Martial Arts World News Magazine - Volume 23 | Issue 2

MartialArtsWorldNews.com VOLUME 23 | ISSUE 2 

The #1 Business Resource for the Martial Arts Industry 

AFKA FOUNDER: GRANDMASTER 

LAWRENCE 

ARTHUR 

How to Triumph, 

While Others Tailspin 

Master Karen Eden 

Dignitary Protection 

Training for Real Life 

Master Carlos Machado 

Inspire Students with the 

Machado Method 

Michelle Yeoh 

Golden Globe Winner, 

Is An Oscar Next?

Smart 

^ 

WORK HARD 

M 

with Cutting-Edge ATLAS® Software 

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uccessful Marketing Tools 

r-You After School Program 

Leading Business Strategies 

Get a FREE demo 

and $246.00 in Bonus Gifts at 

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CALL 

1-800-275-1600 

to speak with a school specialist

CONTENTS 

FEATURES 

26 Breaking News: Stay Informed 

By Getting the MAWnews App 

30 KDI DIG School: The Mission, the 

Men and Me 

36 How to Attack A Crisis Head On 

and Not Just Survive, 

But, Thrive! 

103 FREE Tool of the Month 

DEPARTMENTS 

14 Industry Insights 

15 Birthdays 

16 Industry Innovations 

20 Social 411 

54 School Profiles 

65 Classified Ads 

99 Advertiser Index 

YOUR INPUT 

59 Tell Us Your Story 

78 Feature Your School, 

Organization, Accomplishment, 

or Event 

COLUMNS 

6 Editorial 

Spring Time: The Renewal of Nature, and Your 

Martial Arts Business! 

Master Toby Milroy 

8 Martial Arts World News Faculty 

12 Tactical Self-Defense 

Each Situation Dictates Its Own Response (Part 1) 

Grandmaster Tom Patire 

58 Teamwork 

10 Tactics for Building a Great Team 

Hanshi Dave Kovar 

60 Mind Mastery 

Becoming An Author (Part 1) 

Grandmaster Jessie Bowen 

62 Growth Hacks 

Social Media Advertising Confusion 

Mr. Sean Lee 

64 Ninja Business Tactics 

I Am Ready To Learn and Advance 

An-Shu Stephen Hayes 

66 After School Excellence 

A Real Life Education 

Grandmaster Mike Bugg 

68 Pillars of Success 

Look Like Successful People! 

Grandmaster Y. K. Kim 

72 The Way of the Samurai 

Combative Weapons Q & A (Part 4) 

Shihan Dana Abbott 

74 Extraordinary Marketing 

Wealth vs. Lifestyle (Part 1) 

Grandmaster Stephen Oliver 

76 Mastering Modern BJJ 

Blue Belts, Part 1 


4 MARTIAL ARTS WORLD NEWS VOLUME 23 | ISSUE 2

STAFF 

80 Next Level Strategy 

The Art of Making A Mistake 

Shihan Allie Alberigo 

82 Complete Martial Arts Concepts 

10 Principles to Become Great at Sparringl (Part 1) 

Professor Willie “the Bam” Johnson 

84 The Millionaire Smarts Coach 

Free Yourself From Too Much Stuff (Part 1) 

Ms. Lee Milteer 

88 Budo Philosophy 

A World of Pigeons and Hawks 

Shidoshi Alfredo Tucci 

90 Master the Basics 

Innovative Instruction 

Master Tina Bane 

92 Instructional Excellence 

The Value of One-Step 

Grandmaster Tim McCarthy 

96 Martial Arts Philosophy 

My Journey With The A.O.K and Golden Greek 

(Part 2) 

Sensei Gary Lee 

98 Management Excellence 

3 Marketing Tips for Summer Camp Success 

Grandmaster Kirk Pelt 

100 The Warrior Way 

What Motivates Us? 

Grandmaster Bill Clark 

102 Staff Development 

An Epiphany From My Experience 

Why Students Might Leave (Part 2) 

Master Zulfi Ahmed 

104 Tools & Tactics 

The Secret to Success 

Ms. Chris Lee 

VOLUME 23 | ISSUE 2 

PUBLISHER 


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 


Grandmaster Zulfi Ahmed 


Grandmaster Lawrence Arthur 






Professor Willie “The Bam” Johnson 



Ms. Chris Lee 


Mr. Sean Lee 








The mission of Martial Arts World 

News Magazine is to be the definitive 

source for information, news, education, 

ethical business practices, 

product reviews and innovative 

developments in the world of martial 

arts business. 

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News does not accept 

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MARTIAL ARTS WORLD NEWS VOLUME 23 | ISSUE 2 5

EDITORIAL 

Spring Time: The Renewal 

of Nature, and Your 

Martial Arts Business! 

Many may know, but I grew up in the frozen tundra of the midwest. 

Winters were brutal. 

Heavy snowfalls starting as early as October, freezing rain, 

slush, icy roads, and mind numbing cold weather commonly below 

0, and even periods as low as -30 degrees, or worse. 

But, even the most frigid winters will eventually capitulate to the 

warming renewal of the spring. 

I must admit, it’s beautiful in Iowa in the springtime. The air is 

clean and crisp, trees bloom, birds chirp their return 

warmer winter homes, the grass springs back to 

life, and animals frolic in the freshly rejuvenated 

woods. 

I like to think about the Martial Arts School 

Business in a similar way. 

NOW is the time for renewal. The time to 

accelerate MOMENTUM. The time to catapult 

your results! 

There are several SIGNIFICANT opportunities 

that present themselves in 

the spring season that you’ll want 

to be sure you’re leveraging. 

1 Key Strategy: Spring 

Camp(s). 

For really ANY school, 

spring break can be a great 

opportunity to help parents 

and families who NEED a 

program for their children 

while school is out, and a 

nice boost to your school. 

Obviously, this can be 

a nice revenue generator, as 

many schools charge $250 a 

week or more for their camp(s), 

so enrolling 30 of your students 

can quickly add $7500 in gross 

revenue in a week, but I’d advise 

you to look at this opportunity with 

an even wider lens. 

Certainly, we want to have lots 

of our students take advantage of the 

camp, and it’s usually pretty easy to get a good number of them to 

register, but I’d also recommend that you view this opportunity as a 

prime referral tool. 

Structuring the camp to ‘encourage’ your students to bring a 

friend, neighbor, schoolmate, (etc) can REALLY help multiply your 

effectiveness. For example, one of the most common strategies 

that we deploy in my locations is making it a “Leadership” camp. 

In this leadership camp, you (the student) have the chance to 

learn, develop and practice your instruction and leadership skills 

by helping someone who is NOT a martial arts student discover 

the benefits of training. In our schools, we have a tradition that the 

instructor only ‘ties on’ a student’s White Belt, and Black Belt (in 

the promotion ceremony). This is a point of pride and culture for 

us. Therefore, since YOU are now acting as the instructor for your 

friend, this is YOUR chance to ‘tie on’ the White Belt for YOUR very 

first student! 

Now, if you’re in the ‘after school’ business, this multiplies the 

value of those new students even more! 

Take the time to think through structuring your camp for maximum 

advantage, and maximum referrals, and you’ll be positioning 

your school for a marvelous spring, and “growth” season moving 

into the summer months! 

If you need any help, or strategies for maximizing this opportunity, 

give my team a call here at HQ – 1-800-275-1600! 

MASTER TOBY MILROY is a 5th 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. 

6 MARTIAL ARTS WORLD NEWS VOLUME 23 | ISSUE 2 

Photo by Pheelings Media

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BUSINESS 

DISCUSSION GROUP 

No Egos – No Politics – No Trolls 

Just News, Tips, Strategies, and Tools to Help You Grow Your School! 

facebook.com/groups/MartialArtsWorldNews

OUR EXPERT FACULTY 

6 


is a 5th 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 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. 

62 

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. 

64 


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. 

58 


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. 

66 


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. 

60 


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. 

68 


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. 



72 


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. 

74 


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. 

76 


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 


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). 

82 

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. 

84 


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. 

88 


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. 

90 


is a 6th degree master instructor and 

owner of a Top Ten martial arts school 

with successful after school and summer 

camp programs. 



92 


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. 

96 


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. 

98 


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. 

100 


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. 

102 


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. 

104 

Ms. Chris Lee 

is a martial arts business development 

consultant with a background in online 

and social media marketing. 

We’re Seeking Contributors! 

Do you have something to share? 

We’d love to hear about it! 

CONTACT US: 

407-895-1996 Editor@MartialArtsWorldNews.com 

MartialArtsWorldNews.com/Ureport 


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TACTICAL SELF-DEFENSE 

Each Situation Dictates 

Its Own Response (Part 1) 

By Tom Patire 

Looking at today’s volatile, unpredictable world one can see that real-world selfdefense, 

total situational awareness, and personal preservation are needed more 

than ever. 

People are being victimized not only on the streets but 

in their homes, schools, places of worship and businesses, 

which all have proved to be vulnerable 

targets. Most attacks are random with the underlying 

majority being hate crimes, active-shooter 

with media intent, robberies, car-jackings 

or wrong-place wrong-time scenarios. The 

collateral damage being extensive physical 

harm or death to the innocent victim(s), making 

major headlines on the news and social media 

platforms. Certain types of crimes focus just on 

the monetary value of what they can steal or rob 

and how quickly. Many of those types 

of crimes do not have a fatal 

ending for the victim. 

I personally don’t 

believe that any material 

possession is worth 

risking your life on 

and yet there are 

some instructors that 

teach self-defense 

type systems that 

disagree with 

me. Whether you 

believe in the adage 

judged by 12 

or carried by six, 

that should be your 

own personal choice 

since it is your life. Influencing students or trainees that attend 

your course or classes because of your belief is not being a 

responsible Instructor. Explaining all sides, the good, the bad 

and the ugly is what teaching is all about. That’s why in defense 

you have a choice, and that choice should be considered if you 

are alone (not protecting a loved one) and you are only gambling 

with your life risking your own personal harm. Never forget that 

training in classrooms (no matter how hard you go at it) still has 

control variables like rules and guidelines. It must be that way 

otherwise people would be severely hurt. maybe even killed, 

while training in a martial arts classroom. Not good for business 

to say the least. 

In today’s world rules, guidelines and laws go out the window 

when it comes to malicious based attacks. Criminals or physical 

abusers don’t respect your personal welfare or the laws that 

govern it, and the lack of care allows them to be more ruthless and 

vicious because they fear nothing. With that in play it all comes 

down to each situation dictating its own response. Proficient selfdefense 

skills are a tool in your toolbox of personalized protection. 

That along with total situational awareness, readability, de-escalation 

techniques plus a variety of physical defensive and offensive 

martial arts-based skills that can aid or save you or a loved ones 

from possible injury or death. Many variables can dictate the 

survival outcome of an altercation in one’s life as long as the mind 

and body are a cohesive unit and are an undeniable, unbreakable 

team. Judgment or lack thereof of what to do and when to do it 

along with proficiency and accuracy helps or hinder surviving the 

situation that presents itself. 

Continued Next Issue 

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. 


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INDUSTRY INSIGHTS 

Does Golden Globe Victory Mean An 

Oscar Is In Michelle Yeoh’s Future? 

The martial arts community is 

celebrating a rare achievement. 

Michelle Yeoh is a Malaysian actress 

who is best known for her roles in 

action and martial arts films. As a 

trained martial artist and with skills 

that have brought her much admiration 

and popularity in the martial 

arts community – she won the 2023 

Best Actress Award at the Golden 

Globe Awards for her role in the sci-fi 

comedy Everything Everywhere All 

At Once. 

Previously, Yeoh had won multiple 

awards for her martial arts performances, 

including the Best Actress 

Award at the Hong Kong Film Awards 

and the Best Action Actress Award 

Yeoh, Who Has Trained Wing Chun and Tai Chi, 

Adds a Golden Globe to Her Mantle 

at the Taipei Film Festival. Her most 

notable films include “Tomorrow 

Never Dies,” “Crouching Tiger, Hidden 

Dragon,” and “Shang Chi and 

the Legend of the Ten Rings.” Yeoh 

is known for performing impressive 

stunts in her films, and her career has 

spanned several decades. 

This year, in her acceptance 

speech, Yeoh reflected on her early 

years in Hollywood, saying that when 

she first arrived, she was told that 

she was a minority. Yeoh dedicated 

the award to other minority actors in 

Hollywood and thanked those who 

came before her. The award has 

sparked hope that Yeoh may be in 

the running for an Oscar. 

Is FitXR a Glimpse into the Future 

of the Martial Arts? 

FitXR, a VR fitness app, has introduced a new type of workout 

called combat training, which includes punching and defensive 

movements from martial arts such as Karate, Muay Thai, 

Taekwondo, or classic boxing. This is surely a step forward as the 

once considered virtual reality future is now a fast growing part of 

our present. 

At launch, there are seven courses of varying difficulty levels 

available, as well as a new training environment that resembles an 

urban backyard. The workouts use Artificial Intelligence to make 

the VR fitness classes more efficient, and are based on Martial 

Arts-based cardio workouts. These could become an outside of 

the class kind of homework for your students, but of course the 

Combat classes in FitXR are not an alternative for your professional 

martial arts training. They are merely designed for cardio 

and fitness training and should not be used to learn self-defense or 

actual fighting techniques. Visit fitxr.com. 

