Name Taken

[skribs]

How important is it for a martial arts school to have a unique name?

Every name I can think of for when I open a TKD school, if I google it, it's taken. Sometimes by something nearby (but maybe a different art), sometimes by something far away (in other regions of the US or even other countries).

I do have some ideas that are truly unique, but only because there isn't really a connection between the name and martial arts, but rather to online personas that I've used.

How important is it that my school has a unique name?

 

[MadMartigan]

Importance of uniqueness, I'd say 4/10.
As long as it's not the same as anything too close, then I think you're fine.

 

[skribs]

As long as it's not the same as anything too close, then I think you're fine.

i.e. if I'm in Texas and the other school I found is in Canada?

 

[ap Oweyn]

I would think that uniqueness is less important than recognisability. Same goes for accuracy to some degree. My first taekwondo school was called "Kim's Karate." Didn't care that it wasn't technically accurate. It was the 1980s. And I "knew" what karate was. Halfway there.

 

[ap Oweyn]

I would think that uniqueness is less important than recognisability. Same goes for accuracy to some degree. My first taekwondo school was called "Kim's Karate." Didn't care that it wasn't technically accurate. It was the 1980s. And I "knew" what karate was. Halfway there.

Apologies. I hope that doesn't sound like I'm advocating a misleading name. I have mixed feelings about the name of my first school. If you're looking to honour your style, obviously calling it something else isn't a brilliant start. I'm just saying that your overall goal is to have people understand what you're offering. And, in this day and age, people know what taekwondo is. When I started, that was less the case.

If I were to open a school, I'm not sure I'd use the word "arnis" or "eskrima" for instance. The word "kali" has really caught on in the United States and may be more recognisable. But most of my time in FMA has been spent in a school that didn't use that term. So I generally don't either. I'd have to give some hard thought to a name that both drew folks in and felt faithful. Not an easy balancing act.

 

[MadMartigan]

i.e. if I'm in Texas and the other school I found is in Canada?

Even a neighboring state I'd think.
Say you called it 'Advantage Taekwondo' (random word added to Taekwondo for illustration). If there is another school with the same name in a neighboring town... maybe not a good idea. If there is another one a 5 hour drive away with no connection to yours, I'd say you're fine.

 

[skribs]

Apologies. I hope that doesn't sound like I'm advocating a misleading name. I have mixed feelings about the name of my first school. If you're looking to honour your style, obviously calling it something else isn't a brilliant start. I'm just saying that your overall goal is to have people understand what you're offering. And, in this day and age, people know what taekwondo is. When I started, that was less the case.

If I were to open a school, I'm not sure I'd use the word "arnis" or "eskrima" for instance. The word "kali" has really caught on in the United States and may be more recognisable. But most of my time in FMA has been spent in a school that didn't use that term. So I generally don't either. I'd have to give some hard thought to a name that both drew folks in and felt faithful. Not an easy balancing act.

What @MadMartigan just said is the kind of thing I'm talking about. For example, I was planning on going with "Wolf Pack Taekwondo", but there's a high school 30 minutes from me on Wolf Pack Drive with the mascot of the Wolves. It's likely this would confuse people. Alternatively, "Advantage Taekwondo" is a school in Pennsylvania, where I'm in Texas. So if I were to use that (and it's a decent name) according to him I'd be fine.

 

[ap Oweyn]

What @MadMartigan just said is the kind of thing I'm talking about. For example, I was planning on going with "Wolf Pack Taekwondo", but there's a high school 30 minutes from me on Wolf Pack Drive with the mascot of the Wolves. It's likely this would confuse people. Alternatively, "Advantage Taekwondo" is a school in Pennsylvania, where I'm in Texas. So if I were to use that (and it's a decent name) according to him I'd be fine.

You would. Absolutely. Nobody is going to confuse a school in Pennsylvania with one in Texas.

Nobody who's going to visit your school in Texas, anyway.

 

[skribs]

One thing I'm worried there is future proofing. If one or the other grows beyond their britches, then it may create issues down the road.

There's also simply the fact that the websites will have similar names, and it might get people confused if they look up "Advantage Taekwondo" and get their schedule instead of mine.

 

[ap Oweyn]

I don't think you can really control for a lack of diligence on other people's parts. Anymore than a Chinese restaurant named Great Wall can control for someone four states over accidentally ordering carryout from them.

 

[skribs]

I don't think you can really control for a lack of diligence on other people's parts. Anymore than a Chinese restaurant named Great Wall can control for someone four states over accidentally ordering carryout from them.

I'm trying to idiot-proof it. But there's the old saying that if you make something idiot proof, the universe will just invent a better idiot.

 

[ap Oweyn]

I'm trying to idiot-proof it. But there's the old saying that if you make something idiot proof, the universe will just invent a better idiot.

I like that saying. Yeah, there's only so much you can do. If you focus on putting together a strong program and communicate that to folks as best you can, it'll sort itself out.

 

[Tony Dismukes]

My first taekwondo school was called "Kim's Karate."

Mine too! But given how common the Korean name “Kim” is and the fact that Karate was a better known term at the time, I suspect there were quite a few unrelated schools with the same name.

 

[ap Oweyn]

Mine too! But given how common the Korean name “Kim” is and the fact that Karate was a better known term at the time, I suspect there were quite a few unrelated schools with the same name.

There could well have been. But am I remembering some connection with Maryland in your background?

 

[Tony Dismukes]

There could well have been. But am I remembering some connection with Maryland in your background?

Yeah, my Kim’s Karate was in Baltimore in the early 80’s. But Google shows that there are still some unrelated schools with that name around the country.

 

[ap Oweyn]

Yeah, my Kim’s Karate was in Baltimore in the early 80’s. But Google shows that there are still some unrelated schools with that name around the country.

Same one then. I was at the location in Severna Park in the early 80s. Though I attended locations in Glen Burnie and Towson at various points.

Years later, came across a location in Springfield, Virginia. Beautiful school before the mall it occupied got bulldozed.

 

[Tony Dismukes]

Same one then. I was at the location in Severna Park in the early 80s. Though I attended locations in Glen Burnie and Towson at various points.

Years later, came across a location in Springfield, Virginia. Beautiful school before the mall it occupied got bulldozed.

The location I attended was in Baltimore proper. (On Harford Road if I remember correctly, which I might not after 43 years). I wasn't aware of it being part of a chain, but that might have happened later.

 

[JowGaWolf]

How important is it that my school has a unique name?

It depends on the business laws in your area. For example, In Georgia, businesses are generally not allowed to have the same name as an existing entity. This rule helps prevent confusion and potential trademark issues.

So in this case. A unique business name is crucial.

 

[skribs]

Mine too! But given how common the Korean name “Kim” is and the fact that Karate was a better known term at the time, I suspect there were quite a few unrelated schools with the same name.

This was also before the internet, no?

 

[ap Oweyn]

The location I attended was in Baltimore proper. (On Harford Road if I remember correctly, which I might not after 43 years). I wasn't aware of it being part of a chain, but that might have happened later.

They were dotted around at least the Baltimore area in the early 80s. I moved into Severna Park (from the UK) in 1980, and they were there already. I think it's well and truly deceased at this point though.

To the OP's point, though, I just did a quick search for "Kim's Karate" and found several unrelated places using that name.