If you’ve studied martial arts long enough to open a school, then you know consistency is king. The hours and devotion that got you where you are prove the importance of consistency in terms of quantity, but what about quality?

How do you pass on that which you know, and spent so long obtaining? Even though you have a plethora of knowledge to pass down to your students, you still want a systematic way to ensure your students are progressing and building a strong foundation of martial arts skills. 

This means, as academy owners and school founders, we want every student that passes through our doors to receive consistent coaching, technical instruction, and a fundamental understanding of the movements and components of the martial art. 

Amid the varying strengths, personalities and preferences of your instructors, if you have a strong curriculum, then no matter what – all your students can stay on the same page.

Let’s say your coaches have tons of experience in their disciplines and great personalities. They choose what they want to teach each day based on what they’re feeling, or maybe based on the general theme of the week or month.  This random approach may provide for a good class that day, but when do you students have a chance to build on the techniques they’re practicing? When do they have an opportunity to see those same techniques again to bank valuable reps?

Without a tangible sense of progression, eventually students will begin to get bored or feel lost working with another student of their same level.

This could lead to low self-esteem and confusion, which is the opposite of what we want martial arts to add to our students’ lives. Without consistency, students will receive unequal education, colored and chosen by the coach of that day. 

While a variety of teaching styles and instruction is beneficial to our growth and development, a curriculum ensures that despite the varying approaches, students still receive the same content.

In addition to learning the same material, which helps students when switching classes and working with new partners, progress becomes more linear because classes can build on their skills.

Yes, the right teacher can make any spontaneous class plan into a good workout, but if you’re looking to grow technically and strategically in any sport, you’ll have to hit the books.

Give your students something to chew on, digest and ask for more. Creating a curriculum of logical progressions will also help students solidify knowledge as it builds on something they just learned. By building classes intentionally instead of randomly, students will deepen their understanding of the sport and confidence in themselves. 

A curriculum also gives students a reference bank for their knowledge and a metric of skills to measure up against other students – a necessary function of knowing what we need improvement on.

As students progress, they naturally seek out other practitioners of the same skill level to train with. While a culture of stewardship guides upper belts to work with white belts in class, we also need to make sure that higher-level students stay engaged and challenged.

Implementing a curriculum into your martial arts program will help you create the foundation from which you can later expand, adding various class levels.

Rather than spending time thinking about what they’ll teach, coaches can focus on their own technique and assisting students. 

Take your academy to the next level. 

Find a cohesive curriculum for your coaches and students so that you know, without a doubt, that the training they’re receiving is what you received, and what you wish to put into the world.

If your curriculum is comprehensible, cumulative, and digestible, your students are not only more likely to stick around, but you’ll have consistent excellency across the board on your home court.

Try our free No Gi Curriculum sample here!