Martial Arts Professional Magazine » Jim Graden

Why I Love Martial Arts Fitness

Jim Graden — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 20:22:54 +0000

I’ve recently been reflecting on the impact my programming has had on people and the difference between what I hear my students say today as opposed to when I taught only a traditional martial arts program.

In the past, the compliments were mostly about how a child improved in school or how much more confident he had become. We all know the positive benefits martial arts can have on a child’s life. It can be life changing, so don’t think I’m trying to say that the testimonials I receive about my current UBC programs are any better, or more impacting. They are just different.

I’m now running “adult-only” programs, so what is being said, of course, will be different. Not many adults will say that they’ve improved their behavior because of my programming. Surprisingly, the biggest difference is how much impact I now can have on someone’s life in such a short period of time. Read the following testimonial and go to Ultimatebodyshaping.com to see Roy’s before and after photos. It will blow you away.

“Look at the difference between before and after!Â I still can’t believe it myself.Â Several years ago, I had a hip replacement and was restricted to lifting no more than 25 lbs; instead I gained 53 lbs.Â The additional weight was causing severe pain in my right leg.Â

“I am a three-time cancer survivor, thankfully, and this last time scared the living daylights out of me.Â When I went into remission, I decided I needed to do something positive for my family and myself.Â

“The UBC coaches and the team challenges added fun and excitement to the course; and it really made losing weight easier and more fun than just diet and exercise at home or at a gym.Â It wasn’t just a routine, but something to look forward to.Â I wasn’t only competing to accomplish my personal goals, but to have the cruise dangled in front of me was added motivation!Â At the end of 10 weeks I had lost 48 lbs!

“I am a new me.Â I feel better, my hip doesn’t bother me as much and I look GREAT!Â I owe it all to the lifestyle changes I made with the help of UBC. I learned better ways to nourish my body and continue exercising. I made new friends at UBC.Â I really appreciated the support and motivation from everyone.Â It’s amazing what you can do with a little support!Â \My family and co-workers can’t get over how good I look.

“Thank you Jim Graden and the UBC Team!”

Roy’s story is rather amazing; and the really amazing part is that this was written after training only ten weeks with me.

In a traditional martial arts setting, it wasn’t until a student made at least Green Belt (six months of training) before the parents noticed a change in their child, and told me about it. Now, every five weeks (I start a new UBC every five weeks), I have people telling me about the profound effect the program has had on their lives. It’s quite amazing to make such an impact in such a short period of time.

You may not think that losing weight or being in better shape can be compared to the benefits of traditional martial arts training. I would beg to differ. I’ve had students reduce their cholesterol counts from more than 300 to less than 180. An obese person who was unable to rise from a seated position on the floor can now spring to his feet after training in the UBC. I know that my programming extends people’s lives and I love martial arts fitness for that.

What I’ve found is that many of my students come to me because they’ve read a testimonial like Roy’s and are looking for a fast track to health and wellness. Once I help them improve their shape in a short period of time through martial arts fitness training, they feel like they’ve found a life-long fountain of youth. This is one of the great things about martial arts fitness training and why I love it. I have truly changed people’s lives, and you can too, above and beyond what they ever dreamed of, just because they came to us to lose a little weight.

The benefits of martial arts fitness training should be your greatest selling point and the fact that it can happen in a short period of time is all the better.

Teaching an Introductory Lesson—Part 2: Teaching Basic Boxing

Jim Graden — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 20:04:30 +0000

In last month’s column, I addressed the importance of teaching a kickboxing introductory class and why the introductory instructor should focus on three primary objectives: safety, building rapport and making sure students have fun.

These three objectives are most important, but don’t treat your fitness kickboxing student like second-class martial arts students. Take the time to teach your students some basic techniques, which will add to students’ enjoyment of their classes.

It’s also important that you don’t try to perfect their technique. Your goal is to make sure they acquire a basic understanding of how it is done and that they don’t hurt themselves.

When teaching kickboxing punches, you should use the same terminology as boxers. Instead of a backfist, reverse punch and ridge-hand strike, it should be a jab, cross and hook punch.

When you teach punches to introductory students, use only those from the traditional style of boxing. This means that their left legs are forward in a fighting stance.

During regular kickboxing classes, students should switch feet and work both sides, so they can develop strength and coordination on both sides of the body. During introductory classes, teach all of the punches with the left leg forward. It’s too confusing to keep switching them.

Teaching the Jab

The jab is a speed technique that comes from the lead hand, with very little body movement behind the punch. The jab is designed to set up power punches, such as the cross and hook. Remember, when teaching a student the jab:

1. Keep the elbow down and twist the thumb down during the last three inches of the extension of the punch.

2. Explain that the jab is a speed technique, designed to set up a combination. Use the analogy of snapping a fly from the air. To catch a fly, you must relax and snap.

