Blackbelt Business Podcast

Competition isn't just about winning medals. It's about developing better martial artists, stronger instructors, and maintaining high standards at your academy.

Competition is essential to Easton's approach to Jiu Jitsu. Competition tests techniques against real resistance, improves instruction, and develops confidence and resilience in students.

Easton builds a competition culture without making competition the focus of the entire academy. We've implemented dedicated competition classes, encourage beginners to compete, and prepare students for tournaments.

For martial arts school owners, the takeaway is simple: Not every student needs to compete, but competition should play a role in keeping your Jiu Jitsu effective and your academy's standards high.

Watch or listen to the full podcast on our blog: https://www.easton.online/blog/

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Great Jiu Jitsu instructors aren't just great practitioners. Teaching is a skill that has to be developed.

In this episode, Eliot and Alex break down how Easton trains its instructors, from identifying future coaches and onboarding them to shadowing, assisting, leading classes, and receiving feedback.

They also discuss how a structured curriculum creates consistency across instructors and why coaches need different skills for fundamentals, intermediate, and advanced classes.

For school owners, the takeaway is simple: if the quality of your classes depends entirely on you, it's going to be difficult to grow. Developing a repeatable system for training instructors allows you to build a deeper coaching team while maintaining the standards that made your academy successful in the first place.

Watch or listen to the full podcast on our blog:

https://www.easton.online/blog/ Visit https://www.easton.online to sign up for our mailing list!

In this episode of the Black Belt Business Podcast, Eliot Marshall sits down with Alex Huddleston to break down Easton's approach to building Jiu Jitsu curricula that helps students understand the art as a complete system instead of a disconnected collection of moves.

The conversation covers why beginners often struggle in unstructured classes, how curriculum improves retention, and why students need different levels of instruction as they progress.

From fundamentals, intermediate, and advanced class structures, this episode explains why a strong fundamentals program focuses heavily on self-defense and positional understanding, when live training should be introduced, and how intermediate students begin learning the broader game of sport Jiu Jitsu.

Eliot and Alex also explain why teaching students to move instead of simply memorizing moves creates a deeper understanding of Jiu Jitsu, how all-levels-only schedules can fail both beginners and advanced students, and why advanced instructors need enough freedom to help students develop their own games rather than simply creating copies of themselves.

Most importantly, they discuss why a curriculum should never become a dead document. Jiu Jitsu continues to evolve through competition, experimentation, and new ideas, which means instructors and curriculum must continue evolving with it.

If you want to improve student retention, create more consistent classes, develop better instructors, and give students a clearer path from their first day through advanced Jiu Jitsu, this episode breaks down the systems that make it possible.

Watch or listen to the full podcast on our blog:

https://www.easton.online/blog/ Visit https://www.easton.online to sign up for our mailing list!

Competition is about far more than winning medals. In this episode of the Black Belt Business Podcast, Eliot Marshall and Jordan Shipman discuss why competition is one of the most powerful tools for building confidence, resilience, and long-term student retention in a kids martial arts program.

They explain why kids are naturally drawn to competition, how tournaments create meaningful experiences that keep students engaged, and why martial arts schools should think of themselves as competing with every other youth sport—not just other academies.

Eliot and Jordan also share how Easton transformed its competition culture, growing from just a handful of competitors to one of the largest kids competition teams in the region. They break down the systems that made it possible, including competition seasons, tournament calendars, coach involvement, team recognition, and creating an environment where effort and personal growth are celebrated alongside winning.

Whether you're looking to increase retention, inspire more students to compete, or build a stronger culture within your academy, this episode provides practical strategies for using competition to develop better martial artists—and more confident kids.

Watch or listen to the full podcast on our blog: https://www.easton.online/blog/

Visit https://www.easton.online to sign up for our mailing list!

Building a great kids martial arts program requires more than one talented instructor. It requires systems, structure, and a deep bench of coaches who are prepared to deliver a consistent experience every day.

