. Now those studios are operating more effectively with just one or two full-timers per location. MyStudio eliminated the need for five additional full-timers across InCourage’s five locations — that’s $250,000 in annual payroll savings per year. Additionally, before the genesis of MyStudio, the InCourage studios were dedicating 6 percent of their billing total to collection systems. After bringing this in-house with MyStudio’s auto-billing system, their processing rates were slashed to 2.9 percent.

MyStudio also gave InCourage the option to pass the expense of payment processing on to its customers. While this is a widely accepted practice in other industries, back in 2018, it was a radical idea for the martial arts industry as a whole. However, InCourage realized the potential benefit and quickly discovered that just from passing on these fees, which were a relatively small amount for each customer, it could see an additional $240,000 in annual income. And, for a flat rate of $49 a month, the InCourage operators have full access to the MyStudio system — including a website and a state-of-the-art custom member-facing app. This means they no longer need to endure the hassle and costs associated with using multiple platforms.

"WE’RE IN BUSINESS TO MAKE MONEY — THAT’S A FACT. NORMALLY,

WITH THE OTHER PLATFORMS, WE WOULD RUN PRE-REGISTRATIONS AND MODERATELY DO MAYBE $10,000 TO $20,000. LAST YEAR ALONE, WE DID OVER $120,000 IN PRE-REGISTRATIONS JUST FOR CAMP." - Brannon Beliso, One Martial Arts

MARCH/APRIL 2021 29

Reduce Sales Friction 12 percent — Average revenue increase due to boosted income from the ease of sales of memberships, events and retail. When customers are ready to buy something, they need a simple and convenient process that’s readily available so they can do so right then and there. MyStudio’s management system enables the InCourage studio operators to communicate instantly with their members via two-way in-app messaging, push notifications, SMS texting and emails. This communication system can be used to promote new programs and upcoming sales, and with the MyStudio app, customers can make their purchase immediately right on their device — without having to go to the InCourage studio to make the purchase. Note that this is instant sales, deposited directly in the bank, without any additional friction.

"[I LIKE] THE DESIGN OF IT FROM

THE USER’S END. … WHEN THE USER DOWNLOADS THE APP AND THEN LOOKS AT ALL OF THE OPTIONS AVAILABLE — WHETHER IT’S THE RETAIL OR THE EVENTS OR THE MEMBERSHIPS — IT’S VERY CLEAN. IT’S VERY WELLDESIGNED. THE USER EXPERIENCE IS A LOT HIGHER WITH THE MYSTUDIO PRODUCT THAN ANY OTHER PRODUCT THAT I’VE SEEN." — Melody Johnson, CEO SKILLZ

MyStudio allows InCourage to more easily communicate with members, improving their ability to service varied program offerings.

30 MASUCCESS

As the MyStudio platform continues to evolve, InCourage Martial Arts is poised for continued growth and operational improvements.

Improve the Customer Experience Martial arts instructors cannot gain all the rewards of teaching martial arts until their students do. This is true both on the floor, where the arts are taught, and on the business/financial end. Giving customers the power to take care of their own memberships and transactions, while improving the overall customer experience, is why MyStudio is redefining the industry. The MyStudio app was designed with customers in mind. There’s no more painful registration process with appointments, no more long lines, no more paper contracts. Customers can access their participants, update their payment information, order retail, book a birthday party, message their instructors and more — all with just a few button clicks.

Customers are enjoying the benefits of martial arts more than they thought was possible, and they’re happier than ever. This happiness translates to more customers, students and sales — further proof that when customers succeed, so do businesses. MyStudio understands this fundamental truth of the martial arts business and has created something truly special. It’s not just a product; it’s an idea. An idea that completely changed the way the martial arts are sold and ushered in a new business model for the industry as a whole. An idea that allows martial arts instructors and professionals to get back to doing what they love: teaching martial arts, building relationships and that ultimate reward: changing students’ lives.

"THE REASON WHY WE CHOSE MYSTUDIO IS THAT FIRST,

IT WAS GOING TO ALLOW US TO BETTER SERVE OUR CUSTOMERS. SECOND, IT WILL ALLOW US TO BETTER SERVE OUR STUDIO OPERATORS … ALL OF THIS AT A PHENOMENAL PRICE FOR THE VALUE THAT IT PROVIDED."

VISIT

— John Prosch, Professional Karate Studios of America (40 locations)

MYSTUDIO.IO MARCH/APRIL 2021 31

BLACK BELT LEADERSHIP

Leadership Tools: The Hammer

BY NGUYEN “TOM” GRIGGS

“Your leadership style can be likened to a tool, and for many people, the hammer is the most common. But just because you’re using the ‘hammer’ aspects of leadership doesn’t mean you’re coming down hard on people or being tough.”

n this issue of MASuccess, I’d like to share a lesson about a common and useful tool: the hammer. As with many tools, its effectiveness largely depends on how it’s used. When I was in my mid-20s, my parents asked me to purchase a nice toolkit for the daughter of a family friend. She’d earned her master’s degree in finance and landed a high-paying job with a wellknown company. Because she planned to move to a new city, my family wanted to get her the kit as an apartment-warming gift. I remember buying the toolkit and taking it home to my parents. My dad was quick to inspect the quality of my choice. He had complaints about the multi-bit screwdriver, thought the ratchet and sockets were of low quality, and complained that the level looked janky. I jokingly asked him about the seemingly tiny hammer and small bag of nails. I figured he’d complain about the hammer, too, but instead, we wound up engaged in an interesting philosophical discussion about tools and their uses. At some point, I quipped that perhaps I should return the toolkit and purchase only a nice hammer and a better assortment of nails. My dad corrected me by saying that even if I did that, it wouldn’t be a great gift. “After all, son, you need a variety of tools in life,” he said. “A hammer doesn’t work in every situation.” The memory of that exchange reminded me of a well-known leadership quote: “If you can use only a hammer, you will see every problem as a nail.” Lessons From the Hammer Most people focus on the head of the hammer, which is used for pounding in nails or knocking things into or out of place. But how often do we forget about the rear portion that’s used for removing nails? Your leadership style can be likened to a tool, and for many people, the hammer is the most common. But just because you’re using the “hammer” aspects of leadership doesn’t mean you’re coming down hard on people or being tough. When you must resort to the more forceful aspects of being a leader, consider the following points.

32 MASUCCESS

Well-Placed Strikes vs. Overkill A common issue I see in friends and clients alike is the belief that when problems arise, people are the cause and therefore should be focused on. During some of my workshops at past MA SuperShows, I’ve shared that problems of conflict can be categorized according to policy, process (procedures) and people. While conflict may occur as a combination of factors, people are not always the cause. Suppose you have to change your school’s schedule or you upgrade to a new attendance and payment system. Perhaps your people were used to and quite good at doing things the old way. A conflict may happen not because of personality problems but because of frustrations with new processes (software) or scheduling changes (policy). While you need to address any frustrations that occur in front of students and others as a matter of professionalism, pounding on a team member for his or her frustration can make things worse. As with a hammer, hitting the nail too hard can result in damage rather than construction, so know where and how to “strike.” Check Before Swinging My dad would always remind me that before I started swinging a hammer, I needed to check the tool for damage and look around to ensure safety. Once on a construction site that my dad was managing, a worker used a damaged hammer. The head flew off and hit another worker square on the rear end. Luckily, he wasn’t injured, but after the incident, my dad reminded everyone that his insurance was limited and workers’ compensation wasn’t easy to claim. As we continue to work through these difficult times, don’t stop working — but do take a moment to step back and assess how you can better use your position as a leader to benefit others. Check your tools, think about how much force you’re using and keep earning those stripes.

Nguyen “Tom” Griggs is a professional consultant/speaker on subjects that include teams, leadership and conflict. To contact him, send an email to tom@ntgriggs.com.

KICKING! INTRODUCING

KicKing® training products help teach kids correct kicking forms at home or in class with kid-friendly shields that guide kicks to the correct position.

Learn more about kicKing® and a variety of other youth training products by visiting our website at CenturyMartialArts.com www.CenturyMartialArts.com (800) 626-2787. “Century” is a registered trademark of Century, LLC. All rights reserved. © 2019 Century, LLC. #14933

IN THE CLASSROOM

A Teacher’s Mindset BY DAVE KOVAR

“It’s important to remember that as instructors, some of the mindsets we currently have regarding teaching are powerful and serve us well. Others, not so much.”

34 MASUCCESS

t has been my experience that you share with others what you most need to hear yourself. Today, I’m going to share with you what I call “teacher’s mindsets.” These are specific mindsets that I have made a conscious effort to adopt, especially when I’m interacting with students. Although I still have a long way to go, they have enabled me to make great strides with my students. We all have a series of beliefs about how a classroom works and how we work within it. Unfortunately, most of us don’t consciously choose our mindsets. They come to us. We pick them up from the environment we were brought up in, the education we received and the experiences we’ve had. Let’s imagine that in third grade, you ran a foot race with two kids from your class. Unbeknownst to you, these kids were the fastest sprinters in all of third grade. You gave it your best shot and still trailed behind them. Your perception of your running skills would be completely different than if you competed against the two slowest kids in third grade and took an easy first place. These are the kinds of experiences that can shape our mindsets and, with that, the entire trajectory of our lives. Unfortunately, these experiences are not always in line with reality. Here’s what I mean: When my 92-year-old mother was in first grade, she was told not to sing too loudly and to stand at the back of the choir because her voice wasn’t very good. She’s had that belief for her whole life. I never heard her sing until a couple of years ago when dementia began to take away most of her memory and all of her inhibitions. Now she sings all the time. And guess what? She actually has a pretty good voice. She missed out on 85 years of singing because of a mindset that she acquired based on something somebody said to her when she was a child. It’s important to remember that as instructors, some of the mindsets we have regarding teaching are powerful and serve us well. Others, not so

much. Here I’ll share five teaching mindsets that I try to put to work on a regular basis. • Make others feel important when you’re in their presence. We all appreciate being appreciated. A simple and sincere, “Hello, it’s great to see you,” goes a long way. • Notice the good work of others. How often do we see progress in our students and then forget to tell them? We shouldn’t hesitate to give our students a genuine compliment whenever they deserve one. • Seek first to understand and then to be understood. More than once, I’ve become frustrated with a student I thought was “acting out.” Only later did I learn that there were circumstances in that student’s life that made the behaviors and actions fully understandable. I recommend all instructors adopt the same approach to understanding others. • Choose your battles wisely. Pope John Paul II once said, “See everything, overlook a lot, correct a little.” If we nitpick our students too much, they’ll stop listening and miss out on important details. • Bring value to all your relationships. I look for small gestures of kindness that I can do every day, not just for my students but for their families, as well. It makes everyone feel important, and when we do that, we improve our school, our teaching style and the martial education our students receive.

