May/June 2020 by MASuccess

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MAY/JUNE 2020

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Tim Kennedy’s

SHEEPDOG RESPONSE Special

THE MARTIAL ARTS SUPERSHOW IS PROUD TO ANNOUNCE

2019 2019

CYNTHIA ROTHROCK

Distinguished guest Distinguished guest

Ultimate Defense

2020 lifetime achievement award Witness her induction into our legacy of individuals who have greatly impacted the martial arts during Opening Night, June 30, 2020.

PRESENTED BY:

ISSN 2380-561 7(PRINT ) 2469-6889(ONLINE )

PRESENTED BY: PRESENTED BY:

SPONSORED BY:

FROM SCHOOONE LT MANY O

Forces Training + MMA

as the

SPONSORED BY:

CONTENTS FEATURES 22 BE A SHEEPDOG, NOT A SHEEP BY MARK JACOBS

Tim Kennedy designed his Sheepdog Response program with a simple mission statement in mind: “Empowering people to protect & preserve life.” This is your introduction.

MAY/JUNE 2020

COLUMNS 30 BLACK BELT LEADERSHIP BY NGUYEN “TOM” GRIGGS

The Power of “No”

32 IN THE CLASSROOM BY DAVE KOVAR

5 Keys to Long-Term Success, Part 2

64 TURNING POINT BY HERB BORKLAND

34 SECRETS OF THEIR SUCCESS: ATTENDEES WEIGH IN ON WHAT THEY LEANED AT THE MA SUPERSHOW AND WHY YOU NEED TO GO! B Y P E R R Y W I L L I A M K E L LY

MASuccess checks in with several seasoned SuperShow attendees to find out they learned at past SuperShows and how the lessons boosted their businesses.

44 MARTIAL ARTS BENCHMARK REPORT

Zen Planner assembled its fourth annual industry survey using data from more than 2,400 martial arts schools. The results are being made available to you for free.

58 ONE ON THE WAY — TO LAS VEGAS FOR THE MARTIAL ARTS SUPERSHOW!

Kim Pyung-Soo: Feeling a Black Belt’s Confidence

66 HEALTH KICK

B Y E R I C P. F L E I S H M A N

Sharpen Your Greatest Weapon: Your Staff

68 YOU MESSED UP! NOW WHAT?

10 IN THE KNOW 14 HEAR FROM YOUR PEERS 16 PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT 18 THE MAIA REPORT 20 MARKETING RESOURCE 70 SCHOOL SHOWCASE

Never Stop Learning

72 CONSULTANT’S CORNER

MAXIM OF THE MONTH

BY CRIS RODRIGUEZ

Set up Your Systems or Say Sayonara to Success!

74 MASTERFUL RETENTION BY CHRIS RAPPOLD

Does Retention Really Matter?

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

Viral Defense

78 THE LEGAL LANDSCAPE

“To get the edge on your adversaries, you must have complete trust in the techniques you practice. And to do that, you must think of your body first and your techniques second, then prepare your body to execute those techniques.”

BY PHILIP E. GOSS JR., ESQ.

The Sunset of Restrictive Covenants — and What’s on the Horizon, Part 1

82 INSPIRATION OVATION BY KAREN EDEN

The Way of the Ancestors

4 MASUCCESS

06 FROM THE DIRECTOR’S DESK

BY K AT H Y O L E V S KY

BY S.D. SEONG

ONE Championship is sending Demetrious Johnson and Aung La N Sang to the SuperShow. Get the lowdown on these two MMA champions and what they’re likely to teach.

DEPARTMENTS

— JOE LEWIS

34 22 58 44 MAY/JUNE 2020 5

FROM THE DIRECTOR’S DESK

8 Ways to Beat the Summer Slowdown BY FRANK SILVERMAN

MAIA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

“You cannot make students attend class if they aren’t in town, but you can make your best effort to get them back when school resumes.”

s the weather gets warmer, we’re reminded that summer is right around the corner. This change of the seasons needs to be the focus of our attention. Yes, some schools do perfectly fine and even thrive during June, July and August, but in general, summer is not the best time for martial arts schools. To find a solution, you have to start by understanding why summer can be troublesome. One, you’re no longer competing with other sporting activities and school. You’re competing with longer daylight hours, which means you’re competing with the pool, the backyard slip-and-slide, and other spontaneous “summer-only” diversions that can seem more tantalizing than does training. Two, people frequently take vacations during some or all of the summer. If they aren’t in town, it’s hard to have them in your class. Once you recognize those two issues, you can work to minimize the damage. Below are eight ideas to help make summer great. 1. Know when every student will be traveling. Have a phone call, text and postcard ready for them — adults and children alike — before they leave and when they return. Even better, send them something while they’re away so they know they’re missed. You cannot make students attend class if they aren’t in town, but you can make your best effort to get them back when school resumes. 2. Hold School’s Out and Welcome Back Parties. You need to determine if you want to charge for these events, offer them for free or maybe make the “fee” something like bringing a friend. You’ll give your members a great experience to remember right before they go on an extended break, and you’ll have a great event lined up to entice them back. 3. Hold your tests close to summer break You don’t want students to miss testing and use that as an excuse to not return. By having a test close to the break, you’ll motivate them to return and continue training — while wearing that new belt they just earned.

6 MASUCCESS

4. Host family-and-friends events. These get-togethers do two things: They keep the people who have remained in town involved, and they give you the opportunity to get new members in the form of family add-ons. 5. Host events that “work” with summer. Organize a workout in the park or even in your parking lot. Schedule a trip to the beach or a morning jog followed by a martial arts lesson. People want to be outside during summer, so help them. 6. Organize camps. These can last less than a full day and focus purely on martial arts. Or you can stretch them to a full day and include non-martial arts games and activities. Either way, they’re a great retention tool. 7. Think of the parents. Make sure the air conditioning in your school is pumping out good, cool air. It’s fine if your students train hard and work up a sweat, but their parents might be coming home from a day of work and likely won’t appreciate getting an unwanted sweat session when they come to watch their kids practice. 8. Motivate your staff. Of course I have an agenda with this one, but it’s crucial. Summer break is a great time to do something special for staff motivation, and once school is back in session and the busy season is upon you, it becomes hard to find the time for a break. Enter the Martial Arts SuperShow! The annual Las Vegas event can provide you and your people with a break from the daily routine and a chance to recharge. While doing this, you’ll receive one of the best educational experiences our industry can provide. There’s plenty of time to implement the advice offered here, as well as sufficient time to register for the Martial Arts SuperShow. But don’t wait. Sign up for the SuperShow and start planning your summer today. masupershow.com

T C B

These 3 Hours Could Change Your Business HAVE YOU HIT A PLATEAU IN YOUR SCHOOL? ARE YOU WORKING TWO JOBS TO SUPPORT YOUR DREAM? DO YOU KNOW HOW TO USE DIGITAL MARKETING EFFECTIVELY? We are passionate about seeing your school thrive so you can continue spreading the life-changing benefits of the martial arts. THE MARTIAL ARTS BUSINESS FORUM can be the most important three hours of your SuperShow experience. This is your opportunity to join the top schools in the industry for a first-hand experience inside the MAIA Elite seminar!

MARTIAL ARTS BUSINESS FORUM At MASupershow.com Tuesday, June 30 9:00 am - 12:00 pm

FOR TICKET PRICES VISIT MASUPERSHOW.COM

PRESENTED BY:

SPONSORED BY:

STAFF

FROM THE DIRECTOR’S DESK

F R A N K S I LV E R M A N I S T H E E X E C U T I V E

MELISSA TORRES IS THE DIVISION

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 free to email him at tom@ntgriggs.com.

IN THE CLASSROOM

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! 8 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

IN THE KNOW

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.

VOL. 21, NO. 3 // MAY/JUNE 2020 MAIA LLC, 1000 Century Blvd., Oklahoma City, OK 73110;

EDITOR EMERITUS

John Corcoran

YOU MESSED UP! NOW WHAT?

KATHY OLEVSKY AND HER

EDITOR

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.

Robert W. Young

(866) 626-6226.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR MARTIAL ARTS INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION

Frank Silverman MAIA DIVISION MANAGER

Melissa Torres ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Sarah Lobban

E R I C T H E T R A I N E R ( E R I C 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.

M A I A I N T E R N AT I O N A L C O N S U LTA N T S Kurt Klingenmeyer Robby Beard Mike Metzger Jason Flame Adam Parman Antonio Fournier Shane Tassoul Cris Rodriguez ADVERTISING DIRECTOR

Donna Diamond ART DIRECTOR

Paul Duarte COLUMNISTS & CONTRIBUTORS

David Barnett

Sarah Lobban

Beth A. Block

Mike Metzger

Herb Borkland

Kristin Miller

Karen Eden

Kathy Olevsky

Jason Flame

Suzanne Pisano

Eric P. Fleishman

Christopher Rappold

Antonio Fournier

Frank Silverman

Philip E. Goss Jr., Esq.

Shane Tassoul

Nguyen “Tom” Griggs

Melissa Torres

IBISWorld.com

Dwight Trower

Perry William Kelly

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.

Kurt Klingenmeyer Dave Kovar 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)

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. 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. © 2020 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. MAY/JUNE 2020 9

IN THE KNOW

BY ASHLEY LUGRAND

WORDS OF WISDOM

S o

THE ROLE OF A LEADER IS TO DEFINE REALITY AND GIVE HOPE. — NAPOLEON BONAPARTE

MARTIAL ARTS TRIVIA 1

A poomsae is to taekwondo what a __________ is to karate.

Which member of the Gracie family said, “If you train worst-case scenarios consistently, they will no longer be worst-case scenarios”? A) Rener Gracie B) Helio Gracie C) Kyra Gracie D) Carlos Gracie Jr.

Which well-known actor portrayed Miyamoto Musashi in Hiroshi Inagaki’s Samurai Trilogy films?

In the 2001 hit song Drops of Jupiter by Train, the singer alludes to which martial arts-based fitness program? A) Piloxing B) Tae Bo C) Cage Fitness D) Cardio kickboxing

ANSWERS: 1) kata 2) Rener Gracie 3) Toshiro Mifune 4) Tae Bo 10 MASUCCESS

See the Future of your business .

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Future in Focus _ #MASS2020 PRESENTED BY:

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YOU ASKED HOW DO YOU HANDLE HAVING TO TERMINATE A STUDENT’S MEMBERSHIP (DUE TO BAD BEHAVIOR OR PAYMENT DELINQUENCY)? If the termination is due to behavior, we speak to the parents about what has occurred and let them know that if it occurs again, we will have no other option but to remove them from the program. If it is due to payment delinquency, we attempt to collect for three months before terminating their membership.” — T O M M Y L I G H T F O O T, L E A D B Y E X A M P L E T A E K W O N D O , F A I R F A X , V A

If we have to terminate a membership due to behavior, we try to find another school that may be a better fit and will call them to set up a trial class for the student. If it is due to tuition, we let the billing company take care of the legal logistics.” — H E I D I C H A P M A N , P A K ’ S K A R A T E A C A D E M Y, B O S S I E R C I T Y, L A

I always schedule a sit-down meeting with the involved parties, during which I explain to the parents/ students why we are canceling their program. If we get to this point, we have already had several previous discussions, so I keep the cancellation meeting short and sweet.” — D AV I D C H U R C H , C H U R C H ’ S TA E K W O N D O A M E R I C A , M A RY V I L L E , T N

12 MASUCCESS

STATS SPEAK

PERCENT OF CONSUMERS SAY THAT POSITIVE REVIEWS MAKE THEM TRUST A LOCAL BUSINESS MORE. SOURCE: FORBES.COM

THE

WORLDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S LEADING TRAINING FACILITY OUTFITTER.

MA SUPERSHOW 2020 June 29 - July 2 Caesars Forum, Las Vegas Booth #511 ZebraAthletics.com

HEAR FROM YOUR

PEERS 14 MASUCCESS

1 2 3

WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU ADDED A NEW CLASS AT YOUR SCHOOL?

55 % Within the past year 21% Within the past 5 years 2 % Within the past 10 years 17 % I have added multiple classes in the past year 5 % Never

HOW MANY CLASSES DO YOU OFFER PER WEEKDAY, ON AVERAGE?

12 % 1-2 classes

34% 3-4 classes

24% 5-6 classes

30 % 7+ classes

DO YOU OFFER WEEKEND CLASSES?

55 % Yes

9 % No

36 % Only for special events (seminars, guest instructors, tests, etc.)

MAY/JUNE 2020 15

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

MAPLE TWO-PIECE BO Century®

www.CenturyMartialArts.com

Century’s new Maple Two-Piece Bo is perfect for training or competition. It breaks down into two pieces for easy transportation and is made from premium maple wood with brass joints for exceptional durability. Available in a variety of colors and sizes (4.5 feet, 5 feet, 5.5 feet, 6 feet and 6.5 feet), it offers convenience, style and function all in one.

