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🦾 Most Martial Arts School Owners Are About to Get Punched in the Face by AI

Adapt or Get Left Behind: The New AI Divide in Martial Arts

Hello, kickers!

šŸ” This Week’s Focus: AI Is About to Redefine the Martial Arts Industry

Most martial arts school owners think the next big shift will be a new marketing tactic, a new curriculum style, or a fresh enrollment strategy. But the real disruption is already happening behind the scenes — and it has nothing to do with running better ads or posting better content. The real shift is AI, and it’s about to separate school owners into two groups: the ones who build the future and the ones who get blindsided by it.

In this week’s issue, we’re pulling back the curtain on how AI is collapsing the entire ā€œoff-the-shelfā€ tech stack, transforming training on the mat, and rewriting the business model of martial arts itself. You’ll learn why schools that become AI architects will dominate the next decade, why personalization is the new standard parents will expect, and what steps you should take now before this wave hits your market.

If you want to stay competitive, this is the issue you cannot afford to skim.
Let’s get into it.

šŸŽ¤ IMPAKT Live: Newport Beach — February 20–21, 2026

ā³ 3 days to Go!

Get ready for two days that will redefine how you lead, grow, and operate. Sharpen your leadership, accelerate your systems, and scale with confidence. This isn’t theory, it’s where high-level school owners upgrade how they think, act, and execute.

šŸ“… February 20–21, 2026
šŸ“ Hyatt Regency Newport Beach

Can’t wait!

🦾 Most Martial Arts School Owners Are About to Get Punched in the Face by AI

A massive shift is happening in our industry — and most schools are sleepwalking straight into it.

There’s a transformation happening right now across the martial arts and fitness industry, and almost no one is paying attention.
It’s not a new enrollment hack.
It’s not a new pricing model.
It’s bigger than that.

AI is about to rip the entire ā€œoff-the-shelf tech stackā€ out of martial arts schools and replace it with something most owners can’t even imagine:

Owner-designed systems. Hyper-personalized training. Leaner overhead. Faster execution.

And the gap between the schools that adapt and the schools that don’t?
It is going to be brutal.

Let me show you what’s coming — and why it matters more than you think.

The Old Model Is Dying Fast

Right now, most martial arts schools rely on a Frankenstein tech stack:

  • One tool for your website

  • One for leads

  • One for members

  • One for billing

  • One for accounting

  • One for emails

Half of them don’t sync.
The other half break when Mercury goes retrograde.

And the biggest problem?

Your software dictates how you run your business.
Not the other way around.

You’re bending your processes to fit someone else’s idea of how a martial arts school should operate.
You’re renting systems instead of owning them.

That entire model is about to collapse.

The AI Adoption Wave Is Already Here

Here’s what the data shows:

  • 55% of small businesses (2025) are already using AI

  • 63% use it daily and save 20+ hours per month

  • 82% say AI is now essential just to stay competitive

  • 77% see the biggest impact in marketing and customer engagement

You know what your CRM, email system, and lead management tools are supposed to handle?

Marketing and customer engagement.

And AI just ate their lunch.

Business owners are replacing half a dozen subscriptions with AI-built systems they designed themselves — simply by talking to an AI in plain English.

No developers.
No pricey consultants.
No waiting 6 months for a software update.

Just:
ā€œI want a system that does Xā€ → AI builds it → done.

This isn’t the future.
We’re already living it.

We’re Living This Right Now

Let me pull back the curtain.

We’re building our own full-stack, AI-powered operating system for our schools:

  • Custom CRM

  • Custom website

  • Custom finance tools

  • Custom lead flow

  • Custom training systems

All built for how we run, not how a software company thinks we should run.

Give it 12 to 24 months and this will be the industry standard.

Schools still renting clunky tools will look like the guy jogging with a cassette Walkman in 2025.
Technically moving forward… but painfully behind.

This isn’t about saving money.
It’s about:

  • Speed

  • Control

  • Customization

  • Ownership

When you own your system, you move faster than your competitors.
When you use theirs, you’re stuck in their guardrails forever.

And This Isn’t Just Back-Office — It’s Coming Onto the Mat

If you think AI is only about admin… buckle up.

AI is already changing martial arts training itself.

The fitness industry is a $257B market growing on tech-enabled, data-driven services. Virtual and AI coaching segments are scaling fast — some at 30% annually.

