September/October 2020 by MASuccess

BACK TO SCHOOL! YOUR GUIDE TO MOVING FORWARD POST-COVID PRSRT STD PRSRT US STD POSTAGE US POSTAGE PAID PAID BOLINGBROOK IL BOLINGBROOK IL #2276 PERMIT PERMIT #2276

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2019 2019

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How Cris Rodriguez Built a Thriving Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu School FOSTERING TOLERANCE IN THE MARTIAL ARTS

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

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NEED HELP? WE HAVE AN EXPERT FOR EVERY AREA OF YOUR BUSINESS. No matter what you are struggling with, we have the coach for you. Schedule an appointment today to learn how MAIA can change your business.

MIKE METZGER

Multi-School Specialist & Lead Coach

SHANE TASSOUL

Large School Specialist

KURT KLINGENMEYER Small School Specialist

FRANK SILVERMAN

Executive Director & Wealth Specialist

ss.

JASON FLAME

Community Networking Specialist

ADAM PARMAN

After-School & Summer Camp Specialist

CRIS RODRIGUEZ

Digital Marketing Specialist

CONTENTS FEATURES 28 CRIS RODRIGUEZ: THIS FLORIDA-BASED SCHOOL OWNER MAKES BAD SITUATIONS TAP OUT! B Y P E R R Y W I L L I A M K E L LY

You’ve read her words often in the pages of MASuccess. Now find out the secrets of her winning ways as a school owner. Chances are they can help you defeat COVID!

42 FOSTERING TOLERANCE IN THE MARTIAL ARTS: HOW FAR BLACK MARTIAL ARTISTS HAVE COME AND HOW FAR SOCIETY HAS TO GO BY TERRY L. WILSON

Damon Gilbert, an African-American martial arts competitor and veteran instructor, discusses how racism affects the martial arts community — in the dojo and elsewhere.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020

COLUMNS 38 BLACK BELT LEADERSHIP BY NGUYEN “TOM” GRIGGS

Keep Your Wits About You

40 IN THE CLASSROOM BY DAVE KOVAR

Lessons From a 17th-Century Samurai

56 TURNING POINT BY HERB BORKLAND

Emmet (Tom) Thompson: Catching up With a Martial Arts Pioneer

58 HEALTH KICK

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

An Extra Layer of Bad-Guy Deterrent

60 YOU MESSED UP! NOW WHAT? 64 CONSULTANT’S CORNER

18 HEAR FROM YOUR PEERS 20 PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT 24 THE MAIA REPORT 26 MARKETING RESOURCE 62 SCHOOL SHOWCASE

MAXIM OF THE MONTH

3 Principles for Superior Selling

66 MASTERFUL RETENTION BY CHRIS RAPPOLD

Relationships Are Your School’s Most Important Asset

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

Beware the Tournament Trauma!

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

A Force Majeure Clause Is Good — If You Include the Terms in Future Enrollment Agreements

74 INSPIRATION OVATION BY KAREN EDEN

It Starts With Irritation

8 MASUCCESS

14 IN THE KNOW

Adapt to Changes and Move Forward!

BY ADAM PARMAN

Presented for your professional development: six lessons learned by a martial arts business owner who is based in one of the first states to reopen after the nationwide COVID shutdown.

10 FROM THE DIRECTOR’S DESK

BY K AT H Y O L E V S KY

BY ADAM PARMAN

50 BACK TO SCHOOL

DEPARTMENTS

“Winning tournaments was never really the glory of it. It was the inspiration I felt I gave to a lot of kids who needed to see a figure they felt they could look up to.” — THOMAS LAPUPPET

50 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020 9

FROM THE DIRECTOR’S DESK

Back-to-School With a COVID Twist

I BY FRANK SILVERMAN

MAIA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

“Make contact with the PTA, guidance counselors and principals and ask how you can help them. When you help others, they are more apt to help you.”

10 MASUCCESS

t’s hard to believe that as I write this column, we’re still talking about COVID-19. Actually, it’s not so much that it’s hard to believe; it’s more that I don’t want to believe it. When I received an e-mail saying it was time to send in my essay for this issue of MASuccess, I — probably like everyone reading this — was at a unique spot: I had some extra time on my hands because the world has not yet returned to the pre-pandemic “norm.” At the same time, I’m crazy busy trying to adjust to the new norm and figure out how to operate a business under these conditions. I also wasn’t sure if I should continue writing about how to reopen martial arts schools or if most already will have done so by the time this goes to print. Maybe I should I address how to handle a second wave of COVID-19? Will there even be a second wave? Then it occurred to me that we’re in back-toschool season. What will that look like? Will it be virtual or in classrooms? With or without social distancing? One thing I do know is that students across the country will go back to school one way or another. I also know that, as we have seen throughout this pandemic, different states (and even cities) will have very different guidelines. With that in mind, I could address the backto-school season in a thousand ways. I ended up choosing to focus on “Back-to-School With a COVID Twist.” The following are my suggestions. This is supposed to be the busy season for you. It’s meet-the-teacher time and afterschool-pick-up program time. It’s time to get new members — in some cases, martial arts schools get more new members in the next three months than in the other nine months combined. That’s why you need to approach this back-toschool season aggressively. Assuming elementary, middle and high schools are open in some capacity, you need to educate not only the parents (who are ultimately your clients) but also the school personnel that your dojo is a safe place for children to enroll. You must respect every rule that the schools may have. If a school requires that masks be worn, you need to wear a mask. Now is not “statement time.” If you follow their lead, they will help you in return. Ask a local school to allow you to set up a booth as they conduct their back-to-school night or

teacher meet-and-greet event. If they do not have in-person events scheduled this year, they more than likely will have a big virtual presence. Offer to sponsor those virtual events. In exchange for some type of donation, you can expect some “advertising time” onscreen; if mailers go home, you can have your ad in them. Referrals are more important now than ever before. If a child is in your martial arts school, that means the parents trust you. Arm your members with VIP cards. Make sure you have a great referral reward program. There’s no better testimonial than a parent telling another parent that your facility is a safe place to train. Be as visual as possible. Have bright back-to-school T-shirts made and for sale in your pro shop. Let students know that if they wear your shirt to school within the first one or two weeks, they will get a free 10-minute private lesson on any topic they choose. It’s all about getting out there again. Contact the PTA, guidance counselors and principals and ask how you can help them. When you help others, they are more apt to help you. Also, try to be an “in person” type of professional. Yes, texting and emailing fit very well with the COVID-19 norm, but it’s much harder to say no when you’re face-to-face. Ask to teach PE at the school for a day. Offer to set up a booth at an event. Ask, ask and ask some more. Have a great social media campaign but understand you have to do more than just click a button to get new members. Follow-up will be key. Scheduling will be key. Social distancing is sure to be around, but it’s far better to kick and punch air or bags than not kick and punch at all. If the choice is to social distance or not hold classes, let’s all choose to social distance until the crazy times get back to normal. We all want a great back-to-school season. We can make it happen. It will be hard work, but so is getting your black belt, doing your first MMA fight or competing in your first tournament. Life isn’t easy. This isn’t easy. But we will persevere, and we will be stronger in the end..

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

HAS COVID HURT YOUR SCHOOL FINANCIALLY? Let us help you not only get back on your feet, but DOMINATE! Not sure if MAIA Foundations is right for you? Set up a call at MAIAFoundations.com with one of our coaches.

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! 12 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.

KATHY OLEVSKY AND HER

YOU MESSED UP! NOW WHAT?

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

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.

KAREN EDEN IS A 7TH-DEGREE

INSPIRATION OVATION

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

VOL. 21, NO. 5 // SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020 EDITOR EMERITUS John Corcoran

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

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

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

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

CORRESPONDENTS

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

David Wahl

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

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.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020 13

IN THE KNOW

BY SARAH LOBBAN

WORDS OF WISDOM ONE MUST TRY EVERY DAY TO EXPAND ONE’S LIMITS. — MAS OYAMA

MARTIAL ARTS TRIVIA 1

Which is not a weapons-oriented martial art?

Which family member first influenced actor and Black Belt Hall of Famer Donnie Yen to pursue the martial arts?

On which Japanese islands did karate originate?

A) Angampora B) Bataireacht C) Canne de combat D) Dumog

What was The Green Hornet called in Hong Kong?

ANSWERS: 1) Dumog. 2) His mother Bo Sim Mark. 3) The Kato Show after the character Bruce Lee played. 4) The Ryukyu Islands 14 MASUCCESS

DON’T WANT ANOTHER MONTHLY CHARGE?

Become a Lifetime Member with just

One Payment ELEVATE YOUR CHILDREN’S CLASSES. TEACH PRESKILLZ FOR LIFE.

YOU ASKED HOW DO YOU HANDLE A PARENT WHO COMES TO YOU WANTING TO WITHDRAW HIS OR HER CHILD FROM YOUR CLASS? STATS SPEAK

We try to get to the source of the problem. Sometimes, we’re able to offer alternatives, including a membership freeze, [which enables them to come back later]. If not, an early-termination penalty applies, except in case of moving or a serious injury.” — W I L L A N D H E AT H E R P O T T E R , B I R M I N G H A M A C A D E M Y O F M A R T I A L A R T S , T R U S S V I L L E , A L

We always set up a conference so we can discuss what’s going on. Most of the time, the parent has noticed that there is something bothering the child and they don’t want to go to class. Usually, the problem is something easily fixable, like the child not wanting to put down the videogame before class or finding sparring too intimidating. Once we identify the issue, we can usually get the parent and child back on board with a proper action plan.” — K E V I N N E V E L S , C O P P E L L TA E K W O N D O A C A D E M Y A N D C H A M P I O N S H I P M A RT I A L A RT S ; LAS COLINAS, COPPELL AND IRVING, TX

We offer a complimentary private lesson to assist with their next belt promotion. Perceived lack of progress is typically the reason that a student wants to withdraw. We try to get them to agree to attempt to earn their next belt before giving up.” — 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

16 MASUCCESS

APPROXIMATELY

PERCENT OF BUSINESSES WITH THREE TO NINE EMPLOYEES OFFER HEALTH INSURANCE. SOURCE: LENDEDU.COM

HEAR FROM YOUR

PEERS 18 MASUCCESS

1 2 3

DO YOU HAVE A SYSTEM IN PLACE FOR YOUR SCHOOL TO OPERATE IN CASE YOU HAVE A PERSONAL EMERGENCY (SUDDEN DEATH IN THE FAMILY, ACCIDENT, ILLNESS, ETC.) THAT NECESSITATES YOUR ABSENCE?

