I Remain Calm Even in Challenging Situations
Posted on | July 22, 2010 | No Comments
Years back, I was taping a series of four ½-hour instructional videos for MAIA. Each video was made up of a combination of martial arts drills, skills, teaching tips and a huddle discussion for kids. I had just finished the third video and was feeling great about the quality and content. Experience had shown me that in front of the camera, some days I had it and on others… not so much. This happened to be a day that I had it and now I had only one more video to go. YES!!!
The third video was about the concept of self-control and how a mighty person is someone who has control of their emotions. During the break, Sue, my producer, asked to speak with me. We stepped away from the crew and then she quietly told me that, due to technical difficulties, we would have to reshoot the first three videos. Instantly, a wave of indignation enveloped me. I thought to myself, “How could this happen? Why didn’t you fix the problem after the first episode? Didn’t you see how good those takes were?” I was livid and just about to give Sue a verbal spanking when it hit me…”Who is a mighty person?” If I really believed that a mighty person has control of their emotions, then this was a great opportunity to practice.
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Internal Referrals
Posted on | July 15, 2010 | No Comments
Few people would argue that the best source of referrals is word-of-mouth from existing students. Of course, people are only going to talk up your school when they are excited about training. So remember, the number of potential referrals is in direct relationship to the quality of your program. If you are having a hard time getting referrals from your existing students, re-evaluate your program and see where you can improve yours service.
Following is a good outline to use when developing referral strategies:
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I deflect negative energy
Posted on | July 9, 2010 | 1 Comment
One of the nine mastery mindsets that we teach at Kovar’s Satori Academy is “I deflect negative energy.” This mindset refers to the importance of not letting situations or people steal your joy. Chances are, there’s been a time when you were having a great day until somebody came along and said some negative comment that threw you off your game.
It reminds me of a time several years ago when I was teaching self-defense clinic to a group of women. Everything was going great and after the seminar was over I received tons of great feedback. Then one lady pulled me aside and directed what seemed like a lifetime of anger in my direction because she felt that, as a male, I was unqualified to teach women’s self-defense. Needless to stay on the drive home and for the next several hours after, I let her steal my joy. Rather than focus on the great feedback I had received from the majority of the participants, I concentrated on some comments from one particular person–and, mind you, a person with issues.
Of course it’s easy to say “you shouldn’t let that bother you” when you’re giving advice to your friends. The challenge is being able to apply that advice in your own life. I would like to share with you a few strategies that work well for me. Perhaps they will do the same for you.
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Dave Kovar Receives MAIA’s Lifetime Achievement Award
Posted on | July 8, 2010 | No Comments
Hello to all our friends in the martial arts industry. This is Dave Chamberlain, C.E.O. of Kovar’s Inc. and this may be the only time that I ask Kyoshi Kovar to step aside so I can write an entry in his blog. But today’s news is so big that I couldn’t wait to share it with you.
Kyoshi Dave Kovar has just been named the 2010 recipient of MAIA’s 2010 Lifetime Achievement Award. Over the last 30+ years Kyoshi Kovar has been the industry’s foremost “teacher of teachers.” His innovative instructional techniques and business systems have played a major role in helping schools throughout the world improve both on the mat and off. Please join me in congratulating Kyoshi Kovar.
Click this link – www.satoriacademy.com/award – to watch a short video about Dave Kovar, recipient of MAIA’s 2010 Lifetime Achievement Award.
How to handle the “I’m-taking-a-break-for-soccer” line
Posted on | July 1, 2010 | No Comments
Every one of us has had our share of students that quit because of a sport. Most tell us that they will be back after the season, but we know that this is rarely the case. When the season is complete, it takes a lot of effort to get back into the routine of Martial Arts. Secondly, they feel like they have forgotten a lot and that their friends are a belt ahead of them. As an instructor, we know that it is in the best interest of the student and our business, to keep them training through the season. Follow the strategies listed below and, if you do your job right, you will have a good chance of keeping that student.
The first thing we need to know is if they are happy with their lessons so far. If they are not, they might be using soccer as an excuse to quit and all your persuasion skills will be for naught. If they are happy with the program then you should be able to keep them training. A simple, “How are you enjoying the program?” is a good place to start. If you get a lukewarm response, probe a little deeper to find out why they are not completely satisfied with your program. At the least you can see if there are steps you can take to tighten up so you won’t lose more students for the same reason in the future.
If you find that they love the program and see its benefits for their child, then sometimes it is just a matter of sitting down with them, reviewing the schedule for different time options and letting them know that it is okay to miss some classes; but by keeping their foot in the door, their child won’t fall backwards. Possibly offer special fifteen-minute one-on-one classes.
Let’s Role Play:
Parent: I need to put Johnny’s program on hold because soccer just started and we are just too busy.
Instructor: I bet you are extremely busy. Do you have a few minutes to talk about it?
Parent: Yes.
Instructor: Great!! First off, before we go forward I wanted to know how you have liked the program so far.
Parent: It’s been great. Just what Johnny needed.
Instructor: How has it benefited Johnny exactly?
Parent: Well, there are a lot of things. His behavior has been better, he is much more confident now, and his coordination has really improved.