Inflation Hits: 2023 Martial Arts 

Supershow Canceled 

The Century and MAIA teams, 

who have been responsible 

for organizing the SuperShow, 

have worked tirelessly to provide 

a great experience for attendees. 

Every year, they put together one of the best trade events in the 

martial arts industry in some of the best venues such as Caesars, 

Bellagio, and the Venetian. However, the cost of everything in 

Las Vegas has become too expensive for the team to continue to 

provide the same great experience for attendees. 

For attendees, attending the SuperShow also requires a significant 

commitment of time and money. In addition to the cost of the 

ticket, attendees must also factor in travel, lodging, and meals for 

themselves and their staff members. With the cost of everything 

on the rise, it has become increasingly difficult for attendees to 

justify the expense. 

In light of these factors, The Martial Arts SuperShow, a wellknown 

and highly-regarded trade event in the martial arts industry, 

will not be taking place in 2023. The event, which has been held 

in Las Vegas for the past 23 years, has been a significant gathering 

for martial arts school owners and instructors from around the 

world. However, the high cost of putting on the event in Las Vegas 

has made it a huge challenge to overcome this year. 


Photo (top) by Georges Biard

INDUSTRY INSIGHTS 

Martial Arts Celebrity Birthdays 

March 

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

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

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

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

April 

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

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

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

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

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

April 26. ............................... Jet Li 

April 29. ........................ Willie Nelson 

*Deceased 


INDUSTRY INNOVATIONS 

2023 U.S. Open Taekwondo Hanmadang 

The U.S. Open Taekwondo Hanmadang was created in 2009 

by Grandmaster Sang Chul Lee to provide an opportunity for 

students of all ages and ranks to compete at an international level. 

The individual competitions cover sparring, 

forms, kicking techniques, creative 

breaking, and weapons. There will 

be team demonstration competitions 

including, creative, traditional, 

and pairs. Special 

classes will be taught by 

Taekwondo olympians 

and national champions 

giving their training and 

competitive strategies for success. 

The weekend concludes 

with a Hanmadang Gala Dinner as 

a finale. 

This year’s 12th annual U.S. Open Taekwondo 

Hanmadang will take place July 28th and 29th, 2023 at 

Ed Robson Arena in downtown Colorado Springs, CO – Olympic 

City USA. For more information Visit: usopentkd.com 

DANGER: Using AI For Web Content Can 

Be Considered SPAM By Google! 

As a martial arts school owner, 

it is important to understand 

how Google’s stance on AI-generated 

content can impact your 

website’s search engine optimization. 

The recent attention towards 

Bankrate’s use of AI to write 

content has prompted Google’s 

Search Liaison, Danny Sullivan, to 

respond to the SEO community 

According to Sullivan, Google’s 

guidance is to create content 

primarily for people, not search 

engines. AI-generated content that 

is primarily created for search engine 

rankings goes against this guidance. Google’s spam policies also 

address spammy automatically-generated content and take action 

if it is “generated through automated processes without regard for 

quality or user experience.” 

To be successful with Google’s helpful content system, the 

content must be created for people first and demonstrate “experience, 

expertise, authoritativeness, 

and trustworthiness” (EE- 

A-T). This means that as a martial 

arts school owner, you should 

focus on creating high-quality, 

valuable content for your audience, 

rather than relying solely on 

AI-generated content. 

It is also important to note that 

while AI can be a useful tool for 

generating ideas, Google wants 

content to be created by people, 

for people. Therefore, it’s recommended 

to use AI as a support tool 

Google warns AI content users. 

rather than relying on it entirely. 

As a martial arts school owner, it is important to understand 

Google’s stance on AI-generated content and focus on creating 

high-quality, valuable content for your audience. By demonstrating 

EE-A-T, your website will be more likely to rank well in 

search engine results and provide a positive user experience 

for your audience. 


Photo (bottom) by juststock

INDUSTRY INNOVATIONS 

Microsoft Challenges Google 

with the Launch Of AI-Powered Bing? 

In today’s rapidly changing technology landscape, it’s 

more important than ever for business owners to stay 

ahead of the curve and understand the potential impact of 

new developments. That’s why martial arts school owners 

should take note of Microsoft’s recent launch of its AIpowered 

Bing search engine. 

The integration of AI technology into search engines 

presents a significant opportunity for martial arts school 

owners. As AI continues to become more sophisticated, it 

has the potential to provide users with even more relevant 

and personalized search results, leading to increased visibility 

and exposure for your martial arts school online. 

It’s also important to consider the psychological impact 

that AI technology may have on consumer behavior. As 

AI becomes more integrated into our daily lives, users are 

likely to come to expect more personalized and efficient experiences. 

By utilizing AI technology to your advantage, you can 

differentiate your martial arts school and stand out in a crowded 

marketplace. 

Microsoft’s launch of AI-powered Bing marks a new era 

in search engine technology, and martial arts school owners 

would be wise to pay attention. By understanding the potential 

impact of AI technology, you can make informed decisions 

about how to use this technology to benefit your martial arts 

school and stay ahead of the competition. We’re keeping an 

eye out for what comes next. 

Check out this video: https://youtu.be/bsFXgfbj8Bc 

Get on the Waitlist for the New AI Enhanced BING here: 

Bing.com.new 

Inspire Your Students with 

The Machado Method 

Attention all martial arts school owners! Are you ready to 

take your teachings to the next level and inspire greatness 

in your students? Look no further than the Machado Method, 

the revolutionary teaching program developed by Grandmaster 

Carlos Machado. 

With its comprehensive curriculum, the Machado Method 

is designed to provide a wellrounded 

education to your 

students, from white belts to 

black belts. And, with monthly 

updates from Master Machado, 

you can be confident 

that your students 

are receiving the most 

up-to-date and complete 

education available. 

But that’s not all! 

The Machado Method 

also includes a ranking certification system with 

standards for all belt levels, giving you and your 

students clear guidelines for success. And, with 

a library of business systems, you’ll have 

all the tools and support you need to run 

your martial arts school with efficiency 

and effectiveness. 

Unlock your full potential as a martial 

arts teacher and join the ranks of the 

best schools in the world with the 

Machado Method. With its comprehensive 

curriculum, ranking certification 

system, and business systems, this is the 

key to your success. So, don’t wait any longer! 

Embrace the Machado Method and train 

smart, stay humble, and inspire greatness in 

your students. 

For more info visit: machadomethod.com 


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SOCIAL 411 

12 SEO Tactics to Increase 

Martial Arts School Website Traffic: #1 

Whether you’re a small business owner 

(Martial Arts School) or run a Fortune 

500 company, SEO can have an enormous 

impact on the success of your business. Your 

SEO strategy determines how easily your target 

customers can find you online. Given that 75% 

of internet users don’t even look past the first 

page of search results, that’s no easy task. 

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KDI DIG School: 

The Mission, the Men and Me 

By Karen Eden Herdman 

12 years ago, Karl de la Guerra was on a mission to change the face of Protective 

Service Training. 12 years later, here I am, one of 3 women and 13 men signed up 

for the 80-hour week of Dignitary Protection Training that I had no idea would so 

incredibly challenge my fortitude. 

nor did I know the incessant acronyms that 

no one else seemed to bat an eye at. 

“All things change with time, including 

Executive and Dignitary Protection.” 

De la Guerra states. “Everything from the 

techniques to the equipment. We’re here 

to not only refine the basics, but to reignite 

the under-estimated teamwork it takes to 

be successful in DIG protection.” He adds. I 

must admit I was a little taken back. While 

teamwork was at the forefront of every single 

one of the 80 hours we went through, 

the training made no mistake in informing 

that you leave everyone behind in DIG protection 

to focus solely on the protectee. 

I watched the class glare with that 

one. Law enforcement, military and even 

the Boy Scouts teaches to leave no one 

behind. “That’s the difference in working 

in the private sector.” De la Guerra says. 

“You are paid to protect that one principal 

person.” Coming from both a military and 

Grandmaster Eden Attends Exclusive Dignitary Protection School 

law enforcement background, Karl says 

he is the first to understand how that seems 

“KDI does not take students who aren’t already in security, to go against everything an officer has ever identified with, but 

law enforcement or the military.” Says Founder and CEO Karl de la that’s definitely one thing we all had to “unlearn.” And if you think 

Guerra. And there’s good reason for that. Coming in as a journalist 

and high-ranked martial arts master instructor with a simple sessions. 

that’s pretty raw, wait till you get a load of the KDI physical training 

conceal and carry permit, I didn’t fall into any of those categories, Day one, after what would become a routine breakfast meet 

though our paths often cross. Being encouraged to train and work at 0700 hours, the team is on the lawn of the EMS headquarters in 

in dignitary protection, I can certainly see where having a corresponding 

background would put someone well ahead of the game. like the disco train dance I remember doing in the 7th grade. But 

Lancaster S.C. We are blindfolded and hanging onto each other 

But actually, the advantage I had was that I wasn’t in law there was no disco music. For what seemed like a good couple 

enforcement and I didn’t have to “unlearn” anything in particular. of hours, we were guided by our team leader through oral cues 

However; the disadvantage I had was also that I wasn’t in law across the lawn and parking lot, through the trees and holes in the 

enforcement. I obviously didn’t have near the firearms experience, ground and between various automobiles. 


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I thought it would be easier for me, since I was the very last 

link of the line. Then on the way back we did an “about face,” which 

instantly threw me into the leadership position. The sound effects 

of hard rock music, children asking for “mommy” and everything 

else while you are blind-folded and trying to listen for instructions 

heightens your awareness in ways I’ve never before experienced. 

Kudos to the KDI team for forcing me to focus when so many distractions 

were coming against me at the same time. 

Keep in mind that this is an 80 hour, 7-day week of training. I 

left my hotel before being able to take advantage of the complimentary 

breakfast, and often returned when the late-night clerk 

was getting ready to go on shift. The first two or three days I was 

in the zone regardless of the lack of sleep. But by day 4, I was 

fighting to keep my normal upbeat demeanor intact. “Can you 

remain focused and be a team player in spite of that?” Karl de la 

Guerra asks. “This is real situation case training and not everyone 

can do protective services.” He added. KDI Instructor “R.B” of 

South Carolina has hands-on experience in this arena and agrees. 

“This is the real deal in Dig and E.P training.” He says. “You have 

to learn to be in a constant state of hyper-vigilance because your 

life and the protectees’ will depend on it.” He adds. I had heard 

the rumors of getting a wake-up call at 3 a.m. to meet at a location 

and go over strategy. I was grateful that the KDI team felt we were 

getting along so smoothly in our assignments that that was not 

necessary this time around! 

Security team formations, bussing and de-bussing, working 

a rope line, motorcade protective driving and tactical emergency 

care were good-to-know and memorable lessons. Of course, I 

especially enjoyed the Judo mat time, but I’d be lying if I didn’t disclose 

that we may have laughed a little too much, especially after 

the giddiness started to set in. All of us were coming from different 

regions and different walks of life, but we were really getting the 

The KDI Porgram is About “Theoretical” Combat Situations, But Rather What 

Protections Agents DO and WILL Face in their Real Life Duties. 

The Intensive KDI Program Includes Rigorous Firearms Training. 

“team effort” thing down, and that would prove to be vital for what 

would come next. 

KDI Dignitary protection prides itself in putting their attending 

students into the role of “real-life” situations and there would be 

no escaping it this time. On day two we became immersed in the 

real-life role-playing that kept us looking over our shoulders for the 

rest of the week. Personally, as the lack of sleep progressed, so 

did my paranoia in trying to figure out what is real and what is actually 

“in-play.” “We’ve actually had 4 criminals caught and arrested 

over the years, just from the class being hyper-vigilant during 

the role-play.” De la Guerra says with a smile. The role-playing 

culminates on the final day before graduation, when most certainly 

a hitch will be thrown in to foil what could have been an otherwise 

smooth job. 

And there she was, “the hitch.” An actress playing “legal 

aid” coming to take a deposition with a bomb in her bag. She was 

actually a KDI team member in real life, and someone I would be 

laughing and having drinks with later that evening. Soon enough, 

her bag was searched and the IED quickly discovered by a retired 

ATF agent from Houston taking the course. Honestly, it was a long 

week and we were all tired. I hate to say it, but had the inert bomb 

actually exploded in her bag I don’t think I would have really cared 

at this point. 

During graduation I thought about Karl’s words to me as we 

talked about me covering the KDI experience 6 days earlier. “Ren, 

you’re going to be mentally and emotionally exhausted.’ I recall 

him telling me. “Yeah yeah, I have 7 black belts. We’ll see.” I 

thought to myself. I can now say with all sincerity that the last time 

I was that exhausted was when I worked in the field all day as a TV 

reporter, while breast-feeding a newborn who refused to sleep at 



night. This was a great re-awakening for me. Putting the DIG training 

aside, I was challenged on every level for 7 days on who I am 

and what I was actually capable of doing. 

I now have a newfound respect for anybody and everybody 

that is willing to put their life on the line to save someone else, be 

it in government or the private sector. Like former Army Ranger 

and retired ATF Rich Boehning out of Houston. “This course ranks 

up there with some of the best training I’ve ever received in my 

36-year involvement with military and federal services.” He says. 

