Martial Arts World News Magazine - Volume 22 | Issue 6

MartialArtsWorldNews.com VOLUME 22 | ISSUE 6 

The #1 Business Resource for the Martial Arts Industry 

HANSHI 

DAVE 

KOVAR 

Tragedy strikes, will you 

die, survive, or thrive? 

Meta CEO 

Mark Zuckerberg 

Martial Arts Training 

Video Goes Viral 

DRAGONFEST: 

Making an Impact and 

Restarting the Community 

Cynthia Rothrock speaking at Dragonfest 2022

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CONTENTS 

FEATURES 

28 DRAGONFEST: Making an 

Impact and Restarting the 

Community 

36 Tragedy Strikes, Will You Die, 

Survive, or Thrive? 

103 FREE Tool of the Month 

DEPARTMENTS 

14 Industry Insights 

15 Birthdays 

20 Industry Innovations 

24 Social 411 

52 School Profiles 

65 Classified Ads 

99 Advertiser Index 

YOUR INPUT 

59 Tell Us Your Story 

76 Feature Your School, 

Organization, Accomplishment, 

or Event 

Photo credit of Mark Zuckerberg on cover: Anthony Quintano 

COLUMNS 

6 Editorial 

Finishing Strong 

Master Toby Milroy 

8 Martial Arts World News Faculty 

12 Ninja Business Tactics 

To-Shin Do Shihan: Golden Responsibility 

An-Shu Stephen Hayes 

60 Mind Mastery 

The Philosophy and Benefits behind Meditation 

Practice (Part 1) 

Grandmaster Jessie Bowen 

62 Growth Hacks 

3 Rock-Solid Marketing Strategies to Increase 

Your Enrollment 

Mr. Sean Lee 

64 Next Level Strategy 

Back to the Basics 

Shihan Allie Alberigo 

66 Pillars of Success 

3 Types of Power Breathing 

Grandmaster Y. K. Kim 

70 The Way of the Samurai 

Combative Weapons Q & A (Part 2) 

Shihan Dana Abbott 

72 Extraordinary Marketing 

The Great Fallacies When You Start Your Business 

(Part 2) 

Grandmaster Stephen Oliver 

74 Mastering Modern BJJ 

7 Important Skills Taught In Kids Jiu Jitsu (Part 2) 

Master Carlos Machado 

78 Tactical Self-Defense 

My Top Child Safety Tips (Part 1) 

Grandmaster Tom Patire 

80 Complete Martial Arts Concepts 

Competition 

Professor Willie “the Bam” Johnson 

4 MARTIAL ARTS WORLD NEWS VOLUME 22 | ISSUE 6

STAFF 

82 The Millionaire Smarts Coach 

8 Positive Ways to Deal with a Bad Day 

Ms. Lee Milteer 

86 Budo Philosophy 

Where Is the Limit of Responsibility With Oneself 

and With Others? 

Shidoshi Alfredo Tucci 

88 Pro Shop Power 

12 Tips For Success: Proven Business Practices for 

Your School 

Mr. Sun Kang 

90 Master the Basics 

Stay Ahead of Your Competition 

Master Tina Bane 

92 Instructional Excellence 

Don’t Use a Sledge Hammer to Swat Flies (Part 1) 

Grandmaster Tim McCarthy 

94 Business Buzz 

First Impressions Steps to Success 

Grandmaster Lawrence Arthur 

96 Martial Arts Philosophy 

The Leo Fong Martial Arts Connection (Part 1) 

Sensei Gary Lee 

98 Management Excellence 

Get 3 Secret to A Great Beginner’s Class 

Chief Master Kirk Pelt 

100 The Warrior Way 

Overprepare to Reach Your Goals 

Grandmaster Bill Clark 

102 Staff Development 

Using Martial Arts to Combat Stress & Negativity 

Master Zulfi Ahmed 

104 Tools & Tactics 

If Your School isn’t Earning at Least $15,000.00 a 

Month, You Need to AMS 

Ms. Chris Lee 

106 After School Excellence 

Getting Feedback from Your Students 

Chief Master Mike Bugg 

VOLUME 22 | ISSUE 6 

PUBLISHER 


EDITOR-IN-CHIEF 

Mr. Sean Lee 

MANAGING EDITOR 

Mr. Jeff Reulbach 

ART DIRECTOR 

Mr. Frank Meyer 

GRAPHIC DESIGNER 

Mr. Amen Blue 

WEB DEVELOPER 

Ms. Erin Pham 

COLUMNISTS & CONTRIBUTORS 

Hanshi Dave Kovar 


Mr. Sean Lee 






Chief Master Mike Bugg 

Professor Willie Johnson 

Grandmaster Zulfi Ahmed 

Ms. Chris Lee 



Mr. Sun Kang 









The mission of Martial Arts World 

News Magazine is to be the definitive 

source for information, news, education, 

ethical business practices, 

product reviews and innovative 

developments in the world of martial 

arts business. 

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MARTIAL ARTS WORLD NEWS VOLUME 22 | ISSUE 6 5

EDITORIAL 

Finishing Strong 

Wow, what a year! 

We’ve survived COVID, and the draconian 

response that, in some cases, pushed many 

schools out of business permanently. 

We faced down supply chain disruptions 

that changed our business operations, and 

in some cases, destroyed some of the gear 

companies, and suppliers we’ve all relied on 

for decades. 

We watch, in horror, as the Russians invade 

yet another country, killing tens of thousands of 

innocent people, destabilizing the region, and 

creating even more economic disruption. 

We now stare into an uncertain economy 

as we endure skyrocketing 

inflation, a recession, and 

potentially an even ‘deeper’ 

economic downturn. 

Well, so with all that behind us, and an uncertain 

future, what do we ‘do’ now? 

It’s easy, and seems deserved, to feel a sense 

of ‘relief’ that we’ve survived what we have, and 

perhaps to even take our foot off the gas pedal 

moving into the holidays, thinking it’s a great 

time to take a well earned rest. 

However, I strongly advise 

otherwise! 

The fall presents some amazing 

marketing opportunities that 

can set your school up for a 

record-breaking season moving 

into the new year. 

If you missed our webinar 

on fall marketing, I’d 

HIGHLY recommend you 

look that up in our Martial 

Arts World News Magazine 

facebook group, and review it 

with your team. 

My goal for my locations is to generate 2000 leads per location, 

and enroll 50+ new students in October and November from those 

community outreach activities. 

My preference is to ‘run hard’ through October and November, 

to set the stage for going into the Christmas season flush with 

new students, upgrades and, frankly, cash. This allows me to fund 

a substantial new year marketing blitz, generous bonuses and 

surprises for the staff, fund some cool training opportunities for the 

students and staff, and some nice profit dividends for the owners. 

I’d rather send my teams into the end of the year having left it all 

out on the field, but being WELL rewarded for it, rather than being 

tired and feeling a sense of stress and scarcity. 

I feel it’s MY responsibility to help them have a wonderful 

holiday season, and go into the new year with plenty of energy 

and resources. 

Take this time in the run up to the Christmas season to revv up 

the engine, and drive a ton of traffic into your school! 

You’ll thank me in December! 

If you need any help setting up a killer marketing plan, or optimizing 

yours for the fall season, give my team a call at 

1-800-275-1600. We can help! 

MASTER TOBY MILROY is a 5th degree black belt. Known as “The Master Systemizer,” Master Toby Milroy 

has positively influenced more martial arts schools than anyone in our industry. He has built a successful multi-school 

organization, lead the national trade association for the martial arts industry, and coached some of the most successful 

martial arts school operators in the world. 


CHECK OUT OUR 

MARTIAL ARTS 

BUSINESS 

DISCUSSION GROUP 

No Egos – No Politics – No Trolls 

Just News, Tips, Strategies, and Tools to Help You Grow Your School! 

facebook.com/groups/MartialArtsWorldNews

OUR EXPERT FACULTY 

6 


is a 5th degree Black Belt, the CEO and 

Publisher of Martial Arts World News 

Magazine, and the Executive Vice 

President for AMS. In addition to building 

a successful multi-school organization, 

Master Milroy has positively influenced 

more martial arts schools than virtually 

anyone in our industry. 

12 


has authored more than 20 books, 

worked as a bodyguard for the Dalai 

Lama, supervised over 30 school locations 

worldwide, and was named, “One of 

the 10 Most Influential Living Martial Artists 

in the World” by Black Belt Magazine. 

60 


is President of Karate International of Durham, 

Inc., a member of the American Martial 

Arts Association Sport Karate League 

and Hall of Fame, and has been a member 

of the Duke University PE Staff for over 25 

years. He is the author of Zen Mind-Body 

Mindfulness Meditation and Zen Mind-Body 

Mindfulness Meditation for Martial Arts. 

62 

Mr. Sean Lee 

is the Executive Director of Sales and 

Marketing for hundreds of martial arts 

schools and specializes in online and social 

media marketing using his extensive 

professional experience in sports and 

martial arts marketing, contract negotiation, 

and investment. 

64 


is a 7th degree black belt, the founder 

of the L.I. Ninjutsu Centers, one of the 

largest Ninjutsu schools on the planet, 

the author of 4 books, and an entrepreneur 

with one of the first online coaching 

companies (TakingItToTheNextLevel.com). 

66 


is the most successful martial arts business 

leader in the US, having written 

over 30 books on martial arts, business, 

leadership, and success. He has won 

numerous public service awards and is 

the founder of the leading martial arts 

marketing and management company in 

the US. 

70 


is a 7th degree black belt in Kenjutsu, 

starting his 14-year education in Tokyo. 

He has published five books and designed 

a US Patent. Abbott has also 

conducted seminars in over 30 countries 

and obtained his black belt at the Hombu 

dojo in Yokohama. He currently offers 

online classes on LearntheSword.com. 

72 


is a 9th degree black belt and is the 

founder and CEO of Mile High Karate 

schools, and founder of the Martial Arts 

Wealth Mastery Program. 



74 


is one of the pioneers of Brazilian Jiu 

Jitsu in the United States of America. 

Currently a Coral Belt, and promoted 

to Black Belt by Carlos Gracie Junior, 

Carlos Machado came to the USA in the 

early 1990’s with his brothers where they 

formed the RCJ Machado Jiu Jitsu Association, 

one of the strongest & growing 

BJJ organizations in the world today. 

78 


is known as “America’s Leading Personal 

Safety Expert” and has appeared on 

Good Morning America, The CBS Morning 

Show, The Colbert Report, Montel, 

plus in mainstream publications such as 

Family Circle, Redbook, Fortune Magazine, 

and The Wall Street Journal. 

80 

Professor Willie “The BAM” Johnson 

is a 7th degree black belt and seven-time 

sport karate and Kung-Fu world champion. 

He has appeared in four movies, 

16 plays, and 11 television shows. He is 

also the national spokesperson for the 

Stronger than Drugs Foundation and the 

Champions Against Drugs. 

86 


is the CEO and General Manager of the 

Budo International Publishing Company, 

a leading publisher in the martial arts 

with over 35 years in the industry. He 

is also author of several books: The 

Immaterial Dimension, The Way of the 

Warrior, and The Spirit. He currently lives 

in Valencia, Spain. 

88 

Mr. Sun Kang 

is the President of Vision Martial Arts 

Supply who helps school owners all over 

the US maximize their retail sales and 

drive more revenue into their schools. 

90 


is a 6th degree master instructor and 

owner of a Top Ten martial arts school 

with successful after school and summer 

camp programs. 

82 


is an Intuitive Business Coach, awardwinning 

professional speaker, and TV 

personality who has counseled and 

trained over a million people throughout 

her career. Lee is Stephen Oliver’s Martial 

Arts Wealth Mastery’s Millionaire Smarts 

Coach and is also a best-selling author of 

educational resources. 

92 


is a 9th degree black belt and is a martial 

arts educator with a master’s degree in 

education. He has been instrumental 

in developing two industry-changing 

programs, and has directed and been 

featured in hundreds of martial arts videos 

and webinars. 



94 


is a martial artist specializing in Karate, 

Kung Fu, Kenpo, Shoto-kan, and Gojurue, 

with 40 Super Kick Karate locations, 

and founder of AFKA. World champion 

Lawrence also runs the Black Belt Success 

Systems consulting firm, training 

martial arts instructors on proper business 

practices in schools all over the country. 

96 


the American Samurai, is a 9th Dan black 

belt, a USA Karate Federation gold medalist, 

winner of five Super Grand National 

Titles, a featured actor in the movie Sidekicks, 

and is the founder of the National 

Sport Karate Museum. 

102 

Grandmaster Zulfi Ahmed 

has amassed acclaim as a world-class 

competitor, martial arts educator, and is 

most notably founder and designer of 

the internationally renowned style, Bushi 

Ban. With over 45 years of martial arts 

experience and over 300 martial arts 

awards, his schools include ten locations 

across Texas. 

104 

Ms. Chris Lee 

is a martial arts business development 

consultant with a background in online 

and social media marketing. 

98 


is an 8th degree black belt and is the 

President of a multimillion-dollar, multischool 

organization, has a 30-year track 

record of success, and is currently on the 

leading edge of martial arts curriculum 

and business innovation. 

106 

Master Mike Bugg 

is an 8th degree black belt and the 

owner of a 1.5 million-per-year location, 

with one of the largest after school and 

summer camp programs in the country. 

100 


is a 9th degree black belt and a former 

PKA Fighter of the year. He is widely 

considered one of the top experts in 

martial arts business with over 40 years of 

leadership and innovation, having been 

inducted into almost every Hall of Fame in 

the industry. He is one of the largest multischool 

owners in the world. 

We’re Seeking Contributors! 

Do you have something to share? 

We’d love to hear about it! 

CONTACT US: 

407-895-1996 Editor@MartialArtsWorldNews.com 

MartialArtsWorldNews.com/Ureport 


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NINJA BUSINESS TACTICS 

To-Shin Do Shihan: 

Golden Responsibility 

by An-Shu Stephen Hayes 

Students have asked how to get one of those beautiful metallic gold-striped Shihan 

black belts worn by Mark Sentoshi Russo, James Kentoshi Norris, and Dennis Fuutoshi 

Mahoney. I always reply with the same 3-part answer: 

First, train for decades to develop incredibly refined martial 

arts skills. 

Next, perfect the art of looking at a student’s movement and 

listening to their questions and knowing just what they need to 

see, hear, and experience in order to break through and advance. 

Third, realize a commitment to promoting To-Shin Do martial 

arts in the world and attracting large numbers of new 

students to our dojos and our NinjaSelfDefense. 

com web-based training hall; without any doubt, 

To-Shin Do will have become your identity, 

and people will see you as more committed 

to To-Shin Do the art than to your own 

personal dojo. 

Shihan service and responsibilities 

include overseeing To-Shin Do belt and 

diploma testing and promotion, developing 

ever-expanding training program curriculums 

for world-wide dojos and our internet “dojo 

without boundaries”, and actively advising and 

guiding To-Shin Do Licensed Affiliate Instructors. 

Shihan is not likely a role many 

people will choose to pursue. As 

An-shu I demand a lot from 

my Shihan team. I expect 

the highest possible 

personal martial skill. 

I expect an ability 

to teach powerfully 

motivating and inspiring 

classes and 

workshops. And I require full undiluted proven-through-experience 

faith in our To-Shin Do as the most significant and needed martial 

art for personal defense and self-development in the world. 

Shihan will be joining my seminar teaching activity, picking 

up more seminars around the world to help me build To-Shin Do 

and empower millions of people. Please contact us at seminars@ 

to-shin-do.com if you are serious and have a group that would like 

some up-close, personal instruction. Depending on the size of the 

group and the dates requested, one of us will be happy to visit. 

James Kentoshi Norris, long-time “right hand man” at my 

Dayton Quest Center has now moved out into the bigger world as 

Shihan. He is available to travel and get new training groups established 

and supported. Contact the Hombu headquarters dojo if 

you would like to invite Kentoshi Norris for dojo-building help. 

More and more teaching videos are being made available 

through our online training library at NinjaSelfDefense.com . We 

will soon have a generous offer for those who take this art so seriously 

that they would jump at a “lifetime membership” opportunity. 