To contact Dave Kovar, send an email to dave. kovar@kovars.com.

Everything You Need to Know About Attending the 2021 Martial Arts SuperShow! BY THE SUPERSHOW TEAM

elcome to the ultimate guide to the 2021 Martial Arts SuperShow in Las Vegas. We’ve prepared it because this year’s show will look different from all our previous events. Even if you’ve attended in the past, we encourage you to review this guide. And if you’re new, this will go a long way toward helping you get the most out of the experience. A quick note: With today’s ever-changing world and with this being a print publication, show updates might have been issued before this magazine reached your mailbox. We can’t change the text here — but we regularly post updates on the SuperShow Facebook and Instagram pages. Follow us there, as well as on our website (masupershow.com).

WHAT TO EXPECT Every year, the Martial Arts SuperShow draws more than 1,800 participants from across the United States and around the world. School owners, instructors and staffers come with one purpose: to further their education in all things martial. If you’ve never been to a SuperShow, here are some things to expect: Actionable Business and Marketing Content — The No. 1 reason school owners and instructors come year after year is for the business, operations and marketing education. There are two seminar tracks dedicated to identifying actionable steps you can take at your school. High-Level Instructor and Physical Training Sessions — You’re in this industry because you’re passionate about the martial arts. This is your chance to train with the best, learn elements of a new style and become a better teacher. Vendors and Exhibitors — Explore dozens of products and services that will help you improve your business. Fun and Inspiration — There will be hours and hours of education and training, but don’t forget to have fun. One of the most valuable benefits you can get from the show is networking and building lifelong connections with other martial arts school owners. Not sure if the SuperShow is right for you? We understand how traveling and spending a few days away from your school can be a challenge — especially if you’re responsible for running the business, as well as teaching, cleaning, scheduling and so on. That’s why we encourage you to invest in yourself. An investment of time, money and energy will endow you with the tools and skills you need to make your school more successful. Whether you want to learn how to get more students, create a profitable pricing structure or become a better instructor, you’ll find at least one piece of actionable content that you can immediately implement upon returning home. You will earn back more than what you paid for the trip. Although everyone in the martial arts community can benefit from attending, the ones with the most to gain are school owners and instructors. Maybe you run a traditional dojo for kids and adults, or a gym that caters to MMA enthusiasts, or a facility 38 MASUCCESS

that focuses on fitness. Maybe you have 10 students. Maybe you have hundreds of students. It doesn’t matter. The only thing that’s required is a passion for martial arts and a desire to learn and grow.

WHAT’S INCLUDED WITH YOUR TICKET At the SuperShow, you’ll have access to four seminar rooms: two tracks dedicated to business, marketing and operations; one track dedicated to physical training; and one track dedicated to instructor and combatives training. You also will have access to the tradeshow floor, which houses more than 80 exhibitors who are ready to explain their latest digital services, software-based solutions, programs, consulting plans and training gear. Your ticket also will grant you entry to the Opening Night celebration. This will replace the Opening Ceremony we used to have on the first night of the show. More on that later. What’s not included in the cost of your ticket are the pre-conference events. Starting on July 4 and running through the morning of July 6, you’ll have many opportunities to attend separate workshops and certification events. They’re longer than the regular 60-minute seminars held during the main show, typically including three to six hours of training. The cost of lodging also is not included. We recommend booking a room at Harrah’s, the host hotel. Be sure to mention the SuperShow to get access to our block rate for rooms.

PRE-CONFERENCE WORKSHOPS The following pre-conference workshops and training events are scheduled before the main show. Get the details — including date, time and pricing — at MASuperShow.com/precons. Martial Arts Business Forum — MAIA consultants will show you how to increase growth and retention in your school while implementing retail strategies, building sales skills, honing planning methods and more. For the first time, you’ll get the opportunity to join a MAIA Elite mastermind and forever change the way you run your business. Digital Marketing Made Easy With Cris Rodriguez — From targeting strategies to follow-ups, digital interaction is crucial to your business’s success. Learn it all here, along with the step-bystep process of setting up profitable social media campaigns. The Black Belt & Adult Retention Formula — This six-hour masterclass taught by Harinder Singh covers how to teach and retain black belts while attracting adults. It will enable you to add thousands of dollars to your bottom line without sacrificing the integrity of your art or school. MAIA’s Instructor College — Learn a proven formula for training and certifying instructors. This four-hour session will go in-depth on continuing education for developing dynamic instructors in your school. Legendary KALI Series With Apolo Ladra — Learn the art of the blade in this two-day workshop and expand your skill as a martial artist.

Although everyone in the martial arts community can benefit from attending, the ones with the most to gain are school owners and instructors.

MARCH/APRIL 2021 39

20TH-ANNIVERSARY SUPERSHOW HIGHLIGHTS The Caesars Forum has been secured as our venue for the 2021 SuperShow. Completed in early 2020, the facility features massive ballrooms to house the tradeshow and seminars all in one space. That means navigating the show and finding the room you want will be easier than ever. The 110,000-square-foot ballroom is located directly across from the escalators that are attached to Harrah’s, which also is newly renovated. It will be a short walk from the second floor of Harrah’s to the convention — or you can opt for the monorail to speed up your transit. Caesars Forum offers easy access to plenty of lunch-break possibilities. Right out the door is the base of the High Roller observation wheel, located at the far end of the Linq Promenade. Once you’re on the Promenade (just a few minutes’ walk 40 MASUCCESS

from the Forum), you’ll have all sorts of options for grabbing a bite. We’re excited about this location because it’s so close to numerous restaurants and entertainment venues. And while Harrah’s sounds like a classic Vegas casino, the renovations have completely changed the rooms and lobby. The sleek, modern look ties into the attached Caesars Forum. The SuperShow team wanted to give you more options this year, and we have. While the Bellagio was a nice venue in previous years, attendees told us that the lack of affordable restaurants in the hotel or within walking distance was a drawback. Harrah’s, Caesars Forum and the Linq Promenade are different. Whether you want family-style dining or a meal prepared by a famous chef, it’s all right there.

Equally exciting is the martial artist who will be honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the show: Cynthia Rothrock. We’re confident you’ll enjoy this new venue once you see the updated rooms, the pillarless seminar areas, and the numerous restaurant and entertainment options nearby. With the chaos of 2020 behind us, you still might be hesitant about investing in a And of course, 2021 ticket. Let us take on those risks for if you want to you. Until we know otherwise, we’ll hope try your luck, for the best and plan on a live, in-person Harrah’s casino SuperShow — but now with a 100-perhas plenty of cent money-back guarantee. Yes, you slots and tables. read that correctly. Equally excitThe SuperShow team is so confident ing is the maryou’ll find value in our content, the on-thetial artist who mat training sessions and the networking will be honored opportunities that we guarantee you will with a Lifetime walk away with inspiration and action Achievement items worth far more than the cost of admission. Award at the We’re so serious about being your show: Cynthia go-to source for information and training Rothrock. Since that we’ve opted to be the only martial she started arts educational conference backed by on the martial a 100-percent money-back guarantee. path, she’s Learn more at MASuperShow.com. shown nothing but perseverance and grit. And that path certainly has been a memorable one. Rothrock has acted alongside Brigitte Nielson, Vivica A. Fox and Michelle Yeoh, among others. She’s appeared in commercials and TV shows since the 1980s. She’s been a grand champion in weapons and forms many times. She won 32 out of her first 38 tournaments. She holds seven black belts. Rothrock is such a paragon of athleticism that she was the first martial artist to be inducted into the International Sports Hall of Fame. For the 20th-Anniversary SuperShow, the Lifetime Achievement Award could not go to a martial artist who’s more worthy. She will be feted at the Opening Night event on July 6 in the Omnia Nightclub. All ticketholders are invited to attend. As noted above, our Opening Ceremony has morphed into our Opening Night, and your show ticket will give you access to this industry celebration and networking event, which will be held at

INVEST IN YOURSELF, YOUR SCHOOL, YOUR INSTRUCTORS

the Omnia Nightclub inside Caesars Palace. This is where you’ll see Rothrock receive her award. While this celebration will take place in a nightclub, it’s a private event for SuperShow attendees. The main area will feature two wet bars, but the upstairs will be dry. If you have team members who are under 21, they’ll be admitted to the upstairs, where they can enjoy the festivities.

THE COVID CONTINGENCY No one can predict when we’ll be able to gather in large crowds again or what restrictions will be in place a few months down the road, and we understand that you have concerns. We’re working closely with Caesars Entertainment and will, of course, obey all relevant Nevada restrictions. Our primary goal is to keep SuperShow attendees, vendors, speakers and staffers as safe as possible. That might mean social distancing in our seminar rooms and tradeshow booths. It might mean mandatory masks with hand-sanitizer stations in every room and enhanced cleaning everywhere. Sadly, it might mean another canceled live show. We just don’t know yet. In the event we’re forced to cancel, don’t worry. Your investment is safe. Your ticket(s) will be automatically transferred to the next show — yes, even those tickets that previously were transferred from 2020 to 2021. If you’d rather receive a refund, you’ll be able to do so through EventBrite. If the worst happens, we’ll take the 2021 SuperShow virtual, as we did in 2020, so there will still be a huge opportunity for you to learn. Also be aware that although we have a planned speaker and event schedule, COVID could cause those to change, as well. The best way to stay up to date on the show is to follow us on social media (Facebook.com/MASuperShow and Instagram.com/ masupershow), and check your SuperShow emails. We thank you in advance for your understanding and flexibility. We hope this guide to the 20th-Anniversary Martial Arts SuperShow has helped you know what to expect this year. We know that so many school owners experienced hard times in 2020, but we are a resilient and strong industry. We will continue to persevere. Although you may have dozens of reasons for skipping the show this year, attending is one of the best decisions you can make for yourself and your school. As you know, this industry is changing. You went virtual; you organized outdoor workouts; you held socially distanced classes; you conducted belt promotions on Zoom; you did door-to-door leadership club nominations. But you survived. Now it’s time to thrive. MARCH/APRIL 2021 41

VIPs at Past SuperShows

On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Martial Arts SuperShow, we thought it would be good to look back on the speakers and Lifetime Achievement Award recipients from past years. Whether they are instructors, fighters, actors or business leaders, all have positively impacted the martial arts industry.