Here’s what that looks like in your school:

1. Personalized training programs
Built by AI.
Custom. Adaptive. Based on attendance, progress, patterns, goals.

2. Computer vision technique correction
AI can check your student’s stance, foot placement, rotation, guard position, and timing — instantly.

3. AI highlight reels
Cameras that auto-track students, clip their best moments, and send parents personalized videos.

Youth sports already use this.
Parents love this.
And soon, they’ll expect it from you.

The school offering personalized coaching, real-time feedback, and auto-generated highlights?
That’s the school parents brag about.

The school still handing out paper attendance cards?
That’s the school parents tolerate.

The Business Model Is About to Change, Too

AI isn’t just transforming how you operate.

It’s transforming how you make money.

Fitness brands are already offering:

  • AI-backed premium memberships

  • Hybrid training models

  • Personalized program plans

  • Predictive retention analytics

This is coming to martial arts — fast.

Expect to see:
āœ“ Personalized AI-driven drills
āœ“ Virtual assistant between classes
āœ“ At-home training plans
āœ“ Automated technique breakdowns
āœ“ Proactive retention alerts
āœ“ 24/7 AI communication

This isn’t the future of martial arts.
This is the future of every skill-based sport and activity.

Owners who adopt will thrive.
Owners who don’t will be the ā€œtaxi driversā€ after Uber launched — technically still operating, but not relevant.

The Real Gap: Architects vs. Users

Most owners think the gap will be:

ā€œSchools that use AI vs. schools that don’t.ā€

Wrong.

The real gap will be:

Schools that can design AI-powered systems vs. schools that only use whatever tools vendors give them.

Everyone will have AI.
But the schools who architect AI into their processes will:

  • Scale faster

  • Retain more

  • Spend less

  • Operate leaner

  • Deliver personalized training

  • Build deeper engagement

This is the new competitive advantage.

Three Ways AI Is About to Punch the Martial Arts Industry in the Face

1. Tech stacks are dying

AI consolidates your entire tool ecosystem into one owner-designed system.

This saves thousands annually and gives you back full control.

2. Training gets personal at scale

AI-driven curriculum, custom drills, technique correction — this becomes normal within 24 months.

If you aren’t offering personalization, you're done.

3. Winners become AI architects

Not coders.
Not developers.
Just owners who know how their school should run and use AI to build it.

This is the new advantage.
Everything else is noise.

So What Should You Do Now?

If you’re not experimenting with AI yet, you’re already behind.

Not ā€œkind of behind.ā€
Behind enough that it will hurt in 12–24 months when parents compare your old model to the AI-powered school down the street.

You don’t need to learn to code.
But you do need to think like an architect.

Start asking:

ā€œWhat would my perfect system look like if I could design it myself?ā€

Because now… you can.

The schools that start now will own the next decade.
The schools that don’t will get punched in the face by a shift they never saw coming.

And unlike sparring class…
there’s no protective gear for this one.

šŸ”„ What’s Kickin’ on Social

The Kick’s pick of the hottest headlines in social this week:

This week’s posts push you to think bigger and lead bolder. From redefining wealth as ownership instead of status, to ending the cycles that were handed to you, to recognizing courage as the real edge in the AI era. You’ll also find a clear warning to build with AI before it leaves you behind, and a challenge to stop asking small, survival-level questions and start thinking like an owner.

šŸ”„ Naval Ravikant – Seek Wealth, Not Money or Status
Naval challenges the way most people chase success. Money is just a way to trade time. Status is a game where someone has to lose for you to win. Wealth is different. Wealth is ownership. Assets that earn while you sleep. Freedom. Build things once. Use leverage like code and media. Play long term games with long term people. Money follows. Status distracts. Wealth is the real goal.
šŸ‘‰ Watch Here (Facebook Post)

šŸ”„ Taylor Welch – The One Who Stops Running
Taylor shares a powerful idea: in every generation, one person decides the cycle ends with them. It’s not your fault what was passed down. But it is your mission to face it. To stop running. To stand your ground so those who come after you can breathe freer air.You were chosen for the discomfort. Not abandoned — appointed. Guarded. Strengthened. This is a war of trust. A line has been drawn.
Even if you fall, you rise again. It ends with you.
šŸ‘‰ Read Here (Facebook Post)

