ps1

Nice option! I shared to my guys. There's a couple of hard core stack passers in my group and I think this will help them.

I'm in the same category as Tallgeese. My academy is a BJJ Academy. But I also have over 20 years in Shotokan and Aiki Jujitsu.

People who don't want to commit to training annoy me. They show up, go through the motions, and never really take on the responsibility of getting good at the art.

That's actually very helpful. Thanks for the tips! I'm going to second everything Tallgeese said. I am a bigger guy and I can tell you that doing what he's suggesting is what will give a guy like me problems. In addition, TRUST YOUR TECHNIQUES and don't be afraid for them to fail. Good luck.

Not everyone has an organization. Further, many schools like to give out their own certificates as well as those from their organization.

Congratulations!

Congrats. Great history lesson as well.

Could be from rust in the washer as well.

Quick use of google-fu turned up this: http://www.fredlake.com/category.aspx?categoryID=6 http://www.customembossers.com/iconlogodesk.shtml There were dozens more. I'm sure you'll be able to find what you're looking for. I just print on my computer, so I don't have a recommendation either way.

Thank you. My condolences.

Yeah... This isn't an issue of using a contract. It's an issue of being an ethical businessman. It would seem he was not. Contracts, when used ethically, are a good thing for both the business and the client. 1. The obvious thing is that it creates equity in a business that would not have any otherwise. 2. Contracts help many students stay motivated to train. Unfortunately, there are many who will train more just because they know they're paying for it. This probably doesn't describe many people on this forum. But I'm sure you can think of many "hobbyists" without much trouble. The key is to have a contract that provides the business some stability but doesn't make it impossible to get out. Here's how to do it: 1. DON'T HIRE AN OUTSIDE COMPANY TO DO YOUR BILLING. there are plenty of other options. Besides, billing companies will never collect from someone that doesn't want to pay and will only hurt your rep. They make it hard for people to quit for legitimate reasons. 2. Include a clause that provides the client a way out for extended injury/illness, moving away for job/school, Loss of Job (especially in this economy). 3. Provide a 30 day no questions asked guarntee. They can quit any time in the first 30 days. No problem. No refund...but no contract. 4. Be honest from the start: "Yes, this is a One Year agreement, you can cancel it for these reasons... but it's important to realize that non-use is not a reason for cancellation. Like a Gym membership, you have to continue paying tuition regardless of use." 5. Send emails, texts and snail mail to members that aren't training regularly. Let them know that you want them to succeed. They MUST be more than a dollar sign to you. 6. BE HONEST ALWAYS! That's how you use membership agreements in an ethical manner.

Apologies for the double post, but just wanted to ask, is the book you recommend this one please?: "Living the Martial Way: A Manual for the Way a Modern Warrior Should Think" by Forrest E. Morgan http://www.amazon.com/Living-Martial-Way-Manual-Warrior/dp/0942637763 Thanks very much. Yes, that's it! I really liked it.

I personally recommend "Living the Martial Way." It's amazing.

WOW WOW WOW!!!! This is just a FANTASTIC topic!!! I do, in each and every class, say hello to each and every student and parent that walks through the door. I feel it's vitally important to get that face to face smile and hello. I want them to feel welcome and comfortable every time they enter my academy. I NEVER THOUGHT OF MAKING IT MANDATORY FOR ALL MY ASSISTANT INSTRUCTORS!!!! Can you believe that???? It is now! Lol. Great topic Bob!

Yes. The practice is quite common. In my 30 years of training I've probably met/trained with/competed against over 100 people under the age of 12 that were black belts in their system.

There's no reason for any two martial arts to NEED to agree on anything. The US Navy and the US Army both have Captains. In the Navy, it's a very high ranking officer that can command a vessel. In the Army, it's still a low level officer that can only command small units (company and below). Despite their differences, they both seem to operate just fine.

I'm very lucky in that most of the Gracie's are in America now! My "homeland" trips are much easier

I'm a huge fan of a good website with excellent copy on it. Be sure that ALL your advertising is tuned into how you serve the customer. Don't sit there and talk about yourself the whole time. Talk about the things the customer cares about. If you can afford it, hire a copywriter to help with this. But the grass roots stuff will work wonders. Door hangers, direct mailing. As Sensei 8 mentioned, everything will be hit and miss. It's about using the methods that work best for you. TRACK EVERYTHING! If a lead comes in...make sure you find out how they heard of you! Key in on the marketing methods that they say the most and double your efforts there. If it's flyers, put out more flyers more frequently. If it's customer referrals, hold a referral contest ect...

