How Do You Replace Yourself?

             One of the hardest things to do is to let go of things that you think you do better than anyone else. You believe you are irreplaceable, and that your karate school cannot run without you. Then you get busy, hurt, or sick. You start a family and want to spend some time with them. What do you do?
            
You go to work, keeping a record of everything you do.

• How you spend your time
• How you spend your money
• What and how you promote
• Does it work?
• What changes need to be made?
• How can I make it better
• What you sell
• How can I develop better relationships with my people?
• What you teach in your karate classes?
• How can we do it right every time?
• What works?
• What doesn't?

          It is like a puzzle, or a game that you play.  It all has to work, or none of it works. Everything is based on the simple fact that you, the business owner has to get better all of the time. You try, but life isn't always about moving forward, so you have to handle the setbacks as well. Sometimes you feel stuck and unmotivated, and progress or success is no where to be found. You think about quitting, getting a real job, and a steady paycheck. You are not sure what to do, or whom to trust, and so you keep lurching forward, and falling back, waiting for miracle or at least a change of circumstance that will get you inspired again.

          The turning point for me, was finally deciding that I was better at teaching karate than I was at anything else. I had been a production supervisor, and a financial adviser, but nothing spoke to me as being a karate instructor. I finally 'settled' for something. Call it a 'vibe' or whatever you want, people can sense what is under the radar and they respond to it.  When you are positive and focused, it shows in everything you do. This is my starting point. Everything in this school flows out of the example that I set - fortunately or unfortunately.

           So to replace ourselves we need to not only document and plan out the 'what' in our schools, but also the 'how', and the 'why'. There was a reason that you spent all of those hours training your body and mind to be a martial artist.The passion that drives us, not just the plans that we lay out for others to follow. Our karate schools are not just about kicking and punching and forms, but bringing those to life with a passion and a purpose that helps our students build themselves from the inside - out.

Lessons from Mom -Mother's Day Edition

        I have a training manual somewhere in my basement that outlines how to deliver a proper handshake. It takes 6 steps, outlines how many pumps to apply, firmness of the grip, almost like you were programming an alien on how to be human. I found it absurd, but apparently the authors did not.
Most manuals or improvement courses, whether they be in sales, business, athletics, or human resources are about better personality traits, but few take the time to teach character. The 6 steps to a proper handshake never talked about why you shake hands or what is supposed to be behind the your eyes when you make eye-contact.
        Here are a few things I learned from a small, intense woman that I am lucky enough to have as a mother.

1. Be on time 
2. Be prepared
3. Tell the truth
4. Get it down and move on
5. Don't let the dishes pile up too long
6. Make your bed right away
7. Tuck your shirt in
8. Comb your hair
9. Play fair
10. Stand up for yourself 
11. Protect your brother
12. When someone is in trouble, stop and help him out.

Small, simple, but important. Things I use everyday. I am sure you do too, after all your mother probably taught you the same list.

Happy Mother's Day!!

Systems & Measures

Systems & Measures. 

Today we operate our school according to a plan. In the past we didn't always, but we tried, and through trial and error, and a little luck, we've developed a simple, straight-forward program that yields fantastic students.

We have different programs with different lengths for students with different levels of commitment.

We use a planned, orchestrated curriculum designed to yield a specific  result - a Black Belt.

We rotate a series of classes over 10 weeks designed to take a student from his/her current belt to the next level up.

We rotate those 10 weeks 5 times over the year.

Each rotation has a name or an emphasis, even though it isn't readily apparent to the students.

The result is that no two classes are ever the same, even though we do the same outline 5 times a year.

Our definition of a Black Belt is 'a master of the basics.'
The time requirement is 3 years and 300 classes minimum, but if it takes longer so be it. 

To become a Black Belt a student must 'master': Think of these as the 'Tip of the Iceberg'

• Basic techniques including 5 kicks, 4 punches/strikes/8 blocks and 3 stances.
• Four forms or 'kata'
• Seven Kicking/Punching techniques
• Seven Basic Self Defense attacks
• Run 2 miles through our wooded cross country course
• Perform 100 sit-ups & Push-ups
• One Hundred Kicks on the heavy bag in 1 minute.
• Adults will do a 5 minute continuous punching bag set.

Along the Way each student has the option to Perform 12 Personal Projects for colored star shaped patches on his/her uniform. (Designed for younger students, but they are encouraged to involve their folks/family)

Projects:

1. Goal Setting
2. 1000 Techniques
3. 50 Acts of Kindness, Courtesy & Respect
4. 30 Days of Healthy Eating
5. Participation in Our Student Tournament
6. Excellent Grades: All A's & B's
7. Walk/Bike/Run 100 miles in 30 Days
8. 100 Form Repetitions
9. Demonstration of 12 Self Defense Scenarios
10. 30 Day of 100 Push Ups/Sit ups/kicks with each Leg
11. Creativity - Create you own form with a teammate
12. Take part in a fund raiser/food drive or community project

 Each month has a Theme, each week a Lesson for that Week, and each day has a Quote related to the Theme of the Month.

Our Monthly Themes are color coordinated to match our 12 Belts to Black Belt:
White - Achievement
Gold - Focus
Orange - Motivation
Green - Enthusiasm
Purple - Courage
Purple Stripe - Integrity
Blue - Respect
Blue Stripe - Self Discipline
Red - Confidence
Red Stripe - Vision
Brown - Teamwork
Brown Stripe - Commitment

We don't have 'Tests', we have 'Graduations'

We consider every class important, or a 'test', just as each day is a test in our daily lives. Every 4-5 classes a student will earn a progress stripe, showing that they know their belt level requirements.

After 3 black stripe and 1 red one they are ready to promote.

Our Belt Promotion is a recognition of 20 classes of consistent work - nobody shows up by accident.

Black Belt 'Alchemy'...turning ordinary into extraordinary...

The missing piece are the Instructors. At McDonald's, an employee can be trained in a short period of time. The same thing can be accomplished in martial arts too, if you start teaching a student the principles of a excellent instructor on his/her first class. Leadership is something you just do, it must be a part of everything we do or we won't be successful.

'Setting the Example'. Each student learns about our legacy of respect, starting with the very first class he is taught how we show respect in the school, at home, and in the Dojo. By the time she is a Black Belt she has been a leader on our floor for up to three years.

Measuring Performance: Qualitative and Quantitative... to be continued...