74% Yes 26 % No

WHAT IS THE LONGEST TIME YOU WOULD FEEL COMFORTABLE LEAVING YOUR STAFF IN CHARGE OF YOUR SCHOOL IF YOU WERE ABSENT FOR AN EMERGENCY?

25 % Several days

46 % A week

5 % A month or longer

13 % Several weeks 11% Indefinitely

(SINGLE-PERSON SCHOOLS ONLY) IN THE EVENT YOU CANNOT MAKE IT TO YOUR SCHOOL TO TEACH, DO ANY OF YOUR SENIOR STUDENTS HAVE A KEY?

60 % Yes

13 % No

27 % Not applicable SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020 19

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

LEATHER DOUBLE BAG Century®

www.CenturyMartialArts.com

Stick and move. That’s what they say, anyway. Float. Sting. Fight with speed and style. That’s all well and good, but first you need to train, and training requires equipment. The better the equipment, the better the training. The optimal equipment for mobility and reaction speed is the classic double-end leather bag. Keep up with it; keep up with your opponent. You know. Stick and move.

FRONT OPEN WEIGHTED VEST & STANDARD WEIGHTED VEST Century®

www.CenturyMartialArts.com

Leveling up your workout is as easy as putting on a weighted vest. After you’ve figured that out, all you need is the right fit. Closed or open chest? The answer depends on how much space you need. Go with the front-open vest for a snug fit across the top of the chest without restricting the center. Go with the standard (side closure) vest for a tight fit throughout. The front-open model weighs 10 pounds, while the standard model is available in 22 pounds or 26 pounds.

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.

20 MASUCCESS

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.

LO O K S

L I K E

W E

O F

THE

A R E

B U B B L E G U M

ORIGINAL

B O D Y

O P P O N E N T

B A G

CHALLENGE ACCEPTED

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

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

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

TACTICAL TRAINER BACKPACK Century®

www.CenturyMartialArts.com

As a smart martial artist, you don’t need to waste your time or money acquiring a pack that will fall apart at the first sign of hard work. You need a well-made unit with useful features and components. Enter the Tactical Trainer Backpack. It may be just a backpack, but it’s tougher than any other backpack you’ll find. Durable canvas, D-ring supports, reinforced handle — you get the idea.

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.

TACTICAL GEAR BAG Century®

www.CenturyMartialArts.com

Some things should be easy — just not your workout. A tough gear bag that can handle wear and tear from the rigors of hard work can make all the difference. The Tactical Gear Bag is made of durable canvas, and the storage is supported with mesh subdividers. The easy part comes next: The gear bag comes with secondary support straps that allow the bag to quickly and easily convert to rucksack carry mode. Pack the bag and get after it!

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.

22 MASUCCESS

THE

BAND

BACK

CHALLENGE ACCEPTED s e e t h e f u l l l i n e o f p ro f e s s i o n a l g ra d e f re e s t a n d 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

Great Things Are Coming Your Way BY MELISSA TORRES

MAIA DIVISION MANAGER

A couple of bonuses are definitely worth mentioning, including a free MAIA Edge subscription and two free tickets to a MAIA Elite conference. These invaluable additions make this groupconsulting opportunity a no-brainer for school owners who are ready to grow their businesses and reach their goals.

24 MASUCCESS

he past few months have been a wild ride. In these unprecedented times, we all have had to adjust to changes, pivot to a virtual world and learn to be flexible. It’s been a challenge — and a huge learning experience. As you slowly make your way toward a new normal, many of you still may be wondering how you’re going to get back to where you were. You’re unsure how you’ll regain students who left. You’re uncertain how you’ll recover lost revenue. I hope that you were able to attend our Martial Arts SuperShow Virtual Summit earlier this summer and that you picked up some tips and tools for reopening, recovering and returning to normal. You should know, however, that your road to recovery doesn’t have to stop there. You may have heard of MAIA Foundations group consulting and the changes we recently made to our offerings. We now have live biweekly sessions that are held on Zoom. They provide top-notch coaching from experts Mike Metzger, Shane Tassoul and Cris Rodriguez, our digital marketing authority. Once you join, you will be qualified to participate in a closed Facebook group, where you can post questions directly to the coaches. Plus, if you can’t make the live Zoom calls, you will have access to recordings of the sessions, which you can watch anytime. Furthermore, there is a library of information that you will be able to view immediately, which means you can dive right in and start looking for any advice you require. A couple of other bonuses are definitely worth mentioning, including a free MAIA Edge subscription and two free tickets to a MAIA Elite conference. These invaluable additions make this groupconsulting opportunity a no-brainer for school owners who are ready to grow their businesses and reach their goals.

Our coaches have created themes for each month so you can have a set focus each time you meet virtually. Here are a few examples of what’s scheduled: • August: The New Back-to-School Season • September: Conversions and Mass Enrollments • October: Planning for a Record Fourth Quarter • November: The Biggest Revenue Event of the Year • December: End-of-Year Cleanup and Planning for the New Year And there are more business and digital-marketing topics coming next year! Remember that we at the Martial Arts Industry Association are here to help. If you are interested in MAIA Foundations or just want to talk to one of our coaches, please reach out to us. You can get more information at MAIAFoundations.com. If you want to set up a free call to get personalized advice from one of our coaches, visit MAIAHub.com/Connect.

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

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26 MASUCCESS

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This Florida-Based School Owner Makes Bad Situations Tap Out! HER WINNING WAYS CAN HELP YOU DEFEAT COVID.

BY PERRY WILLIAM KELLY

“The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It is a very mean and nasty place, and it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain’t how hard you hit; it’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward.” Those well-known words come from the mouth of a fictional boxer named Rocky Balboa. The character, played by Sylvester Stallone, is telling his son what he needs to do to make it in life. I say that truer words have never been spoken, especially in our current times, when things are fine one day and then the next, the world as we know it changes forever. Cris Rodriguez is like Balboa in that she won’t let setbacks define her future. Instead, she applies a counter to every submission attempt that life throws at her as she travels the path to success — even when one of those submission attempts involves running a martial arts school in one of the hardest-hit areas of the country during the COVID pandemic.

A Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, Rodriguez is co-owner of Gracie PAC MMA, a mixed-martial arts school in Tampa, Florida, that boasts more than 300 students. To tend to their needs, she draws from her 27 years of experience in the arts, 20 of which have seen her in the role of teacher. For the past 10 years, Rodriguez also has studied internet marketing. She founded Grow Pro Agency, an advertising firm that services martial arts academies and fitness centers. From her office in Florida, which she shares with her eight employees, she dispenses advice to businesses in need of guidance. Rodriguez’s martial arts journey began in 1993 when she signed up for an introductory lesson at a Jhoon Rhee taekwondo

school in Tampa. She continued to train in the Korean art throughout her childhood and competed at such prestigious tournaments as the U.S. Open. At 15, she became an assistant instructor at the TKD school, and within a year, she’d become the head instructor. In fact, she was the first female to assume such a role at the school in the 30 years it had existed. Rodriguez would eventually earn her third-degree black belt in TKD. Although she was comfortable with her striking skills, which she’d sharpened to a fine edge, her martial arts worldview was about to change drastically. Her instructor at the TKD academy decided to add a self-defense component to the curriculum, and it would be based on Brazilian jiu-jitsu. At first, Rodriguez hated it because she wasn’t adept at the new skillset. But, as mentioned above, she isn’t one to let present circumstances determine her path in life. She vowed to get good at BJJ, and the best way to do that, she decided, was to enroll at a BJJ school. Her quest for proficiency, which began at 16, eventually led her to Rob Kahn, one of the first Americans to obtain a black belt from Royce Gracie. Rodriguez earned not only her black belt in the art but also the admiration of Kahn, who asked her to manage the school and take over the kids’ program.

DEVELOPMENT Rodriguez’s love of competition, which blossomed when she was ensconced in the striking arts, flourished similarly in the 30 MASUCCESS

Photos Courtesy of Cris Rodriguez/Century Martial Arts

UPBRINGING

Photos Courtesy of Cris Rodriguez/Century Martial Arts

grappling realm. She won a spot on Team USA, and in 2008, she found herself competing in Turkey, where she won a bronze medal in BJJ. Wanting to “check another box off her bucket list,” she entered an MMA event, where she emerged victorious in the first round thanks to a BJJ triangle choke. Over the years, she noticed that her competitive drive and her never-tap-out grit spilled into other endeavors. Case in point: Rodriguez saw many of her martial arts accomplishments while attending the University of South Florida — on a full scholarship. After earning a degree in elementary education, she went on to become an expert in children’s martial arts training and development. That background serves her well these days as she develops curricula for martial arts and fitness businesses. “When parents call and ask what background I have, being able to tell them that I have a degree in elementary education is definitely a checkmark on the pro side,” she said. “My educational background allows me to craft programs that allow children to learn in the best way possible for them, depending on their developmental stage. You see a lot of martial arts schools throw 3-year-olds and 6-year-olds in the same class, but a 3-year-old and a 6-year-old are on different planets in terms of their developmental stages.” With that kind of knowledge base, Rodriguez opened Gracie PAC MMA on September 22, 2012. For her, the date is memorable because it was when she earned her BJJ black belt. She started with a small dojo and, after investing plenty of hard

work, grew her student body to 100 by the end of the year. The expansion continued, and she had to move to a larger location three years ago.

