Tae Kwon Do Thailand

[Damian Mavis]

Well wish me luck and success, tomorrow I open 2 of my 3 new ITF TKD branches and open the 3rd one on Saturday. I'm very excited and for some reason a little scared... don't know why success is scary, maybe it's the fear of failure, I am not sure. There is alot of TKD in Thailand but I will be first ITF TKD school here. I will also be the first TKD school under the Ministry of Education and will have certificates issued by the government. The other TKD schools are all under the Sports Association and are all pressured to make people test very quickly and have supervisors come do really bad testings for each school and take a fee. Luckily I won't have to deal with all that and can keep my standards high. I'll let you know how it goes!

Damian Mavis
Honour TKD

[ipscshooter]

Good Luck!

[Spookey]

ITF-Thailand!

Mr. Mavis,

Best wishes and thanks for assisting in the promotion and preservation of Chang Hon Taekwon-Do!

Keep us all informed!

TAEKWON!
Michael (Spookey)

[moogong]

Wow, I can't imagine opening two branches at the same time! You are really gonna have your hands full but that really is part of the fun. Good luck!!

[osopardo]

Damian,

Just out of my own "none-of-my-business" curiosity, what is your educational background? PhD in business from Harvard? I'm impressed!

I see you've managed to maintain Honour TKD all the way from the other side of the world and now you're opening two new branches. That's not just being a good martial artist, that's being a really good businessman!

What's next, franchising?


Success! and best of luck!

[Damian Mavis]

Whoa whoa, it's not like I'm opening 3 new FULL TIME branches... how would I teach them all?! haha No I am opening 3 part time branches, which means I rent one space 4 hours a week, another one 4 hours a week and another one 4 hours a week. I also have a small branch that is one class for an hour and a half a week (not my choice really). Running the 4 branches is like running one full time school. Of course I am also still running my school back in Canada but that is being taught by someone else I hired (who is very good).... 2 part time branches there.

The reason I rented 3 part time branches is because it's less risky and it's a good way to see what the various areas are like without investing too much money. But honestly I'm hoping they all do well and want to teach at all 3 although the one that is a studio I'm hoping to turn into a full time location down the road. It's perfect.

Osopardo, I took psychology for 3 years but took a break and never went back because I started teaching martial arts full time. I wish I had finished but just to say I had my degree, the schooling was of absolutely no value heh, although it was interesting.

Franchising isn't really a realistic option unless you don't give a damn about quality. I give a damn so won't be doing that any time soon!

Damian Mavis
Honour TKD

[osopardo]

Damian,

I think you're missing the whole point. You're suppposed to do some market research, analyze demographics, do a heavy marketing campaign, then open a school with a senior student teaching.

Your supervisory involvement should take a only couple of hours per week. The rest of the time you're supposed to be developing name recogniton through involvement in tournaments, competitions, sponsorships, civic events etc. That way people will want to enroll and train under the guidance of the master.

When that school reaches market saturation at its location you repeat the process in another location. Then you repeat the process again and again.

That's how you make the big cannollis!



And don't forget merchandising! You gotta have t-shirts and jackets and coffee mugs and gear bags and all of it with a picture of you and the company name and logo on it! Man, I can't wait to get my Damian Mavis autograph groin cup!

[Thai Bri]

Put me down for a Mavis Mug.

[Damian Mavis]

Hmmm, Thai Bri, I'm all out of stock, perhaps you'd care for a special order Mavis Turd? I can get it to you in just 3 days by special delivery but it will cost extra if you're in a rush to get it.

Damian Mavis
Honour TKD

[Thai Bri]

Is it one that the Mafia guy knocked out of ya?

[Damian Mavis]

Ooh good one. Actually when I figured out that guy was probably Mafia I lost all feeling altogether, I wasn't angry anymore or anything. It's so weird, I'll get really scared or nervous about really stupid little things (like performing a pattern in front of a hundred black belts at a seminar) but feel nothing about big stuff. When I crashed my bike here, fought in the ring and thought I was about to fight a Russian mobster I didn't feel anything.

Damian Mavis
Honour TKD

[osopardo]

...perhaps you'd care for a special order Mavis Turd?

If you could have those made of an appropriate size and weight to use as a yawara or pocket stick, maybe put a key ring on it, you might have a real "hot" seller!

[Damian Mavis]

Uhm I think it was adventures in Thailand 1!

Damian Mavis
Honour TKD

[Thai Bri]

I can just picture some Russian guy writing on a Russian forum..... He'd call his thread "Adventures in Thailand" too. Here's an excerpt:-

"and then some 95 lb weakling started throwing his legs around and screaming wildly. The poor guy must have been having a fit. As I approached he said "Please leave me Mister, heer is a free gift for you" and he offered me a rather spongy and strange smelling pocket stick......."

HAW HAW HAW!

[Tom Yum]

I can just picture some Russian guy writing on a Russian forum..... He'd call his thread "Adventures in Thailand" too. Here's an excerpt:-

"and then some 95 lb weakling started throwing his legs around and screaming wildly. The poor guy must have been having a fit. As I approached he said "Please leave me Mister, heer is a free gift for you" and he offered me a rather spongy and strange smelling pocket stick......."

HAW HAW HAW!

hehehe....that's a good one! Sorry Damian I'm not laughing at your situation, Thai Bri just has a way with making us all look silly.