Practical Self Defense Training Attracts Adult Students
Something I hear from a lot of our readers is about how they have a hard time attracting and keeping adults. As I’ve mentioned in previous articles, it’s all about giving them what they want, which 9 times out of 10 is to get in shape and learn self-defense.
Let’s talk about self-defense for a minute… if your idea of teaching a self-defense program is doing one-step sparring at the end of class once a week, you’re missing the boat. Adults don’t want to do that stuff, because they are much more informed these days about what works and what doesn’t (thank you, Mr. Al Gore, for inventing the internet).
So, what ARE they looking for in a self-defense program? If you’re thinking “MMA”, think again. There’s no denying that MMA (when modified for the street) can be a brutally effective method of self-defense. However, brutal is the key word here. The average executive/housewife/professional does not want to get hurt taking self-defense lessons. They’ve seen “The Ultimate Fighter” and know that MMA training is rough.
But, they still want self-defense training that is proven to work and easy to learn.
If you want to know what I teach my private clients when they need realistic, practical, proven self-defense skills they can learn in a fraction of the time it takes to get good at traditional martial arts, you need look no further than good ole’ WW II American combatives and CQC.
No BS, no rituals, and a good quality curriculum teaching only the mean, nasty stuff that a law-abiding civilian needs to protect their family and loved ones.
So, how can you learn WWII combatives? Instructors are few and far between… I’d start by doing a search on Kelly McCann, Damian Ross, and Hock Hochheim. Any of these gentlemen or their certified instructors should be able to assist you in getting started.
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Mike Massie is the author of Small Dojo Big Profits and runs a martial arts business coaching website for new instructors and small school owners, StartingAMartialArtSchool.com.
