Martial Arts World News Magazine - Volume 25 | Issue 2

MartialArtsWorldNews.com VOLUME 25 | ISSUE 2

The #1 Business Resource for the Martial Arts Industry

MARTIAL ARTS

WEALTH GROUP:

The Ultimate Martial Arts Business

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CONTENTS

FEATURES

26 Grandmaster Hak Sun An Visits

Amerinational Management

Services Headquarters in

Orlando

30 ATLAS Martial Arts Software

Supports Historic Industry Event

34 ATLAS Marketing Studio:

The Game-Changer Your Martial

Arts School Needs

38 Martial Arts Wealth Group:

The Ultimate Martial Arts

Business Mastermind Group

103 FREE Tool of the Month

DEPARTMENTS

14 Industry Insights

15 Birthdays

18 Industry Innovations

22 Social 411

56 School Profiles

69 Classified Ads

112 Advertiser Index

YOUR INPUT

63 Feature Your School, Organization,

Accomplishment, or Event

73 Tell Us Your Story

COLUMNS

6 Editorial

Manage Thyself

Master Toby Milroy

8 Martial Arts World News Faculty

12 Business Buzz

Mastering the Art: 15 Tips for Teaching Martial Arts to

Adults (Part 2)

Grandmaster Lawrence Arthur

60 The Millionaire Smarts Coach

Mastering the Art: 15 Tips for Teaching Martial Arts to

Adults (Part 3)

Ms. Lee Milteer

62 Teamwork

How to Help New Students Get Started in Martial Arts

Hanshi Dave Kovar

64 After School Excellence

Start Your Summer Camp Now (Yes, Now)!

Grandmaster Mike Bugg

66 Growth Hacks

Plan Ahead: Prepare for Success in Any Economy

Mr. Sean Lee

68 Ninja Business Tactics

Fortunate Fellow

An-Shu Stephen Hayes

70 Extraordinary Marketing

Marketing Math (Part 1)

Grandmaster Stephen Oliver

72 Pillars of Success

The 5 Powers of Self-Defense (Part 1)

Grandmaster Y. K. Kim

76 Staff Development

Principles of Practice Beyond the Mat (Part 1)

Master Zulfi Ahmed

78 The Way of the Samurai

Zanshin - Eight Directions of Awareness (Part 5)

Shihan Dana Abbott

80 Mastering Modern BJJ

The Art of Pacing for Training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

For Life (Part 2)

Master Carlos Machado

4 MARTIAL ARTS WORLD NEWS VOLUME 25 | ISSUE 2

STAFF

84 Next Level Strategy

Gimme Rather Than Giri – The Art of Loyalty (Part 1)

Shihan Allie Alberigo

86 Mind Mastery

Setting Effective Goals for 2025

Grandmaster Jessie Bowen

88 Instructional Excellence

Teaching Adults

Grandmaster Tim McCarthy

92 Budo Philosophy

Pay attention! (Part 1)

Shidoshi Alfredo Tucci

94 Complete Martial Arts Concepts

Providing Opportunity Through My Own Adversity

Professor Willie “the Bam” Johnson

96 Master the Basics

Three Secrets to a Great Beginner’s Class

Master Tina Bane

98 Innovation

Virtual Reality in Martial Arts: The Future is Now

(Part 1)

Master Dan Segarra

100 Martial Arts Philosophy

The Phone Conversation That Aaron Banks Charged

Me $1,000 For a 30-Minute Call!”

Sensei Gary Lee

102 Management Excellence

Do You Spend or Invest Your Time?

Grandmaster Kirk Pelt

104 The Warrior Way

Confidence

Grandmaster Bill Clark

106 Tactical Self-Defense

The Cure for Hospital Security

Grandmaster Tom Patire

108 Tools & Tactics

Get 4 Social Media Marketing Strategies to Spring Into

Action for Martial Arts Schools

Ms. Chris Lee

VOLUME 25 | ISSUE 2

PUBLISHER

Master Toby Milroy

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

Shihan Dana Abbott

Grandmaster Zulfi Ahmed



Master Tina Bane





Professor Willie “The Bam” Johnson


Hanshi Dave Kovar

Ms. Chris Lee

Sensei Gary Lee

Mr. Sean Lee



Ms. Lee Milteer

Master Dan Segarra





The mission of Martial Arts World

News Magazine is to be the definitive

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ethical business practices,

product reviews and innovative

developments in the world of martial

arts business.

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MARTIAL ARTS WORLD NEWS VOLUME 25 | ISSUE 2 5

EDITORIAL

Manage Thyself

by Master Toby Milroy

We work with SOOO many school operators, and instructors through our various

channels, if you’re paying attention, you start to see patterns. You see the things that

are ‘working’ and you see things that don’t. You see habits, behaviors, strategies and

tactics that lead to success, and those that doom people to mediocrity or worse.

One of the lessons that has been very valuable for me, came

from the great Peter Drucker through his powerful work “The Effective

Executive”; Manage Thyself.

When you’re running a Martial Arts school, you can fall into a

dangerous trap. 1 person can run a school all by themselves up to

a certain size and point. Let’s say, for argument’s sake, a person

can, somewhat comfortably run solo up to, say, 50 active students.

(Clearly some can do more, some less.) Then, perhaps to

make things easier, you hire a talented higher-ranking

student to help you teach a few classes, on a part

time basis. This might then allow you to grow to

say, 80 or 90 students.

This is a VERY common ‘limit’ that operators

bump their heads on. For some operators, this is

‘good enough’. They have a decent income, do

what they love to do, and it’s not all that complex to

run. Clearly though, this is pretty limiting for owners

who want to build something more substantial,

for their staff, students, and

themselves.

In order to get to the ‘next’

level, you must take the painful,

difficult step ‘from’ being an

employee in your business, to

being a leader ‘of’ your business.

This requires acquiring

a WHOLE new set of skills.

Now, your business will grow

or fail based on your skill and

ability to LEAD your team,

build and manage your SYSTEMS and maximize your potential!

As you consider this new reality, here are some of the lessons,

and questions you should ask yourself, that I gleaned from my

study of Peter’s works, and I think can be of great value to you.

“What are my strengths?” What are the things in your business

that “only” you can do? What are the things that you’ll be ‘far’ better

at than anyone else? What are the things that are of the HIGH-

EST value to your business? Conversely, what are the things that

someone else can do better than you, or well enough that you can

delegate it to them at a FAR lower cost?

“How do I work?” It’s incredibly useful for you to identify how

you work best, and how you get the best out of yourself. How do

you learn best? Would you rather read a book or report on a topic,

or is listening to an interview or an audiobook better for you? Do

you work best in the mornings, after a good workout, or in the

evening? Discovering and managing your optimal performance

‘formula’ can lead to huge multiples in your own productivity.

“What are my values?” What are your ethics? How can you mold

your business and non-business time to be more and more congruent

with your personal values? Building a successful business is

hard, and takes a lot of time. If you create a harmony between your

values and your business, you’ll be far happier and live a far more

fulfilling life.

“What can I contribute?” Where can you make the BIGGEST

impact on your business? Will teaching the 1st 5 moves of the yellow

belt form to the beginners make the largest impact on your business,

or would meeting with the local PTA president, elementary school

principal, or local homeschool group a more valuable activity?

Ponder these questions and take massive action, and you’ll see

your results multiply.

MASTER TOBY MILROY is a 6th 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.


OUR EXPERT FACULTY

6

Master Toby Milroy

is a 6th 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


is a martial artist specializing in Karate,

Kung Fu, Kenpo, Shoto-kan, and Goju-rue,

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.

60

Ms. Lee Milteer

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.

62

Hanshi Dave Kovar

is an 8th degree black belt and recognized

as the “Trainer of Trainers.” Hanshi

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.

64


is a 9th 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.

66

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.

68


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.

70


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.


OUR EXPERT FACULTY

72


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.

76


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.

78

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

80


is one of the pioneers of Brazilian Jiu

Jitsu in the US. Currently a Coral Belt, and

promoted to Black Belt by Carlos Gracie

Junior, Carlos Machado came to the US 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.

84


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).

86


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.

88


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.

92


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.


OUR EXPERT FACULTY

94

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.

102


is a 9th 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.

96

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.

98

Master Dan Segarra

is a 9th Degree Black Belt who is a world

renown and respected authority and

one of the highest rank Americans in the

Korean Martial Arts. He has a very innovative

mind when it comes to curriculum

and school presentation. He has authored

several books and has been featured

in various Martial Arts Magazines.

100

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.

104


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

multi-school owners in the world.

106


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.

108

Ms. Chris Lee

is a martial arts business development

consultant with a background in online

and social media marketing.


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BUSINESS BUZZ

Mastering the Art: 15 Tips for

Teaching Martial Arts to Adults

(Part 2)

by Grandmaster Lawrence Arthur

Unlocking the Potential of Adult Students with Expert Instruction

In the dynamic world of martial arts, teaching adults requires a

unique set of skills and considerations. Whether your students are

professionals seeking fulfillment or individuals looking to enhance

their self-defense abilities, these 15 tips will guide you in becoming

a master instructor for adult learners.

Continued from the previous issue

10. Open-Minded Professionalism: Stay openminded

about preferences. Understand that

adult students may have diverse interests

within martial arts. Emphasize the how and

why, showing a deep understanding of your

craft.

11. Mastering Communication: Use All

Forms: Utilize various forms of communication

– phone, email, text, social media, and more.

Adapt to your students’ preferences

and maintain a professional demeanor

across all channels.

12. Professionalism in

Vocabulary and Offers: Position

yourself as the

‘Dr. of Martial Arts.’ Use

professional language,

explaining the how and

why behind techniques.

Craft generic

yet enticing offers

that showcase your

expertise.

13. Target the Prime Age Group: The age group of 26 to 72

is the sweet spot for martial arts success. Tailor your programs to

meet the needs and preferences of this demographic, recognizing

their financial stability and commitment.

14. Social Media Presence and Accountability: Maintain an active

presence on all social media platforms. Implement challenges

like the 6-week challenge and showcase student achievements.

Hold them accountable for their training, creating a sense of community

and accomplishment.

15. Empower Through Teaching: Teach adults that anything

is possible. Avoid comparisons among students and encourage

them to embrace teaching, emphasizing that one doesn’t need

mastery to impart valuable knowledge.

By embracing these 15 tips, martial arts instructors can create

a transformative experience for adult learners, fostering a community

of dedicated and empowered individuals on their journey to

becoming true martial arts Bad Asses.

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.


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INDUSTRY INSIGHTS

Grandmaster Jessie Bowen Honored

with Olympia Arts Award and California

Legislature Recognition

Hollywood, CA – In a night filled with brilliance, cultural celebration,

and appreciation for extraordinary talent, Grandmaster

Jessie Bowen was among the honorees at the

prestigious Olympia Arts Awards, held in the heart of Hollywood,

California. This star-studded event, hosted by Chow Entertainment

International, brought together trailblazers in art, media, business,

and real estate to celebrate their commitment to cultural diversity

and global unity.

Grandmaster Bowen,

a renowned martial artist,

author, and publisher,

received the distinguished

Olympia Arts Award for

his unparalleled contributions

to publishing and

innovative efforts in supporting

martial arts worldwide.

His remarkable

achievements also earned

him a special recognition

award from the California

Legislature, highlighting

his dedication to promoting

excellence and fostering

community growth

through martial arts.

The Olympia Arts Awards is recognized for celebrating individuals

who have not only achieved professional greatness but

have also contributed meaningfully to cultural and artistic advancement.

The event welcomed an illustrious guest list, including

entertainment icons Larry Namer, Rebecca Holden, Bunny Brunel,

and Sean Kanan.

Grandmaster Bowen’s accolades are a testament to his lifetime

commitment to martial arts and his passion for empowering others

through education and storytelling. As an author and publisher,

he has created platforms that spotlight martial artists’ achievements

and inspire readers globally. His publications, including

the Elite Martial Artist in America series, have been instrumental

in showcasing the transformative power of martial arts in fostering

discipline, respect, and resilience.

Attended by nominees, their families, and friends, the event was

a memorable evening that underscored the importance of celebrating

leaders who champion creativity and cultural harmony. Bowen’s

recognition at such a prominent event solidifies his place as a pioneer

and visionary in the martial arts and publishing communities.

The Olympia Arts Awards once again proved to be a beacon

of inspiration, honoring those who use their talents and influence

to make the world a better place. Grandmaster Jessie Bowen’s

legacy continues to grow, reflecting his unwavering commitment to

excellence, innovation, and the martial arts spirit.


INDUSTRY INSIGHTS

Martial Arts Celebrity Birthdays

March

March 7 ...........................Joe Lewis*

March 8 .....................Cynthia Rothrock

March 10 ........................Chuck Norris

March 20 ......................Kurata Yasuaki

March 23 .........................Karen Eden

April

April 7 .......................... Jackie Chan

April 10 .........................Steven Segal

April 14 .......................Stephen Oliver

April 15 .......................Chip Townsend

April 23 ...................Dr. Robert Goldman

*Deceased


INDUSTRY INSIGHTS

Cobra Kai: The Martial Arts Saga

That Never Dies

The Cobra Kai series really took off once it became part of

Netflix catalog. The blend of martial arts with real life situations

finishing for the most part with a postive spin make it

a potential resource for school owners to utilize as a teaching tool

or purely for entertaining movie night promotions. The following

recaps the overall scope of the series.

Over the past six seasons, Cobra Kai has done

something few reboots ever manage—it’s taken

a beloved classic and not only recaptured its

magic but deepened it. What started as a nostalgic

look back at the rivalry between Daniel

LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence evolved into

a multi-generational martial arts epic, packed

with humor, heart, and enough roundhouse

kicks to keep fans on the edge of their seats.

At the heart of the show is Johnny

Lawrence, the once-feared high school

bully who’s now more of a lovable, beerchugging

underdog. His journey from

washed-up handyman to a redemptionseeking

sensei is what makes Cobra Kai

so compelling. The show flips the script

on the Karate Kid legacy, proving that

even the bad guys have stories worth telling.

Johnny’s struggles—both personal and professional—resonate

deeply, making him arguably the most relatable

character in the series.

Of course, Cobra Kai wouldn’t be complete without Daniel

LaRusso, now a successful businessman but still living in the

shadow of his glory days. His ongoing rivalry-turned-bromance

with Johnny provides some of the show’s best moments. By the

final season, their dynamic is more yin and yang than hero versus

villain, showing that true martial arts mastery is about balance—not

just in fighting but in life itself.

But Cobra Kai is more than just a story about these two men.

The series expands the Karate Kid universe with a younger generation

of fighters, each facing their own struggles both on and off

the mat. From Miguel’s rise as Johnny’s protégé to Tory’s

battle with inner demons, the show gives every character

a meaningful arc. It embraces martial arts

philosophy beyond just winning fights—it’s about

perseverance, honor, and personal growth.

Where Cobra Kai truly shines is in how it

blends action, humor, and real-life themes. The

series doesn’t just glorify martial arts; it uses

it as a lens to explore mentorship, second

chances, and the idea that no one is beyond

redemption. It also doesn’t take itself too

seriously—there’s always time for a training

montage set to an ’80s rock anthem.

The finale perfectly encapsulates what

makes Cobra Kai special. We see old grudges

put to rest, students finding their own

paths, and Johnny and Daniel finally learning

to work together rather than against each other.

The final scene—Johnny smashing a fly with his bare

hands while uttering “No mercy”—is the perfect closing note.

A nod to the past, a wink to the fans, and a reminder that Cobra

Kai never dies.

With its mix of nostalgia, high-energy fight sequences, and

surprisingly heartfelt storytelling, Cobra Kai proves that the spirit of

The Karate Kid is alive and kicking. And if we’ve learned anything

from this series, it’s that just because the story seems finished

doesn’t mean the fight is over.


