The Business Kombat Success Blog
You arrived! This is the Place to Get the Best Business Tips and Strategies
The Hammer or the Heart: Leadership Lessons for Entrepreneurs & Owners
1. Winning Isn’t Just About the Scoreboard
In class we preach respect, self-control, and courtesy—yet some studio owners swing the rulebook like a bo-staff. Yes, it pays to be a winner, but if you crush spirits along the way, you’ll lose students, staff, and your reputation.
Real leadership = results + relationships.
2. Three Traits Every Instructor-Leader Needs
| Trait | What It Looks Like on the Mat | Why It Keeps Students Loyal |
|---|---|---|
| Tact | Correcting a back-stance with a calm tone and a quick demo—not a public scolding. | Students feel safe to make mistakes and improve faster. |
| Diplomacy | Telling a parent, “Let’s find a solution together,” instead of, “That’s our policy—take it or leave it.” | Parents respect firmness delivered with respect. |
| Decorum | Timing feedback after class, not mid-kata when all eyes are on the student. | Preserves dignity, builds trust. |
When you step onto the...
Are You In A Bucket of Crabs?
There’s an old story about crabs in a bucket.
Drop a single crab in and it’ll crawl out. Drop in a few more, and the second one starts climbing—the rest pull it back down. Not to help, not to warn—just to stop it from leaving.
Sound familiar?
If you’re running a martial arts studio, there’s a good chance you’ve felt it. That pull. That resistance. That voice whispering from inside the industry bucket:
“That won’t work in my town.”
“You’re charging how much for classes?”
“Why would you spend money on coaching?”
I heard all of those on my way to the top. And I ignored every one of them!
The Bucket Isn’t the Problem—It’s the Crabs Inside It
Too many studio owners live in a comfort-zone bubble. They hang around others doing just enough to survive, and anytime someone dares to do more—raise prices, rebrand, hire a coach—they get the same treatment as the crab reaching for the top: they get pulled down.
This kind of environment isn’t just frustrating. It’s dangerous....