Hello

This is an important read. It concerns MMA, classes, workouts and trends. Please don't delete now just because you currently do no teach MMA. There is a trend going that all martial arts business owners need to understand so they can evaluate their position in the market place.

In the book OUTLIERS, Malcolm Gladwell talks about many millionaires and successful people and how they all had something in common. They had talent when opportunity arose and took advantage of changing times and market trends.

For example what do Bill Gates Of Microsoft, Paul Allen the third richest man from Microsoft, Steve Ballmer, co-founder of Apple, Steve Jobs from Google and Bill Joy one of the founders of Sun Microsystems all have in common along with the other three co-founders of Sun Microsystems have in common? All but two were born in 1955 the other two 1953 and 1956. The all had a huge interest in computers and had logged thousands of hours programming. They were just out of college with the right talent and skill when the computer industry broke open.

Now think of yourself. You have logged thousands of hours of martial arts training, you are in the martial arts business just when a new trend opens in the market which is Mixed Martial Arts. Again, if you are not trained in MMA do not stop reading. I have an idea.

Did you know that the UFC is planning to go head to head with the fitness industry and is opening a chain of fitness centers? This is what UFC president Dana White has to say.

UFC Gym officials said they are close to breaking ground on the first of five health clubs planned in California, and plan to build more such gyms across the country and in Canada.

"We´re going to force all these other gyms to take it up to another level," UFC President Dana White told The Associated Press on Monday. "Just like we have in the fight business, and everyone´s trying to compete with us now, same thing´s going to happen in the fitness industry."

White said most gyms and health clubs haven´t changed in years, giving the mixed martial arts league an opportunity to attract new fitness customers or others wanting to get different kinds of workouts under the same roof. The gyms aren´t intended for professional or wannabe fighters.

White said each gym would offer classes in several different disciplines of martial arts, as well as unconventional workouts for people looking to change their routines from typical treadmills and free weights. Each will contain an octagon, the eight-sided caged ring used in UFC fights.

The UFC is going to be your competitor. But worse is this.

"We didn´t want to just build one gym somewhere," Fertitta said. "This is going to become its own separate, profitable business and company on the side, and we´re talking about rolling out hundreds of gyms all over the place."

UFC Gym rates would be competitive with other chain fitness clubs and offer memberships and classes for men, women and children.

They are talking $20 a month. Okay, before you panic read on - there is a plan in here.

The plan will take a while and they plan on getting started in Southern and Northern California. However MMA is popular in your city right now. How do I know? Well according to Google Trends. The term MMA is Googled twice as much as the words Martial Arts or the word Karate. You also might want to know styles like Tae Kwon Do or Kenpo don't even make it close to the top portion of the list (as evidenced here). So it seems like the UFC knows something about what people want. Your prospects are looking for MMA. I knew this a while back and put up the web site www.mma4mesa.com just to draw people to my school.

Okay - now, am I saying abandon what you are doing? No. But you may want to rethink the current trend and seize the opportunity. I just got off the phone with Richard Lykes in Saugerties New York. Is it likely that the UFC with build a gym in his town of 5000 people? Probably not. Do I think that people in his town might be motivated by the UFC on TV and the fitness aspect of this type of training? Yes. Is there opportunity to expand his business even though he is not a UFC fighter? Of course, remember what Dana White said, they are targeting the regular guy not the fighter.

United Professionals is ready to help you. We have launched our Mixed Martial Arts affiliate program. We are conducting training sessions monthly. We are also providing streaming video of MMA classes in an A and B day format for you weekly. These videos are have warm ups, drill and a class theme. They feature Marc Gervais who is an amazing athlete and fighter running a very successful school in Syracuse, New York.

• 1. Get the MMA streaming video monthly. This is the East West MMA affiliate program. You will be given curriculum and access to purchase East West MMA affiliate equipment to generate additional revenue. I have trademarked the name East West MMA name as well as East West Combat Club. These can be "add on" programs or your entire adult program and upgrade programs. The cost is only $195 a month. You keep the present name of your school but simply add East West MMA as additional curriculum and products. For example you school is named XYZ Martial Arts but you also teach East West MMA as additional curriculum. This program is free for any UP client that is enrolled with our Corner Man coaching program.


• 2. Join me and change the name of your school to East West MMA. Our licensed program was to be unveiled later this year but we are ready to go. You can use the school name, logo, marketing material and the product line for as little as $249 a month. We will be introducing more products and marketing pieces in the months to come. www.eastwestmma.com In addition you will participate in weekly educational, consulting webinars.

Our Military Kids If you are teaching kids that have a parent on active duty you would do well to tell them about the organization below. This organization will provide financial support for kids activities like Martial Arts lessons. I would like to thank UP client, Gregory Richards for passing this information along. He currently has students who get their lessons paid for by "Our Military Kids". Our Military Kids, Inc. 6861 Elm Street, Suite 2A McLean, VA 22101 703-734-6645 They are sponsored by: General Dynamics, Boeing, Target, Lockheed Martin and the Army National Guard.