Welcome to the Professional Association for Martial Arts Instructors!
Helping Martial Arts School Owners Since 1993
With decades of experience and growth as the Professional Association for Martial Arts Schools, MATA is raising the bar again with a central home for all members.
Thanks to our members, we've outgrown our previous websites and have moved MATA, Empower Kickboxing, Empower Self-Defense, and MartialArtsWebsites.com into one powerful platform at MartialArtsTeachers.org.
Notice it's now .org. This would not be possible without the support of all of our members. Thank you.
Departments to Help Your Grow Your Martial Arts School
Planning Your
Martial Arts School
* 180 Day Countdown.
* Creating a Business Plan.
* Location Evaluation.
* Should I Buy or Lease?
* Who’s Going to Build It?
* How to Negotiate a Lease.
* and much more...
Managing Your
Martial Arts School
* Reducing Liability
* Proven Systems for Success
* Student Accounts
* Staff Management
* Scheduling
* Financial Control
* and much more...
What to Teach and
How to Teach It
* After-School Program
* Leadership Team
* Summer Camps
* Children's Classes
* Adults Classes
* Self-Defense
* and much more...
Owners' Mindset
Learn the mindsets you need to overcome conflicting goals and succeed.
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This is where your students experience the value of your school.
Exams & Teaching
* Instructor Certification
* Student Retention
* How to Teach Professionally
* Old School vs Smart School
* The Science of Teaching
* The Physiology of Teaching
* The Psychology of Teaching
* and much more...
Skills and Drills
* Hundreds of Drills for All Ages and Skills
* Joe Lewis Fighting System Integration
* COBRA Defense System Integration
* How to Teach Sparring for High Retention
* Practical Reality-Based Drills
* and much more...
Owners' Mindset
* What Changes When Martial Arts Instructors Begin to Teach for a Living
* Transforming Passion into Profession: Is a Martial Arts School Right for You?
* You Can't Help the Poor by Becoming One of Them
* Your Professional Brand
* and much more...
Meet John Graden and MATA
In 1993, John Graden forever changed the martial arts school business by creating:
1. The first widely respected martial arts school professional association.
2. The first professional association trade journal, Martial Arts Professional magazine.
3. The first widely respected professional certification program for martial arts instructors.
Mr. Graden is available to all MATA members for consulting via phone, Zoom, or email.
MATA Instructor Certification Course
The MATA Certification Board has 20+ veteran black belts who are also experts in their respective fields such as psychology, pedagogy, movement science, motivation, and communication.
Over 6,000 instructors have completed the course in person and online including, Jhoon Rhee, Bill Wallace, and Joe Lewis.
The course was endorsed by Chuck Norris, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Joe Lewis, Bill "Superfoot" Wallace, and many others.
All-in-One Student Success Membership Includes a Custom Website
First impressions are critical to creating interest in your martial arts school.
Your MATA website will reflect your style, philosophy, and class offerings.
This site will enhance your online presence and make it easier for potential students to discover you.
Our custom, optimized member websites include high-speed hosting, SSL, and the domain name.
People prefer to rather learn faster than slower.
People prefer skills that are easy to understand and execute and that make sense rather than something, "they will understand when they get their black belt."
All-in-One Student Success Members get access to the Empower Kickboxing Curriculum
EMPOWER KICKBOXING™ is a complete high-retention martial arts curriculum designed by Joe Lewis’ protege John Graden as a program that students can MASTER FASTER!
The program combines the best martial arts, kickboxing, self-defense, and weapons training into one easy-to-teach-and-learn curriculum.
Rapid Confidence Course
The Rapid Confidence Course (RCC) helps you to target and teach the key skills that build confidence in all situations.
We have specific drills, activities, and exercises that are proven to work and are taught with all methods of learning including kinesthetic (doing), auditory, and visual.
Learn how to safely conduct exciting scenarios like this ATM Robbery
In these professionally conducted scenarios, no foul language, striking, pushing or pulling is allowed.
The stress and excitement is already flowing as soon as the scenario starts.
COBRA-Defense System Integration
COBRA is a law enforcement-based curriculum that mirrors what officers go through in the Police Academy.
COBRA Self-Defense is integrated into our curriculum and lesson plans for adults and children.
It's also a lot of fun. Anyone can do it.
In addition to the curriculum, you'll learn how to market and teach exciting self-defense seminars and scenarios including:
* Active Shooter
* Anti-Abduction
* Anti-Bully
* Verbal Defense
* Self-Defense Academies
* Employee Safety and Self-Defense
* Real Estate Agent Self-Defense
and much more...