2002: Michael Gerber, Tom Laughlin 2003: Bryan Tracy, Billy Blanks 2004: Dr. Terrence Webster Doyle 2005: David Carradine, Gene LeBell 2006: Chuck Norris 2007: Dr. Joseph Michelli, Ernie Reyes Sr. 2008: Rory Aplanalp, Bill Wallace

Our Opening Ceremony has morphed into our Opening Night, and your show ticket will give you access to this industry celebration. 42 MASUCCESS

2009: Tony Robbins 2010: Marcus Luttrell, Dave Kovar 2011: Aron Ralston, Bruce Lee 2012: Lee Hirsch, Joe Lewis 2013: Daymond John, Bill Clark 2014: Victor Antonio, Marcus Luttrell 2015: Walter Bond, Stephen K. Hayes

2016: Jon Taffer, the Gracie family 2017: John Paul DeJoria, Benny Urquidez 2018: Lt. Col. Rob â&#x20AC;&#x153;Waldoâ&#x20AC;? Waldman, Fumio Demura 2019: Chuck Norris, Justin Wren, Dan Inosanto, Leo T. Gaje Jr. 2020: Jocko Willink

MARCH/APRIL 2021 43

N Can I register a group of people? Can I bring my spouse, instructors, athletes or team? You’re welcome to register at one time for your entire group, and we encourage you to bring your team. Check the website for group discounts when you purchase more than four tickets. Whether you’re bringing team members to divide-andconquer by splitting up and learning from multiple seminars, or they simply want to participate in the physical training, they’re welcome to join. Will there be an option to live-stream the conference? While we will not have a live virtual option this year, we will have video recordings from every seminar room available post-show. Pre-conference events are not recorded, however. These recordings are a great resource, but they don’t compare with the experience of being there, not to mention the networking with vendors, like-minded school owners and instructors, and world-class martial artists. Do I need to bring anything specific to the show? No, just comfortable clothes or your uniform. Gear will be available for physical training seminars, and training weapons will be provided when necessary. Although not required, we encourage you to bring your own training weapons. Training weapons and gear also will be available for purchase at the Century booth. You’ll receive a tote bag at registration, but you should bring a separate bag for large gear. Notepads and pens will be available in conference rooms. Is there a way to see who will teach the sessions? Can I make my schedule beforehand? We will post the full schedule, including times of specific seminars and any evening activities, in advance — typically around May or June. We encourage you to look through the options so you don’t miss any of the sessions you want to attend. Make sure you download the MASuperShow app for the most up-to-date information. If you’re bringing your team, divide-and-conquer so you don’t miss anything. Coming by yourself? No worries. Attend as many sessions as you can, then look into purchasing the video recordings so you can own all of them and re-watch on your own schedule.

44 MASUCCESS

Will there be a cap on the number of attendees who can be in each session? We don’t anticipate a cap on the attendees per room, other than what’s already required by the fire marshal. Check back often in case things change. We’re working closely with the Caesars Entertainment group on state regulations for meeting spaces and will adhere to their recommendations. If it’s deemed unsafe to continue with our live show as scheduled, we will cancel and host a virtual option. At that time, your ticket will be automatically transferred to the next live show unless you request a refund through EventBrite. You’ll be able to receive a full refund. Will there be new products at the show? Yes. Approximately 80 exhibitors are expected to attend with new products and services. You’ll want to set aside time to browse all the exhibitor booths. Century also will feature new products, so don’t forget to stop by the booth in the Exhibitor Hall. Can I sell my own products at the SuperShow? If you’re interested in selling any products or services at the show, we have booths available, from 10x10 spaces to 20x20 islands. Contact Donna Riekenberg at driekenberg@blackbeltmag.com for availability and pricing. If you don’t purchase booth space, you won’t be allowed to sell on the floor. This is my first time at the SuperShow. Is there a new attendee orientation? The orientation is on Tuesday, July 6, from 8:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. It will take place in Forum Ballroom 111 and is free. You can obtain more information at the registration desk. Will any martial arts legends be attending? Will I be able to meet them? As the largest martial arts industry event in the world, the SuperShow always has world-class athletes and legends in attendance. You can take a morning stretching class with Bill “Superfoot” Wallace or train with Benny “The Jet” Urquidez. Check our website and social media pages regularly for announcements pertaining to other special guests.

NEVER STOP BEING A STUDENT

INVEST IN YOURSELF AND YOUR FUTURE WITH BUSINESS EDUCATION, MARKETING, OPERATIONS, INSTRUCTOR DEVELOPMENT AND PHYSICAL TRAINING - ALL UNDER ONE ROOF.

RESERVE YOUR SEAT TODAY AT MASUPERSHOW.COM

S P O N S O R ED BY:

PR E SENTED BY:

CELEBRATING

20 YEARS OF THE LARGEST MARTIAL ARTS INDUSTRY SHOW

5 PRE-CONFERENCE EVENTS

17 HOURS OF TRADESHOW TIME

50+ SPEAKERS COUNTLESS NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES

70+ EXHIBITORS

48 SEMINARS 17 HOURS 3 DAYS OF TRADESHOW TIME

1500+ 1 OPENING NIGHT 1 BRAND NEW VENUE

ATTENDEES INDUSTRY PARTY RESERVE YOUR SEAT TODAY AT MASUPERSHOW.COM

S P O N S O R ED BY:

Schedule Snapshot TIME

MONDAY, JULY 5

8:00am - 2:00pm

The Black Belt & Adult Retention Formula w/ Harinder Singh

10:00am - 6:00pm

Registration Desk Open

2:00pm - 4:00pm

Digital Marketing Made Easy w/ Cris Rodriguez

2:00pm - 6:00pm

MAIA’s Instructor College

2:00pm - 6:00pm

MAIA Elite Seminar - Day 1 (Members Only)

TIME

TUESDAY, JULY 6

7:00am - 6:00pm

Registration Desk Open

8:00am - 9:00am

MAIA Elite Breakfast (Members Only)

8:30am - 9:00am

New Attendee Orientation

9:00am - 12:00pm

MAIA Elite Seminar - Day 2 (Members Only)

9:00am - 12:00pm

Martial Arts Business Forum

2:00pm - 6:00pm

Tradeshow Floor Open

4:30pm - 6:00pm

Welcome Reception in Exhibit Hall

7:00pm - 8:00pm

Opening Night-Gold Event VIP Entrance Open (OMNIA in Caesars Palace)

8:00pm - 10:00pm

Opening Night-General Admission w/ Lifetime Achievement Award Presentation (OMNIA in Caesars Palace)

TIME

WEDNESDAY, JULY 7

7:00am - 6:00pm

Registration Desk Open

7:00am - 8:00am

Early Morning Workouts

8:00am - 6:00pm

Tradeshow Floor Open

9:00am - 5:00pm

Business Training, Instructor Training, Physical Training

TIME

THURSDAY, JULY 8

7:00am - 6:00pm

Registration Desk Open

7:00am - 8:00am

Early Morning Workouts

8:00am - 5:00pm

Tradeshow Floor Open

9:00am - 3:45pm

Business Training, Combatives Training, Physical Training

*SUBJECT TO CHANGE

FOR THE MOST UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION, VISIT MASUPERSHOW.COM

PR E SENTED BY:

6 Crucial Transitions Your School Needs to Make to Succeed in 2021 BY ADAM KIFER

! s t a r g Con

You’ve adapted and made it through one of the craziest years our industry has ever seen. While many school owners were focused on trying to survive in 2020, we saw a lot of school owners determined to thrive during a pandemic. No matter what happened to you this year, it’s time to focus on what you need to do to reach a new level of success in 2021. Before I dive into the six crucial transitions your school needs to make in 2021, let me share with you how I determined why these particular transitions are so important for your business. In February 2020, I took over a martial arts school in Chandler, Arizona. We enrolled 46 members in my first month at MX Martial Arts. It was amazing! There was a new energy in the school, the marketing was killing it and then — boom! — COVID-19 hit. Like you, we quickly realized that our world had flipped upside down. Within 48 hours, we transitioned to online classes and went to work: long days of teaching in a completely new format, adapting to new challenges daily and doing everything we could to keep our current students excited. And still we lost 70 students. Even though we called every student multiple times, created curated programming in our Facebook Group, gave free virtual seminars every Saturday and hand-delivered belts to every student’s house, we still lost 70 students during the lockdown. Every school owner reading this likely went through something similar, but don’t worry! There’s a light at the end of the tunnel. While all this was going on, I went back to the drawing board and put all my energy into finding ways to improve our systems. How could we get our billing back up to where it was pre-COVID? How could we get our team to close at a higher level without me being the only one doing sales? How could we make our systems more automated and allow our team to focus on using their superpowers? These were the questions I asked myself over and over. After months of planning, testing, refining and implementing, I felt like we finally had something that would work. We implemented it with our virtual-class offerings and immediately added 21 new students in the first three weeks of marketing. Now I just had to wait for the official OK to reopen so I could really put these new systems to the test with inperson classes. June 1, 2020: We were able to reopen our doors at MX Martial Arts. As soon as the systems were in motion, we started to see success

— and we saw it fast. From June to September, we added more than 100 members to our active count. To date, we’re sitting at 254 active members, which is 56 more than we had pre-COVID. Wondering how we did it? Well, we made six important transitions that are helping us thrive even now. I encourage you to implement all of them right away because they’ll set you up for success in 2021.

