I’ve been instructing and running civilian classes since 2012. I’ve done the big classes. Pre-Covid I had almost 120 members across my two clubs in Swindon and North Bristol, with average class sizes of around 30-40. This is great from a business perspective, but not great in terms of instructor-student dynamics. Even with assistant instructors, it is impossible to guarantee one on one time with an individual student, and inevitably some good people slip through the net and quit because they’re just not getting the attention they deserve.
And then there’s the attitudes. On the whole, I would say that 95% of the people who have ever attended taster sessions with the club and I have been good people, but the bigger you cast your net, the more difficult personalities you’re going to pick up. And bad attitudes in a class are like dandelions on your lawn – one is a curiosity, but leave it there and before you know it all the good people have quit and the bad ones are all you have left!
As the book has become more sucessful, and other work has really eliminated the need to pursue civilian classes as a business, I’ve naturally wound it all down. I closed Swindon altogether, and kept North Bristol because it’s closer to home, and most of the people there have been training for years and are close friends now. It’s not like work for me, more like a weekly get-together of people I like to spend time with. I’m not alone in saying that I want to keep it that way.
I love meeting new people, and welcoming them to the world of Krav Maga. Watching people empower themselves with effective self-defence capability is one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever experienced. But nowadays I set a rule with the club – welcome only the number of people that maintains the wonderful atmosphere and community we’ve built here over the years.
I’ve set the maximum membership of this club at 30, because I’d like to see it grow, and add diversity to the membership because that will benefit everyone’s training – it’s always good to train with new people. It’s good learning. But 30 is sufficient.
If you’re thinking of starting Krav Maga, this is just the place, so long as you’re a genuine person with no ego who will value the group as much as you value the training. That’s all we ask. In return, you’ll find the group excel at helping newcomers learn rapidly and reach their best.
If this sounds like you, get in touch today, before we hit the 30!