Discover the World of Budo the Karate Mouse at

BudoTheMouse.com

For Martial Arts Instructors and Children

Budo the Karate Mouse is an animated character that will help to Unlock Your Potential! Perfect

for martial arts instructors looking to inspire young minds, improve instruction, and elevate

retention. For children,Budo is a companion to grow with on a journey of self-discovery and

personal improvement along the path to their black belts.

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Buy Digital Version Get your digital copy of Budo: The Mouse and the Quest for

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Buy Activity Book Keep the fun going with our Activity Book! Filled with

coloring pages, puzzles, crafts, games, and even meditation exercises.

Budo’s Store

• T-shirts • Long Sleeve Shirt • Hoodies • Mugs

Show your love for Budo with our exclusive merchandise.

Stylish and perfect for everyday wear or gifting!

Coming Soon

The Warrior’s Workbook: An augmented reality adventure that can change your life.

Stay tuned for this exciting new release!

Budo the Karate Mouse Social Platforms

YouTube Videos: Watch The Quest for Courage Part 1 and Part 2

on YouTube and join Budo on his exciting adventures.

Facebook and Instagram Posts: Stay updated with the latest news and wisdom from Budo.

Follow us for regular updates and insights!

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• Budo’s Word Find

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Engage with Budo in a fun and educational way through

our range of video games, playable on all devices.

INDUSTRY INNOVATIONS

Keep Up With the Latest Trends:

Personified AI for Martial Arts School

Success

AI is no longer just for tech companies—it’s revolutionizing

businesses everywhere, including martial arts schools like

yours. One of the most exciting advancements is Personified

AI—AI systems that interact with students and parents in a natural,

human-like way. Imagine having an AI assistant that feels like

a knowledgeable, friendly team member, helping with customer

interactions, student engagement, and even business growth.

What is Personified AI?

Personified AI takes generative AI models and fine-tunes them

to have distinct personalities, communication styles, and even visual

avatars. Instead of a robotic, generic response, this AI sounds

conversational, engaging, and customized to your brand. It can

answer questions, provide class schedules, assist with billing, and

even help prospective students learn more about your programs.

Why Martial Arts Schools Should Care

You might be wondering—how does this relate to running a

martial arts school? The reality is that AI is already reshaping customer

service and business operations across industries. Schools

that embrace AI-driven solutions will stand out by offering superior

customer experiences, streamlining administrative tasks, and

enhancing student engagement.

For example, AI-powered chat assistants can:

• Answer inquiries instantly – No more losing potential students

because no one was available to respond fast enough.

• Personalize communication – AI can remember past interactions

and tailor responses based on student history.

• Enhance social media marketing – AI can help generate

engaging posts, respond to messages, and even provide

insights on what’s working.

• Provide automated follow-ups – AI can remind parents about

upcoming events, renewals, or special promotions.

Make AI Work for Your School

The key to success is choosing AI tools that align with your

needs. Start small:

1. Implement a Chatbot – Add an AI-powered chatbot to your

website to handle common inquiries and class sign-ups.

2. Use AI for Marketing – Leverage AI to create compelling

email campaigns, social media posts, and personalized messages.

3. Enhance Student Engagement – AI-driven tools can send

reminders, track student progress, and even offer virtual

coaching tips.

AI is rapidly evolving, and businesses that adapt early gain

a competitive edge. Martial arts schools that integrate AI will

improve efficiency, attract more students, and provide a better

overall experience. The technology is here—why not use it to grow

your school and make your life easier?

By embracing AI, you’re not just keeping up with the future—

you’re leading the way. Ready to get started? It’s time to let AI work

for you!


Photo by SmileStudioAP

We teach Character through Karate

Kickstart Kids is an award winning in-school

character development program that uses

karate to teach life-changing values to middle

school and high school students. The non-profit

organization was founded in 1990 by martial

artist, actor, and philanthropist Chuck Norris.

For employment opportunities or to find out

how you can help support this great cause, visit

kickstartkids.org

KickStartKids.org

INDUSTRY INNOVATIONS

Why Is Your Martial Arts School Website

So Outdated?

Let’s be brutally honest—your website should not be a digital

dinosaur. If it looks like it was designed in the early 2000s,

loads at the speed of a dial-up connection, or isn’t optimized

for mobile, you are actively losing

potential students.

Parents looking

for a martial arts

school for their

child don’t have

time to wrestle with

a clunky, outdated

site. They want fast,

visually appealing, and

easy-to-navigate

experiences. If

you don’t deliver,

they’ll move on to

someone who does.

The Cost of an Outdated Website

An outdated website isn’t just an eyesore—it’s a business killer.

Here’s what happens when you neglect your online presence:

• Lost Leads – If your site isn’t mobile-friendly, 57% of users

will leave immediately. And if they can’t find a simple sign-up

form? Goodbye, new student.

• Poor First Impressions – 75% of people

judge a business’s credibility based

on website design. If your site

screams “I haven’t been updated

since 2010,” people

assume your school isn’t

up to date either.

• SEO Nightmare –

Google buries slow,

outdated sites. If

your competition

has a fast, keywordoptimized

website,

they’re getting all the

traffic while you sit in digital

oblivion.

• Lack of Automation – Are you

still relying on phone calls and

emails to schedule intro lessons? A

modern site can automate signups,

appointment bookings, and

follow-ups, freeing you from admin

headaches.

What a Modern, Lead-Generating Site Looks Like

A cutting-edge martial arts website doesn’t just look good—it

works for you 24/7. Here’s what you need:

• Mobile Optimization – Over 60% of searches come from

mobile devices. If your site isn’t built for smartphones, you’re

done before you start.

• Video Landing Pages – A high-quality intro video can

increase conversions by up to 80%. Show off your school’s

energy and excitement.

• Simple Sign-Ups – Your homepage should have a clear, compelling

call-to-action: “Book a Free Trial Class Today!” Don’t

make people dig for it.

• Automated Follow-Ups – When a lead enters their info,

your site should instantly send an email or text to keep them

engaged.

• Live Chat Integration – Parents have questions. A chatbot or

live chat feature keeps them engaged and pushes them to

sign up faster.

The Time to Fix This is Now

Every day your outdated website sits online, you’re bleeding

potential students. Competitors with sleek, lead-generating websites

are taking what should be your enrollments.

So, the question is—are you going to let an outdated, sluggish

website hold your martial arts business back? Or

are you ready to invest in a site that actually grows

your school?

The choice is yours, but one thing is certain:

in the digital age, standing still means

falling behind.


Illustrations by OleksiiK (top), Deagreez (bottom)

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April 8th

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SOCIAL 411

Black Belt in Cyber Security: Protect Your

Martial Arts School Like a Master

Alright, school owners—gather around! Today, we’re

going to level up your skills, but not with kicks and

punches. Instead, we’re training in the art of cyber

security. Just like mastering martial arts, protecting your school

from cyber threats requires discipline, awareness, and a strong

defense. Let’s begin your journey to earning a Black Belt in

Cyber Security!

White Belt – Awareness & Mindset

Every martial artist starts by learning the basics, and in cyber

security, that begins with awareness. Cyber threats like phishing

scams, ransomware, and data breaches are the digital equivalent

of surprise attacks. Know your enemy! Train yourself and your staff

to recognize suspicious emails, questionable links, and unusual

account activity.

Drill: Educate your staff on common cyber threats. Run

a quick weekly training session to ensure they can spot a

phishing attempt.

Blue Belt – Strong Passwords & Authentication

Just as a solid stance is the foundation of self-defense, strong

passwords protect your school’s online accounts. Get rid of weak

passwords like “karate123” and use strong, unique passwords for

each account. You can use a password manager to generate and

store complex passwords securely.

Drill: Set up two-factor authentication (2FA) for all school-related

accounts. This adds an extra layer of protection, like reinforcing

your guard in a fight.

Brown Belt – Protecting Student & Financial Data

Your students trust you with their personal and financial

information. A data breach is like dropping your guard in a tournament—disastrous!

Encrypt sensitive data, limit access to only

necessary personnel, and ensure your payment system follows

security best practices.

Drill: Regularly audit who has access to student records and

financial accounts. Remove unnecessary permissions.

Black Belt – Regular Updates & Incident Response

You know that the best martial artist are always refining their

skills. Your software, website, and security measures need regular

updates to stay ahead of new threats. Hackers look for weaknesses,

so don’t give them an opening!

Drill: Set up automatic software updates and create an incident

response plan. Know exactly what steps to take if your school is

attacked.

Master Level – Cyber Security Culture

True mastery comes when security becomes second nature.

Make cyber security a core part of your school’s operations. Train

your staff, review policies, and stay informed about new threats.

Final Challenge: Conduct a cyber security drill. Test your

team’s ability to recognize and respond to an attempted breach.

Earning a Black Belt in Cyber Security takes practice, but by following

some simple strategies like these, you’ll defend your martial

arts school like a true master. Stay disciplined, stay aware, and

keep your school safe!


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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Book Series

AdventuresOfHarryAndFriends.com

SOCIAL 411

Get More Positive Reviews with

8 Practical Strategies to Boost Your

School’s Reputation (Part 1)

Let’s be real—before parents enroll their kids in a martial arts

program, they’re checking out reviews. A strong reputation

can make or break your school, and having a steady stream

of current and positive testimonials builds trust and credibility. So,

how do you get more reviews without sounding pushy or desperate?

The following gives some practical strategies to help martial

arts school owners increase and improve customer reviews in a

natural and effective way.

1. Create a Simple & Direct Review Process

People are busy, and if leaving a review feels like a chore, they

won’t do it. Make the process easy by providing direct links to your

Google, Facebook, and Yelp pages. Create a simple call to action like:

“Are you enjoying your training? We’d love to hear about it!

Leave us a quick review here: [Insert link]. Your feedback helps our

school grow!”

Post this on social media, send it via email, and even put it on

handouts stationed at your front desk.

2. Ask at the Right Moment

Timing is everything. The best time to ask for a review is right

after a student (or their parent) has had a positive experience—

maybe after their child earns a new belt, wins a competition, or

finishes an exciting class. When emotions are high, people are

more likely to leave super positive feedback.

For example, after a belt promotion ceremony, you can say:

“We love seeing our students succeed! If today’s promotion

was a great experience for you and your child, we’d be honored if

you shared your thoughts in a quick review.”

3. Leverage Social Proof

People tend to do what others are doing. If they see positive

reviews regularly, they’re more likely to add their own. Feature

great testimonials on your website, social media, and even inside

your school on a bulletin board or a “Wall of Praise.”

Consider posting something like:

“A big shoutout to [Student Name] for crushing their training!

Their parent, [Parent’s Name], had this to say: [Insert review]. Want

to share your own experience? Leave us a review here: [Insert link]”

This not only builds credibility but also encourages more parents

to follow suit.

4. Offer Small Incentives (Without Violating Guidelines)

While you can’t pay for reviews, you can offer small perks for

participation in a feedback campaign. A fun way to do this is by

running a monthly drawing where anyone who leaves a review

is entered to win a small prize (like a free t-shirt or a discount on

a seminar). Just be sure to frame it as a “thank you” rather than a

transaction.

For example:

“We appreciate every review we receive! This month, we’re giving

away a free school t-shirt to one lucky reviewer. Leave a review

by [date], and you’ll be entered to win!”


Photograph by NicoElNino

FINALLY, GET RID OF YOUR

BIGGEST

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OurAMS.com/headache

HEADACHE

EVENTS

Grandmaster Hak Sun An Visits

Amerinational Management

Services Headquarters in Orlando

Martial arts royalty recently made a stop in Orlando, Florida, as Grandmaster Hak

Sun An, the visionary behind the world-famous Korean Tigers Demo Team, visited

Amerinational Management Services Headquarters while vacationing in the U.S.

For those unfamiliar, Grandmaster An is more than just a martial

artist—he’s a living legend. His leadership has turned the Korean

Tigers into an international cultural phenomenon, setting the gold

standard for Tae Kwon Do demonstrations across the globe. With

a rare blend of creativity, precision, and motivation, he has built a

legacy that commands worldwide respect.

From an early age, Grandmaster An embraced the principles of

Tae Kwon Do, using its values of discipline, integrity, and perseverance

to shape not only his own path but also the lives of countless

martial artists worldwide. His mission? To spread the beauty,

athleticism, and cultural depth of Korean martial arts

through awe-inspiring performances.

The Korean Tigers, founded

by Grandmaster An,

are widely

regarded as the premier martial

arts demonstration team in the

world. With a staggering 200-

400 performances annually,

their high-flying kicks, synchronized

choreography,

and electrifying energy

captivate audiences

across continents.

Under Grandmaster

An’s direction, they’ve

become global ambassadors

of Tae Kwon Do,

embodying the sport’s spirit

and excellence at every turn.

During his visit, Grandmaster

An expressed a strong interest

in expanding the Korean Tigers’

presence in the U.S. He sees an

incredible opportunity to further

promote Tae Kwon Do by bringing

the team on a nationwide tour—introducing

more people to the martial

art’s dynamic power and cultural

significance. If this vision becomes a

reality, it would be a game-changer

for martial arts enthusiasts and newcomers

alike.

For now, his visit to Orlando was

a reminder of his unwavering

dedication to the art of Tae

Kwon Do and his mission to

inspire future generations. If the

Korean Tigers do embark on a

U.S. tour, one thing is certain—it

will be nothing short of

spectacular.


EVENTS


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EVENTS

ATLAS Martial Arts Software

Supports Historic Industry Event:

The Remarkable 11th Yong-In University President’s

Cup International Taekwondo Championship

The 11th Yong-In University President’s Cup International Taekwondo Championship

was a resounding success, held at the Hyatt Regency DFW International Airport

on February 15th and 16th, 2025. Hosted by White Tiger Taekwondo Schools,

proud members of ATLAS, the event brought together elite athletes from around

the world for two days of exhilarating competition, camaraderie, and unforgettable

Taekwondo excellence.

A Global Celebration of Taekwondo

This prestigious championship, organized by Yong-In University—a

leading institution in Taekwondo education—continued

its tradition of fostering international friendships and

recognizing top-tier talent. With over 100 million

practitioners worldwide, Taekwondo was once

again celebrated as a unifying global sport.

Competitors across various age groups

and skill levels showcased their dedication

in Poomsae, Sparring, Breaking, and

a thrilling Demo competition, highlighted

by a breathtaking performance from the

renowned Yong-In University Demonstration

Team. The tournament was not just a test of

skill but an opportunity for personal growth, as

athletes pushed their limits and embodied the

true spirit of Taekwondo.

ATLAS Pro’s Proud Sponsorship

As a recognized leader in supporting martial arts schools,

ATLAS Pro was honored to be an invited sponsor of this incredible

event. ATLAS Pro’s cutting-edge solutions continue to empower

martial arts schools like White Tiger Taekwondo, providing gamechanging

marketing and management tools that help them thrive.

The success of this championship was a testament to how martial

arts schools, with the right support and dedication, can host

world-class events that leave a lasting impact on the Taekwondo

community.

An Event to Remember

With hundreds of participants, dedicated coaches, and passionate

supporters in attendance, the 11th Yong-In University

President’s Cup International Taekwondo Championship

set a new benchmark for excellence. The

competition was fierce, the performances

inspiring, and the atmosphere electric with

the energy of competitors striving to make

their mark.

As the event concluded, gratitude was

extended to all athletes, instructors, and

families who contributed to its success.

White Tiger Taekwondo Schools, as hosts,

received widespread praise for their impeccable

organization, hospitality, and commitment

to promoting the values of Taekwondo.

Continuing the Legacy

With each passing year, the Yong-In University

President’s Cup grows in prestige, and this year was no exception.

Thanks to the dedication of White Tiger Taekwondo and the

unwavering support of sponsors like ATLAS Pro, the future of this

event—and Taekwondo as a global sport—remains incredibly

bright.

For martial arts schools looking to take their operations to the

next level, ATLAS Pro continues to be the trusted partner in their

success. Here’s to more groundbreaking events, stronger communities,

and the continued growth of Taekwondo worldwide!