“From motorcade operations to combatives, these were realistic 

training scenarios...fantastic courses.” He concludes. 

As for me, my biggest takeaway is I now know that being a 

protective agent on any level, whether law enforcement, military 

or security detail is not a job...it’s a calling. And by the way, I did 

graduate, along with 15 others who will no doubt be my new found 

friends for life. 

There are currently 6 Dignitary Training sessions being offered 

in 3 different states: S.C. Arizona and Texas. For more information 

on “KDI Dignitary Protection Training and Certification” contact 

Karl de la Guerra, PPS, CLSS, Founder & CEO in Charlotte N.C. at 

704-607-8762. karl@teamkdi.com, www.teamKDI.com 

All “Ranges” of Engagement are Deeply Explored in this Exhausting 80 Hour Course. 

About the author: Karen Eden Herdman is a 7th degree 

grandmaster of martial arts who has written for and been featured 

in every major martial arts magazine in the country. She is also a 

broadcast journalist who has appeared on CNN, FOX National and 

Animal Planet, as well as other local affiliates. Karen currently has 

4 books out on martial arts philosophy and inspiration. Contact 

her at renedenherdman@gmail.com 

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ARTHUR 

How to Triumph, 

While Others Tailspin

COVER STORY 

MAWN: Some school owners face challenges 

and become overwhelmed and fail, 

but you used the COVID crisis as inspiration 

to build an even more profitable and 

resilient business. Tell us how you ‘thought’ 

about this challenge and how to think 

about future challenges. 

nothing can put you out 

of business unless you 

are willing to give up 

LA: First, nothing can put you out of 

business unless you are willing to give up. 

So we adapted and produced more classes 

through video by doing them virtually. You 

can find ways to maintain the students you 

already have under nearly any circumstances. 

Sometimes you have to adjust 

your business model , so we adjusted to, 

not only, teaching classes virtually, but also 

by adding TONS of value and new options 

to our programs. This was effective during 

COVID, and is paying dividends even now, 

many months later. 

MAWN: Can you explain the results 

you have gotten from this adjustment in 

your business model and how it works for 

you and can work for other school owners 

when facing similar circumstances in the 

future? 

LA: During the COVID situation we 

actually increased our membership. We 

lost very few people, who lost their jobs 

and were not able to afford it. Sometimes 

you have to go above and 

beyond what you’re used to. 

My instructors are committed 

to working 12 hours a day. They 

got up earlier, they worked 

hard all day and were doing 

lots of private lessons. Since 

COVID has become far less of 

an issue, we’re STILL delivering 

on the levels of service we 

implemented during the crisis. 

Our students love the options, and our 

families are more ‘engaged’ than ever! 

LA: We’re going to continue to have 

virtual classes available where students can 

see the instructor, talking to them, calling 

them by name, giving them some praise 

and they feel like they’re in the class, and 

not like a posted Youtube video. It’s actually 

online training and I believe it’s here to 

stay for the future. It helps to increase our 

memberships due to convenience because 

students can train from the comfort of home 

without having to go to the martial arts 

school. 

MAWN: Some teachers might argue virtual 

classes don’t have the same value for 

students as in class learning, should online 

training only be an option during a crisis? 

LA: I know some say that it’s not as valuable, 

but I beg to disagree. The students 

can train and really it’s not about being able 

to do everything “the same” as when they 

are at the school. We have a fitness class, a 

stretching class, a life skills class, and other 

martial arts activity classes available now, 

that enhance in person learning and our 

students and families LOVE, but we didn’t 

have the technology or vision to do in the 

past. You can do more than you might 

think. This can become your new normal, 

your new future. 

MAWN: Did you do anything special as 

an incentive for your students during the 

pandemic that’s helped your retention and 

enrollment that can also help school owners 

in any situation? 

LA: Yes. We offered all of our students 

a two for one deal for every month they 

paid, essentially giving an extra month at 

the end of it. This made them feel like they 

were getting more for their money. This 

creates a win-win because it gives us an 

opportunity to sit down with every student 

to upgrade them to an even bigger commitment 

to their program. Creating better 

relationships and HIGH engagement with 

our students was, is, and ALWAYS will be 

the key to growth. 

We calculated that we added an additional 

$20,000 a month because we took 

Grandmaster Arthur Collaborated with Chuck Norris to Promote His Schools and the Martial Arts 

Grandmaster Lawrence with Chuck Norris 


COVER STORY 

the time to sit down with each family, and 

helped add value to their lives. The families 

in our schools LOVED what we did during 

the pandemic, and that we’ve continued to 

serve them at this heightened level. They 

tell their friends about all the things we’re 

providing, and we’re seeing lots more 

referrals and family add ons as a result! Talk 

about a win-win! 

MAWN: What would you say to someone 

who thinks that doing classes with this 

form of technology is too much of a challenge 

for them to perform? 

LA: I’m not techno smart either, but I just 

went to zoom.us (or whatever platform you 

might like) and read about it. In general, 

you “can” learn just about anything you 

want online, if you choose to. You could 

even have a more tech savvy student help 

you and really there is no excuse not to do 

this because of the larger benefits you’ll 

gain from it. 

MAWN: What are some examples of 

how you’ve leveraged these platforms 

to keep students motivated and moving 

toward their goals? 

LA: We had a testing with over a hundred 

people on Facebook live and an additional 

70 people on zoom. 170 people were in 

front of us virtually for a testing. Then later 

that day, we delivered their new belts to 

A Pillar of the Martial Arts Community, 

GM Arthur was Featured in MASUCCESS Magazine. 

the curriculum more in front of the camera 

which has worked for us and increased our 

income. We mentor the students and teach 

them what they need to do to become a 

real black belt , whether they are in class or 

at home! There is really no difference, just a 

wider audience. 

MAWN: As the crisis subsided, how 

did you leverage it’s conclusion to your 

advantage? 

During the COVID situation we actually 

increased our membership. 

GM Arthur Was an Avid and Accomplished Full 

Contact Fighter in the 1970’s 

their home. We also 

still used stripes for 

their different levels 

of achievement, and 

sent good job notes 

to tell them how 

wonderful they were 

doing. We still were 

awarding, servicing, 

and recognizing so 

everybody could still 

achieve their goals 

during a lockdown, 

but this easily translates 

to any situation. 

The “formula” for 

motivating, inspiring 

and educating 

your students hasn’t 

changed, just some 

of the “delivery” 

methods. 

MAWN: How 

should school owners 

be thinking about 

generating referrals, 

whether we’re in a 

boom or bust cycle? 

LA: We still encouraged 

students to invite friends, siblings, 

and parents to class, whether it’s ‘in person’ 

or in their own living rooms. 

We also encourage every student to 

make a bigger commitment to their program. 

Some are committing to a two year, 

three year, five year, or a six year program. It 

is actually very simple. We offered anybody 

a 96 month mastership program and included 

everything like a new uniform and all 

tests with a heck of a bargain on it so they 

can prepay for the whole program. Along 

with this they receive an evaluation every 

month, communication about what’s coming 

up and what they have done, and what 

they need to do to go to the next level. 

Our instructors have taught more 

classes and enthusiastically performing 

LA: We made a big deal out of ‘re-opening’. 

We essentially treated it like opening 

a new school. We ordered snipe signs and 

banners, for a grand reopening. We had 

special ‘open house’ days with free pizza, 

free entertainment and a demo, plus free 

uniforms. We gave every new student a 

free uniform if they come in that day. We 

continued on page 41 


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COVER STORY 

continued from page 39 

only spent a couple thousand dollars to 

make it happen, but what’s the potential of 

every student sitting down with a program 

director or you to talk about their future. 

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they can have free virtual training right now 

with you online, call them up. Talk about 

how they can reengage or recommit for 

longer term programs and ask people to 

prepay the program. Those who prepay, 

stay, and those who pay more, stay longer. 

Try to connect with them through a 

note, text, phone call, or Facebook messaging 

to get everybody to come back 

that week. Have a grand 

reopening day and then 

take it from there through 

the entire week. You might 

make up the difference 

you’ve lost in the last two 

or three months in one 

week. 

MAWN: That’s great! 

Can you tell us your approach 

to how you get your 

students and prospects 

thinking more long-term commitment wise? 

LA: First, we give a couple of free 

months for recommitting to their goal of 

black belt or second degree, third degree, 

fourth degree, mastership, or whatever 

level you want to take them to. In our program, 

the initial goal is reaching 4th Degree 

Black Belt. If the student is a child or a 

teen the chances are they’ll get at least a 

partial scholarship to college because high 

achievers are the type of people that get 

scholarships to college. 

Once you completed that program, 4th 

degree, we don’t charge them any more 

tuition because they won’t need a coach. 

They’re going to be one of our coaches. 

They’re going to learn how to be one of our 

instructors that goes a long way into a parent’s 

thinking. They realize, after I pay for 

this program, I’m all done. 

See, I want to keep students for 5 to 10 

years and have them become a fourthdegree 

black belt. Our goal is to keep 

people that long, and when you think 

about this goal it permeates how you 

enroll people from the intro, presentation, 

our tour, and etc. 

MAWN: If some students are still training 

virtually, how do you handle things like 

enrollment and upgrade conferences? 

LA: In essence, you do the SAME 

thing(s) you do in person. You want to replicate 

the presentation and ‘environment’ as 

An Early Member, and Black Belt with the ATA, Here, GM Arthur with ATA Co-Founder, the Late GM Richard Reed, and GM Bill Clark. 


COVER STORY 

GM Arthur Inducted into the “Who’s Who” Legends Hall of Fame 

closely as possible. First, just record yourself, 

taking someone through a presentation 

as if you’re talking to them directly. For 

this intro have someone’s interested watch 

that short video which might take five 

minutes. Then come back on live and teach 

them the introductory lesson that you normally 

teach. Be sure to share your screen 

with them and show them your values, how 

your program works, and what your prices 

are. Finally, give them an opportunity to go 

ahead and enroll in a program. 

Our closing ratios are about the same 

whether we’re doing it virtual or in person. 

It seems that 50% of your people are going 

to enroll. Our goal is to get 100 leads every 

month and we don’t wait for leads to come 

in, we go after our students, meet people, 

and invite them. 

MAWN: What advice would you give a 

school owner about customer service and 

satisfaction, regardless of the crisis? 

LA: Be “uncommon”. Your level of 

service has to enhance your students’ satisfaction. 

It’s not a one time thing, it has to 

be something you deliver consistently. See 

customer service has everything to do with 

your ability to make money. When you’re 

providing great customer service, you’ll get 

referrals from people telling their friends 

about you because you’re doing something 

that’s uncommon. All you have to do is 

think about how you might be treated at 

a fast food restaurant to realize that great 

customer service is uncommon, so strive to 

be uncommon with your service and it will 

pay off in a big way. 

We think of and treat each customer like 

a brand new girlfriend that we’re trying to 

impress. You let them know that you appreciate 

them. The more outgoing phone calls 

you make, the better your customer service 

is going to be because your effort leaves 

that kind of impression. We show them that 

we care about them enrolling as students. 

You know, your ability to sell is customer 

service. And we tell our instructors, if you 

can’t sell, you can’t stay. You must enroll 

people. 

MAWN: So you really take the lead in 

the process. Can you explain this a little bit 

more? 

LA: Of course, we work to get them to 

take a free month and to enroll on their 

first visit. We don’t let them decide what 

their enrollment process is going to be, 

we direct them. The more direct you are, 

the more direction you provide for new 

people and your students. You can’t cut 

anything short, follow the entire procedure. 

Use a script to enroll somebody because 

at this point you don’t have to memorize 

it anymore, you can practically read it to 

them online. You have to say exactly what 

is necessary so they will enroll and look 

forward to upgrading with you. We tell our 

students that the leadership program or a 

black belt program is something that we’ll 

talk to you about in a couple of weeks to 

see if it makes sense for you to set your 

goal to become one of our black belts. That 

means you’re going to set them down and 

talk to them about enrolling for a three-year 

program for a black belt program. 

We enroll them with the intent that 

you’re going to have a progress check to 

see if you can set your goal for a higher 

level of training. I’ve found that the constant 

contact stops their buyer’s remorse. 

A third party may try to make them feel 

like that could have gotten a better deal at 

the YMCA, but when you’re calling them, 

thanking them, sending them a small gift, 

sending them a card that says, you appreciate 

them, you’re building the relationship. 

Remember, the brand new girlfriend 

idea to build the relationship. Then it won’t 


COVER STORY 

matter what someone else says that they 

feel like they have a relationship with you. 

You might think they’re not actually at my 

school, but coming in is not necessarily 

better. Look at it this way, coming in is 

less convenient. Telling them they have 

to come four days a week, it’s not more 

convenient, It’s less convenient. So it can 

and does work. 

MAWN: What are your ideas for being a 

referral based school with it as a method of 

marketing? 

LA: We are a referral-based school. Part 

of the discipline I’m teaching them is how 

to act like a martial artist, how to act like a 

black belt. One aspect of this is encouraging 

them to bring their friends in. You have 

to know someone who trains at one of our 

schools and is able to enroll in our academy. 

So the point is to get people to understand 

that they need to bring their friends in as 

part of it. You know, we could advertise, but 

who knows, who would show up? We want 

people just like the ones we already have. 