PERSEVERANCE

“When parents call and ask what background I have, being able to tell them that I have a degree in elementary education is definitely a checkmark on the pro side.”

Any BJJ enthusiast will tell you that when you’re rolling, the moment you’re about to secure the perfect submission is precisely when your opponent is most likely to escape and turn the tables on you. This is exactly why Rodriguez finds BJJ the perfect metaphor for life. She’s reminded of this every time she encounters what to many business owners would be setbacks but to her are just obstacles to overcome. In that vein, she recounted three obstacles she faced in a single year when it seemed like her business was running smoothly. The first occurred when she was audited by the IRS — “Never a fun thing to go through!” she said. After eight onerous months of unneeded stress and compounding expenses, it was determined that she owed the government a grand total of $10.50. The second occurred when the State Department of Children and Families tried to shut down her school, claiming that her SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020 31

32 MASUCCESS

innovation. If you can devise ways to provide value to your students by offering them a superior experience, you will enjoy success, she said. “At the end of the day, if your classes aren’t fun, you’re going to lose students. All school owners believe they are teaching great, fun classes, but we all can improve — even if it’s by 1 percent.” The needed innovation, she said, often comes from being part of a group of like-minded individuals. That way, you don’t have to re-invent the wheel.

COVID

afterschool program was essentially a day-care service. Rodriguez was able to prove that her gym’s classes were completely in line with all her county’s regulations. The third occurred when her school was sued after an incident occurred on the premises. Although she’s unable to discuss the details, she prevailed in the end. One key thing that Rodriguez took from these incidents is the importance of having a mentor. For her, that mentor was Mike Metzger, a leading consultant for the Martial Arts Industry Association. “[He was] there for me every step of the way,” she said. “Everything I had gone through, he had gone through something similar. And he was able to guide me in making the proper decisions. “How did I overcome? I overcame by listening to what my mentor told me to do and taking action. As a business owner, you’ve got to be tenacious because there are going to be situations that occur that you never would have thought were going to happen.” Along with having great mentors, Rodriguez said that being part of a community is crucial to success. She discovered such a community — the aforementioned Martial Arts Industry Association — in 2015, when she became a MAIA Elite client. It’s helped her deal with the ups and downs of growing her business. “Who else on the planet knows what you go through as a school owner?” she asked. “Only other school owners.” Once school owners have linked up with their peers, Rodriguez noted, they must pay attention to

When she was forced to adapt to the changes precipitated by the coronavirus and the resulting pandemic, Rodriguez had to draw on all her knowledge and experience, not to mention her connections. Like most other schools, hers was shuttered for several months while the nation endured the lockdown. As a consultant to hundreds of business owners, she was quizzed regularly by people in search of solutions. That upped the pressure to find fixes and be able to communicate them to her clients. When she began noticing a drop in class attendance at the onset of the pandemic, Rodriguez became proactive and immediately went virtual. Because digital marketing is among her specialties, it proved an easy task. Her school became one of the first in the nation to offer online classes. “We actually created the Virtual Martial Arts Blueprint for our industry,” she said. “We were the first in the market to offer something to school owners to be able to learn how to navigate this. “We immediately pivoted to online classes and the best possible experience. It wasn’t just an online class we were offering; it was a full online program with challenges for our members, virtual ‘kids night in’ [events] — our full class schedule online. We had over 30 Zoom classes a week. We offered virtual free community events to bring in new prospects, and we were able to sign up new people.”

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020 33

Rodriguez admitted that Gracie PAC MMA did lose some students, but she said it likely was the result of normal attrition. She did not see a mass exodus during the pandemic. Other schools, she said, reported large losses, and that could have stemmed from any number of shortcomings. Perhaps it was because school leaders failed to communicate sufficiently with their students. Maybe it was because they lacked creativity with respect to their curriculum or the delivery of it. It might have been because they were slow to create and deliver alternate products. “Money loves speed, and those schools that were immediately able to pivot and offer not simply online classes but a full-service online program and an amazing experience were the ones that not only survived but thrived,” she said. As I write this, Florida is reporting 9,000 to 10,000 positive tests for COVID-19 every day, and that prompted me to ask Rodriguez if she could recommend to readers any business strategies that had helped her not only cope but also gain the upper hand against her viral opponent. She said that the governor of Florida had reopened all sports facilities before the spike occurred. However, she knew that not everyone would feel comfortable resuming onsite training. 34 MASUCCESS

Therefore, she surveyed her students to learn what types of classes they would be comfortable taking. The results explain why she’s offering both online and onsite instruction. The virtual classes will continue longer than she initially anticipated, she said, but in the same breath, she shared a brilliant marketing tool she’s developed for potential students who might feel stuck at home. “Something we are focusing on is a Virtual At-Home Starter Kit,” Rodriguez said. “Students get eight weeks of on-demand training, a grappling dummy and a uniform — and it’s all for $199. We set up a progress check on week four for them to earn their belt with the eventual goal of converting them to onsite members.” Her strategy led to further discussion of how she’s managing under COVID. She explained that while Florida requires people to wear masks, in her county, students are exempt from wearing one while working out. To enhance student safety, though, she checks the temperature of all students before class and mandates that her staff members wear a mask. Moreover, for the kids’ classes, instructors ensure that the youngsters practice social distancing and execute techniques only on grappling dummies. Students from the same household are allowed grapple together, however.

H S y

To enhance student safety, though, she checks the temperature of all students before class and mandates that her staff members wear a mask. Always the innovator, Rodriguez shared a strategy she believes will limit the spread of the virus at her school: She calls it “battle buddies.” The concept has small groups of students train together exclusively. The rationale is that if any member gets sick, the outbreak will be limited to one small group. That, it’s hoped, will prevent the rest of the student body from being exposed.

FINAL ADVICE As our time came to an end, I asked Rodriguez if she had any final words of encouragement for the martial arts community during these tough times. “I think you have to be very conscious of making positive deposits in your brain — Tony Robbins calls this ‘transformational vocabulary,’” she said. “Words create meanings, and from the meanings, we create our emotions. Our emotions control all our decisions, our actions and the results that we get. So we’ve got to be conscious of the words we attach to an experience. “I want to ask school owners, ‘What words are you habitually using in your academies during COVID-19? Are you telling yourself no one’s going to sign up? Are you telling yourself parents are not ready to come back? What words are you using and what words are getting in the way of your prog36 MASUCCESS

DYNAMIC DUO › The success of Gracie PAC MMA does not stem solely from the efforts of Cris Rodriguez. The school is co-owned by Stephanie Rodriguez, Cris’ wife. The couple welcomed the newest member of their family, Cruz Jameson, days before the COVID pandemic hit full force. “Stephanie has played a huge role in the success of our academy and our side businesses,” Cris said. “We are truly a team.”

ress?’ Whatever we focus on is what we fuel! My advice is to make positive deposits and ask yourself, ‘Do your results match your potential?’” I asked Rodriguez if there was any message she wanted to convey to MASuccess readers to end this article. “I’m a school owner in the trenches just like you, and I am here for you,” she replied. “If you need anything, please do not hesitate to reach out. You can go to MAIAhub.com and book a free call with me. I am free to answer any questions you might have.” I don’t need to tell you that all martial arts school owners are in a battle right now. Fortunately, we know how to deal with a fight. The thing about conflict is that even though you may be inclined to go it alone, having an ally always helps. And you won’t find any better ally than Cris Rodriguez, the martial arts school owner who makes bad situations tap out. 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.

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BLACK BELT LEADERSHIP

Keep Your Wits About You

BY NGUYEN “TOM” GRIGGS

“We didn’t see the pandemic and the social unrest coming. Now is the time to stay focused on our goals. Remember that during normal times, we can prepare for and deal with problems and with the unexpected. But this isn’t a period of normal times”

38 MASUCCESS

y the time you read this, we all will have been through pandemic-related frustrations, as well as protests and possibly even riots. Although it is important to be aware of what’s going on so we can react to it, it’s crucial that we remain focused on our schools. That focus is the topic of this column. I’d like to start with a parable my dad shared with me: Once there was a worm who decided to make the trek to a lush and densely vegetated area. Now, this worm was quite smart. It knew that perils and threats lurked everywhere. The worm acknowledged that it was slow, so it mapped out the various paths and different areas that would provide the most safety. The worm knew that there were all manner of birds, lizards and other predators, plus random stray dogs and cats that could easily hurt it. The heat of the sun also posed a danger. But the worm was clever enough to realize that moving carefully and quickly was the key to success. While many dangers were associated with the journey, the worm saw the reward as being worth the risk. A leafy green area with rich soil was a paradise that just had to be pursued. The worm set out with caution and patience. When an animal approached or the sun got too hot, it sought shelter and rested. The worm was good at staying safe and being strategic during periods when it could predict danger. Finally, the worm could see the oasis ahead and was thrilled. Then, it came across a set of railroad tracks. It was able to cross the first track and was quickly moving toward the second. Before beginning the climb, it took a moment to scan the area and check for dangers. All seemed clear, other than an odd vibration. After a moment, the worm made the final effort to cross the second track. It could see the destination a few yards away and was filled with anticipation. The worm was almost over the second track when the train came along and ran over its tail. The worm was, of course, in pain. Worse than the physical damage was the emotional shock and disbelief, which stemmed from all its planning and efforts to make it safely to the destination having been catastrophically interrupted.

