How do you "Spread the Word" about the FMAs?

[geezer]

I've met and trained with some very good people in my area (Phoenix) and there is a pretty diverse FMA community here... but it's very much and "underground" thing. The general public doesn't even have a clue about FMA, and it's really tough trying to build up a group. In fact, it seems like it's easier to get people to do almost any other art first. Guys I know teach Karate, Kung-fu, Jiu-Jutsu, MMA... and are lucky if a small percent want to train FMA. Well, I'd understand that if these guys did FMA as a sideline themselves... but often FMA is their greatist passion, and they still have a hard time promoting it.

Now I'm in the same boat. I run a little Wing Chun class, but I'm really looking to build my own Escrima group. Yet at the moment, the WC is doing OK while my FMA student count is almost zero. Even my own FMA instructor, 30 miles away on the other side of town, doesn't have many students. And he's very good. Good enough for me to make the 60 mile round trip every Saturday to keep training. And even the headman of our system primarily trains MMA fighters these days.

I've tried YMCA classes, added Escrima to my Kung-Fu website, posted Craigslist adds and there's no response. Right now I'd take on a really dedicated training partner for free! Can't figure it out. I do shower. Brush my teeth too. Just must be "charismatically challenged" I guess. What does it take to get people to swing a stick at you these days? Any thoughts? Or are things different where you are?

 

[billc]

While I'm waiting for the big man to show with my toys, I thought I would take a swing at your question. It already looks like you are doing all the right things. The problem it seems is lack of understanding among the general and martial arts public. Too many people see the FMA as something to add to whatever empty hand art they are already doing. In my looking at crime I have found that encounters with criminals that are life ending or life changing almost always involve a weapon. Rarely do you hear of the person mugged by an unarmed man or a woman raped by an unarmed attacker. If someone is just punched and then robbed, it rarely leads to life changing catastrophic medical needs. Most attacks are going to occur with a single armed attacker, multiple, unarmed attackers or a mix of the two. So, where do the FMA fit in? The U.S. military does not spend a majority of its time teaching empty hand fighting technique. They teach weapons. Gangs in this country and others do not spend the majority of their time teaching empty hand fighting. They give the 13-15 year old a gun and have them shoot at their rivals. In the real world of crime and survival, weapons are the essential tool of survival. Stick, knife, or gun.

Many people who look into the martial arts start from the bar fight mentality. What would they do if someone takes a swing at them at a party or out at a bar. I knew a guy in the Kali class I was in who was into the BJJ and empty hand specifically because of this scenario. He was in a class that is one of the few blade based arts in the chicago area, and his main desire was to learn empty hand fighting. I think publicizing the reality of criminal attacks, where weapons are the first emphasis and not a back up, and that the FMA are uniquely suited to dealing with weapons based threats, that are not firearm related is the first step in explaining to both new students and anyone you may meet with a martial arts background. Spread that word and I think it may eventually help our cause.

I always explain to people I meet that criminal attacks that end life or change lives begin and end with weapons. I also give examples of this, which unfortunately, are not hard to find. I will mention the two women attacked by the drug addict, here in chicago. He initiated the attack by hitting them both in the head with a baseball bat. I will mention the 13 year old who stabbed his brother to death with a knife in an argument over a pair of sneakers. Stories like that, which show the dominance of weapons in criminal attacks is a start. I also will emphasize that to counter this type of attack, the FMA start their first class with a weapon in your hand, and you learn to deal with weapon based attacks from the very first class. You don't have to wait until you have a black belt, as some arts force you to do, or even several months to just learn a form with the weapon. Weapons are the primary focus and the empty hand training supports that focus, not the other way around. Weapons training should be the primary art, and the empty hand arts should be an adjunct to that training. Try to explain that to your empty hand students, that might help.

For those who are concerned about the drunk at the party or bar, I try to explain to them that the FMA also have empty hand skills, which are even more enhanced because of the weapons emphasis. Training with knives and sticks/swords, enhances the reflexes to an amazing degree, and the empty hand of the FMA can deal with the casual fighter as well as the sophisticated fighter.

