Glen Gross A Martial Arts Career Time Line

Official Magazine of the
Martial Arts Teachers’ Association
John Graden
As I See It
How Many of Your Classes
is One Sink Worth?
The most common mistake that I see school owners make day-in and day-out is a
learned condition that creates a tremendous amount of frustration and confusion. This
is the Core Dynamic of Value What You Do. Though this encompasses far more than
just how much you charge for tuition, I want to focus on money for this example. This
subject is also covered extensively in my new book, The Truth About the Martial Arts
Business.
As black belts, we place an extremely high value on the martial arts as a life-changing
lifestyle that we wouldn’t give up for $50,000. Yet the majority of us are convinced we
live in an area where virtually no one can afford lessons unless we charge very little.
In 1974, the tuition at my school was $25 per month. Adjusted at 5% historical inflation,
you would have about $113 per month tuition in today’s dollar.
The average American household has an annual income of $46,000. The typical
“connected” household spends $65 a month for cable, $80+ for two cell phones, $50
for broadband, $15 - $20 for magazines and newspapers. That’s over $200 a month for
entertainment and “connectivity.” Add in movies, DVDS, CDs, rentals and the numbers
get even higher.
My plumber has an $85 minimum plus $50 per hour. If he comes out to fix my sink, it
will cost me more than most martial arts schools charge for a month of lessons. My CPA
is $125 per hour. Are four hours with him ($500) worth more than 8 hours a month
learning in your school? My attorneys range from $250 - $390 per hour. Is one hour with
a $390 an hour attorney equal to three months of martial arts classes? Let me assure
you, it is not.
This Core Dynamic is a major obstacle for most owners, but what’s interesting is that
with the exception of some small pockets of poverty, it’s clear that virtually anyone can
and will pay over $100 per month for martial arts lessons, wouldn’t you?
MAT magazine is the official publication of The Martial Arts Teachers’ Association
MartialArtsTeachers.com and is published by Seconds Out. Seconds Out, Inc. 727-566-5426. All rights reserved.
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High Gross
For Empower Boxing™ Brandon Owner
Glen Gross, Success is a Family Affair
Glen Gross was a traditional tae kwon do instructor with a serious challenge Shortly
after earning his 6th degree he made a big promise to his 7 year old son Jeffrey. He
promised him that he would teach him martial arts.
He had two problems with that. First, he was racked with injuries from training.
Second, he didn’t think TKD would hold the interest of his son.
Here is his story.
MartialArtsTeachers.com 4
In 2012 I had been teaching traditional
Taekwon-Do (TKD) for 21 years. My
training for 6th degree had just come to a
stop as accumulated injuries, from years
of patterns
and sparring,
had taken their
toll. My son
Jeffrey was
turning 7 and I
had promised
to teach him
the martial
arts. John
Graden had just
introduced his
new curriculum
“MATA-MA”,
promoting
it as “a blend of the best, most basic,
easy to learn and effective techniques
from many forms of martial arts.” I took
an instant interest in the program as
I looked at the legacy that I would be
passing on to my boy.
For months, I would hobble down the
stairs in pain, preparing for a new day.
The repetitive motions of my traditional
24 patterns and sparring had produced
torn hamstrings, and worn out hips and
knees.
I decided this would not be my son’s
inheritance. My wife Katie and I were
planning a trip to Disney with Jeffery and
my daughter Genna. I wondered how I
would even be able to walk with
my children.
During the day I sit at a
computer as Brandon University’s
Distance
Learning
Specialist with
a Master’s in
Education. In
the evenings,
I am a parttime martial
arts instructor,
only teaching
three nights
a week for
two hours.
I also have
instructors
who teach a children’s program (Ninja
Tots) for ages 4 to 6 twice a week, but
that is the extent of my program. I was
enjoying my teaching less and less, due
to the pain, and I knew I had to make a
change.
