How Martial Arts Affiliations Can Help Each Other Grow

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The martial arts community is rich in tradition that is passed down from instructor to student. The lineage and sharing of knowledge and tradition is most prominent within schools that are part of the same team affiliation. At their core, affiliations and teams are essentially an extended family tree. It’s very rare that they don’t have close relationships with their extended martial arts family in other parts of the country or around the world. Coming from the world of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, the view I have on my affiliation and lineage is one of a family that I am proud to be part of. We share seminars, visit other affiliate schools and compete under the same team flag.

The beautiful thing about martial arts is that our community is comprised of people who have little in common off the mat, but come together with a goal of improving themselves. Each person brings different knowledge and life experiences to the table. This applies to school owners and instructors as well.

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In my role at Zen Planner, I’ve spoken with schools of all sizes. It’s very common for me to speak to the owner of a school using our software who is at maximum capacity and have them refer one of their affiliates who could be having trouble keeping their doors open. The techniques and curriculum might be the same but the success of the businesses often differ drastically. The knowledge being shared within an affiliation seems to be limited to technique, but it doesn’t need to be!

Tracking performance and following set business practices are two of the biggest aspects of maintaining a healthy business. If high performing affiliates are sharing business practices, most of the time it might be basic information on what they do. If both affiliates are using Zen Planner, the next step might be showing the other affiliates how they set it up. Speaking the same language when it comes to business systems is a huge leap forward when it comes to sharing and implementing best practices. The problem is the coordination between affiliates, differences in technical knowledge and of course the amount of time spent teaching everyone how to set up a similar process.

With a little organization on the affiliation’s side, Zen Planner’s software and team is able to bridge the gap when it comes to sharing best practices between affiliates. With the right planning and communication, we can use an existing Zen Planner tool to effectively standardize and share reports and automations between any number of affiliates.

One of the first affiliations to start using Zen Planner 10th planetfor sharing best practices is 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu. Casey Halstead and Phil Schwartz both led the charge on organizing this project and gathered input for the workflows they thought would help all of their affiliates. Once the functionality was built out, over 20 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu affiliates shared the same workflows that helped the larger schools succeed.

If this sounds like something that would help your school and affiliation, you can hear more about the project with the 10th Planet affiliates on the Inside BJJ Podcast on Sunday, January 8th 2017.

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Are you thinking of implementing student management software at your affiliate school? Get your copy of our helpful checklist, 9 Things Your Martial Arts Software Must Have.

Martial Arts Software Checklist

About the Author: Kelli Sweeting

I'm Coach Kelli, a devoted CrossFit gym owner with 15 years of experience managing my facility, along with owning yoga studios and wellness centers. Beyond the fitness world, I have a passion for cooking, cherish moments with my children and family, and find joy in spending time outside. Having experienced the highs and lows, I'm dedicated to leveraging my expertise to help you grow and succeed on your fitness journey.