Your Martial Arts Students Are Customers Too

By Christopher Caile

One of the most critical elements in the success of any martial arts school today is how well teachers and staff interact with students. Your school may be traditional or not, teach a Japanese, Korean, Philippine or Chinese art, but if you do not make students feel welcome, appreciated and understood, or offer presentable facilities, you might be losing a lot of students who would have otherwise stayed.

Remember, your martial arts students are customers too.

This was not always so important. Thirty years ago if you offered martial arts lessons you had something special. All you needed was a space. It didn’t have to be special, have showers or look especially attractive. People would seek you out, train and they appreciated the opportunity. And many schools were rough. Injuries were common. The arts were new. Bruce Lee had fired up public interest, and a flood of students sought out instruction.

Now things are different, especially in urban areas where consumers have many martial arts choices. Karate, judo, aikido and other arts are not novel anymore. The market has gone from a growth stage to one of maturity. There are health clubs which offer a wide variety of programs that often include martial arts and kickboxing. The number and variety of martial arts schools and programs have also expanded. Often there is another school right around the corner, or at least nearby. Then there are also YMCAs, YWCAs and community centers that offer martial arts programs. Opportunity is everywhere.

If you are running a small club or school in a YMCA, in a school after hours, a church basement, or in a community center, you probably have seen the effects. But, if you are teaching as a hobby, just to work out or merely for the love of it, the net consequences may not be so serious. Your income won’t be greatly affected since you aren’t getting much anyway. And there are usually students looking for a nearby and/or low cost place to train.

A bigger problem is found for those who are making a living from their art, those who have commercial schools. Potential students compare your facilities with other alternatives, such as health clubs and other schools. They expect dressing rooms with presentable lockers, showers and toilet facilities: a clean and professional looking premises. If you are offering morning or day time classes many students will want to clean up after training before returning to work. Students also want school programs and services to fit into their schedules, rather than the other way around. This adds a lot to your cost and overhead.

Even more important, however, is attitude and presentation of the school’s staff and teachers. The school’s head teacher, assistants and staff members should make a special effort to better interact with, listen to, and respond to students. Too often, school staff members forget that students are more than just students – they are customers too, and will keep using your services as long as those services are enjoyed, needed and appreciated.

Too often teachers forget why they are there – to teach, mold and empower their students. Sometimes, however, power goes to some people’s heads. I have seen teachers get abusive with their students, yelling at some, over correcting many and generally verbally abusing the class. People don’t like being belittled, or criticized, especially in front of others. Even if the teacher is right at times, it is a wonder why students stay around in these situations. To avoid this type situation be careful to monitor classes, and the teachers who teach them.

If you are part of a dojo’s staff, no matter what your position, it is important that you are friendly, and that you talk to and listen to every one of your students, not just your favorites. You also have to be professional. You represent your school. Sometimes you are a salesperson, and other times a part-time counselor, or a helpful associate. You should be friendly and know the students by name. If you are teaching, be supportive and understanding even if the schools classes are strict. Take time after and between classes to interact, listen to and talk to your students. Know their problems, where they have to improve and know how to work with them so they best respond to your direction. Acknowledge and show appreciation.

You should also know why each joined the school. Were they looking to learn self-defense, to find friends, win trophies, to build confidence, get in shape, or lose weight, etc.? Find out if your school is fulfilling these needs and if not, you can suggest alternatives or build students interest elsewhere. Make notes and chart a student’s progress on individual student cards or sheets. Note any problems, such dropping attendance, seeming loss of interest, or problems with other students. Also, know who his or her friends are. All this information is helpful in monitoring students and helping keep their interest.

What you want to create, build and always reinforce are personal relationships within the dojo between the teacher, staff members and the students. No matter how fine your technique, how good technically you and senior students are, if you don’t build personal bonds and relationships with students, you will lose them to other activities, or other martial arts schools.