Ultimately the decision to add MATAMA to my program came from a
very persuasive argument from John
Graden. He helped me realize that
I hadn’t started martial arts for the
patterns. I joined for the benefits I
believed I would receive. John professed
that the new curriculum would provide
all of the same benefits without all
of the complicated, hard to teach
Glen Maximizes the Power of a Branded
Program Like Empower Boxing™.
MartialArtsTeachers.com 6
techniques. This was the only thing I
needed to hear.
In September of the same year I
decided to offer two programs for ages
7 and above. In the first hour, I offered
the new MATA-MA class, and in the
second, the traditional TKD style. When
I explained the difference to the new
inquiring students, 19 out of 20 chose
the MATA-MA class.
By December I had finished teaching
the one month introductory Jiu Jitsu
module to the MATA-MA class. It is a
simple module and I openly tell anyone
I haven’t earned a single stripe in
traditional BJJ.
One night I decided to try an
experiment in the TKD class. As some
students were taking both classes, I
decided to add grappling to the stand
up sparring. Within 30 seconds I saw
a White Belt in MATA-MA take down a
Red Belt in TKD. The Red Belt had no
clue what to do. This happened again
and again. Students with relatively little
grappling closed the distance and took
to the ground senior belts. After that, I
began to phase out the traditional style
and focus on the new curriculum.
On May 30, 2013 I would teach my last
class of traditional TKD. It was a bitter
sweet class based on a decision I made
with mixed emotion. My son would have
his first martial arts class that June in
the MATA-MA class. It was fast paced
and kept his attention. Subsequently
he has attained his Black Belt in what
has become re-branded as Empower
Kickboxing. He has suffered no injuries in
his training.
On June 3rd I began teaching a new
cardio class, Empower Boxing™. I presold
“spots” on Facebook and within two
weeks had a full class of 20 students (I
only had 20 heavy bags).
MATA built me a website and I
promoted it with Facebook Ads at $15
and $35 a set. My success has attracted the attention
of four different imitators have come and
gone since I’ve establish my program. I
credit that in a large part to the power of
branding. Empower Boxing/Kickboxing is
a great brand.
This fall I focused on ads on Facebook
that would appeal to mothers interested
in self-defense for their daughters.
My Empower Kickboxing program has
only enough floor space for a handful
more and my Ninja Tot program is full
at 20 students. Mr. Graden tells me
my website produces the most number
of requests for information out of
any Martial Arts website he hosts. I
MartialArtsTeachers.com 7
Facebook ads like this draw hundreds
of responses each month for Glen.
MartialArtsTeachers.com 8
How often does your in-box look like this?
MartialArtsTeachers.com 9
Everyday, Glen posts a “Hardest
Worker” shot on Facebook.
MartialArtsTeachers.com 10
they are bound together by a bond of
mutual goals like getting in shape or
keeping weight off. I do my best to
Three Things That Work Well
find a nickname for everyone. Some of
for Glen Gross
my longer term members are: Number
One, Nike Face, Two-Towels, Killer, Bare
First-Facebook Ads
Knuckle, Ripper, Thumper, Slash, Animal,
First and absolutely most important
Undertaker, Tornado, Heisenberg, May
is my Facebook advertising. I use 6
Day, Monster Left, Butcher, Mauler,
professional graphics provided by
Boom, and Googleit to name a few.
Facebook and run a set of ads for only a
Members have preferred heavy bags
week at a time. During that time I see
that they use and we are starting to put
which graphics are preforming the best
their names on them in vinyl lettering.
and shut down the others. I know when
my ads are working as I begin to get
The Empower Boxing™ members
requests for information within the hour.
support each other when their pictures
are posted with encouragement and
Facebook Posting
bug each other on the page if they miss
The second thing I do is post to
classes. They also share their “winning
Facebook a picture every night at the
posts” with friends and family and this
end of the class with me or one of
spreads the news!
my instructors posing with one of the
participants. I recognize one person for
Glen’s Order of Priorities
something that has happened during
Never sacrifice family for the Martial Arts.
the class. The “Hardest Worker” is a
My order of priorities:
common award, but sometimes students
confess that they had rather stayed
at home and so they will get the “Just
1. God
Made it to Class” award. Others include
2. Family
“Best New Nickname” or “Most Points
3. Friends
for Superman Yell.”
believe it is because of three things I do
differently.
