Martial Arts Management

In my December 2008 column, I stated that the first way to thrive in a scary economy is to protect yourself and your staff from the influence of media and of the “Mediocre Majority.” This month, I recommend four additional methods. The first is “Raging Thunder lizard Evangelists.” What is that you may ask? Well, ...

Renewing students from a short-term beginner program to a long-term Black Belt program is a process that occurs at virtually all martial arts school. How can martial arts instructors use pre-framing to make their renewal process smoother and more successful? Tom Hopkins answers… First, I think it’s very important that instructors show a real personal ...

“Stephen Oliver is one of those highly competent, hard working, visionary people who can literally make things happen by bringing all the resources he has to a project and by inspiring those around him to work synergistically in the effort. He consistently sees what is possible and works tirelessly for powerful results.” Joe Corley, Pres, ...

First, protect yourself and your staff from the influence of media and of the “Mediocre Majority.” Either filter this crap well or turn off the TV until it’s over. You’ll be told we’re coming into the next great Depression. In reality, it seems like the economy bottomed out almost a year ago, and has been ...

Martial arts is about reaching your potential. Like learning an intricate kata, success is a matter of learning the right techniques, and then executing them in the correct sequence. It’s not a miracle, nor does it depend on luck. This magazine and the ACMA program present you with techniques and sequences. Your job is to ...

  As we finish our exploration of becoming a strategist, another factor can sometimes add to the mix. Some of us open multiple schools. So now we have several dragons with which to contend, and it is obvious that we can’t be teaching classes in two locations at the same time. At this time, all ...

While an instructor may run a class with stern discipline, that doesn’t always translate well when that instructor puts on his management hat. The job of the owner/manager is not to be a dictator, but to tell people how they’re doing, what they’re doing, give encouragement, and give advise. IN motivation, we only become committed to ...

When I first became a Taekwondo instructor, I claimed that my martial art is a philosophy that can be very instrumental in developing our youth through mental discipline and physical conditioning. However, I had a difficult time justifying to myself how punching and kicking could be a philosophy. In the early 1970’s, I was writing ...

Last month, I challenged you to schedule one IDEA DAY per month that you spend reading and studying all of the business educational materials, books, CDs, DVDs, etc. that you invested money to acquire, but have had no time to focus on the contents. This month, in part 2, I’ll present you with rules for ...

If you are going to be an effective leader, the focus has to be on how you are going to serve. That attitude completely changes the way you come across. To be an effective communicator or instructor, you have to know your audience. That’s number one. Who is in the class today? What do they ...