Research based articles to help martial arts instructors coaching children in martial arts classes.
OK, I admit it, the title ‘Marketing or retention’ is a little clickbaity and most people running a martial arts club will probably have realised that they need great marketing AND retention to grow efficiently. That said, what I see out there in the wild is often a different story. If I asked you when …
Which is most important to grow your martial arts club, marketing or retention? Read More »
Your club has a culture. You may not have constructed it consciously or even have any guiding documents describing it, but it’s there. Documenting your mission vision and values will not only help you lay the foundations for your culture but also serve as a guiding light for all the decisions you make in your …
Creating a positive club culture with a shared Mission vision and values Read More »
Praise correct praise is a method martial arts coaches often use to correct mistakes during their classes. This tactic is also used in businesses, though the terminology is not quite as child friendly (poo sandwich). The praise correct praise technique usually involves praising the child for something they are doing well, correcting their practice and …
Effective in action feedback: Replacing the tired praise correct praise model (PCP) Read More »
What the hell are queue busters? Let me explain………. When I first started martial arts back in 1990 at 16 (yep, I’m getting on a bit), we all performed quite a chunk of our training in ‘class lines’. You will recognise the familiar-looking matrix with the higher grades at the front and the lowest at …
Queue busters: reduce downtime and maintain engagement in your kids martial arts classes Read More »
You may have heard the term rotating curriculum thrown around in martial arts circles before but what about a nested rotating curriculum? For years I have been using the traditional linear curriculum delivery model to teach our members but a few years ago I came across something called a rotating curriculum. This made me reflect on …
Do you know the difference between a linear, rotating and nested rotating curriculum? Read More »
I know this article is looking at the question ‘Are games for martial arts classes a good idea?’ but you should know that I was going to name it ‘Here come the fun police: why are so many children’s martial arts instructors against games?’ Before we get started, I just want to reiterate a statement …
Every now and again I get a request from a martial arts instructor asking how to build engagement and fun in the classes they deliver as part of their kid’s martial arts programme. This one thing is obviously top of the list when it comes to increasing enjoyment and retention. I thought it would be …
25 tips to build engagement and fun in your kids martial arts classes Read More »
Have you ever had an anxious child attend your class and refuse to join in? You book a new starter in for a trial class on your young children’s martial arts programme. You email / text / message to remind the parent about the trial class and they tell you the child has been talking …
3 reasons anxious children may not join in your martial arts classes Read More »
Building congruency in your coaching is all about building alignment between the values you promote and the actions you take. We are all human and as such, at least some of our values will be aspirational. By this, I mean that most martial arts coaches will at least make a solid attempt to ‘walk their …
Do as I say, not as I do: How a lack of congruency in your coaching can cost you members Read More »
Ryan and Deci’s Self Determination Theory has been the subject of study in sports contexts for decades. Centred around building intrinsic motivation, it’s surprising that it hasn’t been the focus of attention for martial arts clubs and organisations looking to grow their memberships. If we can understand the motivation of our members and create a …
