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Luther unleashed
Brown Belt
Joined: 30 Jan 2014
Posts: 676
Location: Phoenix
Styles: A few!
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 Posted: Thu Aug 27, 2015 11:38 pm Post subject: What's the nearest school teaching a similar style? |
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I had a guy start teaching at a fitness center about a 2 min walk from me. REALLY? My previous nearest competitor was 15 min drive and was ATA Taekwondo which in all fairness is competition, but different enough in my opinion to allow us to really "coexist" if you will.
I teach Tang Soo Do "primarily" but admittedly I do blend quite a bit of other stuff at times. This guy is Tamg Soo Do specific, but really man? I saw he had a photo of like 10 students in never seen, I thought of course "he's taking from my student source/neighborhood"! I'm not greedy but can you open up a few miles away at least?
How about you guys? Nearest studio?
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Lupin1
Black Belt
Joined: 15 Dec 2009
Posts: 1637
Location: Naples, FL
Styles: Isshinryu
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| Posted: Fri Aug 28, 2015 4:37 am Post subject: |
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Nearest Isshinryu dojo is probably in another state. It's not too big up here.
I don't know if I'd consider the fitness center real competition. I think a fitness center karate class is going to attract different clientele than a free standing dojo.
Give it time. You'll probably find it's not that big a deal.
If anything-- reup your programing if possible and advertise it. I'm sure running out of a fitness center, they're not able to offer nearly as much variety as you are. Take advantage of that. |
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Luther unleashed
Brown Belt
Joined: 30 Jan 2014
Posts: 676
Location: Phoenix
Styles: A few!
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| Posted: Fri Aug 28, 2015 9:17 am Post subject: |
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| Lupin1 wrote: |
Nearest Isshinryu dojo is probably in another state. It's not too big up here.
I don't know if I'd consider the fitness center real competition. I think a fitness center karate class is going to attract different clientele than a free standing dojo.
Give it time. You'll probably find it's not that big a deal.
If anything-- reup your programing if possible and advertise it. I'm sure running out of a fitness center, they're not able to offer nearly as much variety as you are. Take advantage of that. |
Glad you guys don't have to worry about competitors  ! Ironically I made a thread in "general" section of the forum about an mma fighter that wants private lessons from me! He said he looked at this guy and wasn't satisfied and was more interested in myself BUT still he was the first call haha!
I am not trying to sound insecure, I feel confident in what I do, and my program. My issue I guess is less that I am actually threatened by him, and more "how do you do that to another Buisness" honestly. It does take from my iMessage area so it's frustrating because it's literally close enough to through a baseball.
Also, I'm not a store front, I am in a rec center. Although I teach in the gym area because they lack the usual "multipurpose room" we ma instructors seem to get stuck with so I have a great deal of space, and certainly I can outdo him in this way as the fitness place is small. To me, it's just a matter of principal. I'd prefer to treat other businesses as neighbors with likeminded goals. It I hate saying it, this guy I tend to view as a Buisness competitor because he put up his Buisness on the same block in a good sized city where there is very little competition really!
Thank for the input
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sensei8
KF Sensei
Joined: 23 Feb 2008
Posts: 16430
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Styles: Shindokan Saitou-ryu [Shuri-te/Okinawa-te based]
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| Posted: Fri Aug 28, 2015 12:37 pm Post subject: |
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Nearest?!
In the San Fernando Valley, of Los Angeles county, the nearest one, in relationship with our Hombu is approximately 15 miles away, at first, but in time, the nearest one was a mere 9 miles away from our Hombu. To my old dojo, one was less than 5 miles, and I purposefully try to put myself in the midst of all types of MA, especially and Okinawan styles. The San Fernando Valley slowly became quite riddled with Shuri-te styles, and one Okinawa-te based style(s). Masters from Japan and Okinawa were slowly abundantly increasing as the years waned away; they were quite selective in their locations, as to not tramp on another dojo where the CI was FROM Japan or Okinawa...that was a no-no!!
In Texas, the nearest was well over 50 miles away in Ft. Worth.
In Tulsa, the nearest was 11 miles away; on the opposite end of Tulsa.
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Lupin1
Black Belt
Joined: 15 Dec 2009
Posts: 1637
Location: Naples, FL
Styles: Isshinryu
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sensei8
KF Sensei
Joined: 23 Feb 2008
Posts: 16430
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Styles: Shindokan Saitou-ryu [Shuri-te/Okinawa-te based]
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| Posted: Fri Aug 28, 2015 4:53 pm Post subject: |
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Nice...and quite accurate!!
