Black Belt Banter: Martial Arts Business Podcast

Send us Fan Mail Master Jimmy Hong and Master Chan Lee sit down with Master Clinton Oh — founder of My Manager and the man behind a 75-school taekwondo empire — to break down why most school management software falls short and what a true all-in-one system actually looks like. This episode also marks the announcement of ASA Martial Arts' exclusive partnership with My Manager. Key Takeaways: S...

Send us Fan Mail Most martial arts school owners are leaving thousands of dollars on the table every single month — not because they're spending wrong, but because they're not getting anything back for what they're already spending. In this episode, Jimmy Hong and Master Jay Lee sit down with Pat Morgan — entrepreneur, restaurateur, commercial real estate investor, and ASA founding...

Send us Fan Mail Most martial arts school owners don't have a student problem — they have a time problem. Not enough time to follow up with leads, create content, or stay consistent with marketing. That's exactly what AI can fix. In this episode, recorded live at the ASA Martial Arts Summit in Las Vegas, we're joined by Josh Lannan — marketing strategist and AI specialist with 15 ye...

Send us Fan Mail What if charging MORE actually helped your school? In this episode, we sit down with Master Bronson Ko — second-generation martial artist, 3-location school owner, and author of The Mentor Method — to break down the exact playbook for raising tuition without losing students. Master Ko went from $159 to $299/month (with invite-only programs at $499), and in this conversation he sha...

Send us Fan Mail From School Owner to Wealth Builder: Turning Martial Arts Revenue into Real Wealth  On Black Belt Banter, host Jimmy Hong and co-host Master Chan Lee interview Sensei Solomon Brenner, founder of Action Karate, about why many martial arts school owners can earn revenue for years yet build no wealth. Brenner stresses financial discipline and delayed gratification, starting small wit...

Send us Fan Mail Episode Summary: Marketing veteran Nick Dougherty joins Jimmy and Master Chan Lee to break down why most martial arts schools are invisible on social media — and the shift from SEO to AEO that's changing how schools get discovered in 2026. Key Takeaways: Fire any social media manager posting offers and discounts on your organic feed — it flags you as an advertiser and kills y...

Send us Fan Mail Episode Title: Your Class Schedule Is Costing You Money Episode Summary: Your class schedule is one of the most overlooked drivers of profit, retention, and staff sanity in your martial arts school. In this episode, Jimmy Hong sits down with Master Tony Chung, Master Jay Lee, and Master Philip Jeung to break down how a profit-driven schedule shapes customer experience, staffing, a...

Send us Fan Mail Host Jimmy Hong sits down with Master Chan and Master Jay to break down why most schools don’t have a marketing problem—they have a retention problem. They share how to align training with student and parent goals, keep classes engaging, and create clear milestones that keep students committed. You’ll learn practical retention strategies like mastering the first 21 days, tracking...

Send us Fan Mail Is martial arts really better than other sports for kids? In this episode of Black Belt Banter, Master Chan, Master Tony Kook, and Master Jimmy Hong break down why martial arts provides greater long-term benefits for children compared to traditional sports like soccer, tennis, or lacrosse. All three hosts have kids competing in other sports at a high level, giving them a unique pe...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Black Belt Banter, we dive deep into one of the most important decisions every school owner must make: choosing the most effective introductory offer — free trials, paid trials, or no trial at all. Industry leaders Master Chan, Master Tony Chung, and Master Jay share their real-world strategies and experiences: Master Chan explains why charging a meaningful upfr...

Send us Fan Mail Never Boring Kicking Drills: How to Keep Students Fired Up (with Alex Wong) In this episode of Black Belt Banter, host Master Jimmy Hong and resident expert Master Tony Chung welcome special guest Alex Wong — a third-degree TaeKwonDo black belt, instructor, content creator, and YouTuber with over 150,000 subscribers. Together, they dive into what really keeps students engaged on t...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Black Belt Banter, hosts Jimmy Hong and Master Lee sit down with Sensei Solomon Brenner, founder of Action Karate, to discuss what it really takes to scale a martial arts school. With over 30 years of experience and 36 locations, Brenner shares practical insights on leadership, systems, partnerships, and maintaining core values while growing. A must-listen for s...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Black Belt Banter , Master Jimmy Hong joins Master Lee and Master Jeung to break down the debate of monthly tuition versus paid-in-full programs. They discuss cash flow, stability, lessons from COVID, and how to balance both models for sustainable growth. A must-listen for school owners looking to align their billing strategy with long-term success.  Most martia...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Black Belt Banter, hosts Master Jimmy Hong and Master Lee discuss effective face-to-face marketing strategies for increasing enrollment in martial arts schools. Master Chan shares insights from his experience running multiple successful locations with over 2,100 active students. He emphasizes the importance of direct interactions at community events, birthday pa...

