How do you compete against the MMA school hype?

Underground
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I've been in business for over 11 years. I’ve never been too good at the business end of it. I don't enjoy that whole money aspect of owning my MMA and Combat Sports gym. My wife and kids do occasionally demand telepathetically that I contribute finacially to our family. I'm trying to do a better job as of late. Allow me to vent and guerilla market all at once:

I enjoy training, teaching, coaching, cornering, empowering, juggling and even the occasional requested mentoring (never unsolicited). I don't want a cult. I want training partners/friends who will invest their time,money, blood, sweat and tears into something they enjoy doing.

I give out prices over the phone. (I've read and been told this is a huge no-no for all types of gym, martial arts and car dealerships)

I hand out my schedule and price lists to anyone who stops by. (Again a no-no)

I allow and encourage all my members to train as often as they want. I offer Openmat, Cage, Ring use for sparring  or partner or even individual training as well as bag or pad time whenever they want as long as it doesn’t interfere with instruction. I personally hated "the whole class is over; you can roll for 10 minutes and then GET OUT" of schools anxious to close up and count the money.

I offer month to month pricing instead of only the high pressure hard sell of 1 year, 2 year or even 3 year contracts. If someone wants to save money I offer discounted 6 month and 1 year agreements with bonuses if they prepay. I heard of schools charging 100 class packs that cost $2800.  

I’ve never had a registration fee. Why must people register to give me money?

I truly believe you can learn something from almost everyone, but how do schools that claim MMA instruction do it when neither the owners nor the instructors have ever competed? Self-defense is a more legitimate and honest claim for many of these types of schools, but since it lacks the pseudo BRAND RECOGNITION of MMA  it seems to be less commonly used.

(This next one may seem counterintuitive but please bear with me.)

1st class free or a free 1/2 hour private lesson has been my policy. After seeing the gym and meeting me or some of the other instructors and students potential members can pay one class at a time or just for month.  The increasingly popular signs broadcasting huge letters 30 DAYS FREE which I now understand to be a very high pressure sale attempt before, during and after every class. Imagine going to Timeshare sales offices for 30 days in a row.

Anyone at my gym is welcome to train anywhere else they want to without it being a secret, or it being a betrayal or being called a Creonte. Your first loyalty in training should be to yourself. Stealing secret moves is a silly excuse; once a move is used in public competition it belongs to anyone smart enough to recognize its value.

I teach techniques with setups and options and we talk strategy, game plan and adjustments. No empty and false guarantees. Do a Google or BING or even DOGPILE search on “DEFEAT ANY ATTACKER”

Add your own complaints to my sour grapes list or tear me a new one. Advice welcome. Stopping by my school at

100 Hollister Rd Teterboro, NJ

is also a great option.

See you on the mat,

Eddy Rolon ¬ (formerly screen name nhbnj) 

1999 NAGA Intermediate Super Heavyweight Champion & 2000 Fighter of the Year

2000 ISFA Northeast Regional Shootfighting Superheavyweight Champion & Heavyweight Champion

A 2000 IFC Heavyweight Tournament Champion

2001 IFC Battleground Heavyweight Champion

www.teamendgame.com

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Mihow - I don't train UFC but if I did I'd want to do it with you Phone Post

This, if I could pick someone to TRANE with it'd be you. Phone Post

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Refeshing post, hope business is good for you!

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Genius. Your hatred of the usual marketing and your arguments against it is marketing in itself.
I say that as a compliment. You sound like the kind of instructor Id wanna train with Phone Post

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You had me at, "Allow me to vent and guerilla market all at once:"

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It's working.

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are there hot chicks that train at your gym?

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I support this thread!

I see the kind of marketing the OP describes as an insult to the intelligence of the average student. Sure, using that type of marketing you'll get warm bodies in class, but at what cost?

In the past, martial arts training had a serious vetting process --not just anyone could walk in and join a dojo-- you had to be accepted by a teacher, some of whom were legendary for being extremely picky.

Today, it's the exact opposite; vetting students has been replaced by begging students to join. Anyone who can pay the monthly fee is welcomed.

Just out of Prison...? Get your life back on track with martial arts!

Deal drugs for a living...? Then you better learn to protect yourself --with martial arts!

Rage-a-holic street fighter...? Blow off some steam with Martial Arts!

Modern instructors have virtually no standards for the kind of person they will teach, as long as they can pay.

As a result, the martial arts are unfortunately filled with unethical, dishonest and sleazy people. A scumbag comes in to learn martial arts, 10 years later he's a scumbag who teaches martial arts.

And we wonder why being a martial arts instructor is no longer a respected profession as it once was in Japan and China.



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overEZ - are there hot chicks that train at your gym?


Wouldn't know about "hot chicks" because I'm married. I mean that didn't come out right. I'm so married I'm almost gay. No that's not the real message I was trying to get acros either.



 



How about there are zumba, belly dancing and other female dominated workout classes less than 127 feet from my cage. I do not have a public opinion on the hotness of said clients or employees at this location at this time. 



