The Martial Arts Industry Association's MASuccess Magazine exists to help grow martial arts participation by helping school owners succeed.
Much of the Martial Arts Community Has Transitioned to Online Instruction — Here’s What You Need to Do to Keep Your Local Students From Going Virtual
by Cris Rodriguez
“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent; it is the one most adaptable to change.”
— Charles Darwin
Change. Adapt. Pivot. Adjust. Modify. Revise. Develop. INNOVATE.
These are words often used to describe what we martial arts school owners were forced to do last year as a result of COVID-19 and the lockdowns that ensued.
While many of our peers now regard 2020 as their worst year ever, I prefer to view it as a great opportunity for growth. For me, it was the year I realized how tough I truly am. It was the year I watched my team step up. It was the year I discovered how strong the martial arts community really is.
It was also the year I learned that teaching punches and kicks and armbars and chokes isn’t enough. It’s about...
by Kevin Nevels
When my wife and I opened our first martial arts academy more than 10 years ago, we didn’t know much about running a business. To be honest, we hardly knew anything about running a business. However, we were sure about a couple of things: We knew how to teach good martial arts, and we knew that we needed to get out into our community and let people know what we were doing.
These two ideas turned out to be the beginnings of a blueprint for success.
In the years that followed, I’ve observed that most school owners know they should go out and tell people about their schools, but they don’t know how or where to get started. Some school owners say they don’t see the value in getting involved in their community because it doesn’t lead directly to the acquisition of new students. If you’ve read MASuccess for any length of time, you’ve seen the recommendations that MAIA consultants have shared to help you organize events that...
by MAIA Division Manager Melissa Torres
It was difficult to sit down to write this column because I knew that no matter what topic I chose to cover, I would have to mention COVID-19 in some capacity. Unfortunately, the pandemic is still part of our daily lives, and it continues to affect martial arts schools in countless ways. Our curriculums, instructor training, marketing and best retention practices all hinge on what happens with regard to the pandemic.
Since no one can predict when we finally will be out of the COVID woods, it’s essential to continue to adjust and “roll with the punches.” Recall Bruce Lee’s well-known quote: “Be like water, my friend.” We must be adaptable in these uncertain times in order to get to the other side. We’ve got to keep pressing forward!
No doubt you all have had time to take a step back to reevaluate your businesses and plan your next move. Well, MAIA has done the same. After the SuperShow Virtual...
by Melissa Torres, MAIA Division Manager
There’s an old saying about coaching from the late, great UCLA basketball coach John Wooden that I think about a lot when it comes to MAIA: “A good coach can change the game; a great coach can change a life.”
The quote strikes a chord with me. A good coach can help you become better at your hobby or career, but a great coach can instill something deeper. Something life-changing. Something that alters the course of your world forever and opens your mind to possibilities never before seen.
Here at MAIA, we truly believe that great coaching and mentoring can be the catalyst for unexpected growth and life-changing discoveries. We understand that no man or woman is an island. We did not get where are today by ourselves. We all needed some help along the way.
That’s why we recently rolled out a new feature on the MAIA website that’s going to allow us to better connect with you for coaching. With this addition,...
By MAIA Division Manager Melissa Torres
Not quite sure what you’re going to teach tonight? Tomorrow night? Next week? I don’t blame you. Teaching as much as you and your other instructors do, plus running a full-time school, training, and trying to balance a home life, can leave you mentally drained and lacking in the creative area.
Are you afraid your students are getting bored or losing interest in the day-to-day drills and techniques? Retention is a huge pain point for so many schools. We hear it all the time. Schools can get students in the door, but the main struggle is keeping them for a week, a month, a year and many years beyond that.
It’s time to break out of some of your routine teaching habits and make keeping your classes fun and interesting a top priority. If students are having fun, they will come back. If they are learning new techniques and see themselves improving, they will come back.
Bring back that first-day excitement to your mat, every...
Don't let the summer time be a slow season for your school. Get the word out about your program today with the free Marketing Resource for June. Download it now.
Summer time might be the slowest season of the year, historically.
The temperatures rise, kids are out of school, summer vacations are in full effect and inactivity sets in.
However, that's where your program comes in to play.
Download and distribute these posters at local businesses or hang them in public areas and draw new students into your school for summer.
It's a great reminder for parents to get their kids off the couch and get some martial arts into their lives.
Download the Free Resource Now >>
[This resource is powered by MAIA Edge. If you would like a one-stop marketing solution to simplify the way you do business, then sign up for MAIA Edge today]
Heat your school up this summer with the May Marketing Resource for promoting your summer classes and summer camps. Download the resource now.
Summer time is right around the corner so you know what that means.
Summer trials, summer classes and summer camps.
Promote your offers for the dog days with this free marketing resource for the month of May. Send it out to your leads and get them training on the mat this summer.
[This resource is powered by MAIA Edge. If you would like a one-stop marketing solution to simplify the way you do business, then sign up for MAIA Edge today]
By Kathy Olevsky
I've been operating a martial arts school full time for 45 years. I think I may have made every mistake that can be made in this business. The reason I'm still in business, I believe, is because I asked for help. I learned quickly that others before me had already found solutions. In this reality-based column, I'll point out key mistakes I made in my business career, which are common errors among school owners, both large and small, throughout our industry. Then I’ll share the solutions I applied to overcome them.
If you’re looking back on last summer and remembering that it was not a good business season, there is still time to make changes what will allow you to generate income during this upcoming summer season.
As school owners, we often look for new students and opportunities to find leads to those new students. In many schools, those leads dry up a bit over the course of the summer months. If this is the case for your school,...
By MAIA Division Manager Melissa Torres
At the Martial Arts Industry Association (MAIA), we are truly committed to helping you, the martial arts school owner. We brainstorm different ways we can help you get where you want to go, whether that’s with consultations, programs, Facebook Live content, our four-week Launch webinar class, or in-person workshops.
We want to make it convenient for you to take the leap. We understand that watching webinars or talking to someone on the phone may not be everyone’s best learning technique. Some need to talk face-to-face. No matter how you learn, we want you to be able to make a commitment to yourself, your family, and your staff that you will be successful.
Last year, we held the very first MAIA Mastermind in Orlando at the Championship Martial Arts headquarters. It was extremely successful and we got amazing feedback. The participants had the chance to see a holiday event held live, walk through the behind-the-scenes setup...
We always teach our students that martial arts is about more than just kicks and punches. Well, show them how this month with these mat chat cards about sharing. Download the Free Resource Now.
Martial arts is a valuable activity. The self-defense you teach in class is one of those things your students will no doubt need at some point in life.
But you know what is more valuable and can have an even bigger impact? Life skills.
Teaching a student how to throw a hook or kick is one thing, but teaching him or her how to do a little bit better in life — that's the ultimate gift you can give them.
That's why in this month's free resource, we're going to give you 4 weeks of mat chats about sharing.
This will help you demonstrate more value to your students and their parents, but more importantly, it will impact someone else's life.
Use these every week for the month of March and teach your kids a valuable life lesson - sharing.
You can download them here now.
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