Martial Arts Professional

[John Giacoletti]

My Sensei Ric Martin and his 19 year old daughter Erica are featured on the cover of the October 2006 Martial Arts Professional:The Trade Journal of the Martial Arts Industry

Two of the main opinions made by Sensei Martin are explained in a well-illustrated six page article which accompanies the cover photo.

In an interesting, personal revelation, Martin explained a paradigm shifting conversation he had with his daughter some four years ago when she was fifteen.

She told her Dad that as a career she wanted to do what he did, teach martial arts. Martin realized he was a white belt when it came to the business side of running a dojo. He set out to gain expertiese in transforming his karate club into a well-managed business that plays an important educational and health improvement role in the community and enables him to support his wife and three children by teaching a value laden curriculumn of Uechi Ryu karate and traditional Okinawan weapons.

Martin also believes that it's essential for the success of the business enterprise to have full-time professional instructiors who are dedicated to teaching a cohesive and consistent Uechi-Ryu curriculum. He believes his full time staff should be compensated accordinly as professionals and be able to support their families through their martial arts activities.

In order to recruit and hold outstanding personal he has to pay a competitive salary/bonus package of $60,000 - $80,000.

The transformation from an old school Sensei to a successful martial arts enterpraneur makes an interesting read. In addition to the main dojo campus where approximately 370 students are enrolled in a 9,000 sq. foot stand alone structure that has won architectural accolades, he has a second location about six miles distant in the Oakhurst neighborhood of Seminole, FL, between St. Petersburg and Clearwater which is in a verry successful startup mode and has an enrollment already of 175 students, mostly children, the initial adult class having just begun. .The facility is a 3,000 sq. ft. operation, with attention to fung sha decorating principles: a three level water fall and koi fish pond, a comfortable lobby, bleachers for parents, a Shuri Palace entrance gate, and imported Okinawan blue roof tiles.

Kycho Martin also consults with a few other Uechi Schools. He is now workiing with an old friend, Bob Spoon who has a school in Massachusetts, with whom he competed in Sparring in Okinawa back in the 1990's

Visitors are welcome.

[Van Canna]

My congratulations to Rick Martin. Job well done.

[gmattson]

Ric on being one of the pioneers (along with Buzz Durkin) in building a professional organization that teaches credible Uechi-ryu and does so without compromising the art or shortchanging the student.

I've taken a tour of Ric's fabulous main dojo and saw his new branch during construction. The way he oversees his operation is truly inspirational and a model for the rest of the Uechi community.

Its hard for the "old-timers" to appreciate this blending of professional business practices with traditional martial art skills. As Ric mentioned to me when we discussed this subject..... "....Sometimes you just have to 'draw a line' and say that this is the way it must be."

Whenever a dojo goes from the old ways of operating to a professional model, many will object. In Ric's case, he just about had to start over. However, in a couple of months he had a larger enrollment then prior to the change and he never looked back.

Good for you Ric!

[Bill Glasheen]

It's tough keeping high standards as a martial artist and be a good businessman. Buzz Durkin showed that it's possible to produce top students and be a professional at it. The thing that impressed me most about Buzz was that his training in both the martial and the business fronts was top notch. He put it all together and got a winning formula.

I met Ric several decades ago at an Endicotte College camp. He was quite the martial artist back then, and a very charismatic fellow. It's great to see him take the next step and produce a fine business model.

One thing I've learned in my years as a professional scientist is how important it is to team up with the business types who know how to turn ideas into products and a business. Great success stories are generally the result of great teamwork and a recognition of where all the individuals fit best in the team.

Pass along my congratulations.

- Bill

[Stryke]

I met Ric several decades ago at an Endicotte College camp. He was quite the martial artist back then, and a very charismatic fellow. It's great to see him take the next step and produce a fine business model.

No wonder you guys know everything , your the epitomy of the 200 year old man

[f.Channell]

I've been heeding the advice of a Uechi 8th dan with a successful school since 1972 who told me to throw that magazine out before it corrupts me. That's what I've been doing every month.

I'll look out for this one just to read up on Ric.

I think I have an old Black Belt magazine with him in it also.

F.

[John Giacoletti]

What do our Okinawan Masters know? Through their teachings what do they impart? What do we learn from our association with them?

I have never been to Okinawa, but I have been priviledged as a student of Kyoshi Martin to have met and trained with (on multiple occassions) five Okinawan Masters who have come to our dojo for training, comrade-ship and instruction. With the exception of Master Nakahodo, these teachers have been my teachers as well. And I am very thankful and grateful for the opportunity to have shared in some small degree in their lessons.

Perhaps the lessons Martin Sensei learned will surprise you. Following are the acknowlegments Martin Sensei makes:

I have been more privleged than any one karate student could ever hope for. MASTER SENEGA taught me how to be continually energetic and fun loving. He showed me how to discover the enjoyment in hard work. MASTER NAKAMATSU taught me the value of patience and thoughtfulness. He was the first one to impress upon me the importance of considering how our plans and actions might effect the next generation. MASTER NAKAHODO is the ultimate example of discipline and leadership. He has consistently demonstrated how to balance intense physical practice with consideration and respect for others. MASTER SHINJO taught me how to focus and harness my energy. Through his example, he taught me to stand strong on your principles especially under extremely difficult conditions or circumstances. MASTER GUSHI taught me to define my own vision and to not restrict my thinking. He gave me "permission" to break the rules or status quo as I saw fit in order to help move martial arts forward into a more modern era. He taught me how to believe and to trust.

My first and most powerful relationship with an Okinawan Uechi Ryu Karate Master was with my former Sensei, MASTER TOSHIYUKI ITOKAZU. He inspired me through his example of martial arts mastery and his relentless desire to create new leaders. He changed my life, and will continue to touch the lives of every new student and family that we reach through the Authentic Martial Arts organization, forever. He has left a proud and sustainable legacy.