Not completely true here. Gracie Barra has nothing to do with Rorion, Gracie Humaita is under Royler, Pedro Sauer was given permissions by Helio to use the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu name and logo before he died...and it's documented and Legal. Carlos Gracie schools are not the same as Rorion's schools, nor are Renzo's. The Machado brothers, despite a different last name are all Gracie Jiu-Jitsu (they are cousins who trained with them). Last but not least is Royce, who has his own association. Lot's of options for Gracie Jiu-Jitsu if you don't want to pay Rorion. Of course, there's the main Gracie Academy and their affiliates, which are directly under Rorion and his sons. But that's not necessarily a bad thing

Congratulations

I was in a seminar with Rickson Gracie (GJJ legend), who is known for being one of the toughest people you'll ever meet. Someone asked him this question: "Professor, every morning after practice I wake up and ache alot. My neck and fingers and feet. What do you suggest I do to stop that from happening?" Rickson's answer: "Welcome to the club my friend. What we do hurts. You can eat right and exercise and that will help. But you will be sore, my friend. Just keep training because the alternative, it's not as good."

Different than what I'm saying. My point is that your "one move" could simply be matching up against my weakness. But supplant me with Joe Blow, who doesn't have that same weakness and your "one move" becomes irrelevant. So I'm speaking more toward an ability to adapt, not the idea of training the heck out of a move. Now, if you're "one move" is a side kick and I start to defend it well, then you switch the set-up and still manage to use the side kick...that's a different story and speaks more toward the idiom you're citing. This is classic in Judo. You know Rhonda Rousey is going to use an armbar. So you learn how to defend it from side control really well...and you do defend it. But then she switches her hips and flows to another angle and ends up with it anyway. That's what the idiom your citing is talking about. Cause I can tell you, if a person practices 100,000 front kicks just in the air with no timing scenario or set-up involved, it's still going to be mostly useless to them.

This is similar to your other post. This has some truth to it. But not complete truth. Being able to win doesn't always mean you have more skill. I'm willing to bet you can fight a 75 yr old 10th dan and win. But that 10th dan should be able to give you TONs of advise that will make you even better. Moreover, I've lost in competitions to people who turn around and ask me for private lessons. They win on points, which has nothing to do with fighting. They want to know why they couldn't submit me with "x" or why they couldn't sweep me with "Y". My point is that knowledge AND technique come together to form Skill and produce results. At lower ranks, especially, aggression can overcome a lack of knowledge and skill. So it just depends on the situation. Now, let's say two 3rd dans are comparing themselves against one another. They fight (not spar) several times and one wins with each time using just a single technique. All that may be happening here is that the one who is losing has a weakness that happens to be exposed by the other. If fixed, the match may be perfectly even, or change entirely. In the same situation, let's say one of them wins consistently using a multitude of different set-ups and techniques. This would be more indicative of a higher degree of skill than the other. My point is that "winning" can't be the only method of deciding skill. It's how and why you won that's important as well. If you're just using your ONE technique that is your best...I'm not impressed. If you're able to win in multiple ways with multiple options...I'll concede you're better. Again, this assumes most things are fairly even.

This is, and always will be, the danger of systems that are less "alive" than others. The less you actually need to prove your abilities and skills produce results, the less your abilities and skills will be able to produce results. In BJJ, a black belt simply gets a stripe (dan) every three years for the first three degrees, every 5 years through 6th and the rest have time constraints but are not guarnteed. No tests, no frills, you are simply promoted...with one caveat...you must have trained consistently during that time. Jiu-Jitsu is so alive, you have no choice but to get better over time. So a third degree can usually destroy a 1st degree with few problems. Now there is a tipping point, of course, where age catches up with you and the younger, faster people will be able to defeat you if they have a high enough skill. But, at that point, the additional ranks are more about personal contribution to the art and overall technical understanding and ability to transmit that knowledge to others. I'm not just trying to brag on BJJ here. But this is the same for most arts that are very alive. BJJ, Kyokushin, Muay Thai, Wrestling ect... High level people in all these arts tend to be obviously better than the lower level people. It's just the way it is.

I agree. There's no appropriate way to judge a child against the same moral qualifications that you would judge an adult. Even 18 seems pretty young in that regard. Every warrior class in history, including today's US Military has had a warrior ethos that went along with their training. Those who didn't became unruly and uncontrollable (the Huns are an example) and abused their power. There's no reason not to expect the same character and moral qualification to go along with our students, especially since most will never have real combat to balance their training out and purge the violent urges.