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

MAT PANTS Century®

www.CenturyMartialArts.com

With Century’s new Mat Pants, there’s no need to do a quick change in the car or double up on clothes every time you head out for martial arts training. The material and subtle gusset give the pants enough stretch to allow you to kick — replicating gi pants but providing a look that’s suitable for everyday wear. Put them on before you go to the store or work or prior to running errands, then drive directly to the dojo.

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

16 MASUCCESS

FRONT OPEN CHEST GUARD Century®

www.CenturyMartialArts.com

This is the ideal chest guard for practitioners of all martial arts, from karate to krav maga. The Front Open Chest Guard is reversable from red to black, and it’s designed for maximum freedom of movement. The adjustable elastic straps make it easy to put on, too. The front-open feature makes it great for martial artists of all ages.

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

D O N ’ T

C A L L

I T

T H E WAV E M A S T E R 2 X L P R O

P R O F E S S I O N A L- G R A D E F R E E S TA N D I N G B A G 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

Ce 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

THE MAIA REPORT

Build Your Own Manual to Success BY MELISSA TORRES

MAIA DIVISION MANAGER

“School owners … get bogged down in daily tasks like teaching, answering phones, cleaning mats and taking out the trash — all important jobs, to be certain — but they tend to avoid the business side that will really impact their lives.”

18 MASUCCESS

’ve worked for the Martial Arts Industry Association for some time now. I’ve learned a lot, especially since I became Division Manager. When you spend time speaking with dozens, if not hundreds, of martial artists and school owners, you can’t help but start to notice patterns. One thing that really stands out to me is that school owners choose their career because they love martial arts. They have a passion for teaching and want to spread the benefits. On one hand, this is great. On the other, it means that almost none of them considered the business side of the venture when they opened their schools. This ties in with another pattern I’ve noticed: Many school owners don’t know the first thing about running a successful business. They get bogged down in daily tasks like teaching, answering phones, cleaning mats and taking out the trash — all important jobs, to be certain — but they tend to avoid the business side that will really impact their lives. One of the first things we in the Martial Arts Industry Association teach school owners is that they must have a manual in place that includes all their enrollment procedures, operational systems, required software proficiencies, marketing strategies, lead-generation tools and humanresources information. You may have no idea how important this is, but if you don’t have such a manual, how do you train new members? You have no procedure to follow. How do you improve your school? It’s difficult because you’ve never set a standard for your academy. These points are crucial. Cris Rodriguez, who now serves as MAIA’s Digital Marketing Specialist, faced those same challenges as a school owner. Then she realized the importance of creating a manual so she would have the tools all instructors need to be organized and set up for success. She discovered that if she wanted

to grow her team, she would need to train them on her processes. If she had such a manual, she could simply hand it to a new employee and dramatically cut the learning time. So Rodriguez built a complete systems manual for her school. Knowing how important a tool this was, she devised a training course to help others create their own manuals. It’s called the Black Belt in Business Blueprint, and she is making it available to you. With it, you will learn firsthand how to formulate this mission-critical document for your school. Here’s what it includes: • 10 video training modules that will walk you step-by-step through creating each section of your complete systems manual • Your own complete systems manual template, into which you can plug your current systems to form an organized and structured manual • Weekly homework assignments to keep you accountable so you get the manual completed in a timely manner • Unlimited e-mail support from Rodriguez herself You can check out the program now on MAIAHub.com, where you will get access to additional details, pricing and answers to frequently asked questions. We are confident that you will see this is a great way to become not just a better martial artist but also a better business owner. Take the necessary steps now to improve how you work on your business to make it grow — and not just in your business to perform daily tasks.

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

HOW DOES YOUR SCHOOL STACK UP?

Take the Martial Arts Business Health Quiz Today Once you have a clear picture of how healthy your academy is right now, connect with a coach to see how MAIA can help you get where you want to be.

MAIAHub.com/Business-Health-Quiz

Decision-Making 101

May 2011

DECISIONS, THEY WILL

IN THE DOJO AND MORE

BE MORE SUCCESSFUL

SUCCESSFUL IN LIFE.

Ask your students:

”

1. Why is it important to have a strong value system? 2. What was a tough decision you had to make? 3. Are there any decisions you are struggling to make right now?

WEEK TWO

” 2. Why is being a strong decision maker a quality of a leader?

1. What is something that makes you unhappy that you can decide to change today?

Ask your students:

~ Anthony Robbins

Using the power of decision gives you the capacity to get past any excuse to change any and every part of your life in an instant.

Many times we struggle to make a decision because we are not sure on which side of the fence we stand. When we believe strongly in something and have good values, making good and sound decisions becomes clearer. It allows us to see the benefits and consequences of either choice in a much more open way. This doesn’t mean all your decisions will be easy. It just means you’ll be able to identify which choice will be the better one to produce the best result.

May 2011

“ MaKiNg gOOd dEcisiONs

HOW TO MAKE BETTER

FOR

WEEK ONE ~Roy Disney

It’s not hard to make decisions when you know what your values are.

Wit

MaKiNg gOOd dEcisiONs — Select the best choice from several and take action.

“

CA 3. How do our decisions affect our lives?

”

WEEK THREE

~Chinese Proverb

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Ask your students:

3. What could happen if you decide to make great decisions for a month?

2. Why do you have to believe in yourself to make things happen?

1. How does being passionate about your decisions make a difference?

”

WEEK FOUR

3. Have you ever felt pressured to do something you didn’t want to do? How did you handle the situation?

2. How can negative peer pressure affect our decision making?

1. What is peer pressure?

Ask your students:

A wise man makes his own decisions; an ignorant man follows public opinion.

May 2011

“

MaKiNg gOOd dEcisiONs

Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen.

Many times we let peer pressure influence us by making decisions we think everyone else would or based on how we feel others will react. We don’t make the best decisions for ourselves because we’re afraid of not being cool or seeming totally out of the loop. These are, possibly, some of the toughest moments we go through and these decisions can define who we are and who we become.

MaKiNg gOOd dEcisiONs

“

FOR

HA Have you ever noticed that once you make a strong decision, it usually happens? Why is that? Henry Ford said, “Whether you believe you can or you can’t, you are right.” Many times, once you make a decision, your whole body and mind believe and strive to achieve it. On the contrary, if you don’t believe in yourself, many times you won’t succeed. Having a positive and passionate outlook can make all the difference when it comes to making your decisions come true.

20 MASUCCESS

FO BU

WHEN STUDENTS KNOW

Is there something that’s making you unhappy? Is there something you don’t like that’s happening in your life? Make the decision to change it today! Using the power to make decisions removes any excuses you have for not changing. Being a consistent decision maker allows you to create any destiny you can imagine for yourself and your future.

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

H y MARKETING RESOURCE

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PRESENTED BY:

SPONSORED BY:

TIM KENNEDY AND HIS

TEAM TEACH SELF-DEFENSE FOR THE 21ST CENTURY! BY MARK JACOBS

Back in 2011, Kennedy said in a Black Belt interview that the influx of veterans returning to America with a vast array of practical combat knowledge, including the use of modern military close-quarters-fighting techniques, was something that would revolutionize the way many civilians view the martial arts and self-defense. Sheepdog is now making good on that promise.

SPECIAL SUBJECT MATTER

The program began when law-enforcement agencies across the country started contacting Kennedy to arrange for him to come in to conduct training for their departments in the latest methods being used by the Army’s elite troops. Jones — himself having worked for the Army in special operations and executive protection, as well as being a hand-to-hand combat instructor and a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt — began working with Kennedy early on and said the reception they received was overwhelmingly positive. “Tim has a big following, and he’d get these requests to go all over and teach seminars,” Jones said. “So we’d come in and show law-enforcement officers basic hand-to-hand combat techniques and firearm “I believe people have a general manipulations — this was not BE PREPARED desire to be prepared and be even special-ops stuff, just “We do a really good job of not fear-mongering with our knowledgeable in how to protect things that are now being done a basic level in the Army. program,” said Dennis Jones, themselves. And that’s what we’re at But for local law-enforcement, director of training for Sheeptrying to do in an ethical way.” it was groundbreaking. We dog Response. “We don’t want wouldn’t even be able to get to to terrify people and make the curriculum we wanted to them think the terrorists are show because we had to spend so much time on the basics, things coming to get them. It’s not what I want, and it’s not the truth like having a reliable method of reloading your weapon in combat for the most part. or something as basic as side control in jiu-jitsu. “We live in a good country and a good society, though you “With the grappling, they all kind of had an idea about it, but might think otherwise from the news. But I believe people have it was often being taught in their local departments by somea general desire to be prepared and be knowledgeable in how one who’d gotten it out of a book or who’d gone to a very short to protect themselves. And that’s what we’re trying to do in an instructor course. And that’s the way the Army is, too, someethical way. Besides, it’s fun to get out there and train hard.” times: You go through a one-week, 40-hour course to became Founded in 2015 by Black Belt Hall of Famer Tim Kennedy, a basic hand-to-hand combat instructor. But it’s very different Sheepdog Response for the past several years has conducted when you’re learning from people who’ve dedicated their lives to weekend-long seminars across the country, covering the basics this stuff.” of staying safe in the modern world. Its courses address everySheepdog certainly can provide dedicated training. The organithing from close-quarters-fighting techniques to combat handzation typically runs its seminars with seven to nine instructors gun skills to emergency first aid. And although he’s known by present, almost all of whom are veterans, many of them Special many primarily as a TV personality, Kennedy is just the person Forces combat veterans like Kennedy. Sheepdog also makes to put together such a program. A former top-10 contender in good use of its founder’s UFC contacts, sometimes bringing in the UFC, he’s spent more than a decade as a U.S. Army Special professional fighters like Trevor Prangley or Jim Miller to add Forces operator serving in hot zones around the world. 24 MASUCCESS

Photos Courtesy of Sheepdog Response

oing by what you witness on the news these days, the world is a dangerous place — and it’s getting more dangerous all the time. Hardly a day goes by when you don’t see a story about a mass shooting, a terrorist attack or just a senseless act of random violence, sometimes in your own backyard. Whether this is an accurate picture of how things are or merely a sensationalist attempt to garner news ratings via fearmongering, the fact is many people are worried, and they’re looking for ways to set their minds at ease. Some of them are, naturally, turning to self-defense instruction. But they’re finding that some martial arts instructors are ill-prepared to deal with questions pertaining to how to survive an active-shooter situation or the best way to treat a life-threatening wound. Fortunately, a few individuals and organizations are qualified to address such questions and help people prepare for disaster — in case they ever do need to deal with a crisis situation. Among the best is Sheepdog Response.

Photos Courtesy of Sheepdog Response

another layer of expertise to the hand-to-hand combat section of the course. With 30 to 40 students attending most seminars, it usually breaks down to a student-teacher ratio of about 4-1, meaning everyone who shows up will get near-personal attention from a world-class expert. The people attending are no longer just law-enforcement officers. Jones estimates that law-enforcement now makes up only about 10 percent to 15 percent of participants. On average, a training session will feature a mix of martial arts enthusiasts and soccer moms training side by side with the occasional SWAT officer or military veteran. And according to Jones, despite the wide variety of experience levels, almost everyone comes away having learned something new and useful. “We have some of the best instructors in the world here,” Jones said. “And even though I’ve been doing this for years, I’m always learning something new myself. If I sit in on the emergency-medicine class taught by Matt Smith, who was a Special Forces medic, I’ll still pick up things I didn’t know. You’d be hardpressed to find a student who’s come to one of our courses and didn’t learn something — even if they were a combat veteran or a

BJJ black belt. Usually, what you’ll find is someone who might be an amazing shooter but sucks at fighting or vice versa. It’s a very interesting mix of people.” Although Sheepdog still conducts special training just for law-enforcement, Jones said the open classes, with their diversity, actually make for a more fun experience. Additionally, he said it’s often easier to teach novices with no experience or special skills because they don’t have bad habits that need to be corrected.

FINE-TUNED APPROACH A benefit of having instructors who come from the Special Forces, a branch of the military that often goes to foreign countries to train people who may have no combat experience, is the ability to teach novices. Jones said he’s taught locals in places like Afghanistan, where many of his trainees couldn’t communicate in English, yet he always managed to get his lessons across. He and the other instructors do the same here. “People are more capable than they think they are,” Jones said. “They just don’t always know the way to get to where they want MAY/JUNE 2020 25

to be. They’ll see the instructors and say we’re good at everything, then think they can never get to that point. But they don’t realize that it took us 25 years of failure to get there, and sometimes we still screw up a drill.” The difference between the way the two groups approach this, he said, is that when people on his level mess up, rather than get discouraged, they find a way to work through the problem. Instead of saying, “Time out, let’s start again!” they continue, making the necessary adjustments as they go — just as they would have to do in real life. “When I demonstrate combatives, if someone gives me an unexpected look, I don’t just stop, and I don’t just try to crush them,” Jones said. “I work through the problem. We have the students do the same thing when they run into a problem, and then we have them explain what they did. 26 MASUCCESS

“We’re trying to teach them it’s OK to fail as long as you learn something and keep working through it. No one is perfect every single time.”

