Looking for changes in 2023

"Each time we go up against our fears, we strengthen our courage, spirit and will." - Master Zamora

 

Looking for success in all areas of our life for 2023, school owners and life-long martial artists like so many have been hit hard the last several years.  I wish us all success in the coming year! 

The Three Pillars of Fitness:
1. Train for muscular strength and endurance.
2. Condition for aerobic capacity.
3. Develop flexibility.

Most beginning athletes are unwilling to drive themselves hard enough.  They should punish themselves and then rest adequately, only to increase the output of effort after the rest.  Long hours of work made up of many short, high speed efforts interspersed with periods of milder activity seem to be the best endurance-training procedure.  - The Tao of Jeet Kune Do 1975.

Zig Ziglar on Martial Arts schools -
"You develop people the same way you mine gold.  You go into a gold mine and expect to move plenty of dirt to find an ounce of gold.  You're not looking for dirt; you're looking for gold.  "When it comes to the Team there are many different players with many different responsibilities.  The Coach's job is to make certain every player is recognized as an integral part of the team, everyone plays a part.  In the martial arts business, every person in the facility - the person who greets the students at the door, the person who answers the phone, the person who prepares the mailing - everybody is important.  When they're made to feel important, they perform better.  That means everybody wins.
 

The martial arts instructor's job - to motivate, to inspire and teach their students how to be better at what they're doing, encouraging them along the way.  Encouragement, after all, is the fuel on which hope runs, and hope is the foundation of quantity of all change.
It's critically important that we continue to encourage students and each other.  We maintain our positive attitudes and become what I call "gold finders."
In the martial arts, when you're attempting to close the sale, you must really believe that the major beneficiary will be the student and then yourself.  You pull for him to buy because the student will receive much more benefit than you will.  If it's not for the benefit, then your body language will give it away - Mastering the Martial Arts Business.  

Mindset -
I often speak about simplicity in business, fighting techniques and life.  It's tough to think "simplify" because we live in a complicated world with everything getting more and more complex.  Seems like simple does not interest many people and complex does.  People will not pay for a how-to-book that is one page long.  They will pay way more for a 300 page one though.  Even if the simple answer makes more sense.  In what we do, our success will come when we learn to get extremely good at those simple things.  Look at business, fighting and life in a simple way and you will find solutions that make more sense.  You have to train yourself to think - simplify.

" A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at him." - David Brinkley

Understanding Respect in a traditional school:
As martial artists we live with "Respect" being a very strong part of our life.  Often many others outside of the arts will not fully understand the importance we place on Respect.  Respect for the arts, for ourselves, for our teachers and mentors, and of course for everyone else.  We fully understand that respect is earned by the respect we demonstrate for others and for ourselves.  But, challenges will come even inside our Academy.  People will challenge our authority and disrespect us in several different ways.  We must quickly stand-up for ourselves and our beliefs.  We must not allow these challengers to win over us.  Their challenge is a test of our will and authority, and the way we handle it will be a reflection of who we are and what we stand for.  Part of being a professional is to uphold rules and policies that are set for safety and business / dojo success.  We've all heard, "If you rock the boat, you may fall overboard."  This is what happens to anyone who fights the system we have set in our Academy for running the business and teaching the arts.  We can usually tell what kind of person we are allowing to be part of our school in the intro lesson.  If they question the procedures and are not willing to follow the process, let them know that this is the way we do things in our Academy.  If they resist... it's time to send them on their way!  You should have a list of other schools you can refer them to.  Different strokes for different folks, different systems of training for different interests, we are a Traditional School with traditional ways proven to yield our desired results.  Whether for competition, health, wellness and happiness, for self-defense or building confidence, martial arts is a way to belong to a community upheld by morals and ethics.  We run a dojo / kwoon, our mindset is different.  Wu De guides us.

I feel so much energy is placed in business systems, programs to keep students longer and games, tricks an ploys to get more students in the doors.  Look, my belief is that business should be simple.  The simpler the better.  Truth is simple, right?  Anything complicated is not of truth.  So what makes a good martial arts business?  Real martial arts leaders and warriors operating their school like a real Kwoon / Dojo. Treating their clients like martial arts students.  Teaching and living like real martial arts warriors and not martial arts entrepreneurs.  Don't misunderstand this.  I do feel business needs to always be done first, but it is easy to get out of balance, like many martial arts instructors I have seen.  Getting fat and out of shape is not the way to be more entrepreneur-like.  Wearing suits to graduations will not make you more successful.  We are not lawyers, we are martial arts warriors and teachers... we do what we love and we do it because it brings us happiness and balance.  We know that we are helping so many people to find themselves.  In life there are givers and there are takers.  We fall into the givers in what we do.  We create while many work in situations that they destroy.  We help people to find solutions to their fears and doubts.  We do all this by walking our talk and living what we teach.  This is why I am not so interested anymore as I was in the past to look for more business tactics.  I would rather work more on myself and on my team.  I know deep inside that the wealth and health of our association has more to do with how strong we are mentally, physically and spiritually.  If we feel like warrior-leaders, we will act that way and get the results as well.

Affirmations -
My friend, think of the past in terms of those memories of events and accomplishments which were pleasant, rewarding and satisfying.  The present?  Well, think of it in terms of challenges and opportunities, and the rewards available for the application of your talents and energies.  As for the future, that is a time and place where every worthy ambition you possess is within your grasp.

Warrior Lesson -
"You find your personal best and work at that level.  You pride yourself on your integrity, honesty and love of justice.  You do not waive from your principles and core values."  There are no secrets to success in life and business.  If there was a secret to share with others it would be to stop looking for secrets that don't exist.  Most already know the way to success.  It is persistence, determination, hard work and having a well defined plan of action to follow.  Make sure that you do what you love and you do it to the best of your ability.  Live with integrity and never do anything that will damage your value system.  This is how true warriors live and succeed.

"I will not be concerned at men's not knowing me, I will be concerned at my own lack of ability." - Confucius from the ANALECTS

Train Hard, Train Smart, Finish Healthy & Have Fun!

Lets bring in a New Year of hope and prosperity, see things how they are and uphold the Truth. 

Long Live the Mantis.

- Sifu Jeff Hughes, Iron Mantis Clan