One of the students in our class was confronted in an alley by 4 guys. He acknowledges that it was a mistake to cut through the alley, but he took the chance and he lost. The 4 guys were unarmed, and were slowly ramping up the confrontation, leading up to a physical assault. This student fortunately had a small folding knife with him. He slipped it out and opened it without the 4 guys noticing...at first. As they goaded him, one of them noticed the knife and told the others, they backed down and then left. If he hadn't been armed, and trained, the encounter would have led to an assault. The weapon deterred the encounter in a way just empty hand skills would not have.

I would advise talking to your empty hand guys and new students by emphasizing how not just how important weapons training is, but how more realistic that sort of training is over empty hand training. Training with weapons from the first class, against weapons, armed and empty hand is experience the primarily empty hand guys will not have. I hope that helps.

Try incorporating the crime and weapons link in your advertising. Since most people don't know what the FMA are, even some Philipinos, telling them in your advertising that you teach defense against armed attackers may help get people interested.

A little more from my experiences...

My current instructor trains with an exceptional Wing Chun/boxing teacher. When they first met and sparred, my instructor held his own with his FMA and silat background. Then...my instructor showed the wing chun/boxing instructor what happens when you put a knife in the hands of someone trained to use it. He was told by his wing chun/boxing instructor that the knife increased his abilties by about 100%. He was able to lay that knife on the wing chun/boxing instrtuctor and there wasn't much the guy could do to stop him. Now explain that to your empty hand guys, and then show them yourself. A small folding knife is going to increase the fighting potential of a trained FMA artist to incredible degrees. Imagine a 3 inch folder in the hands of an FMA guy vs. say a BJJ guy. It would not end well. Of course all the disclaimers about knowing the legal definitions of self-defense and the law apply here. All I am pointing out is the importance of weapons training that most newbies and even experienced martial artists do not see. Try demonstrating a knife vs your wing chun guys, see if they can see what you are trying to show them. It might help in your recruitment efforts among experienced martial artists.

 

[James Kovacich]

Geezer, you have half the answer because you stated the public dosent have a clue. You might try an educational approach with your ads. But you run the risk of a boring or unattractive to read ad. Or you can use your other group to build up your new group by merging them until they are stand-alones. I can't say any of it is easy especially if your trying to make money. I wish you luck.

Sent from my DROID3 using Tapatalk

 

[Carol]

Reach out to women as much as you can. Weapons are definitive equalizers against bigger, stronger assailants. Training with folders, knives, rattan, etc. may have particular appeal to the ladies that want/need to defend themselves but do not want to carry a firearm.

Also...try the Latino community and be sure to use some of the Hispanized terms in your marketing. I've met a few folks from Latin America training in the FMAs that seem drawn by not only the system but the familiar sounding words. To go a step further, if you offer a class in Spanish (if I recall, you speak the language well) you might find some very dedicated students.

Granted.....I never reached a teaching rank in anything so I have never tried this or put it to work for myself. But I think you have some avenues to explore that might be more fruitful than a cattle call. Pity NH is on the opposite corner of the country, I'd love to work out with you sometime.

Good luck!

 

[Xue Sheng]

How do you "Spread the Word" about the FMAs?

Why would you want to? And consider what happens to just about every other MA style in the USA that became popular or known by the public before you answer.

And as to.

In fact, it seems like it's easier to get people to do almost any other art first. Guys I know teach Karate, Kung-fu, Jiu-Jutsu, MMA... and are lucky if a small percent want to train FMA.

First when you say Kung Fu, (which is what the public has heard of but still knows nothing about) what exactly are you talking about? Wing Chun is categorized as a Kung Fu as is Xingyiquan and if you want a hardsell MA look at Xingyiquan.

