3 Min Black Belt Business Newsletter
Do you run a martial arts school of any style? Get insights from the top 1% of martial arts biz owners that you can use to get more students, keep more students, and grow your team to create your dream business. 3 days a week, 3 min read, no fluff, all strategy.
What Nike Can Teach Us About Running Martial Arts Schools
Let’s talk about the most dangerous killer in your martial arts school.
No, it’s not poor retention.It’s not low lead flow.It’s not even tariffs.
It’s hesitation.
The kind that creeps into your team culture, where instructors wait to be told what to do… wait for your approval…
“Oh I don...
Apr 18, 2025
When I Started Using This Summer Student Retention Strategy, Everything Changed
“Hey! We’re going to take a little break over the summer. We’ll be back in September!”
Yeah… about that.
You and I both know what usually happens. The intention is there. The comeback? Not so much.
Welcome to the Summer Slump, and this month’s Wednesday retention themed newsletters a...
by Matthew Brenner —
Apr 16, 2025
retention
summer
How To Get More Students Without Getting More Leads
(a wildly overlooked growth strategy that takes 30 seconds)
Martial arts school owners are always chasing new leads…More Facebook adsMore school eventsMore bday parties
But here’s a little secret:
You don’t always need more leads to get more students.You just need to leverage the leads you alr...
Apr 14, 2025
How To Train A Team Of Instructors That Are BETTER Than You
Do you want a team of instructors that can teach just as well, if not better, than you?
Here’s what I’ve learned working in a top 1% martial arts organization that develops over 200 instructors across multiple locations every year.
I’ve seen school owners run instructor training programs w...
by Matthew Brenner —
Apr 11, 2025
team building
team training
Hot Topic: Should Martial Arts Schools Have Contracts?
Let’s talk about one of the most debated topics in the martial arts world…
Should you use long-term contracts or not?
Back in the day, 3-year agreements were the norm. And if students quit early? Off to collections they went. (Guilty as charged—I’ve been there too in the early days 😬).
B...
Apr 09, 2025
I BEG YOU! Stop doing “PE teacher for a day…”
Look, I get it.
Going into a school and doing “PE Teacher for a Day” sounds like a great idea. You get to share martial arts, wear your gi, and feel like you’re building good will in the community.
But unless your ONLY goal is to be the school’s favorite free babysitter…
❌ It’s not helping you...
by Matthew Brenner —
Apr 07, 2025
marketing
triangle codex
How to recruit new instructors while you are on the toilet
If you’ve been open for 5+ years and want to recruit instructors, but don’t have any current students who are quite “there” yet, this newsletter is for you.
Because here’s the thing…
You probably already trained your next great instructor.
They just don’t train anymore.
Maybe they stopped when...
Apr 04, 2025
"We wanna take a little break"
You ever get that ‘we’re taking a break’ text that ruins your lunch?
“Hey! Johnny’s gonna take a break from martial arts during baseball season, don't worry we’ll be back after we promise😊”
And suddenly your lunch tastes like cardboard.
You go into “save the student” mode, trying to fire off the ...
by Matthew Brenner —
Apr 02, 2025
baseball
retention
summer
These Two Texts Won’t Get Your “Ex” Back, But They'll Bring Back Former Students
Ever see celebrities who split and then somehow end up back together? Like Ben Aflec and Jennifer Lopez (J Lo), I’m going to show you how to get back with your “exes.”
Okay, these texts won’t do that. (And honestly, you probably shouldn't want them to.)
But these two simple text messages WILL...
Mar 31, 2025
alumni
marketing
old students
text templates
Being the boss is overrated, try this instead
Are you leading your team like a coach or just bossing them around?
If you feel like your team doesn’t listen, doesn’t improve, or only works hard when you’re watching, there’s a good chance you’re managing them instead of coaching them.
And that’s a problem.
Because people don’t want a boss. ...
Mar 28, 2025
What Your Martial Arts School Can Steal from Disney
Ever wonder why families spend between $5-$15K on a Disney vacation, wait hours in line, and still come home raving about the experience?
Simple.
Disney doesn't just have customers, they have loyal fans, some would say a cult-like following.
And that's exactly what your martial arts school nee...
Mar 26, 2025
Why We Stopped Doing Career Days at Schools… (And What We Do Instead)
Getting accepted into your local public and private schools is harder than ever.
I remember when I first started in 2013, I could basically walk into any school and talk to whoever I wanted.
Those days are over.
Ever since COVID and the rise of school security concerns, access has tightened BI...
Mar 24, 2025
career day
marketing