A new club is trying to open in my home town. I dont have a problem with the concept of a little competition I just get the feeling that its a McDojo Franchise.

The first worry is that in all the advertising it hardly mentions about the need to be a black belt to run a club.. in fact it says you can learn how to do it in a few weekends!!

Aparently its a £10k outlay for the system, for which you can charge kids £49 a month for 1 training session.. and as usual it gets more expensive the further you grade (which is a lot as you just have to turn up (pay) and you get graded)

The blurb around it doesnt make sense either.. hes 29 and 6th Dan (no idea what style/association) which sounds a bit young.. hes also Michael Jackson's (unnoficial) personal security guard when he is in the uk..(or his best friend) and they have the largest network of martial arts clubs in England/Europe (the number varies from 300-500 clubs)

This sounds like a case for Bullshido.. any one know anything about them?

Link to site: http://www.mattfiddes.com/index2.php?mfcwCNTRY=English

Blurb:
MATT FIDDES MARTIAL ARTS SCHOOLS – the FUN brand of NON-COMBAT which offers a DYNAMIC new LIFESTYLE.

Welcome to the Matt Fiddes Martial Arts Schools website, the most successful chain of Martial Arts schools in the UK … because it offers so much more than repetitive combat drills. Combining fun with suppleness, challenge with fitness, it offers the promise of a BLACK BELT LIFESTYLE .

Looks like marketing gone wild.

The first worry is that in all the advertising it hardly mentions about the need to be a black belt to run a club.. in fact it says you can learn how to do it in a few weekends!!



What Qualifications will my Instructor Hold?
To become an Instructor within the Matt Fiddes organisation you have to be working towards or hold the following qualifications, certificates and requirements.

First Aid (Up to date)
Health and Safety certification
Child protection Certification
Level 1 Martial Arts Instruction Certification
1st Degree Black Belt
Full Insurance policy
CRB Police Back Ground check
Attend monthly updates
Member of the National Association of professional Martial Artists
The working towards thing is slightly concerning, but other than that, it looks like a solid set of standards.

It looks professional and expensive. McDojo? - yeah, probably.
Bullshido? I don't see where he's offering to make you a MMA fighter, or espousing chi, ki or no-touch stuff.
I haven't thoroughly read the site, but it doesn't seem to be making outlandish claims.

http://www.mightymatts.com/teach.aspx

and

http://www.mfladiesonly.co.uk/locations.php

Not sure if the ladies only locations refer to all his clubs or just the ladies part of it but it doesnt look like 500 clubs..

If you read the news articles on the ladies only site the 'press releases' say 400 and then later 500 clubs.. in the same press release? bit of a fopar!

It also mentions that his only instructor now is Dave Kovar.. thats a long way to go for lessons? LOL

and now I have finally found the list of locations for his clubs.. without counting it looks more like 100 ish (not 400 or 500!) and that includes all of the European ones.

Dont get me wrong I would love to have 100 clubs.. but if I did I would say I have 100..

It also mentions that his only instructor now is Dave Kovar.. thats a long way to go for lessons? LOL
Web-sites are sometimes not produced by the people who teach the MA. They may be out of date, the person doing the site might be not quite grasp the seriousness of exaggeration (if indeed those figures aren't accurate).

If you're serious about this, email Fiddes and ask him some questions.
Post his answers here.

Two-line LOLPOSTS will probably get your thread moved from MABS as it won't look serious.

Let me know if this gets kicked to YMAS,


the comedy potential here is immense.


:icon_thum

Thanks for the advice Sochin101, I will try and keep it serious as I think it deserves some concern, especially for those who may send their kids there or train there and think they may be able to defend themselves!

I have emailed them asking how long I will need to train to be able to open a franchise based on not having any martial arts experience. I will post again once I have received a reply.

My pleasure, mate.

I googled a bit and found some discussions from former students etc on other forums:

http://www.all-karate.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1002

http://www.all-karate.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1066

Some stuff on the franchise:

http://martialartsfranchise.com/franchise_mfbusinessstory.php


And a job advert (!):

http://www.leisurejobs.com/jobprofile-230011.html


But I know nothing about Martial Arts?



No experience is necessary. In fact we like to make our instructors the way we want them. Sometimes coming with baggage of past experience can work a negative way. We are the leaders in this industry and we will train you to the highest standard before you embark on your career as a personal trainer within the Matt Fiddes Martial Arts. Full training and support is provided to quickly shape you into a first class instructor with full liability insurance and CRB police.



You could be:



* A football coach with limited income and no career path
* A personal trainer looking to supplement their income
* A PE teacher thinking of getting out
* An existing martial arts instructor working under a Black belt owner
* A part time sports coach working for a children’s sports operator with no full time prospects
* A Sports College PDM looking for new revenue streams
* A Leisure Centre manager looking to impress his line manager and bottom line
* A Junior Activity Manager, Kids Club or Pre School Manager looking for new programmes in kids activity and fitness
* A corporate HR Manager looking for Activity in the Workplace programmes
* A Health Club GM with no new members coming in
* A Gym owner struggling to pay his rent.

Interesting. And by interesting, I mean terrifying.

I've read of him as he features with some regularity in COMBAT, MAI. In the latter he had a spread with Danielle Somebody (former Miss GB who had shagged Teddy Sheringham just prior to him being a judge in the competition; she has gone on to stellar success with various footballers and regular Daily Start fodder). The odd thing is that this Danielle Nobody was wearing a junior BB in the photos.

It was an awful PR piece and subsequently drew a critical letter from a reader on the rapid progress of Danielle Anybody.

The "article" had a usual guff about Matt being a personal friend of "Michael". Jeezus, but it was desperate stuff and now read MAI more critically. Could you wonder?....

I'm pretty sure there was a thread about the guy in the Black Belt forum where a couple of us UK guys tried to see if we could get a job teaching with him. I never heard back but I think someone else did. Could someone who isn't such a jackass as to let their supporting membership laps have a look and see if there was any information dug up in that thread?

It's in there. Cullion started it. You posted on it. So did I. So did Asriel.
It became LOL MIKEL JAXON, hence my earlier advice to the OP about trying to keep off the LULZ.

EDIT: No-one mentions whether they were contacted back.

Looks like a definite mcdojo on 2 counts
1/ They compare themselves to mcdonalds in their job advert http://www.leisurejobs.com/jobprofile-229639.html

2/ I've actualy seen them advertising at the local mcdonalds as some kind of partnership deal

Looks like a definite mcdojo on 2 counts
1/ They compare themselves to mcdonalds in their job advert http://www.leisurejobs.com/jobprofile-229639.html

2/ I've actualy seen them advertising at the local mcdonalds as some kind of partnership deal


Advertising @ McDonalds = McDojo?



Did I miss a memo?

Advertising @ McDonalds = McDojo?



Did I miss a memo?


Let's be honest if you seen your own club put a fucking great banner over the front door of mcdonalds advertising a partnership deal wouldn't you be concerned?