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

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

“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. It wasn’t just a routine, but something to look forward to. I wasn’t only competing to accomplish my personal goals, but to have the cruise dangled in front of me was added motivation! At the end of 10 weeks I had lost 48 lbs!

“I am a new me. I feel better, my hip doesn’t bother me as much and I look GREAT! 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. I really appreciated the support and motivation from everyone. It’s amazing what you can do with a little support! \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.

As I wrote in my August/September column, the best way to keep what you have is not to have anything in your name. To implement that strategy, you must choose the right business entity (or entities) to limit exposure of your assets to (successful) lawsuits and separate your asset ownership. This month, I’ll explain Sole Proprietorship, General Partnership and Corporation.

Sole Proprietorship

A sole proprietorship is simply “you doing business.” There is no filing requirement and no formal paperwork, except if you do business under a fictitious or trade name. In that case, you must usually file a “d/b/a” (doing business as) with the secretary of state of the state where you do business.As a sole proprietor, you report your income on schedule “C” of your federal income tax return. Your liability is unlimited because you and your business are one and the same. If your business is sued, then all of your personal assets, including your home, are at risk. If your business is bankrupt, then you must file personal bankruptcy to avoid the business debts.

General Partnership

A general partnership is formed when two or more individuals or entities agree to do business together, for a profit. No written partnership agreement is required, although one can be created. A general partnership can be created, even if you did not intend it (i.e., a judge will let you know when you are sued for something someone else did on your behalf – this is sometimes known as “partnership by estoppel”).

The partnership itself does not pay taxes; it files an informational tax return with the IRS. This return (IRS form 1065) simply summarizes the income, expenses, profits and losses of the partnership. The bottom-line profit or loss “flows through” to the partners who report their share of income or loss on schedule “E” of their personal income tax returns (the partnership will send each of the partners an IRS form K-1, which states the partner’s share of profit or loss).

A general partnership does not protect its partners from liability protection. Partners are jointly and severally liable for each other’s tortuous (wrongful) acts. “Jointly” means that if one partner causes the partnership to be sued, all partners are liable; “severally” means that all partners are liable for 100% of the judgment. If you are the “silent” partner who invests the most money and has more assets than your partner, then you have the most to lose.

Corporation

A corporation is an entity that exists separate and apart from its shareholders. It requires the filing of a certificate with your secretary of state, called an “articles of incorporation.” The corporation issues stock to its owners, called the “shareholders.” The shareholders elect a board of directors. The board of directors in turn appoints officers, such as president, secretary and treasurer.

The major policy decisions of a corporation are made by the board of directors in the form of a “resolution.” The officers of the company perform the day-to-day functions of the corporation. The shareholders own the corporation, but cannot directly run the corporation’s business.

In most states, one individual can be the shareholder, director and serve as all of the officers (in a few states, the offices of president and secretary cannot be held by the same person – check your state law). A “one-man” corporation is perfectly legal, but the individual must be careful to disclose the capacity in which he is acting (president, chairman of the board, etc.).

“S” versus “C” Corporation

There are two basic types of corporations for tax purposes, “C” corporations and “S” corporations. A corporation is a “C” corporation by default; the “S” status must be elected. All large, publicly traded corporations (e.g., IBM) are “C” corporations. A “C” corporation files its own tax return (IRS form 1120) and pays taxes on its income. The good news is that the tax rates for regular corporations are usually lower than personal tax rates to approximately $100,000. The bad news is that when profits are distributed, they are taxed again on the shareholders’ personal income tax return. This is what we commonly call “double taxation.” “C” corporations can permit employees, however, to take certain “fringe benefits,” such as health plans, medical reimbursements and life insurance. None of these benefits is taxable to employees, and the expense is deductible to the corporation. A “C” corporation can be a great tax savings vehicle for small, family businesses.

An “S” corporation is a “flow-through” entity. It files an informational return (IRS form 1120-S) and the profits and losses flow through to the shareholders. An “S” corporation, like a partnership, sends each of its shareholders an IRS form K-1, which states the shareholder’s share of profit or loss. This profit is not normally subject to self-employment tax. Unlike a “C” corporation, the “S” corporation does not have the same “fringe benefits,” but it still has tax advantages over a sole proprietorship.

When I served my three tours of military duty in Southeast Asia, we used multiple layers of defensive methods, or multiple redundancy defenses, to protect an installation.

For example, my job as a dog handler was to be the first level of defense, encountering the enemy outside the perimeter of the installation. We were also an early-warning system for those at the installation. The next levels of defense, in this order, were a listening post, with a rifleman behind sandbags; towers, M-60 machine guns and night surveillance devices guarding the perimeter fence; and then bunkers and roving patrols inside the perimeter. This same strategy of multiple levels of defense is equally important and effective to protect your martial arts school and wealth.

