If you weren't already aware, we offer a special forum for school owners and instructors to "talk shop", exchange notes, and discuss their business in general, as a part of our Supporting Members section.

One of the current topics of discussion is if and/or how the economic crunch is affecting schools teaching MMA, Martial Arts, Self Defense, etc. Here's a bit from the original post:

Any time there's a recession people tend to hunker down and spend less money on non-essential pastimes and hobbies. I'd wager most of us here would argue that training is very essential, but a lot of folks do it just to have something to fill the hours after work.

So, any folks feeling the pinch yet? If you are, to what degree? If not, are you taking any steps to help insulate yourself?

If you're a school owner or instructor, or involved in the Martial Arts as a business in any capacity, and a Supporting Member (http://www.bullshido.net/modules.php?name=Content&file=viewarticle&id=6), stop in and contribute your thoughts here (http://www.bullshido.net/forums/showthread.php?t=77886).