If a style is not pretty, if the training is hard and the potential for injury is great (bruises are included in that) you will not get alot of interest and to spread the word and gain interest, IMO, you will need to water down what you do. That or jump into a cage match and fight in away that has nothing to do with the way you traditionally train.

 

[Mark Lynn]

I've met and trained with some very good people in my area (Phoenix) and there is a pretty diverse FMA community here... but it's very much and "underground" thing. The general public doesn't even have a clue about FMA, and it's really tough trying to build up a group. In fact, it seems like it's easier to get people to do almost any other art first. Guys I know teach Karate, Kung-fu, Jiu-Jutsu, MMA... and are lucky if a small percent want to train FMA. Well, I'd understand that if these guys did FMA as a sideline themselves... but often FMA is their greatist passion, and they still have a hard time promoting it.

From my experience it is hard to get people's head wrapped around the idea that they will be training with weapons before learning empty hand or in conjunction with empty hand. Instead generally everyone is used to the idea of empty hand arts i.e. Karate, TKD, Chinese Martial Arts, Judo, BJJ etc. etc. I mean the general public everyone knows someone who has kids training in one of the above arts, or they have trained as a child or in college in one of the above arts, or they have seen the MMA fights etc. etc.

We have a hard time promoting it (I'm in the same boat) because teaching what is known or popular is what keeps the bills paid. But I would love to grow my FMA clases.

Now I'm in the same boat. I run a little Wing Chun class, but I'm really looking to build my own Escrima group. Yet at the moment, the WC is doing OK while my FMA student count is almost zero. Even my own FMA instructor, 30 miles away on the other side of town, doesn't have many students. And he's very good. Good enough for me to make the 60 mile round trip every Saturday to keep training. And even the headman of our system primarily trains MMA fighters these days.

Driving long distances to find a good FMA instructor is common because they are so few compared to other more well known arts. while it can be easier to find someone teaching it as an add on art, but teaching it as a primary system that is a different story. Two of my students drove all over the metroplex trying to find someone who would teach Modern Arnis (specifically) or the FMAs.

Funny short story break. These two students moved a couple of miles away from my old house (we moved 6 months ago), they had read my posts on MT and tried to PM me but my mail box was always full, they spent a year or so driving everywhere looking for an Modern Arnis instructor. I walk into the TKD school that they were attending to talk with the head instructor and one of the instructors pointed me out to them and they freaked. Been my students ever since.

I've tried YMCA classes, added Escrima to my Kung-Fu website, posted Craigslist adds and there's no response. Right now I'd take on a really dedicated training partner for free! Can't figure it out. I do shower. Brush my teeth too. Just must be "charismatically challenged" I guess. What does it take to get people to swing a stick at you these days? Any thoughts? Or are things different where you are?

You need to get some good students who can be your cheer leaders for you. It is hard to get things going when it is just you. Like I said these two students of mine were looking for a Modern Arnis instructor and they helped me to start promoting my classes both my TKD and the Arnis classes at the Rec. center where I teach. For a time they were my only students in arnis, then I got another cross over my my TKD class and then another married couple and now the class has started to grow. I picked up a couple of others to where I now have about 5-6 steady interested students. This is a good size for the room we have and it is enough that we can change partners several times during class.

While I love teaching all of my students (my younger TKD students included) I really need to work with the adults in the Arnis. Not only is it keeping my skills up but it has really helped me to grow as a FMA student/instructor over the past year. Looking at the movements in the Modern Arnis class helps me also teach the kids in my TKD class.

However I take a different approach to promoting the art. While I do mention the self defense angle I also promote the art within your art angle, or what I call compound learning angle of the FMAs (Modern Arnis in particular). Since I teach double stick, single stick, and empty hand; and unlike some FMAs very little knife work at the Rec. Center because I have parents of potential TKD students show up and look in on class and if I'm teaching this killer knife work it gives them the wrong idea. Anyway I draw the distinction of how the system that I teach the double stick techniques apply to empty hand techniques and you get a lot more reps (muscle memory) doing flow drills (sinawali drills) than marching up and won the isle doing the TKD. And then I invite them in to do a simple drill, and in a few minutes then show them a simple translation to the empty hand techniques and explain that all of these techniques are inter related and by learning double stick you are also learning single stick and empty hand techniques all at the same time. And the main thing it is fun.

