The Truth About the Martial Arts Business with John Graden
37 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 3 years ago -Join the martial arts Teacher of Teachers, John Graden as he explores important and controversial questions about martial arts instructors, schools and the business.
Graden is the author of the best-selling books including, "Black Belt Management," "The Truth About the Martial Arts Business," "How to Open and Operate a Successful Martial Arts School," and the "Impostor Syndrome."
He has been profiled by the Wall Street Journal, US News and World Report, The Dr. Oz Show and over 100 other media outlets.
He is an 8th-degree black belt under the legendary Joe Lewis and a world kickboxing champion.
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Episodes
Why I Replaced Taekwondo with Empower Kickboxing™
January 27, 2021 00:32 - 30 minutes - 42.3 MBAfter nearly two decades of teaching traditional taekwondo, Guevara realized that what he was teaching was not providing the benefits he wanted for his students. He replaced his curriculum with Empower Kickboxing™ and did not lose a single student. Guevara has reduced the number of classes he has to teach by half, and he’s retained all of his students through the transition to Empower Kickboxing and the COVID pandemic. Bonus: Martial Arts Instructor Teaching Tip: No Rescues https:/...
22. Your Choice. Kung Fu or Hustle Drugs?
December 21, 2020 17:28 - 24 minutes - 20.2 MBImagine being so desperate to escape the drug-infested inner-city of Baltimore, that you make up Kung Fu moves, string them together and then climb on a bus and travel around the country to compete in karate tournaments. That's exactly what Willie "The Bam" Johnson did as a teenager. Eventually, he began to win in both forms and weapons. Finally, he won big at the US Open where he defeated some of the top forms competitors in the world, including your humble host. When he returned home o...
21. The Truth About Martial Arts in the Inner-City
December 08, 2020 18:17 - 36 minutes - 51.4 MBIn the ultimate “fake it till you make it” scenario, podcast guest Willie Johnson was so desperate to escape Baltimore’s inner-city that he actually made up his own kung fu techniques to compete against black belts in martial arts tournaments. His dream was to become a karate champion and get out of his violent, drug-infested neighborhood. That dream eventually became a nightmare. As a teenager, Willie would climb on a bus to travel for days to compete in major tournaments around the ...
20. The Smoke and Mirrors of Martial Arts
October 26, 2020 13:49 - 24 minutes - 33.7 MBIn the episode, the truth about the martial arts business is that not only is it easy for instructors to fall into these drastic mistakes of the past, but that it’s almost expected. Listen in and I’ll share with you the generational pitfalls that are rarely shared or spoken about because they’ve been repeated for decades and it’s my goal to help you navigate past them.
19. How Mark Moore Grew a 425 Student Martial Arts School While Teaching Just 2 Classes a Night
September 27, 2020 20:23 - 32 minutes - 27 MBThis week, the truth about the martial arts business is that in order to grow your school in the season of COVID, you have to learn how to meet students and potential students where they are at rather than leading them down tired, out-dated training methods. Our guest today is Mark Moore. His martial arts school in South Jersey has continued to grow through the pandemic. He was an original Pro-Star curriculum school that has evolved into Empower Kickboxing. A certified leadership coach i...
How Mark Moore Grew a 425 Student School While Teaching Just 2 Classes a Night
September 27, 2020 20:23 - 32 minutes - 26.4 MBThis week, the truth about the martial arts is that in order to grow your school in the season of COVID, you have to learn how to meet students and potential students where they are at rather than leading them down tired, out-dated training methods. Our guest today is Mark Moore. His school in South Jersey has continued to grow through the pandemic. A certified leadership coach in the John Maxwell system, Mark says the three keys to his success are, the curriculum, the school atmosphere,...
18. What Every Martial Arts Instructor MUST Know About the Law of Self-Defense.
September 10, 2020 17:15 - 25 minutes - 24.2 MBThis week, The Truth About the Martial Arts Business explores a deadly serious topic that every martial arts school instructor needs to understand and teach. As a martial artist, you train in self-defense to protect yourself and your loved ones, but what really happens in the court system when a martial artist defends him or herself? This episode of The Truth About the Martial Arts Business will help you to understand and prepare for the legal battle that happens after an attack. The fir...
17. How to Build a 6-Figure Self-Defense Business
August 20, 2020 17:12 - 37 minutes - 51.8 MBJoe Robaina is a veteran martial artist with a wide range of skills and talent. But for the last few years, he has excelled in the self-defense business. Joe shares some strategies that have helped him to build a successful self-defense business. During that process, he has discovered some realities about the martial arts business model and how the COBRA Self-Defense business system operates in order to avoid those pitfalls. COBRA-Defense Information: SelfDefenseBusiness.com Empower Kic...
