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- 𦾠Most Martial Arts School Owners Are About to Get Punched in the Face by AI
𦾠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!
š This Weekās 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 ā and it has nothing to do with running better ads or posting better content. The real shift is AI, and itās about to separate school owners into two groups: the ones who build the future and the ones who get blindsided by it.
In this weekās issue, weāre pulling back the curtain on how AI is collapsing the entire āoff-the-shelfā tech stack, transforming training on the mat, and rewriting the business model of martial arts itself. Youāll 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.
Letās get into it.

š¤ IMPAKT Live: Newport Beach ā February 20ā21, 2026
ā³ 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 isnāt theory, itās where high-level school owners upgrade how they think, act, and execute.
š
February 20ā21, 2026
š Hyatt Regency Newport Beach
Canāt wait!
𦾠Most Martial Arts School Owners Are About to Get Punched in the Face by AI
A massive shift is happening in our industry ā and most schools are sleepwalking straight into it.
Thereās a transformation happening right now across the martial arts and fitness industry, and almost no one is paying attention.
Itās not a new enrollment hack.
Itās not a new pricing model.
Itās bigger than that.
AI is about to rip the entire āoff-the-shelf tech stackā out of martial arts schools and replace it with something most owners canāt even imagine:
Owner-designed systems. Hyper-personalized training. Leaner overhead. Faster execution.
And the gap between the schools that adapt and the schools that donāt?
It is going to be brutal.
Let me show you whatās coming ā 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 donāt 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.
Youāre bending your processes to fit someone elseās idea of how a martial arts school should operate.
Youāre renting systems instead of owning them.
That entire model is about to collapse.
The AI Adoption Wave Is Already Here
Hereās 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 ā simply by talking to an AI in plain English.
No developers.
No pricey consultants.
No waiting 6 months for a software update.
Just:
āI want a system that does Xā ā AI builds it ā done.
This isnāt the future.
Weāre already living it.
Weāre Living This Right Now
Let me pull back the curtain.
Weāre 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 isnāt about saving money.
Itās about:
Speed
Control
Customization
Ownership
When you own your system, you move faster than your competitors.
When you use theirs, youāre stuck in their guardrails forever.
And This Isnāt Just Back-Office ā Itās 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 ā some at 30% annually.
Hereās 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 studentās stance, foot placement, rotation, guard position, and timing ā 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, theyāll expect it from you.
The school offering personalized coaching, real-time feedback, and auto-generated highlights?
Thatās the school parents brag about.
The school still handing out paper attendance cards?
Thatās the school parents tolerate.
The Business Model Is About to Change, Too
AI isnāt just transforming how you operate.
Itās 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 ā fast.
Expect to see:
ā Personalized AI-driven drills
ā Virtual assistant between classes
ā At-home training plans
ā Automated technique breakdowns
ā Proactive retention alerts
ā 24/7 AI communication
This isnāt the future of martial arts.
This is the future of every skill-based sport and activity.
Owners who adopt will thrive.
Owners who donāt will be the ātaxi driversā after Uber launched ā technically still operating, but not relevant.
The Real Gap: Architects vs. Users
Most owners think the gap will be:
āSchools that use AI vs. schools that donāt.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 ā this becomes normal within 24 months.
If you arenāt 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 youāre not experimenting with AI yet, youāre already behind.
Not ākind of behind.ā
Behind enough that it will hurt in 12ā24 months when parents compare your old model to the AI-powered school down the street.
You donāt need to learn to code.
But you do need to think like an architect.
Start asking:
āWhat 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 donāt will get punched in the face by a shift they never saw coming.
And unlike sparring classā¦
thereās no protective gear for this one.
The Kickās pick of the hottest headlines in social this week:
This weekās 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. Youāll 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.
š„ Naval Ravikant ā 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.
š Watch Here (Facebook Post)
š„ Taylor Welch ā The One Who Stops Running
Taylor shares a powerful idea: in every generation, one person decides the cycle ends with them. Itās 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 ā 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.
š Read Here (Facebook Post)
š„ Alex Hormozi ā Courage Wins in the Age of AI
Alex makes it simple: when AI can do almost every skill, whatās left is character. The edge wonāt be talent. It wonāt 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 ā no matter how powerful the technology in their hands.
š Watch Here(Facebook Post)
š„ Adam Kifer ā Build With AI or Become the Product
The job shake-up isnāt coming. Itās already here. AI is replacing repetitive digital work and rewarding people who know how to use it. Companies arenāt just hiring engineers ā theyāre hiring operators who can design workflows and build outcomes with AI. Yes, it might be a bubble. But the skill shift is real.
Donāt try to time it.
Learn to build with it.
Or risk becoming the product.
š Watch Here (Facebook Post)
š„ Codie Sanchez ā Ask Bigger Questions
Most people ask $6 questions.
āHow do I save a little?ā
Operators ask $20,000+ questions.
āHow do I own this?ā
āHow do I create leverage?ā
Small questions keep you surviving.
Big questions build wealth.
š Watch Here (Facebook Post)
š„ Apply what hits, share it with your team, and keep raising the standard in your school.
š 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.
š What Weāre Reading: The Innovatorās Dilemma by Clayton Christensen
If this weekās issue is about the massive AI shift hitting the martial arts industry, The Innovatorās Dilemma is the perfect companion. Clayton Christensen explains why great businesses fail ā not because theyāre 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, itās exactly what martial arts school owners need right now as AI transforms everything from operations to training to communication.
Key Takeaways for School Owners
ā
Disruption doesnāt hit slowly ā it hits silently, then suddenly.
Just like AI. By the time the industry realizes what changed, itās already too late.
ā
Winners innovate from the inside out.
They donāt wait for competitors to force their hand. They experiment early.
ā
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.
š Grab your copy:
The Innovatorās Dilemma on Amazon
š Breakthrough Performance Report
š„ Erik Powell ā Crushing It This Week
Erikās campaign continues to deliver outstanding results. Over the last 7 days, heās generating leads at just $9 each, showing strong efficiency and a message that is clearly resonating in his market.
Even better ā 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 isnāt luck. Itās structure.
Want results like this?
š Book a discovery call with Breakthrough Advertising today and let us help you turn cold leads into booked appointmentsāand scale your school the smart way.
Schedule Your Call Now
š¬ Have Something That Is Kick Worthy?
We know our readers have great ideas, insights, and stories to share! If youāve got something thatās "kick-worthy"āwhether itās a success story, a marketing tip, or something thatās helping your school thriveāsubmit 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!
š„ Thatās a Wrap for This Week!
AI isnāt coming for martial arts schools, itās coming for how they operate. The winners wonāt 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. šš„ #TheKick