The worm decided to turn around to inspect the damage to its tail. As it stopped to look, the poor creature didn’t pay attention to its surroundings, and the next wheel of the train crushed it entirely. “The moral of the story,” my dad would tell me, “is to never lose your head just because your butt got hurt.” Now, my dad used slightly more colorful language, but it didn’t change the message. You’ve probably heard a variation of this story. Here’s why it matters now: Through the pandemic and the social unrest, many of us have struggled to keep classes going, get funding, etc. But how many of us have a destination in mind? We worked hard, with patience and fortitude, to get where we were before the pandemic. And we didn’t see the pandemic and the social unrest coming. Now is the time to stay focused on our goals. Remember that during normal times, we — like the worm — can prepare for and deal with problems and with the unexpected. But this isn’t a period of normal times. Therefore, our goals and our dreams must remain in our vision, on our minds and within our hearts. Our dream is what kept us going day and night to get where we are now and where we eventually see ourselves. We all serve as leaders and role models. Remember that what we profess to stand for and how we act have to be in alignment. I’m willing to bet that most of us have fairly similar views; some are just a bit more colorful in how we express ourselves. But as leaders, what we say and do matters to more than just us. We influence many people, including children. People often say they want to be seen as leaders — until they realize that they are being viewed through a magnifying glass. We need to step up as leaders and keep adjusting, cooperating and truly giving and receiving from each other. Now is the time for us to show the world what being a black belt really means.

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

IN THE CLASSROOM

Lessons From a 17th-Century Samurai BY DAVE KOVAR

“I travel frequently, and with travel comes inconvenience and unpredictability, so I try to think of my trips as chances to foster growth and improvement.”

40 MASUCCESS

agakure is a book written in the 17th century by a samurai named Tsunetomo Yamamoto. It’s claimed to be one of the first books to document the samurai lifestyle. Mikio Nishiuchi, my iaido teacher, required us to read it before a belt test a few years back. It was interesting, and I enjoyed it thoroughly. There was one thing Yamamoto wrote that really stuck with me. I didn’t fully understand it at first, but it felt profound. I’m now starting to grasp it, at least a little. I’m paraphrasing, but essentially Yamamoto said that a samurai is always aware, and in every situation, every encounter, there is a chance for growth and improvement if the person is paying attention. I think about this often and try to find ways to apply the concept to my life. I travel frequently, and with travel comes inconvenience and unpredictability, so I try to think of my trips as chances to foster growth and improvement. Here are some of the ways I do this: I try to view delayed or cancelled flights as an opportunity to practice patience and self-control. After all, in these instances, being upset doesn’t help a bit. I’m not always successful, but I’m getting better all the time. I also use delayed flights as a chance to observe other people’s behavior. It’s amazing to see how many seemingly successful people cannot successfully control their emotions. When I see a welldressed businessman verbally shredding the gate agent because a flight has been canceled due to weather, I’m reminded that I can do better. When I’m taking the tram from one terminal to another, I avoid using handrails whenever possible. Instead, I try to fine-tune my balance. I call this “tram surfing.” If it’s a slow tram, I will increase the degree of difficulty by standing on one foot (space permitting).

When given a choice, I always take the stairs. And if I have a layover, I try to spend at least 20 minutes walking up and down them. (Incidentally, the Dallas airport has great stairs, at least three stories high.) When looking for a meal, instead of settling for close or convenient, I go on a scavenger hunt for the healthiest choices. It’s amazing what happens when I raise my standards. Every now and then, if my choices are extremely limited, I will go without food. It’s empowering to realize that you can skip a meal and still be fine. When people-watching — C’mon, we all do it, don’t we? — I try to read strengths and weaknesses, both physical and emotional. I try to just observe, not judge. I’m not sure how accurate I am, but it keeps me aware of my surroundings. If I’m seated at a gate, I try to position myself in a way that allows for maximum visibility. It’s not that I’m worried about someone attacking me as much as it’s a habit that I’ve developed over the years, one that reminds me to be in the moment. Finally, I try to look for small ways to positively impact people near me. This could be anything from helping someone put their suitcase in overhead storage to clearing off the table next to mine in the food court to bringing back a bottle of water for the person sitting next to me at the gate. There’s always something you can do when you look. Thank you, Tsunetomo Yamamoto, for the great advice. Continued growth and improvement are worthy goals, not just for a 17th-century samurai but for a 21st-century martial artist, as well.

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

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HOW FAR BLACK MARTIAL ARTISTS HAVE COME & HOW FAR SOCIETY HAS TO GO by Terry L. Wilson

Damon Gilbert

A month went by, and Tommy Gilbert noticed that the sign ccording to the dictionary, the definition was still up and the place was still empty. “So he asked one of of racism includes the belief that certain our Caucasian students to go over to the building to see if that ethnic groups are inferior to others, property was still available,” Damon said. which supposedly justifies discriminaFollowing a short conversation with the woman, the student tory behavior. In 1985 Tommy Gilbert, left with the rental information in hand — including a lease an African-American police officer in agreement. Clearly, her actions were racially motivated. It wasn’t Oakland, California, and a part-time that she didn’t want a martial arts school operating in her buildkajukenbo instructor, ran up against just ing; she didn’t want to a Black-owned martial arts school there. such an attitude as he searched for a location for a new school. “My dad just said, ‘Screw it! We’re gonna go with it anyway,’” He found the perfect building in an ideal spot — which is when Damon said. “So we ended up getting that spot because of our the trouble began. white student. Our student technically was on all the paperwork Tommy Gilbert inquired about renting the facility and came because that was the only way we were going face to face with a woman whose photo could to get the spot, but it was my dad’s school. have accompanied any dictionary’s definition of “As a business “She would occasionally come around, so we the word “racism.” kept our student as the face of the business with “Back in 1985 and ’86, my dad was teachowner, I have had my dad running it, and she never put two and two ing in the backyard of our home,” said Damon people come in together. At the end of our five-year lease, we Gilbert, Tommy Gilbert’s son. “As the classes moved to a new location and never looked back.” grew, Dad started looking for a storefront to and see me, an open a school. The area he was looking in was San Leandro, California. It was a very nice, Dealing With Stereotypes African-American diverse area. Not all racial issues are so easily sidestepped, “Dad saw this empty building that had a ‘for however, especially when they affect life inside instructor, and I rent’ sign in the window. An older white lady the dojo. owned the building. Now, she had no idea my In 1996, while working as a police officer in knew they were father was a police officer because he wasn’t in Oakland, Damon assumed the role of owner/ thinking that uniform, and Dad never brought it up. He just head instructor of that new kajukenbo school. told her he was a business owner and wanted Being a second-generation leader of a thriving a martial arts to start a martial arts school, then asked if she martial arts business, he didn’t face the same would be interested in renting the space to him. problems his father had dealt with, but racially instructor should “After a short conversation, the lady told him motivated obstacles still cropped up. that the place wasn’t for sale or rent and that “At our new location, we turned out nine be Japanese, they were going to take the sign down. Dad world champions, and we worked tirelessly to said, ‘OK, no big deal,’ and walked away.” Korean or Chinese.” help other business owners and individuals and,

Prejudice can rear its ugly head in many forms. For example, there was a time, long before the martial arts became a household word and a staple of every action flick, when racism determined how styles were spread. It’s well-documented that Bruce Lee’s instructors in China forbade him to teach non-Chinese students in the United States the art of wing chun kung fu. Lee ignored

44 MASUCCESS

the warnings after moving to San Francisco, where he began passing along what his masters considered a “secret art” to foreigner students. As a result, he was censured by his instructors. What Lee encountered is a form of racial discrimination. It falls under the banner of being prejudiced against people of a different nationality. “Being an Oakland guy, I recognize Bruce Lee’s con-

tribution to the martial arts in the Oakland area — one of his first schools was here,” Damon Gilbert said. “The people I’ve met who knew Bruce said he was a great guy and was open to teaching anyone and everyone, and he caught a lot of flak from his peers in Hong Kong. “I think a lot of times, racism pop ups when someone is dealing with the unknown,” Damon said. “Maybe Lee’s

people thought that if he showed their stuff to these people in America, would they appreciate it? Would they cherish it? Would they respect it? Or would they do bad things with it? “Fear of the unknown can create problems that don’t really exist except in your mind. The more you know about a group or a situation, the more it takes away the scare factor.”

Damon Gilbert is a decorated police officer and 14-time sparring world champion. He’s one of the few fighters to have won multiple world titles in both the NBL and NASKA. He’s been a member of Team Paul Mitchel since 2005. When this eighth-degree black belt in kajukenbo changes into his blues as a member of the Oakland Police Department, he patrols some of the most violent streets in America. That’s why he will be featured in an upcoming article in Black Belt that examines the role chokeholds should or should not play in law enforcement.

MARCH/APRIL 2020 45

in the process, became respected as a pillar of the community,” Damon recalled. “But with that said, initially we suffered challenges dealing with stereotypes.” Short history lesson: Before the United States had a martial arts school on virtually every street corner, it was commonly believed that only a person who hailed from an art’s country of origin could teach that art properly. For example, only a Japanese national — preferably, a male — could teach karate and all its

nuances properly. Nothing could be further from the truth, however. These days, dismissing an instructor’s skill based on his or her country of origin is considered racism. At the time, though, it was often viewed as stereotyping. “As a business owner, I have had people come in and see me, an African-American instructor, and I knew they were thinking that a martial arts instructor should be Japanese, Korean or Chinese,” Damon said. “Sometimes they would ask, ‘Who’s the owner?’ When I showed them a picture of myself or my dad, they walked out without even wanting any more information.” A lot has changed since those days, Damon admitted, but he occasionally encounters such antiquated ways of thinking. “Once in a while, I still get that kind of reaction,” he said. “Of course, it could be that I’m not offering the kind of business model that they are looking for, or maybe what I’m offering isn’t the kind of martial art that they are looking for. We need to ask ourselves, however, ‘Is that racism or just bad manners?’” Tommy Gilbert taught Damon that having the right personality can play a big role in getting such people to accept non-Asian instructors. “My dad was a real people person in addition to being a top-notch businessman,” Damon said. “People loved him, and if he couldn’t talk someone into joining the school, their reason could have been based on something other than race. “However, it’s also true that when someone comes to our school — or any school — and sees that the students are predom-

“Bruce is one of my heroes. I had the utmost respect for him, not only as a martial artist but also as a human being because I know what Bruce went through. … My understanding, from talking to Bruce, was that the Kung Fu series was written for him, and Bruce wanted to do that. But the bottom line was that the networks did not want to project a Chinese guy as the main hero. But Bruce explained to me that he believed that all things happened for a reason. Even though he was very upset about it, he felt that everything would work out. He wasn’t going to be denied. I have so much respect for Bruce because I understand what he went through just by being Black in America. “One of the main reasons I became an actor is because I wanted to touch people and motivate people — especially youth and especially Black youth. Because sometimes it’s hard to find good Black heroes or role models. I want to help people see that they can achieve their goals. If I never make another movie, I’ll have achieved my goals. I’ve touched people.” — Jim Kelly, Black Belt magazine, May 1992

46 MASUCCESS

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inately Black or white or blue and green, that may be the reason they leave. And again it may not. Racism isn’t always black and white. The trick is not to jump to conclusions without thinking a situation through.”