EVENTS

https://youtu.be/qQotKspQv9g?si=dZ6U2SzqIlbgHiqx


presenting

the Ninja

‘Five Elements’ system

Author Stephen K. Hayes presents the Ninja "Five Elements" system to explain fundamental aspects of self-defense.

According to Japanese Buddhist belief, human nature is connected to the natural world and is made up of five elements. By

understanding that connection, essential responses to any threat become clear:

EARTH—Remain grounded in your thinking and footing to repel attempts to distract or deceive you

WATER—Shift, angle and move fluidly to tactically confuse attackers and put them off balance

FIRE—See where a situation is going as it develops and intercept it at the critical moment

WIND—Stay light on your feet and move nimbly to evade and escape attempts to pin you down

VOID—Control a fight's direction by changing dynamics to confuse your attacker

“Ninja Fighting Techniques” explains how the five elements can

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MARKETING

ATLAS Marketing Studio:

The Game-Changer Your Martial Arts School Needs

Every sport has its game-changers—the athletes who redefine what’s possible. Michael

Jordan didn’t just play basketball; he transformed it. Tom Brady didn’t just throw

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sports, ATLAS Marketing Studio is changing the game for martial arts school owners.

Your MVP for Martial Arts Marketing Success

Imagine having a professional marketing designer on your

team—one that never takes a day off and delivers championshiplevel

results without the hefty price tag. That’s exactly what ATLAS

Marketing Studio does. Whether you need eye-catching social

media posts, dynamic posters, attention-grabbing flyers, or polished

business cards, ATLAS is your all-star marketing solution.

Why ATLAS Marketing Studio is a Game-Changer

1. Custom Designs in Minutes—No Training Camp

Required

Just like Jordan could make magic

happen on the court, ATLAS

makes marketing effortless.

Start with expertly crafted templates

and tweak them in just

a few clicks to fit your school’s

brand. No design experience?

No problem.

2. Championship-Level Marketing

Without the High Cost

Brady didn’t need to be the fastest

player on the field to dominate;

he just needed the right

strategy. ATLAS gives you toptier

marketing tools without the

pro-level budget, so you can invest

in what matters most—your students.

3. Time-Saving Simplicity—Because Every Second

Counts

In sports and business, efficiency wins championships.

ATLAS lets you create professional campaigns in minutes,

so you can spend more time training students and less time

wrestling with complicated design software.

4. Stand Out and Attract More Students—Be the GOAT of

Your Market

Great players don’t blend in; they stand out. Marketing isn’t

just about putting up posters—it’s about building a brand

that commands attention. With ATLAS, you’ll create materials

that engage your community, boost enrollments, and solidify

your school’s reputation.

More Than Just a Marketing Tool—It’s Your

Competitive Edge

Just like a coach crafts a winning game plan,

ATLAS Marketing Studio is built specifically for martial

arts schools. It’s not just another generic design platform—it’s

the tool you need to dominate your market

and keep your classes full.

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Champions Rely on the Best—So Should You

For 40 years, AMS has been helping martial arts school owners

win. ATLAS Marketing Studio is the latest evolution in our legacy

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Take your marketing to championship levels.

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The Martial Arts

The Ultimate Martial Arts B

Wealth Group:

usiness Mastermind Group

The Martial Arts Wealth Group (MAWG), led by Grandmaster Stephen

Oliver and Grandmaster Jeff Smith, helps martial arts school owners

master business strategies for growth, retention, and profitability.

Unlike traditional programs, MAWG focuses on marketing, student retention,

and operational systems that can be successfully integrated into virtually any

curriculum, art, or style, provided your goal is HIGH QUALITY student outcomes.

One key takeaway is that success isn’t limited by martial arts style or location.

The group has helped schools across various disciplines achieve over $1 million

in annual revenue, disproving common excuses about demographics and

competition. They emphasize high-value services, proper pricing, and student

retention as fundamental business principles.

The group fosters a mastermind environment, where school owners collaborate,

learn from each other’s successes, and eliminate limiting beliefs. Schools have

dramatically increased revenue by following proven systems, like Muay Thai

instructor Ben Brown, who quadrupled his income within months.

Oliver and Smith stress that martial arts schools must be run as professional

businesses, not hobbies. Their approach prioritizes structured marketing,

student engagement, and scalable operations, allowing owners to achieve

financial success while maintaining high-quality instruction.

For more insights, their free book, Simple Steps to Add 100 Students to Your

School, offers a roadmap to sustainable growth.

COVER STORY

MAWnews: Let’s start at the beginning for everybody, what is

the Martial Arts Wealth Group? What’s it all about? Who is it for?

SO: Before my days with NAPMA, I was running a small coaching

group for some of the top martial arts schools in the world.

Since then it’s just continued to evolve. Grandmaster Smith

climbed aboard and is the Chief Instructor, head coach, and the

chief whip. So what we do is work with some of the top schools in

the world and teach them business, sales, marketing, and student

support systems. We have folks from BJJ or MMA, Muay Thai,

Taekwondo, Tang Soo Do, traditional Karate, Judo, anything in

between and teach them all the support systems. We are really

helping them get to very high grossing and net locations.

“What a lot of people don’t realize

is that it’s not just about getting new

students, but it’s also about figuring out

how to keep them.”

JS: One of the interesting things is we have so many different

styles. We really have every style represented in our

group. We don’t have one style who has not made

it to a million dollars of gross income annually. So

style doesn’t even matter. Sometimes industry

people like to say one style is all doing the high

grossing income. They say, “You have to do that

style.” But we found that’s not it at all. It’s just

overlaying the business plan and systems that

can make any school successful. That’s the real

key that we found and it’s why we have so many

$1,000,000 schools. Now we have schools that

are doing 100, 200, and even 500 thousand a

month which was never heard of ten years ago.

MAWnews: Wow, that sounds

great. So it sounds like you can

overlay your systems and strategies

on top of any curriculum

as long as it’s appropriate for

the student, good for retention

and things like that. It’s

about how you manage

things and how you teach

it, right?

JS: Exactly. What a lot of

people don’t realize is that

it’s not just about getting

new students, but it’s also

about figuring out how to

keep them. That’s just as important.

You can bump up your

marketing, have a lot of people

coming in, and still not grow.

So you really have to make sure every month you have a high

positive net enrollment. That means if you got 25 new students

in a given month, but you lost 15, then you only netted 10 new

students. At that pace, if you did that for a year, beginning with

200 students in January and December, you’re going to have

320. That’s what we figured out for everybody. It’s how to get

them and how to keep them because those are the two biggest

mysteries for most of the martial arts schools.

MAWnews: That sounds about right and none of that is about

style. Another excuse that’s pretty common is something like,

In Silicon Valley you can charge 250 a month and have a 1000

students, but I’m in Paducah, KY. So what would you say about

the demographic?

SO: Let’s start with pricing, because we get that excuse. In

every demographic in North America, and in fact, internationally,

it worked. We’ve seen it in Dubai, Israel, Germany, all over

Australia, and New Zealand. Yet people will still say, “You don’t

understand my school in Malibu or Orange County, California. My

students are too smart to pay that much for lessons. You don’t

understand my students in Mankato, MN. You don’t understand

my students in Dodge City, KS, where it’s a rural community.

They won’t pay.” My favorite is a story I keep telling years later.

I was running a meeting with Tony Thompson and Ernie

Reyes of the West Coast Group. They’re in Silicon Valley.

At one end is Stanford University and at the other end

they’re right across from Apple, HP, Google, and all the

headquarters. At the meeting I looked up at their stats

board and turned to Tony and said, “Why is it in Silicon

Valley, you’re charging half of what I’m charging

in Denver, Co. That doesn’t make any sense to me.”

He said to me, “The cost of living is so high here. That’s

all they can afford.” I said to him, “My handicap is I have

a degree in economics. It’s a supply and demand function.

The reason why housing prices are high is mostly

because they’re getting paid a lot of money. The

income ranges in Silicon Valley are higher

than anywhere else in the country.” But

it really doesn’t seem to matter, that’s

always the excuse, right?

The other demographic is

size, of course. It is how many

people you can put in the

school. I also often hear,

“You don’t understand my

area. There’s a martial art

school on every street

corner.” Or some say,

“I’m in X town, and there

are three other martial

schools.” Well, that assumes

that it’s a 0 sum game and

that they’re fighting each other

for market share. But the reality is,

the vast majority of people who would


COVER STORY

love to do martial arts and would benefit from martial arts, are

NOT doing martial arts. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a traditional

karate program for kids or an MMA program for 32 year old adult

men. We’re barely scratching the surface of the market potential,

anywhere in the world, but certainly anywhere in North America.

There’s so much opportunity that people just have blinders on

what they think they can do.

MAWnews: It’s like the Starbucks effect. The more the more

Starbucks signs that go up, the more people decide that they

need a Starbucks on the way to work, right?

SO: Well I concluded in 1983 that the more I help the other

schools professionalize the better off it was for me. My only concern

was the level of professionalism among a lot of the schools

was pretty low. So my fear was somebody would have interacted

with one of them and that would blemish and tar me. They all

thought I was competing against them. But in fact, I knew when

I was on TV that I was helping everybody. When I was in major

daily newspapers, it was helping everybody. When we were in

elementary schools, we were helping everybody. Anybody who

reached out for help, I gave it to them because I knew it was a

benefit for me. There was no reason in the world I was worried

about the guy down the street. It didn’t matter if he was teaching

the same style I was teaching or something completely different.

There was plenty for everybody.

MAWnews: Yes, the biggest detriment to any

marketplace is to have some number of ‘bad actors’

tainting the market’s perception of the entire product

category. A bad product, marketed well will ‘turn off’

the market pretty quickly.

I know you’ve just concluded one of your live martial

arts wealth mastermind experiences, what is the

mission with these high level training sessions?

So you had your group in Virginia Beach. What was

that like? What was the mission there? How did it turn

out?

SO: We do live meetings for our members.

We work with different tiers of

schools, whether they’re new,

like people just coming in and

we’re trying to give them

a jump start or the more

senior people every week.

We have multiple live zoom

meetings a week that are

a private interactive type

of thing. What I mean by

live is that everybody had

to get on a plane, drive in

a car, stay at a hotel, and

meet us in a place.

Going back for years now,

what we’ve tried to do is create an

expansive ‘experience’ that will help our

clients raise their thinking and epectations of high quality service,

management and leadership excellence, and abundance.

Whether it’s been here in Evergreen or Golden, Co., behind

the scenes at West Point, Ananapolis, Disney World, or Disneyland,

behind the scenes at Navy Diving and Demolition School

in Panama City, and a bunch of other places like that. But we’re

always trying to find a place where a high level of leadership

comes together.

A recent event was in Virginia Beach at the US naval station in

Norfolk. It just so happens that one of Grandmaster Smith’s students

from many, many years ago, who earned his Black Belt, and

now has been promoted to 5th degree black belt is Captain (ret.)

Hung Cao. His last two posts were being in charge of the naval

budget at the Pentagon and then he was in charge of all counter

insurgent activities in Afghanistan just before the pull out. Just a

couple of days ago he was appointed by President Trump to be

the new Deputy Director of the Navy.So he helped facilitate several

high level leadership experiences on the base and aboard

the USS Gerald Ford. It is so big it can carry 76 fully operational

jets. It has two nuclear plants. It has the electronic rail guns and

rail launch. It can also launch four planes at a time. So we did a

behind the scenes tour with the staff about the operations and

how that works. It was impressive and just incredible because it’s

basically a floating city with 4000 servicemen serving on it.

Before that, we spent half a day at the US Navy Air Wing

where the helicopter guys that service the carrier talked

us through how the pilots go about their certifications

and how the mechanics go through their certifications.

The pilots have to do a cycle of simulator classroom

training. Live training on a helicopter and then

rotate through how they assimilate onto the carrier,

and what their role is on the carrier. I didn’t realize

it, but the poor helicopter guys are the first off and

the last on. So anytime they’re launching jets, the

guys are up in the air for however long until he’s

bingo on fuel sitting there.

JS: What was interesting is, you

would think, “What does this have

to do with martial arts?” What

our members got out of it is to

realize that even somebody who

does their job as often as they

do it because they have to fly

every day. They still do daily

training. So this is what we’re

trying to tell the martial art

schools that you have done

with your staff. You don’t just

train them one time and then

throw them out there and expect

them to do it. We have to

do daily and weekly training

to keep them on cycle to make

sure your schools grow.

continued on page 44


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COVER STORY

MAWnews: Yeah, for too many school owners, if they are

distracted for a month, it’s a problem. Now with your program it

seems that you’re creating a mastermind effect, and some posicontinued

from page 41

MAWnews: It’s a fair lesson. Sometimes we might think

we’ve already trained the staff. Let them go and do what they’re

supposed to be doing? But it’s like the laws of thermodynamics,

right? All systems left left unattended trend toward entropy. So

the staff training was impressive, but what else do you think was

impressive for the members or useful for them to bring back for

operations?

SO: Back in the day we had a course that was run by Jeff

Smith where we got a 13 week training cycle. So we got trained

on everything, then on week 14, we were back to “Ring ring,

Jhoon Rhee Institute may I help you.” Repeating how to handle

the phones and then just cycling through how to teach, do a

confirmation call, first intro, second intro enrollment, conference

renewal prep, renewal conference, attendance, and so forth.

The idea was we were being fully trained on everything every

13 weeks. So every three months just cycling back through and

cycling back through again. You know the helicopter pilots there

were the guys who had been flying for five years and were back

to the simulator. Then back to class and then back to being

checked out again. Just following the checklist and then starting

over. If you just don’t keep drilling and practicing, all the systems

tend to fall apart.

We had Capt. Cao him as a speaker talking about leadership

and team development and so forth. Then we had another one

of his guys, a demolition instructor, Bob Hazzini, who did about

a 1/2 day on the highest level team leadership and so forth. We

also had millionaire smarts coach, Lee Milteer work with our

$1,000,000 schools and she did a very high level conversation.

It was intimate with a small group of people. The whole event

was very productive with a special focus on staff development. It

included concepts like how people lead, developing leadership,

and how to tie that into all levels. They came away with at least

three pages of strong implementation ideas for their students.

JS: You stack on top of that real martial arts training. We also

visited one of our high level members school, where we taught

a couple of classes to explain to everybody what black belt

verbiage is and how you have to motivate your students to want

to be a black belt. He also explained how to help them set their

goals and how to motivate and inspire them. So I was teaching

some classes and they were around taking notes while I was

working with the students. So they saw how you correct the students,

how you spotlight them, how you put them on a pedestal.

In addition, how you ask questions to find out if they know the

answers and if they don’t then you explain it more. It was a real

hands-on type of training. So even though that was a Taekwondo

style school, the same thing applied for those schools in teaching

principles of your goal to get your students motivated to be a

black belt because that’s how you keep them.

SO: You know the training on the Disney Way applies directly

to the traditional martial arts school. The same thing is true

whether it’s West Point or Annapolis or the naval station with

Captain Cao and Bob Hazzini. There’s so many takeaways on

what it takes to rise to the occasion on leadership, What it takes

to teach leadership, all the way down to the six year old white

belt and their parents. There are so many takeaways, but oftentimes

school owners are sort of myopic and can only see things

through their given style. You really have to go from technician to

master teacher of the thing to master school operator knowing all

of the pieces for developing the staff the second year, the third

year, the bench strength, the the quality of the people underneath

you. Without this you never really get to excellence or rise

above mediocrity.

MAWnews: Yeah, and all these examples of excellence have

the same challenges and principles. Maybe it’s just at a larger

scale, Disney has to train 17,000 employees a year, but if you look

at the systems that they’re using to do it, and learn the lessons,

and principles they are teahcing, you’ll see how important the

‘systems’ are. Many schools struggle with mediocrity because

they’ve never created the systems, right?

SO: Well, that’s a great example. We had Bernie Kerik and he’s

a black belt from Peter Urban’s system back in New York City in

the 60s. He was talking about how he turned around the jail system

in New York, which was the biggest disaster jail system in the

United States. It became a Harvard case study on excellence in

government under his leadership. He explained how went about

that responsibility and then how he managed the new NYPD.