“To change is to grow, and to have changed much is to have 

grown much.” I like that sentiment. Cruising into 2014, my fervent 

commitment is to take our unparalleled To-Shin Do ninja tradition 

martial arts further into more people’s lives. I totally believe in what 

we are building. I totally believe that what we offer is one important 

answer to many of the problems that we as a world society are 

facing. Looking at the many heartbreaking modern problems that 

challenge so many people around the world right now, my Shihan 

and I stand for the ideals of the noble warriors of the past. We are 

willing to share all the secrets for how to build an authentic life 

through the path of assisting others to find courage and intelligence 

in the face of conflict and confrontation. 

AN-SHU STEPHEN HAYES has authored more than 20 books, worked as a body guard for the Dali 

Lama, supervised over 30 school locations worldwide, and was named “A legend; one of the 10 most influential 

living martial artists in the world” by Black Belt Magazine 


You Don’t Need a Degree in 

Education to Teach Children 

all you need is one book! 

Raising 4 Dimensional Children in a 2 

Dimensional World is an informationpacked 

resource for teachers of all levels 

of experience. It takes the latest research 

in developmental child psychology and 

makes it easy to understand, explaining 

how a child’s brain develops, year by 

year. Even the youngest members of your 

staff will understand which activities are 

appropriate for which age groups, which 

activities are not, and why. 

Take advantage of Grandmaster Tim McCarthy’s research and experience, organized for you 

with over 400 age-appropriate activities. It will be the best $5.00 you ever spent. 

Order a copy today at 4d-2d.com and share it with your entire staff!

INDUSTRY INSIGHTS 

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg Martial Arts 

Training Video Goes Viral 

M 

ark Zuckerberg posted a video on Instagram in September 2022 of himself and his training partner Khai Wu. The video got a boost, 

in part, because Khai, also known as “The Shadow” was about to make his debut in the UFC. His comment attached to the video 

expressed his well wishes for Khai in his debut. The video itself shows Zuckerberg demonstrating some MMA style kickboxing and and 

grappling skills. Check out the video here: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CiDIrIkLY53/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link 

Cobra Kai Receives 100% Critics Score— 

Sets Stage for Future Movie? 

On September 9, 2022, Netflix released the next and eagerly 

anticipated fifth season of the Cobra Kai series. This season 

has been much anticipated by loyal viewers of the show due to the 

way that season 4 ended. With this in mind, everyone is excited 

about Miyagi-Do (Daniel’s) and the Eagle Fang (Johnny’s) teaming 

up against the evil ways of the Cobra Kai once again under the 

leadership of John Kreese, but now being expanded upon by the 

villainous Terry Silver. 

There was much build up for the fifth season and now it is here. 

The possibilities are limitless to where the edge of your seat show 

will take you. Two things are certain: you’ll be entertained and 

you’ll find a lot of martial arts action and philosophy. The show has 

enjoyed much success over the previous four seasons and has received 

a 100% Rotten Tomatoes rating. Be sure to check it on Netflix. 


Martial Arts 

Celebrity Birthdays 


November 

November 3. ................. Dolph Lundgren 

November 8. ...................Jeff Speakman 

November 10 ................ Michael Jai White 

November 10 ..................... Matt Mullins 

December 

December 1. .......................Bill Wallace 

December 2 ..................Masaaki Hatsumi 

December 8 .................. David Carradine* 

December 10 .....................Jigoro Kano* 

November 27. ..................... Bruce Lee* 

*Deceased 



Grandmaster Dong-Seop Lee Elected to 

Full Term as President of Kukkiwon 

Here is his message after winning the October 5, 

2022 Election: 

“Thank you! I will run hard! Respected and 

beloved global Taekwondo families, I am Lee 

Dong-seop, who will lead the new Kukkiwon 

for the next 3 years. 

Thanks to the unrelenting support 

of the Taekwondo family. I would like 

to express my sincere gratitude to the 

many people who have supported and 

encouraged me during this time. 

I would like 

to extend 

my deepest 

respect to the 

other candidates 

who have competed 

in good faith 

together and offered to 

join forces to complete the next 

Taekwondo leap. Aren’t each and every 

one of them a valuable asset in the Taekwondo 

world? 

We will gladly accept the good 

promises of other candidates and 

solve the long-awaited projects of the Taekwondo 

world, including the establishment of the 2nd 

Kukkiwon. We now have important challenges 

ahead of us. That’s why great responsibility 

takes precedence over the joy 

of winning. Even if all the Taekwondo 

family, including the director of Kukkiwon, 

come together and move 

forward with one heart and one 

will, there is not enough time. 

I will take the lead by tightening 

the shoelaces first. I will work diligently 

in the field during my threeyear 

term. We will definitely take 

another leap forward in Taekwondo 

and complete the reform of Kukkiwon. 

We will do our best to save the 

front-line dojos. As the World Taekwondo 

headquarter, we will establish Kukkiwon support 

branches in 210 countries that are members of the 

World Taekwondo Federation. Based on the united strength and 

wisdom of the Taekwondo family, Kukkiwon will stand tall and 

open the door to the revival of Taekwondo. 

Thank you, 

Lee Dong-seop, the 17th president-elect of Kukkiwon” 

Dong-Seop Lee wins Full Term as Kukiwon President 


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Zen’s Top 5 to Help Your Business Thrive 

Consider the following quote and relate it to running your martial 

arts school for better success. “Zen is not some kind of excitement, 

but concentration on our usual everyday routine.” In other 

words, focus on the things that are necessary for your business 

each day. Rather than getting into the specifics for your school, the 

following are 5 Zen principles or guidelines to help you thrive. 

1. Decide What Is Necessary – you must establish what your 

goals are for your unique school and plot out the steps that will get 

you there and stay on course. Ex. Goal: enroll 100 new students 

this year. How: social marketing, lead generating website, trial lessons, 

sales presentations, etc. 

2. Follow Your Rituals – the importance of having a systematic 

procedure for how things are to be done. Ex. Cleaning the building, 

contacting leads, marketing your programs, training staff, conducting 

sales presentations, teaching classes, etc. 

3. Focus On The Task At Hand – each of the components that 

make up your school’s rituals are important and should be treated 

with priority. Ex. While the building is being cleaned, you must not 

be concerned about your next trial lesson – get things clean first. 

4. Complete Each Task Well – the rituals must be done thoroughly 

without cutting corners or things will become messy or 

sloppy. Ex. A sales presentation must include all of the details for 

each customer to move them to want to begin training, but you 

can’t forget to close properly. 

5. Smile While Serving – having a positive attitude and a 

service oriented mindset is key to exceptional customer service 

because it will lead to meeting consumer wants and needs favorable. 

Ex. Smile while communicating on the phone or during in 

person encounters. 

The Pioneer of Martial Arts 

Movies: Shaw Brothers Studio 

Before The Karate 

Kid, Mortal Kombat, 

Ip Man and other iconic 

martial arts movies that 

have cult-like viewership, 

there was the pioneering 

efforts of Shaw 

Brothers Studio. Prior 

to computers to edit, 

high tech animation, 

and wire fu, during the 1960’s until 1983 Shaw Brothers churned 

out over 800 films. It was the dominant martial arts movie studio of 

the time and produced iconic kung fu movies that to this day still 

inspire – Kill Bill 2 with the character Pei Mei is an example of their 

far-reaching influence. 

Here are just a few of some of their most iconic films and a link 

to enjoy the trailer of these films that motivated many to begin 

training in the martial arts just like the movies that inspire today: 

1. Five Fingers of Death https://youtu.be/zp86KLmhDco 

2. The 36th Chamber of Shaolin https://youtu. 

be/65GQtH6pzTY 

3. The Five Deadly Venoms https://youtu.be/3aEl8kyCs-4 

4. The Flying Guillotine https://youtu.be/oIs3iWzFhPk 

5. Dirty Ho https://youtu.be/8E-nkSbV8Sg 

6. Heroes of the East https://youtu.be/jDnOrShHSWM 

7. Fist of the White Lotus https://youtu.be/0KoS0uIXe8w 

Applying Demographics To 

Reach The Best Market 

Ever feel like your marketing is just not 

hitting the bullseye for the kind of 

customers you want coming through 

the doors of your martial arts school? 

Monthly, maybe even daily you attempt 

to promote your programs through your 

website and social marketing only to return 

low to no response. You more than likely are 

not taking into account the science of demographics 

which can make a huge impact to reach a more qualified market. 

Demographics is the study of a population based on numerous 

kinds of factors that can for our purposes determine response 

or buying habits. Through the internet, social media, predictive 

algorithms, and lots of data collecting and using demographic 

information has become a snap. Today’s customers pass along 

plenty of data that is collected and tracked and can be utilized to 

understand their tendencies so you can have more productive 

marketing. 

By utilizing demographics you could avoid the waste of sending 

social media posts to soccer moms when you’re looking for 

competitive male oriented mixed martial artists. By the same 

token, just a bit of info can help you to use the right pictures on 

your website and social posts to draw families into your building. 

To design marketing and advertising campaigns that attract the 

kind of leads ready to enroll upon walking in your school you must 

apply good demographics. 

18 MARTIAL ARTS WORLD NEWS VOLUME 22 | ISSUE 6 

Photography by peterschreiber.media (top right) and Andrii Sedykh (bottom right)

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their school, and still have time for their family. This technology 

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This software will allow you to take accurate attendance in no 

time and you have many options to choose from. You can use 

fingerprint attendance, student check-ins, cards or barcodes, and 

roll call, whatever works best for you. 

ATLAS Martial Arts software allows you to promote your martial 

arts school with a single click. The promotions it features will help 

your student numbers to grow and you’ll wonder how you’ve been 

living without such a powerful tool. 

It also provides instant access to your student’s info and you’ll 

have complete control. That means you won’t have to deal with 

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martial arts school organized and efficient. 

Another great thing about ATLAS Martial Arts software is that 

it offers a robust student rating system so your students don’t slip 

through the cracks. Plus, it will allow you to identify the superstar 

students and help those who seem to be struggling or fading out. 

ATLAS Martial Arts software provides class and attendance 

reports that allow you to analyze class performance and get a better 

understanding of your students. You’ll be able to track classes, 

ranks, belts, teams, programs, and much more. You’ll always be on 

top of their progress. 

You can also customize the set-up of your martial arts school 

with the help of customized styles, ranks, teams, programs, and 

more, which can be unlimited. The ATLAS team can even do this 

for you, which will save you time and effort. 

Overall, ATLAS Martial Arts software is an incredibly valuable 

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Our Goal is to Help Young Minds 

GROW Stronger and EMPOWER 

them through Stories that will: 

• Inspire Their Imagination 

• Develop Their Moral Compass 

• Set Positive Examples Both Visually and Verbally 

• Prepare Them for Life’s Challenges 

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The Adventures of Harry & Friends 

Book Series 

AdventuresOfHarryAndFriends.com

INDUSTRY INNOVATIONS 

Chip Townsend Inspires 

and Motivates With “Like A 

Champ” Program and More 

Master Chip Townsend is a martial arts champion and masterful motivational speaker. 

He has won 14 ISKA (International Sport Karate Association) World Titles and 7 world 

records in Breaking. Master Townsend is also a hugely successful business owner who is 

eager to spread some of his wisdom and experience through his Like A Champ Program. 

He seeks to share his insights at martial arts and business seminars for industry leaders. 

His site teamchipmartialarts.com also features a number of 

motivational, instructional, and lifestyle contents for selfimprovement 

in many areas. 

Here are some of the topics he addresses that 

inspired many martial arts school owners: Break 

Like A Champ, Breaking Tips, Kicking Tips, Kick 

Tips Pro, Married Like A Champ, Parent Like A 

Champ, Train Like A Champ, and his blog. Master 

Chip Townsend also has a morning show on a local 

NBC affiliate in Texas called Motivate Monday. 

Visit teamchipmartialarts.com to learn more. 

Black Belt Principles Character 

Development For Kids 

W 

e all know kids love cartoons and try to imitate things happening 

in them. To make the most of it, 

Blackbeltprinciples.com designed a character development 

program using a series “Harry & Friends” that teaches 3-6-yearolds 

martial arts tenets. Face it, kids can be tough to teach, but 

this program features cartoon characters to grab and hold their 

attention to make learning fun. 

Many have found the Black Black Principles Program to help 

martial arts schools with referrals and retention by helping kids 

learn martial arts in its fun and creative way. With new lessons every 

week, kids learn values like discipline, respect, perseverance, 

patience, leadership, cleanliness, and more. 

The program uses science and psychology research to keep 

the young students engaged through a Show rather than Tell 

methodology. Imagine kids in your school engaged and excited 

to learn about doing the right thing, overcoming challenges, and 

other great successful lessons for living that training at your martial 

arts school can provide. 

You can learn about this unique program at 

Blackbeltprinciples.com. 

22 MARTIAL ARTS WORLD NEWS VOLUME 22 | ISSUE 6

FINALLY, GET RID OF YOUR 

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HEADACHE

SOCIAL 411 

Your Website Must Have 

An SEO Content Strategy 

If you are brand new to the subject of Search Engine Optimization 

(SEO), it is simply optimizing the content on your martial arts 

school website to help people find it more easily in a search engine 

like Google. Another way of thinking of this content is that it 

is the information on your site designed to rank in search engines 

and is specifically written to produce a higher frequency of visitation 

by people searching for it. 

The mistake that is often made by the novice is that if you JUST 

put up your website, people will come to it in droves, but this is a 

recipe for heartache. In reality, building a site that draws searchers 

like flies to honey actually requires a well throughout and purposeful 

strategy. Like a Chessmaster who tactically forces opponents 

into checkmate, masterful SEO content strategy attracts online 

traffic to a website. 

It’s important to note that even Google has expressed the fact 

that content is one of their top 3 ranking factors. Here are three 

simple tips that will elevate your site’s position on Google, bring 

more visitors, and keep them on your pages longer when it comes 

to content. 

Find a topic that the customers of your market care about and 

build your pages around that subject. One way to find excellent 

topics is to visit Reddit to look for topics that come up frequently 

which will give you what is popular within the market. 

Next you must find a keyword for your content. To find great 

SEO keywords you will have to research. 

You can use Google Suggest which gives results for keywords 

that people currently are searching for which means they are very 

competitive and it’s Free to use. Of course, there are many other 

resources that are Free and can help find powerful keywords 

online according to your preference. 

Finally, you have to write content that covers what potential students 

are searching for related to that keyword, but also leads to 

the best results when searched. Content has to also be optimized 

for users – it has to be super easy for visitors to consume. In other 

words, it’s easy to read and understand. 

For Example: 

“Building Confidence in Children” 

“Self Defense for Women” 

“Lose Weight and Get In Shape” 

These are just 3 components to SEO Content Strategy and it 

may very well seem overwhelming to the school owner who just 

wants a website that attracts new leads on a regular basis. Fortunately, 

these few tactics and a myriad of others are automatically 

built into the websites like those that are found at amazingmartialartswebsites.com. 

Whether you do it yourself or get a website that’s already designed 

with SEO Content Strategy, it has to be done if you desire 

to have a martial arts school website that brings prospect traffic to 

your school website. 


Image by Sompong Lekhawattana

The Latest Guide 

All Martial Arts School Owners 

NEED TO READ 

Grandmaster Zulfi Ahmed’s 

newest book, “The Science & Secrets 

of Becoming a Master Martial Arts 

Instructor,” is the latest must-have 

industry guide for martial arts school 

owners and instructors. 

The world of martial arts is a very 

complicated one, where you can soar 

to the heights of the profession or 

quickly hit rock bottom, all depending 

on your mindset, discipline, and skills. 

“The Science & Secrets of Becoming 

a Master Martial Arts Instructor” is 

designed to teach you everything 

you’ll need to know to avoid the pitfalls 

and succeed as an instructor in the 

modern era. 

Featuring contributions from 

some of the best martial arts minds, 

including Grandmaster Ernie Reyes, 

Grandmaster Stephen Hayes, and 

Hanshi Dave Kovar, “The Science & 

Secrets of Becoming a Master Martial 

Arts Instructor” will no doubt help you 

take your career to the next level! 