We're speaking about "Similar Styles"!!
In the San Fernando Valley, with me putting my dojo in the midst of other MA schools gives potential customers/students, more chances to choose. While I wasn't right next door, I was close enough, no matter where I was, to affect the customer's choice. Many times, I couldn't be right next door because landlords don't like to rent to same type of business because the landlord has to preserve to the best of their renters interest. Sometimes, landlords own the strip mall across the street/next door, too!!
In Texas, I was the only Okinawan style in the town!! Many Japanese styles as well as Korean styles, but I was the only Okinawan style.
In Tulsa, I was again, surrounded by other styles, but the nearest Okinawan style was 11 miles away from me. Had I opened my dojo in the town I lived in within Tulsa county, Owasso, I would've been the only Okinawan style in the entire town. Been there, done that, quite successfully.
One day, and maybe in Houston, TX, if a landlord exists that will allow Similar businesses in the same strip mall or right next to each other in a free standing building, I'd love to be right next door to the competition.
I travel quite a lot, and no matter the town or the size of the town, MA schools aren't normally right next door to each other, but they're down the street, separate by an average of 5 miles from their competitors!!
I wonder why that is?? Insecurity, possible!! I once had a Sensei from another dojo in my town come lodge a complaint that I hadn't gotten permission from HIS Sensei to be in that town. His Sensei was 20 miles away!! "Please, and tell your Sensei that I'm free to open my dojo wherever I choose, and if need be, and to show you how magnanimous I can be, you and your Sensei can join my school anytime. I'm here for a reason, and not a season, and I don't need permission from anyone anywhere, and certainly not from your Sensei" Student huffed and puffed all the way out my front door mumbling something incoherent.
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Spartacus Maximus
Black Belt
Joined: 01 Jun 2014
Posts: 1902
Styles: Shorin ryu
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| Posted: Fri Aug 28, 2015 9:48 pm Post subject: |
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That is quite an entertaining story. If a perfect stranger showed up at my newly opened business or dojo claiming I needed permission from his boss or sensei to be at that location, I would probably laugh him out the door. This sounds an awful lot like a scene from a gangster movie where the Mob boss sends goons to the new business in town to get a cut or extort profit.
Unless there is some kind of city by-law there's nothing stopping anyone from opening a dojo right next door teaching the same style. Same goes for regular businesses and it happens all the time. If there is some sort of by-law in effect, it is safe to assume a letter or visit from city hall instead of some random bloke off the street showing up. The sheer number of weirdos in martial arts never ceases to amaze me. |
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Luther unleashed
Brown Belt
Joined: 30 Jan 2014
Posts: 676
Location: Phoenix
Styles: A few!
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| Posted: Fri Aug 28, 2015 10:33 pm Post subject: |
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That was a little bit of a weird video but actually kind of cool. Makes you think about it a bit
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Hustle and hard work are a substitute for talent! |
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tallgeese
Black Belt
Joined: 04 May 2008
Posts: 6879
Location: McHenry County, IL
Styles: Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Bujin Bugei Jutsu, Gokei Ryu Kempo Jutsu, MMA, Shootfighting, boxing, kickboxing, JKD, Pekiti Tersia Kali
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| Posted: Sat Aug 29, 2015 8:27 am Post subject: |
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It's about 30 min away in a neighboring town. Great instructor with some serious cred. Still, in this day and age we're making it. After that, the nearest is 40 min away, which is the school I started jits in.
As for our PTK program, there isn't another program in the county I live in. As far as I know, the nearest is my coaches school in a near Chicago suburb.
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JR 137
Black Belt
Joined: 10 May 2015
Posts: 2442
Location: In the dojo
Styles: Seido Juku
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| Posted: Sat Aug 29, 2015 8:12 pm Post subject: |
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I don't mean this the wrong way, Luther, but ...
If he was already there, your dream was opening a dojo, and the realistically best place for you was a 2 minute walk from his place, would you do it? This isn't a guy that owes you anything, and you don't owe him anything. It's one thing if you're both under the same organization; quite another if you're not.
I'm not saying this thinking you've got insecurities about anything at all; just playing devil's advocate. |
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on the post.