> AUTOMATE YOUR SYSTEMS TO SAVE TIME AND CREATE CONSISTENCY One of my mentors used to say that if you want to go from “being in your business” to being the CEO of your business, you must become great at automating and delegating. During COVID, the school lost its front-desk team member and was down to two part-time employees and me. I was running the marketing, following up with leads, scheduling first lessons and teaching. No doubt, I was working in my business. I knew I didn’t have enough time to keep up with it all, so it motivated me to build automated systems that would allow me to have more time. The goal was to automate our marketing, lead follow-up, appointment setting, appointment confirmations and student engagement while getting better results than we had preCOVID. I knew that doing this would free up both my time and my team’s time so we could focus on our individual superpowers to make the business better. How did we do it? Technology! Using a combination of our Relentless Software and Spark, we were able to automate everything from collecting leads to getting leads to walk through the door for their first class. And the best part was we were getting more leads to convert to paid trials (close to 50 percent) and we were doing it without ever talking to them on the phone. It was all done through text messages, emails and ringless voicemail. (See transition No. 3 below.) The second part of my goal was to automate student engagement. I thought that if we could automate that the same way we automated lead nurturing, it would give our students more consistent attention and remove any element of human error from the equation. Imagine if you had automated emails and text messages for your students that would create excitement for their next belt, educate them, motivate them and regularly check-in with them through-

As soon as the systems were in mo tion, we started to see success — and we saw it fast. From

June to September, we added more than 100 members to our active count.

MARCH/APRIL 2021 49

“Shout out to Adam and Relentless Media Agency. We have been live for less than one week with ads. 60+ leads and 38 full-price paid trials!” — Jonathan Frank, ATA Maryland

out their entire martial arts journey. That’s exactly what we put together. I worked closely with our team at Relentless Media Agency, and we wrote emails and text messages designed to engage students from white belt to black belt.

> BRING IN QUALIFIED LEADS AND TRIALS Before moving to Arizona and taking over MX Martial Arts, I worked as the growth strategist for a major fitness franchise, where I saw a shift away from paid trial offers. The new focus was on offering free transformation challenges and free classes. This allowed fitness studios to get leads at a much lower cost because more people would opt in for a free offer versus a paid offer since there’s no risk with the free one. Also, a recent algorithm change at Facebook removed the ability to easily run ads and get instant purchases. So are free offers really the new way to go? While free offers were trending strongly, I saw studio owners getting frustrated with the quality of the leads that were coming in. The most successful studios were seeing a 25-percent show-up rate for first lessons. On top of that, they were closing at only 30 percent to 40 percent in most cases.

The reason became obvious: When presenting a free offer, the lead has no skin in the game. In my experience, the prospective student doesn’t take these offers as seriously as paid offers. I believe free offers can work if you have a dedicated sales team, but for most small-business owners, that’s not an option. So how do you get qualified leads through social media marketing? Here’s the cliff-notes version: Start by knowing who your audience is. Understand their pain points along with how you can provide the solution to their pain. Next, pick your irresistible offer. This should be something that comes off as a no-brainer when people see it. It should communicate amazing value to your audience. Now it’s time to develop creatives (images, videos, GIFs) that grab your audience’s attention. Use videos and images that show how you provide the solution to parents’ problems. Here are four ideas you can use: Explanation Videos — Record a selfie video explaining how you help kids transform themselves into something better. Talk about things like “first-time listening,” developing more selfconfidence, getting away from screens and being active. The Experience — These are creatives that show how the experience at your school delivers the solution to your audience’s pain point. Show an excited kid getting his or her new belt for the first time and exhibiting that instant self-confidence. Try a video of a student breaking his or her first board. Images of kids smiling together work great, as well. Lastly, anything that shows

Show an excited kid getting his or her new belt for the first time and exhibi ting that instant self-confidence. Try a video of a student breaking his or her first board. 50 MASUCCESS

Leads receive a text message almost immediately af ter opting in. The initial message has two purposes: first, to get the lead to believe that he or she is conversing wi th a real person, and second, to get the person to respond. a mentoring relationship between the instructor and students tends to perform well. One of our best-performing ads featured an image of a female instructor giving a mat chat to a group of students. Transformation Videos — This is any type of video that shows a before-and-after look. Think of shy Johnny who came to his first class and would barely speak to anyone. Now show him as a blue belt, standing tall, exhibiting leadership skills and being a whole new version of himself. For more examples of martial arts ads and ad copy, visit RelentlessMediaAgency.com/adslibrary. So now your ad is running and leads are coming in. How do you get those leads to purchase a trial? (Hint: It’s all in the follow-up!)

> THE RELENTLESS FOLLOW-UP Did you know that when leads come in, you have only about five minutes to reach out to them before you miss out on getting a response? This is another important reason your lead nurturing should be fully automated. For our Relentless clients, we have an automated lead-nurturing flow that combines texts, emails and ringless voicemail. Leads receive a text message almost immediately after opting in. The initial message has two purposes: first, to get the lead to believe that he or she is conversing with a real person, and second, to get the person to respond. In our testing, we found that the No. 1 reason people leave a website is they can’t locate the information they’re searching

for. They can’t find an answer to their question, so they give up or decide to look somewhere else. By simply asking, “What questions can I answer for you?” in a text message, you can increase conversions by 20 percent. Once you know their questions, give them answers and direct them back to the checkout page to purchase the trial. It’s also imperative that you use multiple means of communication in your follow-ups. We run a seven-day follow-up “Adam Kifer and Relentless Media Agency have been extremely beneficial in generating new members for us. Their program is ethically based, streamlined and has been very effective in penetrating our local market.” — Dave Kovar MARCH/APRIL 2021 51

for new leads consisting of text messages, emails and ringless voicemail. Ringless voicemail is a newer technology that sends a recorded audio message directly to a lead’s phone. The audio message shows up as a missed call and a new voicemail on the prospect’s phone. To the recipient, it looks like you called and left a voicemail. After the first text message is sent, be sure to send them testimonials, social proof and additional opportunities to have their questions answered. With this follow-up formula, we see 50 percent of leads respond to texts or emails. We also see approximately 30 percent to 60 percent of leads convert to paid trials. (The industry average is close to 12 percent.) Using automated follow-ups has drastically increased conversions for our school and for our clients.

As a business owner, you should focus on using your superpower to make your business better.

52 MASUCCESS

> WORK YOUR LIST Every school owner has a list of leads collected over the years, whether it be from events, social media, booths or the school’s website. But they forget to constantly work their lists. Once every two to three months, you should perform a database-reactivation campaign. This is a campaign that revives your coldest leads and prompts them to claim an offer. We recently set up a database-reactivation campaign for all our clients. Because it was a new campaign, I wanted to show them the power of reactivating old leads. In October 2020, we turned off all our ads at MX Martial Arts and ran only a database-reactivation campaign for our marketing. We offered a free seven-day pass and T-shirt to everyone on our list. Here’s what happened: We loaded 1,302 email addresses and phone numbers into

the campaign. Seventy-nine people claimed the offer, 28 people self-scheduled their first lesson, 27 people showed up for their first lesson and 23 of those enrolled in full memberships at our school. This was all without any ad spend. Remember that you have money sitting in your current list of leads. Continuously work that list because it’s full of people who still may be interested in martial arts training for themselves or their child but happened to get distracted by life.

> SIMPLIFY YOUR SALES PROCESS I mentioned earlier that we enrolled 46 members in February right before COVID hit. But what I didn’t tell you is that we closed at 91 percent in February, meaning that 91 percent of the people who came in on a paid trial offer signed up for a full membership. And I was the only one doing the selling! When COVID struck, I saw it as a great opportunity to train my other two team members in sales. I taught them the exact script I used, along with every sales trick I knew. When we reopened, I took half the enrollment opportunities and gave them the other half. The result? We were closing at 51 percent. Yes, our closing percentage had dropped by 40 percent — which was when I realized that we didn’t have a sales system. We had a salesperson, and that person was me. I went back to the drawing board and looked at some of the top closing fitness franchises in the country and then simplified our sales process. Instead of different lengths of time with different pricing and different down payments, we made the

price directly proportional to the number of times per week they trained. We also elected to offer a first-day enrollment incentive to get people to decide that day instead of using the full trial. With this new system, my team has closed at 85 percent since July 1, 2020, without having to rely on my efforts to sell memberships.

> LOOK FOR THE “WHO” INSTEAD OF THE “HOW” I have given you the blueprint for the transitions you need to make to take your school to the next level, but the one thing that every school owner needs to remember is that there are many times when the “who” is more important than the “how.” As a business owner, you should focus on using your superpower to make your business better. That might be instruction, curriculum development or customer service. Instead of taking weeks to learn how to get qualified leads and convert them into new members, seek out someone who has successfully done it already. I’ve learned that it’s better to partner with people who have different superpowers than I do because it allows me to focus on what I do best — in this case, getting and keeping members. “If I had a school If you would like to team up with me right now, I would and have my Relentless team build out hire Adam and everything I’ve mentioned here, reach out Relentless Media to us at RelentlessMediaAgency.com or Agency to fill it send a text to (516) 614-6770. We will be with students.” happy to help you reach the next level. — Roland Osborne MARCH/APRIL 2021 53