MAWN: You mentioned discipline, 

which is an important aspect of training, so 

how is this handled? 

LA: The same as in the class, except if 

the cat or dog walks by, there’s no need to 

be concerned or make a correction related 

to that because it’s just part of the home 

life. But the code of conduct remains, “yes 

Sir, no Sir, yes Ma’am, and no Ma’am” are 

required. The etiquette, your proper greeting, 

when you walk into the room and the 

respect are all taught. They’re not, they’re 

not just something that you hope happens. 

You teach it to them and you hold them 

accountable to it. 

MAWN: Some owners struggle to 

correct technique and motivate students 

whether they are training in person, or virtually. 

What might you advise owners and 

instructors to do to help? 

LA: Again, remember the brand-new 

girlfriend principle. You should understand 

you are their hero, they want to be part 

of your class, they want you to call them 

by name, and to hear you praising them. 

We give a medal for the most outstanding 

student of the day, certificates for achievement, 

good job notes, and other forms of 

communication that makes them feel like 

they’re somebody to you. 

With regard to technique, you don’t 

have to correct their technique, per say, 

you have to care if they’re doing it wrong, 

reteach it the proper way. “Let me get that 

knee up higher.” “When my black belts 

do a sidekick, they chamber the knee like 

this…” and you show it to them and then 

they do it. You tell them how well they did 

it. That’s how we develop their self-esteem 

and their confidence. Understand that 

when we treat our students the way they 

need to be treated well, they’re going to 

love you for it. 

MAWN: Why do you think so many 

gyms, and other similar businesses failed 

during the COVID crisis, and how might 

that guide us through future challenges? 

LA: If we think of ourselves like Gold’s 

Gym then we won’t make it past times like 

that just as many of their gyms closed. In 

times like that, we have to lean in and be a 

bigger part of their lives. It comes down to 

what you think as the school operator that 

your relationship is with your students. If it’s 

like a gym membership, it won’t work, but 

if it is about relationship and development 

then you don’t even need a building for 

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COVER STORY 

that. The point is I could have a very successful 

karate school in my backyard and 

I don’t need a facility because I’m going 

to mentor you. I’m going to teach you the 

martial arts and the real value of what we 

do is our relationship. People appreciate 

that because you care about your students’ 

development. 

MAWN: Some school owners seem to 

have difficulty embracing ‘change’, how 

would you help them re-frame their thinking? 

LA: I’ll use Blockbuster as an example 

and say simply that they didn’t want to 

change their model, so they went out 

of business. Don’t be afraid of learning 

another way of doing things. We all can 

change and you have to change in order 

to grow. You still have to be proactive by 

inviting people to join your programs. We 

this new program? How do you, how do 

you think that program could be improved? 

As their mentor I talk about how they’re 

going to continue to grow and how I see 

them becoming one of my top black belts. In 

our case, we also tell everybody they’re going 

to become a great instructor. When you 

get your black belt, you’re going to become 

one of our top instructors. I can tell, I have 

an eye for things like this. I can tell when a 

student is ready for this type of training. We 

just let them know that I believe in them. 

You know before, the biggest challenge 

at these conferences was getting them 

to show up. Well, now on Zoom or digital, 

you’re in their living room, it’s easy to get 

them to show up. So it’s easier today to 

have one-on-one interactions with families 

than it ever has been in the past. 

Grandmaster Arthur Develops the Next Generation of Black Belts through His “Super Kicks” Organization. 

do the same presentation, with the same 

prices, still enrolling people, and upgrading 

people. 

MAWN: Especially in difficult times, the 

‘membership’ relationship we have with 

our students is a critical factor. What are 

your thoughts on student tuition contracts 

versus a month-to-month agreement and 

other structures? 

LA: My view is that we’re in the relationship 

business not a gym membership 

or rental type deal. It’s not about locking 

someone into a contract and suing them if 

they don’t pay you. What it does help you 

do though, is when times get tough, when 

Grandmasters Joe Corely and Lawerence Arthur 

disruptions happen, when things change 

in their life, your life, or the world in general 

now, instead of them just disappearing and 

you never know what happened to them, 

you can have a conversation. I see the 

contract as an agreement that the student 

is making a promise to complete this 

program. 

If a student really can’t pay, I try not 

to let them quit by offering more private 

classes and we give them more service. 

I’ve never sued anybody and I never will 

over this kind of thing. If they do quit, I send 

them a real nice letter that says, “I canceled 

your program. Here’s a gift certificate for 

$300. So if you ever want to come back 

in for private lessons, use it for your first 

couple of months for free classes. I know 

things change in life. I’ve always appreciated 

you. I want you to come back.” If people 

feel they owe you money, they will avoid 

you, but if they feel like you owe them 

money, they might come back. 

MAWN: You consider your schools to 

be “High Touch”, whether with virtual learning 

or in person; what do you mean by that? 

LA: When it comes to the actually working 

with your students. I’m a firm believer 

of doing a conference with my students at 

least once a month. I sit down with you and 

I know exactly what I’m 

going to say to you from 

the beginning. We’re 

going to talk to you 

about what you have 

experienced during the 

first month or during 

this last month. I want to 

hear your feelings about 

our program and what 

you’ve been experiencing 

during this virtual 

training program. It’s 

basically the progress 

check of finding out, 

not just what you have 

experienced, but it gives 

me a chance to thank 

you for being one of my 

students. It gives me a 

chance to ask him, what 

do you enjoy most about 

MAWN: So you mentioned earlier that 

you did testing examinations online and 

issue stripes and belts, how does that 

work for you? 

LA: As we taught during the week, 

we let them know that testing is coming 

up. They’ve already registered, prepaid, 

prepared for their test, and are ready for 

their graduation. All that’s the same, but 

we’re doing it online. One example might 

be where we do the testing of the student 

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COVER STORY 

Sharing His Passion for the Martial Arts Has Been GM Arthur’s Life Mission 

one-on-one right in their living room and 

give them a real evaluation on their curriculum. 

Then we tell them that you’re ready for 

the graduation, this coming Saturday. We 

follow a schedule that day. So on Saturday 

at 10:00 AM, we’ll do our little leaders. Then 

at 11 o’clock we’ll do the novice students 

and so on. The beginners, intermediate 

and advanced and no is sitting there 

through this whole thing waiting. 

They get their group, they come up and 

they do a small part of their graduation. 

It’s really more about recognizing them for 

their work. Let me see your forms. It’s not 

so much about me seeing their fighting 

combinations, self-defense techniques, or 

any of that stuff - I’ve already seen it all. The 

graduation is about coming together and 

being recognized in front of your peers. 

Then they can either pick up their belts 

and certificates between some specified 

afternoon hours, have them mailed, or they 

can get their belts delivered to their house 

when they can’t get out. 

MAWN: How did the COVID crisis make 

you think about handling tough times that 

your business might face in the future? 

LA: Actually, it made me think about a 

time in the past when there was a kind of 

economic boom and it seems that people 

got sloppy. Basically, you have to be 

prepared to be super profitable when it’s 

time to be super profitable, because bad 

times are going to happen. We’re going to 

have another scenario like this which might 

not be a disease, but we’re going to have 

another scenario a few more times in your 

lifetime. So you got to get geared up and 

Ovitate vendiantusda num volupti nctumen 

be ready. In those times if you really care, 

you have to know how you would handle 

those students that are having trouble? 

How would you handle those students 

that needed help? You just can’t close the 

doors cause then you can’t help anymore. 

MAWN: How does the development of 

future leadership take place in your school? 

LA: We have something we call our 

upgrade ninja. The leadership ninja is 

basically where we nominate people for 

upgrades. Essentially now we nominate 

people for the leadership program. They 

get a nice certificate and an application 

and a bunch of other stuff that they need to 

do in order to qualify. You’ve now qualified 

to apply for the leadership program. The 

leadership ninja sneaks to their house and 

delivers the certificate, a new uniform top, 

and a bunch of other gifts and leaves the 

stuff on the doorstep. 

MAWN: OK, it sounds like something 

that children would get very excited about. 

So can you further discuss you upgrade 

systems? 

LA: You’re right they do like it a lot. As 

far as upgrades to the next level we have 

a three-part process. First of all, we preframe 

that they’re going to be nominated 

if they make the grade. We give them 

some parameters on how they get to be 

there. Then we let them know when they 

have done what it takes and they’re going 

to make outstanding leaders. After the 

graduation, I’ll be sending a recommendation 

letter through one of our leadership 

ninjas. 

Next, we actually do a sit down virtual 

conference just like the monthly conference. 

We share our screen and show them 

our presentation book about what they 

have to look forward to, what it includes, 

and what it costs. This is better than having 

a website page where they can go to 

and sign up because it gives me or our 

staff the opportunity to handle objections 

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COVER STORY 

immediately. Enrollment takes place with 

credit card payment (which is available for 

future payments), they go to our enrollment 

agreement webpage to finalize the agreement 

and it’s a done deal. 

The next week we do a graduation. 

We’re going to do those evaluation sheets 

again. We’re going to talk to them about the 

date of their next belt test. We even write 

the date of their black belt test on their new 

belt so that when they get a belt, there’s 

a date on it if they continue following the 

procedures. We talk to them about what 

are the goals they have and our becoming 

an instructor program and their enthusiasm 

is through the roof. Now we take things to 

the next level by asking who are you going 

to bring to class with you. 

MAWN: So, now that the COVID crisis 

is past us, how have you been sustaining 

such impressive growth? 

LA: We just keep doing what we’ve 

been doing because it works no matter 

what the circumstances are. If your business 

is structured to be congruent with the 

fundamentals of human psychology, then 

the ‘core’ fundamentals don’t really change. 

Human behavior hasn’t changed much in 

10,000 years, and it’s not likely to change in 

the next recession, or real estate crash, or 

pandemic. So we’re in a position to exponentially 

grow our organization with lots of 

instructors with a spot set up in their house, 

whether it be in the, in the rec room or in 

their living room or wherever they’re teaching 

directly from their home. We can have 

lots of students from everywhere. still doing 

everything and 

making profit more 

than we were prior 

to the pandemic. 

I think that we 

have learned to be 

better at this and 

we would have 

nev--er done it had 

we not been given 

a dump truck load 

of limits. So we 

made lemonade for 

everybody out of 

the lemons dump 

on us. As a result, 

I know that our 

exposure is going 

to be bigger. We’re 

going to be creating 

instructors everywhere 

that could do 

the same thing. So 

I’m excited about 

the future. I know 

that what we’re doing 

is working, parents 

are loving it, 

students are happy, 

and income is good. I just see so many 

positives and I just endorse and love this 

new way of doing things and your whole 

life can change for the better because of it. 

Grandmaster Arthur Says, “Surround Yourself With Greatness”; Here Pictured with Grandmaster Do Hyun Chang, Grandmaster Bill Clark, and Grandmaster Randy Reid 


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SCHOOL PROFILE 

Kim’s Karate Adds an Additional 

$150,000 in Just Months 

Master Navid Shahraki has operated his Kim’s Karate location in Lanham, MD since 

1996. He teaches traditional Tae Kwon Do to about 100 students and about 85 

additional after school and summer camp students which generates more than half of 

his income. 

Master Navid Shahraki Lead His School Through an Astounding Growth Curve! 

In order to manage professionally, he has a staff of 12 (both part 

and full-time) to provide outstanding customer service. 

He uses a billing company to help him focus on recruiting more, 

because he used to spend an hour to an hour-and-a-half a day 

dealing with billing issues and trying to collect money. With the 

help of AMS, he no longer worries who paid and who didn’t pay, 

and can focus his attention growing his school. 

He also believes his management software has helped him get 

more organized. ATLAS Martial Arts Software not only keeps track 

of his student attendance and lets him know when an agreement 

is ready to be renewed, it also keeps track of his staff’s hours 

accurately for payroll. He estimates that the software saves him 

$500.00 to $600.00 a month that he used to pay when his employees 

just wrote down their hours instead of clocking in and out. 

Always on the lookout for ways to help his school grow, he acquired 

an Amazing Martial Arts Website about 6 months ago. It has 

worked extremely well for him, as his school website ranks at the 

top of Google when you search for Karate in Lanham, and when 

combined with the Facebook posts they provide for him, generates 

about 20 leads of new students a month. 

Since getting the website, he estimates he has enrolled about 

20 additional after school students just from the website, which 

translates to about $85,000.00 in extra annual income. In addition, 

he has enrolled about 40 new nighttime students just from 

the website, which translates to about $72,000.00 in extra income, 

for a grand total of over $150,000.00 in additional annual income 

in just the first 6 months. We’d say that’s pretty amazing. 

For more information on the website that generated such amazing 

results for Master Shahraki, go to 

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SCHOOL PROFILE 

Korea Taekwondo is Part of the 

New York City School System 

Master Regina Im’s Korea Taekwondo is the only one among thousands of martial 

arts schools in New York City with a contract as an educational vendor with the New 

York Department of Education. She leveraged that influence to establish strong and 

growing school. 

Master Im teaches Taekwondo as an enrichment program to students in the New York City School System. 

MAW: Master Im, would you mind filling us in on the history of 

this program? 

