You always hear about the big guys, the franchises, the mega dojos on the corner with an abundance of students, and the schools that advertise all over the place.  What about the little guys?  What about the small dojos and martial art programs that brighten and enlighten the local recreation centers, YMCA’s, and community centers?

At first sight, it may look impossible to compete with the well-established large martial art schools. After all, they fill a great martial art purpose, and teach on a grand scale. Big dojos can seem intimidating to the small school owner, but do not get discouraged. There is room for all of us in this great big martial art world. How can you keep momentum, keep pace, compare?

You don’t.  You won’t.  You shouldn’t.

There is no competition because there is room for all different size dojos and martial art programs in the world! The intimate martial art program offers a completely different perspective than the big school, and that is a good thing. What small dojos offer that other big schools may not include or may not find important are a warm family atmosphere, strong community relationships, word-of-mouth advertising, local town involvement, a personalized approach, and best of all, flexibility and creativity for students and instructors alike.

It is not competition at all! Like every other type of business, sometimes it is important make an impact on a smaller scale. Both large schools and small programs are important because we all have the same overwhelming purpose – to teach what we love.

The small martial art program makes an impact because the students are from the midst of the community. For children, their parents often sit and watch class, or are only a stone’s throw away inside the gym when class is in session.  Instructors get to personally know the families, how they feel, what they are looking forward to, what they do for a living, and why their children enjoy learning martial arts.

These relationships are important because they mold the martial art family, and retention seems almost built-in. Some of my students have stayed with my program all these years because of this sense of a small-town, happy family feel. The family atmosphere is just one way the small dojo can stand out from the bigger, more established schools.  If you are wondering what you can do to create a sustainable small martial art dojo or program, check out these other survival success tips for small programs:

Small School Survival Success Tips

1.  Demonstrate. As a small dojo, you can decide how you want to participate in the community. Demonstrating at various local events or in local organizations is good advertising for your program, but the best part is that you are making an impact! Perform a few demonstrations per year, participate in a local parade or tow, and give students the chance to demonstrate their skills in an event that is fun and memorable for them and the community.

2.  Tournaments. If you do not have the time or resources, you do not need to participate in competitions or tournaments as a small program or school.  You can focus on in-class teaching and tests, drills, belt requirements, board breaks, and in-class sparring.  Allow your students to participate and sign up on their own for local tournaments, if it is not something you can do as a school. This way they can still be competitive and have the experiences they want.

3.  Small program/Big Involvement. A small program does not have to have small involvement.  You can post on Facebook groups, update your website, take pictures, make movies and display them like every other dojo.  You can reach as far and wide as you want through social media.

4.  Be efficient.  Our program only has five classes per week:  2 for pre-school aged kids, 2 for school aged children, and 1 for teens/adults.  That is all the time we have available at the YMCA, so we keep the classes chock-full of good, substantive information.

5.  Retain students. The best way to retain your students is to get to know them personally, make class time interesting and varied, and be consistent.  Students like to know that you are paying attention to their accomplishments and in a small setting, you can do that.

6.  Free Class. Allow students to try a class or two for free. Generally, kids who are already attending and are comfortable with the program and the instructors, are glad to coax a friend to come along. If you see an interested student, invite them right away to try the class. Doing is better than watching!

7.  No Contracts. Parents of students are delighted to know their kids are in an atmosphere that is not centered on long-term contracts or hefty fees. That does not mean that martial art expertise or instruction suffers. Martial art programs have some of the best instructors there are, totally committed to what they do and why they do it.

8. No Collection of Fees. Often rec centers and the YMCA collect your fees for you.  You can concentrate on teaching and not worry about registrations or payments.

9.  Instructor Work-Out. As an instructor, you can actively participate in the lessons, which keeps you active and in shape.  If the program was a full-time gig, you might not have the energy, stamina, or time due to other business and organizational work with which to keep up.

10. Flexibility and creativity.  If something on the news triggers a need for more self-defense training, or one of the kids is having a bullying problem, you can divert from your current plan on the fly and address immediate issues and needs of the students.

Big karate schools are great!  They have a lot to offer.  If you are like me, though, and work a small martial arts program in your local area, you have a lot to offer, also!  A family atmosphere is the first difference you might appreciate from larger schools, but that is only the tip of the iceberg.  If your curriculum takes into consideration some of the survival tips that I have outlined, you are well on your way to the kind of martial art success that will change lives, create a stronger community, and bring local people together.

I cannot think of a better way make an impact in the lives of those around you.

xoxo

Andrea

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Keep your eye out for my next book:

****How to Start Your Own Martial Art Program****

In the meantime, keep inspired by one of my other two books:

https://goo.gl/Yco5GF – Martial Art Inspirations for Everyone

https://goo.gl/dGfX1q – The Martial Arts Woman