How Proper Planning Can Lead to a More Functional School and a Better Bottom Line! BY NGUYEN “TOM” GRIGGS

or school owners, the combination of energetic instructors, awesome classes, strong marketing and solid events can and does attract and retain students and families. However, there’s another key factor that doesn’t fit into any of those categories, and it can hamper the growth of your business: the design of your school. Yes, a well-located school will attract potential students, but it’s the interior design and layout of your space that are crucial to enrolling and retaining them. My first martial art was aikido, and the classes were taught in a gymnastics school. Trying to focus while kids and teens were tumbling and yelling in the background was difficult, to say the least. Later, when I learned taekwondo and jujitsu, the classes took place in a school located in a shopping center. We had an oversized closet for a changing room and a single restroom. Our instructor had a desk in the front corner of the main room, and the rest of the space was reserved for training. Chances are your early years in the martial arts had you training at similar facilities. You can still find schools that are equally bare-bones. This was common in the past because the training was viewed as more important than the school’s layout. These days, however, in the hypercompetitive martial arts market, a subpar design can adversely impact the public’s perception of your business. Consider: According to “The Martial Arts Business Statistics You Need to Know,” an article Lucy Connor wrote in 2019, almost 56 percent of martial arts students are under age 17. It follows that they’re brought to the prospective school by a parent, and an inviting and welcoming interior is more likely to please parents, thereby increasing your chances of a signup. But how do you make those changes to a new or existing space while remaining budget conscious? Whether you’re opening a new school or working on a remodel, there are ways to accomplish your design goals in a cost-effective manner. For expert advice, I interviewed Kimberly Phipps-Nichol, a licensed commercial interior designer with 25 years of experience. Now based in Texas, she also has practiced professionally in California and Nevada. In this Q&A, she explains how school owners can design great spaces without breaking the bank. What things should school owners consider before they start remodeling or doing buildouts? Kimberly Phipps-Nichol: First off, a good designer will develop a program with their client. For me, I interview the client, which helps me develop a program to define factors such as the target group, the type of art you’re practicing and the type of services you offer such as training versus afterschool programs. Also, I would ask [if] your tradition references cardinal directions — such as in the Chinese arts and feng shui. For example, more traditional arts often have a place of respect or reverence, so I would ask, “Does this place of rever-

ence need to be in an auspicious location or facing a specific direction?” You wouldn’t want the special place to be treated as an afterthought, right? Well, the design of your entire school needs to be treated with the same level of care and regard. Also, I need to know your ideal size and mix of class types — adults, teens, kids, youth, cardio. You want to engage your design professional before signing the lease to help quantify your optimal size. When moving toward lease signing and construction, who else should a school owner be engaging with? Phipps-Nichol: If you’re fortunate enough to be starting from scratch, then you would need to assemble the right team. This team should include a licensed commercial designer, broker, attorney, banker and contractor. The fees you pay these professionals will be more than saved in the buildout costs. Why do you need so many people? Phipps-Nichol: A great broker can negotiate better terms on your lease and tenant improvement dollars. A quality banker can get you a great loan. Also, if taking out a loan, know that you will be required to hire licensed design professionals and contractors. Experienced contractors and designers can save you lots of money and avoid costly mistakes. What’s your advice on budgets and schedules? Phipps-Nichol: Projects will always cost more than you think and take longer than expected. I tell clients to [keep] 5 percent to 10 percent of their budget as contingency funds. These funds are for mistakes, setbacks and unknowns. Remember, you don’t know what’s inside a wall or above a ceiling until you open it. External factors such as cost of raw materials, weather and a pandemic can affect logistics and your budget and schedule. Your banker will tell you what your likely loan amount will be, and you can develop your budget accordingly. What about project scheduling? Phipps-Nichol: No matter what anyone says, when it comes to construction schedules, time is money. Longer completion times will cost you more. Work delays, buying more supplies and/ or not being operational means you aren’t generating income. Additionally, you are probably paying rent on an unusable space. Staying on schedule means you are going to complete your work, get permitted and open for business. What should a prospective owner avoid when evaluating potential new locations? Phipps-Nichol: Spaces that have a great deal of pre-existing infrastructure will be costly and time consuming to convert. It’s more sensible and cost effective to find a space that is more “wide open” and somewhat unfinished. An ideal raw space should have very few internal walls, very little structure to work MARCH/APRIL 2021 55

around, and bathrooms that meet current code and accessibility requirements. Also, lots of parking coupled with great signage make for the dream location. Speaking of signage, a good broker can negotiate your school’s sign being more prominently placed and sized, which helps with street visibility. Would you share your thoughts on codes, occupancy classification and parking and how they affect a project’s bottom line? Phipps-Nichol: Your occupancy classification informs your mandated parking spaces/requirements, but that depends on your jurisdiction. This means that insufficient parking will cause you to lose students. You can have a great school, but if you have “no” parking, people will go elsewhere. If parking is a problem, you can create a reciprocal parking agreement with a neighboring property. This means both parties agree to allow your martial arts students to park on a neighbor’s property for some fee. Fighting to change your occupancy classification can be costly, and you may not win. Keep in mind that as a member-based business, you want as many people signed up as you can get. But having too many people in your space at once is a fire-code violation, and, honestly, it’s dangerous. As a school grows in number, remember that you can use building and occupancy codes to inform class and scheduling changes. If your occupancy classification allows for a maximum of 50 people, that doesn’t mean that your 6 p.m. youth class maxes out at 50 students. The 50-people limit includes staff, parents, small siblings, grandparents and students. If your youth class is super popular, consider making multiple sessions to accommodate the growing number of total occupants. Otherwise, you will violate your occupancy limits, and that can cause problems such as a visit from the fire marshal. What’s your advice on saving money when it comes to plumbing, electrical and HVAC systems? Phipps-Nichol: Regarding plumbing, having all your fixtures placed as close as possible to each other helps. Having the 56 MASUCCESS

plumbing placed close to the building’s sewer line can be a big benefit, too. It’s always better to use foaming hand soap since it lasts longer and since gel soaps can clog your plumbing lines if you have low-flow faucets. I’d like to also discuss amenities such as showers and changing rooms. Most jurisdictions do not require you to provide showers or changing rooms. If you do provide showers, at least one of them must meet your state or federal accessibility requirements. Likewise, if you provide changing rooms, they must meet accessibility requirements, and that can affect lockers and benches. Depending on your jurisdiction, occupancy classification and number of occupants, you will very likely need to have one accessible bathroom per gender. For electrical, try to get the most energy-efficient light fixtures as they will help save on your electrical bill. If you can afford LED lamps, they are the most efficient and have a long lifespan. With the HVAC system, if you are responsible for your unit and it’s on your rooftop, try to place it over the structural points closest to the electrical panel. Also, never defer maintenance and always change your filters on time. If your landlord is responsible for the HVAC system, ensure that your filters are changed according to the manufacturer’s recommendations. If you have the ceiling height, consider getting fans to move the conditioned air during your hottest training times. Moving air creates more evaporative cooling on the skin, and this means you can save on HVAC energy and coolant usage. When designing or remodeling a school, are there effective ways to use color to communicate your brand? Phipps-Nichol: Be mindful that if you’ve established your brand colors through your website and fliers, those same colors may be too much when applied to your interior. Consider using whites or natural materials like wood to dissipate the color saturation. Owners need to consider how color usage can help or hinder their brand. If you’re a high-energy, high-impact type of art such as taekwondo or MMA, then colors like red mean energy and action. But applying those colors to an aikido or tai chi school can create energy miscommunications.

I [also] would like owners to remember that young kids are more likely to be affected by the colors in your school. An afterschool program should be held where the colors are more serene. Better yet, blues and greens are great for calmer, more focused energy. What’s also important when it comes to painting is to request or use “zero VOC” for both paints and adhesives. VOC stands for “volatile organic compounds.” These are the toxic fumes that can off-gas into the space for [up to] two years after installation. The odors can lead to headaches and shortness of breath. What advice do you have about interior finishes? Phipps-Nichol: A common finish would be the flooring. With any athletic space, never use a rug or carpeting. People sweat and then walk on the carpets and rugs with bare feet, and that’s a breeding ground for bacteria and infections. You want a surface that can be properly cleaned several times a day. If you can afford it, use rubber flooring designed for athletic spaces. It’s cleanable and durable, and it absorbs ambient sound and impact. How can lighting affect a school’s bottom line? Phipps-Nichol: Beyond the aforementioned energy efficiency, the type of lighting and the color temperature of the lamps can change the perception of your paint and floor finish colors. If you use fluorescent lighting, look for a number with a capital K at the end. This refers to the color temperature. The ideal range would be 4000K to 5000K, which is considered to be the daylight range. Always install new fluorescent tubes before you paint since this allows you to see how the lighting affects the colors. You mentioned energy and flow. Would you elaborate on those ideas in more design-oriented terms? Phipps-Nichol: Everyone doesn’t subscribe to feng shui, and that’s fine. In ideal terms, imagine entering a school and exiting through a different door. I know that’s not easy with shoes having to be removed, but it can be accomplished by creating an anteroom. Let’s say you have a small space, which is a square shape. Your students enter through the front door, remove their shoes, clean their feet and go to the training floor. When they are done, they have to go in the reverse direction, which can create traffic issues. An anteroom would be a small room near the front door where they remove their shoes, leave them [there], go train and then exit the main floor to the anteroom area, retrieve their shoes and leave. This is a great solution for schools that use only one door. It may require creating a doorway through a wall or ensuring that a doorway is built into a wall, but it creates better flow.

Phipps-Nichol: The anteroom I previously discussed can be a great solution to minimize cross traffic and possible exposure. A more prominent check-in desk that incorporates safety protocols and controls traffic flow does not require much space but will need awesome communication. Design is a form of communication and supports necessary changes in behavior. You can use colors and directional cues to get students to walk in a certain direction, train and exit in a specific manner to minimize exposure. In many ways, you’re discussing behavioral changes. Phipps-Nichol: We shouldn’t forget that creating new behaviors can be overwhelming. Therefore, using internationally recognized icons and minimal words can help keep it simple and sleek and fit into even the smallest of spaces. Given COVID’s influence, what does the future hold for martial arts schools? Phipps-Nichol: Well, I’ll finish with two thoughts. First, I like what TnT Ju-Jitsu in Houston, Texas, does. They use tape to create socially distanced training squares for the students. My son is a student there, and I share pics on social media regularly. Also, it’s a smart, low-cost way to use design to reinforce behavior. Lastly, most of my industry journals and societies are seeing COVID-driven changes that will most likely become standard practices in the near future. Therefore, why not implement smart design now, be ahead of the curve and turn it into a marketing opportunity? The author wishes to thank Kimberly Phipps-Nichol (founder and design raconteur, Blue Water Studio, website: bws-htx.com, email: kimberly@bws-htx.com) for her assistance during the creation of this article and Kelley L. Reece (website: kreecedesign. com, email: Kelley.Reece@gmail.com) for her artwork.

With COVID, we’re seeing a variety of restrictions and changes for businesses. What are your thoughts on how COVID is impacting design? MARCH/APRIL 2021 57

TURNING POINT

Richard M. Morris: Having a War-Hero Father

“In this column, we examine the pivotal point in a prominent black belt’s career, the event that launched him or her toward success in martial arts business, sports or films.”

