CrossFit, BJJ, MMA – The Benefits of Offering a Diverse Set of Classes - Mark Slane
Posted by Member Solutions on Tue, Sep 20, 2011 @ 07:00 AM
At our Krav Maga gym in Ohio we offer several types of c
lasses. We do this for a few reasons. We are mainly about Krav Maga and the techniques and principles it teaches yet we also offer CardioMMA, Crossfit, Muay Thai, boxing, BJJ and MMA.
The cardio classes we offer help our members to become safer, as they are safer by far if they can continue to fight when others are “gassed.” The boxing class supplements our Krav in that we learn to punch better: same with Muay Thai for kicking and BJJ for ground. Again, we will be safer learning from all of these classes than if we participated in Krav Maga alone.
Another reason is that it keeps students around longer. If students grow a little bored with one type of class there are several other classes for them to try.
Probably the biggest benefit we get out of offering several types of classes is to get people to sign up. When we offer all of this for one price we often have people say “
You mean I get all of this for that price? Wow!” This is what we want to hear.
The danger of offering so much is that you end up looking as though you are trying to be everything to everyone. We make sure that our staff, marketing, and members know that we are a Krav Maga gym. This is what we mainly do and what we are about. We offer the CrossFit and the CardioMMA so that our members have fitness-type classes to attend. Fitness classes at your gym are a must as they not only get your members into shape but they allow you to compete against the big box gyms, not just other Martial Arts gyms. We offer one boxing, BJJ, Muay Thai and MMA class per week at each location. We are not a boxing, Muay Thai, BJJ or MMA gym and we don’t pretend to be. These are extra benefit classes, not whole programs.
Here is the key…be an expert at what you are an expert about, and don’t try to fool people!
I teach Krav Maga. I have people who are awesome at (and certified to teach) the CrossFit and CardioMMA. I would look weak teaching these classes as they are not my expertise. I pay an Olympic gold medal boxer to teach the boxing, a Muay Thai black belt to teach the Muay Thai, a BJJ black belt to teach the BJJ and a pro MMA fighter and promoter to teach the MMA.
I could attend (or send one of my staff to attend) a weekend course on how to teach any of these and come back and start teaching. But in my opinion, that would be wrong. People would see fairly quickly that I would be misleading them about what I say I am an expert in. Others who are very good at these disciplines would come to our gym, see me proclaiming to be an expert, and leave laughing.
As it is, with true experts teaching these courses, we have many law enforcement officers, ex-military Special Forces, active military, masters from other Martial Arts, pro athletes, etc. taking our classes and believing in them. When I see this I know that we are doing things the right way. I believe running our gym this way is why we have three locations with 682 members; people look at us as experts!
In summary add extra classes to your program. This will put you ahead of any other gyms that your potential members are looking at. Especially add the fitness classes. Now you are getting people in who were going to go walk on a treadmill at the big box gyms but were blown away by your intro and all you offer. Mainly, hire experts and don’t pretend that you are one. This will get you mucho respect and many happy members!!
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Mark Slane is a retired firefighter who has been in the Martial Arts for 28 years. He is a 4
th dan in Taekwondo, a second degree black belt in Krav Maga and has owned Martial Arts schools since 1993. He is the head instructor for the
United States Krav Maga Association (USKMA.com) and owner of
Ohio Krav Maga & Fitness. OKM&F has had one of the fastest-growing adult programs in the nation over the past three years. Mark has also just released a book:
Be Safe, Self Defense For Women In the Real World, which is available on Amazon
.
What types of classes do you offer? Have you realized success by offering a mix of classes?
