The Marketability of a Self-Defense Academy.

[sensei8]

Everything and anything is marketable with its targeted customer base; everything and anything else isn't. Finding that targeted customer base can be quite tricky; it's whatever the market demands. However, that which isn't demanded can become demanded with the right marketing. Everything and anything is subjected to all types of marketing, and as Spencer Johnson penned those immortal words..."Who Moved My Cheese??", change must be accepted and it must be allowed to fruition without any reservation whatsoever; the stagnant doesn't flourish.

[bushido_man96]

i believe there is a market for pure self defense or scenario training. the issue with karate is that its been in the US for almost 70 years now and over all it hasnt changed at all over that time. the major changes have been for the worse with the commercial mcdojo type schools. while these schools may have their place and fill a need they have flooded the market. the market has changed. what people find interesting has changed. i know a few schools in my area that are run in an identical way as things were run back in the 1980's. the feel and look of the school is very dated. as a consequence their enrollment is dismal. like it or not people care about perception and image. typical karate is passe. it doesnt have the mystical image it had back in the 1960's and 70's. MMA has a much more popular image, thus it fills the enrollment. but MMA is waning due to its limitations or image as a sport. so whats next?

In my experience, these things tend to cycle. In fact, the focal point of many MAist's careers tends to cycle as well. I think we've all met practitioners who at one point focus on competition, and at another point shift their focus to self-defense, and then again to more intrinsic concepts.