Smart Tips for Hosting a Self Defense Class at Your School

People want to be able to defend themselves, but attending a weekly martial arts class may be too much of a commitment for some. Offering a self defense seminar is a great way to reach this market and bring in additional revenue to your school. Here are some key things to consider if you’re thinking about offering a self defense seminar at your school.

Why Offer Self Defense Classes?

Self defense classes offer many benefits to martial arts schools. First and foremost, they increase your community exposure. This is a great way to get your name in front of people who would normally wouldn’t consider giving martial arts a try. After attending your class and seeing the real life benefits, they may even consider investing in further training with your school. Even if these individuals do not become paying students, they still serve as an additional source of revenue that you wouldn’t otherwise have.

These classes also demonstrate your investment in your community. Self defense enables members of your neighborhood to protect themselves, thus making the community an overall safer place to live.

Consider Your Pricing

Self defense seminars either meet once or for a few sessions in a brief period of time. With this setup, you’ll need to determine how you want to price this program. Be sure to ask yourself the following questions:

• Will you provide special pricing for current students at your school? Offering an exclusive price for your students can increase attendance by making them feel like they’re getting a great deal.
• Will you offer special pricing for students’ friends and family? Special pricing for students who want to bring someone can help entice people who are on the fence about attending.
• How will you price classes targeted at different groups? If you plan to offer a women’s-only class, will you price it differently than a class targeted at teaching self defense skills to children?
• Are you planning to offer an intro special? This is a great opportunity to convert one-time visitors into paying students. Consider offering a deal on their first month at your school to increase their chances of joining after the class.

Setting Your Time

There are two key things that go into setting the date and time for your classes. First, you want to be sure that it’s at a time that will work for your potential students; and second, you want to be sure that your self defense class won’t interfere with your existing classes. Setting a time on a weekend that’s not already claimed by one of your martial arts classes is one of the best ways to make the class available to a wider range of people. Keep in mind that self defense students may want to stay and ask questions or practice after the class is over, so you’ll need to plan your time accordingly.

Getting the Word Out

The way you market your self defense class will determine who hears about it–and how many people attend. Try some of these strategies:

• Post flyers around your school and mention it your students’ parents
• Consider offering prizes to current students who sign their friends and family up for the class
• Spread the word on social media. Post about it frequently and consider running Facebook ads to reach individuals outside of your school
• Send emails to both your current students and prospects. This is a great way to reach the family members of your current students and to convince prospective students to finally give your school a try
• Promote the class throughout your community. This could include posting on Nextdoor, hanging up posters in local coffee shops or informing nearby high school and college campuses about the class

Holding a self defense class is a great way to increase the exposure of your school, recruit new students and show your dedication to improving your community. By taking these items into consideration, you can create a successful recurring self defense class, increasing your school’s revenue and exposure throughout the community.

Get tips on additional ways to promote your self defense class by downloading your free copy of our 10-Step Martial Arts Marketing Guide.