Protection of Your Real Estate

Ray Kroc, the founder of McDonalds, once said he was not in the hamburger business, but in the real estate business; the hamburgers simply paid the mortgages. I would encourage you to follow Mr. Kroc’s example and consider yourself in the real estate business. You can maximize the value of the tuition your students pay by using it to pay the mortgage on a facility you own, instead of just rent. That can be an excellent wealth-building asset for any small business owner.

When you decide to buy a building for your school or any commercial real estate, you should implement multiple layers of defense through the use of legal and/or corporate entities to protect those assets.

For example, you can combine a land trust with a limited partnership and a corporation to insure lawsuit protection of your real estate. The limited partner’s interest in a limited partnership is virtually “untouchable.” A general partner, while in control of the partnership, is subjected to personal liability; therefore, you need a general partner under your control to “stand in” and take the hit. The solution is to create a corporation to be the general partner of a limited partnership. The corporation must only have a small interest for the purpose of control.

If the limited partnership were sued, then the general partner, not the limited partners, would be liable. If the corporation had little or no assets, the limited partners could “cut it loose” by buying its entire shares for a token amount. The limited partners would then create a new corporation to be the general partner.

Now, let’s add one more layer of protection. The real estate will be titled in a land trust. The beneficiary of the land trust would be the limited partnership, with a corporation as 2% general partner. The corporation, of course, should be under ownership or control of the limited partners (i.e., the limited partners could also be the stockholders of the corporation).

Variation: The Limited Liability Company (LLC)

In the above scenario, you may consider an LLC instead of a corporation/limited-partnership combination. It involves less paperwork than using two entities. Some states, such as California and Texas, impose a high annual franchise tax on the use of LLCs, which makes using multiple limited partnerships more cost effective. In these high franchise tax states, it is cheaper to use multiple limited partnerships than multiple LLCs.

Here Comes the Lawsuit

Let’s suppose a student or vendor decides to sue the owner of the property. The first layer of protection is the land trust. Even if the property owner or his attorney were familiar with a land trust, he would have to designate the beneficiary. The student or vendor’s attorney would then have to ask a court to set aside the land trust.

Even then, the attorney would be confronted by a limited partnership (or LLC). He could try to sue the general partner, only to find that it was a corporation. He might obtain a judgment against the corporation, but its only asset is a 2% share of the limited partnership. The limited partners then decide to cut the general partner loose by buying its 2% share. The student or vendor’s attorney could then try to attach the limited partner’s interest, but that attempt would be futile. In his last desperate attempt, he tries to persuade the court that the corporate general partner is a sham and should be pierced. The court agrees and a judgment is entered against the property owner. By the time this whole process is completed, however, his cash is safe in other LLCs and trusts.

The more roadblocks you put in front of your potential creditors, the less likely they will sue you. If they insist on suing you anyway, then you can stall their collection efforts for years and force them to settle their claims for a fraction of their value. The sophisticated wealth warrior starts the process of asset protection before the assets start building and your martial arts school is making big money and owns multiple of real estate.

Editorial Philosophy
Martial Arts Professionals goal is to be the complete source for news, education, product reviews and innovative developments in the world of martial arts business. To achieve this, we’ve assembled an expert team of columnists and feature writers who are leaders in the fields of business management, personal motivation, health and fitness, and education.

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Each issue is packed with the innovative marketing strategies, industry news, business management education and how-to techniques that martial arts professionals need to stay on the cutting edge. Martial Arts Professional brings together the vast knowledge of top school owners, industry experts, legendary instructors, motivational gurus and some of the most famous names in the martial arts community. In addition, Martial Arts Professional serves as a resource guide of products and services that every professional martial artist needs.

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By providing in depth features, real world success stories, training tools and education, Martial Arts Professional has become a must-read for anyone who has to keep learning to keep earning in the martial arts school business.

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The first step to transform nothing into something of value is to imagine all the possibilities. One of the benefits of seminars, sermons, lyrics from songs and testimonials of others is to give you an idea of the possibilities; to help you imagine and see the potential.

The second step is that you must believe that what you imagine is possible for you. Testimonials, such as, “If I can do it, then you can do it,” often become a support to your belief. First, you imagine it’s possible. Second, you start to believe that what’s possible is possible for you.

 ”The first step to transform nothing into something of value is to imagine all the possibilities.”

You might also believe in what’s possible for you because of your testimonial. “If I did it once, then I can do it again. If it happened for me before, then it could very well happen again.” Not only do you have the testimonials of others as external support, but also you have the internal support of your testimonial. Now, you ideas and imagination are yet substance, but their tangibility is close.

Step two can also be described as the faith to believe. In fact, one writer said, “Faith is substance.” Substance is an interesting word, the powerful ability to believe in the possibilities that are possible for you. If you have faith to believe that faith is substance, substance meaning “a piece of the real,” then it’s so powerful that it is very close to being real.