That system, basically is what we call monitoring your stats every

week. For them it was the first time they ever did it. Monitoring

their stats down to the block in a neighborhood level through

the different precincts in the Police Department to manage the

operation. It was all about systemization.

Unfortunately, in our industry it’s so easy to make this a personality

trait where the question is whether or not you’re a good

or bad instructor. This may cause people to gravitate or to you

where they don’t gravitate to you, but until you have systems in

place and are able to replicate yourself down to multiple tiers,

you don’t have anything sustainable. With that in place, if you’re

sick, if you go on vacation, or want to semi-retire, you can’t do it.

Our guys are all at the top echelon and are all at that point.

When Tim Harrison went on a motorcycle trip and rode Route

66 for a month, he could do it. When Jan Lapin wanted to take

the summer off and tour Europe with her kids, she could do it.

The schools still do 100,000 a month consistently without them

having to be there. So that’s our model. Replicate those systems.

Then the marketing still happens. Enrollment still happens. Retention

still happens. You’ll have excited, happy, and productive

students over and over again.

It’s a proven system. Master Smith didn’t teach a whole lot of

white belt classes at the Jhoon Rhee Institute across 13 locations.

At Mile High Karate, for years I ran three classes a week which

were two staff classes and a black belt class in order to replicate

myself. So if I’d been gone for a month, I would have had people

who could teach and run the business as well as me, if not better

than I did.


COVER STORY

tive social pressure to ‘push’ the members to keep progressing.

Can you describe how that works?

SO: If I go back to when I was doing coaching about 15 years

ago, I used to schedule people one-on-one and talk to them on

the phone. What I started to realize behind the scenes is, I would

say, “You can charge this much. You could be grossing X amount.

You could have this kind of ratio. It’s possible to have this many

students.” Yet what they were thinking was, “Maybe you can do

that because you’re a cross between Zig Ziglar and Tony Robbins.

Maybe he can do it because he’s the world champion.” That

was really what was manifesting in their mind. On a more skeptical

basis, they were saying, “That’s BS. That just sounds good. I

don’t believe you.”

But when you put them in a room with 20 people. Most who

are further ahead of where they’re at, as far as revenue, students,

school development, and so forth. Then they see 5, 10 or 15

other people who have already done it, who have similar circumstances,

who can call them out on it. Whether it’s a marketing

activity, a community outreach activity, an after school program,

or seasonal promotion, they have examples before them of what

can be done. From many different locations, styles, and demographics

proving that the systems worked over and over again in

spite of varied circumstances.

I’m putting together a new little book, Simple Steps To Add

100 Students To Your School. The thing I tried to do with it is

use screenshots of our private discussion forums. It includes all

the different things I’m talking about, but in those screenshots

it shows the varied successes of our members. Like he got 52

leads and 49 appointments or he got 22 enrollments from it.

These all have the description of what happened in their words.

In all honesty I think the key to a lot of it is just creating a ‘no excuses’

environment. You end up having people who have already

pushed through the same problems that others may think they

have with success that can easily be reproduced by anyone.

JS: I think the real benefit of our group is that we’ve

come to realize that the way we’re

training our members is no different

than we train the students to

become a black belts. In the schools,

we’re trained to become a black belt

in technique and mentality, but in our

group they’re becoming a black belt in

business which is what we found is the

biggest weakness in most

of the martial arts schools.

When I say most, I mean

90% because they are

spending all their time training

their physical martial arts

and not their martial arts business

savvy. This is because

there are very few places you

can go that will show you how

to run your business successfully.

In the group at our events, you already have so many schools

in the organization earning over $1,000,000 to prove positive

that the system works. When they get in our group, we run it just

like our schools where we have a beginner group, intermediate

group, an advanced group. Because when you put them all

in a one room schoolhouse, you either have to slow it down for

the new ones, or you speed it up for the more advanced ones

and somebody’s going to get left out. Like in our schools, the

white belts don’t need to be learning the more advanced stuff

because they have to get their basics down first. So the real

benefit Grandmaster Oliver was touching upon is when we take

them through the system, they’re in a room with a success driven

atmosphere. They will learn from the people that are doing better

than them. They will also learn from the ones that aren’t doing

as good as them what not to do. That way they’re constantly

learning and it’s interesting to see some new members jump on

board.

For example, we have a Muay Thai school with Ben Brown.

He was doing about $15,000 a month, but within the very first

month in the group, he jumped up $35,000. He had never done

$35,000 in his life and he’d been in business for over 20 years.

Fast forward to five months and he jumped up to $60,000. He

had one of the most heartfelt stories which almost brought a tear

to everybody’s eye. He started in November, but then in December

he had a record month in which he made enough money

to take his family on a Christmas vacation. He gave them a real

Christmas that he hadn’t ever been able to provide for them because

December, historically, had always been the worst month

of the year and he could never afford. He was always trying to

make up for the losses from December and January, so he really

couldn’t take off. He’s just one success story.

We had a Korean lady that just joined us who is really big in

the Taekwondo community. She was actually on the Olympic

team. She wanted to start a school and began with us a couple

months before she opened up. When she

opened in December, she made $35,000

and had 102 students in just four months. So

those are the kind of examples that people

learn from each other because when they

see Ben Brown, who’d only been with his

five months, quadruple his gross income,

then these other schools quit making

their excuses. When he was asked,

“What did you do to go from 100

to 250 students in six months? He

said, “To be honest, I don’t know

what I’m doing. I’m just listening

to everything you say and trying

to do it. I’m still learning and I still

don’t know what I’m doing, but

I’m just trying to apply everything

you guys are teaching

me. And I’m sure I’ll get it down

better later, but it seems to be

working.” Everybody kind of

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COVER STORY

laughed about it.

But those are our typical school owner’s success stories. They

learn from each other. It’s a synergy that develops with those

schools and it’s like the expression “the rising tide lifts all boats”.

When you’re in a group where you have so many schools doing

over $1,000,000, if you just ride their coattails and just do what

they’re doing you’re going to have success. They have these

weekly conversations where they hear exactly what’s working

this month or this week. Someone might say, “I just did a live

event and I got 80 appointments and 100 leads.” So they’re

giving immediate feedback with what they’ve been doing. Even

the schools that are having trouble share their frustrations. And

before Grandmaster Oliver or I can even jump in. Some of our

advanced guys will say I had that same problem and here’s what

I did. So this is how the rising tide is going to lift all those boats

because they learn from each other.

MAWnews: It’s obvious that the environment in these meetings

get’s school owners to trash their excuses and follow the

successful systems that ignites their own success, right?

SO: Yes! We had a school in the Netherlands and everybody

over there was charging like $40 a month. Half of it was government

funded and everybody assumed that you couldn’t do it.

There was some kind of issue where you could only charge X

amount or the government wouldn’t pay for it. I said just forget

that and don’t take the government money. Just do it the right

way and they ended doing $1,000,000 within 12 months which

was just an amazing transformation.

Sometimes a school owner becomes satisfied with 20 to 25

thousand a month. The problem with that is oftentimes something

sideswipes you. All kinds of things happen, right? We

saw what happened with government shutdowns during the

pandemic not that long ago. We’ve seen people who had an old

back injury, went to the hospital, and they couldn’t be back in

the school for three months. On the other end, you want to take

a vacation for the first time. If you don’t have the systems

in place and have your business

be a business rather than just

being a personality driven

operation that thrives when

you’re there and when you’re

healthy, but doesn’t thrive

when you’re not there. Any one

of those things can kill

you and they can kill

you overnight and can

put you upside down

very quickly.

In the first book I

wrote years ago, Everything

I Knew When I

Was 22, has a chapter in

it entitled Don’t Confuse

Your Hobby With Your

Business. I think so many

martial artists, into this because we love it and it was our hobby.

We would do it for free anyway, and that’s great. But we have to

ask, “How do I run this as a professional school and professional

educational institution rather than just being someplace where

I’m developing people who work out with me?” Until you make

that transition and put together the marketing systems, the sales

systems, the student development systems, and a curriculum

that’s independent of you being there and supporting you, you

really don’t have a business. Just have a way of creating income

when you’re capable of it and when you’re allowed to.

MAWnews: Yeah. Another excuse that sometimes comes up

is, if the cost of success is diminishing my quality standards and

to sacrifice the integrity of my style, art, federation or association,

I don’t want it, right? How do you guys coach schools to have a

different paradigm?

JS: That’s the good thing about our program is that. We don’t

tell them how to run their schools, but we do give them advice on

being sure that they are focusing on the quality of their instruction.

By giving them the personal attention that they need since

it’s not just what you teach, but also how you teach. These are

the things that we emphasize to the school that they’re able to

comprehend. You must not just teach the techniques and expect

them to learn it, but also make sure that you put together a testing

procedure, a progress check to be sure that they’re learning

the material. Also we give ideas on how to have your belt system

structured properly, your testing structure properly, conducting a

graduation, and how you conduct that testing. These things have

a lot to do with the success and the quality of your school. So we

do give them suggestions on that and how to make better black

belts.

The hardest part with some of these martial arts schools is

when they’re teaching, they have the idea that they don’t have a

problem with the dropouts because the classes are all full. Then

we look at how many enrollments they’ve been getting and their

active count because they weren’t ever

tracking their retention before. The way

that I judge the quality of an instructor

is based on his retention. How

many black belts is he developing?

How many active students are there

and is the school growing? We tell

our schools, “you’re either

green and growing, or

you’re ripe and rotting.”

If your active count is

going up, then your gross

is going to be going

up. If your active count

is going down. Then

your gross is going to

start going down and

it might not go down

immediately because

when most people


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COVER STORY

drop out, they’ll keep paying for a month or

two, then they realize they’re not coming

back. So getting the schools to take control of

making sure that their students are coming to

class. When they come to class they highlight

students, especially when they catch them

doing something good and giving them some

positive feedback. If you’re checking their

progress, have structured progress checks,

structured testing and graduation ceremonies

where you get to celebrate their success, you

develop a stronger classroom. We recommend

the simple process of teaching them

how to teach their students to really set a goal,

say that they want to be a black belt, and make them put it in writing.

The students learn how to fill out a vision sheet which gives

a vision of when they’re going to become a black belt and what

they’re going to be like when they become a black belt. These

are the kinds of things that you have to do to improve the quality

of your classroom and retention, which are the next most important

things besides getting more students. Then it’s important not

to lose them, once you get them. So you have to have a system

for how you track them on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis.

SO: Back to the Jhoon Rhee Institute of the 70s, we had Jeff

Smith as a world light heavyweight kickboxing champion. We had

Dan Magnus, who was top five ranked international PKA kickboxing.

We had Charlie Lee and George Chung who were World

Champions rotating with each other in forms. The local martial

arts schools called us a belt factory. The belt factory from then

has been replaced with the term McDojo now. In my mind, what

the reality is, is that the McDojo or Belt factory or any iteration

of that is the broke guys’ excuse to keep them broke rather than

looking at the successful schools and saying what is it they’re doing

that I could do? We not only don’t water down the curriculum,

we make it stronger.

I made a lot of the masters upset at an event in Chicago

because I said, “You guys think you’re so rough and tough and

have great curriculums, but reality is your students are not good.”

They looked at me like they wanted to kill me. I said, “If I look

at your numbers, on average, your students drop out within six

months. Within six months, they have not gotten very good at

martial arts and six months after they have forgotten pretty much

everything they learned other than it was a fond memory or a

bad taste in their mouth. If you’re enrolling 100 people a year,

you’re losing 100 people a year, most of which never got past six

months.” What happens is I think schools miss the point that what

you do in the first year is radically different from what you do in

the second year which is radically different from what you do in

the third. Different. What we have done over the years, with the

Jhoon Rhee Institute standard for Black Belt’s, is maintain an extremely

high quality, probably as high as anywhere in the world.

I kept making it harder by adding more requirements; reading,

sleep deprivation, and anything else to continue to elevate the

standard of what a black belt is while at the same time improving

retention in the first year. You can eliminate that excuse for doing

poorly by not buying into that McDojo or bell factory crap.

In Denver, Co in the 80s and 90s, I probably had a 50 to 75%

market share of students in the metro area. They all called me a

Belt Factory or Mcdojo whenever the terms came in. But when

I took a group of students to a tournament, they won all the

first, second, and third place trophies. Then when we went to a

tournament, they were mad at me because we would dominate

the tournament. So I was asking, “Which is it? I’m a McDojo or I’m

so much better than you guys that you can’t stand it.” The reality

was, their excuse for failing to achieve was to point the finger at

the internal locus of control. I can take complete responsibility for

what happens. External locus of control, there must be some external

reason that that person is doing better than I am. “Oh, they

prostitute the art and water it down. They just are commercial.

They’re talking people into things they don’t want to do.” Those

are the excuses, but the excuses are nonsense because it’s not

the reality.

Now we all know people whose martial arts backgrounds

aren’t great, who develop mediocre quality students every now

and then catch fire for a short period of time. They get new

marketing or hire the right from an ad agency or a Facebook marketer

person and they just hit on something every now and then.

You see a flash in the pan by somebody who’s truly pathetic, but

you don’t see them ten, fifteen, twenty, or twenty-five years later.

Because that’s about student retention, student service, creating


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COVER STORY

excellence in students and most of that excellence in students

is about their emotional and intellectual development as well as

their physical development.

I think this industry has a real problem with broke people

pointing the finger at people who are successful and looking

for a reason to externalize their own blame for failure is really

what most of that is. The reality is we focus more than anybody

I’ve ever seen on student retention, quality interactions with the

The the reality is we focus more than

anybody I’ve ever seen on student

retention, quality interactions with the

parents, high graduation rates to black belt,

while elevating the quality of the standards.

parents, high graduation rates to black belt, while elevating the

quality of the standards. It doesn’t matter whether it’s MMA, BJJ,

Muay Thai, Taekwondo, Shotokan or whatever, we are creating

some of the highest quality black belts and really create a lifetime

value for martial arts.

MAWnews: It is a fact that people who choose to be excellent

at something want to be excellent at everything. If they’re going

to be an excellent martial arts school owner, you’re going to want

to be great at serving the student, elevating standards, and of

course growing the business. Isn’t it about taking responsibility

for totally of being a school owner?

JS: You know, all my kids are fourth or fifth degree black belts.

They’ve been doing martial arts for 20 to 25 years. It has been

pretty much all their life and we have found that our program

develops such successful leadership type students that they become

a product of the product. The real benefit of your program

is when you have so many people that have graduated through

your programs because success breeds success. They learn from

their peers, which are the higher level people who are already

leaders.

MAWnews: So if the Martial Arts Wealth Mastery Group is

something that intrigues a school owner, where do they find

more information? What’s the best step for you?

SO: They could just go to MartialArtsWealth.com. I’ve got

that third new book coming out and the other two and they can

have them all for free under the resources tab. They can opt in

and get them all digitally. If they’re a good fit, then they can follow

through and Bob Dunn can facilitate them and schedule a

time with Grandmaster Smith and Myself to see if it’s a good fit.

We’d love to give them the free books and a bunch of other free

resources. If it’s a good fit, great. If not, they’ve got what I think

will be pretty valuable to begin to give them some different ways

to think about their school and different ways to think about the

developmental process.

JS: They can call Bob Dunn directly. He’s our director and

he’ll facilitate the books for them. His number is 720-256-0208.

Give him a call and he’ll send those books to you. Just having

those books gives such valuable information that will really open

your eyes to what your school is really capable of doing because

that is the thing I think holds most schools back is their lack of

education and how to run a successful martial arts school. I tell

members all the time, how do you expect to have such a successful

school when you haven’t spent hardly any time in your

business training? If you put a stack of your martial arts training

up against a stack of your martial arts business training, it would

be so unbalanced. You would barely be a white belt. So the same

way you got your black belt in martial arts is the same way you

get your black belt in business. You need an instructor or a mentor.

