Tag: business

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Martial Art ‘Business’

Steve Rowe

You don’t have to be good at martial arts to make money from them. It all started with the Americans. They brought formatted marketing, franchising, revolving door recruitment, squeezing money out of newbies until they were bled dry and the ‘briefcase sensei’ to the U.K. in the 80’s. Those of us old enough remember, watched as junior instructors were encouraged to leave their Sensei and association and follow the American ‘yellow brick road’ of a purely commercial Dojo. When a new student joined, their black belt was put on the wall with the potential date of when they would achieve … Continue reading Martial Art ‘Business’

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Wealth Is A Sickness

Steve Rowe

Why do people worship the wealthy? How could any decent person flaunt their their wealth while others starve and suffer? How can any decent person look up to them or aspire to do the same? Both sides of that coin are sick. There is a limit to the things that this planet can produce and it’s designed to create balance, humans are supposed to have intelligence and humanity and share that produce with each other and any other being that inhabits it’s environment. Until we diagnose and recognise that hoarding is a sickness we can’t deal with it. If we … Continue reading Wealth Is A Sickness

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Stop Shoplifters!

Steve Rowe

What’s happening with retail security? As you all know I worked in security of all kinds for many years, some of it in retail, undercover for fraud and some in charge of store detectives. I can’t understand how these thieves that openly walk in and fill their bags, with security, staff and the public just watching them do it and letting them leave. Watching these videos makes me feel really angry. When I was doing that work, no one got away. We might have let some old ladies and kids off but the real thieves were always stopped, we had … Continue reading Stop Shoplifters!

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Professional Help

Steve Rowe

When you need professional help. When we want to learn martial arts, if we are clever enough we do our due diligence and find a good coach. We check history, who they’ve successfully coached, qualifications and what kind of person they are. It’s a serious and can be a life altering decision. When we finally become a coach, running a club means we have to be able to deal with grading and training programmes, coaching qualifications, tournament programmes, property management, accounts, recruitment, managing others, student welfare, social media, AI, our own professional development, governing bodies, health and safety and so … Continue reading Professional Help

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How To Be Successful

Steve Rowe

Martial Art instructors have to learn to prioritise. If they’re in the Martial Arts their own personal development has to come first. I see club after club fail because the instructors don’t get this. Their personal martial art standard is bad, their lack of coaching and interpersonal skills are bad, they go to the wrong people for advice, their social media posts and videos only show how bad they are, they continue to throw good money after bad in promotion without addressing the one fundamental issue that is as plain as the nose on their face. The problem is that … Continue reading How To Be Successful

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I’m Not To Blame!

Steve Rowe

There’s nothing worse than having walked the road and got to the destination in the martial arts to watch those that want to get to the same destination, but you know that what they’re doing won’t get them there and they are convinced that it will. The irony is that if you try to tell them they will be offended and defensive, they’ll come to you for instruction in the art but then not believe you if you try to tell them why what they’re doing won’t get them there. We’re not always right, but with the experience we have, … Continue reading I’m Not To Blame!

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The Fork In The Martial Road

Steve Rowe

The Fork In The Martial Road We start training in the martial arts to improve ourselves. We get fitter, healthier, better at technique and go up in our own and other’s estimation, often taking responsibility to teach and having others look up to us. This brings us to an important fork in the road of our martial arts training. We may have been weak, greedy for money, lust driven to manipulate others, bullied or a bully and/or a narcissist. Martial arts training SHOULD then reduce those weaknesses and make us a more disciplined, empathic, compassionate, tolerant and helpful person, but … Continue reading The Fork In The Martial Road

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Disguised Buddhism

Steve Rowe

Disguised Buddhism “I went to a business guru meeting over the weekend, it was really motivating!”  Dan was telling the other black belts as they sat on the floor stretching, waiting for the Instructors class to start…. “How to win friends and influence people eh?”  It appears that Geoff was not so impressed. “And get rich quick!” Francis decided to join in the fun. “No, no, no,” said Dan, “that’s all very 1960’s!” “Not if you read the martial arts magazines and my spam emails it ain’t” said Geoff. “Seriously,” said Dan, “these people have grown since the early days, … Continue reading Disguised Buddhism

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Ethical Is Successful Business In Martial Arts

Steve Rowe

Martial Arts businesses suffer from some of the worst marketing on this planet.  All the ‘hype’, ‘management consultants’, ‘Leadership Programmes’, ‘upgrades’, door to door sales, mass leafleting and buzz words that have lost their meaning such as ‘self discipline’, ‘confidence’, ‘self defence’, the self made ‘Masters’, countless ‘World Champions’, clubs that throw every Martial Art into the hat with lists that they couldn’t possible supply has left potential and existing students sullied, confused and lost. Schools wanting to develop relationships with outside sports clubs have had their fingers burned by the expansionist, badly run and heavily marketed clubs. Under the … Continue reading Ethical Is Successful Business In Martial Arts