The same writer said, “The faith is a piece of, the substance of.” He then calls it evidence, substance and evidence. It is difficult to call substance and evidence “nothing.” They are nothing, in the sense that they cannot be seen, except with the inner eye. You can’t hold them because they aren’t yet tangible. It is possible to transform nothing, especially ideas and imagination, into something of value if you believe that it is now possible for you. Substance and evidence becomes so powerful that they can now be transformed into reality.

The third step to transform nothing into something of value is that you go to work to make it real. You go to work to make it a thriving business, good health, an excellent team, a loving marriage or a powerful movement; you make it tangible. You make it viable. You breathe life into it, and then you construct it. That is such a unique and powerful human ability. Put this to work and start the miracle process today.

In part 2 of his interview with Stephen Oliver, Chuck Norris discusses his early martial arts training. As with many martial arts great of his decade, Chuck was first exposed to the arts in Asia, as a member of the U.S. Air Force. Chuck also relates how his championship record in the U.S. led to the success of his school.

The interview also features an in-depth look at Chuck’s KICKSTART Program, highlighting the story of Gerardo Esparza, who went from gang member to a member of the KICKSTART Program to a full scholarship at MIT and a successful career and life in Houston, today.

Chuck also reveals the 12 points that guide his life, motivating and drive him to his success and helping thousands of KICKSTART Program students to experience success – and, often, for the first time in their lives.

Chuck Norris, as with most of the martial arts legends Martial Arts Professional has interviewed, measures his success, according to the results of his “giving back” opportunities, and not fame and fortune – and that is Chuck Norris he wants you to know.

FREE Chuck Norris Teleconference. Visit NAPMA.com/ChuckNorris

Oliver: If you don’t mind, would you mind explaining a bit more of your martial arts background for our readers?

Norris: I started in 1960, yeah.

Oliver: 1960?

Norris: I joined the Air Force after high school, and I was sent to Korea. I was first introduced to the martial arts in February of 1960 in Osan, Korea. I had never heard of Tae Kwon Do, Tang Soo Do or Karate. I had heard of Judo.

When I was stationed at Osan Air Base, I started studying Judo because that’s the only art I had ever heard of. Two weeks into my training, I broke my shoulder on an ipponseoi- nage, for those who know Judo.

My arm was in a sling, so I went to Osan Village sightseeing. As I walked in the village, I looked up to a knoll and saw heads popping up. I was curious, so I walk to the top of the knoll and on the other side were Korean martial arts students jumping in the air and doing spinning heel kicks and other moves. I said, Holy mackerel. I didn’t think the human body could do something like that. I was mesmerized by the ability of those Koreans. They looked pretty tough, so I was afraid to talk with them. I returned to the base and asked my Judo instructor and described what I had seen. He said it was called Tang Su Do. I told him that I’d love to try it, since I couldn’t do Judo with my injured shoulder. He took me to the village and introduced me to Master Lee, who was head of ATA. He was my first instructor and died a few years ago.

The 12 Points that Guide Chuck Norris’ Life

1. I will develop myself to the maximum of my potential in all ways.
2. I will forget the mistakes of the past and press on to greater achievements.
3. I will always be in a positive frame of mind and convey this feeling to every person that I meet.
4. I will continually work at developing love, happiness and loyalty in my family and acknowledge that no other success can compensate for failure in the home.
5. I will look for the good in all people and make them feel worthwhile.
6. If I have nothing good to say about a person, then I will say nothing.
7. I will give so much time to the improvement of myself that I will have no time to criticize others.
8. I will always be as enthusiastic about the success of others as I am about my own.
9. I will maintain an attitude of open-mindedness toward another person’s viewpoint, while still holding fast to that which I know to be true and honest.
10. I will maintain respect for those in authority and demonstrate this respect at all times.
11. I will always remain loyal to God, my country, family and my friends.
12. I will remain highly goal-oriented throughout my life because that positive attitude helps my family, my country and myself.

Oliver: The Eternal Grand Master.

Norris: Yes. I then discovered that Master Shin was teaching on the base. I thought it would be easier to train on the base than to come to the village. I started training on the base with Master Shin, who now has his own organization here in America. When I left Korea, I had earned my Black Belt in Tang Soo Do and my Brown Belt in Judo. After I was discharged from the military, I started teaching in Torrance, California, in 1962. I wasn’t sure where to find students because no one knew anything about the martial arts. Slowly but surely people started enrolling.

When competitions started in 1963, I decided to enter, so I would appear in Black Belt Magazine. My first competition was in Salt Lake City, Utah. I drove all the way from Torrance with three of my students. I had no money and an old car, and we just barely made it to Salt Lake City. All four of us competed, and my three students placed and won, and I lost. I drove back while they held their trophies.

