How Do You Market Kajukenbo?

[Ghost Rider]

Trying to stay on the subject.
The question was, how do you market Kajukenbo, not how hard do you train.
Or how do you teach Kajukenbo.
I think many of us would say just beat the snot out of each other and who ever is left standing and keeps coming back for more is Kajukenbo.
(YES SIR MAY I HAVE ANOTHER)
But I will say that the way I teach Kajukenbo it is hard to get very many to stay or even come back once they watch a class.
The way my teacher taught was more than good enough for me.
But he was only concerned with as the Marines like to say, a few good men.
If he were to open a commercial school and teach the way he taught us he would be out of business in no time as well as in court.
When we would get someone new in class he used to tell me as well as the other black belts to POUND them on day one.
He said if their going to quit then I want them to quit now, no since wasting my time on them if their going to quit down the road.
And he would then tell us, and if you don’t pound them I’m going to pound you.   
I also taught most of my Black belts like mercenaries in the privacy of my garage for 20 years or so.
So if I had 1 student or 20, I did not care.
All I cared about was that my people could destroy who ever they had to face.
The dirtier it was the better it was.
Now that I have a public school I need to pay the bills to keep the doors open.
You will always have Kajukenbo, but is that enough to pay your bills.
If it is for you then that is good.
But if it is not then what do you do, close the doors or find a way to keep the doors open so that your true driving force has a place to train.
Saying that I train hard and blood on the mat is good enough for me is what I am all about.
But then we just get in a pissing contest, with everyone saying we train hard too.
How will that answer the original question?

Harper
In my opinion, if you don’t train hard, then you’re not Kajukenbo in the first place.
But that is another subject.

Harper

[prof.hemenes]

prof. harper thats funny what you said abought the first day of class getting the hell beat out of you. when i started with prof. vargas manys years ago that was my first day just like that. kept this in mind i was very young and i came from a gung fu class and as you know it was mainly froms no real sparing so my mom sighed me up for this kajukenbo class so my first day like a dumb asp i ware my kung fu gee to class now i think its funny but back then all the guys in class were just licking there chops, well that night i came home with cracked rib fat lips two lose teeth. my dad thought i got beat up i said no it was my first day of kajukenbo class. and i never stop! (smile) thats how it was in the old days you cant teach that way now you will be in court and have no school. but on the other hand i ran my school for almost thirty years made a good living out of it and i alway tought kajukenbo nothing else. you can trian some students the old way and some you cant thats just the way it is. and i put out top black belts that went on to be great teacher. so theres more to kajukenbo than just beating someone up kajukenbo has very nice forms just not the fighting you can teach anybody to be a good street fighter but it takes a good teacher to put out a true black belt! i always told my students the best fight is no fight! but if they have no choice then they will learn what kajukenbo is!!


                                               prof. hemenes

[George Lim]

Marketing
Over 30 years owning, running, & teaching martial arts
30 years retail grocery business from loss prevention director to vp buyer.

My name is on the business so I am physically there directing & teaching at least once per week at 5 of my schools. How many times have you seen an advertized school as Mr. Joe Karate center and he is never there? Market yourself as the teacher & owner.

Keiki / Kids program
Incorporate fun with learning or they don't stay
33% martial arts fitness. basics & self defense incorporated with exercise. Kids do not get enough exercise playing game boys & x boxes.
33% Lesson of the day.
33% Respect, protocol, & social skills.

Adult program
50% martial arts fitness
50% Lesson of the day

MY PROGRAM
100% old school from the Professor Marino Tiwanak CHA-3 training days.
similar to what GM Harper says along with most of you who say proudly of your training methods. Monkey line bang bang.

Private Lessons
Individual attention at a higher rate. I teach all privates and mandatory for all black & brown belts to maintain their ranking.