Family Focus
4. Everything else
The third thing I do is focus on the
feeling of being a family. Many students
may not want to work out alone, but
MartialArtsTeachers.com 11
It All Started with a Promise from
Glen Gross to His Son Jeffery
MartialArtsTeachers.com 12
Glen Gross A Martial Arts Career Time Line
1990–Began training I.T.F. Taekwon-Do
1991–Opened Kirin Taekwon-Do Club under Terence Wisniewski (I Dan)
1992–Became Head Instructor of Kirin
1993–Test to I Dan under Mr. Clint Norman
1993–Opened branch club in Sioux Valley
1994–Test to II Dan under Mr. Clint Norman
1996–Test to III Dan under Master Andre Blake
1999–Test to IV Dan under Master Andre Blake
2000–2010 Executive Vice President of the Canadian Taekwon-Do Federation International
2005 –Test to V Dan under Master Clint Norman
2005–Added Ninja Tots program for ages 4 to 6 year with instructor Wendy Sholdice
2007–President of the Manitoba Taekwon-Do Federation International
2008–Moved to 7,200 square foot current location
2010–Opened Branch club in Canadian Forces Base Shilo
2011–Joined Martial Arts Teachers Association
2011–Added John Graden’s “Ultimate Life Skills” program to my curriculum
2012–Added MATA-MA curriculum
2013–Discontinued teaching I.T.F. Taekwon-Do
2013–Began teaching Empower Boxing cardio class
2013–Added Gracie Bully Proof to curriculum
2015–Added Cobra Self-Defense to curriculum
2015–Tested son Jeffrey Gross to Black Belt
Have trained 83 individual Black Belts: 4 x III Dan, 8 x II Dan, 71 x I Dan
Before Empower Kickboxing™
After Empower Kickboxing™
MartialArtsTeachers.com 13
The Difference Between TKD and Empower
Boxing According to Glen Gross.
MartialArtsTeachers.com 14
“How did you choose your school name
and would you still use the same name
if you had it to do over again?”
Mountain Martial Arts Academy
Our school name was built on several life
experiences and the help of one great motivator,
my Mom. Yes my mother. As a child, I remember
waking from a dream. This dream was a life to be
lived. I could feel it at my core. I told my mom of the
dream and her response was, “You can be anything
you want to be.” Soon after the dream I began
studying martial arts with my friends on the rooftop
of the building I lived in. We practiced there because
there weren’t many parks in the Bronx we could
practice in without having trouble with the gangs. 35
years later, the dream has come true. I teach martial
arts in the mountains.
GEORGE CURBELO
Stamford NY
McLeod’s Kanzen Kenpo
I chose the name to be identified with my art of
Kanzen Kenpo. The unfortunate part is that there are
so many schools using Kenpo in their name that it
lumps you in with schools that teach no contact self
defence and schools that require a knock out for you
to get a black belt. My hardest job is explaining that
not all Kenpo schools are the same. However even
with that I would still choose the name as it still best
describes what we do and gives the students a larger
identity or feeling of being part of a larger group.
RICK MCLEOD
London, Ontario, Canada
Jerry Jones Ultimate Martial Arts
Pros: 1. This is a very long but unique. 2. My name in
my area has credibility. 1. Negatives - People expect to
see me teach most of the classes, (over 60 per week)
and if there is a problem they wish to speak to me.
Would I do it again? I’m not sure.
