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Holy guacamole! Teaching kata at KNX14. See pics with explanations. Did you see the response from KNX14?
KNX14 (The Karate Nerd Experience 2014) was my first world-wide Karate seminar – and hundreds of people have already to get invited next year. I’m humbled & grateful for all the support. But, some people have been asking me: “How did you do it?” How could I, a relative beginner at arranging events, pull something like this off? Well I’ve actually discovered there are several secrets to organizing an unforgettable Karate seminar.
Today, I want to share 10 of them with you. My hope is that this article can help you host your own world-class seminar, camp or event in the future – either with me or someone else. (And if you have any secrets of your own, feel free to share in the comment section!) You ready?
Check it out: #1: Research, Research, Research. This is the first step. Yet, for some reason, it’s surprisingly often overlooked. But it’s crucial to the success of your event.
“Who is my ideal seminar attendee?” This is a question you must ask yourself. The answer is found through diligent research, preferably a few weeks before you do any promotion or marketing. To illustrate my point; at KNX14 I wanted to deliver an unforgettable experience to my blog readers – ™ (people who are passionate about all aspects of Karate). Don’t be afraid to go very specific.
For example, you could have a seminar targeted at Shotokan practitioners, 40+ years of age, suffering from stress injuries in back, shoulders or knees. The event could cover topics like rehab/prehab, joint mobility exercises, correct execution of techniques, myofascial/soft tissue therapy and related stuff.
Or, you could do a seminar for young Karate-ka, 13-17 years of age, who want to make it to your country’s national team in kumite. The event could include sparring, speed drills, strength & conditioning, defensive/offensive tactics, theory session with a certified judge and so on.
Whatever you’re passionate about! Now that you’ve defined who – the next questions are; where and when? In the case of KNX14, by using simple tools like and Facebook Insights, I found out that the majority of my readers were located in USA, Canada, Great Britain, Australia and other English-speaking countries. I decided to narrow it down even further. The result was Frankfurt, Germany – a perfect location for my readers across Europe.
(But it didn’t stop nerds from Mozambique, India and Brazil from attending.) Then, through a simple survey, I learned that the best month for KNX14 was August. Research complete! It doesn’t have to be more advanced than this.
Please note that these factors are highly unlikely to be identical for you. That’s why you must invest time in research to ensure your event is successful. It’s essential. #2: Think “Humanity”. Not “Karate”.
Listen The attendees of your seminar are humans who practice Karate. Not the other way around. So, think humanity first.
Karate second. Keep it personal and intimate. Make everyone feel seen and heard. If you don’t remember everyone’s names, your seminar is too big. Encourage questioning.
Don’t expect crazy perfection. Be light on rituals and Japanese terms.
I’ve been to many seminars where it seemed more important to strictly follow holy orders from an authority figure or fit into some artificial hierarchy than actually learning useful stuff. What a waste of human essence.
For this reason, at KNX14 I kept the maximum number of attendees to 36. And when we bowed in to my lessons, I told everyone to sit in a circle and bow to each other. We are all equal. (That’s why we wore too.) In other words, try to see the person behind the Karate gi. It’s very easy to lose track of humanness among all the rituals, ranks, titles and weird sh.t we do in the Karate world. #3: Have a Mind-Tickling Theme You can’t please everybody. Therefore, it’s good to have a theme for your event (so people know if it will suit them).
Tournament kata? Teaching pedagogy?
Beach training? Improving kicks?
How to survive a? Make sure people know what they’re getting into. It’s vital that you understand the expectations of the participants, and align it 100% with your theme. Be very clear about what you are going to teach – but also what you are not going to teach. Your theme should ultimately act as a seminar content guide.
In the case of KNX14, the theme was based on an Oriental concept known as “On Ko Chi Shin” – “Learn from the Old to Understand the New”. This theme connected every training session, theory lesson and secret activity (ballet!) that we did, on many levels.