Teaching the Cross

The cross is considered a power technique. The power of the cross is generated by the rotation of the heel/hip/shoulder and shifting the weight forward. Think of the 50/50-weight distribution in a fighting stance changing to a 70/30-weight distribution at the full extension of the punch. Remember, when teaching the cross:

1. Make sure the punch travels in a straight line. Do not allow students to confuse the cross with the hook punch.

2. Make sure the elbow stays down as the arm comes across the body and twist the thumb down during the last three inches of the extension of the punch.

3. Make sure students are not turning the palm down at the beginning of the punch because it will cause the elbow to extend and put excessive stress on the shoulder.

Teaching the Hook

The hook punch is probably the most challenging punch to teach and the most misunderstood. Most of the time, you’ll teach the hook punch to come from the lead hand.

To teach the hook punch, ask your students to extend their arms and bend them to a 90-degree angle with their elbows up and their palms down. Their left fists should be in line with their left shoulders. Instruct them to punch across, so their fists are now in line with their right shoulders. Their left forearms are parallel to the ground. That is the striking range of a hook punch.

Once students understand the basics of the hook punch, you will want to comment that this does not feel very strong. Power is added by rotating the forward heel/hip/shoulder, while shifting the weight back during the execution of the punch. Just like the cross, the 50/50-weight distribution changes to 70/30 with the majority of the weight shifting to the back leg.u

Martial Arts Fitness or After-School Care?

Jim Graden — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 21:28:12 +0000

Which do you think more adults are looking for, shedding unwanted pounds or after-school programming for their children? The fact that many adults don’t have after-school age children is one clue that fitness is a much bigger market. There has never been more interest in fitness and weight loss than there is today. Everybody wants to lose weight and get in shape.

Then why have so many martial arts schools embraced after-school care and dropped martial arts fitness? I believe it’s because we’re drawn toward our comfort zone. Most martial arts school owners are more comfortable dealing with children and their parents than with adults looking to get in shape.

I’m not saying this is all bad for our industry. There are many school owners having great success with after-school programming and are enjoying their school business. But, there are also many school owners who I’ve talked with that feel trapped by after-school programming because of the competitive environment in which we now live.

I truly believe that many school owners would much rather have a thriving martial arts fitness program than have to teach after-school care to increase their revenue. You can, in fact, have both since the class times don’t conflict. But, I still believe that many school owners would give up after-school classes if they could find a program that would replace the revenue.

My school in Seminole, Florida does over $300,000 in just martial arts fitness programming. (We’re talking about a town where the average age is 43 years old and situated close to the beaches, so there are many retirees in town. It’s not what you would call a “happening place”).

So why am I successful? Because, just like someone who has had success with an after-school program, I follow a proven system called the Ultimate Bodyshaping Course (UBC).

These are the primary things I‘ve focused on in developing my UBC. First is marketing. It’s so much easier to get the phone to ring for fitness than it is for martial arts, period. The challenge with most martial arts fitness ads is that their marketing doesn’t distinguish between martial arts and fitness.

My UBC ads almost never show someone in the ad doing any martial arts. Martial arts turns more people off than on in the fitness world. Remember, you want people walking through your door who normally wouldn’t walk into a karate school. So your ads can’t look like martial arts ads.

Your average client, if you are going to have success in fitness, is going to be a mid-30s/early-40s mom who’s trying to get back the body she had before having children. When marketing your fitness program, your ads should promote the results she’ll have and how much fun she’s going to have getting them.

Class structure is another eliminator of clients. I’ve said many times before: There’s a small segment of the population that wants to participate in a rhythmic fitness class. But the reason I like the non-rhythmic heavy-bag workouts best is because they are self-paced, appeal to everyone and only last 45 minutes.

Pricing is also very important. Most schools don’t charge enough and they don’t get paid in advance. People are coming to you for results and, if you can deliver the goods, then charge for it. I also believe in getting as much money up front as possible.

The biggest difference between an adult student and a child is the child has a mom who’ll make sure the child comes to class. Vanity is short-lived so this is why we always want to get paid in advance for our fitness programming.

There’s no reason why you can’t generate just as much income from martial arts fitness as you can from after-school classes. And I’ll bet you’ll have a lot more fun doing it!◆

Seminole, Florida’s Jim Graden is internationally recognized as a martial arts fitness pioneer. Jim developed Cardio Karate, the NAPMA Fitness Kickboxing Certification, The Ultimate Bodyshaping Course (UBC), and UBC for Kids. He’s also the president of the Project Action Foundation. He can be reached at info@ultimatebodyshaping.com.

