Before we get deep into this list, let me make a few things clear: you’re probably not guilty of ALL of these. Some of you may not be guilty of ANY of them (doubt it). But the fact of the matter is that the image of our industry has been damaged and the following points haven’t been the exception, they’ve been the rule.

Why is this important? The bottom line is that an industry with a damaged image is a less-profitable industry.

If you hope to make a living as a teacher or owner (possibly one of the greatest jobs you can have if it’s done right), then you’re going to need to help us turn the ship around. And if we’re going to plug the holes, we need to know where they’re at first.

Lastly, this list may seem harsh, but I’m not condemning you to martial arts purgatory. The acts below are forgivable and it’s going to take a transformation in all of us to correct the damage that’s been done. I want you on my team, not hiding under a rock from further berating.

1. Doing work like a typical employee – Typical employees show up on time, follow the manual, and leave on time. They’re average on physical labor and low on emotional labor. They’re boring and unremarkable. It’s no coincidence that many parents view soccer and martial arts as having the same value in today’s world.
2. Not practicing what we preach – We expect students to be relational, learn new things, and be in top physical shape. All the while, we’re losing our temper, getting fatter, and going nowhere intellectually.
3. Lowering standards for promotion – We pretend we have the best students and the highest standards. In fact, we advertise it. But when it comes down to it, we’re advancing students prematurely (often-times for retention purposes) and throwing standards out the window so we don’t hurt feelings.
4. Not adjusting the curriculum for new generations – What they taught in ancient Japan was necessary for defending against sword-wielding foes, but the 21st century presents new dangers. The old stuff is good, but if you’re not teaching anything relevant to NOW, you’re robbing your students of true learning and development. We need to redefine what self-defense is in the new millennium.
5. Putting revenue before relationships – We’re still operating on the 20th century factory model where nobody cared as long as production was fast and cheap. 21st century business is about building relationships, meeting needs, and existing for a purpose. We haven’t gotten on board yet.
6. Not taking risks - Some of us won’t grow past the hobby stage. Some of us take all the money out of the business for personal use. Most of us are huddling around the latest MAIA marketing insights (following) and “doing what we’ve always done.” To put it bluntly, we’re scared; afraid to run an actual business. We don’t know how to scale the model and even if we did we don’t have the courage to do it.
7. Failing to sharpen our own swords – When did we all stop training? When we started teaching? That’s nonsense. Our students need us to be on top of our game and they need us modeling what being on top of your game looks like. They emulate what they see, not what you say. And being dull and “past your prime” is poor advertising for your school and our industry.
8. Commoditizing the Black Belt – Just like we’ve lowered standards for colored belts, we’ve made Black Belt the focus of every student’s martial arts journey. We’ve turned it into a product that’s not earned, but bought and sold, often with a guarantee. There’s six year old Black Belts in every city and we’re wondering why people don’t take our industry seriously anymore. We should start teaching the real meaning of Black Belt.
9. Adopting the factory model of teaching – Henry Ford was a revolutionary businessman, but his model doesn’t work in the martial arts industry. I’ve already talked at length about why the martial arts industry can’t afford Fordism.
10. False advertising – You teach effective self defense? Really? Your martial art isn’t automatically effective self defense. Have you ever been in a real life self defense course? Do you specialize in rape prevention? Then stop advertising it. Oh, and self defense can’t be learned in a 60 minute class you put on for your community as a way to get quick leads. And stop pretending your art is the be-all, end-all; it ain’t.
11. Deploying shady sales tactics – It’s hard to get people to sign up for a FREE trial class these days because they’re afraid of what’s going to happen afterwards. The word on the street is that martial arts schools use hard-sell and high-pressure sales strategies. They guard their rates and program information. And they make promises they don’t keep. This is not the road to success.
12. Setting membership traps for students and parents – Like the shady sales tactics, we also enjoy locking our students into very long contracts, often with a guarantee of reaching Black Belt. Do you think it’s fair to lock a six year old into a 3 year contract? They’re SIX! And it’s not the parents’ fault; you know you structured and marketed the membership so the “Black Belt Club” is the best deal and the best looking option. Stop it. Earn the business of your students every single day by allowing them to quit when they find out you’re a sell out (or stay when they find out you’re the real deal).

I know you’re not guilty of all of these, but I think we’re all guilty of some to a certain degree. And it’s easy to pass this stuff off as being “the owner’s fault” but we all continued to teach within their school didn’t we?

Yes, I know the industry associations pushed you to do a lot of this. But they didn’t put a gun to your head; you followed along willingly didn’t you?

Every single one of our paychecks are effected by the above list. The longer we continue to do these things, the less money we’re going to make and the harder it’s going to be to attract and keep students.

If you’re planning on making a living in the martial arts industry, something has to change or you’re going to come up short. What are you personally willing to do to help? (hint: you can start by taking responsibility for some of this stuff).

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