As sensei Steve Jobs once famously said: “You can’t connect the dots looking forward. You can only connect them looking backwards.” Try make people connect the dots in your theme. Make them expand their minds. (Funnily enough, when you realize that you’ve heard the.exact. same feedback from an Italian world champion scientist, an Israeli street fighting expert and a Russian ballet virtuoso, you can’t help but connect the dots!) There is nothing new under the sun, right? Learn from the Old to Understand the New. Or whatever else you decide to have as theme.
#4: Get Brilliant Experts (Don’t Fake It) Many Karate instructors teach things they don’t know. It rarely works out well. (I know, because I’ve tried it myself.) So, make sure you teach the stuff you absolutely love and know or get outside experts to help you do it.
There is no shame in bringing champions or masters from other fields/styles/countries to help you conduct a seminar. For example; at KNX14 I wanted to provide the perfect mix of old-school Okinawan Karate with modern, scientific Karate (the theme, remember?). So I invited the best Karate instructors in the world to share their expertise with us:. Dr. Lucio Maurino is 22 times Italian/European/World champion in kata and brilliant at optimizing Karate techniques using motor science and biomechanics. It’s a joy to watch him move and explain.
I’ve written about him before (like or ). Sensei Shai Hai is an Okinawan Uechi-ryu streetfighting expert bodyguard from Israel. He looks like a killing machine (which he is), but his humility, kindness and humor overshadowed even the most brutal techniques we practiced. He was actually the “Secret Sensei” for KNX14 – and although we’ve only met once, it feels like we’ve been friends for years. You can follow, or contact him if you want to book him for you own seminar. You won’t regret it. (Unless you let him kick you in the leg. Then you will regret it.
Trust me.). And last but not least – me. The Karate Nerd ™. Bridging the gap between old and new. Connecting the dots. So If you arrange a seminar, don’t be afraid to bring in outside guests. Teach the things you know and love, but let others do their thing.
You don’t have to be a master of everything. I mean, we had frickin’ ballet as one of the secret activities at KNX14.
Come on, I could never teach that! Also, don’t underestimate the power of inspiration. People LOVE to see an expert move.
#5: Let Participants Connect & Socialize We are social creatures by nature. It’s in our DNA. Although the degree of that nature varies (some are introvert, some are extrovert), there must be enough space and time for participants to connect and socialize with each other at your event. For this reason, don’t be afraid to organize activities outside of training. It doesn’t have to be super serious! Play some dart. Shoot some hoops.
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Kick some ball. Massage each other!
For instance, at KNX14 I had the idea of doing Shodo (Japanese calligraphy) for all participants. So we got a Japanese sensei to hold an evening lesson for us, showing how us to write everything from “Bushi” (“Warrior”) to “Karate Otaku” (“Karate Nerd”). Free gift! You can download the Karate Nerd artwork This was a great way to not only relax, but also socialize, have fun, be creative and get to know Japanese culture.
Within minutes, people had made new friends. Speaking of connecting people, it’s vital that you realize there are 3 fundamental stages of connection in your seminar: Before, during, and after the event.
People need to be taken care of during all three stages of interaction. (This is where many organizers fail.) For KNX14 I set up a private facebook group only for the participants. Weeks before the actual event, people started introducing themselves, sharing ideas, asking questions and eventually meeting up for beer! Even now, after the event, I have daily contact with participants online; answering their questions, getting valuable feedback, providing them with exclusive pictures, videos and study material. The connections formed at KNX14 will live on until. Let people socialize – both online and offline.
Before, during and after your event. #6: Have an Awesome Team It’s impossible to arrange a great seminar without a team. Unless you are a mastermind. So, if you are a perfectionist OCD freak like me, make sure you have a team that understands your manic need for creative control.