Implement a Five-for-One Referral Program and Watch your Enrollments and Profits Multiply

Jim Graden — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 00:03:13 +0000

One of the marketing techniques I borrowed from the fitness industry is the 5-for-1-referral theory. The theory is that each new student you enroll in your fitness program will tell at least five other people about it. You probably have heard similar ideas in martial arts marketing, but I think it works especially well in martial arts fitness, considering the majority of students in martial arts fitness are women.

This became very clear to me when I first started teaching fitness at my school. A woman is much more likely than a man to tell her friends. Most women enjoy telling their friends about new activities. I include gloves and hand wraps in all of my fitness programs, so new students can show them to their friends, as they are telling them about the course.

My referral programs have always featured prizes that referring students could earn, starting with a T-shirt for one referral to four Disney World tickets (I’m located near Orlando, Florida) for five referrals.

I’ve revised my referral programs slightly, so now there is a time limit to receive referrals from new students, and we’ve increased the rewards. Like me, you want to take full advantage of the fact that your new students are excited about your program. If you add to that excitement a referral program that benefits new students to bring their friends, then you’ll have very motivated sellers of your martial arts fitness programming.

I’ve set up my referral program, so that as soon as a student enrolls in one of my programs (10 week UBC, 5-week guaranteed weight loss or maintenance), he or she is given a referral sheet with five complementary passes that can easily be detached to give to their friends. The sheet includes space to write the friends’ names and phone numbers. The referral benefits are explained to the left of the list of names:

“FITNESS FOR THE 21^ST CENTURY: For each person that you refer, who enrolls in the UBC, within 30 days, we add one FREE MONTH of maintenance training to your membership. Or, refer 5 people who enroll, and you will receive ONE FREE YEAR!

“Encourage your friends to visit us by using the five complimentary guest passes. All you need to do is provide the names and phone numbers of the 5 people you believe would most benefit from the Ultimate Bodyshaping Courses.

As an added bonus, we will give you a UBC APPARREL ITEM of your choice for just giving us five referral names within one month of enrolling.”

After distributing all of the passes, the referring students gives the top part of the referral sheet to our manager, who then follows up with a phone call, inviting the referrals to a free class.

I highly recommend that you schedule each prospect or referral to a free class in which his or her friend will participate. Your current or referring student will feel obligated to make it a positive experience. Think about the last time you recommended a restaurant or a movie. Didn’t it mean more to you that your friend enjoyed it also? You can take advantage of this concept of mutual enjoyment when the prospect and his or her referring friend are in the same class. Your current student will do all the selling for you.

This type of incentive program has helped me more than double my referrals, and I had already obtains the majority of my students from referrals. You must take advantage of the student’s excitement when he or she first starts your course. The newness of the activity wears off quickly, so present your referral card program to each new student right after he or she enrolls. Not only will your new students leave your school with gloves and wraps, but also a referral sheet.

Paint a Complete Benefits Picture to Enroll More Fitness Students

Jim Graden — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 15:01:56 +0000

When someone calls and inquires about your martial art fitness programming, how do you handle the call? I’ve found that this is probably the biggest challenge most school owners face, when selling their fitness programming. They’ll run an ad to make the phone ring, but have no idea what to say when they have a client on the other end.

There’s a huge amount of material available on how to answer a traditional martial arts call, but little to none on how to answer a fitness call. Many school owners and staff have the traditional martial arts school inquiry down pat, but are lost when it comes to calls about your fitness course.

There are many similarities between the traditional martial arts and fitness calls, but there are also some very important strategies that have proven to increase success, when it comes to martial arts fitness information calls. First, determine what you are selling. If you’re just offering a couple of aerobic style fitness classes a week, then you’re not offering many benefits; and benefits should be the focus of selling martial arts fitness.

From your prospects’ point-of-view, they need a complete picture of your benefits to be convinced to enroll, and you are the “artist” to paint it for them.

Let me explain this further by giving you an example of one of my UBC phone scripts. This is a very common call for my UBC program:

Caller: How much is your UBC program?

Staff member: Is this program for yourself or a family member?

Caller: For myself.

Staff member: How did you hear about the UBC? Do you know someone in the course?

Caller: I saw your ad in the local paper.

Staff member: The Ultimate Bodyshaping Course is a ten-week fitness journey that combines fitness kickboxing, resistance training, a sound nutritional program and flexibility training. The best part about the UBC is that you are not doing it alone. You’re put on a team and assigned coaches. The coaches are people just like yourself who have experienced great results from the UBC program, and are now volunteering to guide you through the course.