To get your copy today for $29.95, 

simply go to Lulu.com and search by author.


Attract, Engage, and Convert 

with 5 Facebook Video Tactics 

Did you know that Facebook users view over 100 million 

hours of video everyday? So it can serve the martial arts 

school owner very well if he or she knows how to create exceptional 

video ads to promote their school. You have to have 

scroll-stopping video ads that attract, engage, and convert your 

audience in order to compete with the myriad of videos competing 

for their eyes. 

The following are 5 tactics that are proven to work based on 

Facebook user’s habit and reactions: 

Create Silent Video Ads 

You need to make videos that get your message across visually. 

According to Facebook, 80% of people react negatively to videos 

that auto-play with sound. It’s also important for you to note that users 

watch video ads 12% longer with captions than non-captioned ads. 

Grab Viewer Attention Fast 

Be sure to make the most of the first few seconds or you will lose 

viewers’ attention. 1 in 3 people say that they stop scrolling in the first 

3 seconds when they see a logo or brand they like. In addition, if the 

point is made in the first 5 seconds with a clear and concise message, 

recall of the ad is much stronger. 

Take Mobile Into Account 

Consider creating shorter and vertically oriented videos for smartphone 

viewing. People are 1.5 times more likely to watch videos on 

the phone vs. a computer daily. Viewers also say that it’s easier to pay 

attention to videos on mobile and Facebook also says vertical videos 

get the highest engagement. 

Retarget to Previous Viewers 

With Facebook you can create a custom audience to retarget to 

people who have already watched one of your videos. People are 

10 times more likely to click on a future ad when they’ve previously 

seen a video ad from familiarity. When you show them future ads you 

build on their growing interest. 

Increase Engage With Polls 

Facebook allows for interactive polling stickers for video ads. 

With these kinds of stickers you directly interact with your audience 

which encourages engagement while also teaching you 

about them. 

Following the tactics that are working will lead to Attracting, 

Engaging, and Converting your target market for more martial art 

school leads with Facebook video ads. 

Give Us a Call 

If you’d like help optimizing and managing your social media 

campaigns, give our friends at ATLAS Martial Arts Software a call 

at 1-800-275-1600. 

10 Cyber Aware Tips to Prevent 

Ransomware Attacks 

Even a martial arts school website is not immune to cyber security 

attacks. One of the latest buzz words is ransomware and you 

need to have an awareness of the ways it attacks because it can 

figuratively hold you hostage. This latest kind of prevalent cyber 

attack hits computers, laptops, tablets, and phone software, so you 

must have a strategic cyber self-defense prevention plan in place. 

Martial arts school owners and your staff Must Follow the following 

prevention tactics. 

The Top 10 Personal Cyber Security Strategies: 

1. Keep Software Up to Date 

2. Use Anti-Virus Protection & Firewall 

3. Create Strong Passwords & Use Password 

Management Tools 

4. Use Two-Factor or Multi-Factor Authentication 

5. Learn About 

Phishing Scams 

in Emails, Phone 

Calls, and Flyers 

6. Protect Sensitive 

Personal Identifiable 

Information (PII) 

7. Securely Use Your Mobile Devices 

8. Backup Data Regularly 

9. Avoid Using Public Wi-Fi 

10. Regularly Review Online Accounts & Credit Reports for 

Changes 

Keep your martial arts school’s devices from becoming a victim 

to cyber attacks with these simple but effective strategies. 


Photograph by Inside grinvalds

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MARTIAL ARTS 

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• Martial Arts Events 

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• Industry News 

• Martial Arts School Profiles 

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MartialArtsWorldNews.com

EVENTS 

DRAGONFEST: 

Making an Impact and 

Restarting the Community 

This August, over a thousand martial arts fans, enthusiasts, and 

practitioners celebrated the return of Dragonfest, considered 

by many as the most popular martial arts convention in 

America. After a two-year ordered 

shutdown by the governor of 

California due to Covid precautions, 

fans were elated as the Martial Arts 

History Museum announced that its 16th 

annual event was given the green light to re-open. 

Benny Urquidez, Michael Matsuda, Fumio Demura, and Art Camacho among others 


EVENTS 

Hawaiian dancers 

Actor Hank Garrett 

Sumo Americus Abesamis and dragonfest booths 

First founded and produced by weapons icon Gerald Okamura, 

he handed the reins for the event to the museum nearly seven 

years ago. Since then, Dragonfest has continued to evolve and 

expand year after year. 

Dragonfest is an event full of excitement with an attendance 

that continues to grow. It is not only the museum’s biggest fundraiser 

of the year but also a gathering of some of the greatest 

icons, legends, champions, movie stars, and celebrities. According 

to Michael Matsuda, who serves as the president of the museum 

and the director of Dragonfest, the event is a reunion for the 

martial arts community. “I recall back in the 1980s when Ed Parker 

used to host the International Karate Championships. Granted, 

it was the biggest gathering of the greatest competitors across 

the globe, but it was a reunion of sorts. I used to walk around the 

oval ring at the Long Beach Convention Center, and it would take 

me an hour because I bumped into people I hadn’t seen all year. 

It was exciting to be there and see my old friends, and that’s kind 

of the same feeling I get at Dragonfest; it’s a reunion of sorts for 

everyone,” notes Matsuda. “I continue to see people at Dragonfest 

that I haven’t seen in twenty years, and I hear the same thing from 

everyone all day. It’s a great event.” 

The convention is filled with close to 100 booths by vendors 

of all kinds, from martial arts weaponry and supplies to Asianthemed 

jewelry to manga and anime products. Six seminars were 

part of the program this year and were taught by some of the 

Karen Sheperd at her booth 


EVENTS 

Ribbon cutting ceremony 

greatest figures in the arts, including Don “the dragon” Wilson 

and Benny “the jet” Urquidez, two of the biggest kickboxing 

champions, plus Apache Knife Fighting with Robert Redfeather, 

Penjak Silat and more. 

Martial arts action stars such as Cynthia Rothrock, James Lew, 

Eric Lee, Ron Thomas, Art Camacho, Don Wilson, Fred “the hammer” 

Williamson, Steve Lambert, Darryl Vidal, Peter Kwong, Chi 

Chu Ling, and dozens more signed autographs as fans greeted 

such icons as Fumio Demura, Tak Kubota, Benny Urquidez, Karen 

Sheperd, Gerald Okamura, Carl Totton, and Felix Roiles. 

The event, which was held at the Glendale Civic Auditorium in 

Glendale, CA featured a large stage which featured over a dozen 

Asian cultural performances including Japanese Kimono dance, 

Hawaiian Hula performers, Chinese face-changing, traditional 

Chinese lion dancers laced with martial arts demonstrators. This 

year, one of the Magic Castle’s magicians Joel Ward gave us his 

time to give a magical performance. Previous conventions have 

included special guests such as John Saxon, James Hong, Eric 

Roberts, Phillip Rhee, Joe Mantegna, Steve Oedekerk, Robin Shou, 

Shin Koyomada, etc. 

“One of the things that we do every year is to pay our respect 

to many of our icons who passed away the previous year. Since we 

had to shut down for two years, we included those from the previous 

year as well,” says Matsuda. “This was a very special time as 

we brought the families of James Ibrao, Richard Nunez, Leo Fong, 

Harry Mok, and several others on stage. Each family held a large 

photo of their loved one and spent a few moments expressing 

their thoughts. These people loved the martial arts, and I feel that 

we as a community need to pay our respects.” 

This year was more than just a celebration of Dragonfest’s 

re-opening; it served as a restart for the martial arts community. 

“Covid has had a devastating effect on the martial arts industry. 

We have lost nearly 70 to 80 percent of our martial arts schools in 

Southern California alone. Even though schools are now allowed 

Jeff Imada and Danny Lopez 

Robert Parham and Chi Chu Ling 


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EVENTS 

Japanese dancers 

Karate kid Darryl Vidal demoing 

to re-open, making up for the past rent for two years is nearly 

impossible, and because people are still afraid, not enough new 

students are enrolling to keep a school open. It’s a horrible thing 

that has happened, and it isn’t over yet, says Matsuda. “But I believe 

Dragonfest serves as an encouragement for the community 

to gather together again and restart the industry.” 

Matsuda feels that the museum is also playing a significant 

role in the arts restart. As thousands of young people visit the museum, 

they learn about different arts and styles, and when they 

leave, they become encouraged to start learning. “I cannot stress 

this enough. We not only conduct school tours but also have 

families visiting from all across the world, so it isn’t just Southern 

California. What better way to encourage a new generation than 

a museum? Here, they get inspired. So, I encourage the entire 

martial arts industry, those who have benefitted from the art, to 

help us expand by making a donation to allow us to restart the 

industry even more.” 

Plans for Dragonfest are to expand its seminar list from six 

to twelve classes, including seminars on school management, 

internet training, and methods to increase attendance. Matsuda 

believes that Dragonfest will one day reach the status of San 

Diego’s Comic-Con. 

“Finally, the most important part of Dragonfest is raising funds 

for the museum. One hundred percent of all funds received go to 

the museum in its effort to relocate to a larger facility. The museum 

is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, so all tickets and donations 

are tax-deductible,” concludes Matsuda. “Our icons are passing, 

and as Benny Urquidez noted, ‘if we don’t have the Martial Arts 

History Museum, this museum, everything I did will be lost and 

forgotten forever.’” 

For information or to make a donation, visit 

MAmuseum.com or email info@mamuseum.com 

Samuel Kwok performing a demo 

Eric Lee awarding Michael Matsuda 


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ANNOUNCING: 

THE OFFICIAL, 

Martial Arts World News Magazine 

APP! 

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MARTIAL ARTS WORLD NEWS MAGAZINE APP!

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Tragedy Strikes, 

Will You 

Die, 

Survive, 

or Thrive?

HANSHI DAVE KOVAR is a 9th degree black belt and 

recognized as the “Trainer of Trainers.” Hanshi Dave Kovar is 

an internationally acclaimed instructor with black belt degrees 

in ten different martial arts styles. His systems have been 

implemented in hundreds of schools around the US.

COVER STORY 

School operators tend to fall into 2 main categories when a 

crisis happens. 

Every few years we face some crisis in varying degrees. 

Whether it’s a stock market crash, economic recession, real 

estate market crash, terrorist attack, a war or other military action, 

some natural disaster (hurricane, earthquake or the like), 

or some other significant ‘disruption’ in our normal course of 

doing business. 

The first ‘type’ of operator allows the crisis to really take them 

sideways. 

They slowly trudge through the 

stages of grief and don’t respond very 

quickly or very effectively. 

They just “give in to” the circumstances 

of the crisis, figuratively 

huddling in the corner in the fetal 

position and hope the crisis will 

be over soon, allowing them to 

reopen normally, and hope their 

students return. 

This type of school owner is not 

very proactive, and tends to spend 

their time less wisely and not focus on 

solving the problems at hand. 

Now the second group of school 

operators realizes they can’t control 

what happens around them, but they 

can control what they “do” about it, 

what they focus on and the action 

steps they CAN take to achieve the 

outcome they want, regardless of the 

circumstances. 

These owners are not frozen 

by anxiety and the fear of the 

unknown, but rather spring into action, 

focus on what they CAN do, and focus on the results they 

WANT, not focus on the obstacles. 

These owners are far more proactive and typically do surprisingly 

well in tough times, while others struggle or give up in the 

face of a crisis. 

The 3 “A”s 

The second group of school owners are always seeking ways 

to face the challenges they are confronted by. They focus on retaining 

current students, attracting new students, expanding their 

reach, improving their programs, and impacting their community 

more deeply, even when situations like the recent pandemic lockdowns 

happen. 

The secret can be found in the three A’s; adaptability, attitude, 

and action. 

These, hard charging owners are 

always adjusting to circumstances, 

and finding ways to stay relevant to 

their students and their community. 

With a never say die attitude they 

choose to overdeliver for their students 

and communicate clearly how 

they will proceed despite the crisis. 

We saw some great examples 

of this in the COVID-19 crisis. Smart 

school owners reached out to their 

students, presented online training 

options, additional live and/or prerecorded 

resources, small group or 1 

on 1 sessions, and other benefits that 

would serve the student at an even 

higher level. The result is that most 

students and their families can clearly 

see the benefits of the program and 

find the additional levels of service 

‘valuable’, and therefore keep training, 

happily keep paying their tuition, and 

in many cases become even more 

‘engaged’ in classes. 

The mindset is; “how can I manage 

this crisis in a way that brings the 

maximum benefit to my community, my business, and my family”. 

This requires the following two questions: 

When it comes to price point, how can I, as a student, justify 

paying full tuition, or as a school owner charging full tuition to my 

student body? 

Hanshi Kovar has Collaborated with Some of the Brightest Minds in the Martial Arts Industry. Pictured: Chuck Norris, 

Grandmaster Jhoon Rhee, Former President George Bush 


COVER STORY 

The Iconic EFC Board of Directors With Some of the Most Successful School Owners of Their Time 

Hanshi Kovar with Linda Lee and Grandmaster Jeff Smith at Jhoon Rhee’s Memorial Service 

What value can I bring to the table that 

is so important and ‘valuable’ to the student 

that the tuition is not even a question? 

In these types of crises, your students 

need this program now more than ever, 

and it’s up to us to figure out how we can 

adjust so they can benefit from it. When 

people feel this level of your commitment 

to them, and to your mission, it’s a 

completely different conversation and the 

energy is completely different. So they are 

more than willing. 

From a business and tuition standpoint, 

when somebody enrolls at Harvard, just 

because you can’t go to the lecture hall 

doesn’t mean that you’re not going to get 

the education that you deserve, and want 

to get at Harvard. They’re just delivering 

the education through a different mechanism, 

but it’s still a Harvard education. 

So the lesson is to put the customer first, 

by seeing how you can add value to the 

customer experience whether it be online 

or in person, or by whatever means the student finds valuable and 

will benefit from. 

Again, those with the proactive mindset will work hard to make 

stuff happen regardless of the set of circumstances. And of course, 

they get results that are surprising by comparison with the fearful, 

limited mindset that runs for cover, just like your martial arts training, 

you get out what you put in. It’s not that they are not challenged 

by what’s going on, but they make the best of the situation. 

It’s not really about where we teach our students, but rather what 

we teach them that brings value. 

Another illustration of effectively facing a crisis in your business 

is an incident that took place at the airport. The plane is going to 

board in 10 or 15 minutes and a group of college students have had 

their semester revoked abroad in Europe as a result of this emerging 

global crisis. They’re ready to go home back to the states and 

they’re joking, laughing, and having a good time. Despite the 

circumstances, they are in good spirits. 

Then all of a sudden one girl realizes that she left her phone 

back at the food court. She puts her head into her hands, and 

starts to get emotional, nearly to the point of panic as the plane is 

going to board shortly. Now upset, because she thinks she’ll never 

see this phone again with all her contacts and personal information, 

not to mention the $700 to replace the phone, she feels all 

hope is gone, and becomes nearly frozen in her panicked state. 

Then springing into action her boyfriend says, “Okay, I’ll go try 

to find it”, and runs off. For the next 10 minutes, there’s an enormous 

level of tension that is just oozing from her. Next, they’re 

starting to board the plane further elevating her anxiety. But right 

in the nick of time, her 

boyfriend shows up with 

her phone. Now she’s in a 

state of bliss and couldn’t 

be happier. He’s her hero 

for the moment. You see, 

her panic and frustration 

caused her to ‘freeze’ and 

NOT take action. This could 

NEVER solve her problem. 

ONLY ACTION could solve 

her problem, and her boyfriend 

illustrated this. Now, 

“Could” there have been a 

more negative outcome? 

Could the boyfriend have 

then missed the flight. 

continued on page 42 


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COVER STORY 

continued from page 39 

Maybe. But, how ‘bad’ would that really be. There are certainly 

other flights. Action ‘makes’ things happen. Inaction does not. 

Basically, from the stoicism viewpoint it is best to love your life, 

love your fate, and what happens to you. A lot of times we focus 

on things we might lose versus what we already have. What often 

prevents us from being at our best is regret from the past or fear of 

the future. We simply must take action. 