Basically, you need two kinds of people in your team:. People close to you (friends & family). These are people you know on a personal level, who you trust. They can help with sensitive stuff (like economic calculations, personal interactions with guest instructors or payments) and will help you solve critical problems that occur behind the scenes. Like that moment at KNX14 when I lost the gym keys Oops!. People not close to you (people you hire). These are people who can handle objective orders without any emotional attachment. Sometimes, especially when you’re stressed, you start barking commands – so it’s valuable to have people in your team who don’t take it personally. It’s just a job for them.
They can clean up in the dojo, bring water/food (catering service), drive people, sell t-shirts etc. Also, if you can chat at 2 am to discuss whether cucumber or avocado is best for your event’s sushi rolls, you know your team is AWESOME. Thanks Matthias-san! It’s important that your guest instructors are team players too.
When I started planning KNX14, I had a huuuuge list of talented guest instructors and secret sensei. But once I weeded out the ones I knew had too much ego (despite their talent and/or knowledge), my list was substantially decimated.
You see, the atmosphere of your seminar is key. People don’t always remember what you teach them.
But they always remember how you made them feel. Make sure everyone is a team player. #7: Knowledge is King (Not Gimmicks) Dude The sight of 36 Karate Nerds ™ from 20+ countries dancing ballet, in pink belts, to the music of Chopin, will probably remain etched in my mind forever. That secret activity was the perfect way to end a camp! But don’t get it twisted. The main purpose of a seminar must always be knowledge.
(Not “gimmicks”.) People attend a seminar expecting to learn things they cannot get from a book or video. They want that next-level knowledge. Those hard-earned nuggets of wisdom that can never be accurately conveyed through text or pictures. Stuff that only champions, experts or master instructors can teach.
It’s your responsibility, and privilege, to deliver this. Otherwise, I honestly don’t think you should conduct a seminar.
In the case of KNX14, I actually underestimated what a striking visual impact the pink belts would have for the post-event pictures and videos, which made some people believe KNX14 was not “serious.” That couldn’t be further from the truth. (Those of you who ordered the video will soon understand why.) The amount of time we spent admiring our pink belts was nothing compared to the time we spent learning about the art, science, history and essence of Karate. Because, at the end of the day, that’s what counts. On a high level. #8: Professional Video & Photo I love to take pictures and film from seminars. But sometimes when I attend seminars, I’m not allowed to film.
This drives me nuts! So, please do what I did for KNX14: As a professional service, I hired an amazing local filmmaker to shoot the whole seminar in high quality. He then converts and edits (color correct, adjust lights, exposure etc) the movie, before I finally send it to all participants. This takes a few weeks, but is totally worth it!. Attendees can focus on training, instead of filming or taking photos.
The host can focus on organizing & teaching, instead of filming or taking photos. As a bonus, you get better result when a professional does the camerawork. See for yourself: Plus, you can use the material for promoting future events! (Or offer it as a service to people who couldn’t attend.) But whatever you do, never ask your seminar attendees for their cameras.
That’s just silly. Oh, and while we’re on the topic of professionality; get some bespoke certificates, rollups, banners, goodie bags, t-shirts etc. It’s not cheap. But it makes all the difference.
#9: Evaluate Feedback Afterwards “How did the seminar go?” “What should be improved for next time?” “Did everything go as planned? Why/why not?” Right after your event is over, evaluate it. If you plan on hosting more seminars in the future, these questions are vital to ask. As a wise man once said; if you cannot learn from history, you are doomed to repeat it. Your seminars must steadily improve! For example, I already have over 100 points of improvement for next year’s.
Take this step seriously. The feedback must be brutally honest, written down and saved. It should ideally come from participants, instructors and your team members.
Most of it will be behind-the-scenes stuff. Some of it will sting.
Some of it will be nice. But no matter how awesome your seminar was, don’t expect all attendees to return for next time. That’s highly improbable. It’s not personal, it’s just statistics.
So remember Do a proper evaluation, as soon as possible. #10: Have Fun & Enjoy Yourself Lastly, I want to mention a trap that I often fall into myself: Enjoy the moment. And be proud.