SAMPLE SCHEDULE And with the variety of skills covered even in Sheepdog’s introductory two-and-a-half-day course, no one is going to be perfect. The level-one course usually starts on a Friday evening, immediately after everyone has checked in. It begins with a situational-awareness class in which an Army intelligence expert teaches students how to be more aware of their surroundings and demonstrates various drills to heighten that awareness. The evening ends with everyone running through a practical scenario held at a different location.

“We tell every single class this is just a beginning, just the first step.” After lunch, it’s back to the shooting range to review the previous day’s material and add lessons on shooting with movement, dealing with barricaded situations, using firearms in and around vehicles, and shooting under stress. At some point during the weekend, they also receive first aid instruction that focuses on things like how to apply a tourniquet. If that isn’t enough, for those who complete the level-one course, Sheepdog now offers a level-two course with a similar but more advanced curriculum. The group also teaches specialty classes in subjects such as shooting carbines, emergency medicine and combat inside a vehicle.

OPERATION RETENTION

Day 2 starts at 7 a.m. on Saturday with a five-hour hand-tohand combat course that concludes with some pressure testing of the techniques. After lunch, they spend the rest of the day at a shooting range for a basic pistol course. After dark, they work on night-fire training to give students an idea of what shooting a gun is like in a limited-visibility setting. Day 3 follows a similar schedule with another five hours of combatives in the morning, reviewing the previous day’s material and then working on how to grapple in the presence of a weapon. The three keys that are emphasized, Jones said, are fight for the weapon, fight for position and damage your opponent at every opportunity. Tricky instructors may slip someone a training knife in the middle of a grappling match just to keep everyone on their toes. During the lunch break, they often bring in a human-performance expert to give a lecture on fitness training and nutrition.

Although just the level-one class seems like a huge amount of information to pass along, Jones said most people retain about 60 percent of it, which is a lot more knowledge than they generally came in with. “We tell every single class this is just a beginning, just the first step,” he said. “You should be proud you took the course, but the main thing you should feel right now is that you have an honest assessment of your skill level, where you’re at and how you’ll perform if you need to. Can you wrestle a gun from someone? Can you shoot at the 5-meter line from a target? You’d be surprised at how many people can’t, even some people in law-enforcement.” The feedback Jones and his team have received from most attendees has been encouraging. Many participants with little prior experience have chosen to continue their training through local martial arts gyms or shooting ranges. Law-enforcement officers who’ve attended have been quick to relate their positive experiences, as well. Jones recalled one officer from Portland who took the course and six months later responded to a call in which several other officers had drawn their weapons on a suspect. “But the officer who’d attended our course did a certain type of scan that we teach and determined that the suspect did not have a weapon,” Jones explained. “He said he had the presence of mind to do that because of the course he took with us. “We definitely don’t preach to our students that they should all just be waiting for the day when they need to attack someone. Instead, I was happy to hear that he did not shoot someone who was unarmed and that he credited Sheepdog Response for this.” To learn more, visit sheepdogresponse.com MAY/JUNE 2020 27

on’t have the time to commit to a full weekend of training with Sheepdog Response or not quite sure it’s for you? Then you should consider taking the condensed seminar the company will conduct on June 30 at the Martial Arts SuperShow in Las Vegas. Sheepdog Response will run its full level-one seminar in the days prior to the show but also plans to conduct this special introductory class for the masses. It will include advice on situational awareness for self-defense, as well as technical instruction on the finer points of pummeling. Used to achieve an underhook position with which to clinch and control an opponent, pummeling has proved to be a vital aspect of fighting in most forms of no-gi grappling and mixed martial arts. It’s also an important skill for military and law-enforcement personnel who may need to control people while keeping them from reaching

28 MASUCCESS

into their pockets for a weapon. “I’ll be there, as will a couple of our other top instructors,” said Dennis Jones, Sheepdog Response’s director of training. “Travis Joyner, a retired Special Forces soldier and Army trainer, should be there, and Tim [Kennedy] should be there — though that’s [uncertain] since he’s with the National Guard and still deploys.” Regardless of which particular instructor is teaching, attendees can expect plenty of hands-on, expert-level advice from martial artists who have used their skills everywhere from the cage of the UFC to the battlefields of Afghanistan and Iraq. Visit masupershow.com for more information.

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BLACK BELT LEADERSHIP

The Power of “No”

BY NGUYEN “TOM” GRIGGS

“If you have a down payment and a monthly fee, the parents might ask you to cut the signup and the monthly fees in half if they pay in full for the first child. What would you say to them?”

eing on the giving end and the receiving end of a “no” can be difficult. Leaders know all too well the hardships of having to give someone a negative answer when the person really wants you to help. On the other side, being told “no” when you’re wishing for a definitive “yes” can sting. However, it’s essential to understand that “no” can be helpful in a variety of ways. In Start with NO ... The Negotiating Tools That the Pros Don’t Want You to Know, by Jim Camp, we’re reminded that “no” is a powerful tool for setting boundaries and creating opportunities for learning and growth. Many people have learned how to elicit several small “yes” responses from someone and then turn those into the big “yes” they were seeking all along. Ever the contrarian, Camp readily states that a “no” response is a great way of indicating where both parties stand. I couldn’t agree more. Recently, I was working with a potential client, whom we’ll call Andi. Andi liked my pitch and the services I proposed. Naturally, the conversation moved toward fees, and I gave my rates. Andi balked and countered with an amount that was perhaps 20-percent lower than what I’d requested. My response was polite: “No, I can’t do what we discussed for that fee.” Andi proceeded to get a bit overdramatic regarding my reply. I explained my stance: “My answer is no because you want premium service for a reduced price. I can reduce my services to meet your fee, or you can accept my initial offer.” Andi apologized and likely realized that listening and working through an impasse is far more valuable and professional than overreacting. More important, my “no” wasn’t a deal killer; rather, it was what you might call a course corrector for the conversation. Why No Matters “No” is powerful because it lets others know where you stand at that moment. Being definite and easy to understand, “no” also allows the other person to ask why, reconsider his or her position, or simply move on to another topic. Consider, for example, parents who wants to sign up their second child for half your normal fee.

30 MASUCCESS

If you have a down payment and a monthly fee, the parents might ask you to cut the signup and the monthly fees in half if they pay in full for the first child. What would you say to them? My suggestion for working with the parents in this case is to say, “I’m sorry, but no, I can’t sign up your child for that amount. However, let’s explore some other options.” That one usage of “no” lets the parents understand that you’re not going to cave to any demand but that you’re open to working with them. The reason I included a statement about options is to also let them know that: You’re open to working with them, and you took their concerns into consideration and did not dismiss them outright. Perhaps you’ll let the second child sign up if the parents pay half the down payment and the full monthly fee. Now you have two students instead of one, and they’re likely to have greater longevity in your school because they train together. Having options and being open to alternatives can be beneficial. Don’t Fear the Word Some people like to imply “no” without actually using the word. I disagree with this strategy. Again, “no” is definitive and simple, and using it provides clarity. It doesn’t have to be final, though. As a teenager, I once asked my parents about visiting a friend’s house after school. They said, “I don’t know,” and “I’m not sure,” which upset me. I argued, and then after a few minutes, I got the definitive “no” from them. That led to more angst and arguments. The point I’m trying to make is it’s important to be specific with your “no” and be willing to explain why. As their leader, you want your people to respect your decisions. Explaining your decisions can be tiring, but it’s generally worthwhile because it shows that you respect them. One of the most important aspects of any leader’s growth is the willingness to explain his or her decisions. Whether those decisions lead to a “yes” or a “no,” as long as you take the time to diligently and thoughtfully explain your reasons, your followers will respect you and the culture of your school will improve.

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IN THE CLASSROOM

5 Keys to Long-Term Success, Part 2 BY DAVE KOVAR

“While I enjoy reminiscing as much as the next person, I think that spending too much time longing for past greatness keeps us from realizing our future potential. It keeps us from moving forward.”

n the March/April 2020 issue of MASuccess, I discussed the first three keys to long-term success: Keep your center, value your relationships above all else and know where you’re going. Here, I will cover the final two. 4. Know How You’re Going to Get There Once you know where you’re going (my third key), the next step is figuring out how you’re going to get there. You don’t need to know every detail; you just need to begin taking steps in the right direction. Remember that motivation follows action. There’s something magical about taking that first step. Plan out the next step, and the step after that, day by day. Before you know it, you will have made great progress. There are so many applications for this practice in the business of running a martial arts school. Imagine if your goal is to get 20 new members in the next month. How are you going to get there? One way is to work backward. You might need 50 inquiries to net 20 new members. So you have to decide where these 50 inquiries will come from. If you’re planning to get 10 of the leads from birthday parties, how many parties will you need to book to make that happen? If you plan to get 12 leads from referrals, how many current students do you need to ask for that to happen? Once you determine that, you have an actionable plan for how you’re going to get there. 5. Keep Moving Forward It’s important to remember that anything worth having is worth working for. Nothing worthwhile is ever easy. There are always going to be obstacles. There are always going to be setbacks. That’s part of the process. Remember that as long as you’re getting up and moving forward, there is no failure. It’s important to not fear moving forward slowly. The only thing you should fear is standing still. As long as you’re making progress, even slow progress, you’re OK.

For success to happen, you have to cultivate the belief that your best years are ahead of you. It seems that I frequently end up in conversations with people who are telling me how great their life used to be. They tell me that business used to be so much better, that they used to be able to run so much faster or that they used to have much more fun. While I enjoy reminiscing as much as the next person, I think that spending too much time longing for past greatness keeps us from realizing our future potential. It keeps us from moving forward. It sends a message to our subconscious that things will never be as good as they used to be. I believe that it’s crucial to embrace the mindset that our best years are still ahead of us. If we can affirm this on a regular basis, we set ourselves up for opportunities we might not otherwise see. And we keep moving forward. So the next time you find yourself stuck and in need of clarity with respect to which way you should go, just remember to keep your center, value your relationships above all else, know where you’re going, know how you’re going to get there and keep moving forward. We can always do more than we think we can. Don’t let your fears and doubts keep you from an amazing life. If you can adopt and embrace these five keys, you’ll reach a whole new level of success. And while you’re at it, do your best to enjoy the process and try to bring your “A” game to all that you do.

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

Mac

32 MASUCCESS

A BO STAFF & KAMA CURRICULUM Mackensi Emory

Jackson Rudolph

Attendees Weigh in on What They Learned at the MA SuperShow and Why You Need to Go in 2020! BY PERRY WILLIAM KELLY

The premier event of our industry — the Martial Arts SuperShow — is just over the horizon. For school owners, the expo, which runs from June 29 to July 2, offers the perfect opportunity to gather the business knowledge and the martial arts skills needed to raise any school’s performance level from first-degree black belt to 10th degree. MASuccess chatted with a few seasoned SuperShow attendees to learn what skills they brought back to their businesses last year and how those skills helped them choke out their billing problems, KO their personnel issues and slay their curriculum-innovation dragons.

t your core, you are a martial artist. However, you’re savvy enough to know that your artistic yin side must be balanced by a pragmatic yang approach that takes into account the business of running a school. That’s why you joined the Martial Arts Industry Association — and why you read every issue of MASuccess. You know the crucial role that real-world strategies and the latest business tactics play in ensuring success. One key component of your success plan should be attending the Martial Arts SuperShow in Las Vegas. The SuperShow is where the “kickers and shakers” of this industry teach you how to turn your school into a success story. It helps you break through the barriers that are holding you back like they’re a stack of boards at a demonstration, freeing you to achieve greater things in business and in life. In part, the SuperShow accomplishes this by showcasing the emerging trends that students will be clamoring for at your school. Whether it’s a new MMA-related skill set, a reimagined twist on cardio-based classes or a cutting-edge way to engage in weapons training, the SuperShow has you covered. While heading to Vegas to rub shoulders with a martial arts legend like Chuck Norris or hang out with Alain Moussi, star of the rebooted Kickboxer movies, is cool, it can’t compare to learning how to turn an attacker into a human pretzel in just 20 seconds courtesy of Carlos Machado or learning how the stick techniques of kali translate to knife and open-hand moves courtesy of Apolo Ladra. That’s because the biggest benefit of attending the MA SuperShow is that it’s an investment in the future of your business. Below are comments from martial arts instructors who have made such an investment. Take a moment to read how the SuperShow changed their lives and their businesses — before you think about how it will change yours.