Our next start date is January 19th. On that day, you will meet your coaches and teammates and receive your fully illustrated manual that presents you the entire whole course. You start with a complete fitness evaluation, so we can determine your current fitness level – a level you will exceed during the next ten weeks.

Caller: I’m 50 years old and haven’t worked out in years. Can I do this?

Staff member: Anybody can do the UBC. We have had people take time from their marathons, people who’ve lost 40 to 50 pounds and people from 16 to 60 years of age. Anyone can do the UBC because all the classes are self-paced.

Caller: Sounds great. How much does it cost?

Staff member: The 10-week course is only $349 and that includes your gloves, hand wraps, a personal training session, coaches, fitness evaluation, everything. You can even win a cruise vacation with our bodyshaping course; and if you register now, then you can train to the start date at no additional cost.

I’ll stop the example phone script here. You should be able to recognize how the staff member painted a complete benefits picture for the prospect. After we explain the course completely and state the price, it’s not uncommon for prospects to ask, “Is that all?” It’s important to understand that you cannot just state the price, without first relating all of the benefits they’ll receive from your fitness program. You may have noticed that the staff member ignored the first question about the money, and diverted the conversation by asking a question.

This provides the staff member with the opportunity to paint the complete picture of all the benefits and services offered, before stating the price. After we’ve painted the picture, we then try to make an appointment to watch a class. We also try to instill a sense of urgency by letting them know that we have limited space available for the next start date, so if they are interested, then they need to act soon.

To be able to sell martial arts fitness successfully, you must have a program that is worth selling. As I stated before, if all you have to offer is a couple pf classes a week, then it becomes more difficult to impress the caller and charge more than $100 a month for your program.

The Power of Testimonials

Jim Graden — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 13:40:19 +0000

In my past articles, I’ve consistently stated that for you to have a successful martial arts fitness program you need to have proven results. The general public will not perceive your program as a high value program without them. By just having a kickboxing class, no matter how good you think it is, wont’ grab the attention of the fitness and weight loss market, unless you have proof that your program works.

This is the main reason so many of my UBC sponsor studios have such great success. From the very beginning, they have a multitude of testimonials with “before and after” photos that prove the success of the Ultimate Bodyshaping Courses (UBC). You must have proven results, such as the following testimonials, to have success in fitness. Testimonials have proven time and time again to be the best marketing tool, especially in the fitness industry.

From Erik Heydman, Northwest Martial Arts, Gardnerville, Nevada

“My wife was the one who wanted to get in shape, so I thought I would surprise her by signing both of us up for the UBC. I thought we could spend some time together; and all those extra pounds I was carrying around weren’t really helping me anyway.

“At the five week mid-evaluation, I couldn’t believe that 26 pounds were just gone. Michelle and I could really see our bodies changing. We were both so encouraged.

“We could never have imagined the total transformation in only 10 weeks. I lost a total of 23.25 inches and 48 lbs. I can do things now that were memories of my youth. We are still having a great time and going regularly; and Michelle looks and feels great also. The UBC has changed my life. We can’t thank you enough. Again we say Thank You!”

From Jennifer Lewis, Dinh’s Martial Arts, Murray, Kentucky

“I went to college, was married, had two children and managed to gain 35 pounds!

“It was clear to me, in the first week of the UBC, how amazing this program is. I made it through the first week, following the plan exactly. After five weeks, I had lost 10 lbs., 4% body fat and 12 inches. I was losing inches all over: stomach, hips, thighs and even my ankles and wrists! It was an amazing difference and gave me more confidence and determination to finish and get into the fit, healthy shape I had been.

“At 10 weeks, I had lost 18 lbs., 7% body fat and a total of 21 inches. I’m stronger, healthier and my body is in great shape, especially for a 34-year-old mother of two. I have improved my self-image; I feel better physically and mentally. The UBC has given me the foundation to build and sustain a healthy way of living. It’s just the beginning. The UBC has given me a new life and I’m going to live it!”

From Amy Otten, JJ Fitness, Sioux City, Iowa

“WOW! I feel like a million bucks! I neglected to take care of myself after my two sons were born. It was the middle of May, and I, of course, wanted to buy some new summer clothes. I refused to spend money on clothes, other than the size 5/6, I had worn previously. The next day I saw an advertisement in the paper for the UBC. My husband thought I was crazy, since I had invested so much in exercise videos, with many of them still in their original boxes. As with anything in life, all it takes is a decision – and that’s all it took.