MASuccess: Where did you grow up, and what did your dad do? Richard Morris: I grew up in Fort Worth, Texas. Dad was a professional boxer and a war hero who served as a tank commander for Gen. George Patton. Patton once arranged for Dad to fight with Wild Bill Donovan, founder of the CIA, and the general even bet his own money on Dad for Dad. That $5,000 prize bought a house when Dad mustered out. MAS: Do you remember the first time you heard of martial arts? Morris: Since I was 5 or 6 years old, Dad was teaching me how to fight. He taught me jujitsu, too. At 14, I was a 125-pound, 5-foot4-inch white belt born with a knockout punch. Dad was serious when he told me, “Don’t ever hit your brothers in the face. You’ll kill them.” As a karate teacher and bouncer, I started riding in police cars and thought, This is what I should be

58 MASUCCESS

doing. I was physically and mentally prepared. I went to a Methodist seminary and became a police chaplain, too. One night, I fought an armed robber at a 7-11; a doped-up home-invasion burglar with a butcher knife; a 6-foot-5-inch, 320-pound drunk at a Jack in the Box; and a mentally disturbed man seriously assaulting his paraplegic brother. Because I am strong, I can protect the weak. The weak cannot protect the weak. I’ve taken lives and seen hundreds die, some in my arms. But by being a fighter and a policeman, I’ve saved many, many lives. Traditional martial arts didn’t work on the street, so I developed some basic physiological principles into shizen-na karate. I instituted the police program. And I’m proud to say that over the years, I became friends with legends. My longtime friend Jhoon Rhee said I was his self-defense teacher. Bruce Lee’s wife Linda — a sweet lady who taught kindergarten — let me use Bruce’s name promoting tournaments. After one Bruce Lee tournament, Joe Lewis and I were at a restaurant, and he asked me about knife fighting. We stood up with our steak knives, and the manager came running over: “Is everything OK?” I said, “Just karate.” And he walked away, smiling. MAS: What was your turning point? Morris: Dad teaching me to box when I was little. MAS: There’s a famous and almost unbelievable story about you street fighting. … Morris: I answered a call and ended up in the middle of a riot. One man pointed a gun at me and began shooting, while approximately 20 others ran toward me to surround my car. I took a deep breath, exhaled and called for backup, as I was alone. We took more than a dozen men to jail or the hospital to be treated and guarded that night. I went home without injury.

To contact Herb Borkland, send an email to herbork@comcast.net.

Photo Courtesy of Richard M. Morris

BY HERB BORKLAND

s a 10th-degree black belt under Pat Burleson, Richard M. Morris is one of the seminal figures in the modern American martial arts. His longtime admirer Jhoon Rhee, before his death, officially entrusted the future of American taekwondo to Burleson and Morris. Morris retired in 2014 after nearly 36 years with the Fort Worth Police Department, where he was a living legend. He has not missed a week of martial arts training since 1971, and today he conducts seminars in his reality-based shizen-na karate (“natural way of fighting”) for police departments, federal lawenforcement agencies and the U.S. military. Morris is also the exclusive personal safety coach for the Zig Ziglar Corporation and a certified Ziglar speaker, trainer and consultant. Currently, he is collaborating with Lt. Col. Dave Grossman on a book titled On Fighting.

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Are you looking to branch out into a market that includes older adults? • Enroll more students • Inprove retention • Corporate Health wellness Workshops • Increase your revenue

Yong Chao Xu

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As school owners we don’t necessarily know what people are going to come in looking for. With Tai Chi Flow you will tap into a older market of adults. Some with mental challenges, physical limitations or overweight and are looking for a low impact form of exercise

You as a martial artist already have a martial arts base and with Tai Chi Flow you will provide more value to your school by offering Tai Chi.

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Photo Courtesy of Richard M. Morris

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A three hour zoom or live class on Tai Chi Flow Library of information on Tai Chi movments and sash ranking system. Tai Chi information brochure for prospects. Tai Chi manual for students. 1 hour zoom questions and answers follow-up and action plan. n.

Tai Chi Flow program includes everything you will need to implement this brand new program in your school at a low cost of $299.00. The mental health, fitness and wellness industry is only going to grow bigger. Go to taichiflow.net and register today Email Grandmaster Bobby LaMattina for more information karate@tokyojoesstudios.comcastbiz.net

HEALTH KICK

Get Your Dojo on the Map BY ERIC P. FLEISHMAN

“Even if you operate a traditional martial arts school, you are not limited to traditional advertising. Here are some easy steps to bring your school into the media spotlight.”

unning a martial arts school can be challenging. Before you can teach the most basic of techniques, you must lease a school, obtain proper signage, build a website and enroll your first students. The fight doesn’t end there. Now you have to expand your enrollment, keep those signs maintained, promote your business online and see to the upkeep of the property. This constant “battle of the business” can leave you so weary that the joys of teaching in general and shaping young minds in particular are lost. That’s why it’s imperative to create a plan to grow your school. One of the most important components of that plan is promoting your dojo in every way possible, including on local television, in local newspapers and on websites that feature local news. Even if you operate a traditional martial arts school, you’re not limited to traditional advertising. So how do you go about orchestrating this positive PR blitz? Here are some easy steps to put your school in the media spotlight. Research Look up data that reflect the reach and impact of local media outlets. You may find that some blogs, websites and radio shows have better penetration in your community than do TV stations, especially if you’re in a small town on the outskirts of a large city. Be sure to select an option that has a friendly, happy tone. This ultimately will reflect on your business. You wouldn’t want to contact an investigative news show, nor would you want to invite an obnoxious, condescending radio personality to your school knowing that no matter what happens, he’ll make fun of you and your students. Instead, choose options that have good reach and reflect the right attitude so it’s a win/win for both parties. It’s important to have several places in mind in case one or two don’t pan out. Analysis Once you’ve selected a few outlets, determine how challenging it will be to contact the TV host, radio personality or blogger. Often, the more popular a show is, the harder it is to get in touch. It’s best to choose options that offer a good chance of getting

60 MASUCCESS

through to the talent or their handlers while taking into consideration their personalities and whether they’ll be receptive of your offer. Rather than cold-calling, reach out to your immediate circle of friends, clients and students to see if anyone has a connection with the talent you seek. You’d be surprised at how often a mutual friend, neighbor or coworker can bring people together. Here’s an example: Years ago, I needed some formal on-camera training for a TV gig. Someone advised me to watch television and look for somebody I wished to emulate. I chose Mark Steines, host of Entertainment Tonight. He was charming and athletic, and he had a personable delivery that connected with the audience. The next day at work, I asked my clients if they knew or had a link to Steines. Almost immediately, one shouted, “My sister is a PA on his show!” I had my connection. The Pitch Prepare a concise statement that details exactly what you have in mind for the promotion of your business. In Hollywood, they call this an “elevator pitch” because it can be delivered in roughly the amount of time it takes to go up a few floors on a lift. The pitch should be simple, direct, doable and fun. It should be presented in an enthusiastic way that highlights the benefits for both parties involved. It should mention a specific timeline, ideally one to three weeks. Practice your delivery until it flows like the best idea anyone’s ever heard. The better the pitch, the more likely you’ll be successful. Document Once the talent commits to your pitch, start documenting the journey. These days, there’s no reason to hire a camera crew. Instead, rotate your smartphone to landscape mode and press record. Capturing the transformation of a student who journeys from normal to extraordinary or watching a student correctly execute a martial arts move for the first time is exciting. The footage can be used for promotional purposes online, where it may be seen by hundreds of potential students. Also let the enthusiasm of the talent sing your praises on the platforms that he or she controls. Let your current students become part of the success story you want to promote online. And let your community reap the benefits of the training you offer.

T H E R E S T FA L L I N L I N E . see the full line of training bags at

C e n t u r y M a r t i a l A r t s . c o m /c o l l e c t i o n s / t r a i n i n g - b a g s

YOU MESSED UP! NOW WHAT?

Helping Ourselves Through Helping Others BY KATHY OLEVSKY

“I’ve operated a martial arts school full time for 45 years. I may have made every mistake that can be made in this business. The reason I’m still in business, I believe, is I asked for help. I learned quickly that others before me had already found solutions. In this column, I’ll point out key mistakes I made in my career, which are common errors among school owners, both large and small, throughout our industry. And I’ll share the solutions I used to overcome them.”

62 MASUCCESS

ear the end of 2020, one of our locations was contacted by a fellow martial arts school owner looking to rent some space. He’d been forced to close his school because of COVID and was trying to restart his program while keeping costs as low as possible. This is one of many ways that we martial arts instructors can help each other. Those of us who have managed to stay afloat and continue to teach in our commercial space might benefit from some extra income to reduce our debt load. At the same time, we can assist our fellow martial artists who were forced to leave their facilities. Of course, such an arrangement can be tricky to set up. Renting to another martial artist is fine — as long as it benefits both parties. The aforementioned inquiry came from a tai chi instructor who wanted to rent space from a karate school. This seemed like a great partnership as long as the other instructor was found to be a responsible person who could teach in the same professional manner that we expect from our staff. The school wound up renting the space for $200 a month and scheduling the tai chi class for Tuesdays and Thursdays at noon, along with a time slot on Sunday, and none of those interfered with our karate classes. Granted, $200 a month isn’t much in the scheme of things, and school owners facing similar decisions will have to judge for themselves if the risk of bringing in an outsider is worth the reward. In our case, tai chi was something we thought would interest some of our parents, so we negotiated a plan with the instructor that allowed some of our families to participate. It ended up benefitting us both. I heard from another school owner who was able to rent space to non-martial arts businesses that had lost their leases. There were dance schools and personal trainers who utilized the school during the day before classes and late at night when regular classes were over.

Similar opportunities may come your way during 2021, at least until some of the small businesses that have been experiencing hard times find a way to get back into their own buildings. Remember that this type of relationship can be symbiotic. The clients of one business can bring new clients to another business. As small business owners, we can benefit from being open to discussions about how we can help each other. What seems like a generous if onesided offer often winds up being something that brings new business and gains for the offering party. Whether we’re being generous or just frugal, it’s good to look for situations that can help a floundering business regain some of its hold on the market. Sometimes, at first blush, a proposition may seem impossible. In the first case I described, I wondered what hours I wasn’t already using that I could offer to someone else. Then I found out when the tai chi instructor was willing to teach. I never would have imagined those hours as productive to anyone in my business, but I was mistaken. Since we’re all still dealing with the pandemic and the resultant business restrictions, it’s time to truly think outside the box.

To contact Kathy Olevsky, send an email to kathy.olevsky@raleighkarate.com.