16. Master the Art of Tongue Fu with Sam Horn
July 26, 2020 16:09 - 42 minutes - 34.2 MBThe Truth About the Martial Arts Business episode 16 guest Sam Horn is the author of Tongue Fu. Like Verbal-Defense, Tongue Fu teaches how to verbally handle, defuse, deflect, disarm, and/or align with someone who is attacking you verbally. Tongue Fu is IDEAL for martial arts instructors, parents, or teachers of any kind. These important skills need to be part of every martial arts school curriculum to help students gain control of bullies, insults, false praise and many other anxiety-ca...
15. 7 Biggest Tax Deductions for Martial Arts Schools
July 15, 2020 17:24 - 19 minutes - 26.9 MBThe Trump Tax Act may benefit your martial arts school in several ways. Here are 7 major ways that self-employed martial arts instructors and school owners can slash their taxes and keep more of their hard-earned money to put in the bank each year. The new act offers more tax deductions for martial arts schools. You can also download the report the podcast is based on.
15. 7 Biggest Tax Deductions for Martial Arts Businesses and Schools
July 15, 2020 17:24 - 19 minutes - 26.9 MBThe Trump Tax Act may benefit your martial arts school in several ways. Here are 7 major ways that self-employed martial arts instructors and school owners can slash their taxes and keep more of their hard-earned money to put in the bank each year. The new act offers more tax deductions for martial arts schools. You can also download the report the podcast is based on.
14. 10 Important Questions About Your Martial Arts Curriculum
June 30, 2020 18:26 - 21 minutes - 17 MBIn this podcast, I go solo with a harsh look at what martial arts schools are teaching and how to lead your students into the future by discarding the smoke and mirrors of the traditional curriculum. A good master instructor avoids teaching these contradictions.
10 Important Questions About Your Martial Arts Curriculum
June 30, 2020 18:26 - 21 minutes - 17 MBIn this podcast, I go solo with a harsh look at what martial arts schools are teaching and how to lead your students into the future by discarding the smoke and mirrors of the traditional curriculum. A good master instructor avoids teaching these contradictions.
14. 10 Important Questions About Your Martial Arts School Curriculum
June 30, 2020 18:26 - 21 minutes - 17 MBIn this podcast, I go solo with a harsh look at what martial arts schools are teaching and how to lead your students into the future by discarding the smoke and mirrors of the traditional curriculum. A good master instructor avoids teaching these contradictions.
13. Bernard Kerik 911 Interview by John Graden
June 16, 2020 20:00 - 13 minutes - 18.8 MBIn this 13th episode, The Truth About the Martial Arts Business is that martial arts schools have to be responsible and careful of the intentions of their students. Hi, I’m John Graden, we are in the middle of a massive disruption of law and order. Gun sales are through the roof, and Google searches for self-defense have spiked off the charts. People want to feel safe and secure. Now that the pandemic has leveled off, anti-fa has taken over sections of big cities and is wreaking violent ...
Bernard Kerik 911 Interview by John Graden
June 16, 2020 20:00 - 13 minutes - 18.8 MBIn this 13th episode, The Truth About the Martial Arts Business is that martial arts schools have to be responsible and careful of the intentions of their students. Hi, I’m John Graden, we are in the middle of a massive disruption of law and order. Gun sales are through the roof, and Google searches for self-defense have spiked off the charts. People want to feel safe and secure. Now that the pandemic has leveled off, anti-fa has taken over sections of big cities and is wreaking violent ...
12. How to Teach Self-Defense Like a Professional
June 09, 2020 20:33 - 32 minutes - 26 MBThis week the truth about the martial arts business is that if you advertise and teach self-defense in your martial arts school, you better know what you're talking about. One steps, basics, and kata are NOT self-defense. They are stylized, formal representations, they are not directly applicable. If you are trying to pass off traditional martial arts as self-defense, you are deceiving the public and yourself. People are NOT seeking "secret techniques" buried in the bunkai of kata. ...
11. A Plan to Reopen Your Martial Arts School
May 13, 2020 19:03 - 17 minutes - 23.8 MBWhat martial arts schools are going to survive in your area? You can be sure, not all of them. 1. What’s going to drive that? Supply and demand. 2. There will be fewer schools to choose from. Make sure you ARE one of them. 3. There will be less demand for traditional training. Make sure you’re NOT depending on it. Why? Traditional training simply takes too long and is more difficult than it needs to be. Most people will no longer want to pay a premium for a traditional curriculum f...