Instructor: Do you think it will help his soccer game?
Parent: Oh, yes!
Instructor: Can you see how keeping Johnny training until he gets his Black Belt will continue to help him?
Parent: Absolutely! Don’t worry; we have no intention of having him quit. He will be back right after the season is over. It’s just that we have to take a break because we just have too much going on.
Instructor: Mrs. Smith, I’m sure that this is true. Just let me share with you a couple of concerns I have and then some probable solutions, ok?
Parent: Okay.
Instructor: Mrs. Smith, there is a phrase that we use; it is “Sometimes maintaining is gaining.” It basically means that if we can find a way to keep Johnny’s foot in the door during the soccer season, he will be way ahead of where he would be otherwise. You see, at the end of the season, his friends will be a Belt ahead; he’ll feel like he has forgotten everything, and you’ll be out of the routing of bringing him. I can’t tell you how many times that someone has stopped going for soccer season and then never got started again.
Parent: Well, what do you suggest?
Instructor: First off, take a look at the schedule. Right now Johnny comes on Monday and Wednesday. Did you know we have a Tuesday and Thursday schedule as well?
Parent: I’d forgotten. But I just can’t get him in twice a week.
Instructor: Is there a way you can try to get him here once per week and then, during the season, maybe you can bring him in on a Friday or Saturday a couple of times for some one-on-one training?
Parent: Well, I am not sure. We are just so busy.
Instructor: How about we just try it out and see how it works? Then in a couple of weeks, we can see how it goes.
Parent: Okay.
Instructor: Great! So what day are you going to try to get Johnny here?
Is Your Guard Up or is Your Hand Out?
Posted on | June 15, 2010 | No Comments
There is a demo I have done several times over the years to demonstrate how your attitude can affect others. It is very easy to do and always brings the same conclusion. Here is how it works:
I call up a person to the front of the room and ask them if they will give me their first reaction to my action. After they agree, I step towards them put my guard up in an aggressive fashion. Inevitably, they respond by putting their guard up as well.
Next, I have them put their guard down and once again ask them if they will give me their first reaction to my action. After they agree, I extend my hand out in friendship. They always respond in turn.
Then, finally, I ask them to put their guard up. When it is up, I extend out my hand in friendship. They always give me a blank stare followed up with a handshake.
School Self Analysis
Posted on | June 15, 2010 | No Comments
It is important for us to remember that our students have a lot of options when it comes to where they spend their time and money. And they will always have enough time and money for the things most important to them. One of our jobs for every time they leave is to make sure our students think, “Wow!! That was great, I’m so glad I went to class!!”
Let’s discuss what makes this possible. The first thing to remember is there is more to it than just teaching a great class. It starts from the moment your students enter your parking lot until the moment they leave the school and every moment in between. My good friend, Kyoshi Tom Clifford, talks about the Red, White & Blue Theory for Success in the Martial Arts.
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Parent Orientation for Junior Beginners
Posted on | June 1, 2010 | No Comments
In this post, I would like to share an outline with you that we use to help educate parents of our Junior students on how they can maximize the value of our program. You will see a lot of similarities between this one and the Little Dragon (4 to 6 year-olds) post.
The goal of our Junior Beginner Program is the basic martial arts principles in an enjoyable classroom atmosphere with emphasis on practical Life Skills. We also teach additional qualities such as conflict avoidance techniques, and personal safety strategies.
Here are some guidelines that will help your child to excel in martial arts:
I Can. I Will.
Posted on | June 1, 2010 | No Comments
Most of us in the Martial Arts profession continue to work on ways to strengthen our program, making sure that it is the best it can be. I’m no different, and in the past few years I have placed a special emphasis on trying to develop a set of mental exercises that will help my students practice and benefit from the power of proper focus. What has evolved is a series of nine affirmations designed to improve the way we view our life. I have named these affirmations “The Mastery Mindset”.
Let’s begin by discussing the first Mastery Mindset affirmation. It is “I Can. I Will.”
“I Can. I Will.” refers to your Attitude, your Belief and your Commitment. It is an affirmation that you WILL get through any challenge that you are currently facing. It is about being stubborn in a positive way. Allow me to illustrate this mindset with a story.
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You Don’t Have To Want To Mow The Lawn
Posted on | May 15, 2010 | No Comments
Every now and then, someone tells you something that just stays with you. My dad told me something years ago that falls into that category. The statement was profoundly simple and I will never forget his words. It was early June 1970, I was 11 years old and had just finished 5th grade. I was excited about summer vacation for all the normal reasons, one of which was the fact that I was finally old enough to earn some extra money mowing the lawn. And boy was it fun, at least for the first two weeks and then… not so much. The novelty wore off pretty quickly and by early August I told my dad that I didn’t want to mow the lawn anymore. He responded by saying, “Son, you don’t have to WANT to mow the lawn, you just have to do it.” What could I say? There was no counter. All that I could do was to shrug my shoulders and then go start the mower.
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About Dave Kovar
Mr. Kovar has been teaching Martial Arts professionally since 1978. Dave is a multi-style Black Belt who has been committed to ever-improving his Martial Arts skills. He updates this blog to provide tips and insights to martial arts instructors around the country. To learn more, click here.
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