Send us Fan Mail What if the habits that create Olympians could also build a school that runs on rhythm instead of adrenaline? We sit down with Coach Tim Thackeray—seven-time U.S. national team member, Pan Am Games gold medalist, and USA Taekwondo’s Director of Education—to map elite performance onto everyday school ownership. Coach Tim shows how to turn competitive fire into a repeatable operatin...

Send us Fan Mail The Big Debate: Do MMA Skills Belong in Traditional Martial Arts? In this episode of Black Belt Banter , we tackle one of the most controversial questions in today’s martial arts world: Should MMA techniques be part of traditional martial arts training? We break down the benefits, risks, and misconceptions behind integrating modern combat skills into classical systems. And we disc...

Send us Fan Mail If your classes feel scattered the moment “curriculum time” starts, you’re not alone. We dig into the rotating curriculum—why it ignites class energy, simplifies coaching at scale, and can actually protect belt integrity when designed with care. With Master Philip Jeung, a second‑generation martial artist and Fordham MBA, we get tactical about growth. Rotation makes it possible fo...

Send us Fan Mail World TKD Lab https://www.world-tkdlab.com/saas-platform Master Nickie Quan: Quanscience@gmail.com Stop losing precious teaching time to front-desk chaos. We sit down with World Taekwondo Lab to unpack a practical way forward: a voice-driven AI assistant designed by lifelong martial artists to manage leads, message parents, schedule intros, and even update inventory while you stay...

Send us Fan Mail Want a tournament that builds leaders, delights parents, and actually runs on time? We sit down with Master Jay Lee—tournament director for the U.S. Open Taekwondo Hanmadang and CEO of U.S. Taekwondo Center—to show how school owners can turn competition into a retention engine and a reliable revenue stream without sacrificing safety or sanity. We break down why starting in-house p...

Send us Fan Mail From Zero to 120: How a Young Martial Artist Built a Thriving Taekwondo School In this episode of Black Belt Banter, hosts Jimmy Hong and Master Tony Chung converse with Master Liam Guttmacher, a 24-year-old martial artist who rapidly grew his Taekwondo school to 120 students in under a year. Liam discusses his journey, starting from his early karate days to his focus on acrobatic...

Send us Fan Mail Our most important podcast yet... In this week's episode of Black Belt Banter, hosts Master Jimmy Hong and Master Chan dive into the critical risks facing martial arts school owners and the importance of specialized insurance coverage. They're joined by Mrs. Beth Block from Block Insurance, who brings over 30 years of expertise in protecting martial arts schools, childca...

Send us Fan Mail What would a parent pay for their child to become more confident, disciplined, and positioned for lifetime success? According to Master Chan, a hundred thousand dollars might actually be a bargain when considering the transformative power of martial arts training. Master Chan opens with a powerful thought experiment: Imagine promising parents that their child will develop unshakab...

Send us Fan Mail Ever wondered how some martial arts schools command $400+ monthly tuition while others struggle to break $150? Master Bronson Ko has cracked the code, building what he calls "the Apple of martial arts studios" – premium facilities with prices to match and waiting lists of eager families. Perhaps most compelling is Master Ko's insight that higher prices create deeper...

Send us Fan Mail Economic uncertainty looms large for martial arts school owners, but surviving—even thriving—during downturns is possible with the right approach. Master Lee shares battle-tested strategies that have helped him navigate three major economic crises since 2001. At the heart of recession-proofing your martial arts business is delivering exceptional value that makes your service indis...

Send us Fan Mail Preventing instructor burnout might be the most critical challenge you face as a martial arts school owner. How do you build a staff culture that's sustainable while delivering exceptional training? This episode tackles this challenge head-on with insights from three martial arts business veterans. Master Tony Kook (president of BC Taekwondo Federation with 2,100 active stude...