JERRY JONES
MATA Board Member
Nutley, NJ
Valour School of Self Defense
Derived from Men of Valour Ministries, Inc.,
Valour comes from a Hebrew word, meaning:
“Courage with Honor and Strength with
Virtue.” It is taken from Joshua 1:14 “...but
ye shall pass before your brethren armed, all
the mighty men of valour, and help them.”
I wanted a name that would help me to
motivate young men to be men of courage, honor,
strength and virtue. If I had to do it over again, yes, I
would keep it.
VALOUR SCHOOL OF SELF DEFENSE
Delray Beach, FL
Wing Lam Kung Fu
Out of love and respect, our school is named for my
teacher. I’m not sure if I would do it again.
JOHN ERVIN
Cleveland, Ohio
Texas Storm Kenpo Karate
This is a great question. Actually, I first thought of
a slogan, “Move like lightning, strike like thunder,
run like the wind!” From there came the name Texas
Storm Kenpo Karate. If I had to do it again, I believe
that I would still use this name.
TEXAS STORM KENPO KARATE
Richland Hills, TX
MartialArtsTeachers.com 15
Mid-Coast Martial Arts
WhirlWin Martial Arts
I started to call my school Intrinsic Martial Arts,
but advice from MATA assisted in working through
the options to arrive at the final selection. I would
consider changing it if I was relocating the school to
another area as the name is tied to the region.
WhirlWin Martial Arts
ANDREW LESMERISES
Rockport, ME
Matt Fiddes’ Martial Arts Schools
Super Kick Karate Family Martial Arts Centre
First, I called the dojo Super Kick Karate because I like
to kick and train like an animal. The more we grew the
less it was about me. Now the dojo is know as SUPER
Kick Karate Family Martial Arts Centre because it is
exactly what we are about. Don’t get me wrong, we still
train like animals, but more like pack animals.
Mr. Graden, I would also like to thank you for doing
what you’re doing. You really are making the arts
better, safer, smarter, and more fun. Anything I could
do to help you would be a pleasure.
VICTOR GRANIC
Super Kick Karate Family Martial Arts Centre
Toronto, Canada
Best Defense Kenpo Karate,
The name derives from The Karate Kid movie where
Miyagi Sensei stated “The best defense is no be there.”
WhirlWin represents the tornado-like speed, power,
and fluidity of kenpo. Armed with new skills and
knowledge, students ‘Win’ in life .
JAY LARKIN
The name was chosen in addition to being the name
of the founder, Matt Fiddes. It also remains neutral
in not specifying a particular form of martial arts
and the word “School” has been chosen to generate
recognition, identification and associate trust for our
franchise. If we had to do it over again? In today’s
market it’s definitely becoming more challenging to
do so, but yes.
Jason
MATT FIDDES MARTIAL ARTS
UK’s Largest Franchise of Martial Arts Schools
Master Zamora’s Kung Fu
I came up with that name because I knew I would
never have a problem with someone forgetting it. It’s
my name and what I teach all rolled up in one.
PABLO ZAMORA
MATA Board Member
McAllen, TX RON MCKINNIE
Charleston, SC
The Okinawan School of Karate
I just kept it from my instructor. He turned it over to
me so I didn’t think of changing it. If I could, I would.
It is too long and also doesn’t make sense. I am not in
Okinawa, it really should be The School of Okinawan
Karate, but I would still not use that name if had to do
it all over again.
MIKE WEBB
Hoopeston, IL
MartialArtsTeachers.com 16
The Importance of Character
by Brian Tracy
In his foreword for The Truth About the Martial Arts Business Brian Tracy, one of the
world’s most respected personal and professional development experts shares his
perspective on the book and its author, John Graden.
T
he martial arts have played an important part of my
life. I attribute much of my success to the confidence
and indomitable spirit I learned as a martial arts student
when I was a young man.
Character is important and few activities have the lifeenhancing, character-building qualities of the martial
arts. John Graden is a man of proven character.
