Black Belt Banter: Martial Arts Business Podcast
Welcome to Black Belt Banter, the best martial arts business podcast for instructors, school owners, and entrepreneurs who want to increase their profits and generate substantial revenue. Whether you're running a single studio or scaling a multi-location empire, we break down the strategies, stories, and systems behind profitable martial arts businesses. From student retention and marketing hacks to leadership, curriculum, and community building, we cover it all. Tune in for weekly insights from Master Chan and Master Jimmy Hong, who’s been in the trenches and come out kicking.
Email us at jimmyhong@blackbeltbanter.com
Black Belt Banter: Martial Arts Business Podcast
#36 | The Fastest Growing Schools Have One Thing In Common
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The schools growing the fastest aren't doing anything you couldn't do. They're just surrounded by people who already figured it out.
In this episode, we get into why your network is the single biggest predictor of how fast your school grows — and why so many owners stay stuck trying to figure it out alone. We cover how to find people actually worth learning from, why the same owners show up at seminars year after year and never change, and what it really costs you to stop learning.
In this episode:
- Why your circle sets the ceiling on your growth
- How to tell who's worth learning from and who's just repeating what they read
- The gap between attending seminars and actually implementing
- How to approach owners operating above your level without wasting their time
- Building a network when there are no schools near you
- What isolation actually costs over five years
If your circle hasn't changed in five years, that's your answer on why your school hasn't either.
Want to build that network in one weekend? Come to ASA Summit 2026.
October 1–3, 2026 · Planet Hollywood, Las Vegas · $449 Early AccessThis is the final ASA Summit in Las Vegas.
Three days with operators who actually run successful schools — Clinton Oh on scaling to 75 schools, Sensei Solomon Brenner on the team system behind 36 schools, Master Chan Lee on the 450-member dojang that runs itself, Master Tony Chung on going 0 to 300 members in six months. Plus certifications, breakout sessions, the golf tournament, and the networking that makes the whole thing worth it.
Details and registration: https://asamartialarts.com/summit/
ASA Summit 2026 Solomon Ad
Most martial arts school owners don’t have a marketing problem.
They have an execution problem.
You listen to podcasts. You get inspired. You hear great ideas…
Then Monday hits… you’re back teaching classes, answering messages… and nothing actually changes.
That’s why most schools stay stuck.
Black Belt Banter gives you the thinking.
How to see your school like a real business.
How to identify what’s actually holding you back.
How to stop operating in survival mode.
But thinking alone doesn’t grow your school.
You need the how.
That’s where ASA Live comes in.
ASA Live gives you the exact playbook—
What to say.
What to run.
What numbers to track.
And how to execute step-by-step so you actually get more students and increase revenue.
Black Belt Banter shows you the direction.
ASA Live shows you the path.
And the school owners who use both?
They’re the ones finally breaking through.
Just $97/month to finally execute and grow.
Register at https://asamartialarts.com/live/