“I am so pleased with the results from the program. I lost 24 inches overall and 17 lbs.; my clothes fit and I am back to my original 5/6! I feel great and have extra energy to take care of my two boys. I have continued in the maintenance program five days a week and, within a couple of weeks, I will be taking the coaches’ training course to help others achieve their fitness goals and changes for life. Thank you, UBC, for such an incredible program! Your dedication to excellence is making a difference for so many! God bless.”

The Key Elements of a Martial Arts Fitness Class

Jim Graden — Mon, 12 May 2008 19:50:35 +0000

I have found that, on average, a traditional martial arts instructor doesn’t necessarily make a good martial arts (MA) fitness instructor. The reason for this is because traditional martial arts and MA fitness are two completely different animals. Teaching traditional martial arts has very little to do with teaching martial arts fitness.

The elements that make up a good MA fitness class are not the same as a traditional martial arts class. The key elements of a good MA fitness class are consistency, simplicity and intensity.

Consistency is important for martial arts instruction, but traditional classes must keep changing as students advance in rank and learn more material, so the classes are inherently inconsistent.

Consistency in your MA fitness program is a key element to its success. Your fitness students must be able to count on the consistency of the workout. For example, what would you guess is the most popular form of aerobic conditioning at a fitness center? Aerobics, step or maybe spinning? No, it’s a treadmill!

Yes, the dreaded treadmill is still the most popular equipment for aerobic conditioning because people can count on the consistency of the workout. They know every time they step on the treadmill they will receive a real workout.

The next key element is to keep it simple. Traditional martial arts is not simple. Achieving a Black Belt is a complicated process, compared to practically any other sport or activity.

A martial art fitness class must be simple. People don’t want to have to think too much, while they work out. They must be able to enter the aerobic zone where they can push themselves physically by performing repetitive motion with little thinking. Basic techniques can be added one at a time to build to a simple combination, so students don’t have to stop and think about what they are supposed to do next.

Another key element to your MA fitness programming is short, but intense, classes. Most schools have intense traditional martial arts classes for their mid- to upper-belts, but think how long students must train during the majority of their classes before they stop learning and start working out at an intense level.

In fitness, the shorter and more physically challenging the class, the better. The hardest classes are the most popular classes; plus, the average adult just doesn’t have time for a 20-minute warm-up and a 10-minute cool-down. They want fast and intense. If students don’t feel the class is physically challenging and lacks intensity, then they will not participate. The problem with intensity is that everyone is different. What is physically challenging for one person is a cakewalk for someone else.

You must have class structures that allow the students to vary the intensity. This is why my Ultimate Bodyshaping Courses (UBC) kickboxing classes are heavy-bag workouts. Student can hit the bag five times in a minute or fifty times a minute; it’s their choice. Everyone is doing the same activity, but at different intensity levels.

The point I’m trying to make is that martial arts instructors must understand that what they do during martial arts classes will not work in a fitness kickboxing class. This refers to the needs of your students and why they are at your school. Your martial arts students are there to learn and achieve their Black Belts. Your fitness students are there to lose weight and re-shape. Different needs require different approaches.

Traditional martial arts is a personality-driven business. Because of the complexity of martial arts, it takes a unique leader to be able to teach and motivate enough people to follow him or her and make his or her martial arts school successful.

A good MA fitness program should be about the system, not the instructor. Take my UBC instructors, for example. They can choose from a variety of basic combinations, but they cannot teach new material or change the structure of the class. The instructor is only there to motivate and to make sure the class flows from one technique to the next, without requiring that students stop, pause and think about what to do next.

The best part about running a MA fitness program is that it’s much easier to create a system that is consistent, simple and intense than it is to find that unique leader to teach traditional martial arts.

The Merchandise of Fitness

Jim Graden — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 18:49:34 +0000

When martial arts school owners inquire about offering my Ultimate Bodyshaping Courses (UBC) at their schools, they’re usually focused on the added tuition the UBC can generate. This, of course, is where the majority of money is made, with many school owners doubling, or even tripling, their tuition revenue. What most school owners don’t realize is how much additional revenue can be generated in fitness merchandising. They are pleasantly surprised at the amount of merchandise they can move with an effective martial arts fitness program.

I’ve been saying for a long time that one of the best qualities of martial arts fitness programming is that the market perceives it differently than traditional martial arts. The majority of martial arts fitness students are adults, not children. A martial arts fitness program is often successful because you can schedule classes during morning hours, which would never occur in traditional martial arts. This contrast also applies to merchandising. For the most part, traditional martial arts is limited to uniforms and gear and maybe some instructional videos and T-shirts. By contrast, fitness students will buy nutritional bars, supplements, meal replacement shakes, apparel, training videos, home workout equipment and any other allied or complementary products that you can present to them when they first start training with you. Realize that the average fitness student is an adult woman.