RI: There was a big opportunity given by the Korean Consulate 

– like maybe 2005 – when Taekwondo got accepted as physical 

education in Massachusetts. In 2008 they opened that information 

to the public through the Korean Consulate, so I attended a 

workshop and I realized that this would be a great opportunity for 

Taekwondo masters and the public schools. 

I collected the information from the Korean Consulate. . . . I was 

told that the grandmasters were trying to get into the New York 

City public school system for decades. When I eventually connected 

with a principal, no one else wanted to teach the course, 

so I ended up teaching the course myself with my two 

colleagues. 

We offered the program for free for one semester, 

in order to build the reputation and relationship. 

The next school year we taught in 5 

schools to prove that Taekwondo would work 

for New York City kids: Two of them were high 

schools, one of them was middle school, and 

two of them were elementary schools. 

The next semester we started getting 

paid from the principals. 

MAW: And this is for teaching 

one time a week for a 15-week 

Master Regina Im 

course? 

RI: Yes. This school year we taught in 17 different public 

schools. …we average about 7 schools per month. 

MAW: What advantages has this program had for your professional 

martial arts school? 

RI: In 2008 we really didn’t have anything . . . we didn’t have 

money for a school, but teaching in the public schools didn’t cost 

us anything (only time). After 2 years of teaching in the school 

system, we opened our Taekwondo dojang in 2010. Until 2015 our 

focus was only the public schools, so our dojang was very small – I 

had less than 100 students, maybe 900 square feet. 

MAW: And in 2015 you moved. How quickly did you grow 

after that? 

RI: When we moved, we had 70 students, because not everyone 

was able to come with us. We went from 900 square feet 

to 2,500 square feet and we have over 300 members now, and 

about 270 of them are active. 

MAW: What would you say is the key ingredient that separates 

your school from other schools and enabled you to become an 

educational vendor with the Department of Education? 

RI: We know what the school wants, we know what the principal 

wants, and we know what the kids need. We teach P.E. in charter 

schools where they don’t have a full-time P.E. Teacher. In regular 

schools we don’t call it P.E., we call it an enrichment program. If you 

visit our school website at http://ktkd.nyc there is a media kit that 

explains what we do for our New York City public schools. 

MAW: Thank you, Ma’am, for sharing your experience with us. 


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TEAMWORK 

10 Tactics for Building 

a Great Team 

by Hanshi Dave Kovar 

There are few things more important to 

the long term success of a martial arts 

school than having a cohesive team. 

When a team is working well together, 

more gets done and the process is 

more enjoyable. In essence, everybody 

benefits, most importantly 

your students. Below are 

10 tactics that will help you 

keep your martial arts team 

in the flow. 

1. Be Loyal to Those Not Present – No one likes to be talked 

about behind their back and we should not tolerate people 

talking bad to others in our presence. 

2. Do More Than Your Fair Share – We all appreciate working 

with someone that doesn’t say, “That’s not my job.” Develop a 

reputation for being someone that will do “Whatever it takes” 

to get the job done. 

3. Be Dependable – Get in the habit of being where you are 

supposed to be, when you are supposed to be there, and 

ready to do the job. 

4. Anticipate Your Partners Next Move – Good teammates 

rarely need to tell the person what to do next because their 

partner is already doing it. 

5. Be Flexible – Sometimes it is okay to do it someone else’s way. 

6. When Giving an Assignment, “Ask, Don’t Tell” – No one 

likes to be told what to do, but most everyone is glad to help 

out when asked. 

7. When Getting an Assignment, Have an “I’ll Be Glad To” Attitude 

– Be open to input. 

8. Practice Non-Judgment – We are all different, with varied 

strengths and weaknesses. Being judgmental undermines 

individuals. 

9. Pick Your Battles – The Pope says, “See Everything, Overlook 

A Lot, Correct A Little” – If you always have to be right, 

people will tend to resent you and be resistant to your ideas. 

10. When at Work, Put Your Game Face On – We all have 

personal challenges that we deal with on a regular basis, but 

when you get to work, leave them at the door. 

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. 


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practices, product reviews and innovative developments in 

the world of martial arts business. 

We are always on the look out for notable, engaging and 

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

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

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MIND MASTERY 

Becoming An Author (Part One) 

By Grandmaster Jessie Bowen 

Everyone has a Story; You Just Have to Get It Out 

Do you have a story? One of the most powerful things you can 

do is share your journey. My name is Jessie Bowen, President of 

Elite Publications and author of The Who’s Who in the Martial Arts 

Masters and Pioneers Biography Book Series. I have published 

over 20 books on martial arts, life success, and sports performance. 

I want to share how becoming an author can positively 

impact your life, especially martial artists. 

Do You Feel Called to Write a Book? 

You need to decide what kind of author you want to be. Perhaps 

you’ve always wanted to be a writer, and you are ready to tell 

your story to the world and earn the title of “author.” Maybe you’re 

enthusiastic about a particular subject and want to help others by 

sharing your knowledge. Regardless of your motivation, the issue 

remains the same: you want to learn how to write a book, preferably 

a bestselling one. 

First, I want to remove the myth that it takes forever to write a 

book. Second, you need a certain level of education and technology 

to write a book. On the contrary, to start writing a book, all you 

need is a desire; you don’t even need a pen and paper 

because of technology. Having software that does 

text-to-speech is one of the easiest ways to get 

started. Third, how do you decide what you want 

to write about? I have found the easiest way is to 

look at where you are now in life. 

What’s going on in your life right now? Are you 

solving a specific problem? Do you have 

a life-changing event that is happening 

in your life? Or maybe 

you have developed a 

system of doing something 

that would make someone 

else’s life easier. 

There are three primary 

reasons why someone 

would want to become 

an author: 

1. Something you always wanted to do. 

2. Support something you’re doing, such as seminars or training 

programs. 

3. Become a profit center where others will read for pleasure or 

solve problems. 

It doesn’t matter; you can write and publish in any of these 

areas; you have to start by knowing the outcome you want to 

achieve. You don’t have to start by writing an entire paper book. 

Instead, I recommend starting by creating an eBook. 

Whatever the cause, simply publishing a book might lead to 

new chances and openings. You might have a life experience that 

qualifies you as an expert in a certain field. I recommend starting 

with your goals and using them to help you narrow down your 

options. For a specific framework on how to do that, consider my 

book, “Become an Author for Martial Artists: The Art of Publishing.” 

The book breaks down all the advantages of finding a publisher or 

self-publishing. 

Become an author assignment. 

Step one: Answer the question of why you want to become an 

author. 

Step two: Decide whether your book will be a fiction or nonfiction 

book. 

Step three: Decide the audience you will be writing to. 

Step four: Decide the level of success you would like to have 

with your book. 

Remember the three reasons someone would write a book. 

Something they always wanted to do, to support something you’re 

doing, become a profit center. 

If you have questions, feel free to text or call me at 919-618- 

8075, email info@elitepublications.com, or order my Become an 

Author for Martial Artists Book (https://www.elitepublications.org/ 

product-page/become-an-author-for-martial-artist-by-jessie-bowen). 

To accelerate your knowledge on becoming an author, register 

for our online self-paced course, Become an Author. The course 

takes you step-by-step for writing and publishing your book 

amaaonlinetrainingcenter.thinkific.com/courses/Become-An-Author. 

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 

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GROWTH HACKS 

Social Media Advertising 

Confusion 

by Mr. Sean Lee 

This time I’d like to share about social media and marketing. There’s a lot of 

confusion. I work with hundreds of martial arts schools in the US, Canada, and some 

of them are international. It’s very typical for them to be confused when it comes to 

social media marketing. 

For example, when I ask, “How are you currently handling or 

doing social media marketing? They usually say something like, 

“We do social media marketing. We post to our social media channel 

three times every week.” In other words, they put something on 

their Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, or Instagram channel. 

Hmmm... 

When I ask about spending, they say, “What do 

you mean spending?” They may tell me about 

clicking to boost, but usually say, “We don’t 

spend the money on it.” If I ask, “How many 

leads do you generate every month?”, from 

what they’re calling social media marketing, 

they say one or maybe two. They say, “Sometimes 

they send a direct message to me.” 

Hmmm... 

This is what I’m talking about!! Posting something 

on your social media channel is 

not the complete idea. It’s a part of 

social media marketing, but many 

people get confused with posting 

and advertising. And the difference 

between posting and 

advertising has a huge gap. 

It is a totally different kind 

of thing and often people 

don’t know the difference. 

When you post something 

on your social 

media channel, it goes out to people who search for similar keyword 

content from whatever you posted. But with advertising, even 

if they don’t search, if they have shown any interest in martial arts 

or self-defense, they will be shown those kinds of advertisements. 

This requires paying something through your social media channel 

or digital marketing channel. Which is a big difference. 

If they don’t search for any posts on your social media channel 

your ad won’t reach people. Some schools have a couple 

thousand likes or followers on their social media channel, but it 

doesn’t mean they are prospects. Most people who click like or 

follow your channel are current members, parents, former parents, 

former students, and maybe a few are prospects, but they already 

have some sort of a relationship with you. You might even have 

their contact information. So you don’t even have to reach out 

through the social media channel. Sometimes there’s no opportunity 

there at all. 

By advertising for the same area you are in, you can reach out 

to more prospects. This means someone who has shown interest 

in the martial arts, self-defense, or kids activity can be reached. It 

will even be targeted by their age, income level, education level, 

and many other categories by pinpointing the advertising reach. 

By doing this you can reach out to them whenever they open their 

social media and show them what you’re offering when they are a 

match for the categories you have chosen. 

So that’s the big difference. You’re going to be able to reach 

out to people who don’t even know you, even though some might 

know you. Bottomline is that you are extending and expanding 

who you reach. 

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 

I Am Ready To Learn 

and Advance 

by An-Shu Stephen Hayes 

I have seen people enroll in a martial arts course for the purpose of learning things 

that they want and need and do not yet know, and then display displeasure when they 

are given guidance as to how to learn what it is they want to learn. 

“Flex those knees deeply and see what that does for increased 

power.” Grim frown and tightened shoulders. “Sorry”. Huh? Sorry? 

You are taking lessons for the purpose of learning new stuff, and 

you are “sorry” when you demonstrate that you do not yet know 

that stuff you came in to learn? 

When you do something wrong and someone you 

trust points that out, the only proper reply is, 

“Thank you! I’ll work on that.” The most pointless 

thing to say is, “I’m sorry.” 

If you see feedback as helpful and are 

excited about gaining new skills and knowledge, 

you will be happy to learn what is 

blocking your goals and what can be done 

to improve your efforts to attain what you 

want. Sure, it may sting to hear that you 

are not already the perfect package, and it 

would be so much easier if you already had 

what you wanted and did not have to be open 

to change. But seeking information and guidance 

for ever improving skill is the 

path of the best of masters. 

Of course you have the 

option to disagree with 

any feedback. The 

more you practice 

listening to advice 

from others, the 

more skillful you 

will become at 

discerning what 

is helpful and what is not. Not every advice-giver is worth listening 

to. But you will never grow if you consider skill-yet-unearned as a 

flaw and feedback as criticism. 

My top students crave my advice. They pressure me to show 

them their “areas for growth” (polite term for “mistakes” and 

“goof-ups”). They are so powerful that they no longer need me 

as some Dad figure to pat their heads and coo only praise. They 

want to know how to get what I have gotten, and do what I can do, 

and they are impatient if they suspect my feedback is softened to 

pablum for the delicate system of a newborn. 

“I am working on _____ and I feel I could be doing it better; 

what is one aspect that I should be improving more effectively?” 

– asked with an ardently probing face – is the question I love the 

most as a teacher. It gives me full permission to offer the best of all 

guidance without having to guess whether or not real input – as 

opposed to reassuring praise alone – is truly desired. 

And then I love to hear, “Thank you. I’ll work on that.” 

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 


Photo (right) by JackF

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AFTER SCHOOL EXCELLENCE 

A Real Life Education 

By Grandmaster Mike Bugg 

I read an article a long time ago in an issue of Newsweek entitled “The Boy Crisis” that 

reported that boys did not want to go to school. This is a huge issue in our country. 

Education is the answer for our children’s future, which is our 

country’s future. If boys don’t want to go to school, what kind of 

future will we have? 

Fortunately, we have four types of educational systems in our 

society, and only one is Academic Education. Academic Education 

is the learning of knowledge through a combination of teachers 

and textbooks, which is our current school system. Academic Education 

gives us knowledge to apply in the professional world. 

The second is Social Education. Social Education is the accumulation 

of practical knowledge we get from friends and acquaintances. 

The third is Family Education. Family Education is the foundation 

of all four educational systems. We accumulate the first bits 

of knowledge from our family, which include discipline, honesty, 

integrity, responsibility, morality, values, and most importantly, the 

difference between right and wrong. 

The fourth is Self-Education. Self-Education is gathering 

knowledge by teaching ourselves. 

Martial Arts training is first and foremost Family 

Education. Personally, I love to teach adults, but I 

also love to teach children because they will be the 

future leaders. In our modern society, there are 

too many children in desperate need of the martial 

arts because they come from broken homes and 

are lacking strong role models, which means 

they are lacking the foundational values that 

we teach as martial artists. The AMS Kids 

program is the answer because it gives us the 

ability to be that strong influence. 