CASE STUDY:

TEXAS

Kevin Nevels might not have known it, but his life would change forever when he and his family relocated to Coppell, Texas. That occurred because the move marked the time and place he began his study of taekwondo while a freshman in college. Even though he earned a bachelor’s degree in radio, television and film, he 36 MASUCCESS

decided that he wanted to become a full-time martial arts instructor and a school owner. Surprisingly, it was not until he earned his black belt in 2004 and his father began encouraging him to abandon his “family job nest” — he was working for his dad at the time — that he embarked on the path that eventually led to opening Coppell Taekwondo Academy. Since that day in 2010, Nevels and his wife Amanda have grown their student body to more than 400 active participants. Their success has been such that they were featured on the cover of the February 2017 issue of this magazine and heralded as a “school-owning duo on the rise.” The Nevels have attended the MA SuperShow since 2014. Their initial objective was to sharpen their business skills. “Our first few years, we really focused on improving our business systems,” Kevin said. “The strategies we learned from Mike Metzger and the MAIA Elite team have been crucial to the success of our school. From pricing to scheduling and curriculum structure, we have improved in all areas.” Every aspect of their business has improved because of lessons learned at the SuperShow, they said — even though their school was doing well long before they boarded the plane for Vegas. “The SuperShow showed us that there is more than one way to be successful,” Kevin said. “We had a successful school before we attended, but some of the strategies showed us how to optimize our systems, how to streamline our staff and how to teach different age groups effectively. Our parent-engagement [methods] have greatly improved, and our expectations for our students are at an appropriate level for their age and skill level.” The couple admitted that they stopped thinking the way they’d always thought about running their school after their first trip to the SuperShow. It opened their minds to new things, and for them, that’s done nothing but improve their business and streamline the way they teach. “[Our] pricing model, rotating curriculum and upgrade programs are the biggest things that have changed in our

“The strategies we learned from Mike Metzger and the MAIA Elite team have been crucial to the success of our school.”

MAY/JUNE 2020 37

school,” Kevin said. “I was not even aware that some of this stuff existed! “As soon as we changed our pricing model, we saw an immediate improvement on our business side — I was amazed! You could literally see the revenue improvement on our financial graph, and it’s gone up every single year since implementation. “Our schools are much more streamlined with our delivery of our curriculum. We have a documented curriculum that is presented to our staff in a clear and concise way. We never had that before. With everything documented and a curriculum established, I, as a school owner, don’t have to teach every class, and I know exactly what will be taught and when it is being taught.” For anyone who’s sitting on the fence about going the SuperShow, Kevin said that he and his wife were blown away by the amount of quality information that was made available. They likened it to trying to take a drink of water out of a firehose. “If you have any desire to grow as a martial artist, as a business owner or as a person through relationships, this is the event to do all of those things,” Kevin said. THIS YEAR: The Nevels plan to deliver a seminar at the 2020

SuperShow titled “How to Get Involved With Your Community.”

38 MASUCCESS

It will teach school owners how to get students in the door by building relationships with local school districts, chambers of commerce, municipal councils and city departments such as parks and rec. These are the same strategies that saw their school earn recognition from the Coppell Chamber of Commerce as Small Business of the Year.

CASE STUDY:

FLORIDA

A Brazilian jiu-jitsu instructor, Cris Rodriguez is the co-owner of Gracie PAC MMA, a mixed-martial arts school in Tampa, Florida, that serves more than 300 students. A martial artist for 27 years, she’s taught for 20. In addition to her on-the-mat prowess, she has a degree in elementary education from the University of South Florida, and that has helped her become an authority in children’s martial arts training and development. For the past 10 years, she’s studied internet marketing and is the founder of Grow Pro Agency, an advertising firm that assists martial arts academies and fitness centers. She lives in Tampa with her wife Stephanie. Unlike the other attendees included here, Rodriguez didn’t

experience her first SuperShow until 2019. She always thought that because she ran an MMA school, it wouldn’t be a good fit. The Martial Arts SuperShow, she figured, was designed for traditional school owners. However, she learned after attending last year that she was in error. In 2019, despite being featured as a speaker, Rodriguez found time to attend several business-focused sessions at the SuperShow. She took pages of notes and hauled them home so she could implement the strategies. She said that her biggest takeaways came from Mike Metzger and Shane Tassoul’s Small Business Forum presentations and that the information enabled her to return to her school “fired up” and ready to make improvements. “One can hear the same thing multiple times over the years, but depending on where you’re at in life and with your school, it won’t really click until you’re ready,” Rodriguez said. She recalled a well-known adage: When the student is ready, the teacher will appear. I asked her how the lessons she learned at the SuperShow impacted her teaching. “At the end of the day, if

your classes aren’t fun, you are going to lose students,” she said. “I think all school owners believe they are teaching great, fun classes, but I know we all can improve — even if it’s by 1 percent. The main impact that the 2019 SuperShow had on me was us deciding to bring our entire team in 2020.” Echoing what other attendees have told me, Rodriguez said she began putting greater emphasis and focus on her upgrade programs after last year’s event. Her reasoning was twofold: She wanted to increase revenue and improve both the overall experience and the martial arts journey on which her students are traveling. Talk about a win-win situation! Rodriguez also upped the marketing efforts she directed toward her current students post-SuperShow. Like most school

“I think all school owners believe they are teaching great, fun classes, but I know we all can improve — even if it’s by 1 percent.”

MAY/JUNE 2020 39

owners, she used to believe that marketing could stop once a person became a student, but now she knows the error of her ways. An instructor always needs to market what he or she offers, especially to current students, she said. Participating in the SuperShow netted numerous other benefits for Rodriguez, which is why she insists the event should be on every school owner’s annual schedule. It’s the largest such get-together in the industry, she noted, and “that alone should be enough to make you want to invest your time and money in attending.” A fringe benefit of voyaging to Vegas, she said, is creating friendships with people whose counsel one can rely on in times of trouble. “Who else on the planet knows what you go through as a school owner?” she asked. “Only other school owners.” THIS YEAR: SuperShow 2020 attendees will be able to benefit from several sessions helmed by Cris Rodriguez, classes that have led to her being dubbed the “superstar of all things social media.” This year, they will include the following: • A pre-conference event titled Digital Marketing Made Easy • A presentation on social media marketing • A presentation with Mike Metzger and Shane Tassoul at the Small Business Forum • Consultations with MAIA Elite and MAIA Wealth clients

40 MASUCCESS

CASE STUDY:

NEW MEXICO

Los Angeles native Phillip Blackman began his martial arts education in 1980 under Jun Chong, a renowned instructor who learned from hapkido pioneer Sea Oh Choi, the first master of the Korean art to immigrate to the United States. In 1993, Blackman and his wife Kristine moved to Albuquerque and opened Blackman Taekwondo Academy. The following two decades saw the Blackmans create one of the Southwest’s largest taekwondo tournaments, an event called the Land of Enchantment Taekwondo Championship. In 2015, the couple was featured on the cover of MASuccess. Today, sixth-dan Phillip teaches daily with fourth-dan Kristine, who also manages the day-to-day operations at Blackman’s Championship Martial Arts. The facility is housed in a 15,000-square-foot building where more than 80 classes a week are served to 500-plus students. What does Phillip believe is the biggest learning experience available at the SuperShow? “How to run a profitable business and still maintain the integrity of the martial arts,” he said. “A lot of people say that if you are making a lot of money in it, you are a ‘McDojo,’ a belt factory. Well, that’s not the case. The MA SuperShow has just given us knowledge on how to run the

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business of martial arts. We are a traditional school [with] a modern approach.” The Blackmans’ approach to getting the most out of the SuperShow is akin to performing the kata known as bassai, which means “attacking the fortress.” They typically bring other staff members and use a divide-and-conquer battle plan to ensure that the proper people are in the proper sessions to get the biggest bang for their attendance buck. Kristine attends the nuts-and-bolts presentations — “anything related to keeping the four walls up and the business running, like law and insurance issues,” she said. Their instructors are dispatched to the practical training sessions that focus on techniques, she added. Meanwhile, Phillip and his general manager can be found at the conceptual seminars, which Phillip refers to as how-to’s: how to get new students, how to get into the public-school system, how to use social media and so on. The biggest turning point in the Blackmans’ strategy for running their school came right after the SuperShow when Phillip received his first phone call from Mike Metzger. The MAIA consultant asked him to detail how he sold memberships. Metzger naturally had a few suggestions, and once the Blackmans implemented them, the impact on the school became apparent immediately. In addition to the formal programs offered at the SuperShow, Kristine said the casual benefits are priceless. Like Rodriguez, she said she often felt alone in the sea of small-business owners in her city, so she relished the ability to create a network of people with whom she could discuss the problems that arise when running a martial arts school. No longer did she feel like she was on an island. “[At the SuperShow], you meet people doing the same things as you,” Kristine said. “And we all have the same problems, whether it’s a staffing issue or an issue with a parent or a student. Now we’re constantly in contact with other school owners [asking], ‘How would you handle this situation?’ or ‘How do you 42 MASUCCESS

guys teach this?’ Now we have a multitude of people we can call to ask their opinions to help us get through something.” THIS YEAR: Phillip’s advice for 2020 attendees mirrored his

own reasons for repeatedly going to the event. “It’s like compounding interest,” he said. “The sooner you start and are consistent in implementing the things you learn at the SuperShow, the more value you are going to have down the road. If you start to try to do it later on, you are not going to have as great a return. You’ve got to do it now and reap the returns, not only making it a better experience for your clientele or your staff but also a better financial reward.”

THE VERDICT IS IN Clearly, all school owners need to be at the 2020 Martial Arts SuperShow. Think of it in terms of training: Would you send your students into a competition without teaching them how to counter the latest fighting technique that’s scoring points and setting the circuit on fire? Would you let them enter a creativeweapons competition without knowledge of how to do the tricks that are garnering all the attention? Probably not. So why are you selling yourself, your family and your school short? Invest in the future of your knowledge base and your business by learning the best methods for spreading your art and operating your school. As they say, failure to plan in business is a plan to fail. For more information, visit masupershow.com. Perry William Kelly has a sixth-degree black belt in jiu-jitsu and is an instructor in four other martial arts. He’s the former national coordinator for use of force for the Correctional Service of Canada. In 2017 he was a karate gold medalist at the World Police and Fire Games, and in 2018 he received the Joe Lewis Eternal Warrior Award. His website is perrywkelly.com.

T D

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Why Every School Owner Must Have These Insights From Zen Planner!

Photos Courtesy of Zen Planner

MARTIAL ARTS BENCHMARK REPORT

Photos Courtesy of Zen Planner

en Planner’s passion to power the martial arts experience for owners, instructors and students is palpable. That urgency to serve especially shines through in its Annual Martial Arts Benchmark Report. Zen Planner recently published its fourth report, and the company regards it as the strongest and most comprehensive edition yet. The purpose of the report is to lead martial arts school owners through every aspect of their business by combining unparalleled data with expert insights and actionable takeaways. The Annual Martial Arts Benchmark Report is segmented by number of active students into three primary classifications: Small, Medium and Large schools. In addition to the standard size classification, there is a fourth classification nicknamed “Champions” that highlights the most profitable martial arts businesses in the survey. These Champions earn at least $7,000 in monthly profits. Two different classifications give two different ways to benchmark your own success, set goals and achieve even greater success as you grow your school. There are two primary data sources for the Annual Martial Arts Benchmark Report: the annual survey and the Zen Planner customer database. As we will cover later, a new addition to this year’s report revolves around data pulled directly from Zen Planner’s database of more than 2,400 martial arts customers. Zen Planner’s objective with the Annual Martial Arts Benchmark Report is to help school owners expand their impact and reach the Champions level of financial stability. They drive this by applying the key takeaways they have assembled through years of experience working with business owners and leveraging their longstanding partnerships with some of the industry’s top leaders. We asked Zen Planner a few questions about its Annual Martial Arts Benchmark Report and even got a sneak peek.

46 MASUCCESS

QUESTION

What value does the Benchmark Report provide for martial arts school owners? The Martial Arts Benchmark Report is a one-of-a-kind resource that shares quality data and expert recommendations for free. School owners can use the data and recommendations as a playbook for their own business decisions. Whether you are deciding where to invest your marketing dollars or how much mat space you need, we have already done the research for you. We analyze every area of the business and collaborate with the industry’s leading experts. Over the years, we have identified consistent patterns in the data, and this year’s version is unquestionably the strongest yet. With that, we feel an intense responsibility to make sure as many school owners as possible have access to this knowledge.

Bryan Nay, general manager of Kovar Systems, reviewed the financial section of Zen Planner’s 4th Annual Martial Arts Benchmark Report. Kovar Systems and Zen Planner are close partners who frequently collaborate on industry-leading educational initiatives. Here is Nay’s key takeaway from this year’s financial data: Champions charge for the value they deliver and contain costs. Champions know the only way to stay in business and keep doing what they love is to understand both sides of the profit equation: Maximize revenue coming in and minimize expenses going out. A key part of maximizing revenue is pricing. Many school owners undervalue their service. We change people’s lives for the better, and it’s fair for you to earn a living doing it. As the data show, Champions understand this and charge appropriately for the value they deliver: a median price of $152 for unlimited monthly agreements.