Ric Martin
Certified Instructor Training Manual

[vinny]

Congratulations to Ric Martin and his daughter Erica on their well deserved front cover presentation.

Last year while I was traveling in the Tampa area on business I had a couple of free hours before my flight back home to Boston. I had an opportunity to train at Ric’s showcase dojo which had recently opened. The facility is world class.

Ric was traveling at the time and his daughter Erica was in charge of the dojo. I introduced myself and asked if I could train for an hour or two. Erica brought me to the “upstairs dojo” and made me feel totally welcome. During my training, Erica was very gracious; bring me water and asking if I needed the AC.

Never having met her before, I was grateful for her welcoming and courteous attitude.

It makes me happy when good things happen to good people.

[f.Channell]

I get MA SUCCESS magazine sent to me. Not this one John mentioned.

Bummer.

John, perhaps you could post the text so we can read it?

This actually brings up something I've thought about before. It would be nice if we had all the old Black Belt magazine and Dragon Times articles on the site to read. I wonder how much of a problem the copyrights would be?

F.

[Rick Wilson]

I think running a dojo as a good martial arts school and a successful business takes a tremendous amount of talent.

I have never met Ric Martin but based on all that people say he has managed to do this very well.

I think the key phrase was quoted by George: "....Sometimes you just have to 'draw a line' and say that this is the way it must be."

I know the magazine Fred is talking about and it has carried a number of disturbing articles. Well, disturbing to me. It carried one on how to set your school up so that you never ever have to teach another class or student again. And you want to be a martial arts “teacher?” And another on how to trick your students into teaching for you free. All of these have crossed the line for me.

At the same time to be successful earning a living by teaching martial arts you must run it with proper business skills.

I do not think enough honest talk goes on about this subject.

There are great teachers out there struggling to live who could benefit not only from the business skills but on how to balance good Karate within a good business.

The business skills required for running a school are no different than those for running any business. As martial “artists” we don’t really want to hear that because martial arts are different.

And martial arts are different BUT if you want to have it as a business then there is a side to it that is NOT different and if you must make a decision.

You must accept that as being true and you must decide to either do this after your day job that feeds the family (my decision) or you have to decide to not only accept but implement the proper business skills.

So the factor that is not discussed (and I am not qualified to do so) is how we balance off what is needed to make a decent living while teaching good martial arts (number of students for instance to what has traditionally been seen as a class size.)

There was one Okinawan master that once said to David Elkins he was very concerned on how he was going to properly teach his students because now he had six and “HOW WAS HE GOING TO TEACH THEM ALL.”

How do we balance that approach?

On the other hand you can read the history of a number of Chinese Masters who travelled the country and counted their students in the thousands.

I have no answers because I made the choice that I could not do it.

I post this here NOT because I do not think it can be done but because I have read those magazines for years and they do not address these issues. They deal very well (for the most part) with the business aspect but they do not accept the difference in martial Arts (Is it different?) and just brush those concerns off with – it can be done.

I saw one article on “How One Instructor Can Teach a Class of 100 Students.” ????????

It would be great for those who have managed to do this to share where they drew the line and why. Perhaps it would help others make a better living for themselves and their families.

Oh and then there is the other attitude that some how it is bad to make money through teaching etc, remember the comments made to hurt George that he was making money off of his Camp – and that would be a bad thing? All the best to him if he did because it is an excellent camp. But the attitude is out there that this is somehow wrong. WHY?


And congratulations to Ric Martin and his daughter.

[gmattson]

and one the IUKF is attempting to address.

The business gurus out there today are simply taking the successful (money making) formulas that have been around for years and converting them to the martial arts.

In their view, there are no "systems", only generic drills designed to make teachers out of anyone and sign-up formulas designed to extract the most money possible out of everyone who walks in the door.

Indeed there is a middle ground and treading that ground is very, very difficult. The goal of the dojo(s) I respect, run their dojo as a business while teaching excellent martial arts. Believe me, it is possible and being done by a number of Uechi schools.

IUKF is attempting to provide expertise in these areas without resorting to business models that are more suited to selling used cars than running a dojo.

[f.Channell]

Hi Rick,

Excellent points, that magazine I mentioned, (and I'm sure the other isn't too far off) are more full of generic programs at ridiculous prices.
I was given one to borrow from a friend and they had paid $350 for it.
It was poorly shot, home video quality recording, with the head of the school and person advertised on the tape only appearing for a few moments. I would say that it was worth about $20.00 tops. The one thing it did do is inspire me, because seeing they had a chain of schools with generic teaching like that, has to make you think you can do better.

I opened it recently looking for a t-shirt source which had decent t-shirts and couldn't find any in there.

I did find a good source for patches however.

The only column I like is Gary Khoury's. But that I think is in the one I don't get anymore. Gary has done some excellent writing in it, and has found that balance of success and integrity which is so elusive to many.

The one good thing about these $130 Mc Dojo is when their students find you, they appreciate you far more than they do if they get lucky and find you first.

F.

[Rising Star]

Fred,

You won't find Gary's column in MASuccess anymore. His last article appeared in the April 2006 edition and he has since been replaced by MAIA's new small consultant, Mike Metzger. Oh well, I get the benefit of Gary's insight and knowledge on a daily basis!

John

[Bill Glasheen]

Oh well, I get the benefit of Gary's insight and knowledge on a daily basis!

And unedited to boot!

Give Gary my best. He too is one of the great Uechi professionals.

- Bill

[f.Channell]

Good John,

Now he has time to make Uechi sparring video II.

Tell him to get to work!

F.