My FMA students are all pretty much middle age adults, four of them are two married couples and the women excel at the double stick drills, while the men do better with the blocking and striking (combative type drills). While self defense is important to keep them training and really working on the art they need to see something more than just self defense. So they see the FMAs as an art they can grow into, constantly learning new skills and seeing the connections in the movements between the weapons and empty hand etc. etc. They are not into beating the hell out of each other, cause everyone has to get up and go to work the next day, they don't want the hands wacked so hard they can't use the fingers, they don't look at the black eyes as badges of honor. Now I have some other TKD instructors looking into training as well, with them I try and educate them on how this techniques relates to their TKD technique, or this can relate to boxing etc. etc. This is a different way to do this lock, or this take down, or how to do the knife hand block.

What I don't stress is how Modern Arnis (or the FMAs) is the supreme art above all else, nor that it is better than my TKD, rather it is different.

 

[Blindside]

My FMA students are all pretty much middle age adults, four of them are two married couples and the women excel at the double stick drills, while the men do better with the blocking and striking (combative type drills). While self defense is important to keep them training and really working on the art they need to see something more than just self defense. So they see the FMAs as an art they can grow into, constantly learning new skills and seeing the connections in the movements between the weapons and empty hand etc. etc. They are not into beating the hell out of each other, cause everyone has to get up and go to work the next day, they don't want the hands wacked so hard they can't use the fingers, they don't look at the black eyes as badges of honor. Now I have some other TKD instructors looking into training as well, with them I try and educate them on how this techniques relates to their TKD technique, or this can relate to boxing etc. etc. This is a different way to do this lock, or this take down, or how to do the knife hand block.

What I don't stress is how Modern Arnis (or the FMAs) is the supreme art above all else, nor that it is better than my TKD, rather it is different.

My experience mirrors yours, 75% of my students are experienced martial artists who sought out the FMAs because they wanted the weapon emphasis. I also agree on the age thing, most of my students are my age or older (39), who are looking at the FMA because it can still be a means by which they can continue to challenge themselves, they want a practical self-defense system, but also one that offers enough technical complexities that they can pursue as a long term involvement. Most of my students have come by either word of mouth or by Craigslist, probably running about 75% word of mouth at this point.

 

[geezer]

Thanks all. I really appreciate all the excellent input. Also, it's great to see a lively discussion in this FMA sub-forum.

 

[Mark Lynn]

Blindside brought up a good point in regards to what is the student make up. Face it we all have in mind how we were trained seminar format, personal one on one, or in a class, and we also carry with that training experiences that we hold dear. Some of us think we must teach our students the same way, or that they want or have the same needs as we do. They don't and in order to spread the art or to promote your classes you might need to see about adjusting your teaching methods or your advertising. I don't mean to sound harsh or condemning here, just writing something for everyone to think about.

I admit it, I was largely trained through the seminar format, I didn't have a GM teach me privately. I wasn't a honored student, the demo partner etc. etc. I was the guy out in the crowd taking notes and getting thrown on the carpeted floors. In regards to taking notes I took them so I could teach the techniques in the same progressions the same manner as what the Professor (Remy) or his brother showed. Or for that matter any of the other MA, or FMAs instructors showed. Now I was more or less what I would call a preservationist trying to teach the art as they taught it. But..... Over time when I started to teach Modern Arnis (MA) and the FMAs in particular I would teach like I was taught in seminars, you can do this technique or that technique or this technique and then if they respond this way you can do that or this all the while the student stands there and at the end replys "OK now what do you want me to do?" completely lost. Sometimes drinking through the fire hose isn't the best way to get a drink a water. Teaching by way of opening the fire hose to beginners isn't the best way for a class, maybe for one on one training, or for a seminar of other experienced FMA artists, but not for a class.