Without the knowledge our staff 

couldn’t make it happen. The AMS Kids 

monthly support pack makes all the 

difference in the world. The support 

packet is a monthly guide 

that is written by martial arts 

educators, and the activities 

are designed hour-by-hour and 

day-by-day to develop a balanced child. During the school day 

they learn reading, math, history, and science (Academic Education). 

In the AMS Kids After School Program they learn physical fitness, 

mental fitness, moral fitness and life fitness which is Real-Life 

Education. 

In addition, the AMS Kids program gives my school financial 

security for my adult programs. Most important of all, it helps me 

develop future leaders for my community. 

You see, I am fortunate to have been teaching martial arts long 

enough to have some of my former children and teen students as 

CEOs of our branch schools today. I fully expect these leaders of 

today to surpass me because the teaching tools I had are much 

better than the teaching tools available when I was coming up 

through the ranks. 

Our academic school system is only part of the equation. 

We, the martial arts schools, must provide a safe Social Education, 

a sound Family Education, and encouragement toward lifelong 

Self-Education for our children. The best way to provide these 

services to our communities for the future of our nation is through 

after school martial arts programs, and the 

best after school martial arts program is 

the AMS Kids. It provides a 

total, Real-Life education. 

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. 


Photo (right) by AndreyKaderov

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PILLARS OF SUCCESS 

Look Like Successful People! 

by Grandmaster Y. K. Kim 

There’s more to you than meets the eye, that changes what you see: The way you 

apprehend the world will change what you will be. 

When you look with just one eye, your bias will control: You only 

see your point of view, and cannot see the whole. When you look 

with both your eyes, assessments can be thin; you only 

see the surface view and not the depth within. Your 

third eye gives you X-ray vision to see the truth 

inside and help you make the right decision and 

be your lifetime guide. 

Successful People Have an Open 

Mindset 

Look with three eyes (like an MRI): You 

can see what other people can’t see. You will 

see endless possibilities and opportunities for 

reaching your highest potential. 

Look positively: Look for the silver lining in 

every cloud. You can open the door to take every 

opportunity. 

Look wisely: See both the valuable and 

the worthless sides of things. You will 

gain the right information. You can 

take advantage of opportunities, 

handle any situation, and make 

important decisions. You 

can create an unimaginable 

future. 

Look sincerely: See the 

big picture and perspective 

– what other people 

can’t see. Success will be 

yours. 

When you see with 

three eyes – look positively, 

wisely, and sincerely 

– you will be an exceptional 

visionary. 

Failures Have a Closed Mindset 

Look negatively, carelessly, or stupidly with one eye, and you 

will set up your own roadblocks to personal and professional 

success. On top of that, you can see only one side of things; you 

become biased and make wrong decisions on important matters. 

When you look with two eyes, you can see only the surface, not 

the values or rubbish under the surface. You will gather incomplete 

information and make mistakes in important decisions. You will 

close the door to opportunities. 

Can you look like successful people? 

1. Intentionally look with three eyes (X-ray vision) until it becomes 

a habit. Right away, you will see a different world. 

2. Keep your dreams alive and practice The 5 Pillars of True Success 

until it becomes your habit. It will endow you to look like 

successful people. 

*This is an excerpt from the book The Five Pillars of True Success 

in the section on The Top 10 Successful Habits 

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. 


Photo (right) by Jun

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THE WAY OF THE SAMURAI 

Combative Weapons Q & A (Part 4) 

by Shihan Danna Abbott 

The Japanese Art of Chanbara Promises Safe Sparring for All Martial Artists 

Q: Best Techniques 

Head shots vs. body shots 

To the Japanese the head shot was the most sought after strike 

which gives most combatants a closer feeling of “the spirit of the 

thing”. All kendo and sword arts in Japan start out with the Mein 

or head strike, and then work the other parts of the body as the 

student becomes proficient. As a sword instructor, your job would 

be to get hit by all your students. Because if they cannot hit you 

correctly who can they hit correctly? This is also called a “physical 

game of chess” therefore; all strikes to the body or head have to 

be perfected. The legs are easy to hit!! As with the arms. 

Q: Slashes: what are they? 

Slashes still use the basic 5 strike areas, 

which are mostly all slashes. 80 to 90 

percent of the time are slashes or cuts. 

Q; Thrusts: what 

are they? 

Tsuki or the 

thrust has the head, 

neck, chest and are 

incorporated into various 

techniques. Again, 

a thrust tends to open up 

your defenses and have a 

greater chance to be put 

into difficulty. Therefore, 

one needs to add an 

additional 30% of 

speed and agility to 

the technique to get in 

take the shot and get out 

without being hit with a 

counter attack. 

Q: What is the role of footwork? 

A very important 

aspect and 

I could explain 

this for hours. 

The art of the sword 

is very fast and minute 

telegraphing from the body 

opens your defenses. Therefore, it 

is best to get into the opponent’s circle 

of influence without moving one’s 

upper body. All stances are basic 

kendo stances, which enable the 

combatant to attack at distances up 

to 10 feet without body language or 

telegraphing. 

The Japanese explain this 

by saying; have one foot always 

in front of the other and never cross 

over your feet like one does with walking. Most always have your 

right foot forward and your left foot in the back and inch forward, 

sideways, backwards until you get into their circle and then attack. 

If you do this correctly you will never trip, fall and or slip. 

Q: One-handed techs vs. two-handed techniques? 

All combatants should be proficient with both hands. Just in 

case one is lost. And of course, there are thousands of techniques. 

Go to our web site and check out the PDF files on how to handle 

the sword at www.samuraisports.com. As a general rule one 

handed techniques are faster and two-handed techniques are 

stronger. Both one and two-handed techniques are a must in 

the Japanese sword. This still all relates to chanbara where one 

country might encourage one-handed techniques and another 

might encourage two-handed techniques. Who is better? Go to a 

chanbara tournament and test the technique. 

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. 


Photo (right) by master1305

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EXTRAORDINARY MARKETING 

Wealth vs. Lifestyle (Part 1) 

by Grandmaster Stephen Oliver 

Let’s start with a few basic definitions: 

Revenue or Gross Revenue: How much total cash comes 

through your business on a monthly, quarterly, or yearly basis. 

Income or Net Income: How much you have available to you 

personally after ALL of the regular business expenses have 

been paid. 

Wealth: How much in REAL assets you have accumulated. This 

includes: Equity in real estate, stocks and bonds, cash on hand and 

other truly valuable assets. Lifestyle: The quality of your life now. 

This includes factors such as leisure time, travel, where you live, 

the quality of the furnishings, what you drive and how much real 

enjoyment you get our of life. 

Now let’s talk about reality. School owners love to brag about 

three things: Number of students, Size of their school, Their 

GROSS revenue. 

It’s really interesting to watch. Get ten 

school owners together and watch them talk 

about themselves — and let the lying begin. 

Student active counts are the most 

exaggerated number of them all. With 

that being said, all of these numbers give 

you a small piece of the picture of their 

school and their business, but really none 

of them individually are of much interest 

to me. 

Example 1: I have one close 

friend. His claim to fame was 

1,000 students. But guess 

what? He was grossing in 

the range of $35,000 per 

month (scary huh?), and 

had a huge rent, payroll 

and other expense 

numbers. Many of these 

students were not really 

very solid — they just kind 

of came when they pleased 

and got rolled into the 

active count for show. My 

friend worked 8 a.m. – 10 

p.m. daily and weekends, and had a huge renewal and retail push 

on Thanksgiving Day. 

Example 2: Another friend told me he had 450 active. Most 

were kickboxing students on punch cards. They attended sporadically, 

and as long as they came in at least monthly, they were 

considered an active student. He grossed about $7,500 per month 

in an 8,000-square-foot facility. 

Example 3: I walked into a very small school owned by an 

acquaintance. Asked what the active count was — he said they 

had enrolled 1,400. When I asked for clarification, that turned 

out to be the number of enrollments that the school had done 

in the 12 years it had been open. I asked how many ACTIVE students 

they have, the owner replied that they had 450 students 

“on programs.” Upon further questioning, I learned that meant 

anyone who’s program had not expired (i.e.: I signed them to 

Black Belt three years ago; they paid in full; dropped out two 

months later; and have one year to go before their program “expires) 

counted. I then asked how many were actively attending. 

They had no idea! 

Example 4: A very successful friend, with multiple schools 

and several locations grossing $35,000 to $40,000 each, and 

I compared financials. In five schools I grossed what he did 

in three, HOWEVER, my average rent was $2,700 — his was 

$6,500. My average school had two full-time employees and 

two part-time. His average school had five full-time employees. 

Well the bottom line was — my bottom line was really 

good. He had to put $45,000 into his operation to keep it 

operating smoothly. 

Example 5: A friend runs a nice little, but somewhat mundane, 

operation. His gross is always OKAY — not spectacular. 

His school only enrolls about eight new students per month, 

and his curriculum, frankly, bores me. However, he built his own 

building several years ago and started making double payments. 

He owns it outright now. That is: No rent, no mortgage 

payment and LOTS of equity. His nice little school runs at close 

to 50% net. Enough for a new Mercedes every couple of years, a 

few really nice vacations, and he really likes $300 shoes, so he 

buys them whenever he wants — and, don’t forget the net-worth 

he has built!. Don’t let impressive numbers or an impressive 

facility fool you. 

GRANDMASTER STEPHEN OLIVER, 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. 


MASTERING MODERN BJJ 

Blue Belts, Part 1 

By Master Carlos Machado 

The old saying goes like this: “A blue belt is a white belt who survived the odds!” 

And what are the odds to navigate from a lame rookie to 

someone who knows where not to go when it comes to BJJ? 

Yes, that’s right: when it comes to knowledge, a white 

belt is a blind person in a dark room with a candle lit. 

He can’t even see a cockroach lurking in the corners. 

It’s all dark, except near the shy brightness where 

the candle is. 

Any small breeze can blow it out, like a 

novice mishap in the beginning. A small 

injury, improper intensity, or poor teamwork 

or instructorship can easily steer a 

rookie astray from blue belt-hood. 

Not to say that the average lifespan 

of a membership often dwindles past 

the tenth month. And, for those unaware, even 

on a fast track, it takes more than that to graduate 

from white to blue belt. 

So, here come the tough questions: 

what does it mean to be 

blued? 

And, more importantly, 

what does it take to 

become one? 

The answer may 

scare some; possibly 

thin out the crowd. 

And also demystify 

taboos, or to say 

loud and clear, to 

cut the BS! 

First and 

foremost, how do 

we define what 

it means to get 

blued (become 

a blue belt)? Let’s 

get to the three aspects to focus on. 

First, the student understands that knowing a technique is not 

enough to ensure it will be successfully executed. The way we answer 

that is by adding strategy and core goals. For example, when 

explaining the guard from the bottom, we emphasize first retention 

(how long before being passed), angles (ability to create imbalance 

for reversals), and closing gaps (ability to control and latch onto 

different joints, for squeeze and twisting maneuvers). They understand 

that it will be positioning before submitting. 

Secondly, becoming aware of positioning the body first leaves 

the clue as to how to get from where you are to where you want to 

end up. 

They start with “the end in sight”! 

There is no more reason to rush, just fight inch by inch. It is 

gradual before it becomes sudden. That teaches them about 

patience and pacing. 

Thirdly and finally, it is not what you want, but how you break 

down the steps towards your goals. White belts are often spastic 

and erratic, for lack of both knowledge and experience. They can’t 

foresee or calculate, much less anticipate an opponent’s moves. 

They go 100 miles per hour until the gas tank empties out in the 

middle of a desert. 

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. 


Photograph by hanzl

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NEXT LEVEL STRATEGY 

The Art of Making A Mistake 

Taking from Rich Dad’s Guide to Investing by Rob Kiyosaki. 

by Shihan Allie Alberigo 

Instead of instructing his son and me to avoid mistakes, rich dad taught us the art of 

making a mistake and gaining wisdom from it. 

During one of those lessons, rich 

dad said, “The first thing that happens 

after you make a mistake is that you become 

upset. Everyone 

I know gets upset. 

That is the first 

indication of a 

mistake, “Said 

rich dad. “At this 

point of upset, 

you find out who 

you really are.” 

What do you 

mean, “Who you really are?” Asked 

Mike. “Well at a moment of upset, 

we become one of these characters, 

“rich dad said, going 

on to describe the cast 

of characters who are 

brought to center 

stage when upsets 

from mistakes occur. 

The Liar. The liar 

will say such things 

as: “I didn’t do that.” 

Or “No,no,no. IT wasn’t 

me.” Or “I don’t know how that 

happened.” Or “Prove it.” 

The Blamer. The blamer will say 

such things as: “It’s your fault, not 

mine.” Or “If my wife didn’t spend 

so much money, I would be better 

off financially.” Or “I would be rich if I 

didn’t have you kids.” Or ‘The customers 

just don’t care about my products.” Or 

“Employees just aren’t loyal anymore.” Or 

‘You weren’t clear in your instructions.” 

Or “It’s my boss’s fault.” 

The Justifier. The justifier Says things 

such as: “Well, I don’t have a good education 

so that is why I don’t get ahead.” 

Or “I would have made it if I had had 

more time.” Or “Oh, I really didn’t want to 

be rich anyway.” Or “Well, everyone else 

was doing it.” 