Teaching Respect The hallmark of any good martial arts curriculum is teaching respect for one’s fellow human beings. Consider the bow. It has nothing to do with religion. Rather, it’s a way of saying to your opponent, your fellow students or your teachers that you appreciate their time, energy and input, all of which help you grow as a martial artist. Over time, the bow will morph into a handshake — or a pleasant greeting aimed at a stranger on the street. “The beauty of any martial art is the respect that’s shown to your peers because it eventually extends to all walks of life,” Damon said. “In many cases, the ability to respect yourself and others begins in the dojo. “Respect knows no race, creed or color. At our school, we have taught every ethnicity on the planet, which is amazing and awesome. There is no bias, no room for racism. I think racism is a matter of the heart. When you walk into a dojo and you allow that martial art to transform your character and your personality for the better, those issues of the heart are quickly changed for the better.”

Controlling the Classroom As a cop working one of the most dangerous beats in the United States, Damon Gilbert is forced to deal with racism on many levels. His job often puts him in touch with the worst of humanity. But when he changes from his blue uniform to his kajukenbo gi, his beat is the dojo. It’s here that he witnesses the power of the martial arts and the way their positive message transforms lives. “I see the martial arts as a great means of helping end a lot of the negativity in the way people think — in every facet of life,” he said. “I come from an art that incorporates karate, judo, jujitsu, kenpo and boxing, so I’ve had instructors who are Filipino, Caucasian and Latino. I’ve had all kinds of influences throughout my martial arts career. “I don’t see any racism in our art or in our school. We are all about life skills and character building. If someone goes into a martial arts school and says, ‘I don’t like a certain sex or creed or ethnicity, that person will never get what the art has to offer. “The beautiful thing about the martial arts is that if a person does come in with a bias, that person may quickly become humbled by the instructor’s character or by the techniques taught in the classroom. “For example, let’s say the student doesn’t want a woman to teach him or her. But when that female instructor demonstrates her ability, more often than not, that skill set may impress the doubter so much that he or she will see things in a new light. And hopefully those kinds of individuals will 48 MASUCCESS

learn from that experience and become more open to accepting others in the dojo and in life. I believe a good martial arts school is a place where racism and bias don’t exist because the arts are built on a foundation of honesty, integrity, loyalty and respect.” A related benefit of martial arts training is humility, which opens the door to acceptance, Damon added. “Humility is a great tool to fight bias and racism. If a person learns to think past a preconceived notion, then that individual is on the road to being a better-informed individual. And that is the kind of person who will help to diminish racism one day at a time.” Terry L. Wilson is a freelance writer based in San Diego.

“From the martial arts, I learned never to quit. Kung fu was my escape from the world that I knew was so hostile against myself and people of color. In Hong Kong [where I made movies for 10 years], I was respected for my skills and abilities. The martial arts have been the backbone of my character building and social development for my life.” — Ron Van Clief, Black Belt magazine, June/July 2013

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6 LESSONS

That Will Help You Gear Up for This Important Season in the COVID Era > by Adam Parman

s American states begin allowing businesses to reopen — just in time for the back-to-school season — many martial arts school owners are finding themselves in a strange new world filled with challenges, financial pressures, fears and, in many cases, far fewer students than they once had. This has made their lives anything but easy because their minds are filled with self-doubt and apprehension. As a martial artist, you know what it’s like to be pummeled in a fight — and what it takes to come back and win. But do you have the fortitude and the know-how to do the same with your business? No doubt you’ve heard about martial art schools across the country closing their doors permanently, and you’ve vowed that even though it’s apparent that not every business will survive, you won’t be one of the victims. But that may not be enough to solve the problem. Chances are you also can benefit from a few pointers. I’m based in Georgia, one of the first states to reopen. That means I’ve already begun navigating the uncharted waters that lie before all of us. Because I know how confusing this journey can be, I’ve prepared a list of lessons that can help. Lesson No. 1

It ’s not over!

Don’t be lulled into thinking that your most challenging months as a business owner are behind you. We all would like to think

Don’t be lulled into thinking that your most challenging months as a business owner are behind you.

52 MASUCCESS

that once we reopen, the cancellations will stop, the students will come back and the revenue will return. Unfortunately, with social distancing and class-size limitations, this likely won’t be the case for you. After we reopened, we continued to receive cancellations from students who had lost interest while trying to participate in our Zoom classes. We also lost students whose automated tuition payments stopped without explanation. Furthermore, we noted that students who returned did so at a slower rate than we had anticipated and that renewals were low. The first several weeks were sobering, to say the least. Why am I opening with such a “lesson”? Because it’s essential to state this at the outset so you know what you’re up against — just like any martial artist who’s heading into a fight. Lesson No. 2

Systems matter!

After talking with clients, speaking with friends and reaching out to my connections in the industry, I realized that we’re not as bad off as some martial arts schools are. While we experienced losses, our school didn’t lose nearly as many students — and I discovered the reason: systems. You need to have systems in place for retention, cancellations, student communication, upgrades and replies to leads. Having these helped us retain our current students and enroll new ones

while many schools suffered. Those same systems are helping us rebuild at a faster pace, and that will enable us to get back on top. If you haven’t already, take the time to focus on your systems and make changes where needed. Some of the systems that made a big difference for us were the selling of programs (rather than memberships), our extended time guarantee, our summer seminar series, our upgrade nomination process and our “miss you” automatic responses. If you’re lacking any of these, make it a priority to find someone who can help you develop them so they can take your school to the next level and strengthen your opportunities for growth in the immediate future. Lesson No. 3

Virtual training is not optimal! When the shutdown hit, I remember seeing Facebook posts made by school owners who seemed overjoyed that their first day of virtual training went well. Many made comments about how they would continue the virtual training forever because it held limitless possibilities. Fast-forward 12 weeks: None of our schools’ instructors look forward to getting in front of the computer to do another Zoom

class. Although I, too, prefer in-person training, I admit that virtual training serves a purpose and, as such, it will be critical to your success as you reopen. Expect many of your students to be apprehensive about returning or, even worse, unwilling to return to in-person classes at all. As a result, it’s imperative that you continue online training for now — at least until the majority of your student body comes back. While most of us can agree that the internet is not the best way to teach martial arts, our schools have found ways to incorporate it into our business, and we’ve had outstanding results. Example: We recently held a “parent presentation” on the last day of our summer camp and invited the parents to join us for a special martial arts class on Zoom. During the class, campers showed off all the cool martial arts techniques they’d learned. If it was their first week of camp, we allowed each participant to break a board and earn their white belt. At the end of the Zoom session, we discussed a special enrollment offer and asked parents if they wanted to take advantage of this deal when they picked up their child later that day. The end result: five new enrollments for our evening classes. Over the past few months, we’ve found that virtual training is also useful for orientation purposes and private lessons with SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020 53

students who have schedule challenges or are still leery about returning to our schools.

money to remodel your school. Instead, use it to rebuild your student body. The following are five ways to maximize this marketing campaign. Lesson 5a: Ensure that you’re capturing every lead and that Lesson No. 4 you’re receiving notices as soon as they come in. If your website and Facebook pages are not supplying you with daily leads, you’re doing something wrong. You need to fix it immediately. This is perhaps the biggest lesson my staff and I learned. When I never realized how many leads my staff was missing until we they returned, I had them call each member and ask about their switched to a website that was built to convert, one designed plans for coming back. Some said they were ready to do so with an understanding of the martial arts business. Your ability immediately. Most said they would wait cautiously. Others were to follow-up with those leads in a timely manner is essential to adamant that they wouldn’t be resuming in-person training get people to schedule appointments at your facility instead of anytime soon. at a competitor’s school. The staff members looked defeated after those calls — which is when I realized that we hadn’t Lesson 5b: Work on implementing asked the right questions. or revising your automation lead flows Rather than inquire about the stuto engage prospects and convert leads dents’ intentions, we should have into appointments. Remember that asked what would make them feel some leads aren’t ready to make a more comfortable about returning, decision about your program right then worked with them to provide a away. They’re simply visiting your reasonable solution. Once we started website while they consider getting posing the right questions, we found involved in martial arts and may that many said they were OK with the make a decision in the near future. notion of coming in for private lessons This is why it’s so important to have We noticed that most parents who even though they didn’t want to join automated flows that are designed to the group classes. engage, inform and convert leads into contacted us about virtual training That revelation prompted us to appointments or trials. were OK with in-person training work on building trust in the safety It’s worth noting that not every lead of our private lessons, after which it is looking for the same thing or the as long as they understood all the became easier to get them into larger same program. Make sure you have — although still restricted in size — separate automations that are taiprotocols we had implemented to group classes that use social distanclored to the individual interest of each keep everyone safe. ing markers on the floor and equiplead. My schools have separate lead ment that’s cleaned more rigorously. automations for our kids, teen and Likewise, I found that asking the right questions during the adult classes, as well as for birthday parties, summer camps and inquiry calls and the orientation appointments was crucial. afterschool programs. Like most martial arts schools, we have a web page that offers Lesson 5c: Create a plan of action and be prepared to launch a virtual training and promotes in-person classes. However, we back-to-school special as soon as you begin to see more interest noticed that most parents who contacted us about virtual trainin attending class. ing were OK with in-person training as long as they understood When businesses go through hard times, they often stop all the protocols we had implemented to keep everyone safe. marketing because money is tight. Don’t make this mistake. Remember that it’s easier to build value in your classes once The longer it takes your school to regain the students you had, someone has experienced them in person. That brings in down the more it’s going to ultimately cost you. You must be willing payments — revenue you’ll need to get up to full speed again. to spend money to make a quick recovery. This could be money you don’t want to spend or money you’re reluctant to allocate because of the financial losses you incurred. This can’t stop you Lesson No. 5 from investing in your business. Lesson 5d: Learn to think outside the box. When you reopen, you’ll need to set aside old, preconceived ideas and make some Replacing the students you lost must be your top priority. To changes that might be uncomfortable. Embrace that! that end, you should invest extra time and money in maximizing Whenever I feel uncomfortable, I tell myself that it means I’m your marketing efforts. For school owners who were fortunate growing as a person, a manager and a leader. Get comfortable to receive a government-backed loan, resist the urge to use the

It’s crucial to ask the right questions!