Likewise just teaching these cool FMA knife or stick disarms and drills believing it as self defense isn't the way to go either. Seeing the GMs in seminars was like watching the magic show; to an experienced martial artist it was like "WOW that is so cool" I need to pass that on. So you bring it into class but your students don't have the backup skills to do it. It gets confusing or discouraging, and worse they will sit there and say but couldn't I have just hit them, or I'll just pull my gun. I guess what I'm saying is that you have to keep your message grounded in reality and on target for what your students want. In order to have the backup skills like hitting or kicking, these types of things needs to be practiced and taught in class just like hitting with the sticks or cutting with the knife. I believe you need a well rounded class that covers all of the bases and teach it in a progressive manner, which is different just teaching what was taught at the seminars or on the DVD etc. etc.

Have a curriculum and stay with it. In the best of worlds have it written down so the students know what to work on so they can progress. I'm preaching to the choir here because I worked real hard on a curriculum for a couple of years. Was real proud of the way I set it up, but after watching my students go through a 2 1/2 hour Green belt (intermediate rank) test I knew I had to readjust things. Which I'm in the process of doing now. While I have explained this to my students I still get asked "Do you have anything written down for what I need to practice for my next exam?" From my perspective they earn their rank in class, the test is more of a rite of passage than a memory test, so I know where they are at, but it is important to them. The curriculum is also important for you to keep track on what you are teaching them plus people ask about it when checking out your classes.

In regards promoting the classes,

• Have a sign up outside of your WC class, try and promote it to your WC students allowing them to cross train over in the FMA class at a free or reduced rate. This could actually be a good starter base because they already know you, if you price it right. If you teach kids then promote it to your parents of your students.
• At our Rec. center they have a large screen TV, my students made up a series of four different slides to promote our classes that are now in rotation on the slide show. For this type of advertising have the slides promote the message you want to send about your classes that your potential customers will want to see, stay away from anything to violent. We used pictures of both the men and women in our class demonstrating of course that both sexes train, one of the pictures shows a one of the women locking her husband, another shows a stick being disarmed, both of these were candid shots (not staged) and in both the people are smiling enjoying class. Another slide has some black and white art etc. etc. all in all they created four slides so it would catch people's eye more with our logo prominently displayed.
• Make up fliers and have them displayed where you teach promoting both classes, or possibly at a local junior college. (On this note have you checked with Continuing Education at a local junior college, Parks and Rec. with your local city about teaching a class? The junior college might be a good place to get young adult students, even better if you teach it under their umbrella.)
• Now that we got our class going, next year we (my students and I) have talked about doing some demos at the local city festival, promoting the MA class as well as the TKD classes. I would suggest this for in the future.

These are just some suggestions to help you or anyone establish a class. In closing the main thing you need to do is ask yourself why do I want to teach the FMAs? What are your goals in teaching it?

• Supplement your income (create a larger class with the goal to make some money on the side)
• Get some work out partners just to keep your skills up (small class of just a few people to work out on the side)
• Just to promote the art or the FMAs

All of my suggestions was geared to the first option.

Mark

 

[MJS]

IMO, its hard to get people interested in something that they probably don't know much or anything at all, about. SD courses could be 1 possible way to get some people interested. You may want to also consider talking to other school owners in the area, and see if perhaps they'd be willing to let you give a short seminar on the FMAs. Of course, this may not fly well, as the inst. could possibly think that you're looking to steal students...lol. OTOH, there may be a day or two, when after their regular classes, you could teach a 45min or 1hr class.

 

[Blindside]

I guess what I'm saying is that you have to keep your message grounded in reality and on target for what your students want. In order to have the backup skills like hitting or kicking, these types of things needs to be practiced and taught in class just like hitting with the sticks or cutting with the knife. I believe you need a well rounded class that covers all of the bases and teach it in a progressive manner, which is different just teaching what was taught at the seminars or on the DVD etc. etc.

