Martial Arts Professional Magazine

A large percentage of our industry is comprised of part-time instructors and school owners. They typically work a day job and then teach classes at schools with limited hours of operation. They may also sub-lease space from a church, recreational center, YMCA, health club, etc. Some even teach in their garages, just as my friend’s jujitsu instructor does.

When chatting with part-timers, I find that there is a common thread. Most of them say that their dream is to go full-time in the martial arts business. That’s right. They wish they could quit their day jobs and spend more time following their true passion - teaching martial arts.

During the years, I’ve seen many instructors actually achieve this goal, due, in large part, to the information and resources they received in their monthly Maximum Impact packages, from NAPMA’s annual World Conference and through NAPMA’s various support products, seminars and consulting services.

Here’s how it typically goes: a part-timer becomes a member of Maximum Impact. Immediately, he gains access to a whole new world of effective marketing strategies; teleseminars, with highly successful school owners; retention-boosting classroom materials; motivation; profit-generating ideas; and exposure to like-minded individuals who are also extremely serious about earning their “Black Belts” in school operations.

Soon afterwards, the part-timer’s student count and gross revenue begin to reach whole new levels. This puts him in a position to leave his day job gracefully and “take the leap of faith” to a full- time school owner, safely and securely, and without having an income gap. You don’t want there to be an income gap if you can prevent it.

In fact, NAPMA member Ken Klotz of Maryland recently sent me a heartfelt e-mail saying, “I wanted to express my satisfaction with the NAPMA product and what it has done for my business. For ten years, I taught at recreation centers and sports clubs. NAPMA helped me transition from a part-time karate teacher to a full-time karate school owner with more than 450 students.”

Mr. Klotz is one of thousands of instructors who have learned how to go full time. Another is long-term NAPMA member Sam An. “I used to work at a nuclear power plant as a testing engineer before I went into the martial arts business full-time,” says An. “I worked from 7 am to 4 pm; and I then would go to the park district to teach TKD from 6 to 9 pm. As an engineer, my salary and benefits were great and I had excellent promotion potential as well. When I decided to go into TKD full-time, it was scary. My pay was nothing compared to what I received at the firm. Now, after more than 20 years in the martial art business, this is what I know:

1. I enjoy going to work everyday, because it’s mine.
2. I set my own hours.
3. I am paid according to how hard I work. There is no limit.
4. I stay in top physical shape and I’m paid for it.
5. I network with influential people in my city.
6. I don’t have to become involved in office politics.
7. My job is never boring.
8. My students pay me, as they pay respect to me.
9. It does not require much capital, like other businesses. You don’t have inventory. You are the product and you are the business.
10. My job is very satisfying. I’m paid for changing peoples’ lives in a very positive way.”

As Mr. An states, he endured some short-term pain for long-term gain, when he made the transition to full-time; but that’s very common, and, unless you’re independently wealthy, you should almost expect it.

If you’re presently a part-time instructor and your dream is to quit your day job and go full time in the martial arts business, then I believe that the timing has never been better. These days, there are so many valuable “how to” resources provided by NAPMA that you could literally shave light years off your learning curve and grow the school of your dreams with a higher probability for success than ever before.

I also recognize, however, that sometimes there’s more to it than just having access to NAPMA’s resources. The fact is that deep down inside you must be ready. You must be mentally prepared to take that leap of faith and only you will know for sure when the time is right. When it is, you will have my support.