Did you know that women buy 80% of the consumer goods in this country? Men buy the big items, such as cars and houses. Women typically buy clothes and food. Just as a woman is much more likely to tell her friends about your program and bring her friends to you than a man is, women are also far more likely to buy whatever you are selling to support their new fitness adventure. When you introduce a martial arts fitness program, not only will you add additional tuition revenue, but also you’ll create a new revenue stream in fitness merchandising. You’ll be able to expand your retail display are to support your growing fitness clientele. Many schools have doubled or tripled their merchandise sales, since they introduced the UBC.

At my UBC studio, I have developed a complete structure to maximize the opportunities for students to buy additional products. I have even created a system with my new Guaranteed Weight Loss course that generates residual income even if the student doesn’t continue to train at the studio. If this becomes the case, then the nutritional products are still shipped directly to their homes.

Teaching an Introductory Lesson—Part 1

Jim Graden — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 19:32:39 +0000

How you introduce Fitness Kickboxing to your new students will have the single biggest impact on the success or failure of your program. You can have the best “butt-kicking” Fitness Kickboxing class in town, but if you don’t develop a systematic approach to introduce kickboxing to your new students, then you’ll always have a small, loyal group, instead of a large, more profitable following.Depending on your class schedule and time availability, you may want to schedule your introductory class at the same day and time throughout the week or you may want to work with beginners individually, as they join the program.

The introductory class prepares new students for their first kickboxing class, which you should be able to complete in one session. Before I explain how, allow me to present the process to introduce new students to Fitness Kickboxing.

First, introduce yourself to students with warm, friendly handshakes and good eye contact and use the students’ names.

Try to convey a true desire to help them. Establish a rapport with each student from the very beginning. It’s not only very important, but also will have the single greatest impact on students’ decisions to return to class.

If you’re teaching a group introductory class, then you must make personal contact with each student. The majority of your students want the benefits of fitness kickboxing; few of them want to become a kickboxer. Many new students will be older, overweight and not very coordinated. They can be easily discouraged if they’re not treated with kid gloves.

Second, the introductory instructor should focus on three elements of the introductory class.

Safety
Building rapport
Fun

Third, the instructor’s goal is to provide students with positive experiences during their first fitness kickboxing class. It’s important that introductory classes are taught just before new students’ regular kickboxing classes. It’s much easier for students to apply the techniques they have just learned than return two days later when the material is no longer as fresh in their minds. It’s also important that introductory classes are not physically demanding. It is a learning experience and should be fun.

Fourth, during introductory classes, briefly explain the techniques students will learn: the jab, cross, hook and uppercut punches and the front, round and side kicks. The goal is not perfection of the techniques, but a basic understanding.

Make sure they understand the techniques well enough, so they don’t hurt themselves. No matter how much time you spend on a technique during introductory classes, the majority of your students won’t execute it any better than if you just briefly explained it and proceeded to the next technique. Remember, consistent repetition is what makes a student good.

Fifth, Show new students how to wrap their hands. Hands are wrapped to protect their wrists from injury when they hit the bags or mitts. The gloves protect the hands. Students may not be hitting the bags very hard at first, but as they develop power in their strikes, how well they wrap their hands becomes more and more important. Always make sure students’ wrists are supported.

If you’re introductory class is a group of students, then first demonstrate the hand-wrapping technique before they try it. Make sure wraps are tight, but not uncomfortable. If you’re introductory class is a single student, then explain the technique as you wrap his hands. Wrapping someone else’s hand is not the same as wrapping your own. Remember, you’re not wrapping his hands or any student’s for a ten-round bout, so keep it simple.

Double Your Revenue-Generating Hours

Jim Graden — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 17:40:07 +0000

How many hours a day is your school busy generating revenue? Is it four hours, or maybe six, if you offer an after-school program? Fitness kickboxing can add hours of revenue-generating time to your facility without having to cut or move any of your conventional martial arts classes.

Martial arts schools have a limited amount of time they are able to generate income. For most schools, that time is between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. at night. These are the hours that the school starts to become busy as parents and students start arriving for classes.

Think about how valuable it would be to be able to add an additional 15 hours a week in revenue-generating time to your school. This is one of many advantages to adding an organized fitness program to your facility.

Have you ever had a student state that you need to expand to a bigger location because you’re so busy between 4 and 8 p.m.? People don’t realize that most martial arts schools are empty the other 20 hours in the day (85% of the time). I’ve always thought many schools make a mistake adding more space when they should have been expanding the time when revenue can be generated.

Many people want to offer my fitness program, the Ultimate Bodyshaping Course (UBC), at their schools. The first objection is, “I don’t have space in my schedule. We’re already filled with traditional martial arts classes.” My reply is, “How busy are you at 7 a.m.?”

