I've been around the martial arts for a long time so I've seen a lot of different marketing tactics to attract students. The things I see most advertised, in many ways are no indication of the kind of instructor you might get. Marketing ploys I see most include master instructors, championships, certifications, whom they have trained with, and how many black belts they have. If you think about it, those points really say nothing about an instructor's ability to teach.
The martial arts are an excellent activity that all people can enjoy, assuming that they find both a training system or style and instructor that they can associate with. The fact that these activities can be enjoyed by countless people worldwide is evidenced by the large number of schools, tournaments, systems, styles, and practitioners. However, there is something to be said about the lifestyle of martial arts versus the business side of martial arts.
On Saturday, October 7th, students and instructors attended the 27th American International Karate Championships at the RIT Inn & Conference Center. Congratulations to Nicholas, Brendan, Sempai Hannah, Sempai Paul, Sempai MaryLou, and Sempai Rich on their performances in kata, weapons, and semi contact fighting. They all did well and brought home several trophies and medals. Shihan Chris, Sensei Matt, Sensei Mike, and Sensei Chuck served as officials for kata, weapons, and breaking.
{jcomments on}It was a spectacular weekend in Albany for the North East Open. It started Friday evening with the Gala. About 160 people were in attendance at the Gala, which featured key note speeches from Master Paul Fracchia, Master Miichael Campos, and Master Craig McDonald. During the Gala there was a trivia contest as well as some entertaining videos.
On Saturday, June 16th, a few of us traveled to the other side of the county. We went to Hilton High School where Russ Davenport and Liam Anderson competed. Sensei Chris helped with officiating and coaching. Sempai Chuck assisted with getting our competitors ready and making sure they were in the correct divisions. Sempai Taylor was there to be our official photographer and videographer.