Now in the face of a crisis, maybe we don’t know exactly what 

to do, but here our mindset is key. 

Let’s say you’re supposed to go to the north pole and you don’t 

have a map. You can whine about not having a map and give up. 

Or you can say, “All right let me see how I can solve this problem”. 

From the second mindset, you could think to use the sun to 

point you in a direction that is north and start walking, from the first 

mindset you’ll never make any progress. 

In other words, action is a great remedy for feeling unsure 

about the future. So adaptability, attitude, and action are three 

Hanshi Kovar has Dedicated Much of His Time to Help School Owners 

Around the World Succeed. 

things to focus on so you can effectively and successfully do business 

when the unforeseen occurs. 

There’s a story about how Thomas Edison gets woken up in the 

middle of the night by his son. The conversation goes something 

like: “Dad, dad? Yeah. What is it? Your factories are burning down!” 

How, this was quite 

a surprise for Edison, 

because he had built 

these buildings with 

a new set of materials 

that were supposed 

to be fireproof! In fact, 

he was so convinced 

that these buildings 

would be fireproof, he 

didn’t insure them. Not 

only were these new 

materials not fireproof, 

Hanshi Kovar and the Legend, Tom Callos but actually super 

Hanshi Kovar and Long time Friends, PKA Founder Joe Corley, Former World 

Champion Jeff Smith, and Tuhan Apollo Larda 

flammable. The building was engulfed in huge flames and there’s 

nothing he can do to save it. 

His response to the situation, which we might consider to be a 

crisis, was very interesting for our discussion. He turns and says 

to his son, “Quick! Go wake up your mother and all her friends tell 

them to get out here because they’re never going to see another 

fire this gorgeous.” Simply put, it’s going to burn and there’s nothing 

anyone can do about it. The lesson for us is to accept the reality 

of a situation and try to make the best of it. For school owners in 

crisis, it means taking big action, considering how to find opportunity 

in the crisis, and building the strategy to make it happen!. 

These two different mentalities even reveal themselves in 

physical confrontation. There are some folks who get tagged on 

the chin and immediately get shook up by the blow. They seem to 

rock back on their heels, lose their balance and seem unable to 

get their ‘feet under’ themselves. On the other hand, some people 

get tagged on the chin and their eyes get more focused and their 

forehead dips down a little bit and they lean in. When the crisis 

comes we’ve got to be “leaning in” for our students. They need us 


COVER STORY 

and we need to be a bigger part of 

their life, not a smaller part of their 

life. We must embrace this challenge 

because you can’t change it. 

You have to be proactive and 

tactical especially in communication 

and execution with customers 

when a crisis arises. Once again if 

we use the COVID-19 pandemic as 

an example to get a lesson or two it 

becomes clear how we must think 

and act to succeed in a crisis. A lot of 

school owners took the position that 

we’re not going to charge tuition until 

things blow over. Others decided 

to more deeply engage with every 

student on their list and get them in 

Zoom classes or some type of online 

program. These presented value 

to students and continue to get a steady income and even enroll 

more new students rather than close down. 

In this latter case, overcommunicating with students and 

families through text messages, emails, phone calls, Facebook 

messenger, and any other mechanism at our disposal worked far 

better than trying to ‘wait it out’ and ‘hope’ things got better soon. 

Of course, some students have no choice, and have to put the 

program on hold because they lost their 

job and have no income. Yet, on the 

other hand there were many students 

who responded by saying, “Hey, let me 

pay. I want to support the school. I’ve 

got the money. I can pay for scholarships 

for three other kids whose parents 

can’t afford it.” In many instances, 

70 to 80% or more of students still 

continued to pay tuition because they 

were given a good reason to. 

Another very important element in 

times of crisis is to keep the emotional 

connection strong with your student 

body. When someone is emotionally 

connected to your school, they’ll justify 

paying the monthly tuition, especially 

if you’re giving even more value. An 

excellent training package to bring 

value under crisis circumstances might be to give lots of 10 minute 

private lessons, more semi-private classes of four to six people 

for a Zoom class, and share the core curriculum library by way of 

YouTube videos or other online delivery systems. 

Of course, you’re giving value, but if you don’t bring that human 

element to it, then, then you just become a commodity. The 10 

minute private class is sometimes not even a martial arts class, 


COVER STORY 

it’s more of a checkup. You can learn a 

lot about someone in just a few minutes. 

Sometimes having 10, 10 minute private 

lessons with 10 different people is preferable 

to 1, 100 minute private lesson with 1 

person. Bringing value to your students and 

taking action like this will bring them out 

the other end of any crisis in the best way 

possible. Afterward people will remember 

the way in which you handled the situation 

and how you dealt with them. 

Actually teaching over zoom is essentially 

the same macro teaching strategy 

with a small amount of technical challenges 

with the app and the camera. So if you’re a 

great instructor on the floor, it’s going to be 

exactly the same. You’re still going to call 

every student by name three times, have 

students come out and demonstrate their 

technique, and touch on the same techniques, just through video. 

They can be harder to teach than a regular class because you have 

to demonstrate everything. Like back in the late seventies and 

early eighties, when the model was private lessons. 

Back then it was private lessons all day into classes in the evening, 

and that was absolutely hard work. It’s the same in a crisis, 

but you, your staff, and students get really good. With one-on-one 

you really see a lot of improvement in different areas with your 

student body. Also having breakout rooms in the Zoom classes is 

really helpful. Even though it can be challenging with a large class 

because of the camera shot, if you have 50 people in your class it 

Hanshi Kovar, Bill “Superfoot” Wallace, and Cecil Peoples 

may be a few screens, but you just do your best. 

If you have a team of instructors teaching classes, you can put 

one instructor on spotlight and have another instructor working 

on individual students spotlighting them, which is really powerful. 

When you’re in a class on zoom it’s so important to have the 

call outs by name of your students because it makes people feel 

recognized which makes a huge difference for value. Plus it gives 

you feedback and makes it greater in value than just going to a 

YouTube video. Even though the curriculum resource library is also 

a great tool, it doesn’t have the interactive nature of Zoom. The 

combination of these makes it much more powerful. 

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COVER STORY 

Now when we face a crisis, like COVID, we should take time to 

realize how lucky we are to be in an industry where we can still deliver 

our product or service and can deliver value to our students. 

We can still impact people’s lives a hundred percent in a digital 

way if necessary. We’re also lucky that we’re in an industry that’s 

so collaborative and supportive with each other. These days we 

have platforms like Zoom or Go To Meeting where we can video 

conference not just within our school, but also to other leaders in 

the industry sharing what they are doing to adapt, and give advice 

when we need assistance in a crisis. 

This is really important to acknowledge because none of us 

have to feel like we’re alone in the midst of a crisis. It’s interesting 

that there are so many different styles, and approaches in the martial 

arts, but we’re a community at the core. We communicate and 

collaborate with each other, even our competitors in some cases 

when issues arise, because we can all see the bigger picture and 

how important the martial arts is. That is very cool to see. 

The great thing about the martial arts industry is the inherent 

value of self-improvement or personal development, so we are all 

trying to get better. It goes beyond just kicking and punching, we 

try to develop even beyond our businesses, and even outside the 

martial arts. Like personal growth ideas from people like Tony Robbins, 

Brian Tracy, and Stephen Covey. These ideas and concepts 

are important for all business owners, even the dry cleaner down 

the street, but for the most part, other businesses don’t have the 

type of personal development ‘mindset’ that we have in the Martial 

Arts. We’re very fortunate that we have this ‘culture’. 

You know, it’s like the old cliché that if I give you a dollar and 

you give me a dollar, we both have a dollar and that’s it. But if I give 

you an idea and you give me an idea, we both have two ideas that 

can really take us somewhere. Considering a time of crisis, it is the 

time for us as an industry to collectively share and learn from others. 

When we find something that works, we feel we owe it to the 

industry to share what we’re doing that works. During a crisis it’s 

the time to really step up and “A rising tide lifts all boats” to quote 

Nick Cokinos. 

Nick also said, “I’d rather have a crisis than a sloppy situation.” 

A crisis will force us to step away from any laziness we’ve had. A 

crisis will drive us to become more accepting of a form of technology 

we may have previously been resistant to. 

A crisis like a pandemic can force people into the world of new 

technology, new strategies, and new actions if they want to survive 

in business. 

As Tony Robbins would say, “Stand guard at the door of your 

mind.” The idea means that we must make it a point to only allow 

good stuff in our head. This is especially true when we are faced 

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COVER STORY 

Surround Yourself with the Best! Hanshi Kovar with Grandmaster Y.K. Kim, 

Grandmaster Fred Deggerberg, and Grandmaster Bob Wall. 

with a crisis. It’s not time to run to the mountains, find some cabin, 

and then hide out for the next five years. Your mindset is key 

because fear is contagious, but so is being calm. In those times, we 

need to be courageous in the place we should and that’s where 

we need to position ourselves. It doesn’t mean you might not have 

your moments of doubt, but don’t go down that road too far. You 

have to control the beast when it’s young, meaning before it gets 

out of hand, you bring yourself back in and you focus on what you 

can do. Basically, you focus on what you can do and roll with the 

punches. 

Again, when a crisis occurs we must practice all the things 

that we tell our students when they face a challenge in training. 

It’s no different than fighting, martial arts training, and just trying 

to survive. You’re going to get tagged on the chin every now and 

then, you have to scramble well and lean in rather than run to the 

corner and hide. You’ve got to get out and play the game like you 

want to win it. 

Finally, after the crisis has passed, you will have to adapt once 

again. For example, in reopening after COVID-19, you may have to 

adjust your schedule, or your class sizes, or more. In the same vein, 

having a more ‘hybrid’ model for some period of time , with some 

live classes and continuing with online classes might prove wise. 

You may end up having less people at the school, but still keep 

business running extremely effectively by finding the balance in 

coming out of a crisis with flexibility from what you learned by going 

through it with the right mindset. 

Then you still have to continue to be open minded to learn 

even more moving forward. Simply, we let the industry and the 

general public know that we are doing everything in our power to 

be as safe as possible and encourage them through a crisis. Crises 

are going to occur at different times and it really doesn’t matter 

what the obstacle is; you either choose to see the obstacle or you 

choose to see the opportunities. 

Everybody in this industry needs to be thinking about the 

opportunities. Think about it, because of the COVID crisis, we 

were essentially “in” our student’s living rooms and we had 

parents and siblings ears! This resulted in an even greater opportunity 

to impact the family, and generate more family add 

ons. Might as well learn to take advantage of a crisis than give 

up and die professionally. 


COVER STORY 

Rest in Peace Len Kovar 

All of us at Martial Arts World News Magazine, send our heartfelt 

condolences to the Kovar family after the passing of the 99 

year young patriarch Leonard Kovar on July 16th, 2022. 

Through Hanshi Dave Kovar’s presence on social media, our 

industry came to know, and love Len. 

Here is an excerpt from one of Hanshi Kovar’s posts a couple of 

years ago: 

His unstoppable spirit will live on though his family and certainly through the Satori institute’s instructors, staff and students. 

Rest in peace Len, we celebrate your work well done! 

Leonard Kovar - October 24th, 1922 - July 16th, 2022. 


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SCHOOL PROFILE 

Tigers Martial Arts Group: 

Help Young Student Become 

Productive Citizens 

Tigers Martial Arts Group is a multi-school organization headed by Grandmaster Song 

Kyu Lee in Texas with 3 locations. Grandmaster Lee’s locations place a huge emphasis 

upon building leadership in their students to help them become productive citizens in 

the community. The bottomline is that Tigers Martial Arts Group put the student and the 

community first and is a great resource in developing good and decent citizens for society. 

MAWN: What do you feel your school contributed to your community 

that you’re most proud of? 

SL: Our most consistent contribution to the community is in 

helping our students to become better citizens. Mostly, this comes 

through the emphasis on respect and discipline. Sometimes it 

comes through counseling a student through a difficult phase 

(e.g. When they’re having difficulty with learning something in the 

classroom). 

MAWN: What are your most productive marketing strategies, 

and what type of results are you 

getting? 

SL: Pre-pandemic, our best marketing 

activity was to go to the local elementary 

schools for their International 

Festivals. Other festivals/carnivals and 

fitness nights are also good. We’d have 

a booth at the event and would have 

our demonstration team perform as 

part of the event. This past summer, 

some of the other community events 

in which we would participate have 

returned. The attendance has not been 

up to pre-pandemic levels, but we’re 

getting out there and getting some 

good leads. 

In addition, our in-school events, such as Bring-A-Friend Day, 

have always been good lead sources. As most of our students 

are under 12 years old, we’re being a bit cautious on bringing back 

all of our in-school events. Our summer specials also have been 

a good draw. The key here is starting it soon enough that parents 

will see it when they’re looking for summer activities for their kids. 

MAWN: What are your most significant programs you provide 

and their benefits to participants? 

SL: Our primary focus is on Taekwondo. For our more advanced 

students (black belts), we also include Yongmoodo in 

the training. Overall, our training helps to develop our students’ 

confidence and discipline. Taekwondo gives our students a good 

foundation for their martial arts skills. Yongmoodo builds on this to 

give them more self defense skills and even greater confidence in 

their capabilities and in themselves. 

MAWN: Do you have a lead generating website and what 

about it has been most productive regarding leads? 

SL: We do have a lead generating website. It has helped to 

bring in a few more leads than we 

would otherwise see, though a majority 

of our leads are still coming in from 

search engine queries. Having multiple 

lead generating pages is a must. 

MAWN: What advice do you have 

for other martial arts school owners for 

having success in business? 

SL: In order to educate students at 

eye level and to add confidence and interest, 

I think it is important to complete 

a new curriculum at each stage so that 

Tiger Martial Arts Group students gain confidence 

students can have a sense of achievement. 

I think it is important to arouse 

through achievement 

interest in students through various 

skills and training methods, rather than continuing to teach similar 

skills so that students do not feel bored. 

Also, keep in mind that not all students learn or think the same 

way. Try to have multiple ways of describing a given technique. 

This helps both the ‘slow’ learners and the ‘fast’ learners. With 

students who are having trouble understanding a technique, 

hopefully at least one of the descriptions will resonate with them. 

For the students that learn more quickly, they’ll be able see the 

technique from different viewpoints, and hopefully be able to help 

others understand. 


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Our goal at Martial Arts World News Magazine® is to 

support our industry and help you grow your martial 

arts school. It’s incredibly useful for our readers to hear 

about YOUR specific experiences and results. 

You are part of a wonderful industry and community with 

Martial Arts World News Magazine, and now, you’ll be 

able to share and contribute to that community in a more 

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Share Stories About: 

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• Discovering a Successful Marketing Strategy 

• Building a Retention System that Works Well 

• Tournament Results 

• Anything else that our readers might find valuable! 


Or send your story ideas to Editor@MartialArtsWorldNews.com

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SCHOOL PROFILE 

Takai Mine Karate Producing 

Champions In The Ring and In Life 

Grandmaster Antionette Chavez was a hugely successful tournament competitor 

who participated in more than 300 events and won first place 195 times. Although 

the Takai Mine Karate school opened in 1985 and has been open since, in 1990 she 

opened her first full-time martial arts school location. The school has promoted more 

than 160 first degree black belts and the current enrollment after COVID-19 restrictions 

and bouncing back is at 100 active students. 

MAWN: What is the major contribution(s) that your school is 

bringing to its community? 

AC: Our martial arts school, Takai Mine Karate is a safe place to 

study Martial Arts in these trying times where we offer children’s 

and adult’s classes. Due to ongoing COVID issues, we require 

masks, temperature checks, and sanitizing practices for everyone 

that enters the pit facility which protects all the participants and 

makes everyone feel safe. We offer a variety of styles of martial 

arts from Derobio Escrima, shorin-Ryu karate, to Tae Kwon do. 

MAWN: What are the best producing marketing strategies you 

use and what are the lead numbers like per month? 

AC: We have two primary marketing strategies that we put to 

use regularly with varying impact. Since the world is dominated by 

marketing through social media, we utilize the Facebook platform 

to reach out to our area market. In addition, the school possesses 

a good reputation in the community through our satisfied students 

so we also are dependent upon the power of word of mouth 

marketing. 