I first met John Graden when he interviewed me in the
mid-1990s. He was very familiar with my work and told
me that his study of my material was the major source of
information and inspiration for his success. It wasn’t until
I saw his presentation introducing his American Council
on Martial Arts (ACMA) at the 1998 NAPMA World
Conference that I realized he was not only a successful
and influential martial artist but also clearly a man of
vision.
The ACMA - now the MATA Instructor Certification
Course - was the right program at the right time. While
John's NAPMA pioneered the business of running a
school, the ACMA was created with one purpose in mind:
to make sure the interaction between the instructor and
student remains as safe and professional as possible.
In a fragmented field such as the martial arts, the
creation of the ACMA was a daunting task and he pulled
it off. I was proud to be a board member of the program
and continue to support the idea.
Brian Tracy is the most listened to audio author on
personal and business success in the world today.
Simply put, all the business in the world can’t make up for poor service. If you are going to
be a martial arts professional, be the best. Make excellence your standard.
From the remarkable success of his NAPMA, Martial Arts Professional magazine and
the ACMA to the Martial Arts Teachers’ Association, John Graden has made excellence
his standard. He has met his challenges head on with the integrity and character of a true
champion.
A world-caliber martial artist, John Graden has combined his high technical standards and
superb teaching skills with proven business systems to show you how to succeed in The Truth
About the Martial Arts Business.
MartialArtsTeachers.com 17
The Truth About the
Martial Arts Business
Section One – The Core Dynamics
W
hen I created NAPMA in 1994, there was little good information available to the industry as a whole. Owners were
struggling because they simply didn’t know any way of running a
school other than the system they inherited from their instructor,
which we know is usually a recipe for disaster.
Humble beginnings. Teaching the only student to show up at my new
community center class. I was just happy to be paid to teach and wear a
gi as my work clothes.
NAPMA gave you a way to learn how to run a
school. I created Martial Arts Professional magazine to
help the entire industry, even non-NAPMA members,
by exposing them to methods, people, and ideas that
had proven successful. Now,
MATA does the best job of all, because this massive
resource is at your fingertips 24/7.
Still, as time went by, I found it fascinating to
observe that two owners-in the same styles, general
markets, and circumstances, and exposed to the same
information-might react very differently. One would
prosper with it, and the other wouldn’t even try it.
After more than a decade of exposure to this great
information, why were some schools still struggling,
while others thrived?
The answer is The Core Dynamics. We martial artists
are a unique group, but as school owners, we face the
same challenges. More importantly, we all have the
same Core Dynamics.
The Core Dynamics of the Professional Martial
Artist are a way of defining the underlying forces that
control our patterns of thought and behavior. Nearly
every one of us have the same obstacles, but the
distinction is how the top school owners in the world
deal with them. How an instructor or school owner
deals with The Core Dynamics determines his or her
success.
Before we get into the how-to section of the book
The Truth About the Martial Arts Business, I’m going to
help you understand some of the obstacles that may be
holding you back. It’s important for you to understand
why you do or don’t do something. I want you to be
the one who grows instead of stagnates.
First, the book examines a common pathway to
opening a school and the predictable patterns in
most of our backgrounds. Then, we will contrast how
the top owners deal with The Core Dynamics versus
struggling school owners.
Though you may think the kung fu or mix martial
arts instructor down the street is as different as could
be from you, you will find that you not only have
similar backgrounds and pathways to where you are,
but you think and look at the martial arts in a very
similar fashion.
MartialArtsTeachers.com 18
Section Two – What Works (Abridged Excerpt)
Chapter 17 (of 22) Curriculum:
The Recipe Book for Your School
I
had lunch recently with a fourth dan in Uechi Ryu. We talked
about how the Eastern mindset is so different from the Western,
and the confusion that creates for many instructors. Culturally, the
East is more about conformity, or as I call it, cloning, than the West,
where rugged individualism and innovation are instilled.
