Retention can make or break your martial arts studio.   

There is a lot of information showing you how to track retention, however, there is little information about the steps to accomplish retention.  All studio owners must know their stats but where do you begin in fixing them? Here are three elements I recommend you address as a start.  The big "C's" Class Curriculum, Communication, and Customization.  Let's explore each individually.

Over the last 30 years, I have purchased struggling studios several times.  I noticed that they all had one thing in common, instructors who were teaching without a great plan.  All of them had written expectations of what students were to perform for each belt but the expectations were very brief and the outline was not covered in depth in class.  I recommend you sit down and write what you expect a black belt to look like and then work backwards and write down what each level should look like also.
For instance, we all teach some version of a punch. We all expect our students to practice punching from white to black belt.  Do you expect your students to perfect the punch at green belt with a snap and having the proper stance then demand that they continue to do punches in class for the next 2-5 years with no clear guidelines of how to continue to improve on their punch?  If you expect students to practice a punch over the next 5 years the expectation should change at every belt level.

Write class curriculum charts for the entire quarter which include 3 specific drills for each day.  We have different drills for Beginning, Intermediate, Advance and Black Belts.  They all cover the same subject area but in different ways. Track every time you deviate from the plan. If you find you are deviating from the plan often, let's say once a week, you need to re-evaluate the plan and see if you are falling into old habits or perhaps your plan was boring or poorly written.

Every belt promotion plan on grading your work.  Ask yourself if the plan achieved the desired results and make adjustments accordingly.  If you have a team of black belts, ask in what areas the students did well.  Then ask in what area they needed more instruction.  Use this feedback and make adjustments in the following areas:

1.  Frequency of certain subjects
2.  Types of drills that may need to be  added for disguised repetitions
3.  Subjects that need to be explained in greater depth

Evaluate with your staff, senior students and/or future assistants.   Positive, honest feedback will assist you greatly and help you see things from a students perspective.  Follow this system for over a year and you will see progress.  Curriculum is always a work in progress so we must continue to work and perfect it.  

Communicate is the next big "C" that will effect retention. Most students and parents expect small miracles within the first month or so. When they do not see drastic results they think it will not work for them or that they are not good at martial arts.   Pre-frame the exact expectation for the day. "White belts focus only on the twist of the punch today if you get that down it is huge and you will have accomplished your goal."

1.  Praise "You worked hard today didn't that feel great!"
2.  Point out the accomplishment - "Did you notice that you got the twist down perfectly."
3.  Pre-frame - "That twist is the stepping stone to having a really strong punch."
4.  Belief - "You are going to make a great martial artist.  Most students get that the first class."

Communicate what is "normal" for each level.  I tell parents in the beginning not to expect to see low stances or power until after the second year. These things take time and strength.  Intermediate and advanced students tend to get bored easily, so make sure to communicate exactly what progress you expect and why.

Customization is the last Big "C" and one of the most important.  Students join for different reasons with confidence, motivation, focus, self defense, socialization and fitness as a few of them.
As martial arts instructors we need to teach, make sure students are having fun, and meet their needs. So how do you customize the class and meet everybody's needs every class?  First, you must know what a student wants out of the program.  Ask questions and study people like Tom Hopkins, author of  Low Profile Selling The Art of Asking questions. Each time a student progresses to a new belt ask questions again.  Remember, goals change.

1.  Put life skill lessons in every drill and teach different lessons for Beginners, Intermediate and Advance.
2. Interview students to find out what they are liking and what they don't like.
3. When you see unmotivated work, ask are they bored, confused or overwhelmed?
4.  If a student likes forms and not sparring, have them take classes on days when forms are taught.
5.  Teach mini private lessons for those who feel inadequate.

The key to communication is to find out what each student liked about class every day. This way you are proactive as opposed to being reactive.  We video tape our classes and instructors are required to watch how students are reacting to their direction.  Videos make great feedback tools.

Practicing the Big "C's"Class Curriculum, Communication, and Customization  is a great start to improving student retention.  Remember, however, nothing is accomplished overnight.  Persistent and consistent work in the right direction is the key to successfully building a school where you not only have great retention but you help people reach the goals they want to achieve.