MAWN: What are your most significant programs you provide 

and their benefits to participants? 

AC: Our most significant classes that we teach are Escrima, Tae 

Kwon do, and Self-defense classes for all ages. Although we do 

teach at the school we also still provide instruction via Zoom meetings. 

The primary benefits that our students gain are confidence, 

self-discipline, and respect from our instruction in our Self-defense 

classes and AAU competition. 

MAWN: Do you use management software and what features 

are providing the best benefits for running your school more 

efficiently? 

AC: Yes, I use Atlas Software/AMS Billing. I always have direct 

access to all my accounts and financials. I very much enjoy the 

projection charts and declines list which are conveniently located 

on the screen as soon as I login. I do not have much time to go 

through the site to find things, since my main focus is my students 

of course, but everything is right there on my screen and it is 

Grandmaster Antionette Chavez uses ATLAS Martial Arts Software to manage her school. 

perfect. If I ever have questions they have LIVE Client Success 

Advisors who can always assist with any question I may have. A 

true gem. 

MAWN: Do you have a lead generating website and what 

about it has been most productive regarding leads? 

AC: Yes, my website is provided via Atlas Software/AMS Billing. 

They both work hand in hand and make everything so much easier. 

My website is directly linked to my billing management software, 

all my leads come in and automatically get saved as prospects. I 

get notifications IMMEDIATELY and can reach out asap. This cuts 

my time in half when setting up appointments. The site then also 

sends out a number of emails over time to let your prospects, soon 

to be buyers, know that we are active in reaching out to them and 

not just another auto generated spamming site. 

MAWN: What advice do you have for other martial arts school 

owners for having success in business? 

AC: Do what is best for your students. If they come First and 

you stay true to the art your school will survive. 


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SEEKING STORIES! 

Martial Arts World News Magazine is the definitive source 

for information, news, education, ethical business 

practices, product reviews and innovative developments in 

the world of martial arts business. 

We are always on the look out for notable, engaging and 

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MIND MASTERY 

The Philosophy and Benefits 

behind Meditation Practice (Part 1) 

By Grandmaster Jessie Bowen 

I was lucky to be introduced to meditation 

early on in my martial arts training, and it has 

been a part of my life for over 40 years. 

When you tell someone you are a martial 

artist, two things spring to mind: number one, 

you can kick their butt, and number two, you’re 

a person with powerful mental powers, which 

they believe you can achieve through meditation. 

However, I’ve noticed that the majority of 

martial artists do not meditate. I’m constantly 

asking myself, “Why not?” when this is the most 

natural function. Every time you go to sleep, 

you enter a meditative state; in order to sleep, 

you must mentally relax; this is referred to as 

reducing your brain level frequency; similarly 

to how your heart beats so many times per 

minute, your brain vibrates so many 

times per second. As a result, 

meditation is one of the most 

effective strategies for developing 

a meditation mind. 

This article’s title refers to the theory and 

advantages of meditation practice. To master 

yourself mentally, physically, and spiritually, 

you must first learn the concept and 

principles of meditation. Let’s 

start with the word “philosophy,” 

which literally means 

“love of wisdom.” Philosophy, 

in a broad sense, is 

an activity that people 

engage in when they are 

trying to comprehend 

fundamental truths 

about themselves, the 

world in which they live, and their relationships to the world and to 

one another. 

The practices of meditation are increasingly becoming popular 

because of its importance and benefits. Most people incorporate 

meditation in their lives for spiritual journeys. It can expand their 

awareness and perception of life’s experiences. Some just want 

to relax. Other people are specifically interested in the benefits 

of promoting health. However, successful meditation is achieved 

through deep relaxation so that your mind and body can be revitalized 

and refreshed. 

Meditations are not created without any underlying principles. 

Whether these principles are revealed or not, you should learn that 

most forms of meditation have their own philosophies. Basically, 

it focuses on the state of the body, mind, and nature. Meditation 

experiences are influenced by your reason and understanding of 

what meditation is all about. 

GRANDMASTER JESSIE BOWEN is president of Karate International of Durham, Inc., a member of the 

American Martial Arts Association Sport Karate League and Hall of Fame, and has been a member of the Duke University 

PE Staff for over 25 years. He is the author of Zen Mind-Body Mindfulness Meditation and Zen Mind-Body Mindfulness 

Meditation for Martial Arts, as well as several other books, programs, and audio CDs on meditation and success training. 


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GROWTH HACKS 

3 Rock-Solid Marketing Strategies 

to Increase Your Enrollment 

by Mr. Sean Lee 

In speaking with hundreds of martial arts schools on a daily basis, I have come up with 

3 marketing strategies that all martial arts schools need to use on an ongoing basis: 

1. Timely Promotions 

2. Anytime Promotions 

3. Social Media Promotions 

1. Timely Promotions 

Timely promotions are promotions that depend on calendar 

events. Now is a great time for Back-to-School Specials, Stop the 

Bully Seminars, PTA Fundraisers, and Open House Promotions. In 

the coming months we will shift to Halloween Promotions, 

and then Christmas/Holiday Promotions. 

These promotions are timely because it’s too 

late to do a Halloween Promotion in November. 

2. Anytime Promotions 

Anytime Promotions are exactly what they 

sound like: they can be used anytime, and 

are not limited by calendar events. Some of 

the most popular are Birthday Parties, Movie 

Nights, Special Seminars, Demos, and the king 

of anytime promotions: the Enrollment Card. I like 

the Enrollment Card the best because 

on any day a school owner or staff 

member can go out for an hour 

or two and sell a few cards and 

bring at least one new student 

into class. It gives you control 

of your enrollment because 

new students are not limited 

by your budget, but by the 

amount of effort you are 

willing to put forth. 

3. Social Media Promotions 

Everyone knows that advertising is moving to the web: school 

websites used to be the “new” way of gaining students, but now 

social media has taken the spotlight. Martial arts schools not 

only need to have a Facebook page and a Twitter account, but 

they also have to know how to use those resources to create 

Facebook events that their students and fans can share with 

their own networks of friends. Schools need to post pictures and 

news about the school, special events, and students that can be 

shared with everyone, and regularly send out Tweets that are 

interesting enough to be reTweeted. 

It doesn’t matter if you teach Karate, Taekwondo, Kung-fu, 

Judo, Hapkido, Jiu Jitsu, or any other art; the principles are the 

same. So are the challenges, and the main challenge is finding 

the time to think up the events, then make the posters, flyers, and 

emails to promote the event, and then organize the event to not 

only run smoothly, but enroll new students. Even large schools 

with years of experience tend to use the same stale ideas with 

the same stale materials. 

AMS is the only company that supplies a winning combination 

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that will enroll new students. You don’t have to create new 

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To find out more, call me at 1-800-275-1600. 

SEAN LEE is the Executive Director of Sales and Marketing for hundreds of martial arts schools 

and specializes in online and social media marketing using his extensive professional experience in 

sports and martial arts marketing, contract negotiation, and investment. 


NEXT LEVEL STRATEGY 

Back to the Basics 

by Shihan Allie Alberigo 

The new – new is old. What the heck am I talking about? 

Simply, every time I turn around someone is coming up with 

something new or re-packaging something old, to appear new. 

My statement is “The New – New is really nothing more than saying, 

“rather then always looking for the newest way to do things, 

sometimes it is better to look back and see if you are doing the 

old things correctly first.” I know it doesn’t sound all that sexy or 

interesting, but you know what, when you turn around and put 

more and more profit in the bank, then you will 

realize it is the best idea since the invention 

of the Light Bulb. 

Start looking back and checking to see 

if things are working well. If not, I guess if 

you like the feeling of newness then you 

can say to yourself you are going to redo 

the systems you have in place and make 

them new, but in reality all I am asking is that 

you make it right. Do it right 100% from 

this day forward or at minimum 

work toward making things as 

close to 100% as you can. I 

guess in some respect this 

can be new to some 

of you. 

For example: 

Are you doing the 

basic systems 

from Taking it to 

the Next Level 

Month 1 such as: 

1) Follow the Flow of Things 

2) Welcome to the Family Packet 

3) Setting up the perfect schedule for success! 

4) Developing a trial class “Sale” binder 

5) Setting up your “Trial Class Call System” 

6) Developing Staff Procedures - Employee Sick Day Protocol 

7) Stranger Danger Letter For School Systems 

8) Management Systems Organizational Forms Library 

9) Trial Class Follow up form generic 

10) Attendance Card Front and Back 

11) Generic Contract/Agreement 

12) Financial Statistic Form 

13) Student Statistical Form 

14) Trial Class Waiver and Liability Form 

Now you may say to yourself I did all of this stuff or most of it. If 

that is the case, then I applaud you, but if not, then I suggest you go 

back and take a look anyway. I am sure once you have some of these 

things in place you may be asking yourself, what do I need another 

system for, or why should I mess with it if it isn’t broken? My suggestion 

is to take a long hard look at all the things you are missing. 

If you think about this in a martial art equation, it is what I found 

growing up in the martial arts. When I received my first Black Belt I 

was about 7 years old. I thought I knew it all. Only to find out at 13 

when I received another, I realized I finally knew it all to realize at 15 

again, I didn’t know anything in the past, but knew it now. Do you 

get what I am saying? Sometimes depending on what state of mind 

you are in, you may glance over things, look away or not understand 

it clearly because your level of understanding is not quite there yet. 

Maybe now some years or months later, you are at a different 

level. Do you know there are 18 different varieties of “Income Generators,” 

that you could be doing at your school on a monthly basis. 

Do you need new ideas, well maybe, but why not go with what is 

working now, in my schools and schools across the country. 

My point is let’s make this year or at minimum the next few 

months to really buckle down and make things perfect. I want you 

to have all of your systems working to 100% efficiency and you 

becoming a highly profitable business owner. 

SHIHAN ALLIE ALBERIGO is a 7th degree black belt, the founder of the L.I. Ninjutsu 

Centers, one of the largest Ninjutsu schools on the planet, the author of 4 books, and an entrepreneur 

with one of the first online coaching companies. 


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PILLARS OF SUCCESS 

3 Types of Power Breathing 

by Grandmaster Y. K. Kim 

1) Manual Breathing 

You need to manually rebuild your natural breathing habit. 

First, in a standing position, place both hands on your lower 

abdomen; or, sit in a chair either all the way back or on the edge of 

the chair and place both hands on your lower abdomen. 

Second with your head up, simultaneously use your hands to 

push in your stomach while bending your body forward and exhaling 

through your mouth while counting: 1, 2, 3… 

Third, with your head up, simultaneously and intentionally push 

out your lower abdomen while straightening your body and inhaling 

through your nose while counting: 1, 2, 3… 

At first, count 1, 2, 3, when you practice manual breathing. Then, 

slowly build up to a 10 count (1 count is 1 second.) You need to continue 

to practice from 3-10 times a day until you do not need your 

hands to help you breathe. 

While doing manual breathing exercises 

you may feel dizzy. If you do, stop and 

breathe normally. If you have more oxygen 

than normal, you can feel dizzy, so you 

need to practice and build up to natural 

breathing slowly. 

2) Conscious Breathing 

Conscious Breathing means paying 

attention to each breath. 

You can do this exercise without your 

hands. 

First, stand straight up, sit in a 

chair, or lie down comfortably 

while resting your hands 

naturally. Inhale through your 

nose, while intentionally 

pushing your lower abdomen 

outwards. While this 

is happening, you should 

count to ten. 

Second, exhale 

through your mouth and 

intentionally pull in on 

your lower abdomen 

while bending 

your body forward. 

You should count 

to ten. 

Third, inhale 

deeply, while you 

intentionally push 

your lower abdomen 

outwards. 

Then, when you exhale through your mouth, intentionally pull in on 

your lower abdomen. You need to slowly build up this habit. 

While doing conscious breathing exercises you may feel dizzy. 

If you do, stop and breathe normally. 

If you have more oxygen than normal, you can feel dizzy, so you 

need to practice and build up to conscious breathing slowly. 

You need to continue to practice until you do not need to open 

your mouth and bend your body. 

3) Natural Breathing 

Natural breathing is unconscious breathing. It is Power Breathing. 

First, stand straight up, sit in a chair, or lie down comfortably 

while resting your hands naturally. 

Second, inhale and exhale naturally through your nose while 

smiling. Don’t intentionally push out your lower abdomen or bend 

your body. Naturally breathe with your lower abdomen. Count to 

ten on the inhale and again on the exhale. Repeat at least 10 times. 

Third, eventually you should be able to inhale and exhale 

through your nose and deep breathe in your lower abdomen while 

smiling. When you exhale you should not need to use your hands 

and naturally your lower abdomen will go inwards. 

When you can do this well -- you can do it without hands, no 

bending, and without opening your mouth – and you continue to 

practice for 21 days, then you will breathe naturally. 

Power Breathing will generate enough oxygen for your body, 

which will help aid your blood circulation and will help you have a 

fresh mind and strong muscles. 

Start today! Do not just breathe, Power Breathe and boost your 

daily life! 

GRANDMASTER Y. K. KIM is the most successful martial arts business leader in the US, having written 

over 30 books on martial arts, business, leadership, and success. He has won numerous public service 

awards and is the founder of the leading martial arts marketing and management company in the US. 


Photograph by fizkes (top right)

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THE WAY OF THE SAMURAI 

Combative Weapons Q & A (Part 2) 

by Shihan Dana Abbott 

The Japanese Art of Chanbara Promises Safe Sparring for All Martial Artists 

Favored Weapons 

Q: Which weapons do students prefer to use? 

All students go right for the 40-inch choken (long sword). 

The padded version of the Samurai Sword 

Q: Which weapons sell the best? 

The choken (long sword) as well as the 24-inch kodachi (short 

sword) sell the best, since they go hand in hand with sword and 

weapons sparring. 

Q: Which weapon is best for beginners? 

The kodachi 24-inch sword is best for 

beginners. This is the most forgiving sword 

and can be used correctly with only 

a small amount of training. After the 

student has an 

understanding of 

the kodachi he/ 

she can easily 

go on the longer 

range weaponry 

without poor and 

uncontrolled habits. 

Children in Japan all 

start out with the short 

sword (Kodachi). 

Q: What are 

the differences 

between wielding 

a sword and a 

spear? 

There is a big difference. 

The spear is 

an easy weapon to 

learn, but requires much more energy to wield correctly. The striking 

points are different too since the spear is mostly a thrusting 

weapon that comes in at a very fast (blinding) speed. The spear 

usually is worked off the side and generally the thrusting power 

comes off the hip. 

The sword also can be used for thrusting. Although, using a 

Japanese sword to thrust opens up the combatant and has a much 

greater chance to be put into difficulty (being hit with a counter). 

The sword is much more versatile and can be used in most allcombative 

situations with long and short-range weapons. 

There are 5 basic strikes that are learned. From there, hundreds 

if not thousands of variations are used. 1. Mein or head strike 2. 

Kote or wrist strike 3. Do or stomach strike 4. Ashi or leg strike 

5. Tsuki or thrust (which is usually aimed to the upper chest or 

neck). The spear is only a long range weapon and if or when an 

opponent gets at least half way down the spear’s length it’s time 

to change weapons or run. That is why Japanese women were 

trained in the naginata, which is a sword with a spear handle. Usually 

was a length of 210-centimeters. 

SHIHAN DANA ABBOTT Is a 7th degree black belt in Kenjutsu, starting his 14-year education 

in Tokyo. He has published five books and designed a US Patent. Abbott has also conducted seminars in 

over 30 countries and obtained his black belt at the Hombu dojo in Yokohama. He currently offers online 

classes on LearntheSword.com, his unique swordsmanship academy. 


Photograph by master1305 (top right)

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EXTRAORDINARY MARKETING 

The Great Fallacies When You 

Start Your Business (Part 2) 

by Grandmaster Stephen Oliver 

Continued from last issue: 

5: Now that I own the place…I’ll teach the stuff that I enjoy. 