Zen Planner’s objective with the Annual Martial Arts Benchmark Report is to help school owners expand their impact and reach the Champions level of financial stability.”

MAY/JUNE 2020 47

Get your free copy of the Martial Arts Benchmark Report at zenplanner.com/martialarts. Visit Zen Planner at the 2020 Martial Arts SuperShow. On the expense side, control your wage line. Do you really need three instructors for a class of 10 students? Probably not. Also, revisit your monthly expenses. Are your office supplies, meal expenses or other “minor” expenses creeping up month over month? These things add up. Don’t be afraid

to ask for decreases on bigger items, too. For example, renegotiate your lease terms, if possible, and check for lower rates on collection fees and prices for wholesale gear. Small changes yield big results for Champions, allowing them to stay in business for the long haul and help more students.

QUESTION

How is this year’s Benchmark Report different from previous versions? The 4th Annual Martial Arts Benchmark Report contains data directly sourced from our martial arts customer base of more than 2,400 schools and the Zen Planner software platform. The addition of our system data from all our martial arts customers has strengthened the report by reaffirming the trends and takeaways we have seen over the past several years while also adding more insights. The Martial Arts Benchmark Report evolves every year thanks to feedback from school owners and readers. We organize this feedback and carefully review every question on our survey to identify new topics that need to be examined. While we publish the Martial Arts Benchmark Report once a year, it is truly a yearround project. KEY TAKEAWAY

Champions and Large schools invest in marketing, especially digital and local advertising. Champions and Large schools see the value of both digital-marketing tactics and local advertisements. Facebook and Google Ads can help any school attract prospects beyond its event and referral marketing strategies. Champions clearly see the value in both Facebook and Google, with a combined investment of more than $10,000 a year. Paid ads also 48 MASUCCESS

allow you to create highly targeted advertisements based on the ideal audience you want to reach. Before you invest in digital marketing, make sure your website is optimized to convert these new visitors into prospects. Beyond these proven digital-marketing tactics, local advertisements allow martial arts schools to capture the local marketâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s attention in an alternative way. Champions invest in local advertising, too, spending more than $3,000 a year. Local advertisement sources are less noisy than social media and should be trusted in the community. Whether online or on paper, make sure you have a hyperlocal focus in your marketing strategy. KEY TAKEAWAY

Champions commit to the journey and focus on the long term. Building a profitable martial arts business takes time. Eighty percent of Champions have been in business for at least five years, with an astounding 30 percent having been in business for 16 years or longer. In the same way, building a large student base takes time. Eighty-five percent of the Large schools have been in business for at least five years, with 32 percent having been in business for 16 years or longer. Use each year in business for learning and refinement. Be patient, strive for profitability and keep delighting your community. Zen Planner will share more insights like these at the Martial Arts SuperShow, where the company once again will present a keynote address on the Martial Arts Benchmark Report findings. The 2020 Martial Arts SuperShow takes place June 29-July 2 in Las Vegas. KEY TAKEAWAY

Champions save time and grow their community by hiring trusted, external solutions. Owning and operating a martial arts business is hard work; donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t try to do it all yourself. Champions create margin in their daily lives by using solutions like student-manMAY/JUNE 2020 49

agement software, accounting software, tax services and website development. Student-management software and website development improve the martial arts experience for students, instructors and owners. Tasks normally completed by you or staff members can be completed by software so you can focus on growing the business and engaging the community. Modern, lead-optimized websites help martial arts schools attract and nurture more prospective students. Autopay and detailed reporting help you generate reliable revenue, manage your finances and get the bills paid. The ability to organize and share your curriculum with students connects and inspires the community, fueling skill progression, engagement outside the school walls and student retention. With these examples, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s easy to see why 75 percent of Champions use student-management software and 51 percent hire website developers. Before investing in additional personnel resources, consider adding solutions like these for a fraction of the cost. ACTIONABLE ITEM

Master your business to transform more lives. Every person measures success differently. For many martial arts school owners, that metric is not income; it is number of lives impacted. The business reality is that the more financially stable your school is, the more opportunities you will have to create a more massive impact. This opportunity is why Zen Planner is so eager to share the Annual Martial Arts Benchmark Report and so passionate about promoting health and wellness throughout the world. To master your business and transform more lives, review the data in Zen Plannerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Martial Arts Benchmark Report and create an actionable strategy framework based on the expert insights. Get your free copy of the Martial Arts Benchmark Report at zenplanner.com/martialarts and donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget to visit Zen Planner at the 2020 Martial Arts SuperShow. MAY/JUNE 2020 51

SAR S U B N H JO

Photos Courtesy of John Bussard

E S E H T LEARN IES FOR G E T A R ST L O O H C S I T MUL TO H T W O GR R U O Y D N A P X E ! S S E BUSIN

Photos Courtesy of John Bussard

WHENEVER I MEET ASPIRING MULTI-SCHOOL OWNERS AND THEY FIND OUT THAT I HAVE 14 SCHOOLS, THE QUESTIONS START TO FLY: WHERE DO YOU FIND THE STAFF TO RUN THAT MANY SCHOOLS? HOW DO YOU MANAGE THEM? HOW MUCH DO YOU PAY YOUR INSTRUCTORS? In most cases, they’re really asking me about the best way to scale up their own martial arts business for growth. The answer to that question is, it’s not easy. However, there are certain strategies that can help you prepare for growth, sustain growth and continue growth if you’re so inclined. Let’s begin with a few simple strategies that can help all school owners, regardless of whether they have one facility or many.

No. 1: Strive to teach great classes that are safe, exciting and impactful. Obviously, accidents and injuries can and will happen occasionally. Your job as an instructor is to teach with a safety-first mentality during all training activities. Make sure your classes are exciting, as well. The more fun and energetic your sessions are, the more students will enjoy attending them. Furthermore, it increases the likelihood that your students will keep coming back for more.

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Design your classes so they’re impactful and educational. Yes, it’s great to have fun, but if your students aren’t learning and improving in every class, you’re doing them a disservice. To that end, get rid of as much fluff as possible. Vow to make every class an educational experience that will take your students one step closer to that next belt.

No. 2: Have a friendly staff that fully engages with students, parents and visitors. All the people who represent your school(s) should be caring and welcoming. They should know everyone by name, greet students and parents when they arrive, and sincerely care about them. Zig Ziglar famously said, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” I agree 100 percent.

No. 3: Expand your community involvement. With the advent of click funnels, Facebook advertising, Google

ad words and so on, many schools rely on digital marketing methods to attract and recruit new members. I’m not opposed to using these tactics — I certainly take advantage of them — but the success of our schools was built on community events and local relationships. My staff and I want to be involved in any and every local event. This includes summer camps outside of the martial arts, school functions, community fairs, fall festivals and spring flings. Likewise, setting up booths, conducting demonstrations and giving school talks are paramount if you want to establish yourself within your community. You should do this for two main reasons. First, it gets you out in the community doing good work, educating citizens and empowering people. That’s likely part of your mission statement. Second, it affords you many opportunities to discuss your programs, get to know people and promote your business. When you combine strong community involvement with modern internet and social media marketing, you get an explosive combination that will improve the growth of your school(s). You may be thinking, That’s all well and good, but I don’t have the staff to go to all the community events that take place in my town. I hear you loud and clear because I’ve been in that position myself. Let me convey a story that will offer a solution. Back in the mid-1990s, I owned just one school. It had been open for 18 months, and, fortunately for me, things were going well. At the time, I was a one-man show. I was the owner, but I also served as program director, lead instructor, marketing director and janitor — you get the picture. I’m sure many of you have been in that situation, or perhaps still are. Needless to say, I did my best, but a few things were falling through the cracks because I didn’t have the manpower to get them done. I had a part-time instructor who helped me whenever possible, but he also had a full-time job. That job paid him $30,000 a year — remember, it was the ’90s — and his employer offered him paid medical insurance, among other benefits. I was considering hiring him full time because I really needed the help. The problem was it looked like I was going to make only $40,000 that year, and the numbers just didn’t match up. I thought, How can I pay this guy $30,000 when I’m making only $40,000? After I hire him, I’ll be making $10,000 a year! That’s when I got some of the best advice I’ve ever received. While I was explaining my predicament to my CPA, she stopped me cold. “John,” she said, “you can’t afford to not hire him!” She

went on to explain that for my business to grow, I needed to bite the bullet and hire the guy full time. I took her advice. Instead of making $10,000 the next year, I made $70,000. Hiring him gave me the freedom to expand my business. In fact, it worked so well that I decided to do it again, and again, and again. Each time, it’s worked out to my benefit. That’s why I say to you, “Don’t be afraid to hire staff.”

No. 4: Engage with parks and rec. One facet of community involvement that’s often overlooked is engaging with your city or county’s parks-and-recreation department. Our schools offer beginner classes through two such county programs and two city programs. Here’s how it works: Local government officials advertise the classes on their websites and in a circular that’s mailed to everyone in the area. They tout a five-week beginner martial arts program that will take place at one of our facilities. The students who register are treated just like new white belts. They receive official student uniforms and attendance cards, and they participate in our regular beginner classes. Our staff works hard throughout the five-week period to convert them into permanent students. This has been a fantastic feeder system for us for more than 25 years. Each quarter, we typically get more than 100 prospects from this method. By the way, you don’t need to have 14 locations to make this work. I arranged our first city recreation program a couple of months before I even opened my first school. An added benefit of doing this is that the rec departments advertise our program in their community guides. In essence, that gives us an unofficial stamp of approval from the city or county.

volved in e b o t t n a w I My staff and y local event. This er in any and ev er camps outside m includes sum l arts, school of the martia nity fairs, fall mmu functions, co spring flings.” festivals and MAY/JUNE 2020 55

Treat your staff well. Create a culture in which people enjoy their time at work. Pay them enough so they can afford to live comfortably.” Logistics: Acquiring Staff Three questions I’m asked often are, “Where do you get the staff members?” “How do you train them?” “How do you pay them?” Let’s start with the first one. There are many ways to acquire the right people to help you grow. You can certainly hire black belts from the outside. I’ve done this on occasion. However, if you’re going to take this route, be sure your school has a strong culture into which they can be absorbed. Bringing in “hired guns” can be an issue. It’s not that these black belts are unskilled. In fact, it’s actually the opposite. They tend to have high-level skills. The issue is they were taught and trained in a certain culture (not yours) and at a certain school (not yours). They have thoughts and habits that may need to be undone if they’re to mesh with your systems, and it can be tough to break those old habits. Many times, they’re just looking for a place where they can teach what they know, rather than becoming part of your organization’s culture. Be aware of these pitfalls if you go in this direction. My preference is to find staff members by looking within. For this to work, you must know what type of people you need, and you must be able to recognize their talents and then recruit them. What characteristics do you want in a staff member? Look for people who are friendly, smile a lot, have a passion for martial arts and enjoy helping others. Once you find a few such individuals, you can train them on all the rest. A fringe benefit of this approach is that when you hire people who are already part of your program, you’re not just hiring off a resume or a conversation. You’ve had the opportunity to get to know them, observe how they interact with other students and so forth. Speaking of training, all staff members should get training always — in all ways. Most successful schools have clearly defined systems for all aspects of their business. The relevant training can take place via meetings, videos, books, manuals and even quick mat chats. Often, it’s the little reminders that help them learn and improve. It’s important that they know not just how to do something but also why they’re doing it. As Jhoon Rhee used to say, make “a never-ending correction with a smile.”

Logistics: Retaining Staff Once you acquire employees, how do you keep them? This can be challenging. It’s best to start with the realization that you’ll never manage to keep all your team members. However, there are things you can do to entice them to stick around.

56 MASUCCESS

Treat your staff well. Create a culture in which people enjoy their time at work. Pay them enough so they can afford to live comfortably. Give them benefits such as paid time-off, paid personal days, paid medical insurance and matching contributions toward a retirement plan. Perhaps the best advice I can give is to put yourself in their shoes. In an ideal world, how would you want to be treated if you were the employee? Forget the way you may have been treated or mistreated as a young instructor and think about how you wish you’d been treated, then design an employment program that makes people want to stay. Give them great benefits and an opportunity for upward mobility within your company. Here’s an example: Many years ago, our staff members worked five and a half days a week. Our schools were open Monday through Friday plus a half-day on Saturday. The full-time employees worked 45 hours a week, which included eight hours a day Monday through Friday plus five hours on Saturday. Culturally, this caused some unhappiness. Our staff members were off Saturday evening and Sunday, then reported back to work late Monday morning. They wanted more time off, and we actually lost some good people because of the hours. As the owner, I justified this by recalling the days when I arrived at the school every day at 9 a.m. and left at 9 p.m. I needed to get out of that mindset. We eventually modified our schedule so they worked only 40 hours a week. Although this was a slight improvement, they were still working those 40 hours over six days. Instead of working eight hours a day, they put in seven hours each weekday plus Saturday mornings. It was definitely better, but it wasn’t enough. Another revision needed to happen, so last year we changed it so that full-time employees work a five-day, 40-hour week. Each person gets two full days off per week. That means extra staff members are needed at each location, but our full-timers are much happier. We’ve evolved into a better workplace for them to enjoy. Remember that employees have choices, too. If you create a great workplace environment, your staff will be more likely to stick around. In addition, you’ll be able to recruit more potential employees because you’ll have an employment program that candidates will appreciate.