As I kept losing, I developed a philosophy: Each time I lost, I told myself, I may lose again, but I won’t lose the same way twice. I just kept learning from my mistakes and finally started a winning streak and became the No. 1 competitor in the United States. I then won the World Championship in traditional fighting in New York City. My motivation was to compete and attract students to my schools, so I could teach them and give them the benefits of the martial arts. With God’s blessing, I was able to win a good share of tournaments. My motivations are exactly the same for starting the World Combat League: to give these athletes opportunities to make a living at something they love and, secondly, to help support a foundation that can save literally millions of lives. We’ve had some tremendous success stories, Steve, such as Gerardo Esparza.

Oliver: Yes, I remember that story, but please share it.

FREE Chuck Norris Teleconference. Visit NAPMA.com/ChuckNorris

Norris: Gerardo Esparza was an at-risk kid who was also a gang member. When these kids join our program, they must break off all gang ties. They cannot remain a member of a gang. Their new gang is our martial arts group. Gerardo had been in plenty of trouble. He had already failed the sixth grade once. He was in the KICKSTART Program age group because we teach sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders. We have an after school program for them when they attend high school. Gerardo was causing so much trouble that the authorities were about to send him to juvenile hall. My instructor, who teaches at my school in that neighborhood, heard about Gerardo. My instructor asked the principal of Gerardo’s school if there was an opportunity to enroll Gerardo in our KICKSTART Program. As you know, once you incarcerate a kid, he usually becomes worse.

“Let’s give martial arts an opportunity to help turn this boy around.” The authorities and the principal agreed. My instructor said, “Gerardo, you have an opportunity to be in our KICKSTART Program on probation, but you must break off all your gang ties.” He agreed; however, my instructor caught Gerardo with his gang friends on a number of occasions. He warned Gerardo, “You must break with the gang.” After my instructor caught him the fifth time, he called me, “Mr. Norris, I caught him again. I don’t know what to do. I’m contemplating sending him back.”I responded, “Let’s be patient here. Let him finish the year – it’s only two more months before the year is out – and then we’ll see where it goes from there.” Gerardo finished sixth grade at the end of the year with a D average. During the summer (our program goes year-round, so we teach them through the summer as well), for some reason, he developed an allegiance with his martial arts friends, and broke off his gang ties. He finished the seventh grade with a C average, the eighth grade with a B average, and earned straight A’s from ninth- through twelfthgrade. He received a full scholarship to MIT.

Oliver: Oh, my goodness.

Norris: He graduated and is now working in Houston. It just shows what the martial arts can do. I tell Gerardo’s story during my talks and presentations, telling audiences that this is what it’s all about with the martial arts. It helps you develop that inner strength and self-worth to achieve your life goals. As I mentioned earlier, I’m a prime example because I was that shy kid, the underachiever who has made a modicum of success in the movie world. Now, if I can do that, then imagine what you can do?

Oliver: I’m not sure I would say you had a modicum of success in the acting arena; but given your background and the background of so many people who have gone on to achieve incredible success, it’s just undeniable that martial arts was a major, positive factor.

Norris: It really is. Steve, martial arts is the best thing that ever came to our country. I did the entire WCL season last year without a TV deal. That was very scary, Steve, because you can’t be successful without television. I was quite worried about it. I thought, golly Moses, this is costing me a lot of money, and if I don’t get a TV deal, then I’ll be in a world of hurt. Finally, at the end of the season, Versus TV came on board and started airing our shows. Even though it was the end of the television season, Versus aired our shows, and we had incredible ratings. The ratings were so good that Versus aired our shows 237 times. WCL consists of eight teams, four East Coast and four West Coast. Denver is one of our West Coast teams. Our season is very similar to baseball, football and basketball, with teams qualifying for the playoffs, advancing to our World Championship.

Oliver: We’re planning to publish the Versus TV schedule in Martial Arts Professional magazine.

Norris: Oh, great. Fantastic, Steve.

Oliver: NAPMA and Martial Arts Professional would like to give your World Combat League a boost. My personal opinion is if we can get a lot of traction with you and with NASKA, then it’s really good for the industry. I think some of the other more violent circuits and events aren’t, perhaps, as conducive to industry growth as we’d like and don’t develop the image of martial arts we share.

Norris: Most of my martial arts schools are members of NAPMA, and they’re the ones that are successful in my UFAF organization. Every year, we encourage our school owners to join NAPMA because it’s great. I wish I’d been a member when I had my school because it was tough not having any business background in the ‘60s. We had to teach from the seat of our pants because we knew nothing about the business of martial arts. Even though I taught many students, I couldn’t become financially successful because I didn’t understand the business. It was very, very difficult for me in those days to make a living at something I loved. That is what’s so great about NAPMA. You help your member make a living from their chosen profession; Steve, I really applaud you for that.