Just as important are relationships between students. Often a senior student will be a great assistance teacher, be active and also helpful around the school. But, they may also be part of an exclusive click within the school, feel superior to other students, or develop a dislike for another student. Students also sometimes date each other. If they break up their feelings can cause dissention — toward each other, friends of the other party, or even another student who dating their old partner. I have seen this get really ugly with verbal fights, emotional outburst and a lot of irrationality ricocheting around the dojo. This can present a real problem.

It is critical for the head teacher to stress to their assistants and staff that they have a responsibility to the school that should affect the way they interact with others. Even if you don’t like someone, it is your responsibility to represent the dojo and not respond to them in a negative, disruptive way. Be disciplined. You have a responsibility to your art, your school and your own training. If you find yourself severely criticizing a peer, talking critically of another behind his or her back, or talking or shouting out in negative fashion to another student within the school or outside, this indicates a real problem. This must be checked for it can also result in the loss of other students and damage the atmosphere of the school.

Part of martial arts is discipline. A martial arts school is also a place to grow. It is a place to show respect, discipline, etiquette, and to put the good of the school above personal ends. If a staff member is negative, disruptive or rude to others, that person is violating the very ethos of their study.

Make sure everyone in your school understands that they represent the school, that the way they interact, or don’t interact, with students affects your business, your students and the success of the effort you have devoted yourself to.

Paying attention to the human or relational element within your school doesn’t mean you can’t have a traditional school with strict etiquette. It also doesn’t define how hard you practice the technique of your art (although schools that produce a lot of injuries tend to lose a lot of students). But in today’s competitive market, ignoring these important elements may be the downfall of your school’s success, regardless of your technical talent.

About the Author Christopher Caile

Christopher Caile

Christopher Caile is the Founder and Editor-In-Chief of FightingArts.com. He has been a student of the martial arts for over 65 years.

He first started in judo while in college. Then he added karate as a student of Phil Koeppel in 1959 studying Kempo and Wado-Ryu karate. He later added Shotokan Karate where he was promoted to brown belt and taught beginner classes. In 1960 while living in Finland, Caile introduced karate to that country and placed fourth in that nation’s first national judo tournament.

Wanting to further his karate studies, Caile then hitch hiked from Finland to Japan traveling through Scandinavia, Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and South and Southeast Asia — living on 25 cents a day and often sleeping outside.

Arriving in Japan (1962), Caile was introduced to Mas Oyama and his fledgling full contact Kyokushinkai Karate by Donn Draeger, the famous martial artist and historian. Donn also housed him with several other senior international judo practitioners. Donn became Caile’s martial arts mentor, coaching him in judo and introducing him to Shinto Muso-ryu under Takaji Shimizu.

Caile studied at Oyama’s honbu dojo and also at Kenji Kurosaki’s second Tokyo Kyokushinkai dojo. In his first day in class Oyama asked Caile to teach English to his chief instructor, Tadashi Nakamura. They have been friends ever since. Caile also participated in Oyama’s masterwork book, “This Is Karate.”

Caile left Japan with his black belt and designation as Branch Chief, the first in the US to have had extensive training in Japan directly under Oyama Sensei. As such, Oyama Sensei asked him to be his representative on visits to his US dojos to report on their status.

A little over a year later, Nakamura, Kusosaki and Akio Fujihira won an epic David vs. Goliath challenge match against Thailand’s professional Muay Thai Boxers in Bangkok, Thailand, thrusting Kyolushinkai and Nakamura into national prominence.

Back in the US Caile taught Kyokushinkai karate in Peoria, Il while in college and later in Washington, DC. while in graduate school. Durimg this time Shihan Nakamura had moved to New York City to head Kyokushinkai’s North American Operation.

In 1976 when Kaicho Tadashi Nakamura formed the World Seido Karate organization, Caile followed. Living then in Buffalo, NY, Caile taught Seido karate and self-defense at the State University of New York at Buffalo (SUNY Buffalo) for over 15 years where he also frequently lectured on martial arts and Zen in courses on Japanese culture.