Secret Weapon: Growth Fosters Growth Finally, I’d like to discuss growth as its own strategy for success. Many years ago when I owned one school, I had only a handful of employees. Today, Kicks Karate has more than 160 employees

in 14 locations. All are black belts, and the majority of them are homegrown. Approximately 40 of my staff members work full time, and the rest work part time. Growth is not just about getting more students or increasing revenues; it’s also about creating and exploiting opportunities. You see, when I had just one school, my employees knew there was a ceiling. My business was small, and upward mobility was limited. They knew that I was the owner and head instructor and that they would never rise above the level of my No. 2 assistant. However, as I opened a second location and then a third, my staff members began to notice the increasing opportunities to grow within the organization. They realized they could move up in rank and perhaps manage their own school. They could become a head instructor or a program director at a different location and so on. As the organization grew, I realized that I needed not only more managers of schools but also more personnel behind the scenes to run accounting and human resources. This created

new openings on the corporate side. Eventually, we were at the level where we had part-time teenage black belts who went away to college with plans to come back after graduation so they could run a school or be an instructor. This was not intentional; it grew out of our systemic growth. I often liken growing a business to building a campfire. To start a fire, you need a few sticks, some kindling and a flame. Once the fire gets going, you’ve got a choice to make: You can do nothing and the fire eventually will go out, or you can add just enough wood to keep the fire steady. But there’s a third option: If you really want your fire to grow, you can add logs. Adding staff to your school(s) is like adding logs to a fire in that it will help you reach new levels of success. John Bussard is the founder of Kicks Karate Inc., which has 14 locations in Maryland. He’s also an alumnus of the Harvard Business School, where he completed the prestigious Program for Leadership Development in 2016.

Learn More Face to Face!

In this article, I’ve reviewed several strategies designed to assist you in growing your martial arts school. I hope I’ve also stimulated your thinking about the processes and procedures you currently use to run your program and those you might need to expand. If you like what you’ve read, join me in Las Vegas at the 2020 Martial Arts SuperShow. At the educational event, which will take place June 29-July 2, I’ll speak about and expand on strategies for multi-school growth. I look forward to seeing you there and further assisting you in your quest to build your martial arts business. Register at masupershow.com. MAY/JUNE 2020 57

On the eve of its much-anticipated and much-speculatedabout expansion into the United States, ONE brass have arranged to send two of its most-prominent personalities — Demetrious Johnson and Aung La N Sang — to Las Vegas for the 2020 Martial Arts SuperShow. What does that mean for you? Well, if you’re at the annual event, which is scheduled for June 29-July 2 at the brand-new Caesars Forum in Las Vegas, you might get a chance to chat with these MMA mavens. Even better, you might get a chance to learn their favorite fighting techniques in a hands-on seminar. For those who aren’t familiar, MASuccess presents this briefing on these two champions.

Photos Courtesy of ONE Championship

ans of the fight sports know it’s an incontrovertible law of competition: No one stays on top forever. We take that for granted, but the powers that be in some MMA organizations may not. If that’s the case, they might want to adjust their radar so that ONE Championship is represented onscreen by a bit more than a blip. I say that because ONE is the rising star of the mixed-martial arts. Based in Singapore, the promotion is helmed by Chatri Sityodtong, a martial artist whose reach is so wide and attitude so exemplary that he was named Black Belt’s 2019 Man of the Year. ONE gets constant coverage in the media, both new and old, because of its rapid growth and its uplifting portrayal of human sporting combat and the male and female athletes who engage in it.

Photos Courtesy of ONE Championship

DEMETRIOUS JOHNSON

This Black Belt Hall of Famer is a 12-time flyweight world champion. He built his combat career on being a smaller fighter who isn’t slowed down by size. At 5 feet 3 inches, the 125-pound fighter they call “Mighty Mouse” holds the record for the most UFC title defenses (11 in a row) and is considered by many to be the best pound-for-pound fighter on Earth. Many regard him as the first lightweight superstar to emerge in the sport of mixed martial arts. Johnson, 33, attributes much of his success to his background in wrestling and pankration, a foundation he laid before he embarked on a career in MMA. Both styles emphasize the strategic use of leverage, which makes them ideal for smaller fighters. “I try to find my opponent’s weakness and exploit that,” he said. “Being well-versed and competing in several types of martial arts in my amateur career allows me to find that weakness, take [my opponents] there and then put them in that realm where they can’t survive — and beat them there! “Wrestling is the hardest sport in the world. I remember going to practice and wrestling for two hours and not even getting a water break. As an adult, I look back and I’m like, ‘That’s stupid! You’re going to dehydrate your athletes. They’re going to pull a muscle or get cramps.’ But it builds mentally tough [athletes]. That’s a great mindset to have when you switch to mixed martial arts. “In pankration, two combatants would come together and compete, and the person who was well-versed in pankration would basically take away the advantages his opponent had. For example, if the person was a southpaw, the pankration guy knew that the left hand was his strong suit, so he would purposely circle away from his strong side to put his opponent at a disadvantage.” Johnson’s pankration coach is Matt Hume. “[He] made me keep repeating every single aspect of martial arts: I’ve done kickboxing fights, muay Thai fights, shootboxing fights, jiujitsu grappling tournaments, even a boxing fight,” Johnson said. “Basically, he put me in every single aspect of martial arts. That’s what built my foundation.” Mighty Mouse was taught to seamlessly combine those skills almost from the get-go. “I learned how to do it all at once,” he said. “So when I transition from jiu-jitsu to muay Thai or wrestling, [it’s easier because] I learned it all under one umbrella. So I know how to be fluid. “If you go to a boxing gym, they might not know how to throw a cross and load your hips to be able to deliver a kick. If you go to a kickboxing gym, they can teach you how to throw a cross and load your hips, but they’re not going to tell you how to drop your

elevation and shoot in for a double-leg takedown. If you find a gym that’s able to package it all, you get those fundamentals and those mechanics worked in.” No doubt that will be the overarching methodology Johnson teaches when he takes to the mat at the MA SuperShow.

MAY/JUNE 2020 59

AUNG LA N SANG

Lesser-known to fans in the West but likely more famous in the East — particularly in his homeland of Myanmar, formerly Burma — Aung La N Sang is a rising star in MMA. It should come as no surprise that one of his foundational arts is lethwei, a traditional Burmese style. Naturally, he’s also schooled in another local art — muay Thai from neighboring Thailand — and the strain of jiu-jitsu that put Brazil on the mixed-martial arts map. Those systems form the foundation that catapulted the “Burmese Python” from MMA newcomer in 2005 to ONE middleweight and light-heavyweight titleholder in 2020. Now based n Florida, where he’s a member of Team Hard Knocks 365, Aung La boasts a record of 26-10, according to Sherdog.com. His status is a bit more exalted in Myanmar, where he’s a national hero of sorts, a fighter who’s been feted by numerous government officials and invited to various government functions. Standing 6 feet 1 inch tall and weighing 219 pounds, Aung La, 34, is able to approach hand-to-hand combat is a manner quite different from that of Demetrious Johnson. Aung La frequently

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uses his fists to overpower his opponents, but he isn’t afraid to unleash his muay Thai on an adversary and blast him with knees and kicks. “Aung La N Sang is one of my favorite mixed-martial arts fighters,” said Burton Richardson, Black Belt Hall of Fame member and a well-known instructor of jeet kune do, silat and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. “As a long time MMA practitioner and coach, I am a big fan of well-executed technique. Aung La N Sang is the epitome of a technical artist as he has finished fights with superb application of punches, kicks, and high-level submissions. “But what I most appreciate is his calm, centered demeanor while under extreme pressure. This is a trait of a true martial artist, and Aung La N Sang is a great representative of the values that we martial artists hold dear. I look forward to meeting him at the SuperShow.”

HANDS-ON WITH THE TALENT Demetrious Johnson and Aung La N Sang will be special guests at the 2020 Martial Arts SuperShow in Las Vegas. Attendees may be able to meet the dynamic duo and get on the mat with them to glean some of their fighting techniques. Visit masupershow.com now to register.

NOT COMING TO THE SUPERSHOW BUT NOTEWORTHY NONETHELESS! In 2015, mixed-martial arts pioneer Rich Franklin retired from his role the inside the cage, but he couldn’t quite get the cage out of his life. He now serves as vice president for ONE Championship. Among the talents he’s cultivated with the Singaporebased organization is the ability to scout up-and-coming stars, and one of the ways he does that is via ONE Warrior Series. Along with director and co-host Jonathan Fong, Franklin traverses the globe in search of the best martial arts talent. The series began as a reality documentary in 2018, and it’s grown into ONE’s premier method for discovering new athletes. On multiple occasions, Franklin has managed to find a diamond in the rough. “The ONE Warrior Series program has proven to be one of the most effective in discovering superstar talent in martial arts,” he said. “We’ve had many prospects come through our doors, and a lot of them have gone on to ONE Championship to become superstars. “Obviously, we have Stamp Fairtex as one of them, but also guys like Dae Sung Park and Lito Adiwang, both explosive finishers that fans absolutely love. It’s been a great journey so far, and we’re just getting started.” To say that ONE Warrior Series has been a success would be an understatement, as the documentary has produced a multitude of current and future stars, the biggest being the aforementioned Thai sensation known as Stamp Fairtex. The winner of the ONE Warrior Series 2 contract, Stamp became a two-sport world champion when she captured the ONE atomweight kickboxing and muay Thai titles in her first two appearances. Then she tested herself inside the ONE Circle to begin her quest for a third world championship in MMA.

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At least one other ONE star hopes to follow in Stamp’s footsteps. His name is Lito “Thunder Kid” Adiwang. Training out of the Team Lakay gym in Baguio City, Philippines, he’s performed impressively in his first two matches. Many are confident that he’s headed for big things. Stamp and Adiwang are just two of ONE Warrior Series’ success stories, and as long as Franklin and his crew continue to scour the earth for hidden gems, more will get an opportunity to shine. “The talent we have already recruited are extraordinary,” Franklin said. “They have the potential to really become global needle-movers. “My athletes have signed contracts giving them the ability to earn a contract with ONE Championship that exceeds $100,000. I can also award these contracts at my own discretion. I’m very much looking forward to this entire year because we have a lot of work to do.” ONE Warrior Series plans to hold four athlete tryouts this year as Franklin searches for the next wave of hopefuls. The crew will stop in Japan, Brazil, America, South Korea and India, in addition to hosting live events in Singapore. “We are looking to make several additions to the roster with a busy year of recruiting in both mixed martial arts and ONE Super Series kickboxing,” Franklin said. “The ONE Warrior Series pace is increasingly giving more opportunities for athletes to graduate through to ONE Championship.” Episodes from Seasons 1-4 of ONE Warrior Series are available on ONE Championship’s official YouTube channel: youtube.com/user/ OneFCMMA. — Sudchaya Muadmuang (Kwang)

TURNING POINT

Kim Pyung-Soo: Feeling a Black Belt’s Confidence BY HERB BORKLAND

“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.”

orn in 1939, Kim Pyung-soo knew at an early age that he wanted to dedicate his life to the martial arts. The creator of chayon-ryu, he earned a bachelor’s degree in Russian language and literature at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, where he also founded the Kwon Bop Martial Arts Club. Later, at the Korean Taekwon Karate Academy in Seoul, he trained the bodyguards of Syngman Rhee, the Republic of Korea’s first president. In 1968, with only $100 in his pocket, he established his first American dojang in Houston, Texas, where he continues to teach and inspire students. He was Black Belt’s 2018 Instructor of the Year. MASuccess: Where did you grow up, and what did your father do? Kim Pyung-soo: I grew up in Seoul, Korea. My father was a farmer. MAS: How did you discover the martial arts? Kim: The Korean War kept us all poor and in turmoil. In fifth grade, I sold newspapers to make money for the family. That winter, I watched a man with his shirt off, practicing martial arts. He showed me how to make a fist and punch. In 1952, the war was still going on. I was in ninth grade, and a friend took me to a tang soo do school. But it looked difficult, and what I saw scared me. Partly it was the war. We were all a little scared and had low confidence. In junior high, bullies beat me up, and that really scared me — so I started tang soo do. I honestly didn’t believe I could learn, but bullies kept showing up. I made black belt in two styles by 1955. MAS: What was your turning point? Kim: Feeling the difference [that] being a black belt made. All the bullies smiled and wanted me to come over and have lunch. I felt the whole world [was] smiling at me when I got a black belt. I thought someday I’d like to be a martial arts teacher — so many people were nervous and lacked

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confidence because of the war, broken families and the rise of big gangs. I founded a school after university, but teaching was not a business. [In Korea,] you could not support yourself. But in the USA, I knew about Henry Cho in New York City and Jhoon Rhee in Washington, D.C. I decided to go, but where? There were good schools to the north, east and south. Nobody wanted to go west because people were rough, there were racial problems and [there was] no Asian/Korean community. I didn’t want to compete with anybody already established. I decided on Houston, Texas. I walked into Immigration with letters of recommendation from the university, Black Belt magazine — I was their first Korea correspondent — and the U.S. Eighth Army HQ, where I also taught. A tough-looking, unsympathetic immigration officer asked, “Why would you like to live here?” I was hungry, tired and so confused [that] I blurted out, “Americans need me, sir!” To explain, I wrote an essay. The same officer guy read it. He hit the desk, saying nothing, then came around and shook my hand. “Welcome!” he said. “America needs you.” I cried. My first school was in a deserted building in the Houston slums. I spent 30 years building up the area. The past six mayors have cited me. MAS: What does the future hold? Kim: My job is teaching, providing information. I have no big organization, not making big money, but for 70 years, I [have taught] my science, art and philosophy. Want to break bricks? Here is a hammer. Want to kill? Buy a gun. I don’t teach violence. Martial arts is to get wisdom out. I will teach until I die.

