Why “Safe Growth” is Just Another Cage

Safe growth is a lie. Playing small keeps you chained to the mat while competitors eat your lunch. Scaling a martial arts gym isn’t about adding a few more students—it’s about building systems that let you dominate your market while still having a life outside...

Stop Doing the Sh*t You Hate

If you’re still doing every single thing in your martial arts gym—teaching every class, chasing down payments, handling billing headaches, scrubbing mats—you’re not a business owner. You’re an overpaid janitor with a black belt.

The hard truth: until you fire yourself ...

The Grind You Don’t See Coming

Here’s the dirty secret nobody tells martial arts gym owners: hustling harder doesn’t automatically grow your business. In fact, the more you grind, the more you become the bottleneck.

I know a gym owner who was teaching 40+ classes a week, doing every trial intro, a...

The Pain You’re Living

Most martial arts gym owners didn’t start their school to drown in admin work, chase late payments, or teach every damn class on the schedule. You opened your doors because you love martial arts and wanted to build a tribe. But somewhere along the way, the dream turned into a...

There’s no middle ground anymore: you either stay invisible and keep hoping word of mouth saves you, or you step up and dominate your market by making sure parents and adults see you first.

You have to choose: either you show up everywhere, or you let someone else own your town. It’s time to stop g...

When things get tough, the easiest thing to do is nothing. I’ve done it. I told myself if we just cut back on expenses and waited it out, things would bounce back. But while I was waiting, parents signed up somewhere else. Students we could have helped chose other activities.

Doing nothing feels sa...

I used to think discounts were the fastest way to get students in the door, free weeks, waived registrations, half-off uniforms. But after adding it all up, we realized we were giving away thousands every year with no long-term stability. Students attracted by discounts were quick to leave or jump s...

Every year, we see owners who plan to “start marketing after Labor Day” because they think fall rush begins with the school year. But Paul and I have learned the hard way: parents plan weeks before classes start. By September, schedules are set, and you’re too late.

In our own gym, the difference b...