I want to keep the door open between you and I, so I can help NAPMA. I do a weekly article for World Net Daily (See: http://www.worldnetdaily. com), which is the largest online newspaper in the world. It has 6 million readers. My article is syndicated globally…

Oliver: I read it every week. It’s excellent.

Norris: …maybe I can do something to help NAPMA too.

Oliver: That would be great. We’d certainly like to reprint those columns in Martial Arts Professional as well those online, which we’ll link from MartialArtsProfessional.com.

Norris: I would love to do that for you.

Oliver: As you may know, Chuck, we’re growing our Mile High Karate schools and we’re now all over the country.

Norris: Believe me, I’ve been reading about you. I know what you’ve been doing, Steve. I keep up-to-date with your progress in the martial arts magazines. You are one of the leaders, Steve, you’re one of the leaders in this country for martial arts; and I appreciate being associated with you.

Oliver: I always have to give credit to you, Jhoon Rhee, Jeff Smith Nick Cokinos and all the others who were the pioneers. It would be very difficult to do what we’re doing now without your leadership. You were certainly one of the very first people to run schools commercially. Your efforts since the 1960’s and Jhoon Rhee’s efforts in Washington, D.C. have led to a confluence of interest in martial arts that is sure to make the World Combat League a huge hit.

Norris: Thank you, Steve. There are so many school owners who want to become more business oriented so they can do something they love and make a living at it. NAPMA is the way to go. I encourage other schools to get on board with NAPMA. I’ll be glad to help you out in any way I can.

Oliver: We will hold you to that. I really appreciate your time today.

Norris: I’d be glad to do it.

Oliver: I want parents to know that my six-year old daughter, Jaeda, attended the World Combat League fight in Denver because it is a very family-friendly environment. Aren’t your twins often at WCL events?

Norris: Yes, Dani and Dakota love watching it. There’s no blood. You’ll see the familiar kickboxing style. Once people see it, I think they’ll become fans.

If you click on “Inside the WCL” on the World Combat League Web site (WorldCombatLeague. com or WCL.TV), then you’ll see many comments from kids and fan about the events, and how exciting they are.

The evening’s highlight was a demonstration of his martial arts skills to congressional members, the Korean Ambassador and a veritable who’s who of martial artists. Rhee migrated to this country after the Korean War and built a chain of schools in the U.S. and former Soviet Union.

Over 250 VIPs gathered on September 30th in the halls of the United States Congress to celebrate and honor the “Father of Tae Kwon Do in America,” Grandmaster Jhoon G. Rhee.

The evening was a grand celebration of Grandmaster Rhee's 45 years as a pioneer in martial arts instruction and to honor his 80th birthday. The Caucus Room of the U.S. Capitol Cannon Office Building was packed with a veritable who’s who of VIPs in martial arts and politics including former representative Bob Livingston (R–LA), and Grandmasters Y.K. Kim and Jong Soo Park. Guests also included Walter Anderson, publisher of Parade magazine; William Cecil, president of the Biltmore Estate; and His Excellency Duk-Soo Han, the Korean Ambassador to the United States.

For four-and-a-half decades, three days a week, Grandmaster Rhee has driven to the U.S. Capitol before sunrise to instruct members of congress in the House Gymnasium. He has taught more than 350 lawmakers and administration officials promoting many of them to the rank of black belt, including Bob Livingston, Jesse Jackson Jr. (D–IL), Mike Espy (D–MS, former Secretary of Agriculture), Pete Hoekstra (R–MI), Carolyn Maloney (D–NY), Gene Taylor (D–MS), Nick Smith (R–MI), Bob Schaffer (R–CO), Howard Pollock (R–AK), Toby Roth (R–WI), Bob Borski (D–PA), James Jeffords (R–VT) and Gerry Sikorski (D–MN).

Grandmaster Rhee has trained some of the biggest names in the martial arts as well. Allen Steen was his first Black Belt in America and became the International Grand Champion at Ed Parker’s 1966 tournament in Long Beach. Pat Burleson earned the unofficial title  of the “grandfather of American sport karate,” after winning the first national championship at the 1964 tournament sponsored by Grandmaster Rhee. Jeff Smith, John and Pat Worley, Ishmael Robles, Keith Yates, John Chung, Dennis Brown, Joe Lewis, Joe Corley, Stephen Oliver and dozens of other pioneering martial artists were there to credit Grandmaster Rhee with inspiring them to further develop the arts in America. Besides well-known martial arts champions, Grandmaster Rhee has taught celebrities as diverse as Muhammad Ali (who credits the grandmaster with helping him develop his punches) and motivational guru Tony Robbins (who earned his Black Belt and acknowledged Rhee as someone who helped shaped his philosophy). Bruce Lee once said that Grandmaster Rhee refined his kicking abilities.