Most of the training methodologies associated with the FMAs that I have experienced (Cabales Serrada, Inosanto blend, Pekiti) have emphasized similar weapons, baston to baston, knife to knife, staff to staff, unarmed to unarmed. In Pekiti there are only a few drills that are commonly taught unarmed vs. whatever first, it is far more typical to learn the weapon vs. weapon then show the unarmed application. So when the general public or even other unarmed martial artists look at what commonly goes on in a class, they see "knife/stick/sword fighting" rather than what they view as practical self-defense.

One thing I am trying this year is to have a dedicated class that is devoted to the unarmed applications of the art. I am hoping that creates a feeder into the armed side of things.

 

[Datu Tim Hartman]

I do martial arts business consulting as part of my business. Most of my clients are FMA schools. The problems that we have are not exclusive to the FMA. I don't see the problem being promoting FMA as much as it is promoting yourself. Here are a couple freebies

1. You need to have a website. Too many people rely on a social media site as their main site. This is bush league and doesn't show up in the search engines.

2. Use social media sites to funnel traffic to your main site. (Face Book, You Tube, Four Square, etc.)

3. Professional looking flyers and business cards. Too many people's flyers look like they were done by a first grader. It doesn't take much to put a flyer together. If you don't have artwork, sites like Vistaprint have form style flyers, cards, etc. that look pretty sharp and at times have FREE offers.

Now let me ask a question. Are you limiting your potential clientele? Do you only want a small group? Are you willing teach children? The more restrictions you add to accepting students, the less students you will have.

Is your system weapon only? If so, that may make it even harder to find students. Balintawak is one of the systems I teach. It is part of my students’ education after becoming Black Belts. The system I learned was single stick only, with no open hand material. If I tried to teach that as my primary system, I would most likely only have a couple students. Most of my students were not looking for FMA. I was just a local martial art school to them. In Presas Arnis we punch, kick, lock and stick. It has little something for everyone.

I can keep going but I don't want to bore those not interested.
Whether or not you want to do this as a non for profit training group or turn this into your profession, these things can help. There are two reasons why communities may be “underground”. The first reason is that they prefer to be that way. They have their community, and they are not looking to expand upon it. The second reason which seems to be more common these days is a lack of how to promote what they do. We put in all of this time to learn the physical part of our craft but we don’t get an education in how to run the business. I have met a lot of masters and grandmasters who wanted to do their martial arts full time but didn’t have the business tools to make that dream a reality.
As I said earlier, I do martial arts business consulting. Anyone who is interested, I can go over my first five “musts” for running a martial arts school free of charge. You can private message me here to schedule your free consultation.

 

[Mark Lynn]

I do martial arts business consulting as part of my business. Most of my clients are FMA schools. The problems that we have are not exclusive to the FMA. I don't see the problem being promoting FMA as much as it is promoting yourself.

Tim brings out a great point here, it doesn't matter what art or system it is, it is really about promoting your classes your skills and letting everyone know what you teach. While I believe the FMAs do present some different challenges, they are not exclusive only to the FMAs.

Now let me ask a question. Are you limiting your potential clientele? Do you only want a small group? Are you willing teach children? The more restrictions you add to accepting students, the less students you will have.

Another thing to consider though is limiting what you teach to kids as well. In other words if you want to teach kids/teens you have to adjust your curriculum to where it is age appropriate.

Is your system weapon only? If so, that may make it even harder to find students. Balintawak is one of the systems I teach. It is part of my students’ education after becoming Black Belts. The system I learned was single stick only, with no open hand material. If I tried to teach that as my primary system, I would most likely only have a couple students. Most of my students were not looking for FMA. I was just a local martial art school to them. In Presas Arnis we punch, kick, lock and stick. It has little something for everyone.