The marketing plan is to give them choices & options to have martial arts do good things for their lives.
Goal is to grow the keiki's / kids into the adult program and/or "my program" The adults to develop them into the "my program" Not all make it into "my program" let alone brown or black belt but they all gain from training. We throw scheduled events to involve the whole family whether they train or not. This provides the whole family of the belonging atmosphere. We tell them they did not join a karate school... they joined a family. Our keiki/kids program competes not with the other martial arts schools but with dance, soccer, gymnastics. Our adult program competes with the gyms so we incorporate the martial arts fitness with our basics & self defense so they get both. Value for their dollar. The keiki/kids & adult program  I market like the farm teams in baseball and the "my program" is the major leagues. Only certain ones make it. But there are many farms teams with many players still playing waiting to get called up.

All my schools run the same program. IT'S CONSISTANT, whichever of my schools you go to. Why do you go to a certain restaurant? Cheap prices?  Consistent good food, consistent good service, consistent good value for your dollar. We teach a consistent good martial arts program with consistent, good, sound, professional business practices.

50% comes from marketing. The other 50% is reputation word of mouth & student's parents, siblings,or spouses signin up to train as a family.

Hope this helps in your future endeavors & good luck.
Anyone is more than welcome to visit or call me for any other info.

Respectfully,
George Lim
480-202-5750
www.limkenpo,com for locations

[Mehdi Hakik]

All of the proposed marketing strategies are great! Mahalo for sharing!

Another marketing strategy is in the web.

Need to have a website. Most of the young adults and parents do most of their research on line. Search engines: Google, Yahoo, Bing…

Need to have access/bid on key words on these search engines.

Example, if I live in Gilbert AZ and I am looking for martial arts school in Gilbert, I will Google key words: Karate in Gilbert AZ.

If you have a website you need to bid on those keys words so that if anyone is searching for a martial website in your area, your website will be the first one to come up.

The hardest thing is how to get them to come in. Once they come to your class, they will love what they see. And us as instructors can see which categories they can fit in (banging, getting in shape, trying something new…whatever).  

Because the ones that come in on their first day, go thru a monkey line (get banged) , and don’t come back the next day might be the ones that need Kajukenbo the most…

Mahalo.

[backfist]

How are school owners marketing against the competition where Kajukenbo isn't as well-known as in the Bay Area / Hawaii?

[Sifu Raw]

Glad you asked that question Ronny!
One of the biggest mistake I was making was to assume that the general public knew what the word Kajukenbo even meant.Got some sad news"THEY DON'T!".Something that has been such an important part of our life we just assume that it is well know.I no longer use the the acronym. In my marketing I use the key words "Karate" "Judo",Ju Jitsu, Kenpo and of course Gung Fu.And I also use "Kickboxing" as well.Everyone knows the words even if they are not familiar with the styles.Once you get them in the door, EDUCATE THEM.I am very proud of where and why our system was created.It makes for a great story that potential students and parents alike enjoy.
I really like what GM Lim had to say on the whole subject.He obviously has learned that it is a balance of what you do.And you have to be consistent.Always have something coming up.My school is growing now weekly.I am at 75 strong and am shooting for 100 by the start of school.  My main focus is getting the kids in the door and keeping them there. I don't spend money on big yellow pages or multiple news ads.I do things like buddy nights.Or movie nights.I worked the release of the Karate Kid with being at the theater when the crowds let out and handed out VIP passes to the youngsters with their parents.

I have changed what I teach the young kids.I no longer teach forms to the 4,5,6,7 year olds.I am concentrating my efforts to good solid basics and focus pad work.Put the self defense in with karate games and sparring and you have a balance that the kids love and the parents feel like the kids are getting more than what they came for.We too stress the Ohana and we live it in the dojo and out.We stress our customs and courtesies as well.That is always good business as well.

Now when the students reach the point of being able to focus on forms and enjoy the learning then they are promoted to that class.It will be different for each child , but I am seeing the 9&10 year olds are getting it and doing well.My teenagers as well as the adults are trained in the "old ways".I have a tradition to uphold and an instructor I never want to let down.So they get it all.I would not have it any other way.

I see you saw the other posting regarding Art's bb promotions.I want to personally invite you to my first on November 13th.

Hope to see you there little bro.

