Developing Skillful Martial Artists from the Ground + Up

What makes a successful martial artist? Why shouldn’t experts teach beginners? What should you focus on if you want to grow and scale?  

From getting over ego to supporting your new students, on this episode of the Black Belt Business Podcast, Eliot, Phipps and Jordan, discuss how to build a successful, scalable martial arts academy that grows skilled martial artists from the ground up. 

Get a curriculum 

Rather than simply hiring talented fighters hoping they’ll make good teachers, set them up for success by giving them a starting place and material to work with. When you have a consistent curriculum, your instructors won’t need to spend energy thinking about what to teach; they can focus on how. 

You can treat class as a laboratory to refine your plans and flows, and instructors can fine-tune their teaching. Taking care of the curriculum on the front end of your program means rather than trying to remember what they haven’t yet taught, instructors can spend that energy on their students. 

A curriculum also ensures that newer students have some form of structure to grab hold of as they get tossed into the deep end. 

While it’s true that given long enough training under an exceptional teacher even without a curriculum can lead the right athlete to great heights, the majority of people aren’t going to spend 10 years with a famous champion. People want faster progress.

While faster is debatable, the key takeaway here is measurable. They need to feel a sense of progress, or they’ll quit. 

Even if students may improve at equal rates with and without a curriculum, the ability to track their progress relative to a cohesive program gives them a sense of accomplishment that they can really see and appreciate. Rather than a collection of random moves, they learn the martial art in a systematic and holistic way.

Even if a student never becomes a pro, they might discover a hobby that leads to a black belt in Jiu Jitsu one day just because they stuck around. By nurturing new students at the beginning of the journey instead of weeding them out, you can shift your culture to an inclusive community rooted in stewardship and growth.

Have a middleman 

Along with having a curriculum, you want to have someone who communicates it in a relatable way. While an expert can bring an immense depth of knowledge to inspire beginners, strength in one area doesn’t translate into strength in all areas. Someone with athleticism and agility might struggle with patience, communication, or becoming emotional at times, alienating their students. 

Some experts may certainly be known for their skillful, adaptable teaching approach, but often, the gap between an expert and a beginner can be too wide to bridge. Having a BJJ Blue Belt teach your fundamentals class might seem unconventional, since it’s only one rank above white, but they’ll understand the new student’s perspective better than a higher belt, having more recently been in their shoes.

So how do you find someone at a lower belt rank who you trust to not only be a good instructor, but to uphold your values and principles? 

Grow and develop them from within. Finding good teachers is no different than finding good champions – you’re just looking for a sense of leadership in addition to technical proficiency and expertise.

When you prioritize your students, empower your staff and help young instructors develop their careers, you don’t just help one or two people – you actively craft a system that will serve far beyond your immediate needs.

Value your students

No matter if you have 50 students or seven schools with 400 competitors, prioritizing your students’ experience through a thoughtful curriculum will not only strengthen your product (the martial arts you offer), but make it consistent and replicable. 

Students get a clear, measurable, attainable and time-based marker of progress. You get earned loyalty.

No student should need to prove their loyalty to you. Just like contracts are an excuse for owners to slack off, you have to adapt the mindset that you need your students more than they need you. 

You might not want more than 100 students at your school, but if you do want to grow and expand, get concerned with the new folks. Woo the beginners. There’s a certain point at which people stop trying if they don’t feel they’re getting better. It’s your job to set them (and yourself) up for success.

You’ll have plenty of time to add intermediate and advanced classes and grow competitors. Make them see how fun it is first. Focus on welcoming and engaging beginners, and not only will your retention bloom but so will your long-term loyalty and community.