Whoops — another reality check. The person who writes the 

checks is ultimately in charge. Wait: That’s not you. The customer 

writes the check. Do what you enjoy and risk not finding anyone 

who wants to write the check. Ultimately, you must figure out what 

your market wants and give it to them. If you don’t, someone else 

will. You just love the newest hard-core martial arts trend? Great — 

train to your heart’s content on your own time, but be really careful 

not to skip giving your customers what they want. 

6: I’m my own boss. Interesting concept. Try 

explaining it to the IRS, your landlord, the 

city and county government, to the parents 

of your students, and, ultimately, to 

your many creditors and clients. As an 

employee, life is a little easier on a daily 

basis — you can look at your supervisor 

and take directions. As the owner, you 

have so many people trying to tell you 

what to do, that it’s difficult to decide who 

to listen to first. 

7: I can hire someone to 

“take care of the business 

side” of the school while 

I do the stuff I like — the 

teaching. This one will 

get you in trouble in a 

big hurry. You’d better 

figure out every aspect 

of your school operation. 

Once you delegate 

an aspect, you still remain 

responsible. As the owner 

you’d best develop a pretty 

good working knowledge of 

teaching, marketing, promotions, 

and advertising, sales, accounting, legal issues, staff hiring, 

staff training, human relations— and even basic repairs and maintenance. 

Since you bought this program, I well understand that I 

am doing the proverbial “Preaching to the Choir.” But the reality 

is, that most martial arts school owners might really thrive working 

as instructors for someone else, unless they are really ready 

to do what YOU are already doing. Unless they are learning about 

marketing, understanding sales and really getting ready to be truly 

entrepreneurial, they really shouldn’t be self-employed — they will 

never thrive as an independent business owner. 

8: Once I’ve delegated a task– I don’t have to worry about it 

anymore. There are two different ways to hand off a task as the 

owner. 

A. Delegation: Passing on responsibility for a task. Your role in 

this is to: 

1. Clearly define the task to be complete, with outcomes that 

define the successful completion; 

2. Provide training on key processes for the completion of the task. 

3. Involve the employee in defining the action plan for the accomplishment 

of the objective; 

4. Define benchmarks and timetables; 

5. Supervise at predefined intervals; 

6. Provide support and coaching during the process; 

7. Reward, train or punish for performance results. 

Unfortunately, as the above implies, just because you have 

delegated a task and made an employee “responsible,” does not 

mean that any of your own responsibility has been diminished. 

Successful owners and managers are defined by their ability 

to train and support staff, and by their abilities to delegate tasks 

without losing track of the time-line or training needs. 

B. Abdication: Handing off a task, then forgetting about it. 

Everything I Wish I Knew When I Was 22 Many owners that I’ve 

met try this approach, especially with those tasks that they either 

don’t understand or don’t particularly enjoy. 

Abdication of any IMPORTANT task is a sure and swift route to 

failure. Only you can be responsible for your success. 

GRANDMASTER STEPHEN OLIVER, is a 9th degree black belt and is the founder and CEO of 

Mile High Karate schools, and founder of the Martial Arts Wealth Mastery Program. 


Photograph by chaiyon021

www.ExtraOrdinaryMarketing.com

MASTERING MODERN BJJ 

7 Important Skills Taught In Kids 

Jiu Jitsu (Part 2) 

by Master Carlos Machado 

#4 Confidence 

You will always hear that Martial Arts will make your children 

more confident, but Jiu Jitsu has a different aspect than other 

martial arts. Kids Jiu Jitsu is a practical style for kids of any size 

and shape. They will become stronger physically and mentally. Jiu 

Jitsu is also to combat any opponent, no matter the size or shape. 

This fact is why Jiu Jitsu is at the forefront of the “Anti-Bully Movement” 

worldwide. The size difference between children varies 

much more widely than between adults. The confidence instilled 

by training Jiu Jitsu techniques is not false confidence, but trust in 

that they can use practical strategies that will work if implemented 

correctly. 

Our Kids Classes have the kids doing live rolling in a safe 

environment at the end of every class. This safe 

environment allows kids to confront adversity 

in a controlled and secure environment. They 

will be engaged in real-life combat situations 

trying to grapple their way into a dominant 

position or escape an uncomfortable and 

compromising position. The confidence instilled 

in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is real because the 

techniques and training are tailored for their 

very real situations. 

#5 Self-Defense 

Lastly, BJJ will give a 

child a REAL means of selfdefense. 

Bullying is on the 

rise and a real concern 

in all schools. Jiu Jitsu 

will give children more 

confidence, which is 

the #1 bully deterrent. 

Bullies don’t want to 

pick on confident children. They want easy prey, the low hanging 

fruit. Bullies themselves pick on other kids because they don’t 

have confidence in themselves. But besides being confident, they 

will have the tools to defend themselves physically. Not through 

flashy, choreographed dance-like moves or board breaking, but 

through hours on the mats spent training real situations and how to 

deal with them using BJJ. 

#6 Socialization 

In Brazilian Jiu Jitsu classes, children will meet many new 

friends and share experiences like drilling techniques, playing 

games, and live rolling. If you ask anyone who served in the 

military about the most significant thing they gained during their 

service, they will almost always say their friends. The friendships 

developed while facing adversity are the most substantial children 

could ever create. It’s also an excellent way for kids to learn to 

communicate with other kids of all ages and authority figures like 

the instructors and assistant instructors. You will see children grow 

and learn with new friends that they met in BJJ class and keep 

these friends for a lifetime. 

#7 Fitness and the “Jiu Jitsu Lifestyle” 

BJJ provides a fun and demanding cardiovascular workout for 

kids, and they LOVE doing it. They will lose weight through BJJ, 

gain core strength, and have more energy and stamina for demanding 

activities. The term “Jiu Jitsu Lifestyle” has been coined in 

BJJ to describe how many practitioners learn to live. Because Jiu 

Jitsu can be demanding physically, living a healthy life becomes 

necessary. Eating healthy foods, sleeping correctly, and stretching 

daily for body maintenance is vital. 

In many cases, our students’ parents see how strong, physically 

and mentally, their children become and begin to start training Jiu 

Jitsu themselves. Enduring Jiu Jitsu training as a family develops a 

powerful family bond. 

MASTER CARLOS MACHADO is one of the pioneers of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in the United 

States of America. Currently a Coral Belt, and promoted to Black Belt by Carlos Gracie Junior, Carlos 

Machado came to the USA in the early 1990’s with his brothers where they formed the RCJ Machado 

Jiu Jitsu Association, one of the strongest & growing BJJ organizations in the world today. 


Photograph by designer491 

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Have Your School, Organization, 

Accomplishment, or Event Featured in 

As professional martial arts school 

owners and instructors, it’s important 

that we stay up to date with the 

latest tools, tactics, and strategies 

for operating a successful martial 

arts school or organization. 

We here at Martial Arts World News 

Magazine are on an unstoppable 

mission to help our industry grow, 

and one of the best ways to do that 

is by sharing “what’s working” and 

what’s not. 

So, we want to feature schools, 

school owners, instructors, 

organizations, students, and industry 

contributors that might have a story 

our readers would find valuable! 

No story is too small or too big for 

consideration so long as there is 

value to our readers. 


Send your Story Idea to us. 

Email Editor@MartialArtsWorldNews.com 

Or Contact us at: 407-895-1996 

• One of your students 

overcame great obstacles 

to achieve their black belt? 

Awesome! 

• You’ve opened a new 

location? We’d love to hear 

about it! 

• Your martial arts 

association just set a new 

record? Great! Send us 

some information!

the 

like a champ 

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C H I P T O W N S E N D 

14x ISKA World Champion, Multiple World Record Holder 

"I knew Break Like a Champ could really help our school. We 

had been doing several things incorrectly in regards to 

breaking, with material selection and holding techniques. 

BLAC has made such a huge difference in our school! In a few 

months, we will have made back what we spent just by being 

associated with BLAC! I really believe BLAC will add 

tremendous value to any school!" 

-Chance Burleson, owner Chance Legends Dojo 

h a m p i o n p a c k a g e 

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1 Hour - Beginner Level Class 

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"It doesn't matter the size of your school, the demographics or 

ranks of your students, Chip Townsend helps with all aspects 

of running a successful martial arts school!" 

-Justin Cuellar, Owner of Atalla County Martial Arts

TACTICAL SELF-DEFENSE 

My Top Child Safety Tips (Part 1) 

by Grandmaster Tom Patire 

As responsible parents and guardians, we must never take anything for granted, 

especially when it comes to the safety of our children. Here are my top child safety tips 

to help you or parents of your child students in your journey to keep your children safe. 

1.) Teaching a child to be safe must be done when 

they can understand what being safe means. It’s important 

to educate your child on safety in a caring, 

non-scary manner. What you say and how 

you say it could save their lives or prevent 

them from being harmed. 

2.) Your child is ALWAYS safer in 

a group. Encourage your child to use 

a buddy system (when old enough) 

and stick together with friends that 

act responsibly. There’s increased 

safety in numbers, so whether your 

child is heading to school, the park, 

the movies, or anywhere else, he or 

she should always go with 

friends. Get to know 

his buddies to 

make sure they 

act safely and 

responsibly. 

3.) Identify 

for a 

child who he or she 

can trust as “safe 

people,” like a police 

officer, security 

person, store personnel, 

a mom with 

children, or a pregnant 

woman. Tell 

her that if she gets 

lost or separated from 

you, she should go to a trustworthy adult. Tell a child to trust her 

own internal alarm and if she senses trouble or is nervous about a 

so-called friendly stranger, she should hurry to the nearest public 

or populated place, put herself in the spotlight, and look for help 

from a trustworthy adult. 

4.) Explain the difference between a “good touch” and a “bad 

touch.” Tell your child that no one should touch him in his private 

areas (parts covered by a bathing suit). If anyone does, he should 

shout, “Help! Stop it, don’t touch me there!” and be sure to tell a 

parent or another trusted adult about it—immediately! 

GRANDMASTER TOM PATIRE, is known as “America’s Leading Personal Safety Expert” and has appeared 

on Good Morning America, The CBS Morning Show, The Colbert Report, Montel, plus in mainstream publications such as 

Family Circle, Redbook, Fortune Magazine, and The Wall Street Journal. He has written several books and has personal 

safety programs that can be incorporated into your martial arts school, available at TomPatire.com. 


CUTTING-EDGE 

MARTIAL ARTS WEBSITES 

That Bring New Students Into Your School–Fast 

Finally, a Beautiful, High-Quality, Lead Generating Website for Your Martial Arts School 

Visit AmazingMartialArtsWebsites.com or Call (800) 275-6900

COMPLETE MARTIAL ARTS CONCEPTS 

Competition 

by Professor Willie “The Bam” Johnson 

In our school we provide an avenue for those who are interested in competition. 

Is a competition team good or bad for your school? This seems 

to be one of those age - old questions that many school owners 

face. It just so happens that I actually have had competition teams 

in my school. As a matter of fact, I had one of the most successful 

competition teams on the North American Sport Karate Circuit 

(NASKA) as well as on the NBL circuit. I am also a seventime 

world champion, so competition is actually no stranger in my 

school. 

The one thing that I have discovered is that not all-prospective 

clients bring their child or themselves to my school to become the 

next world champion. So this is presented in a very careful 

manner so as to not drive anyone away or make them 

feel less important in the school for not being a 

part of this team. Basically I would honestly prefer 

to have them strive to be a part of our Elite 

Black Belt Squad. 

I have seen both sides of having a competition 

team; the positive and the negative. At 

times it has been a very challenging path for my 

school and myself. It has also brought 

a lot of attention to my school; 

where I have many people 

coming to me and even 

wanting to change their 

school. There have also 

been sponsors that have 

invested a lot of money 

and time into our competition 

team. So the greatness 

was there, but as 

with everything there are 

two sides of the fence. 

This is the honest side 

of the fence. Although 

we have had some of the 

most remarkable talent 

on our teams, we 

had a lot of egos 

as well. There was 

a point where I 

decided to bring 

in some outside 

talent and this 

honestly brought 

in a lot of turmoil 

to our team and 

the parents of the 

team members. 

So we just went 

back to being 

a school based 

team and this turned out to be the best thing I could have done for 

the team at that time. 

But like I said with all good things there is that other side that 

people don’t necessarily see. I allowed myself to get too close and 

too personal with my team. Instead of keeping it strictly professional; 

I crossed the line and became their friends and started caring 

about what was good for the individual instead of what was good 

for the team. This eventually led to students quitting the school 

because I was not in the school on Saturday’s because I was trying 

to keep up with the circuit. 

Parents began to dislike certain decisions that I was making; 

thinking I was playing favorites and so on and I even lost some of 

those students. Next thing you knew the structure of the team was 

gone. It became a personal thing instead of a professional thing 

and that was when it began to stick the knife into the gut of the 

school. This is when a decision had to be made, was it going to be 

the fame of others or the success of my school. 

I do still have some sort of competition team in my school because 

there are many kids with a lot of talent that wish to challenge 

themselves on this level. But it is most definitely kept on a small 

scale because of what I’ve learned through my experiences. 

PROFESSOR WILLIE “THE BAM” JOHNSON is a 7th degree black belt and seventime 

sport karate and Kung-Fu world champion. He has appeared in four movies, 16 plays, and 11 television 

shows. He is also the national spokesperson for the Stronger than Drugs Foundation and the Champions 

Against Drugs. 


Photograph by Ljupco (top right)

THE MILLIONAIRE SMARTS COACH 

8 Positive Ways to Deal 

with a Bad Day 

by Lee Milteer 

When you’re having “one of those days” where nothing seems 

to go right, you’re feeling overwhelmed, or just “off” (what I call 

“Character-Building Days”) here are some helpful tips to regain 

control of your day. 

Print these out for your ‘fridge, right next to the emergency 

phone numbers: 

Tip 1: Break Out a Pattern Interrupt 

What you focus on mentally can tell your body to be relaxed or 

stressed, so interrupt the thought pattern that’s upsetting you with 

a calming one. 

Here’s how: Get to a place where you can be alone. Then 

imagine yourself in your favorite place or a quiet, peaceful location 

such as a cool, green forest, a lofty mountain top, or pristine, sandy 

beach – a mental Shangri-La. The University of Delaware has done 

studies proving that picturing a quiet natural scene in your mind 

will significantly reduce your stress. Your Mind is the Controller of 

how you feel! 

Tip 2: Say These Declarations Out Loud 

• I am calm and cool under all circumstances. 

• I am in control of my life; I now can let go 

and relax. 

• I am now in control of all my thoughts and 

actions. 

• I am very effective and efficient in 

stressful situations. 

• I love and honor myself. 

• I have a positive attitude that I 

can handle myself in all situations. 

• I am focused only on the 

NOW. Right now, I am safe and 

OK. 

Tip 3: Listen Up 

Take the time to listen to emotionally 

rewarding and uplifting music, or an audio program that 

reminds you of your personal power. 

Tip 4: Exercise 

Physical movement is another positive way to change your 

mood – and it has long-term benefits. 

Tip 5: Breathe Deeply 

Breathe slowly and deeply several times. When your heart is 

racing because of anxious feelings, deep breathing slows it down 

and allows you to feel in control again. Deep breathing is also an 

effective form of muscle relaxation. 

Tip 6: Reward Yourself 

Give yourself permission to have some positive personal rewards 

– anything that empowers you to feel special! 

Tip 7: Be Grateful 

There is nothing like Gratitude to remind you that, no matter 

how bad your day is right now, you still have positive things in your 

life. Be grateful for what is good in your life right now. 

The more we focus on what is good in our life, the less time we 

have to focus on what we are unhappy about. The truth is, no matter 

how bad your day is, someone else in the world would look at 

you as being lucky. 

You must realize that the way to find happiness is to look for 

what is good in your life. The universal truth of life is this: What you 

focus on expands. So focus on the blessings you have! Sit down 

and write out your own personal Gratitude list. 

Tip 8: Look Forward to the Future 

Imagine what wonderful adventures you can experience and 

create for yourself and your family. 

Always keep in mind that bad days don’t last, that “this too shall 

pass.” Empower yourself to always control your emotions with your 

thoughts – and remember to love yourself. 