This prompted him to tell me a story of the greatest
fighter in his system. This was a Japanese fellow who,
as a young man, went to his uncle to learn karate. The
uncle turned him away, but the guy kept returning.
Finally, the uncle took him but made him clean the
school, wash the toilets, and generally play the role of
school janitor for a year or so before teaching him any
karate.
When he felt the student was ready, he took him to
other schools where he would get the heck beat out of
him. Sometimes American GIs would come into the
school to spar, and the uncle would have them fight
his nephew, who got pounded. This lasted years, until
finally the nephew began to win some of the fights.
Eventually, he won them all.
The guy told me this with pride and added you
just don’t see that level of dedication anymore. I said,
“Of course not. That’s a stupid way to teach.” He was
shocked. That is one of those stories instructors tell
students to inspire them. And, as usual, the student
doesn’t question it. I can’t help but be curious as to
why someone would teach that way.
My comment to him was here you had someone
with this kind of talent and potential, and you risked
losing him by making him clean toilets for a year and
then have him get beat up. That’s just dumb. That guy
could have been a great martial artist years before
he finally reached his potential. Luckily, he stuck it
out, but who knows how many others with similar
potential dropped out due to such an insane program?
My first instructors, (left - right) Hank Farrah, Walt Bone, Richard Jenkins.
Though they were outstanding black belts and teachers, each had his own rules
on everything from how to run a school and what it means to be a black belt.
The instructor may have been a great master, but his
curriculum was nuts, even if it does make a nice story.
If there is any area of your program you will want to
scrutinize mercilessly, it should be your curriculum.
As a good restaurant has a book of unique recipes,
your curriculum is your school’s recipe book. Most
of us either inherit the curriculum we came up in or
we join an organization and adopt their curriculum.
Because of the Eastern roots of martial arts, there is an
inherent bias towards conforming to existing methods.
This, in time, leads to a one-size-fits-all approach to
martial arts.
The Masters on Change
Here are some quotations regarding styles from three
of the most influential martial artists in history:
Gichin Funakoshi: “There are no styles in karate.”
Bruce Lee: “You limit a style by labeling it.” Joe Lewis:
“The style serves the student. The student doesn’t
serve the style.”
Despite my stylistic roots, my responsibility is to
my students, not tae kwon do, kickboxing, Joe Lewis
Fighting Systems, or any other source of information.
My job is to create the best black belts possible in a
MartialArtsTeachers.com 19
school that authentically represents what I believe in. In
large part, that responsibility is expressed through my
curriculum.
When Does a System Freeze?
The history of the arts, however, is the tendency to
freeze a curriculum and then resist any change or
suggestion of change, regardless of the benefit. I love
Shotokan and know that the reason I did so well in
forms division was my adaptation of the core elements
of Shotokan, which uses a deeper balance and more
powerful and crisp blocks and punches than my root
system of tae kwon do.
We have the system of Shotokan because of the work
of Gichin Funakoshi. In fact, the genesis of Shotokan
is in the massive change Funakoshi made to Okinawan
karate. He radically changed the recipe book, yet for
the most part the book has not changed since.
It’s also entertaining to see modern jeet kune do
teachers argue over what is real JKD. If anyone didn’t
want his system to freeze, it was Bruce Lee. He was
way ahead of his time in his approach to creating a
practical martial art that was not confined or restricted
by history.
Joe Lewis is someone who has continually updated
his material. Recently we trained one-on-one for the
first time in over a decade. He had me fire some of the
excellent Joe Lewis Fighting Systems’ combinations
on the bag in my garage. He stopped me and started
to show me how to throw a straight right hand. My
mouth kind of dropped, my eyes got wide, and I shook
my head in disbelief. He said, “What?” I said, “That
is the exact opposite of what you taught me when we
trained!” He said, “What? I’m not supposed to evolve?”
It was the perfect response.