You need to be in class on a weekly basis.

In our Zoom Meetings, you need to ask questions. Then you

learn from the people that are better than you what to do and

earn from the ones that aren’t as good as you what not to do.

That’s how you get better.

SO: I might add just one other frame. We’re not trying to turn

martial artists into business people from the standpoint of how

sometimes people envision that. You’re not going to grab the

briefcase and go sit behind a desk and do all that stuff. What

you want to do is learn to master all elements of being a master

teacher, attracting new students, developing people to their highest

level, and all elements of promoting the benefits of martial

arts and your particular systems throughout your community.

Oftentimes they say, “I didn’t get in this to be a business guy. I

got into it to be a martial arts guy.” That’s right, and when you put

all the systems into place you become the highest quality martial

arts master teacher and the highest quality development developer

of people underneath you. That’s really what we’re talking

about. You’ve got to spread the word through your community,

get new students in the door, and develop them to the highest

level of their potential.

JS: And that new book of Grandmaster Oliver is what everybody

needs. It was one of the most important books and I’m so

glad you did it. Think about it, if you can simply add 100 new

students to your school we’ve found that no matter what problem

a school has, there’s nothing that 100 new students won’t fix. This

book really outlines everything for you. It’s really what I consider


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the best martial arts book in helping a school fix the problems

that they have in getting more students and keeping them. So

don’t miss this free opportunity because these don’t come along

very often, especially in the martial arts on something this simple

that costs you nothing. This is the kind of knowledge you’re able

to pick up on at your school and solve all your problems.

MAWnews: Let’s underscore that it’s pretty easy to find free

information on the Internet about how to run a martial arts school,

but it’s really tough though to find free information about how to

run your martial art school from someone who has actually done

it over and over again in almost every demographic.

SO: Yeah, I’d point out the expanding phenomenon of, what

I charitably refer to as, the bozo explosion going through the

industry. You have so many different levels. The guy who just figured

out how to run Facebook ads and the other end somebody

who’s run a very successful school, but has never evolved out of

being personality based. Now they want to teach people what

they did, but that’s all about them, not about the systems and the

operations needed for real school success.

Interestingly, the only thing that is constant about your business

is that the world around it is changing all the time. When I

wrote my book on Internet marketing, I addressed many things

that have changed dramatically since then. We’re on the cusp of

an AI revolution. You know, in terms of search marketing, every

time I turn around, Google has changed something. What worked

a few months ago doesn’t work today. I went from despising

Facebook to loving Facebook to having a love hate relationship

with giving Mark Zuckerberg money. So the only thing really

constant is change and you’ve got to be on top of this stuff, looking

at what’s coming on the horizon and dealing with it. There are

many examples of leaders in the industry who thrived 20 years

ago, then stopped learning, and ended up in a slow decline. If

you don’t look over the horizon and bring the current state-ofthe-art

you end up falling by the wayside.

What I might summarize for every school owner is when you’re

running a martial arts school, you want to never stop learning.

Always have mentors and always be in a learning mode. I know for

myself I set the rule well over 30 years ago that I was always going

to invest at least $100,000 a year in my own development. Whether

it was academic and an MBA, or whether it’s working with Jay Abraham

and Dan Kennedy. It’s a good rule of thumb to put 10% aside

for your own education. Back to the old Ben Franklin quote, “if you

empty your purse into your mind, their mind will fill your purse”.

If there are three simple steps for martial arts schools:

#1 is you’ve got to be more active in promoting your school

and getting out in the community.

#2 is to create a tremendously high value for your student.

You’ve got to create a high value and then be at the high end of

the price market.

#3 your biggest, highest priority is to keep your students as

long as possible and create the best outcome for them as possible.

Our benchmarks are 2% or less dropout rate per month.

$400.00 average revenue per student. The third benchmark is

looking for 100 new leads a month to turn into at least 20 new

enrollments a month from all sources.

MAWnews: Thanks so much for the time.

6 Simple Steps to Add

100 New Students to Your

School Book for Free!

www.fixyourschool.com


A Martial Artist’s Journey to

Service and Honor: Hung Cao

Appointed Navy Under Secretary

In a moment of great pride for the martial arts community, former special operations veteran

Hung Cao has been appointed by President Donald Trump as the next Navy Under

Secretary. This prestigious appointment is not only a recognition of Cao’s remarkable

career in service to the nation but also a testament to the enduring values of discipline,

dedication, and resilience—principles that martial arts instills in all who walk its path.

Hung Cao’s journey began as a Vietnamese refugee in 1975,

arriving in America after his family fled their homeland. His childhood,

which included time spent in West Africa, was marked by

challenges that would shape the unwavering spirit he carried into

adulthood. Through these trials, Cao’s commitment to his adopted

country became a driving force in his life—a commitment mirrored

by countless martial arts practitioners who learn to transform

adversity into strength.

With a decorated career in special operations and experience

in the Pentagon, Cao’s appointment serves as an inspiring

reminder that the warrior’s path does not end at the dojo or

on the battlefield—it continues in service to others. His words

following the announcement, “It’s time to get to work,” echo the

mindset of martial artists everywhere: to serve, to lead, and to

uplift their communities.

For martial arts school owners and business leaders, Hung

Cao’s story is a celebration of one of their own rising to a position

of influence and responsibility. It exemplifies the profound

impact martial arts can have—not just in shaping individuals,

but in shaping the future of our society. As we extend our heartfelt

congratulations to Hung Cao, we are reminded that every

class taught, every student inspired, and every life changed

carries the potential to create leaders who will one day serve

the world.

Congratulations to Hung Cao on this incredible honor—your

journey is an inspiration to us all.


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SCHOOL PROFILE

American Fighting Concepts:

Nurturing Champions and

Community Bonds Since 1996

American Fighting Concepts stands as a testament to the power of martial arts in

shaping both individuals and communities. For over two decades, Tommy Bottone

has been the owner and instructor guiding students of all ages through the world of

Kickboxing, MMA, self-defense, boxing, wrestling, and more.

Tommy Bottone - Founder of American Fighting Concepts

American Fighting Concepts isn’t defined by its physical

dimensions - its 1200 square feet space is a indication of its

belief in quality over quantity. Despite its size, the school has

cultivated a reputation that reaches far beyond its walls.

Tommy Bottone, the driving force behind American Fighting

Concepts, brings a wealth of experience to the table. As a former

World Kickboxing Champion, he has dedicated himself to

imparting his knowledge to both beginners and aspiring champions

alike. His legacy extends beyond trophies, as he’s been

instrumental in nurturing 20 World champions since 1996. But

Tommy’s impact doesn’t stop there. He’s taken his passion

beyond the dojo by establishing a non-profit organization that

empowers teenagers and young adults to not only compete

but also contribute to their community’s betterment.

American Fighting Concepts thrives as a hub for both learning

and camaraderie. The school’s curriculum extends beyond

the techniques of fighting, emphasizing discipline, respect, and

personal growth.

Tommy’s guiding philosophy is not just about molding fighters,

but also about building character and community bonds.

The school’s fame within the local community is a result of

its commitment to hosting competitions and charity events.

Through these endeavors, American Fighting Concepts showcases

the transformative power of martial arts beyond the mat.

Over the years, the school’s most successful marketing

strategy has been its focus on hosting charity events. These

events not only highlight the prowess of the students but also

underline the school’s dedication to giving back.

Looking ahead, Tommy’s developmental goals for the next

five years reflect his enduring commitment to the youth. The

school’s mission is to provide a platform for young individuals

to chase their dreams, fostering an environment where

they can grow into confident, disciplined, and compassionate

individuals.

American Fighting Concepts, under Tommy Bottone’s

expert guidance, stands as a testament to the profound impact

of martial arts. Beyond the physical techniques, the school

has etched its mark by creating champions in both the arena

and the community. As the journey continues, there’s anticipation

of the positive ripples American Fighting Concepts will

continue to send out.


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SCHOOL PROFILE

Tokyo Joe’s Studios of

Self Defense: A Legacy of

Empowerment and Excellence

Under the guidance of Edward Carr, this studio imparts the arts of Kemo Karate, MMA,

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai, and Cardio Kickboxing to both children and adults.

Tokyo Joe’s Studios of Self Defense has been a leader in the community for martial

arts expertise and personal growth since 1999.

With an unwavering

commitment

to fostering

empowerment,

Tokyo Joe’s Studios

of Self Defense

proudly houses

a community of

around 329 active

students. This

8000-square-foot

martial arts haven

is equipped to cater

to various disciplines,

ensuring a

Edward Carr

- Founder of Tokyo Joe’s Studios of Self Defense

holistic approach to

training.

The studio’s upper floors house dedicated spaces for Kemo

Karate and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, complemented by a strength and

conditioning gym that boasts a 16ft cage and boxing ring. A sauna

room and private teaching area underscore the commitment to a

comprehensive training experience. A designated area for Muay

Thai training further adds to the diverse offerings.

Edward Carr, owner and lead instructor at the studio, is a true

embodiment of martial arts excellence. With over 30 years of

experience, he holds a 5th Degree Black Belt in Kempo Karate, a

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt, and a formidable background in sport

karate and MMA. Edward is not only a retired professional MMA

fighter but also a multifaceted instructor who adapts his coaching

to each student’s needs. His accolades include being a 3-time

Krane National Karate Champion, IBJJF Pan-Am Purple Belt Champion,

and an inductee into the U.S.A. Martial Arts Hall of Fame for

Kempo Instructor of the Year.

The studio’s commitment to growth is evident in its utilization

of modern tools such as school management software applications

and a website optimized for lead generation. Amidst the

challenges posed by the pandemic, Tokyo Joe’s Studios of Self

Defense demonstrated remarkable adaptability. By transitioning

to online classes and maintaining student engagement through

daily videos, the studio managed to not only stay afloat but also

strengthen its community.

The studio’s growth story is enriched by effective marketing

strategies such as word-of-mouth recommendations, impactful

school events, and the prowess of its fighters.

Looking ahead, Tokyo Joe’s Studios of Self Defense envisions

five years of continued growth and evolution. The roadmap

includes enhancing student retention, expanding the staff, refining

the curriculum, and even establishing a second location. These

aspirations mirror the studio’s dedication to empowering individuals

and building a community rooted in martial arts excellence.

Tokyo Joe’s Studios of Self Defense has created a legacy that

transcends the physical techniques, embodying the idea that martial

arts can forge stronger minds, bodies, and communities.


THE MILLIONAIRE SMARTS COACH

Mastering Mindset for

Profitable Success (Part 3)

By Lee Milteer

The Mindset of the Wealthy: A Common Thread

A common thread among immensely successful millionaires

and billionaires is their unwavering commitment to safeguarding

their Mindset against the corrosive effects of mental clutter.

Cultivating a Supportive Environment

Conduct an assessment of the influences that shape

your thoughts.

Compile a roster of sources and experiences that uplift your

spirits and generate positive emotions, as well as those that drag

you down, leaving you feeling pessimistic, resentful, or drained.

Empowerment through Inner Change

Your mission is to liberate yourself from the shackles of negative

influences.

Endeavoring to alter other people or external circumstances is

a futile endeavor.

The initial step involves reshaping your inner beliefs,

which, in turn, catalyzes changes in your external

circumstances.

Unlocking Your Potential with a Mindset

Shift

Your life’s purpose isn’t to mend others;

rather, it’s to nurture yourself, paving the way

for optimal performance.

Coaching for Mindset

Excellence

A closer inspection of high

achievers reveals a common trait:

they consistently collaborate with

professional coaches who guide

them toward a profitable Mindset.

Harnessing Objective Feedback for Success

You too can benefit from the probing insights of knowledgeable

mentors who challenge your ideas’ financial viability.

Enlisting the guidance of individuals with substance ensures

that you receive objective feedback, even if it entails questioning

goals that you’re emotionally attached to.

Transformation through Inner Empowerment

The crux of the matter is this: you require an impartial guide

who can highlight the mental clutter that impedes your progress as

a business owner.

Fostering a profitable Mindset is your prerogative; failing to do

so will inevitably lead to exerting more effort and investing more

time than those who recognize that our beliefs shape our destinies.

Creating a Thriving Mindset

Reprogramming your mind into an asset, rather than a liability,

is a fundamental endeavor.

I find, most people find that it is really easy to learn or hear about

new techniques but it can be much harder to implement them.

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.

Visit www.milteer.com


Photo (top) by ronstik

may 2n d -4t h , 2025

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TEAMWORK

How to Help New Students Get

Started in Martial Arts

by Hanshi Dave Kovar

The following is an excerpt from Dave Kovar’s Martial Arts Instructor Toolbox:

Here’s the perfect formula to get your martial arts

students off to a great start:

• Find out what they’re hoping for and what their concerns

are in your introduction. Develop a plan to give them more

than what they’re hoping for. Be sure to address their concerns

quickly and thoroughly.

• Orchestrate their first class so that they LOVE the experience

and can’t wait to come back.

• By the end of their second week, they should feel

completely comfortable with the

martial arts instructor and the other

students in the class.

• Make sure that they feel

that their efforts and accomplishments

are acknowledged.

• Find just the right moment

to tell them that you can

look ahead and see them as an

awesome black belt in your program.

They’ll start sharing that vision

and get excited about the

prospect of actually earning

that black belt. Students

realize that they

love training at your

school and parents

are thrilled because

you gave them exactly

what they were

hoping for and more.

This didn’t happen by

accident (see the first

bullet point).

• Communication in their first several weeks is vital. The only

way to know for sure if they’re getting off to a great start is to get

feedback. It’s easy to make course corrections early before small

concerns become major issues, but only if you know what they’re

thinking.

• Get them over their first obstacle. This can come in many different

forms, but it’s going to come. So be ready. And after they’ve

overcome it, be sure to make them feel great about it. The next

time they encounter an obstacle, they’ll be ready to persevere

through it.

And finally...

Be sure to invest similar energy into the satisfaction of your students’

parents. Go out of your way to engage with them. Compliment

and appreciate their child. Every parent loves this!

HANSHI DAVE KOVAR is an 8th 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.


Photograph (right) by JackF

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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

valuable stories for our readers!

If you, your school, organization, event, product, or service

has a story that might be of value to our readers, we’d love to

hear about it!

MartialArtsWorldNews.com/Ureport

Contact us at: 407-895-1996

or Email Editor@MartialArtsWorldNews.com

AFTER SCHOOL EXCELLENCE

Start Your Summer Camp Now

(Yes, Now)!

by Grandmaster Mike Bugg

That’s right! A profitable summer camp with lots of enrollments begins right smack in

the middle of winter. Are you surprised?

Well, so are the many school owners who get excited about

running an exceptional summer camp and begin in March or April,

only to be disappointed in June and July. On the other hand,

schools that begin summer camp now can earn $100 thousand to

$250 thousand for their camps.

Great Competition

Why should your summer camp start now? Just go and take a

look at your local newspaper’s upcoming events or social section

and you’ll find out why the beginning of spring is the time to begin

your summer camp. You’re bound to see a whole bunch of competition:

The YMCA, sports camps, music camps, traditional camps,

and of course, other martial arts summer camps. If you

think you can wait until the spring to start your summer

camp, you’ll be giving an edge to all of your

competition and they will take advantage. The

saying “the early bird catches the worm” is true

with regard to running a successful summer

camp.

Proven Path

Maybe you’re not quite so sure how to

begin a summer camp now. Ever heard the

expression “you don’t have to reinvent the

wheel”? AMS-guided school owners achieve

tremendous success in their summer

camps by following a simple step-bystep

path that works no matter what

style you teach. In other words, there

is a proven path that will help any

school owner earn $100 thousand

or more with their camp.

Success Secrets

There are lots of secrets within the AMS Summer Camp Guide

to give you the edge you need over the competition. Here are just

some of the topics covered in the kit:

How to Prepare to Succeed – Everything from facility, staff,

equipment, field trips, ads and form, etc.