If you’ve managed to gather likeminded Karate practitioners together for a weekend seminar, try to enjoy the action! Planning is over. Make friends. Teach epic stuff. Learn from others.
At KNX14, I tried my best to do this. In fact, I even received some gifts; including carrot cake from England (thanks Katinka-san!), cupcakes and plum jam from Germany (thanks Frank-san!) and tons of chocolate from Switzerland (thanks Danny-san!).
I also sold many Seishin gi and signed books. Sure, there’s much to improve for next time. But I’m happy. And this concludes my 10 secrets from launching The Karate Nerd Experience 2014. It was definitely a new type of challenge for me, but I learned a lot. Hopefully you learned something too!; -) Thanks for reading. PS.
To get invited to KNX15. bowI recently attended another Gasshuku and it was an amazing experience. These points were very much in evidence throughout the weekend:#2: Think “Humanity”. Not “Karate”.#5: Let Participants Connect & Socialize#7: Knowledge is King (Not Gimmicks)#10: Have Fun & Enjoy Yourself - but we were also expected to work hard and try new things! -So in my very humble, low-ranked opinion, I think these were the things that kept me working hard and pushing beyond where I thought my limits were.bow.
Don is a basketball 'nut.' He's the kind of sports buff who can talk nonstop about his favorite basketball teams with anybody who'll listen. One evening, Don's wife took a seat next to him on the couch. She placed her arms around his neck and asked him point-blank: 'Do you love me more than basketball?' Puzzled, Don considered her question for a long minute before answering. He finally said, 'College or NBA?' While most of us men would never make a blunder of that magnitude, we often miss the opportunity to affirm our wives.
Marriage is not a spectator sport. Nor is it a place for verbal jabs or cynical put-downs. Those male digs might work in the locker room with the boys, but they're out of bounds with our wives. What do Don's wife, your wife, and my wife need? Soft, tender, thoughtful, unexpected, meaningful, heartfelt affirmation delivered with no sexual demands attached. That's difficult for a man, I know. A man usually sets goals and generally acts only when he is after something.
When it comes to romance, he's tempted to give affirmation only because he hopes to 'get sex' in return. You and I will score big when we make our goal unconditional affirmation—no strings attached. My aim is to make my wife feel loved, valued, cherished, and affirmed as the love of my life. Click to Tweet We all would do well to watch Solomon in action. Solomon, by contrast, referred to his wife as 'my beloved' forty times in the Song of Solomon. That choice phrase is packed with affirmation.
It's a romantic expression, a call to rich friendship. Each time Solomon said, 'My beloved,' his words clothed her with dignity and value. What woman wouldn't flourish under such a constant stream of loving affirmation? Here are thirty nonsexual ways to cherish your bride through words and acts of affirmation.
And by the way, these are nonsexual so that you speak her romantic love language. It's important to remember that you are not doing these things to get something in return. Perhaps she will reciprocate in your language back to you, but that's not your goal.
Are you ready? Hug and kiss her every morning before leaving the house. Research indicates that marriages that practice this simple discipline are much healthier than those that don't. If she's sleeping, leave her a note, or gently kiss her forehead and whisper, 'Have a wonderful day, sweetheart.'
Reach across the front seat of the car when you drive and hold her hand, even for a few moments. Allow your fingers to become entwined. Write, 'I'm crazy about you, Honey.
You're the best!' Or another personal message on a yellow sticky note.
Attach it to her bathroom mirror. Call her from work and say, 'I've been thinking of how good I have it with you in my life.
Thanks for all that you are as a woman and all that you do for me and our family.' The next time you get a pair of tickets to a ball game, theater, or concert that she'd like to go to, make a sacrifice. Instead of going with a buddy, tuck them in her purse with a note saying, 'You deserve a night off.
Have fun with a girlfriend.' Go an entire day without criticizing anything about her. Instead, try to notice her doing something that you really appreciate, and tell her how much you value her.