The Quitter. The quitter says things such as: “I told you that it 

would never work.” Or “This is too hard and it’s not worth it. I’m going 

to do something else easier.” Or “Why am I doing this? I don’t 

need this hassle.” 

The Denier. Rich dad often called this person “the cat in the 

litter box.” Which means this person tends to bury his or her mistakes. 

The person who denies that he or she has made a mistake 

often says things such as: “No, there is nothing wrong. Things are 

fine. Or “mistakes? What mistake?” Or “Don’t worry. Things will 

work out.” 

Rich dad said, “when people are upset due to a mistake or 

accident, one or more of these characters will take over their mind 

and body. If you want to learn and gain wisdom from this priceless 

mistake, you have to let The Responsible You eventually take control 

of your thinking. The Responsible You will eventually say, “what 

priceless lesson and I learn from this mistake?” 

Rich Dad went on to say, “If a person says, ‘What I learned is that 

I’ll never do this again,’ ‘I’m glad that happened because I learned 

this or that from the experience.’ Besides, people who avoid mistakes 

or waste mistakes never see the other side of the coin.” 

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. 


Photo (top middle) by Sergei Chuyko

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COMPLETE MARTIAL ARTS CONCEPTS 

10 Principles to Become Great 

at Sparring (Part 1) 

by Professor Willie “The Bam” Johnson 

1. Take your time 

A key factor in free-style sparring or any type of fighting is 

taking your time--not searching for immediate gratification like our 

society teaches us. For example, you might try a new combination 

that does not give you the immediate results you want, but by being 

patient and working repetitions, you will find a successful way 

to use it. There is no use in throwing a fast and strong technique 

if it is not right in there when your opponent opens himself up. A 

slower fighter will always beat a faster fighter with good timing. 

Timing involves a decision to execute a technique when the moment 

is right without any hesitation. 

2. Develop your footwork 

Footwork is a key factor in free-style sparring. 

Getting from point A to point B as fast as possible 

is crucial so, you must master your footwork pattern. 

Work your system over and over in order to 

establish a solid base. 

4. Be aware of your surroundings 

When sparring, you must not only be aware of your range of 

combat but your opponents as well. Continue to remain extremely 

alert to your opponent’s actions while not being frozen by tension. 

You will be amazed at what you can see when you have expanded 

your space to include your opponent and have accepted him into 

it. 

5. Practice being universal 

In sparring it is easy to develop favorite techniques and use 

them all the time. BEWARE! Certain things will work only on certain 

people. You must become a universal fighter, adapting and moving 

in rhythm to your opponent’s movements. This must be applied in 

techniques, footwork, target, and thinking. Use no patterns at all, 

just action and reaction. 

3. Learn from confrontation 

In order for you to grow past 

your fears, you must confront 

them straight on. Everything 

in martial arts comes right 

down to this idea of confrontation 

or facing up to 

something. Your first time 

out in free sparring, for example, 

you might get swept 

on your back and kicked. 

To become a great fighter, 

it is necessary for you to 

evaluate what happened, 

confront your weak areas, 

and build from them. 

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. 


Photo (right) by OSTILL

THE MILLIONAIRE SMARTS COACH 

Free Yourself From 

Too Much Stuff (Part 1) 

By Lee Milteer 

A great universal secret of prosperity is passing along to others those things you no 

longer need. The more things you give away – and this also goes for the more love, 

appreciation, and praise you give away – the world will surprise you by increasing 

your prosperity in all areas of your life. 

When you move things, people, or situations that no longer 

serve you out of your life, you’re clearing the way for what you do 

want. It’s difficult to know what you do want until you get rid of 

what you don’t want, or what is no longer working. I SUGGEST you 

create a sign from this motto: 

If it doesn’t serve a purpose, have meaning or 

monetary value—out it must go! 

I suggest starting off small. Create a 

spot in your daily schedule where you 

could pick a drawer of some kind and 

just clean it out. Throw away unusable 

items and donate what you 

don’t need. Just 15 minutes at the 

start or end of your day. You’ll see 

great progress in a short time. 

I also schedule with my staff 

and family a get-togetherand-throw-away 

day once 

a month. WE all take 

a few hours to pick a 

closet, workspace, bedroom, 

garage to focus 

on, to get in the mindset 

of less is more. Here 

are some tips to help 

you get started with this 

on-going project: 

1. Have big baskets, bins, or large strong boxes at the ready. 

Label them STORAGE, SELL, DONATE, THROW AWAY, and 

RECYCLE. 

2. Stand up while going through items as much as possible or 

you will find yourself going down rabbit holes reading things 

and getting distracted. 

3. Put a timer on for at least 15 minutes or more and inform everyone 

you are busy freeing your life from Life-Draining items. 

4. Have Fun! I have a Game you can play, so stay tuned for that. 

Happy Releasing! 

Up Next: Part 2 of Free Yourself from Too Much Stuff 

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. 

Vist www.milteer.com 


Photo (right) by Drazen Zigic

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BUDO PHILOSOPHY 

A World of Pigeons and Hawks 

by Shidoshi Alfredo Tucci 

My teacher of yesteryear, José María Sánchez Barrio, divided the humans, almost half 

a century ago (when the wolf began to show his “little leg” under the door), between 

hawks and pigeons. What a perfect fable! 

Predatory hawks eat pigeons, which are more and feed basically 

on anything. In their flight here and there, pigeons, the symbol 

of peace where they are, would eat anything ... and they screw up 

everything ... while hawks, ruthless predators, eat pigeons trying to 

control their infinite proliferation. 

Rich and poor are well portrayed by this contemporary Aesop. 

One percent of the population own 80 percent of the 

wealth and a large part of these people have 

learned to camouflage themselves behind 

generous donations, philanthropy, foundations, 

while they take the thick part of the 

cake to tax havens. It’s normal for people to 

be pissed off. And it’s not for nothing. 

But don’t kid yourselves, 

proportions between hawks and 

pigeons could hardly change, 

because then the balance would 

be broken, therefore, stick your 

communist nightmares up wherever 

they fit, because they don’t work; and 

not because History tells us so, or 

because I, who am nobody, write 

it so, but because Nature so dictates. 

And nobody can keep an 

all-or-nothing bet to Nature for 

a long time because, as 

Lao Tse would say, “it 

does without doing 

and acts effortlessly.” 

We are, however, in an era of polarization, of extremisms, where 

Fire Energy consumes everything and exceeds postures making 

that opposites face each other in irreconcilable positions. Hawks 

are less in number and greedier, and their opposites, pigeons, 

are more numerous and are getting high, there is revolution in the 

farm! Pigeons, that advocated peace, are making the war and now 

hawks, dressed as lambs, invoke peace: Reversal of energy and 

roles! Behold another sign of the times! 

Pigeons sponsor ecology; hawks, consumption. However, 

the main problem of ecology is 

unfortunately summarized 

in a single sentence, 

which nobody 

wants to 

pronounce: “We are 

too many.” The only plague 

on the planet is called 

mankind and if someone 

wants to rattle that cat, he’s 

way off! 

Before, these things were only fixed by wars and today, with 

the nuclear button active and in several hands, the threat of total 

annihilation has those hands busy in continuous zonal skirmishes, 

which do not cause however sufficient casualties to make up for 

the birth of so many people, but they encourage mass migrations. 

Pigeons cry out against pollution and wave the climate change 

as their banner ... What a paradox! Pigeons, that screw it all up, are 

proclaiming the planet’s extreme defense, when the true definition 

of pollution is “much of something in the same place”. Look at 

yourselves in the mirror! 

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. 


Photo (pigeon) by natrot. Photo (hawk) by SteveMcsweeny.

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MASTER THE BASICS 

Innovative Instruction 

by Master Tina Bane 

Too many martial arts schools chase students away with harsh instruction. The modern 

martial arts school is not a boot camp where we have six weeks to prepare young 

soldiers for life-and-death situations. Instead, we are preparing children and adults 

to live long and healthy lives in a civilized society that, unfortunately, encourages 

unhealthy habits and celebrates low-class character. 

Martial arts training can provide a more positive direction 

for our students in a fun, exciting, and intellectually 

stimulating format. Why chase students away imitating 

an out-dated and inappropriate style of instruction, when 

you can create an instructional style that inspires them to 

bring all of their friends? Don’t we want our students to 

stay for longer than six weeks? 

Here are some tips to help you develop life-long 

students: 

First, strengthen your beginner’s class. 

Beginner’s class is the most important 

class in martial arts training because it is 

the foundation of martial arts, and it gives 

us direction in our lives. If you don’t have a 

good beginner’s class, it won’t matter 

how good your other classes are, 

because students will quit before 

they ever get to move up. 

Second, develop a six week 

rotating curriculum. Focus on 

one aspect of your curriculum 

each week for six weeks, so 

students have enough time 

to practice their skills, but 

also have variety from week 

to week. Plus, there are lots 

of ways to vary your instruction 

from day to day within each week to 

keep things interesting. I recommend 

going through two complete six week 

cycles between belt tests. 

Third, help students set short-term, mid-term, and long-term 

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. 

Finally, make sure they get a good physical sweat and a good 

mental sweat in each class. They will become healthier, stronger, 

and more confident while releasing stress and learning valuable 

lessons they can apply to their everyday lives. The more immediate 

benefits they receive, the more necessary your classes will become 

in their lives. 

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. 


Photo (right) by JackF

INSTRUCTIONAL EXCELLENCE 

The Value of One-Step 

by Grandmaster Tim McCarthy 

Some people say that one-step sparring is impractical, because in the street no one 

throws one technique and then stays there frozen waiting for you to counter. 

Although it’s true that one-step isn’t a real self-defense situation, 

I believe it is an effective way to teach real world self-defense. 

I believe those who say it is impractical are thinking as fighters, 

not teachers. Teachers look to break the lessons down into small, 

digestible bites for their students, and then assemble those bites 

into a mouthful, then a full meal. 

When you teach any technique, you can show it and hope 

your students can copy your motions, or you can break the 

motions down into steps, to help the student understand. For 

example, teaching a stepping punch might start with 

teaching a front stance. Once the student understands 

the foot and leg positions and the weight 

distribution of the stance, you can show him how 

to step forward from one front stance to another. 

Once he is comfortable and reasonably proficient 

at stepping forward, you can teach him to 

step backwards. 

Next, you would teach the punch. Where does 

the punch start? What is the hand position? Does 

the punch travel in a straight line? How do the 

bones line up during the motion? Where does 

the punch land (low, middle, or high)? 

What is the hand position and bone 

alignment when it ends? 

Once the student can punch 

proficiently, you might teach a 

high block in the same manner: 

Where does it start? What is the 

hand position? Etc., until he is 

reasonably proficient in blocking. 

Then you would combine 

the stance with the hand motion: 

Step forward and high 

punch, step backward and 

high block. 

Up to this point, all techniques are done in the air. They provide 

good exercise for the muscles to develop strength, perhaps cardio-vascular 

fitness if you practice a lot of repetition, plus coordination, 

and balance. Your student is getting a good physical work-out 

but has not had any actual self-defense practice, yet. 

Using one-step sparring is a very controlled environment to 

move from practice in the air to practice on a partner while minimizing 

the chance of injury. You choose two partners that are a good 

match physically and temperamentally, have them face each other, 

and explain that side A will step and high punch, while side B will 

step back and high block. Ask both to move slowly and deliberately 

so they learn to coordinate with each other. Then, let side B step 

and high punch while side A steps back and high blocks. Going 

slowly should prevent anyone from getting punched in the face. 

Once they have the motions learned, they can begin learning to 

judge the speed of their partner. Ask them to increase the speed 

of the attack gradually, so they can both learn to block a faster 

and faster punch. At this point we are teaching self-defense, albeit 

in a very controlled situation. At the same time we are teaching 

discipline and cooperation. The students learn to move only on 

command, only using the single technique with a specific partner. 

We are still a long way from practical self-defense, but we are making 

progress rather safely. 

With more experienced students you can add multiple techniques 

and even counters to techniques to make the situation 

more realistic. You can also move from strict stances to comfortable 

street stances on the way to limited sparring (only certain 

attacks or only a limited number of attacks.) 

Of course, it’s easier to just show them a technique and let them 

fight. I personally believe the students are paying for instruction, not 

just an opportunity to fight, so I choose to spend more time teaching 

proper technique. I also believe in teaching self-discipline and 

cooperation for the values they supply outside of fighting. One-step 

sparring provides a way to combine all of those benefits while developing 

an arsenal of practical, effective self-defense techniques. 

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. 


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MARTIAL ARTS PHILOSOPHY 

My Journey With The A.O.K and 

Golden Greek (Part 2) 

By Sensei Gary Lee 

Texas had a mysterious mystique of Fighting, you could really fight in Texas Karate 

events. I know I didn’t think like others, my mindset was different, I was ignorant. I 

really thought that in Texas I could hit opponents many, many times without ever 

getting arrested, that was my personal mindset. 

I lost the “Golden Greek” 8 years in a row, sometimes by 

just a couple of points from 1981-1989. I quit the A.O.K. when 

I got extremely frustrated after losing the “Golden Greek” all 

those years and started competing in the U.S.A.F., S.O.C.K., 

U.S.K.A., T.N.T.N.B.L., N.A.S.K.A., K.R.AN.E., wherever I 

could fight. Have Black Belt Will Travel. 