Grandmaster Rhee was one of the recipients of President George Bush’s “Points of Light” awards to outstanding contributors to American society. He was also named to the list of the Top American Immigrants and is the only Korean on that list. He has served on several national councils such as the National Council on Vocational Education and the President’s Council on Physical Fitness.

In fact, physical fitness has been one of the hallmarks of Jhoon Rhee’s career. He still does a thousand pushups and sit-ups a day and at the age of 80 can do full splits. Former representative Dick Swett (D–NH) commented that “Jhoon Rhee is like the humanoids on ‘The Event’ TV show—they don’t age and he is one of them!” Grandmaster Rhee demonstrated his 100 pushups in just 60 seconds at the September 30th gala, exceeding his own standard with 103. He also broke two boards with a front snap kick while balancing a full glass of water on top of his head. Grandmaster Rhee quipped that if he could balance that water perhaps Congress could balance the budget. Then turning serious, Rhee remembered his time in the Korean army during the Korean War in the 1950s. “I fought side by side with young American soldiers who came to defend my motherland, a land they had never seen before. That touched me, and I wanted to repay America.”

Rhee arrived at the airport in San Francisco in 1956 and he says he encountered a “wonderland.” He could not believe the prosperity in the United States. Grandmaster Rhee began teaching the Korean form of martial arts to help support himself as he went to the University of Texas. He was the first to teach what would become Tae Kwon Do in America. Grandmaster Rhee is also the father of musical martial arts forms, now a staple in all martial arts competitions, and the creator of the first foam-rubber sparring pads revolutionizing sport karate competition to cross over into the mainstream. For his contributions Black Belt Magazine named him one of the top ten most influential martial artists of the 20th century. Walter Anderson says Rhee is “one of the great people of the world.” Representative Ike Skelton, Chairman of the Armed Forces Committee, called Rhee “a national treasure.”

Grandmaster Rhee is currently promoting his new book, Trutopia: The Art of Happy Living, in which he lays out his lead-by-example philosophy. Summarizing the book, he said, “When I am truthful, my heart is beautiful; when my heart is beautiful, people love me; when people love me, I am happy.”

Grandmaster Rhee says it can be a new social awakening campaign for a peaceful global society in the Third Millennium. He says he will gather everyone together for another celebration on his 100th birthday.

Learn how to write a press release that will get read and get the attention your school needs to boost its reputation.

Learn the insider tricks and techniques that public relations professionals use.

Attracting positive publicity is important to your business because it can bring paying students into your school and contribute to your professional reputation.

One time honored and highly effective tool for getting your name and business covered by the media is the press release.

A good press release is simply a one-page story describing a news event that you want covered by the media. A press release should be no longer than one page. It needs to include a short bio about you and about your school but avoid bombarding the editors with an encyclopedic study of all your accomplishments.

If you do, it will be thrown in the trash, unread. The bio goes at the end of the press release. If they want more information, they will call you. So the editor can call if interested, the top left of the page should look like this:

For Immediate Release
Date:
Contact Information: (your name and phone number)

Right above the story, write your headline. The headline should summarize the main point of the press release in one line. The opening paragraph must answer five basic questions: Who, what, where, when and how. Make sure you cover all five questions in your opening paragraph. End your press release with this: –end–.

Before you start writing, create an outline. Just like a novel, a press release has a beginning, middle, and an end. Visualize your story as an inverted pyramid. Because the initial paragraph answers the five basic questions containing the most information, it’s the broad side of the triangle. You prioritize all of the rest of information with the most important in the second and third paragraphs, and the least important at the bottom of the story.

Media Relationships When you’re first starting, no one will know who you are or why their readers/viewers would be interested in your news. With a little patience, you can build positive relationships with your local media. These relationships will be important to you, especially in smaller towns, where reporters tend to stay a long time in the print media. Broadcast media is different. Many broadcast reporters, your local anchor people, are working your territory on a contract. When their contract is up, they hope to move up to somewhere bigger.

The two most important things to remember when dealing with the media: Tell them only about the things that will interest their readers and viewers, and be very honest about your facts. Don’t waste their time when nothing is happening, but call them when something interesting does. The trick to successful media relations is to know when something is newsworthy.

Content of a Press Release A press release is only as good as the newsworthiness of the content. Notify the press of the things people find most interesting about the martial arts.

… the initial paragraph answers the five basic questions containing the most information; it’s the broad side of  the triangle.

Everyone is interested in competition. Use your school’s competitions to get attention from the press and potential students. The larger the competition your students are participating in, the more newsworthy the event. Instruction can be an important subject for press releases. Write about improvements to your instruction methods and curriculum. Focus on how you are making a difference in the lives of your students.

Events, particularly those tied to a charity, are very newsworthy. After writing about the details of the event in the opening paragraph, talk about the fun things to be included like kick-a-thons or breaking contests.

