Growing Your Club
by Jesse Kulla
Growing a Martial Arts club can be a long, but rewarding experience. From humble beginnings, giants are born. HEMA clubs are the forge of memories, and can last for years beyond their founding, sometimes taking on a life of their own.
Even if your own goals are not so lofty, bear in mind that any group that is not growing is dying. Strong words, but true. Attrition is inevitable. This need not be a bad thing. Some HEMA groups consist of a band of friends that are working or experimenting with HEMA, and have no interest in spending the time and effort it takes to grow a larger club. When they fall below critical mass as members leave, they disperse to join or form other clubs.
But for those who want to retain a core of advanced students, have a more dedicated space, or just maintain the social ties that come with a lasting club, growth becomes a requirement. Like a living plant, this growth is organic and alive. And like a living plant, that growth can also be directed, shaped, encouraged, and spliced.
First, Decide What Your Club Is
Before you can grow your club, it’s important to define it. Decide what it is the club teaches. Medieval or Renaissance swordplay? Modern saber applied to the long sword? Olympic fencing adapted to fit the rapier? Tournament longsword? A combination of all of the above?
What is the core of the club's teaching? These ideas shape the culture of your club. They begin to set expectations, and they contribute to the experience of training at that club. It can be hard to grow if you don’t know who you want to be, in your heart. Sword fighting has a lot of heart.
Getting the Word Out
Once you know what you are, it’s time to tell people about it. Advertising and recruiting are the next big concern. People need to know you exist or they won’t come and train. Word of mouth is invaluable but in a small club, often not enough. You can talk about fight club all you like, but if you already recruited all your friends, they can’t join twice.
Having a website is a good start. It should include your hours, some “about us” info, and give your group an air of professionalism. Make sure yours gives a good first impression.
A website won’t succeed if it is the sole vector for recruiting, however. Your group will want a multi dimensional approach. A mix of advertising and in-person events is needed. Nothing sells sword fighting like holding a sword in one’s own hand. It sparks many folks' imaginations. For folks to hold that sword, they need to know where you are, and when you meet.
Good in person events and advertising opportunities include:
Comic Conventions
A booth at one club’s local comic convention led to 100 folks paying to try their classes. Smaller conventions often don’t even charge a table fee. Teaching or doing demos at these kinds of events can be very rewarding, and having a booth cements who you are and how they can experience more.
Community College and Continuing Education Classes
Many institutions like community colleges are looking for programs for their students. Offering an introductory HEMA class makes an amazing gateway program, and costs very little. Some clubs have found these to be reliable recruitment sources for decades, sometimes lasting after the formal relationship with the institutions ends.
Networking
Networking is a tried and true way to grow. Travel to meet up with other clubs. These can be small regional clubs or larger groups in other cities.
Showing up in person has several advantages. It will help you avoid training isolation and expose you to new perspectives. This will improve the skill level of both your instructors and students. It will also improve the footprint of your “word of mouth” advertising significantly. The relationships formed will result in these other schools sending students to you when they have the opportunity.
Conversely, invite senior members of other schools to come teach you. Aside from the benefits of their teaching, this will go far to increase your word of mouth footprint. Make sure your instructors actively participate in these classes. They may learn something, and moreover, they might just make some friends.
News Exposure
News exposure can be a double-edged sword. Getting a group exposed by a local paper or news station is a challenge, and a hassle. You have little to no control about how and when they run a story, and it will be edited to suit their needs. Filming takes place at their studio and at terrible hours in many cases. Stories will not show you in a bad light, but often not portray you as you might prefer.
Still, news outlets reach a large audience and don’t cost you money, only time. They also add a sense of legitimacy to what you do. Although HEMA is maturing to the point where it needs less explanation and justification than it did in the old days, this can help group leadership feel more legitimate as well.
If you choose this route, you need to let reporters know you are there to be written about. Try sending them a postcard inviting them to check you. Emails are filtered out too quickly, and letters can be more effort than they’re worth.
Targeted Flyers
Not to be confused with blanket flyering which involves indiscriminate distribution, targeted flyers are only put in prominent places that you expect your target audience to visit, and at locations that approve of you doing so. Comic shops, gaming stores, and bookstores are good bets. Make sure they are eye-catching. Spring for color. Make sure they tell folks when and where to show up, like “Tuesday, January 10th, Open Class to the general public”. People are more likely to turn up to a one-time special event, and less likely to act on open ended events that are recurring.
Community Events
Hosting demos at farmers markets, tabling a booth at the local renaissance faire, and marching in parades are all great ways for your town or city to learn you exist. This helps establish you as an institution, rather than a pack of oddballs that linger in the local park with swords and biker jackets. These events tend to be free or cheap to participate in, and will often allow you to run demonstrations.
Growing Internally
There are also a few things you will want to do within your club that will help you grow. These fall into two categories: culture and process.
Create a Welcoming Culture
Your school's culture will have a huge effect on who wants to join it. For more on club culture, check out this article [link culture article here]. To grow, folks need to believe they can get the martial arts training they want while feeling welcome and valued.
You can do that by being welcoming and showing respect by visibly keeping students’ well-being in the forefront:
Greet newcomers
Clearly display and regularly discuss safety regulations
Keep the progressions through your curriculum clear, and the stages of development visible
Treat every participant equally (don’t play favorites!)
Take concerns seriously
Offer options - give participants alternative modes of engagement beyond intense drills
Let folks know they will grow, and show them their improvements when they do
Socialize regularly. Martial arts attracts a wide variety of people, and often the only surface item they hold in common is an interest in the art itself. Social interaction will reveal more, and build bonds that will not only bolster individuals, but form relationships that will tie your club together into a strong organization. By welcoming new students into this social mesh, you will gain lasting students, and slowly win the war on student attrition. Happy students also invite their friends. Word of mouth is a great way to grow!
Establish Clear Processes for Student Advancement
Club organization is also an important step in building long term students. A school with a one person staff will rapidly burn that person out. Having a cohort of advanced, seasoned students is the first step to recruiting people to take on extra roles such as covering social media, website management, and recruiting.
While there are many processes a school needs, the two that are key to growing your club are how to advance students and recognize that advancement, and how to training instructors. More people means more folks to recruit in growing the club, which can reduce the stress on individuals, and thus aid in retention.
Student Growth and Advancement
Many folks who train in HEMA have a desire to be seen as skilled. The meaning of this varies between individuals, and between schools. Having senior students to look up to and a clear path to grow one’s own skills go a long way towards retaining members. Recognizing that growth also contributes to student retention by helping your members celebrate their progress and incentivize more hard work to reach the next level.
Watch Your HEMA Club Grow
Growing your HEMA club is a challenging and rewarding experience. As a leader, you have plenty of options to help you get the word out, from community events to networking. The culture you foster at your club also has a huge impact on your ability to retain students and grow, and carefully considering how students will advance and train to become instructors plays a significant role. With these tools you’ll be able to grow your club and, in doing so, the whole HEMA community.