MartialArtsProfessional – Business Information for Martial Arts School Owners

In Pursuit of Mastery and Leadership

[Editor’s Note: This column presents the text of the third and fourth pages of the formal, color invitation that Master Corley presents to his students who are invited to his school’s Lead...
How I Opened Five School in 18 Months

Do I recommend that you open five schools in 18 months as I did when I was 23? No way! However, these lessons working for opening one school or dramatically growing your existing school. Prior to open...
Andrew Wood: A Legend in His Own Mind!

Martial Arts Business Masters Reconnect Recently I sat down with my old friend Andrew Wood, who made a surprise guest appearance at this year’s NAPMA convention. Andrew was a true pioneer in the marti...
Mastering the Martial Arts Business Asks…. Brian Tracy and Tom Hopkins.

What are some of the reasons so many people fail to achieve their goals? ...
Setting The Bar Higher

The debate goes something like this: Are you simply born with “it” or are you the sum total of your experiences? Was Muhammad Ali predestined to become a champion at conception, or was he ...
From Struggling to Successful, and a Second Location with the Right Coach

A small town school in Hampstead, Maryland got big results when its owner, Joe Borucki learned how to get the most from no-cost advertising. As he launches a second location, he takes a few moments to...
Breaking Through Plateaus

I had a meeting recently with 35 really smart school owners who are all involved in growth process for their businesses... ...
Taking MMA from the “Gym” to the “School”

As we move into a new year I believe that it’s an exciting one for our small but dedicated and eclectic industry. Ahead lie huge ... ...

New Articles

Conditions of Learning, Part I

Chris Dewey June 10, 2025 Expert Tips & Tactics

The basis of any successful business is a series of reproducible, result-producing systems. Small and large businesses, including martial arts schools, create and implement systems for accounting, customer services, marketing, etc. You hire staff members to implement those systems and you train them to implement them correctly. Then, you teach, which is something else entirely. ...

It’s what you learn AFTER you know it all that really matters

MaPro June 4, 2025 Doing The Right Things, Feature Story, Features, Martial Arts Education

There are a awful lot of hard-working school owners who have dedicated themselves to their martial arts training, but who have neglected their martial arts business training and are now “paying the price” for the oversight. No one is born with the skills they need to operate a highly successful martial arts school. We must ...

Are Your New Students Ready to Step Up to a New Exercise Program?

Keith Yates June 2, 2025 Fitness Track

Last month, we discussed implementing a health screening evaluation for your new students. When they sign up for classes, have a form ready for them to fill out that asks a variety of questions. The answers they provide will give you a clear picture of the potential health risk factors unique to them, such a ...

How Not to Burn Bridges: An Open Letter to My Four Sons

Douglas Adamson May 31, 2025 Classical Thought

Dear sons, now that you have decided to make teaching martial arts a career, instead of a pastime, please consider these words of experience. As you know, most traditional groups have an unwritten policy on how to handle their life-long relationships between students and teachers. I have often felt that traditional groups seem to be ...