Send us Fan MailMost schools try to fix retention after a student is already halfway out the door. Sensei Solomon Brenner does it 90 days in advance — with an in-house tournament.Solomon runs 36 Action Karate locations and hosts two in-house tournaments a year: 1,100 to 1,400 competitors, 19 rings, start to finish in one day. But the real lesson isn't the size. It's that the event drives retention, marketing, and revenue at the same time — and it works just as well with 30 students in your own school.Jimmy Hong and Master Tony Chung dig into how it actually runs.What we cover:Why your tournament should be built for the 95%, not the 5% who compete on the circuitStandardized divisions and why every student runs the same kataAssigned ring times so families aren't sitting there all dayHow to train judges and parents so nobody walks out with a bad experienceTurning tournament season into your curriculum instead of a separate trackThe T-shirt, the medal, the hand stamp — how the day becomes part of a student's identityWhy "Did you have fun?" beats "How did you do?"Running it with two rings and 40 students in your own buildingGuest: Sensei Solomon Brenner, founder of Action Karate — 36 locations, 30 years, 50,000+ families served. Speaking at the ASA Summit in Las Vegas, October 1–3.Resources:Compete123 — Solomon's tournament software, built for parents and judges instead of points and rankings: www.compete123.com ASA Summit, October 1–3, Las Vegas: https://asamartialarts.com/summit/If this gave you something to run at your school, share it with another owner. Subscribe so you don't miss the next one.ASA Summit 2026 Solomon Ad Most martial arts school owners don’t have a marketing problem.They have an execution problem.You listen to podcasts. You get inspired. You hear great ideas…Then Monday hits… you’re back teaching classes, answering messages… and nothing actually changes.That’s why most schools stay stuck.Black Belt Banter gives you the thinking.How to see your school like a real business.How to identify what’s actually holding you back.How to stop operating in survival mode.But thinking alone doesn’t grow your school.You need the how.That’s where ASA Live comes in.ASA Live gives you the exact playbook—What to say.What to run.What numbers to track.And how to execute step-by-step so you actually get more students and increase revenue.Black Belt Banter shows you the direction.ASA Live shows you the path.And the school owners who use both?They’re the ones finally breaking through.Just $97/month to finally execute and grow.Register at https://asamartialarts.com/live/

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