Here was a 60-year-old black belt who was in his
fourth decade as a worldwide recognized pioneer and
superstar, but in his mind, he is in his fourth decade
of evolution. Joe is a very traditional martial artist. I
Awaiting the decision of the 1985 WAKO World
Championship Gold Medal match in London. This was
my fourth full-contact fight of the day.
am, too. However, we don’t express our traditions by
holding on to techniques or rituals. We express them
by making sure our students: execute with proper
form, can defend themselves and develop the tenacity
to never quit.
“Tradition is an attitude, not a technique”
Can You Really Teach Confidence?
Schools today talk a lot about teaching confidence.
They have words of the week and life skills training,
which is great. I wish my instructors had taught me
about goal setting when I was a kid. But I don’t think
confidence can be taught. It’s too experiential and
situational. I do think schools can present experiences
that will help students to gain self-confidence.
For instance, Joe Lewis taught me that confidence
as a fighter comes when you are hurt and/or
exhausted, not when you are fresh. When you learn
to stay dangerous despite being at a disadvantage,
your confidence builds. Confidence comes from
MartialArtsTeachers.com 20
Core Lessons I Wanted My Curriculum to Teach
1. Respect
My school was based upon ideals of respect and courtesy. We
expressed this in many ways, from how we addressed each
other to how we bowed in and out of class.
2. Tenacity
The never-quit attitude is critical to gaining self confidence.
You’re tired? Rest when you get home. You’re banged up? You’re
breaking my heart. Pain is part of the training.
3. Technical Execution to Honor the Arts
We honor the rich history of the martial arts by working as
hard as we can to execute the techniques as well as possible.
Acceptance of a sloppy side kick is like an exhibit of a sloppy
painting in a museum. We work to honor the arts by constantly
working to improve the quality and efficacy of our techniques.
4. Self Defense
experiencing those times that even though you may not win the
fight, you can survive it. That translates to all areas of life and
has helped me tremendously.
But it wasn’t Lewis’ saying that to me that taught it to me. His
saying it to me helped me understand the process, but the
process is what taught it to me. The process was years of fullcontact sparring with him in a 12-foot ring in the Florida heat
with no air
conditioning. There were times he hit me so hard the room
changed colors. But I never went down, never quit, and never
missed a
workout (you can see a video of Joe Lewis knocking the wind
out of me with a body dig in The Truth About the Martial Arts
Business section of MartialArtsTeachers.com).
Regardless of your background and what techniques you were
taught, what are the martial arts principles that are important
to you? How do you want to teach and express them in your
curriculum? How can you create a recipe that instills those
principles in a dish that keeps the students coming back for
more?
For me, the principles were respect; tenacity; technical
execution to honor the arts; the ability to defend yourself
against nine out of ten people your size; physical conditioning;
and the attitude of resilient optimism.
The martial arts are fighting arts. To me, the principle has
always been peace through superior firepower. We never abuse
what we’ve learned, but if we need to write the check, we have
the funds in the bank.
This is why I introduced Bill Kipp, Peyton Quinn, CDT, and
Krav Maga to the industry at my NAPMA World Conferences.
These guys were the leaders in realistic self defense, and I knew
that many instructors, like me, were limited to our own styles’
ideas of self defense. Though I was limited, that didn’t mean it
was not important to me.
5. Physical Conditioning
Using the Phase One - Three methods of teaching, we were
able to make sure that our black belts were in excellent shape
(learn more about phase 1 - 3 in Black Belt Management or
MartialArtsTeachers.com).
6. Resilient Optimism
This is the attitude that if you work hard in a smart direction,
good things will happen. It’s the idea that if you do good things,
good things come back to you. It’s a resilient optimism that if
you work hard and stay positive, things will work out better
than if you didn’t.