You need to maximize your marketing!

54 MASUCCESS

with being uncomfortable. Start thinking about solutions rather than excuses. Government restrictions will keep you from doing business indefinitely if you let them. Stop letting them. Start looking for unique ways to interact with your students — for example, a buddy day in the park or a virtual mass enrollment. Lesson 5e: Don’t forget traditional forms of marketing. If you’re not marketing your school on social media and Google, you’re missing out on a ton of leads. The more forms of marketing you use, the better everything works. You must have a strong online presence, but you also must have a strong local marketing effort. This includes direct mail, banners on the street, yard signs, rack cards in businesses and so on. The more marketing you have in your community, the more effective your online marketing will be. They work hand-in-hand to deliver the results you need to beat this virus and continue to make a difference in your community. Lesson No. 6

You must learn how to find your new ideal customer!

If you had asked me in March 2020 what the ideal customer for our academies was, I would have listed the characteristics that made our current students ideal. Most of those things no longer matter. The new ideal customer is someone who’s not afraid to take in-person classes, not afraid of catching the coronavirus and not predisposed to continuing to shelter in place. These students see value in what you offer and are excited to get

started with a new activity that’s not virtual. They understand and respect the COVID protocols you have in place, but they would train with you regardless. These students can afford your program, may have jobs that allow them to work from home and are quick to refer friends to your academy. Knowing these attributes enables you to market accordingly. To that end, we recently modified our print and web advertising to include statements like “Now offering in-person classes!” and “Get started today with your in-person orientation lesson!” This is designed to attract what we regard as our new ideal member. As you reopen, you might need to make similar changes in your marketing. Throughout this difficult process, never forget the winner’s mindset. We all make decisions about the things we allow to influence us. We must strive to push aside negative beliefs and thoughts of self-doubt. Because this likely will be one of the most challenging times your business ever faces, I recommend you do the following: Right now, tell yourself that you have this, that you’re up for the challenge and that you will succeed! Now is the time for action. Conquer the day and learn to thrive amid the turmoil. Adam Parman is a Martial Arts Industry Association consultant who owns schools in Atlanta, Georgia. He’s worked for some of the biggest names in the industry, including Keith Scott, Joe Corley, Bill Clark, Mike Metzger and Frank Silverman. To contact him, send an email to aparman@masuccess.com. SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020 55

TURNING POINT

Emmet (Tom) Thompson: Catching up With a Martial Arts Pioneer

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

MASuccess: Where did you grow up, and what did your dad do? Tom Thompson: I grew up in Dallas, Texas. By age 15, I lived alone with my father because of a dysfunctional family. He did a number of things before passing. MAS: How did you first hear about martial arts? Thompson: I was in 10th grade and knew of a nearby karate school. When my father passed, I inherited money, so I took lessons in everything — flying, scuba diving and karate at Allen Steen’s school. I went to class every day. This was my sport! I loved the hard contact in martial arts. Years later, for sixth dan and above, I created the Kil Il Do Kwan: School of the Way of the Christian. MAS: What was your turning point? Thompson: I had been in real estate for 20 years, but my heart wasn’t in it. I became a member of the Cooper Aerobics Center and ultimately was asked to be the first instructor ever to teach martial arts there. One day, I was running the track and looked up at the sky and prayed, “Lord, I’d love 56 MASUCCESS

to make my home here.” My program there is still going strong with younger instructors. I organized the American Council of Martial Arts. This was the first certification program for instructors across all styles that taught the exercise science behind our activities. The idea was to validate martial arts as a fitness modality. I had argued with an aerobics instructor about cardiovascular benefits. He pointed out I had “no data” to substantiate my claims. So I ended up doing an unpublished study validating CV benefits. If done with a certain protocol, martial arts give an 80-percent improvement. Big! Better yet, it made me go back to college — I had never finished school — at age 41. I spent eight years getting three degrees. I hated school, but I learned education is a gift, not to make you smarter, just educated. I urge everybody to seek facts out. MAS: What’s the future of martial arts? Thompson: The sky’s the limit. For me, I think, once it is in your blood, it’s in your blood. But health is king or queen. We need a healthy way of thinking about the gift of martial arts. When it is a lifestyle component, it is great, but this isn’t the center of your life. Some black belts — that’s all they talk about. I still put on a gi when my son and I go to one of my great friend grandmaster Keith Yates’ classes, but I only attend. You know, I met Gogen “The Cat” Yamaguchi in Japan at his school. All he did was just walk around and watch the black belts training. You’re validating the instruction the students are getting just by being there.

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

Photos Courtesy of Emmet Thompson

BY HERB BORKLAND

inth-dan Tom Thompson holds the record for the fastest brown-belt promotion in Skipper Mullen’s system. In 1971, at age 21, Thompson partnered with Allen Steen to become the fourth importer of martial arts supplies in America. An active lecturer, researcher and author, Thompson is also the founder and former director of the Fellowship of Christian Martial Artists. On November 14, 2009, he became both the oldest football player in NCAA history and, at age 59, the oldest to score a point during a game. He and his wife own AFC Management, Inc., which operates the Alpha Fitness Centers in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex.

HOW DOES YOUR SCHOOL STACK UP?

Photos Courtesy of Emmet Thompson

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.

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HEALTH KICK

An Extra Layer of Bad-Guy Deterrent BY ERIC P. FLEISHMAN

“Unless you happen to wear your black belt and tournament medals everywhere you go, there is no visible outer evidence of that inner skill that will deter wouldbe-wrongdoers.”

eing in great shape has always been an excellent way to increase your personal security and the safety of those you care about. Studies reveal that criminals are less likely to prey on people who appear physically imposing. Typically, victims end up being women, children and the elderly — individuals who are perceived as easy targets. Even being physically commanding in the vicinity of potential danger can deter criminals from striking. Years ago, after completing decades of high-level martial arts training, I would take walks through Central Park in New York City late at night, hoping to catch a glimpse of the rumored underworld that existed there. My plans for vigilante justice were never realized — I was simply too fit to be targeted. Another fascinating dynamic occurs when groups are confronted by an emergency. The fittest, or most physically relevant, person is subconsciously selected and called to action by the group without a word being said. This happened to me a few years ago in Los Angeles. I was sitting in a small cafe, enjoying lunch with a friend who had just returned after touring with a famous rock band. As we sat happily, consumed in conversation, our tranquility was interrupted by a crashing noise. I turned to see what the commotion was and heard, “How’s that for next available table?” A disheveled, middle-aged man was waving a cane above a huge pile of broken plates. To the dismay of the host, the man raised his stick again and brought it down on the counter with a tremendous crack! The less-than-gentle gentleman then turned and scanned the restaurant as though he was waiting to see if anyone would challenge his outburst. Everybody sat quietly, however. Everyone but me. I took a long moment to look around the room at the faces of ordinary people who were scared stiff at the notion that they were in a potential crisis. I rose slowly and assessed the situation. Who was sitting next to the man? Was anyone still somehow oblivious? Did anything about his demeanor or body language indicate that he had a secondary weapon, or was the cane it?

Then I broke the silence by politely suggesting that he leave the premises. “Why don’t you make me, you little piece of crap?” he sneered, waving his cane in my face. I don’t know what reply he was expecting, but from the look on his face, it certainly wasn’t, “OK.” The cane was not sharpened; it was simple enough to reach out and grab. From there, I had easy access to his wrist to perform a basic behind-the-back armlock. “Out we go,” I said while escorting him through the front door. I warned him not to come back and ignored the expletives he hurled at me from the parking lot. As I returned to my table, I was greeted with applause and handshakes. I marveled at the fact that, after all my training and all my late-night vigilante prowls, all it took to make a difference was a little wrist lock and some muscle! I guess it was just my turn to help, and I was happy to oblige. The point I’m trying to make is, knowing martial arts is fantastic, and your skills are what you should rely on if you’re ever confronted. However, unless you happen to wear your black belt and tournament medals everywhere you go, there is no visible outer evidence of that inner skill that will deter would-be-wrongdoers. Augmenting your frame with functional muscle adds an extra signal: “You don’t want to mess with me.” In the example I gave here, the agitated man didn’t try to come back in the restaurant. If I had looked more formidable from the get-go (perhaps if I had been standing, rather than seated), he might have chosen not to make a scene in the first place. Of course, physicality will not always be enough to stop an opponent who’s hell-bent on attacking you or someone around you. But it goes a long way as a preventative. Why not give yourself every possible advantage? Devote some time to developing your physique, as well as your technique, and you will see the benefits. Eric P. Fleishman — aka Eric the Trainer — is a Hollywood-based trainer of celebrities. In the 28 years he’s worked in the industry, he’s taught actors, musicians, MMA fighters and military personnel. He hosts a popular TV show called Celebrity Sweat, which is available on Amazon Prime. His message of healthy living has been adopted by many groups, most recently the American Culinary Federation.

