International Independent Martial Artists Association

RIP GM Norris... You will be missed.

5 Great Kids Martial Arts Drills!

1. Sensei Says

Just like Simon Says but have the students do martial arts techniques or martial arts related activities. Students who fail to follow the correct instructions at the correct time must sit down until the end. This drill develops focus and concentration.

2. Shark Attack

The students are instructed to stay within a designated area. Instructors hold large kicking shields and approach the students at random. When a shield holder gets close (a shark attack) the student uses a pre-specified technique to repel the shark. If the shield bumps the student, (a shark bump) the student must go to the “No Man’s Land” and perform a pre-specified task (a form, push-ups, etc.)

3. Target Jumping

Tie a square hand target to the end of an old belt. Swing the target in a circle close to ground level, having the students jump over it when it comes at their legs. Make sure you keep the proper distance, so the belt does not wrap around their legs! This drill develops timing, concentration, and leg strength.

4. Relay Races (12 variations)

Relay Races are great for organizing activities for large groups of kids, especially during parties and special events. Here are some variations on the theme:
• Sprinting
• Skipping
• Crab Walking
• Bear Crawling (hands and feet, not knees)
• “Shrimping” (I’m sure the BJJ guys out there have a ton of ways you can vary this)
• Hopping on one foot
• Hopping on one foot while kicking
• Jump kicking across the floor
• Doing lunge punches in front stance
• Low crawling (like soldiers do it – on your belly using your elbows)
• Duck walking

5. Obstacle Courses

The variations on this theme can be endless. We use rolls, jumping over pads, low crawling under mats that are set up as tunnels, dodging balls, kicking bags and pads at various stages of the course, and so on. Be creative, this is loads of fun for your kids!

New Years Done-for-You Email: Re-Activating Cancelled Members.

INSTRUCTIONS

This email goes out to any cancelled members who ended on GOOD TERMS who you want to try to re-activate. This is geared towards children, but you can modify the email to target your adult students.

These emails should NOT be mailed out to your entire list. You should individually send them to members that cancelled. These emails work best with personal touches, like the name of the person and the name of their son/daughter.

Send to all parents who cancelled.

SUBJECT:

Hey!

BODY:

Hey [PARENT NAME],

It’s [YOUR NAME] from [SCHOOL NAME]! I was thinking about you guys and hope you’re doing well.

It’s a new year, and I’d love nothing more than for you guys to be a part of our school’s family again.

That’s why, if [CHILD NAME] wanted to get back on the mat, I put together a special offer for you guys to make sure [HE / SHE] can jump right back in [HE / SHE] never even stopped!

Here it is:

When you re-activate your membership, your child will also get these gifts at NO COST:

- 2 private, 1-on-1 lessons to get them back in the groove! ($X value)
- A fresh, new uniform ($X Value)

I’ve missed seeing you guys, so I’d love for you to take advantage of this offer. Please note: It EXPIRES in 7 days.

So call [NUMBER] now or just reply to this email now if you want in :-)

Looking forward to helping your child excel like never before in 2026!

[INSTRUCTOR NAME
Phone Number
Email]

7 QUATLITIES OF A MODEL INSTRUCTOR

SOLID MARTIAL ARTS SKILLS
An instructor does not have to be a world champion, but they should possess enough skill and passion to motivate and inspire students.

FIT
Works hard at keeping themselves fit.

PEOPLE PERSON
They enjoy working with people, especially children.

EMOTIONALLY STEADY
They are not moody and regardless of personal circumstances, are able to put their game face on.

BELIEVES IN THEIR STUDENTS
They know that nothing is more important than believing in their students.

ABILITY TO FOLLOW A PLAN
Ability to effectively follow a class plan, but can improvise when the situation calls for it.

TEAM PLAYER
They care about their teammates and act accordingly.

4 Tips for Small School Success Martial Arts Organization
Being a small business owner is filled with ups and downs – there are good days and bad days, both exciting and stressful times. You must wear many hats, from head instructor, to accountant, to marketer, to purchasing agent, to human resource manager. Needless to say, it’s a demanding gig! If you’re looking to simplify your life, we have a few tips that may just help you navigate the rough waters of being a small school owner:

1.) NO MATTER HOW BUSY YOU ARE, MAKE TIME FOR A WORK-LIFE BALANCE
As a small school owner, it’s not uncommon to put your business over everything else…including your friends, your family, and even yourself. While this mindset may seem to be the secret to success at first glance, it will ultimately lead you to one of only two possible outcomes – burnout or the realization that the business you have built doesn’t allow you to lead the lifestyle you desire.
When you’re juggling so many different things, finding a healthy balance between your work life and your personal life may seem impossible. Here are a few of our recommendations:
• Find your strengths and focus on them
• You can’t do it all – sort through your to-do list and find the most important task for each day
• Set attainable goals
• Use a calendar to keep track of anything and everything, from staff meetings to dinner plans with friends
• Take short breaks during your workday to maximize productivity
• Establish hours for work and hours for relaxation and stick to them no matter what!

2.) BE PATIENT WITH YOURSELF AND YOUR TEAM
It’s easy to place your eye on the prize. Instead, try setting small goals and begin to stack up those small wins. With each little win, your confidence will grow. And here’s the best part – over time, all those little wins will add up to big wins.
Okay, that was a little vague. Let us give you an example: Let’s say you set a goal to grow from 20 students to 100 students over the next year. As amazing of a target that would be to reach, it’s just too big. You’ll quickly find yourself saying, “I know I didn’t get the 8 new students that I needed this month, but I have plenty of time to make it up.” The next thing you know, you’ll still need to grow by 60 students…but only have 3 months remaining. Once you realize that’s not likely to happen, you’ll become discouraged.
Instead, break that big goal down into smaller and more specific goals. Something along the lines of, “This week I want to grow by two students in my adult class.” Now you can prioritize your time and focus your marketing efforts. Rather than using a “shotgun approach” to your marketing, this “rifle approach” is a better fit for the sometimes resource-challenged small business owner.

3.) AUTOMATE EVERYTHING YOU CAN
Your time is precious. As a small business owner, you must do everything you can to work as effectively as possible. Our point here? Automating tasks is crucial.
Leveraging technology will help simplify your life. We’ve all heard the phrase, “Work ON your business, not IN your business.” That simply means that the time you spend on tasks that could be automated is time not spent building your business. You should be on the mat teaching classes, not sending mundane emails and sorting through payments.

4.) INVEST IN YOU
As a small business owner, you are the business! So no matter how full your schedule gets, don’t forget to invest in yourself.
How is this done, you may ask? Instead of trying to figure everything out for yourself, find a community you can turn to.
There’s no exact science to being a business owner. It’s tempting to spend hours scrolling through the web for the answers to your questions, but this is rarely the most efficient method of problem-solving. Instead, build a support network, whether that be hiring a business coach or simply establishing a network of fellow owners to reach out to for advice.

Happy 4th of July! Stay Safe...

Happy Easter!