MartialArtsTeachers.com 21
MartialArtsTeachers.com 22
How to Teach an Escape from the Bottom
by Jerry Jones
F
rom the playground to the the parking lot, almost all students have been trapped by someone sitting on them. Understanding only a
few basic concepts from bottom will get you out from underneath your opponent every time. Yes, every time. MATA Board Member
Jerry Jones shows you a simple, but highly effective escape that you can take into the classroom at all levels.
1. Get him to reach for the ground
With your feet flat on the floor, simultaneously push your elbows down and
your hips up. Keep your hips up until your opponent has to reach for the
floor to keep from falling over. This gives you a chance to reverse.
2. Protect yourself
When his hands are on the floor, lock your hands around his back and keep
your head against his chest. This stops him from effectively striking. Step
over his leg to block him from widening his base.
MartialArtsTeachers.com 23
3. Roll him over
After his leg is blocked I quickly grab the same side arm of my opponent
and push my hips up and to the side I blocked. This will roll your opponent.
Notice, when under the full mount, an arm is always around my opponent’s
hips.
4. Gain control
After rolling him keep his head directly in front of you, and you’ll stop 90%
of his finishes.
5. Reverse it!
MATA Board Member
Jerry Jones is the author
of the MATA Youth
Grappling Curriculum
and a successful school
owner teaching MMA.
MartialArtsTeachers.com 24
Five Benefits to Teaching Within
The Public School System
by Roland Jackson
W
hat would it mean to your enrollments if you had a program
that was not only embedded within the public school system
but you actually got paid as an adjunct teacher? For my school, it has
been a huge advantage and I bet it would be for your school as well.
The program I created to “penetrate” the walls of the
school district is the Scholastic Martial Arts Resource
Technology Karate In District Schools program or
SMART KIDS.
Here are five benefits your school will enjoy once
you are in your public schools as an
approved vendor and adjunct teacher.
1. Creates a Bond with Area Schools
Scholastic martial arts creates a bond
between your school and education
that will inspire the community to
support your program. Creating a
volunteer program within your public
school system will generate a high
visibility of your logo and school name
throughout the community.
2. Get School Approval to Market to the
Kids
The SMART KIDS approach is to gain
approval from the school district to
disseminate specially designed martial
arts newsletters. These newsletters
can be dispersed to every student within the elementary
through high schools within your area. The newsletter
introduces a special free event sponsored by your martial
facility.
This event will bring in countless phone inquiries and
preregistrations. The cost of making 1000 copies is less
than $100.00. That’s a targeted direct mail going to the
parents of each student and carrying the school district
stamp of approval. The ability to hit this market from
the inside will give your school a huge edge over the
competition.
3. Increase in New Enrollments
The volunteer and marketing systems create a low
risk feeder program that will constantly produce new
prospects. The scholastic marketing combination not
only attracts students to visit your martial arts facility;
it also encourages many administrators and teachers to
check out your adult programs. The result is an enhanced
marketing approach.
4. Expand Into the School Buildings
Teaching in the school system
will allow you to operate several
locations with practically no
over-head. The average public
school location will easily attract
30 students from the school’s
population. This will produce a
steady stream of opportunities for
your instructors. This will ensure
that your name and logo covers
everything over a five mile radius in
all directions.
5. Obtain Grants and Funding
Once you are approved by the school
district, you qualify for grants from
the government. Scholastic martial arts covers many
aspects that will link your martial arts facility to a wide
array of federal and state programs. School districts have
a unique position as highly successful grant writers.
The combination of their grant writing services and the
many attributes of a scholastic martial arts program will
generate several new opportunities for school districts to
obtain grants on behalf of your curriculum.
MartialArtsTeachers.com 25
The Empower Kickboxing™ Licensed School
System Connects the Dots to Your Success
A
re you an excellent martial artist and teacher, but would like the business side of running a martial arts school to
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• Logos
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• Business plans
• Marketing plans
• Complete operational system
• World class marketing materials
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• Central call center to handle phone inquires
• International rank recognition and advancement
• Year-round staff and owner training and consulting
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