58 MASUCCESS

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8/1/18 5:18 PM

YOU MESSED UP! NOW WHAT?

Adapt to Changes and Move Forward! BY KATHY OLEVSKY

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

60 MASUCCESS

ver time, I’ve found that change is uncomfortable for me. I’m sure that many of you have come to the same conclusion. When you become good at something and therefore successful, it’s hard to watch it all slip backward to the point where you have to start over. Case in point: As a result of the nationwide stayat-home orders implemented because of COVID-19, most martial arts instructors transitioned to online teaching. I was in shock when I first realized that our once-thriving business would not be operating at a capacity even close to what it was pre-pandemic. After the shock came the fear. How was my business of nearly 45 years going to survive this? Finally came the research, the brainstorming and the planning. We vowed to do what it took to survive. We always have, and we always will. We are martial artists, and we know how to rise above. Everything is hard, but that doesn’t mean we quit. It means we work harder. Now, months later, we still offer online instruction and have resumed some classes in our dojo. We’re not back to teaching 20-plus classes a day six days a week, but we are organizing more private lessons than ever before. We’re conducting outdoor classes for those who still don’t want to enter an enclosed space. We’re providing online instruction for those who still need to stay home. We’re striving to meet the needs of as many students as we can, rather than asking them to conform to our physical space the way we used to. At the beginning of this column, I noted that I don’t like change. That’s because I like to be in control. I like the feeling of having confidence in my habits and my procedures. With COVID, it was hard to accept that I needed to change, but none of us had a choice. So we did it, and we turned to each other for help. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reviewing all the online training that Century Martial Arts has made available. Without even going to a convention, I got to train with Mike Chat, Apolo Ladra, Mike Lee, Martina Leal and others.

Furthermore, I participated in many groups on social media that continue to provide support and knowledge for their members, making it relatively simple to search for answers to any question. We all were forced to recreate our businesses, and almost everyone is open and helpful. With COVID, we martial arts instructors were turned into white belts again, and we had to experience what they feel when they start class in our schools. We had to follow directions on new equipment. We had to set up new routines. We had to build a new knowledge base. At this point, I think I might be a green belt. On my path to becoming a black belt on this new journey, I’ve learned to ask my clients what they need instead of dictating our program to them. I’ve learned that we can’t offer one choice anymore. If we want to grow back to anything close to what we were before the pandemic, we have to get comfortable with change and know that we’re simply in a learning process again. With that in mind, I have a new mantra: Plan, set a schedule, adapt to changes and move forward.

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

School Showcase September/October 2020 School Owner

C.E. Rivas Mt. Everest Karate Studio, aka “The Dojo” Location

Suffolk, Virginia Styles/Disciplines

Shorin-ryu, goju-ryu and kobudo 62 MASUCCESS

Photos Courtesy of Mt. Everest Karate Studio

School Name

How did you choose your school name? My dojo is named Mt. Everest Karate Studio. I think the name speaks for itself. Everyone who has made it to black-belt status at my dojo knows the climb is steep, hard and nothing but a challenge.

Photos Courtesy of Mt. Everest Karate Studio

How long have you been teaching? Not long — only 29 years. How long have you owned your school? I’ve been a school owner for 22 years. However, I moved to my current location two years ago. Who or what inspires you? The old way of karate-do. My inspiration is the determination to follow the true way just like my predecessors did in their lifetimes. I believe there is true honor in that. What is your personal teaching philosophy? Our objective is to discipline every member of our karate community, to seek a higher self by gaining confidence, to achieve higher goals for themselves and to help others do the same.

Why did you begin teaching martial arts? I was a green belt and about 22 years old when a parent approached me and shared a very powerful story about his son. Long story short, the father stated that because of my dedication and my strong commitment to karate, he was able to get full custody of his son. At that moment, I knew how much of a positive impact I was having not only in children but also in the parents themselves. What is your favorite inspirational quote? Passion makes a difference where you are and where you’re going to be. If you could give one bit of advice to fellow martial arts school owners, what would it be? Remember: Character, character, character. You only get one name, so use it wisely. What is your school’s motto or student creed? Be stronger today than you were yesterday!

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020 63

CONSULTANT'S CORNER

3 Principles for Superior Selling BY ADAM PARMAN

MAIA CONSULTANT

“Create a process that shows your customers how you can fulfill their needs, and they’ll be asking you how to sign up.”

ave you ever heard employees or other school owners comment that they “hate the sales part” of running a martial arts school? Maybe you’ve even said it yourself. I couldn’t agree more! I hate selling. Why? I hate pressuring people to do something they don’t want to do. I hate trying to overcome their objections and persuade them to buy my service or product. But most of all, I hate rejection. So if I hate selling so much, why am I running a business that sells martial arts lessons? Easy. We don’t sell; we share the benefits of our program and then give people an opportunity to be a part of it. To fully understand this, you first must understand three key principles of sales.

before noon. Additionally, they have less-than-ideal websites and become almost secretive about their prices when asked on the phone. No wonder customers choose to search elsewhere. When was the last time you reviewed your enrollment process and looked for ways to streamline it and make it easier for your customers to get involved? When potential customers walk into your school, is there someone to greet them and answer their questions? Do you have information about your programs available out in front of your school? Does your website have the capability to sign up people for a trial and allow them to pick a time for their first lesson? Stop losing business to your competition because you’ve made it too hard for your customers to do business with you.

People Love to Buy But Hate to Be Sold To Think about it. We buy things every day. We live in a time when we can order millions of items with the click of a button and get them delivered to our door in 24 hours or less. There is no doubt that people like to buy, but how can we get them to buy from us? A better question is, Why do people buy? You might think you know the answer. But if you get price objections, customers who “need to think it over” or customers who never return, you don’t have a clue. Customers buy because they believe in the people offering the service, have confidence in the business, think that the product or service fits their needs, and judge the price to be fair. Furthermore, they believe that the service will increase their ability to lose weight, defend themselves, show greater confidence in work or school, unwind after a hard day’s work, instill discipline, etc. In other words, they believe it will fulfill a need they have. Create a process that shows your customers how you can fulfill their needs, and they’ll be asking you how to sign up.

The Focus Should Be on the Real Decision-Maker Ever wonder why you can’t set the appointment or why people won’t commit to the program? Often it’s because they’re not the one who can make the decision. You feel like you’re selling, but the person who is qualified to make the decision is not present. That happens because you’ve failed to give the real decision-maker a compelling reason to be a part of the process. If the decision-maker is present, you’ll have the opportunity to show the value of your program and get the desired result. Examine your inquiry process and make changes to ensure that all decision-makers are present during the trial or evaluation lesson. Train your staff to ask questions about who the decision-makers are. Teach them how to give a compelling reason for those people to be present during the process. By incorporating these three strategic principles into your business, you can move past selling and begin sharing the benefits that the martial arts can have on the lives of your customers. That allows you to do more of what you love without the pressures of having to sell anything.

Convenience Is the Key Are you making it easy for your customers to get information about you, contact you or purchase items from you? As a consultant, I find that when I call schools, many of them cannot be reached

Adam Parman is a Martial Arts Industry Association consultant who owns schools in Atlanta, Georgia. To contact him, send an email to aparman@masuccess.com.

Mac

64 MASUCCESS

A BO STAFF & KAMA CURRICULUM Mackensi Emory

Jackson Rudolph

MASTERFUL RETENTION

Relationships Are Your School’s Most Important Asset BY CHRISTOPHER RAPPOLD

“The strength of the bond that develops in person between teacher and student is unique. Sometimes it can even rival the strength of familial connections.”

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hink for a moment about your martial arts school and its current positioning. For better or worse, COVID-19 exposed a weakness in most martial arts programs across the country: We struggle to know what to do when we can’t teach lessons in person. I don’t pretend to have all the answers, but together, we need to learn as much as possible from this experience. To spark the learning, I would pose a question: How do you compete against the thousands of free martial arts videos on YouTube? How do you take on the popular mainstream fitness videos and the free live training offered by their brands? How do you compete against trendy home-workout devices? Answer: You don’t! Now, before anyone concludes that I’m saying you should just throw in the towel, I ask you to think a bit more strategically. Instead of, “How can I compete?” ask yourself, “What can I offer that others can’t?” The answer will be different for everyone. I encourage you to consider the immense power of relationships as the most important asset at your disposal. Those relationships are the glue that keeps your students coming back. Instructional videos, although valuable, create only a one-way relationship with the audience. As I think about my training and the training my students undergo, I see that the strength of the bond that develops in person between teacher and student is unique. Sometimes it can even rival the strength of familial connections. Another question: What are the things my team and I can provide that will strengthen our bond? Below is a partial list of what you should consider. Good school owners know the list. Great school owners not only know the list but also have impeccable systems to ensure that every item on it is executed. • Know your students and their family members by name. • Keep in mind all the students’ goals. Ask them to share their goals with you routinely. When they

need encouragement, remind them of everything they initially set out to accomplish. Hold them accountable. Praise them when they achieve their goals. • Care about what your students do away from class. They have lives outside of your facility that involve family, friends, work, school and so on. The quality of their lives in the outside world impacts their lives in the inside world. • Provide unexpected thoughtful gestures. A call, note, text or other communication every so often goes a long way toward reminding them that you care. • Ensure that they are making real and consistent progress, not just taking classes and moving through the belt ranks. These are important components of training, true, but you must also be aware of their overall development. Finally, let me ask this: What happened when you were faced with the stay-at-home order brought on by COVID-19? Although it’s not a perfect measure of how your students value their relationship with you (as some had no choice but to be absent), it’s beneficial to look at how many of them kept the connection strong versus how many ditched their lessons immediately. Unless their goals of being fit and learning and growing changed, how they continued their relationship with you is tied directly to the strength of the glue that binds them to you, your school and the goals they committed to achieving. At worst, it will be painful to look at — but you will learn more of the truth. At best, what happened will be an accurate reflection of the beliefs that are shared and the relationships that you have with your students. While nothing is ever perfect or guaranteed, I encourage you to take time to reflect on what you can do differently so that if this ever happens again, you’ll lose as little momentum as possible. Like in the stock market, sometimes avoiding the huge loss and staying even is the way to win in the long run.