Mention the success of previous events. For example, if you had it in a mall, then find out how many people came to the mall that day. These numbers will be important for your press release. Then, cover the importance of the charity Your annual tournaments or Black Belt testing are of great interest to most people. If your tournament is a large one involving out of town participants, it is of particular interest because hotels, restaurants, and other businesses will have you and your event to thank for some good business. Anything that benefits the business community as a whole is newsworthy.

Another thing to promote is authoring a book or writing an article in a national martial arts magazine.

This is not only good for your professional reputation; it is a good sales boost to your school. If you win a national or regional competition, this is another important reason to write a press release.

A visit to your school or a seminar held in your school by a martial arts celebrity is certainly cause for issuing a press release. If you have achieved a new level of celebrity yourself, such as being featured in a national martial arts magazine, issue a press release.

Grand openings are newsworthy events, but have to be handled with special care. In the old days, there was an interest in grand openings because people didn’t know how to run the business. Now, they are so common, they are only newsworthy if tied to a gala affair, or a special event. Then, you issue invitations and invite the media. It should be a newsworthy event, like one of the Power Rangers stopping by, or a parents only meet and greet.

Successful students earning Black Belts is newsworthy. The local media loves stories about local people doing good things. The media understand that a Black Belt is very difficult to get and requires a lot of commitment and determination.

Another type of press release is to tie a topical subject to a solution or event offered by your school. For example, the June third cover story of the U.S. News and World Report’s was “How to Raise a Moral Child.” The article starts with the header “Wimp or Bully.” This article asks if parents are concerned about the escalating use of violence to resolve childhood disputes. If an opportunity like this isn’t free advertising, I don’t know what is. Issuing a press release mentioning the article and answering this question with the benefits of martial arts education is certainly newsworthy.

Human interest stories are always newsworthy. Watch for the opportunities in your students’ lives for things they do that are extraordinary. The happier the story, the better the media like it.

If you have student in an academic competition at a high level, or who is involved in some charity work, issue a press release from your school. Give proper credit to the student and the parents.

Martial arts has two things that it does better than anything else I know; we teach people to overcome obstacles, and we transform their character. How many times have we heard the story of little Johnny showing up at karate school and his parents are complaining that his grades are terrible and they can’t control him? Working with an instructor he respects and tries to emulate as a role model, he earns a Black Belt. The relationships between instructors and students are rich with human interest stories.

I don’t know about you, but I can see the power and influence we have in these kids’ lives and I cherish it. I take pride in our industry and what we have to offer. It is important that we all learn how to articulate what we do and how good it is for society.

Press releases can get students in your school and give martial arts a good name. With more people confusing martial arts education with the MMA, we need to get sophisticated about using the media to build a professional image.

The second point is that you have to think about what you are most passionate about, and you have to re-ignite yourself before you communicate. Otherwise, you are teaching the same fundamentals again and again and again. You can go on automatic pilot, and there is nothing less engaging than a person who is not fully there. They are there physically, but their mind and body are checked out, because they are on automatic pilot.

So, you’ve really got to stop and remind yourself, what do I love about this art? What is my passion? It has to be an every-time experience. The way to do that is the same way that you would walk onto the mat, into the ring, or whatever your metaphor is. You never walk in without being in a peak state. Never take your students for granted any more than you would an opponent, because if you do, you lose your sense of identity, your sense of pride.

The teacher is a leader. I think it is critical that the focus be beyond yourself, that you focus on being in a peak state every time until it becomes your identity. Then, it’s not hard to have charisma in front of the room, because you’re not trying to have charisma. You’re trying to serve.

The third principle is it’s impossible to build on failure. You build only on success.

When I worked with the United States Army pistol-shooting program, I made certain that the first time someone shot a pistol, instead of shooting the .45 caliber pistol from 50 feet away—which is what they were starting these guys out at—the target was literally five feet in front of the students. I wouldn’t let them fire the gun until they had rehearsed over and over again the exact perfect shooting form for two hours. By the time they held the gun, they had every technique perfected, so when they fired the first time, they succeeded.

I believe in setting people up to win. Many instructors believe in setting them up to fail so they stay humble and are supposedly more motivated. I disagree radically. People’s actions are very limited when they think they have limited potential. If you have a limited belief, you are going to use limited potential, and you are going to take limited action.

At first, the Army thought it was stupid, but it put ignition into the students’ brain. “WOW! I’ve succeeded,” versus shooting bullets into the ceiling or floor the first few times. It created an initial sense of certainty in the trainee that they could succeed.

To many of us Ernie Reyes is known for his amazing demonstration team, but what I was most impressed with at the Reyes school was how the 30 attendant instructors from Reyes’ affiliated schools acted like one big, mutually supportive family. They were all clearly enthusiastic in their study and their strong, positive energy was very much sensed by every one of us on the RMCAT instructional team.

