281-Are You a Martial Arts Instructor, Babysitter, or Recreation Program Director?
It doesn’t matter if you teach Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Karate, MMA, or any other martial art. At what point does running a successful martial arts school stop being about teaching martial arts and start becoming daycare with belts? I sit down with Dan Tyrrell, a mixed martial arts program director who runs multiple programs with well over 200 students; Ron Esteller, with over 20 years of experience running martial arts programs; and Mickey Lopez, who works with the community-based DSAL Boxing Academy in the Bay Area. Are we martial arts instructors, babysitters, or recreation program directors? We discuss the pros, the cons, and the uncomfortable financial reality of keeping a martial arts program alive.