I'd also like to add I'm not afraid of my wife. Instead it's just a healthy amount of respect for her as a women and a person who could kill me in my sleep.



 



 

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ttt

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Love It Phone Post

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Eddy Rolon -
overEZ - are there hot chicks that train at your gym?

Wouldn't know about "hot chicks" because I'm married. I mean that didn't come out right. I'm so married I'm almost gay. No that's not the real message I was trying to get acros either.

 

How about there are zumba, belly dancing and other female dominated workout classes less than 127 feet from my cage. I do not have a public opinion on the hotness of said clients or employees at this location at this time. 

I'd also like to add I'm not afraid of my wife. Instead it's just a healthy amount of respect for her as a women and a person who could kill me in my sleep.

 

 

Legit Phone Post

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You run your gym that way because you do it for the love of what you're doing not for the money... You run it the old school way, the way most gyms were run in NJ before this shit got popular. I know if I lived close I would love to train at your gym Phone Post

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One obvious thing you can do right away to attract the mma types is change your address from 100 Hollister Rd. to 100 Affliction Rd. Phone Post

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you actually answered your own question multiple times!

I give out prices over the phone. (I've read and been told this is a huge no-no for all types of gym, martial arts and car dealerships)

I hand out my schedule and price lists to anyone who stops by. (Again a no-no)

I offer month to month pricing instead of only the high pressure hard sell of 1 year, 2 year or even 3 year contracts.

since you are in new jersey, i suggest speaking with Ace Ramirez. You also need to get in with championsway! It is a business, and you can't help anyone if you cant keep the doors open!

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The one thing I do is to use the hard sell ideas as more of a soft cushion. Before giving the prices on the phone, try getting them into the gym first. If they ask again, give them the prices. This is what I do and half the time, they are more than happy to come first. That way you can stick to you ideals of how a sell should be.

I offer month to month pricing also but contracts offer more of a discount, so they feel more inclined to sign a contract. Keep in mind some people like contracts, they feel like they have to come in and workout and get more accomplished. As far as a sign-up fee, I give them "free" gear when they sign up, so I'm not just taking their money. It's like a mark up on gear to make a little extra money with out just exploiting their wallet.

When it comes to the people that sign up, I believe everyone deserves at least one chance. You can't always tell who the scumbags are nowadays. If they mess up, it's time for them to go.

As far as training at other schools, our philosophy is, the more you go out and learn, the better you get. The better you get, the better you help us get. Anyway a team mate can get better, it is better for the team. We encourage dropping in, training and frequenting other schools, so long as our student understands how to be respectful at those other gyms, when representing us.

I'm no champion in anyway. I don't have any great accomplishments in anyway to my name, other than my 2 belt ranks.(and my 2 kids of course) But I've slowly grown my gym to a point where I can provide for my family.

I use all the hard sell techniques as a very loose base. All the members at my gym are on a very close first name basis with myself and my 2 yr old knows at least 50% of their names, so we are like a family at my gym. I know how it is to want to keep that feeling but I also know I need to provide for my family. I guarantee that there is a happy medium between the two that can be found.

I hope my input helps a little

Pit Black Belt - under John Hackleman and Chuck Liddell
Kore Purple Belt - under Luigi Mondelli @ ATT

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you DONT compete. you embrace the opportunity for more frequent DOJO STORMS.



UG! represent!

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Just saying.. if I was in your area, you would get my business.

This is a sport where you're training partners and coaches should be like family. If not literally like a second family. The seedy business ways that many gyms seem to operate tons the entire atmosphere for me Phone Post

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Im over in belmar area. I plan on taking the drive sometime soon to come check it out Phone Post

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Standard models are just that... standard, you customize to fit yourself once you get the basics down.

sounds like you and cruz both have a system that works for you.

only thing id like to add is about the MMA school question

its silly to think you need to be a MMA fighter to teach MMA. Your not going to go straight to the UFC out of the gate but you gain experience as a team as you progress. Its team experience that counts the most IMO
But If your school has a bjj, kickboxig program and runs a wrestling practice once or twice a week... guess what, youre an MMA school like it or not as for as the masses are concerned!

Here's a question to mull over:
What team would you rather be on?

Team A with champion gi & nogi BJJ'rs, blackbelts on down etc...awesome kickboxing program with an experienced competitive instructor ... but they havnt fought MMA particularly

or

Team B with guys who have really no rank or experience in anything except what they learned from YouTube, Seminars, Etc... but they all fight every weekend in local shows


I'd choose Team A every day All Day! If there was a group of guys that wanted to get into MMA there it was be very easy to start up a team and it would probably get pretty darn good pretty quick with the level of coaches there

But In fact, most MMA schools these days are like Team B...
... I'm sorry, but going 0-2 in your local shit bag small town show does not supersede 10-15 years of BJJ, wrestling through out college or 10 years in amateur kickboxing circuit when it comes to being a coach or instructor.... or just being qualified to teach anyone ANYTHING for that matter... I certainly wouldn't want my kids going to that place!

Unfortunately that describes 99% of MMA schools open in the US right now