The morning hours between 7 and 11 a.m. seem to be a time when a fitness program can be busy and making money, whereas a conventional martial arts program cannot. When have you ever heard of a morning conventional martial arts program drawing more than 100 people before 11 a.m.? I never did, until I turned my morning classes into fitness classes.

I tried for years to start a conventional adult program in the morning and at lunchtime. I had limited success. It would build to 8 to 10 students and then die. I could never operate a strong morning program until I started to market my UBC.

If you only offered fitness training in the morning, then you could still be very successful. There’s a large segment of the adult population that likes an early workout. Many people like to train before they go to work or after they have taken the kids to school. Go to your local fitness center at 7 or 8 a.m. and see how busy they are. If you train, you may have already seen it. People like you, who work or teach at night, need a morning workout schedule.

Before you start thinking about expanding your deck space, think about expanding your revenue-generating time. My 7 a.m. Monday through Friday class has always been one of my busiest classes. I also have 8:45 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. fitness kickboxing and strength and conditioning classes that have consistently drawn 20 to 30 students. We just recently added a Tuesday and Thursday 10:15 a.m. Elite Fitness Training class that’s attracting a good crowd.

An added bonus to a morning fitness program is that it draws some of the most consistent, successful and loyal students. When someone has the discipline to train in the morning, he/she is usually the type of person that sticks to things and doesn’t miss class. People are also not as easily distracted in the mornings. When someone trains at night, they have the whole day to find a reason not to train. Morning people are awake early, go work out and then start their day.

If your classes are already at capacity between 4 and 8 in the evening, then you might want to consider a morning-only fitness program. It’s definitely a more cost-effective way to increase your revenue than by renting a bigger space that will be empty 20 hours a day.

Creating a Long-Term Vision, Part 1

Jim Graden — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 19:11:59 +0000

The biggest misconception about martial arts fitness programming is that it’s not possible to retain students or to upgrade them to higher priced programs. The reason is that students’ needs are not being served-and those needs are very different than a martial arts student’s. You must convince fitness students that your program provides many long-term health benefits.

For your traditional martial arts school to grow, you must be able to give students, and usually their parents, a vision of the future, such as the day their children reach the ultimate goal of Black Belt. Only then, can you sell long-term programs, such as Black Belt Club and Masters Club.

Your fitness students are no different. If you’re able to convince them that your program will improve their health for years, not only will they stay with you, but also they’ll be more than willing to commit to a long-term program.

Don’t feel bad if you currently don’t have a program with long-term fitness goals. The fitness centers don’t either. In today’s fitness world, the only way to obtain help setting and achieving fitness goals is to hire a personal trainer at $50 to $100 an hour. People are willing to pay a trainer so much to develop a fitness program because personal trainers sell a vision of the future, a vision of what their clients could become if they trained with them.

For this reason, there’s a great opportunity for group fitness programming that is priced between the overpriced personal trainer and the no-guidance gym membership.

The secret is to convince prospective students that you’re able to deliver the goods. This is why the Ultimate Bodyshaping Course (UBC) works so well. The UBC is a short, ten-week program that achieves results. You’re able to attract a large number of people that want to be in shape fast. You also have ten weeks to convince them that fitness is a lifetime journey, not a ten-week sprint.

The UBC is an introductory course, with three fitness evaluations. These evaluations have dual purposes. First, they provide students with measurable fitness results, so you’re able to set goals for them. The second purpose is the opportunity to upgrade students to a long-term program.

During students’ mid-evaluation five weeks into the course, they are in a perfect state of mind to discuss additional programming. They have trained for five weeks, so they’re showing improvement. They are stronger, have lost some weight and are jazzed about the future.

Students come to realize that their mid-evaluation is the best time to renew their memberships. They have already been qualified with a letter sent prior to the evaluation, explaining UBC’s follow-up program and the discounts for early enrollment.

The follow-up program I’ve developed is a martial arts-based, long-term fitness course called “UBC Elite Fitness.” During the mid-evaluation, I give a quick five-minute demonstration of the program and a motivational speech about the importance of having a long-term vision of health and fitness. I remind students of the discount and that they must re-enroll within one week of the mid-evaluation to qualify for it. Students are also encouraged and welcomed to try any of our Elite Fitness classes during the week.

The key to additional programming is to convince each student that this is the natural progression in your school. If you’re able to prove yourself to your fitness clients during the short term, then you’ll have no trouble convincing them that your program can have long-term health benefits

Creating a Long-Term Vision, Part 2

Jim Graden — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 14:39:20 +0000

Creating a long-term fitness program in your martial arts school is not as hard as you think. Most likely, you already have one in your conventional martial arts program. All you must do is sell it differently to the adult fitness market than you would to typical prospects looking for conventional martial arts.