School Showcase March/April 2021

School Owner

Siamak Lamei Ultimate Karate & Fitness Location

Marietta, Georgia Style/Discipline

Shotokan karate 64 MASUCCESS

Photos Courtesy of Ultimate Karate & Fitness

School Name

Photos Courtesy of Ultimate Karate & Fitness

How did you choose your school name? It was originally going to be Kanku Karate, but I wanted a name that would be strong in today’s market. [Ultimate Karate & Fitness] is what my son and I came up with. Why did you begin teaching martial arts? I love martial arts! It has been a part of who I am since I was 12 years old. How long have you taught? For 51 years — since I was 19 years old. How long have you owned your school? I have owned several, but Ultimate Karate & Fitness I have owned for 22 years. Who or what inspires you? Hirokazu Kanazawa, (founder of the Shotokan Karate-Do International Federation and an original student of Gichin Funakoshi).

What is something unique that your school or your student body does well? We are the only traditional shotokan dojo in our area. What do you find most rewarding about working in the martial arts? I love seeing students become more than they thought they could be. What is your favorite inspirational quote? “The ultimate aim of karate lies not in victory nor defeat, but in the perfection of the character of its participants.” Gichin Funakoshi. If you could give one bit of advice to your fellow martial arts school owners, what would it be? Stay true to your beliefs and teachings. Never let the times change who you are or what you believe in.

MARCH/APRIL 2021 65

CONSULTANT'S CORNER

5 Ways to Stay in Touch With Your Students BY JASON FLAME

“Texting can serve as an alternative to a phone call. More people are likely to respond to a text message quickly, although it’s far less personal.”

ommunication is the key to success in any relationship. It’s important that we go above and beyond when it comes to communicating with our students and parents. Having systems in place to maintain frequency and consistency of contact will prevent students from “falling through the cracks.” Keep in mind that our families are often inundated with information from other activities, work and their personal lives. Face-to-face interaction is always best, but when we need to communicate and are unable to see them in person — perhaps because of COVID — we have several options for staying in touch. When relaying information to our students, we should keep these simple yet valuable communication methods in mind. Phone Nothing beats letting someone hear your voice when you really need to communicate something urgent or significant. Progress checks, enrollment notifications, renewal reminders and upgrade decisions all require discussion. Every quarter, you should make a point of calling every family for a progress check. A simple phone call can help you build rapport and strengthen your relationship with a parent or student. Text Texting can serve as an alternative to a phone call. More people are likely to respond to a text message quickly, although it’s far less personal. Nevertheless, sending text messages for reminders, updates and confirmations is convenient and effective. A more creative way to “text” your students involves transmitting an audio or video message through the texting app, rather than simply sending written words. E-Mail Yes, weekly and monthly newsletters are still a thing! You may not send out printed copies any-

66 MASUCCESS

more, but e-mailing a list of upcoming events, life lessons and important announcements is always welcomed by parents who are trying to balance their busy schedules. You may want to create a template for this outreach and schedule the mailings in advance to save time. Be sure to keep your e-mail list up to date to reflect new enrollments and dropouts. Social Media As more and more platforms allow you to communicate with your students, you have an increasing number of opportunities to be creative. Not only can you relay announcements and conduct marketing campaigns on social media but you also can use the platforms for retention. Highlighting your students’ achievements with photos and videos posted on social media is always well-received. When time permits, engage with posts made by your students and parents. For example, congratulate them on a job well done in an endeavor outside the martial arts or simply send a “happy birthday” note. Staying engaged in students’ lives shows that you care about them as people, not just as students, and that’s a great retention tool. U.S. Postal Service Everyone loves getting old-fashioned mail. Handwritten notes are a great way to add a personal touch. At my school, our goal is to ensure that every student receives a “good job” note every quarter or every testing cycle. This is a simple yet effective way of showing students that we notice them. It also gives them something they can keep with their martial arts memories.

Jason Flame is a MAIA Elite Consultant and the owner of Moorpark Karate & Krav Maga in Southern California. To contact him, call (805) 657-1775 or send an email to TSDUKarate@gmail.com.

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MASTERFUL RETENTION

To Retain the Best, You Have to Give Your Best! BY CHRISTOPHER RAPPOLD

“Expecting your advanced students to stick around out of loyalty alone will not create the win-win situation both of you want. It would be akin to your eighth-grade teacher expecting you to stay in eighth grade after you’ve completed that year of learning.”

68 MASUCCESS

t is always exciting to enroll new students. In most cases, it’s a fresh start with no history, only the promise of a bright martial arts future. The students enter your school and take their first class, receive their first promotion and win their first trophy. Everything is new and exciting. Through continued hard work — yours and theirs — the students continue to advance. At first, you may have just one advanced student, but in what seems like no time, you have a class full of brown and black belts. It’s a dream come true. Then, without warning, one of those advanced students, perhaps even one you had mentally tagged as an assistant instructor, discontinues training. You feel like you got punched in the stomach. Why would the person suddenly stop training? Isn’t this what he or she always wanted? Why would the student come so far, only to quit? These questions and others race through your mind. While you’ll never be able to prevent everyone from leaving — because of external factors like moving, illness/injury, a job change and so on — it’s good to focus on the things you can do to keep dropouts to a minimum. The three areas you have control over are relationship, continuous learning and example. First is relationship. Have you ever frequented a restaurant, even something as basic as a greasy spoon diner, and found that over time, the people serving the food became as much a part of the experience as the toast and eggs? This also happens in activities that are closer to what we do in the dojo: physical therapy, sports, dance and gymnastics, to name a few. When you participate in these, the people you’re involved with make as much of an impact on your enjoyment as does the activity you’re doing. People maintain their participation because of how the person delivering the service makes them feel when they’re together. Action point: Be as friendly with your advanced students when you see them today as you were the first time they walked into your school. Shake their hands, talk with them, ask about their progress,

send them notes, etc. The more society speeds up, the more meaningful this kind of personal attention becomes. This can be your secret weapon. Over time, it creates a loyalty that no amount of money can buy. Continuous learning is vital to long-term martial arts relationships, as well. Students continue to train because they see improvement. They feel the connection of the relationship, but progress is what really keeps their motivation high. Expecting your advanced students to stick around out of loyalty alone will not create the win-win situation both of you want. It would be akin to your eighth-grade teacher expecting you to stay in eighth grade after you’ve completed that year of learning. Action point: One of the ways you can keep your advanced students interested in training is to continue to learn and grow yourself. That way, you always have more to offer them. Finally, there’s the all-important example that you set for your students. Have you ever been skeptical about taking advice from someone who doesn’t follow his or her own rules? Think of the stock adviser who is broke, the doctor who is unhealthy, the personal trainer who doesn’t exercise, or the parent who has spent 15 years of a child’s life setting a bad example but is telling a teenager to act responsibly. Make sure that person is never you! Action point: Imagine how your students would feel if they got to inspect your daily habits. Would that inspire them to want to be better, or would they be disappointed? As a martial arts teacher, what you sell is the example you set, so walk the walk as you talk the talk. Enjoy the daily benefits of the lifestyle you preach. Having students who’ve been with you for 10, 15 or 20 years is a privilege. It’s also a responsibility. Pay attention to the three items outlined here, and you’ll be well on your way to creating students for life.

To contact Chris Rappold, send an email to founder@personalbestkarate.com.

HAVE YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO WRITE FOR MASUCCESS? DO YOU HAVE A STORY IDEA TO PITCH? NOW IS YOUR CHANCE! We are searching for writers who are subject matter experts and can provide valuable content for our martial arts school owners and instructors. Not a writer, but just have ideas on what our audience wants to read about? We want those ideas too! Please submit 2-3 paragraphs for your story pitch to Patrick Sternkopf at psternkopf@blackbeltmag.com. We are passionate about helping the martial arts industry and look forward to hearing from you, our readers and fellow martial artists. -The MASuccess Team

THE KICK YOU NEVER SAW COMING

Beyond Social Distance BY BETH A. BLOCK

“Remembering that there was a limit on how far from the studio the insured’s property can be for coverage to apply, I pulled out the policy to check. The answer was 100 feet.”

70 MASUCCESS

ats, bags, video gear, audio systems, oh my! Many of us transport our equipment to other locations. We might be traveling for a test or a graduation, or maybe we’re moving to a new studio space. Some of us might even be using a trailer as a permanent storage unit. Surely, there are more reasons for moving our things than these, but you get the point. What none of us thinks about while we’re doing this is insurance for all our “stuff,” whether we plan to store it or move it. Be honest — does insurance ever come to mind unless you have a claim? I’ve got a quarter that says it doesn’t. (I’m smiling as I type. Please don’t contact me with serious quarter claims.) A few months ago, I received a call from a studio owner. She said that during the summer of 2020, she would work out in the park and take her equipment with her every day. In the evening, she would clean the equipment and drive the trailer back to her studio. With all the challenges of adapting to the new reality brought on by COVID, she didn’t think twice about leaving the trailer there. One day an instructor arrived at the studio for the afternoon workout and noticed that the trailer was gone. Someone had driven it away. The instructor called the police so a report could be made. The owner of the studio was the second call. I was the third. I asked how far away from the studio the trailer had been parked. They measured the distance from the parking spot to the front door of the school: 250 feet, almost the length of a football field. Remembering that there was a limit on how far from the studio the insured’s property can be for coverage to apply, I pulled out the policy to check. The answer was 100 feet, meaning her situation was a no-go for coverage. In the trailer were mats, video equipment and audio equipment. The total value was $15,000. Ouch! The insurance policy added insult to injury. When the property was pulled out of the trailer

and used in the park, it was covered. However, the policy had stipulations: 1. You may extend the insurance provided by this Coverage Form to apply to your Covered Property while it is away from the described premises, if it is: a. Temporarily at a location you do not own, lease or operate; b. In storage at a location you lease, provided the lease was executed after the beginning of the current policy term; 2. This Extension does not apply to property: a. In or on a vehicle… In plain English, if the school owner rented a storage unit after the policy was written, the items would be covered in the storage unit. At renewal time, the owner would need to make sure the storage unit showed up on the policy as a covered location. That italicized section can be found in every property policy except inland marine policies. That is more insurance-speak, so I’ll clarify: There are two types of property insurance. One is written as part of a package with your liability insurance. The actual title is Commercial Property Insurance. It includes the language printed above. The second kind is Inland Marine Insurance. It’s more expensive because it covers your stuff no matter where it is, as long as it’s in America or its territories and possessions. What’s the upshot of all this? Think about your insurance as you’re making business decisions this year. I don’t think this is top of mind for any of us as we’re pivoting hard the way COVID has forced us to, but it should be. That’s why I’m reminding you to make sure you communicate with your insurer where your stuff is and what you’re doing with it. To be extra safe, put it all in writing.