While martial arts schools are regarded as places of discipline and courtesy, we have seen that the outside world is not always so pleasant. Therefore, if we want to train our adult students for the type of conflicts they might encounter in the outside world, we must authentically and even graphically simulate those conditions in our training drills.

A few weeks ago I saw a confrontation occur between two irate motorists. The incident reminded me quite sharply of the purpose of some of the drills we did at Mr. Reyes’ school. In this traffic dispute one of the two men called out a racially charged name at the other. I could almost see an electric shock of rage race through the other man’s body. To his credit, he managed to restrain himself and the incident passed without any violence.

If someone can enrage you, perhaps even to the point of violence by calling you a racially charged, hate-mongering-type name, then you have done none other than carelessly left a weapon in the enemy’s hands. We must never allow the enemy to control our actions or our minds in any way.

Consider this important fact: Most adults have never faced direct, stand-up aggression such as hate-filled name calling. And when they do, they are often totally unprepared for the powerfully visceral effect it can have. It can rob an individual of his or her rational judgment and thought processes. Indeed, this is precisely the objective of the person calling out that racially or ethnically charged name. They want to make you so mad that you act irrationally; in short, they want to control you.

Consider the following hypothetical situation: You are walking down the street when a homeless person yells at you, “You scum bucket! It’s greedy perverted trash like you that screw up this world!” If these lines were delivered with real emotional content and hate, then they would have some effect on you. That effect might range from fear to rage, but as these two emotions are very closely linked, they can cloud an individual’s good judgment. The impact they have on their intended target can be quite powerful.

Suppose the homeless man delivered this same little speech every day? Would you simply get used to it? Would you come to expect it or even become concerned or curious if that homeless man wasn’t there one day to call out his insults? Ask yourself, what has made the difference in how you now react to this same stimulus?

This is the principle upon which some of our RMCAT drills are based. Remember last month’s article on the hockey dad murder? I wonder what name he might have been called that helped put him in that prison cell? Next month, will look at this subject a bit further.   u

As a school operator, you will eventually begin to add staff and, as your school grows, that will likely not only involve hiring administrative support, but also adding assistant instructors and possibly even head instructors. As a single school expands beyond 200 active students, or as you branch out into a second, third or more locations, you will definitely need a larger and larger instructional staff.

As your staff expands, you need to begin to create and apply a variety of control systems, starting with an employee contract that’s executed prior to full-time employment of an individual. For my own Mile High Karate schools, there were several areas of concern that I felt the need to address right up front, in order to minimize hard feelings, misunderstandings or damaging activities down the road.

For each of my instructors, I make it clear that they are teaching at my request and for the benefit of my students –- and those students are not their students. This is non-negotiable.

Prior to hiring any instructor (including part-timers), each employee needs a written agreement with you regarding expectations and compensation. Their employment contract will include the following language to insure that clarity up front:

Solicitation:

In the event the Employee’s employment with the Employer is terminated, with or without cause, at any time, the Employee specifically covenants and agrees that he/she will not thereafter, for a period of three (3) years after leaving the Employer’s employment, solicit the employer’s students, instructors or staff members, or those of the Employer’s successor, if any, with respect to any service or with respect to any product as are offered or sold by the employer, or its successor, either for the Employee’s own benefit or for the benefit of or as an Employee of any person, firm, school or corporation. Employee acknowledges that he/she has access to student lists and records and understands that student lists and records are confidential, trade secret information, and may not leave the place of employment for any reason or be used for reasons other to benefit the Employer in the regular course of business.

Following termination of employment with Mile High Karate, Employee agrees to reimburse employer $1,000.00 per individual student (the approximate yearly revenue from each student) and to personally pay the existing balance(s), (if any), of each student’s contract with employer if the Employee accepts income for instruction or training from any individual or family who has been an enrolled Mile High Karate student within three (3) years prior to the Employee’s termination. This reimbursement will be due to the Employer whether the Employee teaches for the Employee’s own benefit or for the benefit of or as an Employee of any person, firm, school or corporation following the Employee’s termination of employment from the Employer. The Employee guarantees these payments if his/her new Employer accepts a former Mile High Karate student even if no direct benefits accrue to the Employee.

 “For each of my instructors, I make it clear that they are teaching at my request and for the benefit of my students –- and those students are not their students. This is non-negotiable.”

Now, keep in mind that a legal document is mostly used to clarify expectations upfront and to give a disgruntled employee “pause” before doing something that will permanently burn his/her bridge with you and hurt you both. Frankly, an employee moving “across the street” and trying to take your students with him or her often hurts them more than it hurts you.

In reality, ongoing communications and rapport is the only way to minimize turnover of employees and to help them move on in their career without hurting your business.

            Stephen Oliver MBA is a 7^th dan and owner of Mile High Karate in Denver, Colorado.