How to Promote Successfully – Ideas like internal and external

promotions, brochures, signs, sales presentations, getting into the

public school system, etc.

How to Operate for Success – All the direction you need from

organizing students and staff, to scheduling and specific activities.

It’s imperative that you start summer camp now. It’s a big undertaking

that is well worth the effort in the financial and enrollment

rewards you’ll receive. But you can breathe a sigh of relief because

with the AMS Summer Camp Guide you’ll have an easy to follow

step-by-step outline of activities and customizable ads to begin a

successful promotion right away!

Find out about the guide today by calling AMS at

(1-800) 275-1600.

GRANDMASTER MIKE BUGG is an 8th degree black belt and the owner of a $1.52 million-peryear

location, with one of the largest after school and summer camp programs in the country.


Photograph (right) by dusanpetkovic

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DISCUSSION GROUP

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GROWTH HACKS

Plan Ahead: Prepare for Success

in Any Economy

by Mr. Sean Lee

The martial arts industry is projected to experience strong growth in 2025, with the

mixed martial arts (MMA) equipment market expected to rise from $1.25 billion in 2024

to $1.33 billion in 2025, reflecting a 6% compound annual growth rate (CAGR).

For martial arts school owners, this trend presents valuable opportunities

to tap into the growing demand for martial arts training

and related services. By offering specialized programs, enhancing

marketing strategies, and diversifying revenue streams, you can

attract new students while retaining your current base.

However, it’s important to note that these projections are

based on past data, and economic conditions can shift unexpectedly.

That’s why having a backup plan is essential. Programs like

after-school care and summer/winter camps can serve as a reliable

“Plan B” during challenging times.

Here’s how to build these programs effectively:

1. Develop Structured Programs

After-School Programs: Design a curriculum

that balances martial arts training with academic

support and character development.

For example, Unity Martial Arts in Orlando

combines martial arts with character education

and provides a safe environment for children.

(unitymartialartsorlando.com)

Summer Camps: Create camps that

mix martial arts instruction with

fun activities such as field trips

and themed classes. Championship

Martial Arts in Orlando

offers engaging camps that

include field trips, life skills

development, and goalsetting.

(championshipmartialarts.com)

2. Ensure Safety and Quality

Qualified Instructors: Hire certified instructors who are trained

in child development and safety protocols to ensure a positive

experience.

Facility Standards: Keep your school clean, safe, and welcoming,

adhering to all local regulations and standards.

3. Implement Effective Marketing Strategies

Community Engagement: Promote your programs through

local schools, community centers, and online platforms to reach

potential clients.

Special Offers: Offer discounts or promotions to both attract

new students and retain existing ones.

4. Diversify Revenue Streams

Flexible Pricing: Offer various payment options, such as weekly

or monthly rates, to accommodate different family budgets.

Additional Services: Add extra value by offering transportation,

meals, or extended care services, increasing both your appeal and

revenue.

5. Monitor and Adapt

Feedback Mechanisms: Regularly gather feedback from

parents and students to gauge satisfaction and identify areas for

improvement.

Financial Tracking: Keep a close eye on your expenses and

income related to these programs to ensure profitability and make

informed decisions.

By carefully planning and developing after-school programs

and summer camps, you can create a resilient business

model that not only supports your martial arts school

during tough times but also strengthens your reputation in

the community.

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.


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NINJA BUSINESS TACTICS

Fortunate Fellow

by An-Shu Stephen Hayes

Some friends at my dojo began a “challenge” of writing notes about what they are

grateful for. I like that kind of thinking in this world that I experience as increasingly

fractured, polarized, and coarse each day.

I am grateful that I get to go to my dojo

and find a few hundred good decent people

training hard to develop increasingly sophisticated

levels of skill at handling dangerous

confrontations (on the inside as well as the

outside). I get to be surrounded by people

elevated enough to understand that truly

strong protectors say and do and

think things that make the

world a safer and saner

and healthier place.

Sometimes I look at

training halls that differ

radically from mine in

purpose and culture,

and I see violent ugly

confrontation being

promoted and celebrated

as their claim to fame. I

observe stupid and boorish

young men yapping and

taunting anyone from

the outside, being twisted

further into an abyss of

endless cruelty and

ignorance. Those

young men know

no better than

to relish the

experience of

bullying and

being bullied

as an addictive

substitute for authentic manliness.

How fortunate I am to have a dojo full of friends who see as

noble purpose the lifting up of others through an insistence on

honest understanding of how violence works, uncompromising

personal demands for ever advancing skill in dealing with violence

of all types, and possessing bright hearts that celebrate similar

advances among their training partners. I get to be surrounded

by brightness, by hope, by diligent sweaty progress towards an

almost impossible to reach ideal.

How fortunate I am to be able to call such days “going to work”.

That’s one thing I am grateful for.

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


Photograph (right) by natalie_board

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PILLARS OF SUCCESS

The 5 Powers of Self-Defense (Part 1)

by Grandmaster Y. K. Kim

The U.S. Government spends over a trillion dollars per year to defend our country and

ensure public safety.

That’s why the U.S. has the most powerful

military in the world: A strong Army, Navy, Air Force,

Marine Corps, Coast Guard, National Guard, Homeland

Security, CIA, and NSA. Plus, for public safety:

The FBI, state and local police, the Department of

Justice, courts, judges, attorneys, etc., protect our

country and keep the public safe by prevention and

by enforcing the law.

Think about it a moment: Without national

defense or public safety, our society would be too

dangerous; we would be too scared to

drive on a road or walk on a street. Our

society would be unsafe and chaotic.

No one could have a peaceful life.

National defense and public

safety are critically important

in our lives. That’s why the U.S.

Government spends over a trillion

dollars a year and the U.S.

citizens pay high taxes. On top of that, the private

sector spends lots of money: Security guards for

private companies, millions of attorneys, home

security companies, and tens of millions of

people have guns. Likewise, personal

self-defense is as important as national

security, public safety, and home

security in our lives.

Even though the U.S. Government

has the strongest defense

system in the world, they can’t

defend you or me from personal

attacks like physical attacks, verbal

attacks, self-attacks, financial

attacks, and life attacks. Even if

you call the police or any branch

of the military, and they bring a nuclear bomb, they can’t defend

you from the 5 kinds of attacks because most attacks come from

you. Similarly, millions of people have guns; unfortunately, guns

cannot defend us from the 5 kinds of attacks. That’s why even

though we live in the strongest country in the world, too many

people are suffering because they don’t know how to defend

themselves from various attacks, so they have painful lives: Too

many people are physically sick, suffer mental anguish, pain in the

heart, financial pressure, or have miserable lives.

If we don’t find the right solution for personal self-defense,

more people will get badly sick (for just one example, over two

hundred million people are suffering because they are overweight)

and our society will be crippled (over fifty million people have painful

lives because of drug, alcohol, and cigarette addiction). It is not

a personal issue any more; it is already a national issue. (Continued

in next issue)

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.


Illustration (right) by Patcharin Saenlakon

BE RECOGNIZED in future editions of

Martial Arts World News Magazine.

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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

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Share Stories About:

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• Anything else that our readers might find valuable!


Or send your story ideas to Editor@MartialArtsWorldNews.com

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STAFF DEVELOPMENT

Principles of Practice

Beyond the Mat (Part 1)

by Grandmaster Zufi Ahmed

As a lifelong martial artist, I’ve learned that the principles we practice on the mat

extend far beyond the dojo.

Our training molds not just our physical abilities but also our

character, our mindset, and ultimately, the way we live our lives.

One of the most profound truths that I’ve come to understand—

one that every martial artist must embrace—is this: What you do is

who you are.

Thomas Jefferson, an American Founding Father and principal

author of the Declaration of Independence, once said, “Do you

want to know who you are? Don’t ask. Act! Action will delineate

and define you.” This wisdom, deeply rooted in the philosophy of

martial arts, speaks to the core of our practice. It is not merely our

words, but our actions that reveal our true selves.

In martial arts, we often hear the phrases,

practice what you preach, do as you say,

and walk the talk. These are not just motivational

sayings; they are the foundation

of the martial arts lifestyle. At the

heart of these maxims lies a fundamental

truth: Behavior never lies.

As martial artists, we are trained to

focus on action. When there is a discrepancy

between what someone says and

what they do, it is their behavior that tells

the true story. Actions are the purest reflection

of one’s character. When words

and deeds are not in sync, it leads

to mistrust, confusion, and a

breakdown of integrity—elements

that are incompatible

with the martial arts ethos.

Consider the discipline

required to train daily, the respect we show our instructors and

peers, the commitment to perfecting our techniques, and the

humility to accept correction. These behaviors define us as martial

artists. They are a testament to our dedication and our understanding

that words alone cannot forge the path to mastery. In the dojo,

and in life, actions are what build trust, earn respect, and ultimately

define who we are.

When a martial artist speaks of loyalty, honor, or respect, those

words must be backed by consistent actions. If we claim to value

discipline but fail to show up for training, our behavior betrays us. If

we profess a commitment to our students but do not invest time in

their development, our actions undermine our credibility. Similarly,

if we emphasize the importance of health but neglect our physical

well-being, we are not living in alignment with our values.

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.


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THE WAY OF THE SAMURAI

Zanshin - Eight Directions of

Awareness (Part 5)

by Shihan Dana Abbott

Another season passed when Abe Sensei said, “It is time to apply all this practiced

knowledge into a different point of view to realize Zanshin using a new set of eyes.

There are many terms such as, metsuke that translates to observing

another’s presence and demeanor. This, I will call “Yama

o Miru” (looking at the mountain off in the distance). Remember,

when you fought two opponents at once using your peripheral

vision? This time I want you to look at your opponent differently

using squinted eyes. This will produce a different perspective or

viewpoint of your peripheral vision, which I call grey center mass”.

Abe Sensei continued, “Look towards your opponent and then

through him with those same squinted eyes as when you looked

at the mountain off in the distance. You will

see less detail consequently your cutting

center mass becomes simplified and your

opponent can’t readily read your thoughts

and intentions. Your

opponents are easily

surprised with the

strike, as they do

not see it coming.

Employing “Yama o

Miru” when sparring, you

will see openings in your

opponent’s demeanor that

were not there before”.

Hours upon hours of

hard intense practice

each day for months

developed a stronger

understanding of

Zanshin with its many

directions. Even though

I was able to execute

movements and techniques within my peripheral vision my blind

areas were still beyond my comprehension. Abe Sensei then

positioned a third opponent to my rear. I was forced to address all

eight directions as three opponents slowly walked around me in a

circle just out of my sword’s range. At any given time, ready or not

an attack by any of us could be initiated. Over time I begin to learn

how to adjust my position without opening myself to an attack from

my rear or blind side. I now knew that I could only rely on my own

gut feeling and act accordingly. What I discovered within myself

was that a large percentage of my strikes hit their true mark, which

was a surprise to my opponents and satisfaction for me.

Later that week I returned Abe Sensei’s book. He takes it

in hand and tells me he has owned it since 1955. He also said,

“Understanding timing and rhythm is essential to the practice for

perfection. Perfection comes not without sacrifice as it takes a

lifetime of constant practice and study to achieve one’s individual

goals. I have been crossing swords for 58 years and still need

more time to master my techniques. When studying swordsmanship

there are hidden meanings that you must understand to

reach a true level of proficiency.”

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.

78 MARTIAL ARTS WORLD NEWS VOLUME 25 | ISSUE 2 Photograph (right) by leolintang

https://youtu.be/yzpRJcv5vns

Improve your curriculum for

Martial Arts School Success!

Master Michael Matsuda is a former

Disney artist, an accomplished author,

former magazine publisher, and the founder

of the Martial Arts History Museum. He has

been honored twice as “Producer of the

Year” and was also nominated for an EMMY

for his producing on the El Rey Network.

In this episode of Martial Arts Industry

Innovations Master Matsuda discusses

the Martial Art History Museum’s newest

expansions, the 25th year anniversary

grand opening event, and the honor

that will be bestowed upon him for his

innovations in the martial arts industry.

Subscribe

SUBSCRIBE to the ma industry Innovations youtube channel now!

MASTERING MODERN BJJ

The Art of Pacing for Training in

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu For Life (Part 2)

by Master Carlos Machado

Pacing for Performance

Another aspect of pacing is related to performance. How do

you pace yourself when you are sparring or competing? How do

you deal with different sizes, ages, and levels of opponents? How

do you use your energy wisely and efficiently?

In dealing with different size training partners, do I need to

change the technique when I go against a bigger opponent? The

answer will be “it depends”!

In the scheme of things, the only difference when

you’re dealing with unequal sizes is the strategy and

the pace in which you implement the technique. It is not

a secret that the first practitioners of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

were often at a disadvantage when it came to

size. Their strategy could only work if they first

ensured wearing out their opponents before

subduing them.

Nowadays, with the advent of

regulated Jiu-Jitsu tournaments

with specific formats that include

time limits and scoring rules criteria,

size will definitely matter more.

In normal circumstances, a smaller person

could take longer to try to apply a move, waiting for

the time in which their opponent showed signs of

fatigue and slowed down.

Also, when two partners share equal

knowledge, size will matter even more.

This is often a strategy very common

in boxing matches in which you’re

gonna have quick starters

and long runners. A case in

point could be exemplified by

Conor McGregor versus Floyd

Mayweather, in which McGregor

started strong and fast for the first

six rounds, and showed signs of slowing down after the seventh.

From that point on Floyd Mayweather, which was maintaining a certain

pace for the first half of the match, started to increase the pace

and increase the aggression. This is not a secret in jiu-jitsu either.

Some tournaments are formatted with longer time limits, or

rules that favor going for submissions rather than scoring points.

With that said, on average, how would someone benefit the

most in making their jiu-jitsu last for a lifelong journey?

Often, practitioners of jiu-jitsu, whether competitors or

hard-core mat rats, will eventually fall prey to the effects

of time and cumulative damage to their bodies, if the

intensity of the training surpasses the body’s ability to

recover. This is true in any sport and jiu-jitsu is not

an exception.

We have here an example point, the

infamous L5 vertebrae. That’s a very common

and almost across the board injury that several

jiu-jitsu practitioners are susceptible to. The very

nature of their style, in which it is not unusual for some

to spend quite some time on the bottom, dealing with

pressure and twisting motion against their joints (lower

back in particular), it becomes very clear that as time

goes on the body will show the signs of its cumulative damage.

How to avert that is the real question! The slow and steady

approach is an effective way for learning, going to the shallow, and

then diving in the deep and dark waters of knowledge, that along

with structured instruction and enough mat time will catapult skills.

Those who use that approach of a better pace as their main

strategy can afford to go for longer rounds without sustaining the

increasing wear and tear so pervasive amongst long term practitioners.

In doing so, one can likely train without interruption, and

train in the way that they will always be able to keep on training.

Jiu-jitsu is not a 100m dash, it is a marathon with no distance limit.

If you are to cross the finish line, rest assured another one will arise

on the horizon.

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.

80 MARTIAL ARTS WORLD NEWS VOLUME 25 | ISSUE 2 Photograph (right) by PeopleImages

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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.


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NEXT LEVEL STRATEGY

Gimme Rather Than Giri

– The Art of Loyalty (Part 1)

by Shihan Allie Alberigo

One of the instructors who I admire tremendously is Anshu Stephen Hayes.

I give him credit for starting my Ninja journey many years ago.

Anshu Hayes read my article and responded “Society is more of a

Gimme rather than Giri Society.” I quoted him on that and loved it.

I then asked his permission to use it while writing my blog.

I also had to take a quote from another amazing martial art

Master Pete Ticali who has always treated me with respect and

kindness. This is what he had to say - which is a great explanation

of the word Giri. Master Ticali wrote “With Rank comes Privilege,

and some might understand with Privilege comes responsibility.

With responsibility comes Duty; and Duty evolves to a deep Obligation,

which lays the foundation for the culmination of Giri.... One

might note that I have changed from English to Japanese. I do so

because I know no English word to properly translate the word Giri

and do it justice. In simple layman’s terms, I would explain Giri as

the debt you gladly accept; even with the knowledge that you will

pay this debt till your last day of your life, and on that day you will

know you haven’t scratched the surface of “paying enough”.

