There is no perfect way of running a martial arts school. There are lots of martial arts school, clubs, gyms and dojos all around the world. They have different styles, different ways of handling things. Some do things to make their schools succeed, but some teachers and masters make mistakes that lead to the downfall of their dojos. We’re now here to discuss some of those mistakes.
To increase the chance of your martial arts school or gym to succeed, avoid all of these errors. Here are mistakes martial arts schools do.
Having Closed Doors
Having closed doors in your martial arts school is a way to deter potential customers. Not everyone is persistent to learn martial arts, so you have to make it easy for other people to visit your school. Most gyms or dojos are located on mini-malls or warehouses that face the street so open your doors as a welcoming sign. Remember, closed doors means closed check books which ultimately means the death of your martial arts school.
Not Spending Enough Time
Being successful can be hard, but it’s harder for people who are impatient. Spend enough time on your school or make sure there is a good representative that can handle incoming students and potential customers. People usually don’t have the time to come in at morning or mid-afternoon so stay at your school at these times to catch these people. It’s also a good idea to lengthen your school hours to accommodate people who don’t have too much free time. Lunch classes, night classes, and weekend classes should also be created as an option for your gym. Without these options, your customers will go to your competition that have these classes. Why wait for that moment to happen when you can prevent it from happening right now.
Teachers who Disrespect Time
Being punctual is a must. Not-being punctual is a sign of disrespect. Remember that time is precious, especially to your students who do their best to squeeze your class to their very busy schedules. Your students believe that the time spent waiting for the instructor to start can be spent on other more important things. If you have this habit of making people wait then you are creating a reason for your students to leave.
Having an Inflated Ego
So a martial artist’s ego is important, especially if you use it to your advantage when fighting on the mat. It’s also important to exude confidence, so your students will perceive you as a good leader. But inflating your ego to the point that you believe everything should be about you will become your downfall. You’re a teacher now, you work for the betterment of your school and your students. Having a huge ego will also be a sign of permission for bad students to become worse while your behavior pushes away good students. When in doubt, always come back to the reason why martial arts was created. To help the weak, to help others, not just yourself.