I see the league of shadows resurgent.

6 basics steps.  I have only been actively  / consistently performing 2 of those 6 steps.  That is scary, but that also brings hope.  Now I know exactly what to work on.  I have something specific and concrete to work.

Given prep time and a plan I am hard to beat.

So I figured I would kill two birds with one stone.

Use this blog to help spread the knowledge that Randy shared with me (principle # 6 cross promotion) and put my plan down on paper to keep myself accountable.

Let’s look at those 6 basic steps.  What I am currently doing, and how that can be approved

1 Specific mission – what are you teaching? – what are you trying to do?

Professional Use of Force Training

Fire Arms Training

Personal protection

Japanese Martial Arts

• ·         Judo
• ·         Karate
• ·         Aikido
• ·         Taiho Jutsu
• ·         Kenjutsu

That is a wide spectrum.  A shotgun approach as Randy discussed.  I enjoy teaching all of those things but I can’t be everything to everyone.

Specific mission for each specific class

So what is my niche?

Because of his success, Randy gets to train whatever he wants to train.  That, for him is martial art and self defense.  He doesn’t teach a lil dragons kids karate class or cardio kick boxing to become financially successful in order to do what he enjoys doing.

That is what I want.

I don’t want to copy Randy.  I want to understand what makes Randy successful and apply that to what I do

Demographics

Who are you trying to attract?

In my mind I changed this question to what are some common characteristics of the people I enjoy training with.  

Who do I want to play with?

Age:                       25 – 40

Gender:               Male

Specific interests:

People serious about self-defense, but also cool / nerdy enough to embrace the legion of doom vibe

Not necessarily athletic, but non athletes that want to be more athletic

Nerdy enough to embrace covert ops / super hero training without being socially retarded.

I like the idea of older people that will be around for a long time.

My school is small but it is like a family.  Family both like they are my siblings and like the mafia blood in blood out.  I don't want to waste my energy on revolving door students

What is my niche and who do I want to play with?  Two very important questions that I really never asked myself before.  

Or I think more accurately phrased never took the time to answer before.

Questions that must be answered before any of the other 6 steps can be applied.

I wanted to respond to Randy’s vlog right away, but instead I took some time to think and discuss some of my ideas with people I trust.

One of those guys is Rory Miller.  Luckily for me our conversation was over social media so I can just cut and paste and ½ my blog is written (work smarter not harder)

Rory Miller

Weird idea, but have you ever considered advertising in comic and gaming shops?

Kasey Keckeisen

Considered it,but didn't pursue it.  Time to get off my ass, guys like Dillon, Myron and Randy are guys I'd like to teach.  Think I can pick up some of them from a comic shop?

Rory Miller

As for getting a Dillon at a comic shop, nope. But you might be able to make a Dillon out of what you find there.

I had already been working on this plan / blog during this conversation so I shared the demographic listed above with Rory

Rory Miller

Too narrow. Make rehabilitating the socially retarded part of the program.

And if you get them at 16 they'll get addicted and you'll create a lifetime martial artist.

Kasey Keckeisen

Con com (conflict communications)would be perfect for people that want to improve their social interaction skills

Rory Miller

I did a post on using it for nerd rehabilitation.

Kasey Keckeisen

Down side is only brick and mortar shops are 30 - 45 min away, think guys will drive that far to train?

Rory Miller

So, some of those kids are traveling 30-40 miles for comic books.

That's assuming they don't live near you and drive to the shops.

Kasey Keckeisen

See, this is why it is nice to have smart friends

Rory Miller

I wouldn't know.

Kasey Keckeisen

Dick

Kasey Keckeisen

I figure I can't help but put that twist on what I do.  It is just sort of me

I might as well embrace it

Rory Miller

It also makes for good branding.

Everyone else takes this shit way too seriously.

"Why so serious?"

Kasey Keckeisen

Nice!!!!!!

Rory Miller

And, people learn better when they are having fun.

Kasey Keckeisen

All book stores have a comic section I could advertise there too

Rory Miller

I could see a poster w/ a caricature of Lise in a super costume.  An ass-kicking nerd granny might get a lot of people curious.

Kasey Keckeisen

All the zombie lovers want to know how to shoot too, so stuff on what to carry  / urban survival will be well received too I believe

Rory Miller

You might be able to fold it into a full-blown Community Emergency Response Team training.

