Black Belt Business Martial Arts Business

MJ Singh shares his journey from being a student to eventually opening 3 locations of Empower Martial Arts.



He emphasizes the importance, as an owner and manager, of having a strong relationship with your instructors.



MJ discusses his model of running boutique martial arts schools with a focus on quality over quantity. He also shares his strategies for finding and developing instructors, managing multiple locations, and marketing to attract new members.



In this conversation, Matthew Brenner discusses marketing strategies for martial arts schools, the importance of diversifying investments, long-term investing and the compounding effect, keys to success in business, personal finance and savings, balancing personal life and business, hobbies and interests, influential books, and personal insights and beliefs.

In this episode, Kevin Kowalczik, founder of Raptor Martial Arts, shares his journey in martial arts and the inspiration he drew from Power Rangers and Ninja Turtles as a child.



He discusses the importance of discipline and focus in martial arts and how it helped him navigate challenging environments.



Kevin also talks about his experiences with bullying and the self-defense skills he developed.



He emphasizes the importance of building confidence in martial arts and teaching students to stand up for themselves.



Additionally, Kevin introduces Raptor Martial Arts, an online training platform for martial artists of all levels. In this conversation, Kevin Kowalczik discusses the diverse martial arts programs offered at his school, including Jiu Jitsu, Krav Maga, and MMA. He talks about the expansion of the MMA program, with plans to add forms, weapons, kickboxing, and an interactive virtual system.



Kevin shares his personal training experiences in Jiu Jitsu and kickboxing, highlighting the importance of being a well-rounded martial artist.



He addresses the misconception of performance martial arts and emphasizes the need for strong fundamentals before advanced moves.



Kevin also discusses the balance between being a martial artist, business owner, and competitor, and the importance of active training and competing.



He shares his perspective on wearing multiple hats in martial arts and the joy of seeing growth in students

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You can find Kevin on instagram @kevinkowalczik '



If you want help growing your martial arts school organically, you can email me matthew@doubleyourdojo.com or DM me on instagram @blackbeltbrenner1

Jen Wetzel earned her 2nd degree black belt in December 2022. One year later, in December 2023, she was diagnosed with incurable brain cancer: glioblastoma.



Her prognosis was 18 - 24 months.



Even after the diagnosis, she continues to have perfect attendance at karate class. No more driving, no work as a doctor, long calls with insurance, family time and one trip to Florida.

But a predictable routine: Chemo, radiation, karate. 

She wears a hat to cover her lost hair. She moves slower. But she is one of the most dedicated karate students we have ever had. She takes class with her two teenage kids, both assistant instructors at Action Karate.



Her husband Tim Wetzel was the head instructor. He stepped back and now works as a part-time staff instructor to dedicate more of his time to family.



Following the chronology, she wants to test for third degree, but she has a difficult road of treatment ahead. The physical demands of the illness would make every segment impossible: the fitness, the memorization, the performance. 



The news of her diagnosis was crushing. Many karate families are part of the support system that takes her to doctor appointments and makes meals.



Instructors from all over asked what they could do for her and her family. 

We now have an answer:



Donate to the Wetzel Family Go Fund Me: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-the-wetzels-weather-this-storm



Sign Up For Their Meal Train: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-the-wetzels-weather-this-storm



Read more about her story here: https://www.actionkaratema.com/post/a-third-degree-black-belt-test-like-no-other

Brannon is the founder of One Martial Arts in San Francisco, where they have just shy of 1,000 students enrolled.



In this episode, we discuss best practices for running martial arts school for longevity, including Matthew's strategy for ensuring quality instruction- that he calls Game Film Review.



You need to steal this idea!



In addition, we discuss marketing strategies for martial arts schools, and mindset mastery for entrepreneurs.



You can find him at brannonbeliso.com

Ron Sell, CEO and CTO (Chief Technology Officer) of Spark, shares his journey from being a martial arts instructor to becoming a successful software entrepreneur- with no previous experience!



He discusses the challenges he faced in starting and growing his businesses, the importance of perseverance and learning from failure, and the impact of personal health and family on his entrepreneurial journey.



Ron also talks about his upcoming office headquarters and his passion for helping martial arts schools and other fitness businesses succeed.



In this conversation, Matthew Brenner discusses his motivation, the importance of family, feeling alive through learning, the rapid advancements in technology, personal goals, business growth, the best gift he's received, his biggest fear, undesirable jobs, maintaining healthy business relationships, giving back, and spreading positivity.



Want to see clips of episodes and behind the scenes footage of what it is like running martial arts schools? Follow Matthew on Instagram here: @blackbeltbrenner1

Want to grow your martial arts business without relying on ads? Email me "Triangle Codex" to : matthew@doubleyourdojo.com

Matthew interview Cris Rodriguez the founder and CEO of Grow Pro Agency, a digital marketing agency for martial arts schools.



She started as a martial arts student and eventually became the first female head instructor of a Taekwondo school. After falling in love with Jiu-Jitsu, she opened her own martial arts school, Gracie Pak MMA.



Later, she partnered with the Martial Arts Industry Association to offer digital marketing services to martial arts school owners, leading to the creation of Grow Pro Agency.



Cris emphasizes the importance of customer service and building a strong U.S. based local team.



She also discusses the significance of setting goals and practicing gratitude.



They discuss various topics, including financial literacy, the power of AI, and their goals for the future.



You can find Cris here:



Grow Pro Agency website: https://growproagency.com/



Want to see clips of episodes and behind the scenes footage of what it is like running martial arts schools? Follow Matthew on Instagram here: @blackbeltbrenner1

Want to grow your martial arts business without relying on ads? Email me "Triangle Codex" to : matthew@doubleyourdojo.com