10. Do Martial Arts Really Work for Law Enforcement?
April 29, 2020 14:29 - 23 minutes - 20.7 MBHow would your martial arts skills work for you as a maximum-security prison guard, street cop, or county sheriff? Joe Lewis black belt Chris Sutton has trained in nearly a dozen different martial arts styles and he also held each one of those jobs. His first fight with an inmate was over a single Reeses Cup™. Find out if his martial arts training helped or hindered him. Also, learn how the Police Academy 10-week training program compared to his martial arts training. Here are more sho...
Do Martial Arts Really Work for Law Enforcement?
April 29, 2020 14:29 - 23 minutes - 20.7 MBHow would your martial arts skills work for you as a maximum-security prison guard, street cop, or county sheriff? Joe Lewis black belt Chris Sutton has trained in nearly a dozen different martial arts styles and he also held each one of those jobs. His first fight with an inmate was over a single Reeses Cup™. Find out if his martial arts training helped or hindered him. Also, learn how the Police Academy 10-week training program compared to his martial arts training. Here are more sho...
9. The Mike Anderson Story Part 1
April 20, 2020 19:16 - 23 minutes - 19.6 MBMike Anderson is one of the most unheralded pioneers of sport karate and kickboxing around the world. In 1973, he forever changed the sport of point karate by being the first promoter to require competitors to wear safety gear. In 1974, he created the professional karate association (PKA) and hosted the first PKA World Championships in Los Angeles. The event was broadcast as an ABC Special and it was one of the highest-rated shows of the year. The event audience was full of stars fro...
The Mike Anderson Story Part 1
April 20, 2020 19:16 - 23 minutes - 19.6 MBMike Anderson is one of the most unheralded pioneers of sport karate and kickboxing around the world. In 1973, he forever changed the sport of point karate by being the first promoter to require competitors to wear safety gear. In 1974, he created the professional karate association (PKA) and hosted the first PKA World Championships in Los Angeles. The event was broadcast as an ABC Special and it was one of the highest-rated shows of the year. The event audience was full of stars fro...
8. How to Plan and Run a Successful Martial Arts Summer Camp
April 14, 2020 18:46 - 39 minutes - 37.9 MBIf the COVID-19 shut down ends in time for martial arts schools to run summer camps, here is a podcast that will help you to plan, promote, and profit from a successful martial arts summer camp. This interview was conducted in Jim King's school in Altamonte Springs, FL. There is some background noise because it is a very busy school. NOTE: This was recorded in 2017. Summer Camp with Jim King :15 Three strategies to recover. 1:00 Why summer camp. 1:30 Resources for summer camp in...
7. What Qualifies an Instructor to Teach Self-Defense?
April 07, 2020 17:17 - 23 minutes - 19.4 MBImagine if you are on national TV with millions of people watching. The reporter says, "Our next guest says he is a self-defense expert." He turns to you and asks, "What qualifies you as a self-defense instructor. I mean, this is a serious subject. Why should we listen to you?" What would you say? In this episode, we pose that question to COBRA-Defense founder Chris Sutton and learned his unique analogy and rock-solid advice for anyone in the self-defense or martial arts business. Le...
5. Brian Tracy: Why Curriculum is Critical to the Sales Process
March 30, 2020 04:01 - 18 minutes - 25.8 MBOur guest today is one my mentors and the mentor to thousands, Mr Brian Tracy. Brian is not only one of the world's leading motivational speaker and sales coach, he is a black belt and a contributing author to the MATA Instructor Certification program at MATACertification.com After the interview, our Teach Like a Pro Tip of the Week for martial arts instructors is on How to Correct Skills in the classroom. Please be sure to subscribe, share with your friends and post a review. You can al...
6. Brian Tracy: Why Curriculum is Critical to the Martial Arts School Sales Process
March 30, 2020 04:01 - 18 minutes - 25.8 MBOur guest today is one my mentors and the mentor to thousands, Mr Brian Tracy. Brian is not only one of the world's leading motivational speaker and sales coach, he is a black belt and a contributing author to the MATA Instructor Certification program at MATACertification.com After the interview, our Teach Like a Pro Tip of the Week for martial arts instructors is on How to Correct Skills in the classroom. Please be sure to subscribe, share with your friends and post a review. You can al...
6. Brian Tracy: Why Curriculum is Critical to the Sales Process
March 30, 2020 04:01 - 18 minutes - 25.8 MBOur guest today is one my mentors and the mentor to thousands, Mr Brian Tracy. Brian is not only one of the world's leading motivational speaker and sales coach, he is a black belt and a contributing author to the MATA Instructor Certification program at MATACertification.com After the interview, our Teach Like a Pro Tip of the Week for martial arts instructors is on How to Correct Skills in the classroom. Please be sure to subscribe, share with your friends and post a review. You can al...