This is a very good point. For instance I have heard that even Cabalas Serrada started out as an weapon based art that taught weapons only, but then students started asking about empty hand material and the empty hand material was then added, GM Bobby Taboada teaches Balintawak but he also has a empty hand aspect to it. Point being that GMs adopted their systems to meet market demands so they could reach new students.

I can keep going but I don't want to bore those not interested.
Whether or not you want to do this as a non for profit training group or turn this into your profession, these things can help. There are two reasons why communities may be “underground”. The first reason is that they prefer to be that way. They have their community, and they are not looking to expand upon it. The second reason which seems to be more common these days is a lack of how to promote what they do.

The key here I believe is to decide what your goal is as Datu Hartman suggests here; do you want to promote the art as a non profit training group, or turn this into a profession (or a side business on a part time or full time basis)? Then you'll know about how much effort you need to put into promoting your classes.

We put in all of this time to learn the physical part of our craft but we don’t get an education in how to run the business. I have met a lot of masters and grandmasters who wanted to do their martial arts full time but didn’t have the business tools to make that dream a reality.

Or they ran their business badly, burning people in the process. Which is really sad. I believe personally that if you run a business you will save yourself and your customers (your students) a lot of heart ache if you take time to educate yourself on the business of running a business.

I didn't know that Datu Hartman ran a consulting business till just now reading his post but I will put in a plug for his school because it looked great when he held the MA camp there this past July. Tim's school was how if I had a FMA school I would want it to look and be set up. At the time I attended the camp I was looking into the possibility of opening a stand a lone school so I was interested in how he set up his curriculum to teach kids and adults. Anyway his school was set up with safety in mind (padded sticks, gloves, helmets, all on the walls) plenty of training equipment of various types all organized on the walls or around the walls etc. etc. It looked to be a well rounded, happy, place to train for both adults and kids. It looked like a commercial martial arts school but with a lot of training stuff hanging around. I didn't have the time (except over beers at 12:00 in the morning) to go over how he set his curriculum up to teach adults and kids but his school is set up to support and promote that.

This is different than say at a couple of FMA schools that I have attended (or seen) where you were training in the backyard of a house, in a garage or out in a park. Or possibly at the local gym where everyone brings their own equipment, you may be on a mat or a tiled or carpeted floor etc. etc. The difference is that Tim has a huge investment at his school, much more overhead etc. etc. and it is a business where he derives his income from (or part of his income) compared to the instructor (like myself) who teaches out of a Rec. Center, or one who teaches out of a backyard, gym, or park. We don't have the over head, nor the investment, so I can have a smaller clientele and get by and be happy. But Tim is the one who is working the dream and making teaching the FMAs his reality.

 

[billc]

For your websites, include the name of your city or state in your site name. Whenever I look for a martial art on google or yahoo I plug in "kali+illinois" to see what comes up. Or "Escrima+illinois," and so on.

 

[Bob Hubbard]

You need a website.
A Facebook page isn't a website, it's an electronic yellow pages ad. Interactive yes, something you should have, yes, but not as your sole online presence

You need your own domain.
something.com/1234/myschool isn't it.

You need to have someone who understands how websites work put it together for you.
1-Not everyone in the US has high speed internet, so that neat 10MB picture plastered on your home page takes too long for more than half the people to see. They don't wait, they leave.
2- Just because it makes sense to you, doesn't mean it's intuitive to non-experts.
3- Experts have built hundreds of sites. This may be your only one. Who would you want building your house or operating on your kid? A guy with a dummies book or someone with experience?

Some older articles I wrote that should be helpful when doing the website side of things.

