@Hernando Thola Our Jui Jitsu is integral to everything else we do, so they get all of it...at least at a basic level. The upgrade programs get more depth, weapons, and sparring.

@Hernando Thola Some of the bigger schools in our style do that. Someday I will. For now while we're small, I'm giving my Leadership students a grappling only session on Fridays. I haven't told them the ulterior motive. If I can train a few of them enough, they can become Jiu Jitsu class instructors. I want to get us to the point where we can go test with Master Mochado in Dallas. Then we'd feel better about running an advertised Jiu Jitsu class.

@Amanda Thola Are there any of us that don't lose sleep over churn?

We avoid this issue normally through our Extended Time Guarantee. We explain that during enrollment so Parents see it in writing. For our international students that go home for the Summer, their monthly tuition keeps getting run. We note in the system they expect to be gone for 4, 6, or 8 weeks. When they come back we sit down and calculate the weeks and move their renewal date. Smart Parents realize we are very liberal with the policy so long as they keep us informed. If a child is on vacation or sick for a week or two, we'll apply the policy. However, a Parent that tries to bring it up at renewal time, I am not very understanding of that. It must be handled when it happens. Otherwise, holds are only for significant medical or other issues. Cancelling? That's a whole different can of worms. If they break the contract for no reason, I'm not very willing to take them back as a student later. Am I too harsh on that? Commitment is a big word we aim to teach our students.

@Amanda Thola That may be my biggest issue, the emotion. I invest so much emotion into these kids. I don't know if I can or should change that. Typically, at the other schools I worked at they would either do what the contract says, pay 30% of remaining tuition to buy out their contract; or we'd do a 30 day reignite attempt. They give us 30 days to try to get them going again and we may do a private lesson or two for free. Where I'm having issues are the upgraded students. As I look at it, they are seeing the "shiny objects" of sparring and weapons and a different uniform and want them. They are not paying attention to my real intent with the upgrades and the reasoning for the 3 year commitment. I want them to get to their JR Black Belt. I have seen what that process has done for my own Children and want to share it. I want other Families to have that. I've had issues with the non-attending parent trying to be a "mama bear." Or with the attending parent going back on the commitment, "That's a lot to ask from an 8 year old." Both of those piss me off. I do get emotional about it, because they waste SO much of my time. The retired Lieutenant Colonel in my comes out. In the Army we'd spend 90%of our time with the 10% worst Soldiers and I hated it. I want to spend my time with the best students, best being those that put their full effort in regardless of skill or talent. As I've talked with the Leadership adults and my wife, I'm not going to treat it as a sales event any more. I will now treat it like "making the Team" in school sports. They will test to ensure they have the basic techniques, loops and forms down. Then they will try out with the Advanced class for a month. I simply don't want to go through what I did with the last two quitters ever again.

We just calculated our new pricing structure last night. We have a menu of options like Tony Ingram posted. We have three levels of students as well. Basic is someone that is here as an activity. Black Belt Training is someone who wants to achieve that rank. Black Belt Leadership is someone who looks at Martial Arts as a lifestyle. Leadership Students are also who we look to when hiring assistant and lead instructors. Each of those three levels has an menu of options to choose from. Option C is the baseline membership with no discounts. Option B has about 10% discount for a bigger down payment. Option A is a 15% discount for an even bigger down payment. This leaves us room to give a 25% discount for Seasonal Specials and the one day only Christmas Event Special of 30% discount. I haven't printed them up yet to post here, sorry. Essentially, our Basic Membership Option C was valued at $2000 for a 12 month membership. We are bumping that up to $2300. So it will be paid with $200 down and $175 per month. The sales psychology here is everyone likes feeling like they got a deal, so the options give them that. Every level of student follows this same convention. Oh, and we offer Family Discounts. First Student Full Price tuition, Second 25% off, Third 50% off and all others free after that. We're hoping we are targeting a good price range for everything we offer. Our American Karate system incorporates Standing Self Defense, Kick Boxing Combos, Judo Throws and Take Downs, Jiu Jitsu and of course Kicking Combos. We have to have students here minimum twice a week to get that full curriculum taught. A lot of our BBT and BBL students are here 3-5 times a week. Yeah, we're taking a leap of faith in this increase.

@Troy Ingram Last school I worked at I enrolled a family of 6. That school's discount was first two full price everyone else free. I didn't want to do that sort of discount, so I went with the one we do...which I learned at the first school I worked at. However, I think you may be on to something. I just had a dad walk in last week. Said they'd come do try out classes next week. He has 7 kids and may train himself as well. I'm hoping I don't regret it. Student Count goin up by 6-8 people is nice, but I need monthly tuitions. We'll see. Additionally, that family of 6 at the other school? After 3 months only the 2 that were paying attended regularly. The mom and teens gave up because we worked them out too hard; something I try to avoid in my training plans.

@Rein Gallor Being a Karate school, our students are used to forms as a means of repetition and muscle memory training. We do the same things for our Jiu Jitsu. We have "Loops" to train the basic maneuvers, reversals, and attacks. Loop one is for beginners, two for basics, three for intermediate and then four for more advanced. For comparison sakes, if you know all the loops and their detours and additional techniquess, you are likely at Jiu Jitsu Blue Belt level. At least our students that have tested with Carlos Mochado usually get a Blue Belt.