80% of our students are in our Black Belt Club, Master’s Club or Legacy Programs.
In martial arts, this is the good stuff.
I’ve traveled the world and spent my lifetime learning this material; many different weapons, different methods of sparring, realistic but safe combatives, grappling techniques to control my opponent isntead of jsut beating on them, realistic, self defense based ground fighting, throws and takedowns as well as the advanced kicks and tricks. I’ve spent years preparing my staff to teach this material as well. It’s all amazing and this is what true martial arts is all about.
It’s what we want to teach. So why don’t we teach it to everyone?
Some new people just want to see what martial arts is all about, so they try it out, then move on to the next thing. If we had tried to teach them this more advanced material on day one, there is a distinct possibility they would have failed at it. We are all about positive reinforcement, not setting people up for failure. We also would have put a lot of time, energy and effort into someone who isn’t taking it seriously. That’s why, when we see someone taking the training seriously, and obviously they are capable of doing it, we nominate them for Black Belt Club.
What should you do if you are nominated for Black Belt Club? Naturally, accept the nomination and move to the Black Belt Club. Keeping someone in Basic who is obviously ready for Black Belt Club is a sure way to make them grow bored and despondent and to sabotage their chance of ever earning their Black Belt.
Question: Is it more expensive?
I’ll tell you what’s expensive, putting in years of training and then NOT earning your Black Belt. Most people who upgrade pay about the same thing they were paying in Basic, some even pay less. At most, it is usually about $25 more per month.
We desperately want all of our students in Black Belt Club or Master’s Club, but we aren’t going to spin our wheels with someone who isn’t serious, and we aren’t going to move someone up there who is going to be overwhelmed and hurt their self esteem from failing at it.
Question: Why is it a three year commitment and what if my child wants to quit?
If they are normal, they are going to hit a plateau along the way, and that’s actually a good thing. That moment, when they push through, is where they learn about self discipline and perseverance and once you get them to the training hall, they are glad they came to class. Adults can rationalize, “This couch is nice, but if I go to class, I’m going to learn some valuable skills, have a great time with my friends, get a good workout and get closer to my next rank.” Children on the other hand can’t rationalize past… “This video game is fun!”
Most students don’t get bored in Black Belt Club because of all the new things they learn every week and it rotates each semester. Once they have been in Black Belt Club for a couple of years, most move up to Master’s Club where they get all new weapons and a completely new training experiences. It takes an average of 4.5 years to get a real Black Belt, so this works with our timeline perfectly.
Black Belt Club locks in your rates for that three years as well, so when our prices increase, that’s not your problem.
Look, no one ever says, “Darn you mom and dad for helping me to earn my Black Belt.” But nearly every day I speak to people who say, “I wanted my Black Belt, but my parents let me quit.” They don’t blame themselves, they blame their parents, and rightfully so. Let us help. If you or your child has been nominated for Black Belt, get with us and let’s get them into the best training experience they can have. If they haven’t been nominated yet, get with us and let’s determine what exactly we need. That way we can get your child prepared for this level of training, the level we want all students.
Grandmaster, out.