My life changed, I got picked up by Bernie Pops Krasnoo 

and the Sherman Oak Raiders National Karate Team 

for Twelve Years. Mr. Roy D. Kurban’s Letter to Delmonte 

Corp in Hawaii motivated me. I got full 

Sponsorship from Hawaiian Punch 

and wore their slogan on the back 

of my uniforms, “How About a Nice 

Hawaiian Punch”. 

Then I got another sponsor and 

I drove an Infiniti Car out of Japan so when 

they came to America they sponsored me 

for five years. Disneyland, Dollywood, Magic 

Mountain, Astroworld, Kids Expo amusement 

Parks were all my gigs - I was 

a professional entertainer and 

I loved it. 

Then the phone 

call came that would 

change my life. A call 

came from Wade 

Kirkpatrick, 

Texas Karate 

Champion. He called to tell me he wanted to earn the “Golden 

Greek” and how important it was for his resume as a Texas 

Fighter. He asked if I would pursue it in the Senior Division. It 

was now 1997 and I had no desire for “The Golden Greek”. It had 

eluded me for 17 years and I was there when it was created. I had 

already gone though that humiliating phase of my career and had 

no desire to even deal with the A.O.K. 

Bringing back those memories of defeat was not what I wanted. 

Also this is when I was creating the beginnings of the National 

Sport Karate Museum. I had created this and I did not want to deal 

with politics and fight in a league that I had already been through, 

it was just not something I wanted to do. It was not going to happen, 

not at this part of my career. 

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. 


Photo (right) by Burak Ceyhan

MANAGEMENT EXCELLENCE 

3 Marketing Tips for Summer 

Camp Success 

by Grandmaster Kirk Pelt 

In marketing for your summer camp, there are proven tactics that have worked 

very well for our schools that I strongly recommend to other school owners. 

These strategies have worked time and time again for many 

schools regardless of their size or location. If you put them to 

practice, I’m sure you’ll have the same success and maybe even 

surprise yourself with record breaking numbers! 

First and foremost, you must promote to your current 

members. You should be promoting to them with an early 

registration special. It’s still early even though it’s 

not real early enough because people haven’t 

made their final decisions yet. Plus, tax season 

is approaching which must be considered as 

part of this. They’re primed for you to be able 

to set your program up with an early registration 

special with a discounted rate, a lower 

registration, or a no registration, depending 

on how you set it up. 

You must also explain the value. This is why, 

as my previous column mentioned, it is so important 

to have your schedule set up. The calendar 

for summer camp has to be finished so you 

have something to explain and show 

the parents. This will excite the 

kids, your students, about how 

you’re gonna have an amazing 

summer camp. 

Secondly, it is fundamentally 

important to have a good 

relationship with the local 

public and private schools to 

have a successful summer 

camp, after school 

program, and even a 

traditional kids program. 

You know during COVID, we probably worked twice as hard, 

as many school owners did, than we are working now. We’re 

always working very hard on building relationships with the 

schools. 

Some people ask, “What do you mean build a relationship 

with the school?” Be a partner. What do you need to do? Go 

in person, set a Zoom meeting, be passive aggressive, get 

in front of someone at the school office. Of course the principal 

is number one. Have a zoom meeting and say, “Hey, we 

just wanna be a great partner with you. What can we do for 

you?” They’ll have things that they’ll ask for you to do. So then 

there’s things that you can do and you should do. They may 

be small things, but they build the relationship with the school. 

So they will be more open to help you do what you need to do 

to promote your program. Building your relationship with the 

schools is paramount! 

Third is social media, Facebook. You don’t have to be a Facebook 

expert to get results from Facebook. You just have to put 

it out there. You know in being a partner with the schools, most 

schools have a PTA page or a school Facebook page. Then you 

can ask, “Can you share a post once a week on the school PTA 

page?” In our case, every school said, “Yes”. So every week we 

share a post about our program on their school Facebook page. 

If you do it diligently, post it, comment on it, this one by itself, 

posted on their school Facebook page is a game changer. It’s 

like them handing out a thousand brochures or however many 

kids are in their class every week. This really maximizes being 

able to promote right to the person you need to promote to, 

which is the parents, and they’ve gotten used to it since they 

get all their communication from social media now. 

Try these 3 tips and watch your summer school success go 

through the roof! 

GRANDMASTER KIRK PELT is an 8th degree black belt and is the President of a multimillion 

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. 


ADVERTISER INDEX 

A Touch of Zen 

ATouchofZen.com .................................61 

Action Mega Convention 

ActionMegaHoh.com/. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85 

Atlas Martial Arts Software 

AtlasMartialArtsSoftware.com ...............2, 40, 93 

Action Hero Photos 

ActionHeroPhotos.com ............................97 

Adventures of Harry & Friends 

AdventuresOfHarryAndFriends.com ................21 

Amazing Martial Arts Websites 

AmazingMartialArtsWebsites.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11, 81 

AMS Billing 

OurAMS.com ............................. 23, 70, 108 

AMSkids 

OurAMS.com/AfterSchool ......................63, 77 

Break Like a Champ 

TeamChipTKD.com ................................79 

Budo International Magazine 

BudoInternational.com .............................83 

Extraordinary Marketing 

ExtraordinaryMarketing.com ........................75 

Master Karen Eden 

CenturyMartialArts.com ............................15 


ElitePublications.org ..........................29, 107 

Kick Start Kids 

KickStartKids.org .................................. 17 

Kids Point MMA 

PointMMA.com ....................................87 

Kovar Systems 

KovarSystems.com ................................57 

Learn the Sword 

LearnTheSword.com ...............................25 

Lee Milteer 

Milteer.com ........................................91 

MA Biz Academy 

MABizAcademy.com .......................... 55, 101 


MaBusinessInstitute.com ...................... 27, 105 

Martial Arts History Museum 

MAMuseum.com ..................................95 

Ninja Fighting Techniques 

tuttlepublishing.com ...............................31 

Otomix 

Otomix.com .......................................13 

Sport Karate Museum 

SportKarateMuseumArchives.com ..................97 

An-Shu Stephen K. Hayes 

NinjaSelfDefense.com .............................47 


4d-2d.com ........................................86 


TomPatire.com ....................................34 

Warrior Defence Lab 

TheEvolutionOfKrav.com ...........................35 


YkKim.com ....................................45, 68 


Lulu.com ..........................................24 


THE WARRIOR WAY 

What Motivates Us? 

by Grandmaster Bill Clark 

Praise, Recognition, and Material things 

Interestingly, surprisingly few people are actually motivated by 

money although they may think they are. Surveys of the very successful 

have confirmed that most people are motivated by a sense 

of self-respect or achievement. In fact, money often comes way 

down their list. 

Instead they want others to think of them as successful people 

or as people to look up to and respect. When people reach this 

position in life, the money usually follows as a by-product. 

What Humans Need 

Many years ago, Abraham Maslow put forth his hierarchy of human 

needs. They can be summed 

up in three simple categories: 

1. Basic needs such as food and water 

2. The social needs such as love and the feeling 

of security 

3 Self-actualization needs: the needs to fulfill 

one’s unique potential 

The 6 Human Needs 

Tony Robbins 

defined the six human 

needs as: 

1. Certainty – A sense of security, safety and comfort 

in the world 

2. Variety – A sense of change, interest and adventure 

3. Significance – A sense of uniqueness, individuality and being 

special 

4. Love & Connection – A sense of acceptance, belonging and 

support 

5. Growth – A desire to learn, grow and evolve 

6. Contribution – The desire to give to those around us 

Or The Flashy Car 

Then let’s take the man who says he is motivated by money. 

When you ask him what he would do with the money, he says 

he would buy a new Ferrari. You ask him why he wants a Ferrari, 

and he has to think for a minute before answering. Then he tells 

you he wants one because people who have Ferraris are successful 

people. They park them up front at restaurants, and love 

the attention it gets. What is really important is not the money or 

the Ferrari. Instead, it is the feeling of respect and importance 

that he really craves. 

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 multi-school owners in the world. 


Photo (right) by anutr tosirikul

STAFF DEVELOPMENT 

An Epiphany From My 

Experience Why Students 

Might Leave (Part 2) 

by Grandmaster Zulfi Ahmed 

A recent epiphany came to me while sitting in on one of my 

son’s gymnastics class. The class was fun and active. You see I 

have been to several of his classes and this one was no different, 

the same usual energy. The same usual methods of teaching and 

communication. Very impersonal. Very structured and active but 

not demanding at all. 

More play then detailed instructions. (Acceptable). High performance 

is not encouraged, or pushed to improve performance. 

Yes, the instructors did show the moves but that 

was it. No demand for excellence. Hardly 

any corrections. At that moment I realized 

that if I was a parent who wanted more 

for their child, then what I just saw and 

experienced would be not enough, Unacceptable 

and Unsatisfactory. My son now 

has been in the same school for a year and 

a half. 

At this point upon this realization, as a serious 

parent who wanted more for their child, I 

would seek out a more serious and demanding 

institution. I would then take my 

child somewhere else. Maybe to 

another gym where I thought was 

for the more serious student. 

Now the majority of the parents 

are not this serious and most 

don’t analyze things like I do. At 

that moment several thoughts 

went through my Mind both 

as a parent and also as a 

business owner whose 

business was very 

much like the Gymnastic 

gym business. 

What might be the expectations 

of these parents? How they might 

be viewing our programs. And also 

how we should be thinking? 

This was the big moment of 

truth for me. That it’s not what they 

expect it’s what we should expect 

first from ourselves and then from our students. 

1. If the parent who demands more does not get more then they 

will quit and re-enroll somewhere else. 

2. Most parents don’t know the difference. 

3. They accept most training the way that it is. Simply trusting the 

institution. 

4. After a period of time they slowly start observing or realizing 

that there is hardly any significant progress being made. 

5. They and their child lose interest. 

6. They don’t feel connected or engaged. 

7. They really don’t know what to ask and what really to expect. 

Seriousness from the Parents and the Students comes from 

how serious is the institution and instructors are about their 

student 

We must first connect and engage before we expect them to 

make the connection. We have been looking at this phenomenon 

totally wrong. We expect them to take us seriously. Whereas we 

should be the ones taking them seriously first. We should have 

a success plan, a higher standard and higher expectations. We 

should successfully communicate the above to them and expect 

them to comply. 

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. 


Photo (right) by AndreyKaderov

TOOL 

OF THE MONTH 

Parent Appreciation Day 

Mother’s Day is the best day 

of the year to have a Parent 

Appreciation Day. It is a 

wonderful retention event 

that can help you recruit for 

years to come. 

Get this FREE sample of 

the creative events MA Biz 

Academy members enjoy 

every month to lock in 

student retention and bring 

dozens of new students into 

your school! Members also 

receive a fully developed 

promotion outline and other 

support materials. 

To receive this Special Gift, visit 

MaBizAcademy.com/Gift

Tools & Tactics 

The Secret to Success 

by Ms. Chris Lee 

Most of the martial arts masters I speak with 

on a daily basis became professional instructors 

because they wanted to share with others 

the benefits they had received from practicing 

the martial arts. They remember the close 

bond they had with their own master, and the 

impact he had on their lives. They hope they 

can earn that kind of respect from their own 

students and have a similar effect on their lives. 

They did not open a martial arts school so 

that they could chase after people for money. 

That just wasn’t part of the game plan. 

Unfortunately, things happen. The primary 

income of a martial arts school 

is the tuition students pay 

for instruction, and that 

tuition is usually paid 

over time, in monthly 

payments. Not everyone 

will remember to 

pay on time. Some people will have accidents 

and other unforeseen expenses, 

and will not want to pay for a month or 

two. At that point, what can you do? 

Here’s a little secret: the right 

answer is NOT to become the bill 

collector and ask the students 

for the money they owe you. 

The right answer is also NOT to 

ask your wife or a staff member 

to ask the student for money. 

Both of these solutions create 

more problems than they solve 

because they set up an adversarial 

relationship between the 

student and the school. 

Fortunately, the right 

answer is also just one easy 

step: hire a professional 

tuition billing service from the 

beginning to take all those headaches away. You can then take 

all the time you and your staff currently spend on sending late 

notices, calling students on the phone, and dealing with frustrated 

parents in person, and use that time to recruit new students. Every 

hour you spend collecting current tuition could be invested in 

recruiting new students who are worth thousands in additional 

income. When you try to handle your billing in-house, you save a 

nickel and miss out on making dollars. It’s just not worth it. 

Professional companies also provide additional professional 

services, like accounting. Whenever you want to know who has 

paid and who is late, you can get up-to-date reports online anytime. 

In addition, the best companies offer other valuable services 

like marketing materials, management assistance, and consulting. 

If you or any member of your staff is wasting time and ruining 

your reputation by chasing after students for money, I recommend 

that you trade in your headaches for extra time to enroll new 

students, and earn new income. Call the professionals at AMS at 

1-800-275-1600 to preserve your dignity and the good reputation 

of your school. AMS is your one-stop-shop for martial arts school 

owners. We do it all, so you don’t have to. 

MS. CHRIS LEE is a martial arts business development consultant with a background in online and 

social media marketing. 


Image (right) by z_wei

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Martial Arts World News Magazine - Volume 23 | Issue 2

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