RW

[backfist]

On the East Coast--and the South in particular--most people have never heard of Kajukenbo (many have never even heard of Kenpo for that matter), so the marketing and advertising needs to be in little bite-sized pieces that they recognize.  People know Jiu Jitsu and Karate, but they don't know Escrima or Wun Hop Kuen Do.  And with most people: if the aren't familiar with it, they won't consider it.

What we now do is assure prospective students that we can provide them with virtually all of their martial arts needs.  We still refer to Kajukenbo in our marketing.  We just emphasize the benefits and the arts, rather than relying on the name to do  the marketing work.

[George Lim]

Everyone has some great points on marketing their martial arts business whether you do it full time or part time whether you have a commercial location or your garage.

I market the general term that most lay people, non educated martial artist tend to be attracted to. KARATE. Once I have them in some type of communication whether it is phone call, class visit, Free trial class or E mail, at that point I can answer all their questions about the particular art that I teach. The experienced martial artists will know to inquire what kind of karate do you teach?

I too, market the results & benefits of karate martial arts instead of the kind of art.

Don't forget to market & educate the Parents.
Yes the Kids class is learning skill material & fun. But what the parents want to hear is my son or daughter has more focus, getting exercise, getting better grades in school, has more self esteem & having fun doing it. It doesn't matter how much fun and good your program is doing if Mom is not happy. Most parents don't know what their kid is doing. Half of them are drop off kids.

WHO REALLY DECIDES IF THEY DO KARATE OR NOT? WHO DECIDES IF THEY CONTINUE TO DO KARATE OR NOT? WHO DRIVES THE KIDS TO KARATE CLASS? WHO PAYS THEIR DUES?

Educate the parents on why you are strict. Why you make them do pushups, Why you yell at them at the same time hug them. Why we follow diciplined rules so their kids can take these life skills and apply them when they grow up. Parents love to hear we create LEADERS.

Educate the Spouses.
Market the Significant other.
I am very fortunate, my spouse is my top student black belt & my wife for the past 27 years and helps me run 18 schools . But most students train and their spouse sits on the sideline and either supports their training or or complains they spend too much time training. Educate them on the benefits of their significant other's training. Create a class or program for them. HAVE YOU EVER HEARD I ONLY CAN COME TRAIN NOW ONCE PER WEEK BECAUSE MY WIFE WANTS MORE FAMILY TIME? WHO HELPS DECIDE THE FAMILY FINANCES WHERE THE DUES COME FROM? How do you make a student choose between training and their family? YOU CAN'T.

I Market the whole Family.
Whether they train or not. My schools have activities that involve the whole family outside of karate.
Dad & Son train. Mom does martial arts fitness class. Daughter does not like anything but comes to our swim night and has fun with their family as well as others.

Now the hard core traditonal "Old Style" student is easy. They know what they are getting into and expect it and you can give them this style of training. But they are few.

I HAVE MY EXPERIENCED PARENTS MARKET FOR ME.
I just proudly attended 4 high school graduations. Each of the graduates started with me when they were 5 years old. So they have been with me for 12-13 years. Great Kids & will do well in the future. Their whole family is involved with the schools but they all don't train. Their kids train and parents are karate Mom's & Dad's. I just had a "Welcome Parents" of new students meeting  and they all spoke at the meeting about the benefits karate has been for their kids. I did not have to say very much. I love to hear my karate Mom's & Dad's tell new parents "Yup that's my 5 year old there, thats my 15 year old son there, & thats my 18 year old daughter there. Thats the best kind of marketing.

Hope this helps.
Everyone is more than welcome to contact me if you have any questions or want to talk about marketing your martial art. During these hard ecnomic times when most karate schools are shutting down or cutting back. We are up enrollment 5% - 7% and just opened 2 more schools.

Respectfully
George Lim

[Aloha Aina]

 ;)Mahalo for sharing your ideas Sir.

Looking forward to see you in October!

Aloha

[KajuJKDFighter]

Good stuff GM Lim, how many students do you have at you own personal school if you don't mind me asking.  How many kids and how many adults....