Some things I have been thinking about for a while sort of clicked into place after that conversation.

Also, after training last Wednesday Cody said, great class and now I get to go home and watch “Arrow”.  Which was funny to me because I was thinking the same thing.

Hmmm?

A new approach

Personal protection is a serious topic.  People learn better when they play. 

How do you play serious?

I have an idea.

This idea is going to be the shit.  The S.H.I.T.

Super

Heroes

In

Training

Kasey vibe – serious topic made fun through covert ops and super heroes.

So the class will be like the blog heart attack serious material but I can't (not like I shouldn’t, but I literally cannot) take myself too seriously

I want to be professional as possible while referencing Batman and James Bond.

How does one become a super hero?

No matter how hard you train you can’t become Superman, The Hulk, Wonder Woman or Wolverine.

I’m a good Instructor but nothing I can teach you can make you super human. 

But I can teach you to be more than a man

I can help you be Arrow, I can help you become Batman

I can be Ra’s Al Ghul.  I can offer the path of the league of shadows.

(Did that sound cool?  It sounded cool in my head as I wrote it)

Great idea on paper, but logistics win wars.  How am I going to get this done?

What I currently  offer:

Professional Use of Force Training

Fire Arms Training

Personal protection

Japanese Martial Arts

•             Judo

•             Karate

•             Aikido

•             Taiho Jutsu

•             Kenjutsu

Specific mission for each specific class

I am the owner and operator of Keishoukan Dojo LLC.

I also do business as:

• ·         Special Operations Control Tactics (SOCT)
• ·         KTC (Keckeisen Training Concepts)
• ·         Chiron Minnesota

Each business name will have a specific mission.

All Law Enforcement, Tactical Operations, Fire Arms and Security training and consulting will be run through Special Operations Control Tactics.  Connected to but kept separate from the covert op / super hero vibe.  That training has always been separate anyway.  The new approach is to fill weekly classes.

KTC Training and consulting will serve as  a shell corporation.  Like how Wayne Enterprises funds The Batman.  KTC will be a cover for ODIN

Operational

Disciplines

Instructional

Network

ODIN like SHIELD (but way cooler) has a mission to recruit and train super heroes

ODIN will handle step 5* in a fun way.

All the academic topics I block under “Things your Sensei never taught you” will be covered by ODIN as covert operative training:

• ·         Understanding use of force law
• ·         Force Articulation
• ·         How your brain works – this is your brain
• ·         How your brain reacts to stress caused by conflict – this is your brain on violence
• ·         Social Violence
• ·         Asocial Violence
• ·         Conflict Strategy – Avoidance
• ·         Conflict Strategy – Escape and evade
• ·         Verbal Skills  - Deescalating social violence
• ·         Verbal Skills  - Deterring asocial violence
• ·         Logic of violence - Understanding criminal behavior
• ·         Threat assessment
• ·         Reading terrain
• ·         After
• ·               Self care
• ·               Talking to the police
• ·               Psychology of survival

Heroes also clearly need physical skills.  And I like Ninjas.  Two great tastes that taste great together

Keishoukan Dojo is the league of shadows, or as we will refer to it in Japanese -  Kagenorenmei

Members of the league will learn:

• How to hit hard

Not how to earn points in competition.  How to generate power and deliver force into an enemy in order to disable an attacker.

• How Joints lock / break

How to control someone using lower levels of force, and how to break someone when higher levels of force are justified

• How to overcome an ambush attack

Not blocking, not evading, but turning the tide.  The Japanese sometimes call this Sen No Sen or attacking the attack.
You are not defending but actively counter attacking.  Something that protects you and allows you to deliver force (damage) into the attacker at the same time.  All while improving your position so the attacker can no longer damage you.

• How throws work

You need to be able to move a larger aggressive enemy.  You need to be able to direct that enemy into the environment (walls, tables, the floor, down a flight of stairs)

• How to move someone on the ground

You don't need to be a red belt in BJJ but you should be able to prevent your self from being taken to the ground, and if you end up there you have to be able to move a larger aggressive enemy.