• Choosing a Domain Name for your new Web Site
• Tip Of The Week : Your Website Doesn't Close The Sale!
• Tip Of The Week : Leave it to the Experts
• Staying On Top of your Website for a Successful Site
• Tip Of The Week : Don't Ask For Email if You're Not Going to Answer It.
• Q&A: What can I do with my website to help keep and motivate my students?
• Q&A: How do I get my new website listed on the search engines?
• Q&A: What should I look for in a web hosting company?
• Q&A: What should I look for in a web developer?
• “Webifying” your Business for the Martial Arts Industry
• Email Marketing Tips.
• Getting Online.
• Why do I need a Web Site?
• Internet 101 - Domains

A website is part of your marketing attack, but it's not the whole plan.

• Q&A: How can I get more people through my door?
• Q&A: How can I improve client retention and new registrations?
• Q&A: How can I improve client retention and new registrations? Part 2
• You built it, but will they come? Some tips on get...
• Tip Of The Week : Follow Up and Close More Sales!
• Benefits of Computers For The Martial Arts Industry - Part 3 of 3 By Bob Hubbard
• Benefits of Computers For The Martial Arts Industry: Part 2
• Benefits of Computers For The Martial Arts Industry: Part 1

It's a business. Treat it as such.
Get nice business cards done that show you off at your best. 2 sided, make the back a coupon for a special offer. Give them away like mad, then track them when they come back.
Spend the extra couple of bucks on full color. 1 new student will more than pay you back over the course of a year.

I do graphics, website and we offer a discount on hosting (banners on the main forum page). Feel free to contact me about those, or if there's any questions on the links I posted above.

 

[James Kovacich]

IMO, its hard to get people interested in something that they probably don't know much or anything at all, about. SD courses could be 1 possible way to get some people interested. You may want to also consider talking to other school owners in the area, and see if perhaps they'd be willing to let you give a short seminar on the FMAs. Of course, this may not fly well, as the inst. could possibly think that you're looking to steal students...lol. OTOH, there may be a day or two, when after their regular classes, you could teach a 45min or 1hr class.

Sent from my DROID3 using Tapatalk

 

[James Kovacich]

IMO, its hard to get people interested in something that they probably don't know much or anything at all, about. SD courses could be 1 possible way to get some people interested. You may want to also consider talking to other school owners in the area, and see if perhaps they'd be willing to let you give a short seminar on the FMAs. Of course, this may not fly well, as the inst. could possibly think that you're looking to steal students...lol. OTOH, there may be a day or two, when after their regular classes, you could teach a 45min or 1hr class.

Right on all accounts. I slight twist to the sd classes are seminars. In the late 90s I attended a leglock seminar at a bjj school and ended training there for a few years. The sd classes could have the same effect for any arts.
I think the key is the specialized element to gain the interest from different parties who may have the same or similar goals. Done on a smaller scale to see what works.

 

[thekuntawman]

the three best things for growing a school is the website, the flyers and the reputation. the website has to have a web guy get it on the search engine, so your school pops up when people look for a school. a web guy is also good for helping you get the right message on the site. some school sites just a long resume, but that's not what people want. if you talk about what you will teach them, maybe something about your martial arts or fighting philosophy that will make your school stand away from the other martial arts schools, most that dont even say who taught the teacher. i was told a long time ago, tell your story. every teacher has a story and if its interesting enough, people will want to learn from you.

flyers are good too, but most people dont pass them out. the magic thing of flyers is you have to do them all the time, even if they dont get calls. most people dont do that, they only do a few flyers then they spend a long time saying how they dont work. but flyers dont get phone calls every time you do them, but the more you do them, the more you will get new guys. they do work, the whole pizza industry makes millions (maybe more) just off the flyers alone. chinese restaurants too, and most of them aint that good.

finally keep your martial arts skills sharp and your reputation as a fighter or teacher strong, people will come looking for you. i am not a famous teacher, but i am known in my city as a good fighter, and now we have guys who also have a good reputation for fighting. so even if they dont know about the FMA, they hear of me or my boys and comes looking for us. reputations go very far, and they are free. you want people to say good things about your club and also you have to be easy to find (back to my piont about flyers). the karate guys can offer free class all day long or $19.95 introduction, but people will look for the guy they heard about from their own friends.

good luck!