In this episode of the Black Belt Business Podcast, Eliot Marshall sits down with Easton Kids Program Director Jordan Shipman to break down why coach-to-student ratios matter, how a lack of bench strength impacts retention, and why many schools mistakenly blame outside factors for declining programs instead of addressing internal problems.

Eliot and Jordan also dive into Easton's process for recruiting, onboarding, and developing kids coaches, including the systems, training courses, and standards that help maintain consistency across multiple academies.

They discuss the importance of always staying ahead of growth, creating a pipeline of future instructors, and ensuring every coach understands class structure, training philosophy, safety protocols, and student development.

Whether you're struggling to find instructors, looking to improve your kids program, or trying to scale your academy without sacrificing quality, this episode provides a practical blueprint for building a stronger team and a better student experience.

Watch or listen to the full podcast on our blog:

https://www.easton.online/blog/ Visit https://www.easton.online to sign up for our mailing list!

In this episode of the Black Belt Business Podcast, Eliot Marshall sits down with Easton Kids Program Director Jordan Shipman to dive deep into the structure behind a successful kids martial arts program.

In this episode, Eliot and Jordan cover everything from why class structure is everything, how Easton builds discipline and focus into every class, and why consistency and routine are critical for helping kids thrive on the mats.

They explore curriculum design and teaching submissions to 4-6 year olds, managing emotions, building confidence, and creating a training environment that develops both skill and character.

This episode is packed with practical insights for martial arts school owners looking to improve their kids programs, develop stronger culture, and create a structured experience that keeps students engaged while helping them grow both on and off the mats.

Watch or listen to the full podcast on our blog: https://www.easton.online/blog/

Visit https://www.easton.online to sign up for our mailing list!

In Part 3 of the onboarding series, Ian and Eliot break down what happens after the first day, covering the critical first 90 days of a new student's journey. From structured follow-up systems to creating a world-class fundamentals experience, this episode dives into how to turn new sign-ups into long-term members.

They explore the importance of consistent communication, why onboarding must be engineered (not left to chance), and how simple systems like CRM-driven follow-ups can dramatically improve retention.

The conversation also unpacks how to properly structure fundamentals classes, remove overwhelm, and build real confidence in new students without sacrificing quality or toughness.

If Parts 1 and 2 were about getting people in the door and delivering a great first experience, Part 3 is about what truly matters: keeping them.

This episode is essential for any school owner looking to improve retention, create a better student experience, and build a more sustainable, profitable academy.

Watch or listen to the full podcast on our blog: https://www.easton.online/blog/

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In this episode of the Black Belt Business Podcast, Eliot Marshall and Ian Lieberman continue their series on student onboarding and break down what should happen on a new student's first day at your academy. They discuss how to eliminate friction, create a "red carpet" experience, run effective intro classes, and structure fundamentals classes so beginners feel successful from day one. If you want more students to sign up and stay longer, this episode explains how to engineer a better first impression.

Watch or listen to the full podcast on our blog: https://www.easton.online/blog

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Easton Training Center's Vice President and Director of Operations, Ian Lieberman, joins Eliot o kick off a three-part series on one of the most overlooked systems in martial arts schools: onboarding.

This episode looks at what happens from the moment a lead clicks your website to the moment they set their first appointment — and why most schools get this stage completely wrong.

The conversation covers the true cost of a lead, why response time matters more than world titles, how to structure a follow-up cadence that lasts months (not days), and why every school needs a CRM instead of relying on memory.

If you want more students walking through your doors and fewer missed opportunities, this episode lays out the blueprint.

Watch or listen to the full podcast on our blog: https://www.easton.online/blog/

Visit https://www.easton.online to sign up for our mailing list!

In this episode of the Black Belt Business Podcast, Easton Muay Thai Program Director Sean Madden joins Eliot to explain why Muay Thai programs in America need clear structure and progression. They discuss how Easton built a ranking and ascension model that improves safety, retention, and class quality while preserving the integrity of the art. A must-listen for any school owner running a striking program.

Watch or listen to the full podcast on our blog: https://www.easton.online/blog/

Visit https://www.easton.online to sign up for our mailing list!