Read. The. Books.

(I wrote the following post about why you should read my martial arts business books for my free Small Dojo Big Profits discussion group on Facebook. When I refer to “this group” or “the group” that’s why. ~M.M.)

Sometimes I might seem just a wee bit grouchy when I respond to posts in this group. That’s because, after twenty years of doing this—mostly for free—I get really annoyed when people comment and post in a manner that clearly indicates they haven’t read my books.

You could get my entire library of print books for under $80. I paid more than that for a single business manual when I was starting my first successful dojo back in the early 90s.

Heck, you can go to this page, get two of those books FREE for signing up for my newsletter, and then get my one-time offer for the whole library in digital format for under $40.

That’s a wealth of business info on starting and running a martial art school, at your fingertips, for less than what you’re paying for cable and streaming services each month. Rot your brain, or enrich your yourself… I guess that’s a personal choice.

Bottom line? There is absolutely NO excuse for being in this group and not having read my books! None!

Yet I still see group members post and comment faulty opinions that clearly show they know nothing about the business of running a studio, nothing about how to survive as a full-time instructor, and nothing about Small Dojo Big Profits.

Do I get irritated by it? Hell yes, I do.

The time will come when I decide I don’t want to do this anymore. It takes up more time than I have to spare, I make little profit in return for it, and each year the prospect of having to hold hands for random people on the internet grows less and less appealing.

Folks, you are responsible for your financial future, not me. I can’t make you spend a few measly bucks on the primary four books in the series, and I can’t make you read them. And, heaven knows I can’t make you implement the time-tested, tried and true advice I share in those four volumes.

Never mind that there are hundreds of school owners operating schools RIGHT NOW who at least in part attribute their success to doing exactly that.

Forget that for two decades I’ve been the most trusted name in martial arts business advice, because I’ve never taken a dime from any equipment manufacturer, payment processing company, consulting outfit, franchise, or software provider.

And ignore the fact that I’ve given more free advice to martial art school owners over the years (and more of my own time) than anyone else in the industry.

Heck, let’s not even mention how others have taken my materials, repackaged them without attribution or permission, and sold my work for ten to 500 times what I charge… all the while getting the systems wrong in key areas and leading school owners astray.

Disregard all that, and instead ask yourself if you want to stay on the struggle bus for the rest of your career as an instructor.

Keep thinking. I’ll wait.

Now, go buy at least the first four books in the series and read the damned things. Then, use what you learn.

Don’t try to reinvent the wheel, don’t let your ego make decisions for you and think you can change this or that and come up with a better way of doing it, and don’t read them, nod, and then sit on your hands complaining about how hard it is to make a living as an honest martial arts instructor (and if I have to hear that one more time from someone who hasn’t read my books… *sigh* nvm).

Educate yourself. Your future success or failure is on you. Start here and read them in this order:

• Small Dojo Big Profits
• The Profit-Boosting Principles for Martial Art Schools
• Martial Art School Staff & Leadership Team Training
• Martial Art School Business Growth Strategies

What are you still doing here? Did you not just read what I wrote?

I’m not saying this because I make a huge amount of profit selling martial arts business books and manuals. The time I spent writing this post would’ve been much better spent writing another scene in one of my fiction novels, a pursuit which actually does pay my bills.

Read the books I’ve linked above, or don’t; it’s your call.