Caile moved to New York City in 1999 to marry Jackie Veit. He is now an 8th degree black belt, Hanshi, training in Seido Karate’s Westchester, NY Johshin Honzan (Spiritual Center) dojo. In Seido Caile is known for his teaching of and seminars on kata applications. He also produced a 14 segment video series on Pinan kata Bunkai currently available to Seido members.

Caile is also a long-time student and Shihan in Aikido. He studied in Buffalo, under Mike Hawley Shihan, and then under Wadokai Aikido’s founder, the late Roy Suenaka (uchi deshi under Morihei Ueshiba, founder of Aikido and was Shihan under Tohei Sensei). In karate, Suenaka (8thdan) was also an in-house student of the Okinawan karate master Hohan Soken.

Having moved to New York City, Caile in 2000 founded this martial arts educational website, FightingArts.com. Twenty-five years later, in 2025, it underwent a major update and revision.

For FightingArts.com and other publications Caile wrote hundreds of articles on karate, martial arts, Japanese art, Chinese Medicine and edited a book on Zen. He also developed relationships with a cross section of leading martial arts teachers. Over the last four decades he has conducted extensive private research into karate and martial arts including private translations of the once secret Okinawan hand copied and passed on Kung Fu book, the Bubishi, as well as an early karate book by the karate master Kenwa Mabuni. He periodically returns to Japan and Okinawa to continue his studies and participate Seido karate events. In Tokyo he practiced (with Roy Suenaka Sensei) in a variety of aikido organizations with their founders – including private interviews and practices at the Aiki-kai Aikido Honbu dojo with the son and grandson of aikido’s founder, Doshu (headmaster) Kisshomaru (an old uchi-deshi friend) and his son, Moriteru Ueshiba and in Iwama with Morihiro Saito. On Okinawa he studied Goju Ryu karate under Eiichi Miyazato, 10th dan founder of Naha’s Jundokan, and also with Yoshitaka Taira (who later formed his own organization, who specialized in kata Bunkai. While there Caile also trained with Hohan Soken’s senior student, Master Fusei Kise, 10 dan as well as with the grandson of the legendary karate master Anko Itosu.

Caile’s other martial arts experience includes: Diato-ryu Aikijujitsu and Kenjitsu, kobudo, boxing, Muay Thai, MMA, Kali (empty hand, knife and bolo), study of old Okinawan Shoran-ryu & Tomari body mechanics, study of old Okinawan kata under Richard Kim, study of close quarter defense and combat, including knife and gun defenses, Kyusho Jitsu and several Chinese fighting arts including 8 Star Praying Mantis, Pak Mei (White Eyebrow), and a private family system of Kung Fu.

Caile is also a student of Zen as well as a long-term student of one branch of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chi Kung (Qigong). As one of two senior disciples of Chi Kung master Dr. Shen (M.D., Ph.D.) Caile was certified to teach and practice. This led to Caile’s founding of the The Chi Kung Healing Institute on Grand Island, NY. In Western NY, he also frequently held Chi Kung seminars, including at SUNY Buffalo and at the famous Chautauqua Institution in Chautauqua, NY. His articles on Chi Kung also appeared in the Holistic Health Journal and in several books on alternative medicine.

Caile holds a BA in International Studies from Bradley University and MA in International Relations with a specialty in South and Southeast Asia from American University in Washington, D.C. While in Buffalo, NY he also studied digital and analog electronics.

In his professional life Caile also worked in public relations and as a newspaper reporter and photographer. Earlier he worked in the field of telecommunications including Managing a Buffalo, NY sales and service branch for ITT. He then founded his own private telephone company. This was followed by creation of an electrical engineering company that designed and patented his concept for a new type of low-cost small business telephone system (which was eventually sold to Bell South). The company also did contract work for Kodak and the US space program. Simultaneously Caile designed and manufactured a unique break-apart portable pontoon boat.

Most recently Caile co-founded an internet software company. Its products include software suites with AI capability for control and management of streaming media, such as video and music, an all-in-one book publishing software product for hardcover, eBook and audio book creation and security software for buildings and government use.

For more details about Christopher Caile’s martial arts, work experience and life profile, see the About section in the footer of this site.