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

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HEALTH KICK

Sharpen Your Greatest Weapon: Your Staff BY ERIC P. FLEISHMAN

“Not every suggestion made by your employees must be implemented, but simply by taking the time to listen and granting them the respect of your undivided attention, your leadership abilities will rise.”

wning and operating your own dojo can be a dream come true for some. Passing along the knowledge is a tradition as old as the martial arts themselves. But for this process to succeed, would-be teachers must first secure a building, purchase insurance and market themselves. The next step is just as crucial: Assemble a staff. You might start out working solo, but to grow, you’ll need more people. Finding the best instructors is essential, and keeping them happy and motivated will put you on the road to long-term success. The following are my suggestions for maintaining a ship-shape crew: Send them to school. The best instructors are the most educated instructors. Send them to seminars. Bring them to hear a motivational speaker. Invite them to join you at the Martial Arts SuperShow in Las Vegas. Encourage them to register online for a certification and offer to cover the cost. By broadening their skill set, you’re allowing your business to grow from the inside out, priming the pump so you eventually can promote from within. Part of what’s needed to grow your bottom line is growing your instructors along the way. A fringe benefit is they will appreciate your investment in their future. It’s a win/win for everyone! Shout it from the mountaintop. Everyone likes being acknowledged for his or her hard work, be sure to give shout-outs to your staff whenever they provide terrific service. Also, refer to them by name when you’re being interviewed by local news crews. Brag about their accomplishments on social media. Call them onstage to be recognized during parent’s night festivities. Your praise will let them know how much you appreciate their dedication and commitment to excellence, and your students will realize how lucky they are to be at your school. Lend them your ear. Many times when excellent instructors decide to permanently leave a dojo, they’ll tell you that they felt like their voice wasn’t being heard. That means their

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suggestions, opinions and needs were falling on deaf ears. These people are intimately entwined with your business. Their perspective should be listened to and duly noted. Your dojo will benefit from their insights, and it’s likely that small changes can be made from their suggestions in a way that will benefit your school. Of course, not every suggestion must be implemented, but simply by taking the time to listen and granting them the respect of your undivided attention, your leadership abilities will rise. Get thee to a gym. It takes physical prowess to perform martial arts at a high level. However, many instructors fall out of shape because of busy schedules, outside stress and poor eating habits. Take a proactive approach by setting up a corporate membership at a local gym so all staff members can work out for one low price. Besides improving their physical appearance, the endorphins that exercise releases will do wonders for everyone’s mental health. One way to accomplish this is to offer your students the SLEEK NINJA program. It will help align their exercise, diet and sleep patterns, and the transformations they undergo will inspire your instructors to get in shape, too. Show them the Golden Path. How do you give your employees room to grow? Yes, eventually you will retire, and then one of them can advance to your position — but until then? They may believe that the only way to advance is to leave your dojo, and neither side wants that. Look for ways to expand your dojo by adding incentives, such as title changes. Being Head Instructor or Demo Team Coach adds appeal and merit. Encourage your instructors to become ambassadors of the school, helping increase membership and overall interest. Show them a solid path for career development, and they’ll remain your faithful foot soldiers deep into the battle.

Learn about Billy’s BoomBoxing®! Come train with me March 21st-22nd or August 22nd-23rd. Visit TaeBoNation.com for information.

“Let me help you attract more excitement and membership for your gym in 2020”

YOU MESSED UP! NOW WHAT?

Never Stop Learning BY KATHY OLEVSKY

“The most important step for martial arts school owners to take is to work hard on continuing our education. When we’re working to improve ourselves, we’re always moving in a positive direction.”

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’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. It’s so easy to get caught up in the everyday life of running a martial arts school that we often forget the key components of our success in the arts. When operating a business, certain issues rise to the top and get our attention. It’s easy to assume that these are the important issues. In reality, the things we let sink to the bottom are often the ones that make or break us. In the early days of owning my first dojo, my instructor used to say, “You can never make money when you need it the most, and you will always make money when you don’t.” That was his way of telling us that when we’re struggling, we tend to focus on the suffering, but that only makes things worse. He implored us to “Never quit,” and “Always continue learning.” His advice was incredibly practical and turned out to be completely correct. In hindsight, I can say that the most important step for martial arts school owners to take is to work hard on continuing our education. When we’re working to improve ourselves, we’re always moving in a positive direction. When we stop learning and cruise through our days, teaching classes and repeating the cycle, our students can see the lack of passion. Remember the last time you learned something and brought it back to the dojo to teach to your students? The excitement you felt at being able to pass along the new knowledge was likely communicated to your students and spread throughout your school. When you’re a school owner or instructor, it can be hard to remember to schedule time in

your day to learn new things. However, it’s so much easier now than it used to be. One of the best ways to rekindle passion and spread excitement in the dojo is to attend continuing-education events. The Martial Arts SuperShow hosts a wealth of seminars and networking opportunities. All the gold nuggets of knowledge we pick up there can provide enthusiasm for months to come. The SuperShow is by far the biggest and best option for continuing education, but it’s not the only one. There are many resources for learning right at our fingertips. I recently took an online course to help me understand better marketing procedures. I’ve also spent time on YouTube watching videos of fun drills that can be used in my classes. In my early years, I found it incredibly important to devote an hour a week to a prearranged workout with a friend. So if you feel stuck on the road to success — like you just can’t get beyond a certain point no matter how hard you try — it may be time to look where you haven’t been looking. Stop focusing all your effort on resolving the issues of today and start creating a long-term path for your future by expanding your knowledge base. When you teach something new in class, it will inspire your students. When you inspire your students, they will talk to their parents and friends. When they talk about your school, your business will grow. Everything you do to improve yourself professionally will affect your business directly or indirectly. In contrast, if you make every day a repetition of the day before and effect no positive changes, no one will talk about your school. It’s as simple as that. This week, I want you to take time to learn something new. Read a book. Watch a video. Take a seminar. Enroll in an online course. Schedule a workout with a friend. Practice that form you’ve been meaning to improve. Create change for yourself — and for your business.

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

School Showcase May/June 2020 School Owner

John Olds School Name

Rising Phoenix Martial Arts Location

Styles/Disciplines

Taekwondo and Oneway 70 MASUCCESS

Photos Courtesy of John Olds

Kyle, Texas

Why did you begin teaching the martial arts? I always wanted to be a teacher, and nothing seemed as rewarding as teaching martial arts. The martial arts combine many different disciplines: history, philosophy, kinesiology, wellness and more. What is your school name and how did you choose it? My school name is Rising Phoenix Martial Arts. I chose this name because my students, like the phoenix, ascend from their former conditions and become stronger than before. What is your school’s motto or student creed? “Those born in the fire fade not in the sun.” It’s very similar to an ancient Indian proverb, which my grandmother gave me to read at my grandfather’s funeral. I remember reading it and thinking how well it captured the spirit of my fledgling school.

I see my students becoming best friends, it makes me feel like I’m using my life well. What do you find most rewarding about working in the martial arts? Bringing people together to share in a journey that has profoundly affected my life. I believe strongly in the benefits of the martial arts, and I think the most rewarding aspect of this business is when I see that same passion ignite in the eyes of my students. If you could give one bit of advice to fellow martial arts school owners, what would it be? Start small. If you are persistent, you will eventually get there. In the game of life, the turtle beats the hare.

What is your personal teaching philosophy? I try to meet people where they are and encourage them to be the best that they can. I love teaching all ages. With the 3- to 5-year-olds, you can radically change their trajectory. With the older folks, you can give them a feeling of physical accomplishment they haven’t felt in years. I also really enjoy the unique challenges and rewards of teaching those with ADHD, autism and behavioral issues. How long have you taught? I started assisting with classes when I was 12. When I was 15, I started running classes for my head instructor. When I was 18, I went off to college and started my own program. After college, I went to Korea and taught over there. Coming back, I started my new school in Kyle, Texas, and that’s where I am right now. In total, I have been teaching for about 20 years.

Photos Courtesy of John Olds

Who or what inspires you? My father and mother, of course, but also my grandfather Glenn A. Olds Jr., who was both an intellectual and a professional boxer; my great grandfather Glenn A. Olds Sr., who was a bare-knuckle boxing champion and, for a time, coached Jack Dempsey; and my masters throughout the years, in particular grandmasters Ki Moon Kwon, Jin Sup Hong and Bong Soo Ko. What is something unique that your school or your student body does well? We have a very strong community, especially among the teens and adults. The class atmosphere is very positive and warm. I teach my leadership team to be the best friend of anyone that comes through the door. My school feels like my family. When

MAY/JUNE 2020 71

CONSULTANT'S CORNER

Set up Your Systems or Say Sayonara to Success! BY CRIS RODRIGUEZ

“During our first meeting, Mike Metzger looked at our sales system (or lack thereof) and broke down step-by-step the ways we weren’t maximizing profitability in our school.”

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here are two aspects of owning a martial arts business on which we, as an industry, need to focus, level up and improve our skill set: marketing strategies and sales systems. After all, sales are the lifeblood of our businesses. Our schools live and die by the number of new members we can attract. Here’s a fact: People are always going to quit. And I don’t mean to sound harsh, but the reasons they quit don’t matter. Your school needs to bring in new people. Without leads walking through your doors, those doors will close and your opportunity to have an impact on your community will fade. It seems silly to see posts in martial arts–related Facebook groups that treat “sales” like a dirty word. Or that say martial arts training should be free. Or that claim if you charge for your classes, you’re a sellout. Give me a break! The word “salesman” presents a negative image for a lot of people in our industry. If it truly bothers you, just replace the notion of selling with that of serving because when you make a sale, that’s exactly what you’re doing — serving a new client. Here’s the bottom line: If you want to own a successful school, you have to have a successful salesperson on your team. More important, you need to have a sales system in place. When I met Mike Metzger five years ago, I already had what I considered a successful school. We had 300 active paying members and were grossing half a million dollars in one location. But my wife and I were doing all the work. I was in charge of the marketing, and she was in charge of sales. During our first meeting, Metzger looked at our sales system (or lack thereof) and broke down step-by-step the ways we weren’t maximizing profitability in our school. He explained MAIA’s Four-Step Enrollment Process and The Flip Book System. From that day forward, we had a system that would enable us to maximize our profit. Our gross revenue skyrocketed over the next few months. And the cherry on top? It was all scalable! With my marketing skill set, we enjoyed a steady flow of leads, and now we had a sales system that could convert those leads.

