For the past 20+ years, we’ve poured our hearts into the Martial Arts SuperShow and delivering a great experience for SuperShow attendees.  Every year the Century and MAIA teams have put together the best trade event in the martial arts industry in some of the best venues such as Caesars, Bellagio, and the Venetian.  And the results have been astonishing as martial arts schools around the world have been transformed and in turn transformed the lives of their students.

To put on such an event requires a huge amount of time and resources from the moment one SuperShow ends to when the next one kicks off.  We know that to attend the SuperShow as thousands of school owners have over the years also requires a large commitment of time and money.  We have kept our ticket prices as low as possible knowing that travel, lodging, and meals for you and your staff members adds up!

As many of you have experienced in your own daily lives the cost of everything is through...

By Shane Tassoul

With all the talk about paid trials these days, it’s easy to lose focus on what you’re actually trying to accomplish. Remember that you’re not in the business of selling paid trials. Paid trials do not pay your rent, your utilities, your payroll or any of your other bills. In fact, most paid trials that I see owners promoting end as either break-evens or loss-leaders.

Please don’t misunderstand me. I’m all in favor of paid trials. However, I see schools working hard to generate paid trials month after month, only to enroll very few of them as new students. The purpose of a paid trial is to get qualified prospects into your school and convert them into paying students. If they’re not converting, the trial was wasted. It’s important to have a system in place to convert your paid trials into enrolled students. It doesn’t matter what kind of trial you sell — two weeks for $19.95, four weeks for $49, six weeks for $69...

By Eric P. Fleishman

For many in the martial arts community, the COVID-19 pandemic not only has brought their businesses to a halt but also is threatening to break their spirits. The positive momentum you had built up likely has been interrupted. However, in times of crisis, the strong rise to the occasion, helping themselves and others through the momentary darkness. Isn’t that what being a martial artist is about — helping restore balance during times of chaos? It’s time to get off the couch, turn off those movies you’ve been watching and lead your students on the greatest journey. Here’s how to put the KABOOM back into your dojo...

1. Stay on Brand

Have you noticed that the colors you chose, the logo you created and the tagline you’ve used since you opened your school have started to feel a little tired and outdated? Why not take this opportunity to rebrand your dojo with fresh messaging? Brainstorm with friends and...

By Terry L. Wilson

In August 2021, HBO’s Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel aired a segment titled “Force for Change.” The 20-minute-long portion of the monthly newsmagazine dealt with the search for a solution to the problem of excessive force being applied during arrest-and-control procedures.

HBO’s report eventually took viewers to an MMA cage to present an unlikely solution that could enable the police to get a better grip on the problem using a traditional art from Japan that came to America via Brazil: jiu-jitsu. As all martial artists know by now, the grappling system teaches unique methods for controlling an opponent using only the minimum amount of force.

The cameras wisely focused on Damon Gilbert, a 25-year veteran of the Oakland (California) Police Department. As an eighth degree black belt in kajukenbo and a certified Gracie Survival Tactics instructor, the Black Belt Hall of Famer was just the martial artist to provide analysis and commentary

 ...

By Deb Cupples

I’ve been teaching karate for over 15 years and have owned my school, Community Karate and Fitness, for 14. Along the way, I have made friends with other martial arts school owners through tournaments, seminars and social media. I fostered a great community through my martial arts connections, but the more it grew, the more I found that we were all struggling with the same issues and some of us were feeling a little stagnant.

For years, I had wanted to attend the Martial Arts SuperShow, but kept talking myself out of it. I had all the normal excuses: it was too much money, I couldn’t take time away from my school, etc. But those excuses weren’t getting me closer to my goals or renewing my passion for my business; they were just excuses.

Then, one day, I just did it. I registered for the Show, booked my flight and thought, “Well, if it’s not worth it, at least I can say I went to Vegas.” 

Within the first 24 hours at the Show, I...

By: Frank Silverman, MAIA Executive Director

I’m often asked if I could invest in just one thing, what about it be...stocks, real estate, etc. and my answer is almost always the same- YOURSELF.

Most people think that investing has to be with putting money somewhere and getting a return. I would agree.

So, how about investing in your education or the education of your TEAM (staff).

The returns for knowledge far outweigh and outpace the return of buying a simple stock.

This is why MAIA and CENTURY have been hosting the SuperShow for 20 years.

If it costs you $1500 to fly, stay at and attend the show (which could be far less) all you need is one new member to pay that back over a year.

And if you get two or three new members or learn something that helps you retain your students better the return on your investment would be 100% or more.

The SuperShow is a must be at event for self-education and self-investment.

But look at all the events such as the Martial Arts Business Forum.

by Kurt Klingenmeyer

As all school owners know, it’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day operations of running a martial arts academy. The hours pass quickly when they revolve around teaching great classes and helping students reach their potential. Unfortunately, while that’s happening, some things can slide to the side and get forgotten.

Listed below are five things that you, as a martial arts instructor, should incorporate into your daily routine.

“Great Job” Calls

Make it a point to speak with five families every day to tell them what a great job their children are doing in class. Giving families individualized attention and letting them know about their children’s progress are key to the development of martial arts students. In addition to talking about a child’s martial arts progress, ask how the whole family is doing. Oftentimes, parents come to the martial arts for support — maybe the child needs more focus or self-discipline....

By John Bussard

Whenever I meet aspiring multi-school owners and they find out that I have 14 schools, the questions start to fly: Where do you find the staff to run that many schools? How do you manage them? How much do you pay your instructors?
In most cases, they’re really asking me how to better scale up their own martial arts business for growth. The answer is to that question is, it’s not easy. However, there are certain strategies that can help you prepare for growth, sustain growth and continue growth if you’re so inclined.
Let’s begin with a few simple strategies that can help all school owners, regardless of whether they have one facility or many.

No. 1. Strive to teach great classes that are safe, exciting and impactful.
Obviously, accidents and injuries can and will happen occasionally. Your job as a full-time instructor should be to teach with a safety-first mentality during all training activities.
Make sure your classes are exciting, as well. The...

We want to give you the tools to put into practice what you learn during the Virtual SuperShow. Here are the top 10 tips and suggestions for what to expect, how to prepare, and how to get the most out of this virtual experience.

1. Block out your schedule on your calendar. You would normally be in Vegas for the Show, so act like you are out of town and block out your calendar.

2. Set your out of office automatic reply. Set your out of office to let others know you are in 3 days of training and you may take longer to respond. Set the expectation of a longer response so you don’t get pulled away or distracted in the middle of learning.

3. Download Zoom to your device(s). You’ve most likely used Zoom hundreds or thousands of times in the past year. But if not, make sure you test it out during Tuesday, July 6th with the Hype Team.

4. You will receive one Zoom link for the entire 3 days. We wanted to make it easy on you so you know where to go each day and avoid any issues or...

Melody Johnson, the premiere expert in childhood development in martial arts, recently sat down with the SuperShow Hype Team via Facebook Live (Check it out here!) to provide more of her invaluable insight on involving developmental tools for children in schools. School owners and parents can learn from her how to best give their children the best advantages as early as possible. Feel free to download and distribute!

 Programs for children are all around us. From day care centers to recreational sports and everything in between, options for parents to choose from are abounding. And although parents want what is best for their children, they often aren’t aware of the notable distinctions between the programs they are considering. To get the most out of any program, however, parents need to select one that is a “child development center.” These programs implement new, cutting-edge approaches that boost development in children. By making this choice, parents can...