How does one compete with a McDojo?

[Dobbersky]

Advise required

How does one compete with a McDojo?

I have a school that teaches "freestyle Martial arts" its like Freestyle Karate meets freestyle Jujitsu, which as far as I'm away doesn't have a syllabus past 1st Kyu. The Instructor makes me look anerxic. In his class the kids are always screaming and he's always shouting at them. I paid a visit to his class as he moved into the area I was in. He teaches "Self Defence" but you can gain a black belt in it. Its a non-contact style with no sparring in it. I've asked him if I could get an interclub between us but again he doesn't want his students to spar!

My student base was quite healthy until hebegan training nearby, I remember he visited me introduced himself and as I have nothing to hide told him how mch I was charging as he was originally asking to train with me. He has undercut me per lesson in fees. He advised he's managed to get grants from govenment funding to pay for various things so making his school look quite posh with new mats, pads, etc. although I have been unable to get the same type funding.

Now I practice a Full Contact style of Karate, work on bunkai and spar as per Sabaki rules. We teach a full syllabus upto 4th Dan and we don't take messing about by the students. I looked at other schools in the area and we are the only Full Contact School. So this is where I want to market my school. I'm planning a 50-man kumite to raise funds for new mats, also trying to get free publicity in the local press too.

What are your thoughts, I don't really want to drop my standards or change my Gi's to "freestyle" gi's etc

[JusticeZero]

Distinguish your product and chase the people that he's ignoring. Make a name for yourself as the go-to guy for hardcore. Invite his class to check out your classes, and don't be afraid to let some of your yellow belts dribble their black belts around the room a few times. get face time with people that might be put off by his lack of matside manners. Also recognize that you're going to lose a bunch of people to him.

I know one of the schools here started by having their students show up to everyone else's classes and giving every student fliers and a free coupon, several times, and by all but hospitalizing anyone from another school who wanders in. That school has a quite large class size now.

[Patrick]

Hey Dobbersky,

I can't really speak about martial arts schools specifically, but there are providers of varying quality no matter what field you are in.

I wouldn't suggest that you poach someone's students as far as directly inviting them, etc. That's like when someone joins KF and spams their new martial arts forum. They quickly disappear, their posts removed and, based on how far they went in spamming people, their site might be blocked from mention here ever again. I didn't build KF that way and I believe that is an unethical practice.

Instead, if my goal was to gain students, I would simply make myself known in the local community as much as I possibly could. Good signage and location, encourage your current students to bring people in through word of mouth (maybe incentivize them for doing so), advertise locally, participate in charitable efforts, etc. I think your efforts to raise funds fall into those categories. You could also do some very hyper targeted advertising online on Google (targeting relevant search queries) and Facebook (targeting people in town and/or the area that are interested in martial arts, fitness, certain arts, etc.) that probably wouldn't cost you too much.

I think Justice makes a great point, which is to understand your audience and your niche. Your services are not for everyone, they are for a certain type of martial artist. Too many people try to cater to "everyone." When you do that, you aren't going to build a deep relationship with anyone. Numbers come and go (being #1 is fun, but it changes a lot, too), but you can always win at culture when you cater to your core audience. The flip side of that, of course, is that if you are too rigid, you restrict who will be interested in what you are offering. Which is fine - it's just something you have to accept.

If full contact is what makes you unique, then that might be something to run with and emphasize wherever you are, as Justice said. Be careful not to come across as smug or condescending when you do so. "We're tough guys... unlike that McDojo down the street!" You can explain the benefits of training with you without putting down the other schools in town, which can be a turn off to some people,

Finally, continue to show great appreciation for your current students. No matter how many you have, it's important not to get so preoccupied with growth that you forget to appreciate what you have now.

I hope that this helps in some way.

Thanks,

Patrick

[Kevin Wilson]

I struggle with Mcdojos in my area. They do so well. Thanks for your advice Patrick though its stuff I need to keep reminding my self!

[Patrick]

My pleasure, Kevin. Thank you.

Patrick

[ossemon]

McDojos will be around, but with low quality, they tend to disappear rather fast.

Some prevail, but have no continuity, like one of the McDojos near mine.

In the end, QUALITY and SUBSTANCE will ALWAYS beat out the lackluster approach of the mcdojo. I told my co-instructors/founders that I would rather have a small, high quality club, than a HUGE crappy one.

Emphasize on the quality you do. Emphasize that quality takes time. These things will attract the right people in the end.

I have had a couple of students who came to my club, and complained that at [NearbyMCDojo] his friend got a black belt within two years. I gave him my belt and said he could run off and brag about being superquick to a blackbelt.

They both got the point, and now trains with me regularly. The friend dropped out from the MCDojo after failing to defend himself as a "3rd dan" when jumped by a guy in a club. 22 years and a 3rd dan after 5 years of practice.. Yup. Quality...

[Dobbersky]

McDojos will be around, but with low quality, they tend to disappear rather fast.

Some prevail, but have no continuity, like one of the McDojos near mine.

In the end, QUALITY and SUBSTANCE will ALWAYS beat out the lackluster approach of the mcdojo. I told my co-instructors/founders that I would rather have a small, high quality club, than a HUGE crappy one.

Emphasize on the quality you do. Emphasize that quality takes time. These things will attract the right people in the end.

I have had a couple of students who came to my club, and complained that at [NearbyMCDojo] his friend got a black belt within two years. I gave him my belt and said he could run off and brag about being superquick to a blackbelt.

They both got the point, and now trains with me regularly. The friend dropped out from the MCDojo after failing to defend himself as a "3rd dan" when jumped by a guy in a club. 22 years and a 3rd dan after 5 years of practice.. Yup. Quality...

Totally agree there Ossemon, I from the advise above just concentrate on my guys and my style now.

[darksoul]

I've been in McDojo's and I have to say that my current dojo - small, non-profit - is giving me MUCH BETTER training than the McDojo.

Do what you do, Dobbersky, I have a feeling you're a very good teacher and your students are quality. If ever I'm in Manchester, I'll try to stop in

[Dobbersky]

I've been in McDojo's and I have to say that my current dojo - small, non-profit - is giving me MUCH BETTER training than the McDojo.

Do what you do, Dobbersky, I have a feeling you're a very good teacher and your students are quality. If ever I'm in Manchester, I'll try to stop in

Darksoul, it would be an honour for me to have you attend my humble dojo, OSU

[ossemon]

If anyone finds themselves in Oslo, Norway with no Dojo, I'll hook you up with some training