MS. LEE MILTEER is an Intuitive Business Coach, award-winning professional speaker, and TV personality 

who has counseled and trained over a million people throughout her career. Lee is Stephen Oliver’s Martial Arts 

Wealth Mastery’s Millionaire Smarts Coach and is also a best-selling author of educational resources. 


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BUDO PHILOSOPHY 

Where Is the Limit of 

Responsibility With Oneself and 

With Others? 

by Shidoshi Alfredo Tucci 

The Master has no choice but to intervene. When? Every system; every nature; every 

context, whether anthropological, historical or social, creates its premises. 

If we take freedom as a great premise, everything will be 

reduced to a reflex action of our natures (that of the Master, of the 

student, in their contexts) any excuse is justified or 

justifiable, because everything is, if looked at 

from the appropriate angle or framework. 

From the Unamuno’s “Let others invent!”, 

to the responsibility of a father, all is perfectly 

understandable, all is acceptable in the doing 

of a Master... everything! But, will it be really 

positive for both? Life itself puts us every 

day in front of our limitations. To what extent 

must be pushed the river that flows alone? 

Everything is a matter of degree. There 

are teachers who decide to do, others to make 

do, and still others who take advantage of 

the appropriate circumstances so that 

events occur, that evolution acts, that 

the major destiny of each student 

can find its place. Everyone here, 

as usual, will act according to his 

or her nature, the mixture of both 

will pay off, with its mistakes and 

agreements. What would be 

considered wrong? 

From a certain point of view 

there are some points to think 

about: what instead of opening 

prospects, closes them?; 

what instead of modeling, 

amputates?; what instead of pruning ends, cuts?; what only 

removes the excess and forgets about supplying what is missing?; 

what treats with excessive rigor what should be treated with compassion?, 

and what, on the contrary, (beyond the Master’s nature 

or convenience) treats with disdain the unforgivable?, and that, like 

most things, is a Variable border. 

We return to the natures, we return to the particular, we return 

to the context. You cannot tame a thoroughbred like a Percheron, 

or a Percheron like a thoroughbred. Is the taming you learnt the 

right one for that horse? “Each bull has his own fight”, but, is it necessary 

to fight every bull that comes out from the bullpens door? 

Sometimes not to do is much more than to do. And sometimes 

you’ll just ask yourself: But ... What the heck! Above all in particular, 

larger values act, greater forces are imposed, we are all a tiny 

part of other titanic ones, we can only find the way in the narrow 

hallway of our destinies, one millimeter to the left ... two to the right 

... assume our own destiny with delight. 

If playing cards and losing is a pleasure, what will it be to win? … 

Well, my friend... That’s talking to God! 

SHIDOSHI ALFREDO TUCCI is the CEO and General Manager of the Budo International Publishing 

Company, a leading publisher in the martial arts with over 35 years in the industry. He is also author of several 

books: The Immaterial Dimension, The Way of the Warrior, and The Spirit. He currently lives in Valencia, Spain. 


Photograph by ultramansk (top right)

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Martial Arts Professionals in 

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Email Sponsors@MartialArtsWorldNews.com 

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PRO SHOP POWER 

12 Tips For Success: 

Proven Business Practices for Your School 

12 tips for success are summarized tips from successful business owners from all 

around the country. Take time to apply these at your martial arts school! 

1. Disagreements can be good for a business! A pointed discussion 

can be good for a business; it gets people thinking. When 

trying to grow your school, while brainstorming, turn disagreements 

into even better plans for success. 

2. No matter how high you rise, keep doing the grunt work. 

That is not to say fill your day with it, but if it needs to be done, 

then do it. You are leading by example. For years, Charlie Valluzzo, 

owner of over 50 McDonald’s stores, greeted customers at lunchtime 

by saying, “Welcome to McDonald’s. Can I take your order?” 

It inspires your staff to know that you’ll do anything to make your 

school a better place, and they will, too. 

3. Losing a customer doesn’t have to be the end of the world 

if you learn something. If you take the time to understand why a 

student left, you’ll know what your problem areas are and be able 

to improve upon them next time, or prevent the problem before it 

happens. 

4. Pay beyond minimum wage. Think of it like this: Minimum 

wage equals minimum passion. Martial artists are people of great 

passion and depth; pay your employees for that commitment. 

5. Staff meetings are NOT a waste of time. During the alwayson-the-go 

’80s and dot-com ’90s, staff meetings fell out of fashion 

for many companies. Some managers held them in hallways to 

keep them short. Others swore by the standing room only sort, 

where decision makers got together without chairs so the meetings 

lasted only minutes. The fact is that staff meetings 

are important, and having them weekly is 

best. Staff meetings foster communication 

and problem solving. 

6. Support the companies you’d like to 

have as customers. Support companies you 

can work with like health food stores, or even 

companies that will trade for discounts and 

distribute your literature to help their employees. 

A company that wants healthy employees 

is a great partner for Martial 

Arts schools! 

7. Take note of the little things you’re doing or using and always 

see if there is a better method or better material. Taking in 

the less obvious aspects, business can bring about innovation and 

reduced expenses. For example: Installing tile in your bathrooms 

and changing areas is cheaper than carpeting in the long run. 

Buying an expensive heavy-duty mop is much more cost-effective 

than ten cheap ones, because it saves a little money and lots of 

labor. 

8. When others are giving up, look for hidden opportunities. 

If other schools nearby you are closing, look for opportunities like 

having their students join your school, or even find out why they 

closed. 

9. When hiring support personnel, given the choice between 

a singular superstar and a team player, hire the one who’s 

team-oriented. A team player will take more ownership and help 

your school grow. You are more likely to lose the superstar to their 

goals or to a higher-profile position. In the world of martial arts, 

they can break from your school and take your students right from 

under your nose. 

10. Write down your priorities on a regular basis. This helps 

you remember and rearrange your priorities. You won’t forget an 

appointment with a potential student or Grandmaster if it’s written 

down. In the end, it doesn’t have to be complicated, even handwritten 

works just fine. 

11. You can’t grow it alone. You have to have support. The 

worst thing you can do is to build a business and not have people 

with you, because your growth will be dramatically limited. Make 

staff members your partners by paying them well, promoting from 

within, and taking care of them. Remember, organizations are 

made of people and you can’t have ten branch locations without a 

team of people—so groom your people. 

12. Your competition isn’t who you think it is. If you own a 

Taekwondo school, it’s not the Kung Fu school down the street; 

instead, it’s the gym promoting health and fitness—the same as 

you are. Take a broader view of who you’re competing against and 

you’ll be more prepared. 

MR. SUN KANG is the President of Vision Martial Arts Supply, Los Angeles Branch, who helps school owners all over 

the US maximize their retail sales and drive more revenue into their schools. 


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MASTER THE BASICS 

Stay Ahead of Your Competition 

by Master Tina Bane 

The future of martial arts is less violent and more practical for everyday living. Think 

about it… how many physical fights have you gotten into over the last 5 years? 

The future of martial arts is less violent and more practical for everyday 

living. Think about it . . . how many physical fights have you 

gotten into over the last 5 years? How many verbal confrontations 

have you gotten into in the last month? Most people have more 

verbal confrontations in a month (a week? a day?) than physical confrontations 

in 5 years. It’s just a benefit of living in a civilized society. 

If we want to survive as an industry, we must adapt traditional 

martial arts principles to 21st century needs. For example, one of 

the hottest issues of every year is health care. While the politicians 

argue about who pays how much for what kind of care, martial arts 

instructors have the opportunity to help our students prevent problems 

by staying healthy. We can teach physical fitness 

not only from an exercise standpoint, but through 

healthy eating, proper breathing, and stress 

management. 

If we emphasize these added values in our 

classes, we become less of a hobby and more of 

a necessity, with tangible, even financial benefits. 

Traditionally, the stock and trade of martial 

arts instruction has been self-defense. 

Whether you teach kicks and punches, 

wrist locks, or take-downs and chokes, 

the end result is that your student 

learns to handle a physical confrontation. 

However, most 

of us teach our students 

that physical self-defense 

is a last resort – 

instead we should first 

diffuse the situation 

or just walk away. Now, 

why should our students 

continue to train in the martial arts 

when we teach them not to use the 

skills we practice? We are actually 

encouraging them to quit. 

Why not teach them skills they can use every day? We can 

expand our self-defense curriculum to teach Physical Self-Defense 

from things like bad eating habits and laziness. Students will face 

these temptations every day, and practicing at your school gives 

them the discipline to resist temptation. Why not add Verbal Self- 

Defense to your curriculum, to defend themselves from verbal 

assaults from classmates, coworkers, and even family? Why not 

practice Moral Self-Defense, to give them practice defending 

against self-attacks like self-doubt, fear, and anxiety? These skills 

require practice, which requires continued attendance. 

I am not recommending that you throw out your traditional 

self-defense curriculum. It is fun to practice, and more importantly, 

it provides the framework to teach these other skills. I am 

recommending you distinguish yourself from your competition by 

expanding the principles behind your self-defense curriculum to 

incorporate the kind of challenges your students face on a daily 

basis. If your competitor’s school teaches violence and your school 

teaches how to stay healthy and successfully handle situations 

they face every day, which school do you think they will choose? 

Which school will they stay with? 

Don’t wait for your competitors to make their move. Beat them 

to the punch by acting instead of reacting. Keep your school on the 

cutting edge of martial arts instruction by teaching the skills your 

21st century students need today, tomorrow, and in the future. 

MASTER TINA BANE is a 6th degree master instructor and owner of a Top Ten martial arts school 

with successful after school and summer camp programs. 


Photograph by paleka19 (middle)

INSTRUCTIONAL EXCELLENCE 

Don’t Use a Sledge Hammer to 

Swat Flies (Part 1) 

by Grandmaster Tim McCarthy 

As a martial artist you must be aware of the use of excessive force. 

If you get into a street fight, as someone trained in selfdefense, 

you can only use enough force to control the situation. 

If you kill or maim someone when your life is not 

threatened, you may be held legally liable for the 

damage you do. 

Of course, the same principle is true in the 

classroom. When demonstrating a technique, 

you exercise control so as not to injure your 

students. There is a fine line 

between showing your students 

the potential power 

of a technique (giving 

your students a “love 

tap”) and stroking your 

ego in an attempt to show 

your superiority. Your 

students are not punching 

bags. They come to 

you to learn, not to get 

abused. 

Now I understand that 

every student is different. Some 

students have a mentality that 

won’t let them respect a technique 

unless they actually feel it. 

So it is your job to find that point 

for each student where they 

believe you. Most students 

believe just about everything 

you say if you have earned 

their trust. Others have to 

challenge everything by 

nature. One option is to ask 

the “Doubting Thomas” to 

hold a board or a pad while you blast away so they can feel the 

power without sustaining injury. A rare few need more, and actually 

want to feel the blow to believe it – just choose a safe target. 

In grappling techniques, you can forcefully but gradually 

apply the technique until they tap out – just don’t 

let a hard-head force you to dislocate a joint 

because they want to prove how much 

pain they can take. You are the experienced 

professional, so you must use 

your judgment to protect your 

students, even from 

themselves. 

Moving to 

the mental level, 

you must use the 

same principle on 

the amount of information 

you provide according to their readiness to accept it. For white 

belts, you may need to break each motion down step-by-step, 

to help them understand the principles of your art. However, you 

don’t need to tell them everything you know (all the variations in 

different situations) about each technique. Use just enough informational 

power to help them understand at their level. For black 

belt class you can skip over the step-by-step basics and spend 

more time on the various applications of the technique. Their 

level of experience and understanding requires more intellectual 

power to achieve your goal. 

GRANDMASTER TIM MCCARTHY is a 9th degree black belt and is a martial arts educator 

with a master’s degree in education. He has been instrumental in developing two industry-changing 

programs, plus has directed and been featured in hundreds of martial arts videos and webinars. 


Photograph by NeilLockhart

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BUSINESS BUZZ 

First Impressions Steps 

to Success 

by Grandmaster Lawrence Arthur 

Your Face, Body, and School Must L ook Referable. They need to Love your Program, 

Like you, and Be Impressed with your school. 

1. Correct anything that you feel is wrong with you. Teeth, overweight, 

etc. 

2. Always dress in uniform or dress clothes with polished dress 

shoes. Dress neatly all the time, clean, and pressed. 

3. Limit jewelry to a watch, wedding 

rings and professional ring, or a college 

ring. 

4. No earrings for men, conservative 

earrings for women. 

5. Fingernails should be clean, 

trimmed, rounded, and one neutral 

color. 

6. Glasses should be 

small lenses, contact 

lenses, or better 

yet, get your eyes 

fixed. 

7. Look like 

you are in 

shape. 

8. No facial hair. Keep your eyebrows trimmed. 

Ladies use natural color makeup, less is better. 

9. Dental hygiene. Keep your breath fresh. No 

chewing gum. Braces if necessary. 

10. Hair should not be over your collar 

and look like you just got a haircut. No 

shaved heads. Conservative haircuts. 

Women’s hair should be pulled back off 

face. 

11. A new uniform with a new belt looks 

more professional to the general public. 

12. Shoes should look new. Never wear 

worn or dirty looking shoes of any type. 

13. No baggy pants or tight fitting leotards 

for women. 

14. Cell phones should not be worn on your 

belt, it looks unprofessional. Don’t wear an 

earpiece, it looks amateur. 

IF THEY DON’T ENROLL, IT’S NOT 

BECAUSE OF WHAT YOU SAID, IT’S BE- 

CAUSE OF WHAT YOU SHOWED THEM. 

GRANDMASTER LAWRENCE ARTHUR has been a martial artist, specializing 

in Karate, Kung Fu, Kenpo, Shotokan, and Goju Ryu, since 1968. He owns 40 Super Kick Karate 

locations and is founder of the American Freestyle Karate Association (AFKA). A world champion 

and hall of famer, Lawrence also runs the Black Belt Success Systems consulting firm, which trains 

martial arts instructors on proper business practices and is used by schools all over the country. 


Do You Serve Martial Arts Professionals? 

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Visit: MartialArtsWorldNews.com or Call Jeff @ 407-895-1996

MARTIAL ARTS PHILOSOPHY 

The Leo Fong Martial Arts 

Connection (Part 1) 

By Sensei Gary Lee 

The stories you are about to read are true and are as accurate as the old sensei 

remembers. 

There are many lessons learned at an 

early age and this is one of those. This 

lesson is the lesson of friendship and the 

many doors that true friendships open 

throughout the years. The Leo Fong 

martial arts connection spans a thirty year 

period and shows how life goes in circles 

and how martial arts brings together the 

true masters. 

I gathered my Black Belts to watch the 

movie “KILLPOINT”, a film that stars Mr. 

Leo Fong, a martial arts Living Legend. I 

received it in the mail with an autograph 

cover. Mr. Leo Fong was 

one of my first heroes 

when I came to 

the mainland. My 

students and I were 

looking forward to 

watching some of 

the best to be karate 

stars on screen 

like Steve “Nasty” 

Anderson 

and Linda Denley just to name 

a few but most of all, I had 

gather my Black Belts 

to teach them a sport 

karate history lesson 

and talk to them 

about how I 

met this great 

martial artist Leo Fong. 

It was 1974 and I had been fighting 

in the mainland for over five years and 

built a small reputation for being an all 

around type of competitor. In the seventies 

not many Black Belts did three 

divisions, fighting, kata and weapons. 

I wanted the respect and I decided 

to give it all and in my eyes it paid off. 

Black Belt judges were coming up to 

me asking who I was and where I was 

from. I would proudly say “HAWAII!” 

I had not won a major event yet but 

I was placing seconds and thirds 

behind the top competitors of that 

time. Back then competition was fun 

and exciting even losing was a thrill 

because you were building the legacy 

that would last a lifetime. 

One of the first books I paid for 

as reference of knowledge was Leo 

Fong’s now famous Sil-Lum Kung 

Fu. What drew my interest: it was a 

soft style and it translates as “young 

forest”, simply meaning to be able to be flexible and like a young 

tree, bend with the wind. I was fascinated, it was just the opposite 

of what I have been told to do since I was a kid training in Hawaii – 

knock them down and go straight forward, hit first, hit last, go for 

the knockout!!! Evade, dodge, counterpunch, move in circles all 

the time. I found an uki (partner) and started practicing what was 

in the book. 