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

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THE KICK YOU NEVER SAW COMING

Beware the Tournament Trauma! BY BETH A. BLOCK

Everything seemed to be going well. A couple of twisted ankles occurred. There also was a strained back, a black eye and a broken leg — all common in competition. Then came the big deal: A detached retina suffered by a 14-year-old girl.

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ournaments can be an important part of martial arts training. They allow us to experience the drive of competition, to learn how to accept defeat gracefully and to feel the thrill of victory. Some studios require participation; some make it optional. Others do not train their students to compete at all. No matter where you stand, there is one certainty when it comes to tournaments: They always carry a risk of injury. In this column, I will focus on a specific tournament story not because COVID-19 is over — the disease is still an important risk to manage — but because I want to remind everyone that we face other risks in the martial arts. A few years ago, I attended a tournament that involved several hundred people and dozens of studios. The insurance companies I represent always advise the organizers of such events to have EMTs on-site. That’s recommended because, as we all know, participants can get injured no matter how careful the organizer is. This particular tournament included traditional forms, open forms, weapons, one-on-one sparring and group sparring. The brackets were set by rank and age. Everything seemed to be well-organized. I was manning a table near the competition rings and next to the EMT table. I saw all the injured competitors as they came through. The tournament host wouldn’t let participants resume competing unless they were cleared by the EMTs. I was impressed. Everything seemed to be going well. A couple of twisted ankles occurred. There also was a strained back, a black eye and a broken leg — all common in competition. Then came the big deal: A detached retina suffered by a 14-year-old girl. She had seen the roundhouse kick coming at her head but chose not to block. Instead, her defense/ offense was to bob and weave, then charge. Problem is she didn’t bob low enough. She took a foot to the eye and — bam! — sustained a severe injury. Over the next three months, she underwent surgery four times. Although it was too soon to tell if she would ever regain full vision in that eye, it was soon enough to know that her treatment

was expensive and would be ongoing. Her parents consulted a lawyer. They decided to sue the tournament host and the studio their daughter attended. The studio wasn’t my client, but I asked to stay in the loop. I’m an insurance/risk-management nerd, and I wanted to know the end of the story. The first “uh-oh” came when it was revealed that the host hadn’t purchased tournament insurance. Martial arts general liability policies provide coverage for instruction you deliver to your enrolled students. Tournaments usually include those enrolled students, but if you invite other studios, you’ve moved into a whole different situation that needs its own insurance. The second “uh-oh” happened when I read the policy for the girl’s studio. It required that the studio report tournament attendance and pay an extra premium for it. The studio owner didn’t know that — and consequently didn’t report it and didn’t pay. (Note that some insurance companies require the report and extra premium, and others don’t.) This was getting uglier by the second. The next legal step was to reach for the waivers. The host of the tournament had a specific waiver for participation in the competition, but it did not include protection for the attending studios. The girl’s studio did not have any specific waiver for tournament attendance, and it was not mentioned in its standard waiver. Meanwhile, the studio was paying for its own lawyer. In that state, good lawyers run $300 an hour. In the end, the tournament host and the studio had to declare bankruptcy because they couldn’t afford to keep defending themselves. Knockout. The upshot: Make sure you know what protection you have, what protection you don’t have and whether you can buy any extra protection that you need.

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

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THE LEGAL LANDSCAPE

A Force Majeure Clause Is Good — If You Include the Terms in Future Enrollment Agreements BY PHILIP E. GOSS JR., ESQ.

“To be effective, the contractual language must provide examples of what constitutes force majeure, such as a ‘pandemic or epidemic,’ ‘natural emergency,’ ‘governmental acts or regulations precluding business operations’ and so on.”

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here is no question that the pandemic has created great challenges to martial arts schools. On the business side, many students and parents have been reluctant to pay tuition or wish to cancel their enrollment agreements even though factors outside your control have prevented you from providing regular classes. Additionally, if you do not outright own your business premises, there are probably lenders or landlords knocking at your door for rental or mortgage payments. If you do not receive payments for tuition, likely you will be hardpressed to fulfill your monthly obligations. Find a copy of the latest iteration of your student-enrollment agreement and read the fine print. If the term force majeure or act of God is present, you can be sure that the initial drafting of the document was the work of a lawyer. Force majeure is an obscure Latin phrase, now seen in the news as the (generally mistaken) concept that if any extraordinary event, act of God or natural emergency occurs, it will excuse one party’s performance of contractual obligations. In this case, some of your students might seek to invoke it to avoid paying membership dues for the period they did not attend class whether their lack of attendance was voluntary or the result of a temporary closure. Next, is the phrase accompanied by terms and conditions that define it? Force majeure, in and of itself, is generally a toothless tiger. To be effective, the contractual language must provide examples of what constitutes force majeure, such as a “pandemic or epidemic,” “natural emergency,” “governmental acts or regulations precluding business operations” and so on. Failure to include details can be fatal to even a properly drafted force majeure clause. That’s because courts rarely add terms and conditions to unambiguous contracts. They are reluctant to unilaterally define what constitutes “force majeure” without general guidance from the parties in the written agreement.

The final leg on which force majeure rests is that the performance (payment of tuition or attendance when allowed) must be rendered impossible by the event. Inconvenient does not mean impossible. Therefore, a force majeure or act of God — even if mentioned and defined adequately in the student agreement — will provide slight support for the excusal of tuition payment. In short, the use of force majeure as an excuse to not pay tuition or to cancel an agreement is the longest of longshots. Additionally, the enrollment agreement must state that no situation in which the school is closed due to public health or other governmental ruling that has jurisdiction over your school or its geographic area, including the issuance of a shutdown or quarantine order requiring your school to cease operations, will excuse payment of all fees and that any missed time due to closure shall be added to the end of the scheduled termination date. So, if force majeure is so weak, why am I suggesting that you take proactive steps to prevent its use in the future by amending your studentenrollment agreement? Specifically, I’m suggesting that you strip any mention of force majeure or acts of God from future agreements as a preemptive measure. Removing the force majeure arrow from your student’s quiver just makes sense. If, in the future, students proffer the pandemic (or other now-unanticipated circumstances) as an excuse to terminate the enrollment agreement or to seek payment abatement, you can lead them directly to the error of their ways. Assure them that the time they lose now will be added to the end of their contract — they are not paying for nothing. Next, I suggest that you review your lease agreement or mortgage documents. There is no telling what may be included in a document that most assuredly was drafted by legal counsel. Find the force majeure clause that’s likely present and examine the details. Perhaps there will be some unanticipated relief in those documents.

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72 MASUCCESS

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INSPIRATION OVATION

It Starts With Irritation BY KAREN EDEN

“To me, teaching martial arts is like cultivating a pearl. If all of us martial arts instructors told the truth, we would admit to having had that one irritating student.”

74 MASUCCESS

never thought that anything good could come out of being irritated — until I read up on one of my favorite gems: the pearl. I didn’t know that pearls usually aren’t perfectly round, and I didn’t know that it takes so long to create one. But what was most surprising was how something so beautiful could come out of something so irritating. Take, for instance, the pearl of the rare and fragile Tahitian Black-Lipped Oyster. Each pearl takes up to two years to cultivate, and then only three in 100 are deemed to be of high quality. If you are fortunate enough to get a string of such high-quality pearls, it will cost you what a luxury car would. Perhaps my favorite part of the pearl success story is knowing that every single pearl starts with a tiny grain of sand. The piece of sand is placed inside the mollusk. Because it’s irritating to the mollusk’s delicate insides, the animal secretes a natural liquid that forms around the grain of sand. Within a couple of years, the mollusk’s irritation becomes one of the greatest gems of all time. The actual color of the pearl and its shape depend on its surroundings. Basically, the murkier the water, the more colorful the pearl becomes. To me, teaching martial arts is like cultivating a pearl. If all of us martial arts instructors told the truth, we would admit to having had that one irritating student. The one you always stick with your senior students so you don’t have to deal with them. I’m laughing now, but more than once, I’ve excused myself from a private lesson so I could go back to my office and put my head down on my desk. I had one student I thought was going to give me an aneurysm. This white belt would cuss every time he made a mistake in class. He got hurt every time we sparred. He drove me crazy with his bad Korean — mine was bad enough! Yet he came to every single class like clockwork.

Yes, he was irritating, but what I didn’t realize at the time is that he was becoming a pearl. Maybe not the perfectly round kind and maybe not the pure white kind, but a pearl nonetheless. As the years went by and his belt color changed from white to black, I realized that he had indeed become one of my most valuable students. Finally, I would be remiss if I didn’t talk about my own pearly journey. I just called my original instructor as I do once every so often. As proud as I know he is of me, we were laughing at what an irritating student I was while coming up the ranks. I was the one who got out of line to switch on the air conditioner when he went to answer the phone. I was the one who stopped kicking the bag when I noticed he wasn’t looking. And of course, I was the one who held up class because I wouldn’t stop asking questions. If I were my own teacher today, I think I would have to have a closed-door conversation with myself. Yet my own instructor tolerated me (although I hope he knows I got it back 10 times over). Bottom line: Teaching anything can be an irritating process, but there’s always the outcome to keep in mind. You see, we aren’t just teaching. We are cultivating pearls, and someday they will be pearls of great price.

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

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