• How strangles work - Wreck a neck
• You will need the ability to use potentially lethal force
• *Edged weapons
• *Fire arms

Kagenorenmei is “Ninja” training for super  heroes

Kagenorenmei is Keishoukan Budo:

• ·         Judo
• ·         Karate
• ·         Aikido
• ·         Taiho Jutsu
• ·         Kenjutsu

Life is too short not to have fun.  Remember Rory’s advice to me. "Why so serious?" and, people learn better when they are having fun.

When they are playing.

There are plenty of Ninja schools.  Not to burst any bubbles or be disrespectful, but  most of the Ninja aspect of these schools is simply made up.

For the most part the people at these schools understand that and continue to train because it is fun.

There is absolutely no reason that you can’t play Ninja and learn quality practical skills.

There is no reason folks that would have fun playing Ninjas wouldn’t have even more fun playing Ninjas with me.

How many times have I mentioned Snake Eyes and the Arashi Kage on this bolg

Clearly I like playing ninjas too.  Now I have an excuse to play

Now that that is established (hey only took me 20 years) now we can move on to the next steps

2 Budget – how much cash do you have to spend?

I figured I could probably allocate $100 ($20 / regular student) a month on advertising.  I had a discussion with Randy and he helped me find ways to get the best bang out of that $100

He suggested:

...then from your 100 a month spend 40 of it promoting one of your blogs on Facebook... Make sure that blog has contact info, website and all your social media on it.

Also that blog should be the one you are the most proud of that month.

Then send out a mass email (free) to your entire contact list about a huge sale on classes, have an expiration  date  on it.

Tell all of your current students if they bring in 3 more people over the month who pay they will get 3 months free.

“Bring me three train for free”

Use the other $60 on pay per click over the next 3 months.

Pick a start date and make sure all your ads and offers (each being different so you know what works) finish 2 weeks after your chosen start date

That should generate a bunch of biz over the next couple months

Also this way you know where to invest more money and where to hack cash off

I figure what I do is unique enough (clearly no one else is secretly training super heroes)that once someone that is interested in that niche finds out about us and checks out that person will be willing to drive 30 – 45 min to come train with us.

However, there is another market I haven’t tapped.  People generally interested in martial arts training that will train where it is convenient.  Regardless of what is being taught, or the quality or the instruction.

If a guy is willing to pay for the product at (insert name of first big chain “McDojo” that popped into your head) because it is near his house.  There is no reason that similar people that live near the legion of doom wouldn’t be willing to pay for a far superior product.

What else can I do for free or low cost to attract them?

Signs on building.

KTC Training and Consulting

• Fire Arms Training
• Personal protection
• Japanese Martial Arts
• •             Judo
• •             Karate
• •             Aikido
• •             Taiho Jutsu
• •             Kenjutsu

Secret entrance here - >

We will hide in plain sight.  The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist.

Some one building an army of highly trained operatives clearly wouldn’t pretend to be a guy pretending to be building an army of highly trained operatives.

That’s just silly…or is it

I can also try to get the local Community Ed to advertise the class.

And clearly now that I have something fresh to advertise I can put up flyers locally.

3 What is your message

I am proud to be part of Rory Miller’s Chiron Training.  The company tag line is we train heroes.

Again I can hide in plain sight - We train heroes, the super is implied

That message reflects the mission.

That message can be reflected  in all media – web – flyers – business cards – social media – you tube – outdoor signage.

Which brings us to 4

4 Social media – pay per click

Blog
FB

Website

You tube page.

Out of all the 6 steps 4 is one of the two steps that I actually do.  You are reading this blog aren’t you?  Now I have ways to use this blog which I would be doing anyway to specifically advertise the class

5 Measure and track every thing

I am horrible at this.  Lame, no longer acceptable.  ODIN will keep strict records as a covert agency should.  ODIN will also keep files and monitor the progress of all members and send out mass communiques to all associates on a regular basis.

This can also be the foundation for the distance learning program and “branch offices”

6 Cross promotion

Like this current blog step 6 is the other step out of 6 that I have been actively doing.  Stay tuned for more.

OK the idea is out there now.  I put up my plan for the world to see and to hold myself accountable.  Now to follow through.

I hope this cross over blog / vlog / blog helped.  There are lots of great instructors out there.  I hope anyone of them reading this picked up a trick or two that will allow them to be independent and teach what they are passionate about.

And so it begins….

Welcome to ODIN