Giri is what one might owe their parents, their

grandparents; their country and those that they honor

as their Sensei. As a footnote, I firmly believe

that as Sensei, part of our Giri is to teach those

thousands (if necessary) to find the few with whom

our Giri can be entrusted (passed on) to. I believe

that those who follow the way, can understand.”

Master Ticali has spelled out for us the truth of

martial arts and the way that I was brought

up in my martial art training and the way

it should be taught and practiced. Unfortunately

for many, these lessons

are nothing but words, strung

together into sentences, things

that go in one ear and out the

other. I do not blame anyone

because this concept isn’t

taught as much any longer and is not a part of the culture.

There was an ancient time, when someone made a commitment

verbally and their word was as good as anything. People

would work till their dyeing day to fulfill their word and what they

call an obligation. It used to be admissible in the court of law, nowadays

even a written contract is not adhered to by many judges.

They find it in their mind to interpret the written word to suit their

own needs or the dialog that is going on at present time.

I have found teaching and running a school with hundreds of

students over the almost 3 decades that not even 1% of the people

I deal with can even comprehend the word Giri. I think maybe

in the modern adaptation we can call it convenience “Giri!” The

reason I say this is most students, parents and people you deal

with are loyal when it best suits them. Anshu Stephen Hayes said

it perfectly when speaking of the topic “Gimme rather than Giri.”

While others do not even attempt to understand, they look at the

martial arts as more of a commodity.

Some purchased something due to them because they have

paid tuition. I want to shake them and all the readers into the

realization that the lessons are never the same without the true understanding

of dedication, loyalty and honor. In fact, I have argued

till I am blue in the face with martial artists, coaches, and Martial Art

Industry heads, that by taking this lesson out of the martial arts, the

student isn’t even learning true martial arts. They are only practicing

the physical (the martial) and without these traditions, the

martial arts are nothing more than just fighting techniques. Simply

though with the mental, spiritual and lessons of old, the martial arts

are limitless and they shape the student in ways unimaginable.

Is this possible any more in our society for us to learn GIRI or is

it only going to be “Gimme?” My personal feeling and this is based

on my past 50 years of martial art training. There are only a select

few that will truly understand the meaning and will act on it and

make it a part of who they are. I continually teach hoping that as I

get better, I will also get more people who understand the concept.

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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MIND MASTERY

Setting Effective Goals for 2025

by Grandmaster Jessie Bowen, author of “Goal Setting: Fundamental Keys to Success”

At some point, everyone needs to reflect on their goals. Without clear direction, life

becomes like a ship without a rudder—drifting aimlessly with no anchor. Setting goals

provides the focus and purpose needed to navigate life with intention.

Your mind is your most powerful tool in goal setting. By taking

an idea and focusing on it, you can turn thoughts into reality. Over

the past 40 years, I’ve studied the Silva Method, a world-renowned

training program, and learned how visualization and intuition are

key to achieving success. These tools have helped me work with

companies like Nike, Raytheon, and American Express to build

successful teams. They can also help you unlock your potential.

Why Goal Setting Matters

Everyone dreams, but not everyone plans. Without goals, you

risk falling into an unproductive cycle. Imagine going to work aimlessly,

having purposeless conversations, or exercising without

knowing why. It feels unfulfilling and directionless.

Goals are the antidote. They provide clarity, motivation, and a

roadmap for your future. Mastering the ability to set and achieve

goals is a life-changing skill that can propel you

forward in ways you never imagined.

In Goal Setting: Fundamental Keys to

Success, I outline a 21-day Goal-Setting Plan

designed to make achieving your aspirations

manageable and actionable.

1. Define Your Goal

Start with a clear, specific

objective. For example,

instead of saying, “I want

to be healthier,” state, “I

want to lose 10 pounds

in three months by

exercising four times a

week and eating more

whole foods.”

2. Visualize Your Success

Visualization is a powerful tool. Picture yourself achieving your

goal in vivid detail—what you see, feel, and hear. This trains your

subconscious mind to stay motivated and aligned with your goal.

3. Break It Into Steps

Divide your goal into smaller tasks. The 21-day plan should include

an actionable step each day that moves you closer to success.

4. Stay Consistent

Progress happens through daily effort. Commit to working on

your goal every day, no matter how small the step.

5. Reflect and Adjust

Evaluate your progress weekly. Celebrate successes, identify

obstacles, and refine your plan if needed.

The mind’s power lies in visualization and intuition. Visualization

helps you stay focused, while intuition guides you to make decisions

that align with your goals. These techniques, honed through

years of study and practice, are essential for success and are accessible

to everyone.

Make 2025 Your Year

As you move forward in 2025, take time to think about what

you want to achieve. Goal setting isn’t just about dreaming—it’s

about creating a plan and acting on it. Use tools like the 21-Day

Goal Setting Plan to bring your aspirations to life.

This year, unlock the power within you. Set your goals, visualize

success, and take daily action. Make 2025 the year you reach for

your dreams and achieve the impossible.

To purchase your copy of Goal Setting: Fundamental Keys to Success,

visit https://bit.ly/Goal-Setting-Fundamental-Keys-to-Success.

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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Teaching Adults

by Grandmaster Tim McCarthy

It should be no secret to any instructor of the martial arts that students have different

needs at different ages.

If you teach adults the same way you

teach your children’s classes, you will

not have a very large adult program.

With that understanding in mind,

here are some things you may not

have considered when planning

your adult classes.

The first thing you need

to decide is what kind of adult

students you want. Do you want

a family school? Then your adult

classes will be designed for the

needs of parents. Do you want

a fighting school? Then your

classes will probably only attract

and keep more of a hard-core element. Do you want a

fitness school? Then your classes will look more like

Tae-bo than traditional martial arts. Do you want to

focus on self-defense? Then practicality will be more

important than form or art.

Once you decide what you want, you should

advertise what you offer. If you offer weight loss and

stress release, then don’t expect your students to

hang around if you ground and pound each other. If

you advertise self-defense, then make sure you

provide some practical self-defense in every

class.

I am not saying you can’t offer a combination.

Most successful martial arts

schools have an element of tradition

and discipline. Most martial arts styles

have a basis in self-defense. You have

control over the amount of energy

(exercise) that needs to be expended

in each class. You can provide these

elements in almost any style martial arts class.

What I am saying is that you should provide

what you advertise. If someone comes

to you to learn self-defense, at the end

of each week they should feel they

have learned something to better defend

themselves. If someone comes

to you to lose weight, they should see

a steady loss of weight, and if that requires

advice on what to eat and what

not to eat, then provide it. If someone

comes to you to gain confidence, you

should help them feel more confident

physically, mentally, and emotionally.

In addition to providing a combination

of benefits in each class, you can offer specialty classes.

For example doctors and computer programmers may not like a

contact sparring class or wrist locks and throws that could damage

their hands and limit their source of income. If you want these

kinds of adults, you have to adjust your classes and requirements

to their needs, and perhaps have special classes for the ones

who want more contact. Your rank requirements must be flexible

enough to accommodate the students you want to attract.

I once heard a story of an instructor in my town who was proud

of the fact that he had produced only 7 black belts in the past

10 years. You can bet those seven deserved to be proud of their

accomplishment, but not only is that a poor business model in my

opinion, it is a poor influence model. When I think of the hundreds,

perhaps thousands of students that didn’t measure up to his strict

standards, I see tremendous missed opportunity of students who

could have gained such greater health benefits, confidence, and

even leadership training had they felt more appreciated. In our

society, most martial arts school owners are not trying to create

warriors (the marine corps does that) . . . we are trying to bring a

stronger and healthier attitude to the average student.

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.

88 MARTIAL ARTS WORLD NEWS VOLUME 25 | ISSUE 2 Photo (center) by Azovsky

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BUDO PHILOSOPHY

Pay attention! (Part 1)

by Shidoshi Alfredo Tucci

“Be the owner of your attention. The price of freedom is permanent surveillance.

Remember that there where your attention goes, your emotions and your energy go.

Wherever you put your attention, everything will always become more real to you.”

—Mario Alonso Puig

“The observer effect in quantum physics states that where you

direct your attention is where you place your energy.”

—Joe Dispenza

“Everything in which we put our attention acquires greater

strength in our life. When we experience pain, we try to avoid it or

escape it. But the more we try to do it, the more we focus on the

idea of pain.”

—Deepak Chopra

“The greatest gift you can give another is the purity of your

attention.”

—Richard Moss

Plants, in their struggle to prevail, seek sunlight. This

is its primal command, the one that sculpts gardens

and forests, forcing each part thereof to twist,

settle, and adapt in order to exist.

Animals became independent of that slavery.

By eating plants first and then eating each other,

beasts achieved a greater personal autonomy, a

path that culminated in the human species with

the advent of the awakening of consciousness.

Awareness is a very curious thing. It requires

tons of energy to function and an extremely

complex device called the brain, where the

millions of signals that the nervous system

collects from the outside come together

and are processed.

Given its complexity, the phenomenon

of perception not only requires

consuming enormous amounts of

energy to be produced, but the very

act of being able to keep the attention

fixed on something always implies a great wear and tear.

In addition to the energy-saving mechanisms that the body has

developed in its evolution to maintain the proper functioning of

the system—such as the erasing of the awareness of our blinking

(none of us see that black frame in our daily lives!)—there are functional

limits to let things go on. Therefore, attention is unidirectional.

It is impossible to pay attention to two things at once. You might

say that this is possible, especially if you are a lady! However, if you

pay careful attention to the subject, you will discover that what consciousness

does is move from one point to another intermittently

and at high speed, or leave one of those points on automatic while

the true focus of attention is fixed only on the second point.

Another alternative mechanism, but governed by the same

procedure, is that of the “referent,” by which, for example, you set

your gaze at the center without really seeing and focus on the

periphery. Females of the human species are good at this ruse

because, for millions of years, they specialized in collecting the

harvest (peripheral vision), while males focused on hunting (vision

focused on a single point). The most skilled in these things were

more successful and consequently had more possibilities to survive,

and therefore to procreate. So, no wonder that we, their heirs,

are a chip off the old block. We’ve taken after them!

There are several exercises that I could point out so that you

can witness for yourselves how these curious savings and selfdisconnection

precepts are fulfilled, but the matter would occupy

the entire space of this essay. That is not where I want to take you,

but to another very interesting reflection on our nature. This is:

When we focus our attention on something, we stop doing it on everything

else. Attention is the bow of consciousness, and wherever

it turns, our whole being turns too, following that same direction.

Just as plants fight for the sun, we do it for attention.

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.


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COMPLETE MARTIAL ARTS CONCEPTS

Providing Opportunity Through

My Own Adversity

by Professor Willie “The Bam” Johnson

Adversity means great hardship, misfortune and defeat for

the average person not opportunity, which is what it means to

Baltimore man, Willie “THE BAM” Johnson a returned seven-time

world sports karate champion and member of the prestigious

Black Belt Magazine Hall of Fame award winner for Instructor of

the Year. He has been involved in the martial arts since the age

of six and the only Baltimore man to train in Mainland, China and

became certified along with playing himself on the hit TV show,

W.M.A.C Masters along with his hero Bruce Lee’s daughter,

Shannon Lee.

Anyone growing up on the dangerous streets of Baltimore

know that his achievements were no easily feet, “THE BAM”

has never been reluctant to reveal his past mistakes

of overcoming abuse, drug dealing, addiction,

homelessness and incarceration. But that was

well over 23 years ago and since then he and

his family have been helping 1,000 of kids and

teens change their lives through the principles of

martial artists. His championship family are black

belt world champions born in Baltimore to who

are Kimber Johnson, his wife, Marco

“Da Answer” Johnson, Nailah

Johnson, Joelle Ladra, and

Marshieh Johnson.

Their efforts have

earned them many community

awards through their

program called Stronger

Than Drugs, a not for profit

foundation. Awards like two

Baltimore’s Best Awards, a

Willie “THE BAM” Johnson

day on the weekend of September

28th for helping to

rebuild the same community

he helped destroy. They also

give yearly to the McKim’s Community Center through their toy

drives, food drives, clothing drives and yearly martial arts sporting

events. Just recently they have been gaining national recognition

for a new Mixed Martial Arts program called Point MMA a wholesome

safe family program that has made it’s second debut at the

International Sports Karate Tournament called the U.S. Capital

Classics held in Washington, DC.

“THE BAM” is now gearing up to offer a scholarship program

of Point MMA to his city to help give other’s a chance to break the

negative cycle like he did, along with hosting a national fundraising

sports karate expo and championship with his family in 2013.

Adversity has provided me with a lot of opportunities to contribute

to a greater good, which truly defines me as a person. I

have been able to touch millions of lives all over the world people

of all races, careers, creeds, and economical backgrounds. THE

BAM adds, “I remember one time watching the film new BIG movie

about one of the world’s greatest rappers and in his jail transformation

scene there was a poster of me on the jail house wall for

inspiration.”

So by establishing an annual event and a permanent community

based Point MMA program, I would have achieved my highest

martial arts honor.

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.

94 MARTIAL ARTS WORLD NEWS VOLUME 25 | ISSUE 2 Photograph (right) by olm26250

Lee Milteer is an Internationally known and celebrated

Entrepreneur, Visionary, Best Selling Author, Award winning

Professional Speaker, TV Personality, and Intuitive Business Mentor.

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MASTER THE BASICS

Three Secrets to a Great

Beginner’s Class

by Master Tina Bane

The 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 teaching 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 from 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 PIR method of correction,

which stands for Praise, Improvement, and 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 longterm

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 her

yellow belt test. A mid-term goal would be to receive her black

belt. A long-term goal would be to become an instructor and share

what she has learned with others.

Third, make sure they get a good physical sweat and a good

mental sweat each class

The more immediate the 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 of physical self-defense. Chances are your students

will use verbal self-defense in the next day or so, whereas they

probably won’t use physical self-defense for weeks, months,

or even years. When they see immediate benefits, they have to

come back for more.

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.


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INNOVATION

Virtual Reality in Martial Arts:

The Future is Now (Part 1)

By Dan Segarra

The Technological Future is Bright

The technological future looks incredibly promising for

modern martial artists. Here are some reasons why now is the

perfect time to start learning about and integrating VR into your

martial arts training:

1. Accessibility

With the popularity of affordable VR headsets like

the Meta Quest, VR is more accessible than ever.

This technology is no longer confined to highend

setups; anyone can enjoy the benefits of VR

training.

2. Innovation

Integrating VR into your martial arts school

demonstrates your commitment to innovation

and staying at the forefront of technology. This can

enhance your reputation and attract tech-savvy

students who are looking for a modern training

experience.

3. Fun and Motivation

VR training is not only

effective but also fun.

The immersive

experiences

keep students

motivated and

eager to train.

This can lead to

better retention

rates and more

consistent practice,

ultimately improving their

skills and progress.

Ready Player One?

Haptic devices which allow you to actually safely feel the

impact of your opponents strikes takes it to a whole new level.

I’ve boxed with friends in V.R that were in another state and it’s

amazing you can feel the strikes as they hit your body by wearing

devices like a vest and gauntlets that vibrate exactly where

you’re struck.

Conclusion

As someone who has been fascinated by VR since its inception,

I can confidently say that the time is now to start learning

about and incorporating this technology into your martial arts

training and business. The benefits are immense, from enhancing

training variety and student engagement to building virtual dojos

and showcasing your school as a leader in innovation.

So, put on that headset and explore the exciting world of VR in

martial arts. The future is bright, and the possibilities are endless.

Embrace the technology and take your training and business to

new heights.

MASTER DAN SEGARRA is a 9th Degree Black Belt who is a world renown and respected authority and one of

the highest rank Americans in the Korean Martial Arts. He has a very innovative mind when it comes to curriculum and school

presentation. He has authored several books and has been featured in various Martial Arts Magazines.


