Black Belt Banter: Martial Arts Business Podcast
Welcome to Black Belt Banter, the best martial arts business podcast for instructors, school owners, and entrepreneurs who want to increase their profits and generate substantial revenue. Whether you're running a single studio or scaling a multi-location empire, we break down the strategies, stories, and systems behind profitable martial arts businesses. From student retention and marketing hacks to leadership, curriculum, and community building, we cover it all. Tune in for weekly insights from Master Chan and Master Jimmy Hong, who’s been in the trenches and come out kicking. Email us at jimmyhong@blackbeltbanter.com
Episodes
Never Boring Kicking Drills: How to Keep Students Fired Up (with Alex Wong)
In this episode of Black Belt Banter, host Master Jimmy Hong and resident expert Master Tony Chung welcome special guest Alex Wong — a third-degree TaeKwonDo black belt, instructor, content creator, and YouTuber with over 150,000 subscribers.
Together, they dive into what really keeps students engaged on the mat: energy, creativity, and smart curri...
In this episode of Black Belt Banter, hosts Jimmy Hong and Master Lee sit down with Sensei Solomon Brenner, founder of Action Karate, to discuss what it really takes to scale a martial arts school. With over 30 years of experience and 36 locations, Brenner shares practical insights on leadership, systems, partnerships, and maintaining core values while growing. A must-listen for school owners who want to expand without l...
In this episode of Black Belt Banter, Master Jimmy Hong joins Master Lee and Master Jeung to break down the debate of monthly tuition versus paid-in-full programs. They discuss cash flow, stability, lessons from COVID, and how to balance both models for sustainable growth. A must-listen for school owners looking to align their billing strategy with long-term success.
Grow Your Martial Arts School with ASA Live
Join ASA ...
In this episode of Black Belt Banter, hosts Master Jimmy Hong and Master Lee discuss effective face-to-face marketing strategies for increasing enrollment in martial arts schools. Master Chan shares insights from his experience running multiple successful locations with over 2,100 active students. He emphasizes the importance of direct interactions at community events, birthday parties, and other engagements to drive tri...
What if the habits that create Olympians could also build a school that runs on rhythm instead of adrenaline? We sit down with Coach Tim Thackeray—seven-time U.S. national team member, Pan Am Games gold medalist, and USA Taekwondo’s Director of Education—to map elite performance onto everyday school ownership. Coach Tim shows how to turn competitive fire into a repeatable operating system.
We explore culture as ...
The Big Debate: Do MMA Skills Belong in Traditional Martial Arts?
In this episode of Black Belt Banter, we tackle one of the most controversial questions in today’s martial arts world: Should MMA techniques be part of traditional martial arts training?
We break down the benefits, risks, and misconceptions behind integrating modern combat skills into classical systems. And we discuss a major reason many traditional school o...
If your classes feel scattered the moment “curriculum time” starts, you’re not alone. We dig into the rotating curriculum—why it ignites class energy, simplifies coaching at scale, and can actually protect belt integrity when designed with care.
With Master Philip Jeung, a second‑generation martial artist and Fordham MBA, we get tactical about growth. Rotation makes it possible for one instructor to guide 20–30 ...
World TKD Lab
https://www.world-tkdlab.com/saas-platform
Master Nickie Quan: Quanscience@gmail.com
Stop losing precious teaching time to front-desk chaos. We sit down with World Taekwondo Lab to unpack a practical way forward: a voice-driven AI assistant designed by lifelong martial artists to manage leads, message parents, schedule intros, and even update inventory while you stay on the mat. No jargon, no tech detours—just...
Want a tournament that builds leaders, delights parents, and actually runs on time? We sit down with Master Jay Lee—tournament director for the U.S. Open Taekwondo Hanmadang and CEO of U.S. Taekwondo Center—to show how school owners can turn competition into a retention engine and a reliable revenue stream without sacrificing safety or sanity.
We break down why starting in-house protects your culture and quality...
From Zero to 120: How a Young Martial Artist Built a Thriving Taekwondo School
In this episode of Black Belt Banter, hosts Jimmy Hong and Master Tony Chung converse with Master Liam Guttmacher, a 24-year-old martial artist who rapidly grew his Taekwondo school to 120 students in under a year. Liam discusses his journey, starting from his early karate days to his focus on acrobatic Taekwondo and high-level gymnas...
Our most important podcast yet...
In this week's episode of Black Belt Banter, hosts Master Jimmy Hong and Master Chan dive into the critical risks facing martial arts school owners and the importance of specialized insurance coverage. They're joined by Mrs. Beth Block from Block Insurance, who brings over 30 years of expertise in protecting martial arts schools, childcare centers, and private and char...
What would a parent pay for their child to become more confident, disciplined, and positioned for lifetime success? According to Master Chan, a hundred thousand dollars might actually be a bargain when considering the transformative power of martial arts training.
Master Chan opens with a powerful thought experiment: Imagine promising parents that their child will develop unshakable confidence, iron discipline, ...
Ever wondered how some martial arts schools command $400+ monthly tuition while others struggle to break $150? Master Bronson Ko has cracked the code, building what he calls "the Apple of martial arts studios" – premium facilities with prices to match and waiting lists of eager families.
Perhaps most compelling is Master Ko's insight that higher prices create deeper commitment. "When you pay ...
Economic uncertainty looms large for martial arts school owners, but surviving—even thriving—during downturns is possible with the right approach. Master Lee shares battle-tested strategies that have helped him navigate three major economic crises since 2001.
At the heart of recession-proofing your martial arts business is delivering exceptional value that makes your service indispensable. When families scrutini...
Preventing instructor burnout might be the most critical challenge you face as a martial arts school owner. How do you build a staff culture that's sustainable while delivering exceptional training? This episode tackles this challenge head-on with insights from three martial arts business veterans.
Master Tony Kook (president of BC Taekwondo Federation with 2,100 active students across multiple locations) a...
Master Lee shares the fastest way to build a martial arts business through strategic networking and learning from successful peers rather than trying to reinvent the wheel.
• Success leaves clues – learn from those who have already achieved what you want
• Having the right mindset is critical – be open to new ideas and changes
• Take immediate action on what you learn through networking
• Surround yo...
What separates thriving martial arts schools from struggling ones? Master Lee draws from his family's 50-year legacy to reveal the powerful role culture plays in creating an exceptional martial arts business.
Ever wonder why some martial arts schools consistently grow while others plateau? The secret lies not in marketing tactics or fancy facilities, but in something far more fundamental: culture. Master Ch...
There's a crisis affecting martial arts schools nationwide, but it's not what you might think. The pandemic tested our industry's resilience—we taught through Zoom, improvised training equipment, and found ways to survive against impossible odds. Yet now, with that immediate threat behind us, many schools face a deeper challenge: finding purpose beyond mere survival.
This episode delivers a passio...
Should you open a second martial arts school location? This question haunts ambitious school owners looking to expand their impact and income.
The path to successful expansion requires meeting several critical conditions. Your first location must be truly thriving, not just surviving. Your staffing structure needs depth beyond just one or two good instructors – you need "bench strength," a pipeline o...
"Too much month, not enough money?" This might be the reality for many small martial arts school owners, but Master Tony Chung proves it doesn't have to be. In this eye-opening conversation, Tony shares how he generates over $2 million annually with multiple locations that are all under 2,000 square feet - a stark contrast to the 7,000-12,000 square foot "mega-schools" often showcased as the indu...
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