Fitness students want activities that will slow the aging process and improve their shape. You must be able to create a vision in students’ mind of what they could be if they trained with you for years.

When it comes to physical fitness, many people think only of cardiovascular and strength conditioning, but fitness is also balance, focus, body coordination and flexibility. Where else, but at your school, is someone able to experience such long-term health benefits?

The challenge is that most martial arts schools have no system or process to attract a large enough segment of the adult population to convince students to train long-term. If you market the multitude of health benefits in paid advertising that uses the term “martial arts” or there is a photograph of a student wearing a martial arts uniform, then you will lose a large segment of the potential adult population.

This is why you must have some type of program that will attract the adult market to your school-programs that are focused on fitness, and obtaining results in a short period of time. This is what a program, such as the Ultimate Bodyshaping Course (UBC), is capable of doing: A short, ten-week fitness course in which anyone is able to participate. This is the only way you will draw enough people to your facility to give you an opportunity to up-sell them to a long-term program.

Last month, I recommended that the best time to up-sell students is during their mid-evaluations. Five weeks into the ten-week course is when you will want to present additional programming. Your students have improved their fitness levels and are now in a peak state to talk about training options, following their ten-week course. You will also want to give them some kind of financial incentive to enroll early.

At the mid-evaluation, we ask students to complete a questionnaire about their current fitness level and what they would like to achieve in the future. With questions such as, “Which of these activities would you be willing to set goals to achieve your desired fitness level?” I then list the programs I have available.

The more activities in which they’re able to set goals, the more students you will be able to up-sell and retain.

You can also add to or modify your conventional program to accommodate adult fitness students better. We have what we call the “UBC Elite Training program,” which consists of three
elements: Elite Kickboxing, Elite Weightlifting and Elite Running.

Elite Kickboxing is a non-traditional, adult-only martial arts course. This safe, easy-to-follow program will take students step-by-step toward achieving their goal of Black Belt in American kickboxing. The course is patterned after my extensive training with the legendary Joe Lewis.

Elite Weightlifting is personal attention, motivation and results. This is a group weightlifting class where a qualified instructor gives students the personal attention they need to achieve goals in weightlifting. This program can also be combined with an Elite Strength and Conditioning class, using strength tubing, calisthenics and medicine balls.

Elite Running trains students for 5K-road races, with sunset beach runs and workouts at the park.

All for one low price! Students are able to mix and match these classes to fulfill their individual needs. Some students want to earn their Black Belts. Others want to train and go to road races with a group of people. Another group of students loves the benefits of personal attention in fitness and conditioning at a fraction of the cost of personal training.

The idea is to give students a long-term perspective on fitness training. Adults must exercise for the rest of their lives if they’re to live long and happy. Why not set a three- to four-year fitness goal? You must present your program in a way that attracts people who want the long-term benefits of fitness.

Promoting Safety in Martial Arts Fitness Classes

Jim Graden — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 18:00:13 +0000

1) Make sure that everyone who enters your fitness classes is properly screened to ensure that they are physically capable of handling the class.

2) Students need to be brought slowly into the program with some type of introductory class, so the instructor can get to know students and evaluate their fitness level. This is also the time to teach the basic techniques, so students can understand how to execute them safely.

3) Martial arts fitness instructors need to be certified to make sure that the classes are being taught safely.

4) Avoid using advanced martial arts techniques, such as spin kicks or jump kicks, in your fitness classes.

5) Try not to overcrowd classes, especially in kickboxing classes that use a Wave Master® that can be easily knocked over by students.

6) Let students know that it is OK to slow down or take a break. Encourage them to drink water throughout the class.

7) The instructor needs to understand the principles of perceived exertion and should monitor the class, so as not to over-exert students.

8). Make sure your equipment is in good condition and students understand how to use them. If students are hitting bags, make sure they know how to wrap their hands properly to protect the wrists. This is especially important for women since, on average, they have weaker wrists than men.

9) Proper flooring is essential, especially in the rhythmic classes where students do plenty of bouncing. I recommend padded carpet or well-cushioned mats.

10) The instructor needs to consistently monitor the class to make sure that the techniques being executed are done properly. Students will have a tendency not to rotate their supporting foot, as they execute side kicks and round kicks. This can cause discomfort in the hip joint, as they try to rotate their hips to throw the kicks. By monitoring and helping students, not only will you reduce the chance of injury, but also you will increase their enthusiasm for the classes, as they learn to enjoy and appreciate the martial arts.