So how did we get that steady flow of leads? We had variable and recurring marketing strategies each and every month. Some were online and some were offline, but we were always consistent when it came to having our marketing efforts on the calendar. Many of you know that I love digital marketing. The fact that I can open my laptop, create an ad targeted to my exact customer avatar in less than 10 minutes and have leads pouring in within a few hours has always been a thing of beauty to me. I believe one of the absolute best skill sets any business owner/entrepreneur can have is the ability to drive traffic to his or her business. That we can do this with a few keystrokes is game-changing. But here is the cold, hard truth: To be successful with Facebook ads, you need a strategy, a system in place so the ads actually provide results. Otherwise, you’re just lighting your marketing budget on fire. If you’re offering great services on the mats, you need a smart marketing strategy and a strong sales system in place to help you reach your goals and take your product to the masses. This is precisely why Mike Metzger, Shane Tassoul and I created MAIA Foundations, an affordable group-coaching program in which you learn onlinemarketing strategies that work and sales systems that convert. Our biweekly group-coaching calls allow us to teach you in an environment where you can ask questions live and obtain the help you need to get results. Our monthly Accountability Assignments help you stay accountable with respect to what you’ve committed to. And our Facebook group provides you with immediate, unmatched customer service to get your questions answered fast. If you’re a martial arts school owner who’s ready to bring in more traffic with marketing strategies that work and sign up more students with a sales system that converts, MAIA Foundations was made for you.

To schedule a consulting call with Cris Rodriguez, visit MAIAHub.com/connect.

MASTERFUL RETENTION

Does Retention Really Matter? BY CHRISTOPHER RAPPOLD

“At your next staff meeting, in addition to asking your team members how many new students they signed up for the month, ask if they have had any challenges with current students that potentially could turn into a dropout.”

pen a business magazine or glance at the business section in Barnes & Noble, then try to recall the business-building ads you’ve recently scrolled over while perusing the internet. Regardless of the industry or group on which they focus, you’ll find one thing in common: They’re disproportionately focused on getting new clients rather than retaining existing ones. Case Study The mother of one of my students approached me in the lobby with her young son, who was visibly upset. She asked if I had a moment to talk. As it turned out, although the boy was an angel in our classes, he was a terror at home and at school. She was bringing him in to have him tell us what he’d done. As punishment, his parents had decided to take away the only thing that seemed to matter to him: his martial arts training. It took me a total of 10 minutes to reframe the mom’s decision to remove the positive reinforcement of martial arts. By the end of our meeting, we’d decided that instead of pulling him out of class, we’d set up personalized check-ins for our young student to ensure improved behavior outside the dojo. While this scenario and others like it have been handled by many school owners, where are the records or measurable statistics on the dollar value of these 10-minute interactions? I’ll tell you: Nowhere. They simply don’t exist, and what doesn’t get measured isn’t valued. Allow me to share four reasons this kind of 10-minute conversation that results in saving even one student is more valuable than adding a new student. Time How much time does it take to acquire a new student? More than 10 minutes? I think we all know the answer to that. Cost How much does a conversation like the one described above add to your expenses? If it was done by yourself or a team member, payroll doesn’t change. The extra cost is zero dollars.

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Contrast this with many of your marketing activities, and you’ll see which option is cheaper. Existing students require far less personal service time compared to onboarding a new student. You’ve already formed the basis of the relationship with the existing student — all you have to do is maintain it. Referrals Lots of promises are made at the beginning of every business relationship. When the romance wears off and the inevitable challenges arise, you’ll get your first indicators as to whether the time and effort you’ve invested in your student have been worth it. Who is more likely to be your raving fan: a new student you just met or someone whose child was put on track to a healthier, happier life by your team? Bonus: A retained student pays far less, if any, attention to the competition than does a new student. Lifetime Value What is the greatest number in the business of martial arts? You guessed it: the total lifetime value of a student. This is the cost of tuition at your school multiplied by how long the student trains. When you keep your eye on this and watch the number rise through the years, you know you’re improving the quality of the student’s life and the financial health of your dojo. Here’s an activity you can do to start turning the tide and giving the proper value to activities like the 10-minute conversation mentioned above. At your next staff meeting, in addition to asking your team members how many new students they signed up for the month, ask if they have had any challenges with current students that potentially could turn into a dropout. Ask them to share how they communicated with the student and then talk with them about what you believe will be the impact for the student and what the financial contribution to the dojo will be. When you take the time to measure and put attention on retention, the result will be a win/win for all.

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

THE KICK YOU NEVER SAW COMING

Viral Defense BY BETH A. BLOCK

“If a virus spreads through your school, your students can claim that you made them sick. That means you have a liability claim, and you cannot buy insurance to cover this. Communicable disease is specifically excluded from insurance.”

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OVID-19, influenza, pneumonia — every year, hundreds of thousands of people around the world die from viruses, including tens of thousands within the United States. It doesn’t matter whether the virus is one that’s trending in the news or one that’s so familiar it’s literally become seasonal. They all have the potential to be lethal. We get comfortable with the threat of viruses because in most cases, they don’t seem that bad. The common cold is caused by a virus, after all. Many of us don’t know someone who has died as a direct result of a virus. So when flu season rolls around or a new disease like the one caused by COVID-19 comes onto the scene, we keep on doing business as usual. It can be hard, in fact, for a martial arts business to take preemptive measures. We don’t want to accuse our students or their parents of being sick in our studios — they might be offended. We don’t want to send our team members home if they’re sick — we need them to teach. Shoot, we work when we’re sick! If we don’t, the work won’t get done. However, you need to know when to put your foot down and ask someone to leave for the health and safety of your school. Equally important is dealing with the virus threat that lingers in your school even after the person carrying it has left. Let’s be honest: We’ve all been tempted to slack on cleaning on days when our studios didn’t get “that dirty.” Have you ever seen a team member mop the whole floor without once dumping the mop water, cleaning the mop bucket and refilling it with fresh water and cleaner? All the person is doing is pushing dirty water around on your mat. The disinfecting properties of the cleaner are completely gone before the mat is covered. Some viruses can live for more than a week on surfaces. That’s everything in your studio, not just your mat: door handles, chairs, counters, water fountains, bathroom fixtures and more all have germs and viruses living on them. Other than the obvious threat of infection, a virus poses a risk to your school in a couple of ways.

First, if a virus spreads through your school, your students can claim that you made them sick. That means you have a liability claim, and you cannot buy insurance to cover this. Communicable disease is specifically excluded from insurance. The exclusion leaves you to defend yourself. Second, if a virus spreads in your school and students stop coming to class, your income dries up. Again, you cannot insure against this lost income. In some cases, you can buy insurance that’s limited to state governments closing your school after an outbreak in your school. Bear in mind that the coverage does nothing if students stop coming because of a community outbreak outside your studio. Thinking through a plan and sticking to that plan are the keys to protecting yourself. The Centers for Disease Control released some great educational material on how to prevent virus spread. This information, combined with steps like excluding people with symptoms and routine documented cleanings will give you protection. The recommendations from the CDC include handwashing (specific instructions are available on the CDC’s site), covering your mouth when sneezing or coughing, disposing of tissues immediately and avoiding touching your face. This is all common sense we’ve heard before, right? Even so, humans keep spreading viruses, so we know we aren’t all following these recommendations. Why are we thinking about this now? Whether COVID-19 becomes a pandemic or not, we need to be healthy. Our studios teach families how to live a healthy life. In America, our childhood-obesity rate is 15 percent. Our adult heart disease rate 48.5 percent. Martial arts training is an invitation to change our lives and hopefully avoid becoming one of these statistics. This healthy lifestyle also extends to protection against viruses and chronic diseases.

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

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THE LEGAL LANDSCAPE

Electronic Document Storage: Do Ya Feel Lucky? BY PHILIP E. GOSS JR., ESQ.

“Years ago, with the exception of a minority of jurisdictions, restrictive covenants were uniformly enforced. This is no longer the case.”

78 MASUCCESS

’ve had the pleasure of writing this column for 19 years. The membership of the Martial Arts Industry Association has grown greatly during this time, both in size and sophistication. There are many business subjects that have been and continue to be important to school owners. One is the issue of restrictive covenants and employment agreements — a hot topic on day one and still worthy of attention. Those who read my columns regularly know that I’ve always warned that the law typically moves at a glacial pace. (“Law,” in this case, refers to statutes that are enacted by legislatures and later defined by courts.) The law is not equipped to react quickly to changing technology and social mores. By way of example, who among us in 2001 would have bet their lunch money that by today, marijuana use would be at least partially decriminalized in half of the Unites States or that same-sex marriage would be legal in all 50 states? The law moves slowly, until it doesn’t. Now, the law of restrictive covenants in employment agreements is under attack. Years ago, with the exception of a minority of jurisdictions, restrictive covenants were uniformly enforced. This is no longer the case. Therefore, I suggest the legal protections you seek from these covenants might be more securely gained by utilizing other tools. First, some context. School owners often want to preclude employees from leaving their dojo and opening a school across the street. The method used to stop such action has, for many years, been a restrictive covenant. A valid restrictive covenant must be allowed under your state law, memorialized in written form, reasonable in scope and duration, and drafted to protect a verifiable employer’s business interest. As stated above, even valid and enforceable restrictive covenants are losing steam as preemptive weapons. These agreements never have been self-enforcing; instead, they require the employer to seek judicial intervention. Such an act requires the expenditure of substantial sums of money that you may never recoup, as well as monetarily incal-

culable harm to personal relationships. While these limitations have always been an impediment, legislatures and courts are now more seriously weighing the restraint of trade resulting from precluding a person from starting a business where that individual chooses. Restrictive covenants face greatly increased scrutiny, and in a number of circumstances, several American states flat-out preclude a restrictive covenant from even being included in an employment agreement. I’m not suggesting that you remove restrictive covenants if such contractual clauses are permitted under your state law, but I am suggesting that you bolster several related covenants that also might give you the results you desire. The three pieces of a solid restrictive covenant are the restrictive covenant itself, a preclusion against the use of trade secrets, and a clause precluding a separated employee from soliciting your customers and/or your employees to become associated with the new enterprise. Many restrictive covenants that I have reviewed over the years emphasized the preclusion against a former employee opening a competing school in a certain geographic area but ignored the related sisters of trade-secret preclusion and non-solicitation agreements. It’s obvious that a former employee is at least partially motivated to open a competing school because you have developed a successful customer and employee base that they wish to tap into. By greatly limiting their ability to access or use this information, the end result is positive for you. In the next installment of this column, I will detail how to draft solid trade-secret and non-solicitation agreements so you can protect your business interests in these changing times.

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

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INSPIRATION OVATION

BY KAREN EDEN

“With every class, regardless of how many students show up, you will find me teaching to the best of my ability. I don’t get discouraged and I won’t hold back because I, too, am being recorded in their DNA experience.”

82 MASUCCESS

mong Native Americans, honoring your ancestors is a long-standing practice. Every powwow, every sacred ceremony and every tribute to the creator — they all begin and end with remembering those who have come before. There’s a sharing of the knowledge and comfort that they’re up there in the great beyond, pulling for you and finding ways to guide you when you need help. Native or not, at the very least, we all owe our ancestors a certain amount of respect. After all, it was their love and great determination to thrive that got us where we are today. I, for one, will go out of my way to make sure I remain grateful in remembering these sacrifices — all of them — from 14 different nationalities. Understanding their hardships helps me realize who I am today and what my blood has recorded within my veins. We all must answer the question of who we are meant to be. And like in a tapestry that gets woven over the years of our lives, each and every thread is a contribution that helps us find our way. I think of my native ancestor Jesse Brock, who fought for this country in the Revolutionary War. He was a documented Cherokee Indian. I can’t help but wonder if he knew the fate his own people would face when more than 400 treaties were broken and the land he fought for was eventually taken away. I wasn’t there, but it’s in my blood; I can feel it. I also think of my Japanese ancestor who fought with the forces of Oda Nobunaga during the shogun wars of the Sengoku period. Is there a reason that I have seven black belts today and still can’t stop after 30 years? One of my ancestors was the offspring of King Edward I of England. His notorious battles to preserve his religious beliefs with a “long shank” are well-documented. His blood trickled down into my grandmother’s lineage — something even she did not know.

I also have an ancestor who married a slave woman. Her ancestors arrived in the New World chained to the bottom of a boat. It affects me and the way I think because it’s in my blood. As a martial arts instructor, I keep all this in mind with every new student who walks through the door. They all have their own history, and they all are here for a reason. That reason more than likely will entail me contributing my wisdom and knowledge to help them complete their own tapestry of life, just as my own instructor helped me with mine. Therefore, with every class, regardless of how many students show up, you will find me teaching to the best of my ability. I don’t get discouraged and I won’t hold back because I, too, am being recorded in their DNA experience. Will what I do in some way be passed down in their generations to come, as well? I firmly believe that the people who impact us always will be a part of us. That’s why I dance hard at powwows and write about my founding fathers who have risked their lives to preserve their way of life and the lives of their offspring. They considered me worth the risk and sacrifice. And I am forever indebted to remembering them. My stories documented by my own DNA are endless. Many of them I will never know about, but whatever my ancestors did, it must have worked — because here I am. I think of that often when I am faced with a challenge in life. Like those before me, sometimes I can only do the best I can and wait to see what happens next. But being the best version of myself was the way of my ancestors, and it has to be my way, too, for the good of my own generations to come. Perseverance: May we live it and teach it every day.

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

Photo Courtesy of Karen Eden

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