It was new and it was fun!! 

SENSEI GARY LEE, the American Samurai, is a 9th Dan black belt, a USA Karate 

Federation gold medalist, winner of five Super Grand National Titles, a featured actor in 

the movie Sidekicks, and is the founder of the National Sport Karate Museum. 


MANAGEMENT EXCELLENCE 

Get 3 Secrets to a Great 

Beginner’s Class 

by Chief Master Kirk Pelt 

Beginner’s class is the most important class in martial arts training. If you don’t have 

a great beginner’s class, it won’t matter how good your other classes are, because 

students will quit before they ever get to move up in rank. 

For this reason I strongly recommend that you teach a separate 

beginner’s class. When you just throw your beginners into your 

regular class, it can be very frustrating to all the students. Beginners 

have very different needs than more advanced students. 

When you put them both in the same class, one or the 

other will get frustrated, and your retention will 

suffer. 

All your classes must be educational, motivational, 

and practical. Here are three secrets I 

have discovered over the years for my beginners’ 

classes: 

First, take the time to teach your basics 

properly. Beginner’s class lays the foundation of 

the martial 

arts for these students. The basics we teach 

provide the foundation of every technique the 

students will learn, even the most advanced 

skills. Just as you cannot 

build a skyscraper on a foundation 

of sand, you cannot build 

powerful martial arts technique 

on sloppy basics. The quality 

of your black belts begins 

here. 

Take the extra time to 

explain the basics, allow the 

students to practice, and 

then help them improve. I 

like the P-I-R method of 

correction, which stands 

for: Praise, Improvement, Result. You praise the student for what 

he is doing well, suggest an area of improvement, and then tell him 

the result of following your advice. For example, “Good! I like the 

way you snap your kick out and back. If you point your knee a little 

higher, you will be able to kick higher.” 

Second, help students set short-term, mid-term, and long-term 

goals. Students with goals have a reason 

to overcome the inevitable frustrations that come when they 

are pushing their limits. Help them learn to turn obstacles into stepping 

stones, to achieve higher levels of mastery. A short-term goal 

for a beginner is to pass his or her yellow belt test. A mid-term goal 

would be to receive their black belt. A long-term goal would be to 

become an instructor, to be able to share what they have learned 

with others. 

Third, make sure they get a good physical sweat and a good 

mental sweat in each class. The more 

immediate benefits they receive, the more necessary your 

classes will become in their lives. 

Physical sweat is a sign that they are getting into better shape. 

They are improving their strength, flexibility, and health, while 

reducing stress. At the end of every class you can measure your 

success in gallons of sweat. 

Mental sweat comes from understanding the principles behind 

the basics, which give us direction in our lives. Be sure to point out 

the practical applications of martial arts principles in everyday living. 

For example, we teach verbal self-defense alongside physical 

self-defense. Chances are your students will use verbal selfdefense 

in the next day or so, whereas they will probably not use 

physical self-defense for weeks, months, or even years. When they 

see immediate benefit, they have to come back for more. 

CHIEF MASTER KIRK PELT is an 8th degree black belt and is the President of a multimillion 

dollar, multi-school organization, has a 30-year track record of success, and is currently on 

the leading edge of martial arts curriculum and business innovation. 


Photograph by Ratana21

61 

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THE WARRIOR WAY 

Overprepare to Reach 

Your Goals 

by Grandmaster Bill Clark 

Know your goals, vision and strategic plan inside and out. Your product, know your 

staff, know your resources, know your customer, and know your competition. KNOW 

YOURSELF. Have backup plans. Anticipate objections, eliminate roadblocks, so you 

can be over-prepared with solutions. 

The clearer you are about your goals and objectives, the harder 

it will be to divert and slow your progress. The clearer you are 

about your vision, the easier it will be to draw inspiration, motivation, 

support and action, especially in times of trouble. 

Not to mention PERSISTENCE! That ability to keep 

going no matter what. 

You need to know your goals, vision and 

strategic plan inside and out, whether it is with 

martial arts, your life or in your job, business or 

career. You need to know where you’re going 

and what you might 

have to deal with, to the best of your 

ability… and look at it every time 

you take a change of course. 

I know people who were 

devastated because 

something they didn’t 

expect happened 

and it totally derailed 

their life – like their 

husband leaving, 

getting badly 

injured, a fire, flood 

or earthquake! 

You get the 

idea. These are 

not things outside 

our realm of understanding but they are things most people never 

think about. Have backup plans. Anticipate objections. Eliminate 

roadblocks. Be over-equipped with solutions. That way, when 

something so-called “unexpected” happens, you can spring into 

action, and draw support if needed, instead of stagger around in 

an emotional daze. 

The importance of good preparation cannot be overstressed 

and it feels amazing. Personally speaking, I’m pretty good in a crisis. 

I can quickly analyze a situation and immediately begin looking 

for solutions. I actually love that part… being a puzzle-solver. And 

without going through the emotions of fear first! 

So I asked her… “Did you prepare for things not going as 

planned?” “No”, she said. “I only visualized the positive outcomes.” 

Well, that’s your problem. I responded. You were not 

prepared. When the unthinkable happened you had NO STRATE- 

GIES! You have to think ahead, about what could go wrong. This 

will give you the opportunity to mentally rehearse what to do. So 

then, when something does go wrong, you will do the right thing 

in the moment. 

Unrealistic Targets Causing yourself to fail because you have 

unrealistic targets not only sets up failure, but also places undue 

stress on you and those around you. This not only happens in 

business, but I’ve seen people set an unrealistic goal, like to get to 

the Olympics, but not factor in the kind of talent and persistence it 

takes, let alone all the possible things that could go wrong. 

The difference between a dream and a goal is the reality factor. 

Think it through. And then adjust your goals accordingly! 

GRANDMASTER BILL CLARK is a 9th degree black belt and a former PKA Fighter of 

the Year. He is widely considered one of the top experts in martial arts business with over 50 years 

of leadership and innovation, having been inducted into almost every Hall of Fame in the industry. He 

is one of the largest multi-school owners in the world. 


Photograph by phototechno

STAFF DEVELOPMENT 

Using Martial Arts to Combat 

Stress & Negativity 

by Grandmaster Zulfi Ahmed 

Have you ever thought of martial arts as offering more than just teaching you how to 

defend yourself? 

Well, many don’t and with such a high number of people these 

days struggling with anxiety, perceived negativity about their lives and 

stress, it’s something that needs to be viewed through a different lens. 

That’s because martial arts isn’t all about defeating your opponent, 

as it also offers a myriad of associated physical and mental 

health benefits. Chief amongst these are a sense of calm, control 

and balance and in this article, we look at the ways in which martial 

arts can help you to combat stress and negativity. 

Help Students Turning Negativity On Its Head 

When we get stressed and angry a large amount of energy fills 

the body and it’s fuelled by adrenaline and a surge of hormones. 

This emotional response is often short lived, however it can really 

leave a mark and when this energy is suppressed, it often leads to 

fatigue and negative thoughts. Practicing martial arts in their many 

forms allows you to release that pent-up energy and 

when you do so, you regulate your emotions 

and channel them into something positive. 

Reduce Stress Through Improved 

Decision Making 

No one is completely immune to stress, 

regardless of age, race or gender, as we all 

encounter difficult moments throughout our lives 

that test our patience and mental strength. One 

way in which this stress manifests itself is through 

overthinking every little decision you have to 

make. Martial arts helps to train your skills in 

making quick, accurate decisions with the 

minimum of effort, allowing you to assess 

situations objectively and calmly. 

Reducing The Negativity of Fear 

When stress and negativity are around, then fear is often never 

far behind and it’s this that makes us overthink the problems in our 

lives. Sure, it’s important to think about important issues, however, 

fear can cloud your judgment, making you feel stressed and unable 

to find a resolution. Martial arts train you to develop fortitude 

of the mind needed to become much less fearful of the world 

around you. Fear is there to protect against things that you should 

be afraid of, not to dictate every action you take. 

Learning Discipline Reduces Anxiety and Negativity 

During Martial Arts training you’ll invariably find that discipline 

plays a central role in what’s being taught. As well as strengthening 

the body, they teach you how to use this strength in a responsible 

way and this control calls for high levels of self-discipline. 

When you achieve increased self-discipline, you become someone 

who is much less swayed by your emotions and by the stress you 

encounter each day. 

Learn Martial Arts & Free Yourself From Negativity & Stress 

As you can see, there is much that martial arts offer in the combatting 

of stress and anxiety and we’ve not even talked about how 

they help to improve blood-flow, increase ‘feel-good’ endorphins 

and release muscle tension. The self-discipline and control over 

your emotions that it provides makes you much less susceptible to 

anxiety and stress that so many suffer with in the modern world. 

To help students deal with stress and anxiety on a daily basis, 

help them remember that there is a way to change things. It’s not 

always easy and it does take hard work, but the vast majority of 

those that do engage in regular martial arts training are calm, considerate 

and happy people. 

GRANDMASTER ZULFI AHMED has amassed acclaim as a world-class competitor, martial arts 

educator, and is most notably founder and designer of the internationally renowned style, Bushi Ban. With over 45 

years of martial arts experience and over 300 martial arts awards, his schools include ten locations across Texas. 


TOOL 

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Tools & Tactics 

If Your School isn’t Earning at 

Least $15,000.00 a Month, You 

Need to AMS 

by Chris Lee 

There are lots of ways to increase the income at a martial arts school, but the two 

most obvious are: 

1. to attract more students 

2. to earn more income per student. 

If you’re not earning at least $15,000.00 a month at your martial 

arts school, I have two words for you: After School. 

Attract More Students 

If you don’t have an after school program, 

by adding the new program you will 

attract more students. At this time of year 

you can attend the Open House events 

at your local elementary schools, which 

are the single most powerful marketing 

events for an after school program. Our 

member schools have gotten as many 

as 17 new students from attending 

a single Open House. By attending 

three to five at the closest 

schools, you can jump start your 

program. Our monthly support 

packages contain fun and effective 

referral events, and your 

program will continue to grow 

throughout the school year and 

into summer camp. 

Earn More Income per 

Student 

Parents of students in an 

after school martial arts program 

will pay over $400 a month (based on our national averages). 

At that rate, you only need 25 additional students to earn an extra 

$10,000.00 a month. 

We’ve had school owners who thought, “After school martial 

arts would never work in my community,” take the leap of faith and 

earn an extra $13,000.00 the first month! Why not you? 

Many of our schools have between 50 and 75 students in 

their after school programs – earning between $20,000.00 and 

$30,000.00 a month in addition to their other income. I’m sure I 

can show you how to get your school to average over $15,000.00 

a month within a year, and over $20,000.00 a month not long after 

that. 

If you are already earning $40,000.00, $50,000.00 or more a 

month, and you don’t have an after school program, you are smart 

enough to do the math for yourself: what difference would those 

50 or more after school students make in your school? 

The best part is that the program is already developed and 

tested around the country. You get the start-up kit, monthly support 

of marketing materials, instructional ideas, and characterbuilding 

activities for the children. If you can follow directions, you 

can run a successful program “out of the box.” Plus you get me and 

my team to answer your questions and keep you from making the 

most common beginner mistakes. 

If you’re not currently making $15,000.00 a month, you really 

do need to call me at 1-800-275-1600. I can help you reach more 

students, buy better equipment, pay your staff better, and take 

home more profit. 

So, what are you waiting for? Call me and let’s get you started 

on the proven path to higher income! 

MS. CHRIS LEE is a martial arts business development consultant with a background in online and 

social media marketing. 


Image by LoveTheWind

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AFTER SCHOOL EXCELLENCE 

Getting Feedback from 

Your Students 

By Chief Master Mike Bugg 

There’s a popular saying that you should work smarter, not harder, which is something 

to keep in mind as we explore the concept of intelligence. 

There are several things you can do at your school to work 

smarter, not harder. The lifeline of your school is your students. 

They dictate the growth and development of your school. Without 

students, you’re definitely doing things the hard way. Within 

your school, you work hard to bring in tons of new students in 

your doors, but once you bring the new students in, you’ve got to 

close the door behind them; otherwise you’re constantly trying to 

replace new students—an effort that’s not working smartly at all. 

So, how do you keep the students you get? 

That requires establishing communication between your staff 

and students. You’ve got to learn what your students like about 

your school so you can better serve their needs and retain them 

as students. 

Here are a few tips on how you can get the necessary feedback 

from your students so that growing your numbers is a 

breeze, and you can work smarter, make your school 

healthier, and make your students happier. 

Your most important source of student desires 

and wishes is obviously going to be students. 

However, you shouldn’t overlook feedback from 

parents. There are times when students may feel 

intimidated, shy, or embarrassed to share certain 

ideas with you, and parents can be helpful with 

communicating things that kids are slow to share 

(like bullying at school). Also, since parents hold the 

purse strings, it’s not a bad idea to find out what 

they like and don’t like about your program 

so you can address those concerns before 

they get out of your control. You may also 

want to utilize your relationship with local 

schools to get more feedback on what 

students like and don’t like, or what 

might be effective in the martial arts 

school and what won’t work. Talk to people who have tried these 

things before. There’s no sense reinventing the wheel if there are 

more efficient ways to improve your program and retention. 

Make a comment box for the lobby at your school. You can 

have your students decorate it with martial arts-themed drawings. 

Place it near your front door or somewhere that people will see as 

soon as they come in. Provide a simple questionnaire for people 

to fill out that includes some things you want to know, like do your 

students enjoy your activities? You can include a scale from 0–5 

that makes it easier for students to answer. At the bottom leave 

a blank space where students can write comments. This will give 

you invaluable insight into how students are enjoying your school 

and what can be done to improve their experience. 

Check in with parents through regular calls home. You can 

present these calls as progress reports on each student’s performance 

and get their opinion on many aspects of your school’s 

instruction. 

If you haven’t ventured into the digital world and social media 

yet, it’s never too late to get started. AMS offers outstanding products 

and services that can help you develop your school website 

and online strategy. A Facebook account is a great place to post 

polls and get feedback from your community. Operating a blog 

with a comment section gives you access to unfiltered feedback 

from your students. 

Your staff is also a good source of information about your 

school’s strengths and weaknesses. Hold regular meetings where 

you can ask your staff questions and get their input on curriculum 

and course objectives. If staff members leave to pursue other 

career interests, conduct exit interviews where you can hear their 

suggestions for improvement. 

Opening your ears and getting feedback on your school is 

essential to achieving your greatest success. Working smarter and 

not harder will yield you incredible results! 

CHIEF MASTER MIKE BUGG is an 8th degree black belt and the owner of a $1.52 million-per-year 

location, with one of the largest after school and summer camp programs in the country. 


Transform Your School 

Transform Your School 

with Grandmaster Y. K. Kim 

The most successful martial arts 

business leader in the world 

Y. K. Kim 

• Author of a best seller 

and 14 other books 

• Producer, writer, director, 

and star of the action 

film Miami Connection 

• Publisher of Martial Arts 

World Magazine 

• Motivational Speaker 

• Recipient of Y. K. Kim 

Day in Central Florida 

• Founder of Martial Arts 

World 

• Chairman of a consulting 

company on marketing 

and software 

Meet Modern Educator and 

Contemporary Philosopher 


Motivate Your Students 

• Unbreakable Student 

Loyalty 

• 100% Retention 

• Enduring Pride in Your 

School 

Boost Your School 

• Double your 

Enrollment 

• Double your Income 

• Build the #1 School 

in your town 

I Love to Promote the Martial Arts -- I will not 

charge even one penny. It is a small token of my 

appreciation to the martial arts industry, and my 

honor to pay back the debt of gratitude I owe to the 

martial arts community. 

Book Y. K. Kim at www.ykkim.com 

1-800-275-1600

If Teaching Great Classes 

is Important to You, You’ll 

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VISIT OURAMS.COM CALL 1-800-275-1600

Martial Arts World News Magazine - Volume 22 | Issue 6

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