5. The Coronavirus and Your Rent
March 25, 2020 13:45 - 36 minutes - 29.9 MB005: With the coronavirus pandemic blanketing the world, many martial arts school owners can’t conduct group classes for at least the next month or two. This creates beehive of complexity and questions. Our guest, The Lease Coach, gives us the answers.
5. The Coronavirus and Your Martial Arts School Rent
March 25, 2020 13:45 - 36 minutes - 29.9 MB005: With the coronavirus pandemic blanketing the world, many martial arts school owners can’t conduct group classes for at least the next month or two. This creates beehive of complexity and questions. Our guest, The Lease Coach, gives us the answers.
6. The Coronavirus and Your Rent
March 25, 2020 13:45 - 36 minutes - 29.9 MB005: With the coronavirus pandemic blanketing the world, many martial arts school owners can’t conduct group classes for at least the next month or two. This creates beehive of complexity and questions. Our guest, The Lease Coach, gives us the answers.
4. Brian Tracy: What Adults Want in a Martial Arts School
March 21, 2020 13:47 - 21 minutes - 20.3 MB004: Our guest today is one my mentors and the mentor to thousands, Mr Brian Tracy. Brian is not only one of the world's leading motivational speaker and sales coach, he is a martial artist and a contributing author to the MATA Instructor Certification program at MATACertification.com In this episode, he shares the key mental strategies to sell martial arts and the common mistake black belts make in marketing their school. He also tells you how to destroy your credibility and the importa...
Brian Tracy: What Adults Want in a Martial Arts School
March 21, 2020 13:47 - 21 minutes - 20.3 MB004: Our guest today is one my mentors and the mentor to thousands, Mr Brian Tracy. Brian is not only one of the world's leading motivational speaker and sales coach, he is a martial artist and a contributing author to the MATA Instructor Certification program at MATACertification.com In this episode, he shares the key mental strategies to sell martial arts and the common mistake black belts make in marketing their school. He also tells you how to destroy your credibility and the importa...
3. Tony Robbins On The Five Strategies to Create a Happy and Successful Life
February 07, 2020 22:29 - 11 minutes - 10.5 MB#003: In this episode Tony Robbins talks about the importance of gaining control and awareness of your emotions. He describes how most people major in minor things and the five strategies or masters lessons to create a happy and successful life. Episode Notes Guest–Tony Robbins Teach Like a Pro Tip–Avoid Using Tags Teach Like a Pro Tip from John Graden These lessons are straight from the MATA Certification Course at MATACertification.com This week... The Principles of an A...
2. Tony Robbins Describes How Martial Arts Can Be Used To Combat Procrastination
February 07, 2020 22:29 - 15 minutes - 14.8 MB#002: In this episode Tony talks about Bruce Lee learning kicking from Jhoon Rhee. He also reveals the secret formula to decision making and how to use the formula to create a successful life. He describes how martial arts can be used to combat procrastination and share a powerful story of W. Mitchell, who became a multi-millionaire speaker and entrepreneur after being burned beyond recognition. Episode Notes Guest–Tony Robbins Teach Like a Pro Tip–No Rescues Teach Like a Pro Tip ...
Tony Robbins Describes How Martial Arts Can Be Used To Combat Procrastination
February 07, 2020 22:29 - 15 minutes - 14.7 MB#002: In this episode Tony talks about Bruce Lee learning kicking from Jhoon Rhee. He also reveals the secret formula to decision making and how to use the formula to create a successful life. He describes how martial arts can be used to combat procrastination and share a powerful story of W. Mitchell, who became a multi-millionaire speaker and entrepreneur after being burned beyond recognition. Episode Notes Guest–Tony Robbins Teach Like a Pro Tip–No Rescues Teach Like a ...
1. Tony Robbins Teaches You How to Use Martial Arts to Create a More Successful Life
February 07, 2020 22:28 - 19 minutes - 18.6 MB#001: The Bruce Lee of motivation, Tony Robbins is my guest on the first three episodes of The Truth About the Martial Arts Business. A black belt under the late Jhoon Rhee, Tony talks about raising your standards and your beliefs to create a new focus on success. All human emotion is controlled by emotions and martial arts is all about emotion, so it can be a strong vehicle for success or a poor excuse for failure. He also describes the mindset and belief system of Stu Middleman who was...
Tony Robbins Teaches You How to Use Martial Arts to Create a More Successful Life
February 07, 2020 22:28 - 19 minutes - 18.2 MB#001: The Bruce Lee of motivation, Tony Robbins is my guest on the first three episodes of The Truth About the Martial Arts Business. A black belt under the late Jhoon Rhee, Tony talks about raising your standards and your beliefs to create a new focus on success. All human emotion is controlled by emotions and martial arts is all about emotion, so it can be a strong vehicle for success or a poor excuse for failure. He also describes the mindset and belief system of Stu Middleman who was...