To contact Beth A. Block, send an email to beth@blockins.net or call (800) 225-0863.

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THE LEGAL LANDSCAPE

Employees vs. Independent Contractors BY PHILIP E. GOSS JR., ESQ.

“It will be difficult to promote the positive aspects of your school when shameful physical evidence of past business indiscretions hangs on your front door.”

72 MASUCCESS

have a quick question for you: What do you call a person you’ve brought into your business to provide a service that relates to your core product (teaching martial arts)? The answer might seem obvious — clearly, that person is an employee. Issues can arise when businesses choose to turn a blind eye to this and categorize an employee as an independent contractor. This must end now. New laws require that you err on the side of caution when it comes to classifying your personnel. As is frequently the case, California is a trendsetter with respect to this employment law. I won’t bore you with legal details, but the short of the matter is that California, along with a growing number of other states, now uses a greatly truncated test to determine whether an individual is an independent contractor or an employee. There are three determining criteria: First, do you control the worker or direct that person’s activities? Second, does the individual provide services to other businesses or exclusively to yours? The third factor is the game-changer: If the purported “independent contractor” provides a service that’s similar or consistent with your core business purpose, that individual is legally considered your employee. When examining employee-vs.-contractor status, emphasis has shifted from how the services are being provided to what services are being provided. Rarely will you have someone engaged in your business who is not integral to your mission of providing martial arts training. Another major change is that now there’s a legal presumption that every employment situation is an employer-employee relationship, rather than an independent contractor-business relationship. This means it’s assumed that, rather than standing on equal footing (as a contactor would be to a business), you are responsible for or above the people working within your business. Trying to prove otherwise often will be a fool’s errand. It’s rare that legal presumptions are successfully rebutted in the world of employment law. The penalties for intentional misclassification of employee status have always been severe. In many jurisdictions, the severity is multiplied for misclas-

sification and for each additional violation. In other words, you’ll incur one penalty for the fact that you incorrectly characterized an employee or employees, as well as additional penalties for each individual mischaracterization. One simple incorrect decision can start the process rolling. Tens of thousands of dollars in penalties can be assessed. The parade of horribleness keeps coming. In California, the new laws allow the imposition of personal financial liability (yes, the dreaded piercing of the corporate veil) against the owner or anyone operating on behalf of the owner, including managers, corporate officers and directors. This is a dramatic shift in the law. Very infrequently do situations allow for personal liability in the corporate context. A strong set of claims can bankrupt not only your school but also the people owning and/or managing it. California has enacted — and other jurisdictions are considering — laws that penalize intentional misclassification by making your company wear a scarlet letter. The offending business will be required to post on its website (or in a public location if it doesn’t operate a website) a notice admitting to a serious violation of the law. This notice also will state that the business has enacted remedial measures to prevent future violations and that any other service provider who believes he or she is the victim of incorrect job classification can contact an enumerated state agency for additional relief (and more heartache for your school). Lest anyone assume that the notice is a voluntary mea culpa, it also must explain that it was posted to comply with state law. Such a notice will adversely impact your business, as well as the goodwill and reputation you’ve worked to create. It will be difficult to promote the positive aspects of your school when shameful physical evidence of past business indiscretions hangs on your front door. Clearly, this column focuses on laws recently enacted in California. This state is a far distance (both in mileage and general attitude) from middle America. However, movements that start on the West Coast have, in the past, found their way across the country. Sooner or later, these laws will reach your school. Be ready for the day.

To contact attorney Philip E. Goss Jr., send an email PhilGosslaw@gmail.com.

INSPIRATION OVATION

Pet Rocks BY KAREN EDEN

“How did a onecent rock make a millionaire out of a man who simply went too far with his sense of humor? I can only explain Mr. Dahl’s success in one way: He wasn’t trying to be better than other entrepreneurs. He was trying to be different.”

74 MASUCCESS

n 1975, a man named Gary Dahl decided to design the “perfect pet” as a joke after listening to friends complain about their real pets. It was a mere rock in a cardboard box. Little did Mr. Dahl know that in six months’ time, he would become a millionaire from his over-the-top sense of humor. I remember being in elementary school when my classmates began bringing their pet rocks to school. The “no pets allowed” rule was overridden by kids everywhere who would take out their rocks after finishing their classwork. They somehow took comfort in their own personal rocks being present, as they petted and coddled them before putting their beloved “pets” back in their crates. Each pet rock came with an owner’s manual on how to care for the rock and even teach it tricks (of course, the rock just sat there, regardless). I can only imagine what a kid would think today if he or she opened a gift, only to find a rock. Imagination had a lot to do with the success of this fad, and it forever changed American consumers. All of a sudden, thinking outside the box had more to do with changing what was actually inside the box. And what was inside the box was a one-cent rock from Mexico. The cardboard and shredded paper in which the rock slept were shamefully inexpensive, too, keeping the total cost to market a pet rock very low. Of course, like any fad, it went away within a few months. Sales dropped like a lead balloon (or a pet rock), but not before Gary Dahl’s joke product had grossed more than $6 million. As I look back today, the question I immediately have is, How did a one-cent rock make a millionaire out of a man who simply went too far with his sense of humor? I can only explain Mr. Dahl’s success in one way: He wasn’t trying to be better than other entrepreneurs. He was trying to be different. Being somewhat of an entrepreneur myself — my books I Am a Martial Artist and They Call Me Master are part of the product line from Century Martial Arts — I know the thought that you actually can become successful from something you’ve

drummed up in your head is both frightening and thrilling. Some of my products did well and some didn’t. But the products that did do well did so because I was the first to do them. I had the idea to market something that would inspire in the martial arts world. It was different concept, and it sold. It makes me think that maybe as instructors, we also can teach “differently,” rather than constantly struggling to teach “better” than our competition. When I was a green belt, I had the toughest time mastering the hook kick. Then a young instructor from Korea pulled out a folding chair and made me do that kick over the back of the chair. After about 50 times of doing the kick with both legs, I got to know the hook kick very well. If I did the kick incorrectly, it would be very painful. I learned to appreciate that instructor’s ability to teach differently. In the long run, the hook kick became one of my favorite ways to score in competition. Here’s my challenge to you: In a business world where everybody is trying to tell you how to compete by doing better than the competition, I encourage you to compete by doing things differently than the competition. Just ask Gary Dahl, an average man from North Dakota who landed in Newsweek magazine and had two appearances on The Tonight Show — all because he had the crazy idea to sell a rock. And that he did — more than 1.5 million rocks, to be exact.

To contact Karen Eden, send an email to renedenherdman@gmail.com or visit the Facebook group “The Eden Assignment.”

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ITEM

1016

TO LEARN MORE AND SHOP ALL OF OUR DESIGNS, VISIT STRIVEGLOVES.COM OR GIVE US A CALL AT 800-626-2787.

INTRODUCING THE NEW AQUA BAGS!

BLITZ THE COMPETITION WITH THE KUMITE BLITZ GI SET!

• REVOLUTIONARY DESIGN — The teardrop shape and water-filled

• Competition Ready and World Karate Federation (WKF) approved

Get an intense workout anytime with the innovative line of Aqua Bags. These water filled bags come in three sizes: 75, 120 or 190 pounds, offering unique benefits for any martial artist or fitness enthusiast looking for a great workout.

interior absorbs the impact of each strike. • BUILT TO LAST — Made in the USA with thick-walled vinyl and injection-molded ends, Aqua Training Bags were designed to handle even the most vicious strikes. • ULTRA VERSATILE — The portable bag can be suspended from

The Kumite Blitz Go blends the perfectly subtle construction of mesh panels with stretch-friendly fabric allowing the wearer to move uninhibited with speed and grace.

• Designed specifically with that breathability, flexibility and comfort in mind • Set comes with one blue trimmed top, one red trimmed top and one pair of pants

a ceiling mount or the Aqua Punching Bag Stand and can handle

ITEM #

COLOR

SIZE

0443-100020

WHITE

anything thrown at it.

0443-100030

WHITE

0443-100040

WHITE

0443-100050

WHITE

0443-100060

WHITE

ITEM #

COLOR

WEIGHT

101666

BAD BOY BLUE

190 LBS.

101666

BLACK EYE

190 LBS.

101666

BLACK SILVER

190 LBS.

101666

BLOOD RED

190 LBS.

101667

BAD BOY BLUE

120 LBS.

101667

BLACK EYE

120 LBS.

101668

BLACK EYE

75 LBS.

TO LEARN MORE, VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT CENTURYMARTIALARTS.COM OR GIVE US A CALL AT 800-626-2787.

N E W

L O O K

PRO FES S I O N A L- G R A D E

F R E E S TA N D I N G

B AG S

CHALLENGE ACCEPTED s e e t h e f u l l l i n e o f t ra i n i n g b a g s a t

C e n t u r y M a r t i a l A r t s .co m /co l l e c t i o n s /t ra i n i n g - b a g s

WAV E M A S T E R W O R K O U T S

R A II S E T H E B A R R A S E T H E B A RAISE THE BAR R

Raise the bar with this high intensity circuit designed to put your body to the test. You will choose a level and begin the workout at exercise 1 until you have completed all 9 exercises. How many rounds can you make it? BEGINNER

INTERMEDIATE

ADVANCED

20 SECONDS

40 SECONDS

60 SECONDS

FRONT KICK

PUNCHES

ROUND KICKS

PUSH UPS

BACK FIST

SQUAT N’ KICK

SIDE KICKS

PUNCHES

SIDE KICKS

WEEK 2:

WEEK 1:

BRACKET

DOJO DAYS

WEEK 4:

WEEK 3:

MASUCCESS MARCH/APRIL 2021 2021 MASUCCESS MARCH/APRIL

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OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE MARTIAL ARTS INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION

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99 PR E SENTED BY:

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PRESENTED BY: PRESENTED BY:

Building a New Dojo? Remodeling an Old One? What You Need to Know About Design! Item Number: MAS16121 Description: MASUCCESS MAR/APR 2021

Why You Should Attend the 2021 SuperShow