šŸ”„ Alex Hormozi – Courage Wins in the Age of AI
Alex makes it simple: when AI can do almost every skill, what’s left is character. The edge won’t be talent. It won’t be tools. It will be your ability to handle uncertainty, rejection, and criticism. Opportunities will still reward risk. Growth will still require courage. Cowards lose — no matter how powerful the technology in their hands.
šŸ‘‰ Watch Here(Facebook Post)

šŸ”„ Adam Kifer – Build With AI or Become the Product 
The job shake-up isn’t coming. It’s already here. AI is replacing repetitive digital work and rewarding people who know how to use it. Companies aren’t just hiring engineers — they’re hiring operators who can design workflows and build outcomes with AI. Yes, it might be a bubble. But the skill shift is real.

Don’t try to time it.
Learn to build with it.
Or risk becoming the product.
šŸ‘‰ Watch Here (Facebook Post)

šŸ”„ Codie Sanchez – Ask Bigger Questions
Most people ask $6 questions.
ā€œHow do I save a little?ā€

Operators ask $20,000+ questions.
ā€œHow do I own this?ā€
ā€œHow do I create leverage?ā€

Small questions keep you surviving.
Big questions build wealth.
šŸ‘‰ Watch Here (Facebook Post)

šŸ’„ Apply what hits, share it with your team, and keep raising the standard in your school. 

šŸ˜‚ Martial Memes

These memes hit home for all of us martial artists and gave us a good chuckle. Click on the image to view the original account that posted each meme. Enjoy!

Have a MEME that you want featured? Send them to us at [email protected] or tag our instagram account @thekicknewsletter.

šŸ“– What We’re Reading: The Innovator’s Dilemma by Clayton Christensen

If this week’s issue is about the massive AI shift hitting the martial arts industry, The Innovator’s Dilemma is the perfect companion. Clayton Christensen explains why great businesses fail — not because they’re weak, but because they cling to the systems, tools, and models that used to work while the market shifts underneath them.

This book is a blueprint for understanding disruption. It shows how industries get blindsided, how incumbents get replaced, and how leaders can stay ahead of the curve instead of getting steamrolled by it. In other words, it’s exactly what martial arts school owners need right now as AI transforms everything from operations to training to communication.

Key Takeaways for School Owners

āœ… Disruption doesn’t hit slowly — it hits silently, then suddenly.
Just like AI. By the time the industry realizes what changed, it’s already too late.

āœ… Winners innovate from the inside out.
They don’t wait for competitors to force their hand. They experiment early.

āœ… Your old strengths can become your new weaknesses.
What made you effective in the past is often the thing that prevents future growth.

This book will challenge how you think about your systems, your business model, and your willingness to evolve. If you want to stay ahead of the AI wave instead of drowning beneath it, read this.

šŸ“ˆ Breakthrough Performance Report

šŸ”„ Erik Powell – Crushing It This Week

Erik’s campaign continues to deliver outstanding results. Over the last 7 days, he’s generating leads at just $9 each, showing strong efficiency and a message that is clearly resonating in his market.

Even better — roughly half of those leads are booking appointments, which is exactly what happens when great targeting and great follow-up sync perfectly.

Momentum like this isn’t luck. It’s structure.

Want results like this?
šŸ‘‰ Book a discovery call with Breakthrough Advertising today and let us help you turn cold leads into booked appointments—and scale your school the smart way.
Schedule Your Call Now

šŸ“¬ Have Something That Is Kick Worthy?

We know our readers have great ideas, insights, and stories to share! If you’ve got something that’s "kick-worthy"—whether it’s a success story, a marketing tip, or something that’s helping your school thrive—submit it to us at [email protected]. Your content could be featured in an upcoming edition of The Kick and shared with martial arts school owners around the world!

šŸ”„ That’s a Wrap for This Week!

AI isn’t coming for martial arts schools, it’s coming for how they operate. The winners won’t be the biggest or flashiest schools, but the ones with smart, AI-powered systems designed by their owners for the exact experience they want to deliver.

The gap is already forming. This is your chance to get ahead: start experimenting, designing, and building your perfect system.

The punch is coming. See it before it lands. See you next week. šŸ‘ŠšŸ”„ #TheKick