Photo (top) by NanoStockk

MARTIAL ARTS PHILOSOPHY

“The Phone Conversation

That Aaron Banks Charged Me

$1,000 For a 30-Minute Call!”

By Sensei Gary Lee

“My All-Time Favorite Ernie ‘Radar’ Smith R.I.P. Story”

It was the early ’90s, and I had already produced a few events

in Texas, including promotions at Astroworld and the Astrodome

under the banner of KIDS EXPO. These events marked my first

encounters with American sports stars.

At the time, I was also an actor for Astroworld Six Flags Amusement

Parks. Sports Illustrated Magazine had organized a huge

autograph show at the Astrodome, and I was invited to participate.

I found myself sitting at a table between Hakeem Olajuwon and

Nolan Ryan, signing autographs. I couldn’t help but wonder: Why

am I here?

I felt entirely out of place, sitting next to these legendary sports

figures as just an entertainer, fighter, and producer. Yet, Astroworld

and Sports Illustrated had arranged it, so there I was, nervously

participating in this prestigious event.

Amidst all this, I received a phone call on my cell phone. This

was the early days of portable phones—back when

they stood out as a novelty. I think I had a Motorola

Razr, and using this new technology felt strange.

There I was, at an autograph show in the

Astrodome, surrounded by hundreds of

spectators and sports celebrities, with my flip

phone in hand. I was already nervous because

this massive event was sponsored by Sports

Illustrated, and now a phone call from a legend

was coming through. It was definitely

the wrong place and wrong

time, but I answered anyway.

On the other end was

Aaron Banks, the martial

arts legend himself. He

began the conversation

casually, and I told him how honored I was to speak with him. I

also asked why he had called me.

He explained that he had heard about a “hotshot producer”

down in Texas and had managed to get my personal number. After

the introductions, he began giving me advice on how to be more

productive and what steps I could take to build my career. He even

offered to help me.

As we spoke, I was conscious of the fact that I was at the show,

with people waiting for me. I didn’t want to be rude by hanging up

on such a legend, but the call had already stretched to 30 minutes.

As I was trying to wrap up the conversation, I thanked him for all

his advice and began saying goodbye.

Then he said, “Gary, you can mail the check to…”

I was taken aback and asked, “Sir, what check?”

He replied, “Gary, I like you. Normally, I charge $100 a minute

for phone consultations, but for you, I’ll give you a discount.”

In disbelief, I said, “Are you crazy? I’m not paying you $1,000!”

Later, I traveled to the Tri-State area to honor Michael De-

Pasquale Jr. with a roast at the Atlantic City Convention Center in

New Jersey. This was a major event for the National Sport Karate

Museum. Wanting to include Aaron Banks in the honors, I called

him and invited him to participate.

He agreed, but only on the condition that I send him $1,000

for his appearance. Despite my initial hesitation, I ultimately

recognized him as a History General and honored him as one

of America’s great producers. His work, especially The Oriental

World of Self Defense held annually at Madison Square Garden,

had jump-started the careers of countless martial artists. He was

deeply respected for his contributions to sport karate in America.

However, I never did send him $1,000 for the honor at Michael’s

roast.

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

Do You Spend or Invest

Your Time?

by Grandmaster Kirk Pelt

Motivational speaker Brian Tracy is fond of citing the Pareto Principle, which is basically

the 80-20 rule. In a martial arts school, the rule can be applied to tuition billing in that

20 percent of your students will take up 80 percent of your time with billing problems.

In any group, there is always that bottom 20 percent who cause

trouble—some may actually be troublemakers, but most are suffering

from an accident or bad circumstance. Regardless of the

reason, they have problems, and therefore, you have problems.

What if I told you that you could change the 80-20

rule and reduce that 20 percent to

zero? With AMS Billing, you can.

AMS will handle all of your

tuition billing, including that

dreaded 20 percent of problem

students, so you can invest 100

percent of your time in better

instruction and promotion of your

school.

It just makes sense to separate

tuition billing from instruction. The

master should focus his

attention on helping

students improve, not on being a

bill collector. Students who have a

financial problem should speak

to a financial counselor, not their

master instructor.

Many schools assign a

member of the school staff to

take on the role of bill collection

to insulate the master.

However, this situation still

creates an adversarial

relationship between the

student and the school. It is far better to have a middleman absorb

the abuse and keep a positive relationship between the student

and the school.

Now, some people will say that hiring a middleman is too expensive.

In reality, hiring a professional saves you money. AMS account

representatives are trained in the latest programs

and techniques to achieve the highest rate

of collection in the industry. They will get you more

money than your staff would because they have

the knowledge and experience that your staff does

not have. Plus, they follow the guidelines of the Fair

Debt Collection Act so that you and your school will

not be subject to lawsuits for unfair practices.

Even more important is the fact that AMS is

not just a tuition billing company. They are also a

marketing and management company, helping you

enroll more students and keep them longer, and

manage your school better. Think about it—if you

took the time you and your staff spend dealing with those problem

accounts and turned that into time spent recruiting new students,

how much more income would you make?

Now, add to that programs and promotions that have proven

effective all over the country to add ten or more new students a

month, and thousands of dollars in income, and you have a service

that doesn’t cost you money, it makes you money.

So, the question remains: Do you spend your time chasing after

students for money, or do you invest your time in acquiring new

students?

AMS can save you time and make you money. Invest five minutes

in a phone call at (800) 275-1600 to find out more.

GRANDMASTER KIRK PELT is an 8th degree black belt and is the President of a multi-million

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 (center) by CharlieAJA

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THE WARRIOR WAY

Confidence

by Grandmaster Bill Clark

Curse ruthless time! Curse mortality! How cruelly short is the allotted span for all we must

cram into it! We are all worms. But I do believe that I am a glowworm. - Winston Churchill

Self-confidence is the foundation of all personal success. With

self-confidence, people will try new things, go to new places, and

set larger and more ambitious goals. With self-confidence, you

have a greater ability to be creative, to accept new challenges,

and to bring opportunity into your life. When others observe

your self-confidence, opportunities will flow towards you as they

recognize that you have the confidence to handle important or

difficult situations.

No one is born with confidence. Confidence—or the lack of

it—is a learned trait. If you tried new things and succeeded, you

gained in self-confidence. If your parents, teachers, and peers

constantly praised your accomplishments and encouraged you

to try new things, then there is little doubt you are endowed with

self-confidence.

But in many cases the opposite may have been true and

people may have told you things like…

• “That’s not the way you do it.”

• “Can’t you do anything right?”

• “Why aren’t you more like your brother or sister?”

This treatment most likely had a negative effect on

your self-esteem and confidence.

Most parents, especially those of several

decades ago, had no idea of the power

they had in shaping their child’s future

based only on a few simple words.

They certainly didn’t mean to do

a bad job. They simply treated

their children the same way

their parents had treated

them. The same is true of

teachers and bosses. Some

are wonderful, always working

to build their charges’

confidence as well as their

knowledge. While others are horrible and belittle their students for

their supposed stupidity.

I had a particularly tough PE teacher in high school, which was

fine for me since I was a good athlete. But he made life hell for

kids who were physically below average and effectively destroyed

what little self-confidence they had. Even if your experiences with

regard to self-confidence were negative in the past, there is no

need to despair. You can begin, right now, to recognize patterns of

behavior that stem from your past and take the necessary steps to

reassess what you believe to be true about your personal confidence

levels.

The foundation of confidence is competence.

You certainly don’t have to accept someone else’s opinion that

you are not particularly good at something. As Eleanor Roosevelt

said, “No one can make you feel inferior without your permission.”

Becoming good at something is the first factor in self-confidence

and becoming good at anything is merely a matter of

education and practice. While confidence stems from many areas,

the first and foremost area is competence—knowing that you

know as much or more about your business, career, job, or hobby

as anyone on the planet.

This is the attitude the Japanese refer to as Kaizan. That means

continued, never-ending improvement. You accomplish this by

seeking knowledge about every facet of your career, hobbies, and

life, and anything else that might affect it. Once you have it all, you

continue to seek more.

Be tireless in your efforts to be more productive during your

working hours. The real winners in life are those who never stop

learning. They are not content to learn by osmosis; they constantly

search for new information. They are not afraid to invest cash in

search of knowledge, even if it’s just to invite an expert in their

field to join them for a cup of coffee—someone, perhaps, who can

impart the essence of years and years of key experiences in just a

couple of hours. Don’t fall into a rut. Be a continuing learner.

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 multischool

owners in the world.


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TACTICAL SELF-DEFENSE

The Cure for Hospital Security

By Grandmaster Tom Patire

After the tragic shooting of that CEO in Healthcare my phone hasn’t stopped ringing.

When I meet with different healthcare facilities to do a security

survey, they always ask me if I know any quality personnel

they can hire for security. Hospitals across the country are

looking for skilled martial artists to work as hospital security

officers. One possessed a calming personality, pure presence,

and people skills for de-escalating situations. Whether it be as

a part timer on off hours when your school is closed or those

months when you’re at your slowest time of the year. All businesses

have peaks and valleys and smart business minds fill

there valleys with outside work that adds to their income not

taken from it.

I have referred several martial art’s school

owners to good positions in some of the major

hospitals that are my clients across the country.

Before I did, I spoke to each one of them

and told them that hospitals have different use of

force guidelines because of the patient’s well-being

so their main focus is to have a calming effect

on how to verbally de-escalate someone in a polite

and professional tone. No hospital or business of any

size wants the liability or bad headlines that can

be associated with improper or over

aggressive force. So, if you have

the look, and you know how to

speak to people that’s 80% of

the job. Presence is everything

in the world of security, especially

in hospitals. The physical

training used in reputable

hospitals are not martial

arts-based systems. In fact,

there are only really two

systems that do the lion’s

share of the contracts,

with CDT Training being

one of them. No hospital

will allow high level training to be used on patients especially in the

ED or BHU where patients may get aggressive not because they

have bad intent but for different reasons that only happen inside a

hospital – for instant adverse reactions to medication.

Anytime you look into anything in life you should gauge perceived

value and perceived worth. So, what would the value be if

one took on a secondary revenue position as a security guard in

a hospital or corporation. First the pay. Security is one of the large

growing pay scales in the last few years. Years ago, they hired people

to do nothing. Now due to liability and safety concerns they are

hiring trained personnel (martial artists) that can do something if

called upon. Second - put in enough hours and they will cover your

medical benefits. We all know how expensive medical coverage is

so why not have someone else foot the bill. That alone is worth the

time and effort. Third and final - what a great place to subtly market

your school. All walks of life come in and out of hospitals not only

as patients but as visitors. So, it’s an open haven to meet, conversate

with the demographic that will help fill your school. Something

to think about!

Remember Safety First Because You May Not Get A

Second Chance! ®

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.

106 MARTIAL ARTS WORLD NEWS VOLUME 25 | ISSUE 2 Photograph (right) by onepony

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W Want to Help Make the World a Better Place

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Seeking:

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• and More!

OurAMS.com/Careers

Tools & Tactics

Get 4 Social Media Marketing

Strategies to Spring Into Action

for Martial Arts Schools

by Ms. Chris Lee

Spring is the season of renewal, and that applies to your social media marketing

strategy, too.

Families are coming out of winter hibernation, looking for activities

to engage their kids.

This is the perfect time for martial arts schools to launch highenergy,

lead-generating social media campaigns that capture

parents’ attention and turn interest into enrollments.

1. Spring-Themed Social Media Challenges

Parents love to see their kids active and engaged. A springthemed

challenge encourages participation and

builds organic engagement.

Example Campaign: “Spring Kick-Off

Challenge”

• Post a short video demonstrating a

fun martial arts move—like a jumping

front kick—and challenge followers to

replicate it.

• Ask parents to post a video of their

child attempting the move with the

hashtag #SpringIntoMartialArts.

• Offer a free trial class or discount

to a randomly selected participant.

2. Spring Break Family Fun

Promotions

Spring break is the ideal time

for families to try something new.

Capitalize on this with limited-time

promotions aimed at both kids and

parents.

Example Campaign: “Spring

Break Buddy Pass”

• Create a “Bring-a-Friend” week where current students can

invite a friend for free.

• Post engaging content featuring students training together.

• Offer a discount if both the student and their friend sign up

together.

3. Parent Engagement Posts: Why Martial Arts is the

Perfect Spring Activity

Parents want activities that improve their child’s confidence,

discipline, and fitness. Use compelling posts that showcase the

benefits of martial arts.

Example Campaign: “Why Martial Arts is the Best Spring Sport”

• Post testimonials from parents about how martial arts has

helped their kids.

• Create a side-by-side graphic showing a child before and

after training.

• Use reels and TikToks highlighting kids having fun in class.

4. Flash Deals & Urgency-Driven Promotions

Spring promotions work best with a sense of urgency. Create

time-sensitive offers to drive action.

Example Campaign: “Spring Savings Week”

• Offer a discount on the first month of classes but only for a

limited time.

• Use countdown timers in Instagram stories.

• Pin a post with a ticking clock emoji and clear call-to-action.

Social media is a powerful tool, but consistency and creativity

are key. By leveraging spring’s energy and focusing on engagement-driven

campaigns, your martial arts school can turn likes into

leads and followers into future black belts.

Time to spring into action!

MS. CHRIS LEE is a martial arts business development consultant with a background in online and social media marketing.


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www.budointernational.com

ADVERTISER INDEX

Action Mega Convention

ActionMegaHoh.com ..............................59

Atlas Marketing Studio

AtlasMarketingStudio.app ......................... 93

Atlas Martial Arts Software

AtlasMartialArtsSoftware.com ...................2, 42

Action Hero Photos

ActionHeroPhotos.com ...........................101

Adventures of Harry & Friends

AdventuresOfHarryAndFriends.com ................23

Amazing Martial Arts Websites

AmazingMartialArtsWebsites.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11, 85

An-Shu Stephen K. Hayes

NinjaSelfDefense.com .............................49

AMS Billing

OurAMS.com ..............................25, 74, 120

AMSkids

OurAMS.com/AfterSchool .......................37, 87

Break Like a Champ

TeamChipTKD.com ................................83

Budo International Magazine

BudoInternational.com .............................111

Budo the Karate Mouse

BudoTheMouse.com ............................... 17

Extraordinary Marketing

ExtraordinaryMarketing.com ........................77

Master Karen Eden

CenturyMartialArts.com ............................15


ElitePublications.org and RevPublish.com .........28, 71

Kick Start Kids

KickStartKids.org ..................................19

Kids Point MMA

PointMMA.com ....................................91

Kovar Systems

KovarSystems.com ................................53

Learn the Sword

LearnTheSword.com ...............................29

Lee Milteer

Milteer.com ........................................95

MA Biz Academy

MABizAcademy.com ...........................57, 113


MaBusinessInstitute.com ......................33, 109

Martial Arts History Museum

MAMuseum.com ..................................99

Martial Arts Industry Innovations

tinyurl.com/mawnewsvideo .........................79

Ninja Fighting Techniques

tuttlepublishing.com ...............................32

Otomix

Otomix.com .......................................13

Sport Karate Museum

SportKarateMuseumArchives.com .................101


4d-2d.com ........................................90


TomPatire.com ....................................36

Warrior Certification

WarriorKravMaga.com/events ......................61

Warrior Defence Lab

https://bit.ly/2024Warrior ...........................81


YkKim.com .....................................47, 67


Lulu.com .........................................105

YouTube Channel

youtube.com/@MartialArtsWorldNews ..............97


EVERYTHING

You’ll ever need To Market your

MARTIAL ARTS

S C H O O L !

Online & Offline

Put our Martial Arts

Marketing Experts to W ork

for Your School

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www.maBIZacademy.com

For More Info, Schedule a Time to Speak With

One of Our Martial Arts Marketing Advisers

CALL 1.800.275.1600 NOW!

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VISIT OURAMS.COM CALL 1-800-275-1600

Martial Arts World News Magazine - Volume 25 | Issue 2

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