Daniel de Groot - June 19, 2020

Dealing with setbacks, the Stoic way

No gym owner goes through his career without any setbacks, so it’s important to be ready for them. One of the best ways to deal with setbacks is the ancient philosophy of Stoicism, which has been practiced since the times of ancient Greece and the Roman Empire.

It’s also used in modern times and gained popularity through the works of authors like Donald Robertson and Ryan Holiday. Some great minds of the past were also interested in this philosophy. Thomas Jefferson, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Theodor Roosevelt are just a few of them.

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Recent Articles

Daniel de Groot - June 8, 2020

Dealing with the shutdown as an instructor: A personal story

It’s been over two months since my gym had to close down. No income, no in-person contact with the students and of course no training.

The gym I teach at in The Netherlands hires me as an instructor to teach Brazilian Jiu Jitsu classes, which means I’m not the one paying rent. It’s a different situation compared to some gym owners, like my coaches in Brazil, who are struggling to pay rent and retain members. 

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Daniel de Groot - May 12, 2020

Investing in a competition team and your gym’s reputation

High level competitors in any sport have a gruelling training regiment. That might seem incompatible with the inclusive feel of most martial arts schools, where everyone is encouraged to join and train to the best of their physical abilities.

Does it make sense to invest in a competition team and training that would exclude most of your members? In this article we explore the benefits of doing so and how it can help your academy prosper.

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Josh Peacock - May 5, 2020

How to Get More Membership Sign-ups from Your Trial Programs

The first rule of sales is to get the product into the customer’s hands. And if you run a service-based business like a martial arts school, the only way to get your “product” into your customers’ hands is to let them try your service.

Trial offers are an effective method of driving more people into your martial arts gym, but they often leave owners frustrated at how so few “convert” to regular memberships once those trials have ended. 

Does this mean trials are actually ineffective at driving memberships? Not quite. If you take a look at trials that have low conversion rates, you’ll notice a few patterns…

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Eran Galperin - April 30, 2020

A Playbook for re-opening your Martial Arts school post COVID-19

With most gyms currently closed due to the global coronavirus pandemic, it’s hard to tell when or if things will ever go back to the way they were before. I’ve been having conversations with our users and other gym owners about their concerns and ideas for how to respond to the situation, and have been following closely on how other industries are handling it.

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Daniel de Groot - April 26, 2020

The Many Benefits of Teaching Private Classes

Private classes are an excellent way for students to get personal, customized instruction, and for instructors to generate additional income to supplement group classes. However, many gyms do not offer private lessons, for various reasons.

In this article, I will tell you why you should be teaching private classes regularly, how your students will benefit from them, how to teach a private class (+ the big mistakes to avoid) and how to sell your private classes. 

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Alan "Gumby" Marques - April 6, 2020

A Checklist For The School Owner During The COVID-19 Pandemic

This article was written by Alan “Gumby” Marques, a Ralph Gracie black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, the owner of Heroes Martial Arts in San Jose, and one of the original founders of On The Mat

The Covid-19 Pandemic is unprecedented in scale and uncertainty in the future and many school owners are left wondering if they schools will survive the ordeal.  If I can take comfort in anything, with a large percentage of the planet on some form of shelter in place is that this is truly a moment in history where we are all truly in it together.  

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Eran Galperin - March 14, 2020

What to do as a gym owner during the COVID19 outbreak

As the situation with the COVID19 virus continues to develop, gym owners are faced with difficult decisions that will have serious repercussions for the future of their business and livelihood.

We’ve been talking to some of you regarding this situation, and wanted to share some of the ways gyms have been handling this situation so others can learn from it and perhaps apply it to their own situation.

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