Retaining your students is one of the most important things you need to do as an owner of a martial arts school. Advertising is not cheap. It is much more expensive to recruit new students than to retain your existing ones. Word of mouth advertising is your most powerful weapon, and your existing students and [...]

My First Sparring Experience Twack!!! I gasped as his foot landed squarely in my stomach. As I stumbled backward I tried to catch my breath, but the wind was knocked out of me in one painful instant. Regaining my breath I threw myself straight at the tall, lanky green belt. In football we were taught [...]

Should a child fight back in self defence when bullied? At least five or six times a year parents approach me and ask for advice on this. It is usually a beginner student, as our experienced students rarely get bullied. She explains that “since the sensei said it is not ok to use karate at [...]

Can children improve their performance in martial arts through strength-training? Most definitely! The martial arts require powerful, explosive movements. Strength-training exercises can be very effective in developing this explosiveness. Sprinters, football players, basketball players, baseball players, and many other elite sports people now use strength-training as an important part of their preparation. My experience with [...]