Go to bed at the same time with her for a week; just talk or read a book and share the quietness together. Or play a card game that you used to play when you dated or were just married. Brush her hair and compliment her hair and eyes. While she studies her face in the mirror, come up behind her and gently kiss the back of her neck. Say, 'God broke the mold after He made you. You are so beautiful.' Call her or send her an e-mail midafternoon and ask her how her day is going.
Try your hand at making breakfast on Saturday morning. Tell her she deserves a break and should feel free to sleep in. Take her car to the gas station, fill the tank, vacuum the floor mats, and clean the windows. When you park it at the house, leave a note on the dash with just a heart and the words, 'Thinking of you.' Write her a short love letter in which you list several ways that she has blessed you this year. Resurrect common courtesies.
Start opening the car door for her as you did when you dated, pull out her chair for her at the dinner table, offer your arm while walking down stairs, and help her put her coat on. If she's doing the laundry, pull yourself away from whatever you're doing and offer to bring the hamper. Put the toilet seat down when you're finished, and wash your hands. I'd estimate that 40 percent of men don't. Our wives do know. Stroking her face after you've been to the bathroom suddenly loses its romantic appeal!
Put down the newspaper or turn off the computer, and say, 'Why don't we go for a walk and talk? I'd love to hear about your day.' If you overhear her engaged in a difficult situation on the phone or with a child, compliment the way she handled the conversation. Initiate daily prayer with her. This one spiritual discipline has transformed millions of marriages. Make a commitment, and then begin to pray together every day.
Begin by giving thanks for her and your family, then pray with her about her worries and challenges. Ask her to pray for you about a challenge you are facing. Say, 'Thank you,' after every meal she serves. Then help her clear the table or offer to do the dishes with her. If she has wrestled with a specific spiritual issue (such as gossip, envy, a lack of compassion), tell her how much you appreciate her desire to handle it in a godly manner. Express appreciation for her doing the laundry and folding your clothing. Each day try to say, 'I love the way you ,' and fill in the blank with something you've observed.
When your wife irons your shirts or picks up the dry cleaning, say, 'Thanks, Honey, for taking such good care of me.' When the alarm goes off in the morning, wrap your arm around her, press your body next to hers, and cuddle for several minutes. When you leave, say, 'I wish I didn't have to go.' The next time you go to dinner, say, 'You've had a tough day, Sweetie. Why don't you pick the spot tonight?'
When you are together in a crowd, find a way to brag on her. Say, 'My wife is such an amazing cook,' or 'I've got the best wife—her never ceases to amaze me.' The morning after making love, touch her tenderly, and tell her how wonderful it was to be with her.
With your wife in the room, tell your kids, 'You've got the best mommy in the world. Isn't she great? I just love her so much.' Help her put the kids to bed each night. For some men, the thought of affirming their wives sounds like a lot of work. Others are anxious about being so vulnerable with displays of affirmation.
Whatever the reason, they hesitate to step out and pursue the call to love found in Ephesians 5:25 (NKJV): 'Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her.' If you've hesitated affirming your bride, or if you've been slow to praise her qualities, trust me on this: just do it. Affirming your wife through even just three or four of these ideas will do wonders for your romance. Is that too difficult to believe?
You'll never know unless you try, right? Excerpted by permission of Thomas Nelson Inc., Nashville, TN., from, ©2004 by Dennis and Barbara Rainey. All rights reserved. Next Steps 1.
Become A Better Lover
Learn more about romance in marriage from Dennis and Barbara Rainey. Listen to their audio series, or purchase. Read Bob Lepine's article, 3.
FamilyLife offers dozens of fun, romantic getaways across the country. Learn how to build intimacy, improve communication, and take your marriage to the next level! FamilyLife exists to help husbands and wives connect with each other around God's best for their marriage and family. Articles like this are possible in part because of regular financial support of people like you.