Introduction
In this piece, we spoke with Ibrahim Muse, a Karate black belt holder who runs Dojo Kaizen… one of the biggest Dojos in Victoria Island. Muse shares his inspiration behind learning Karate, what the business side of Karate looks like in a city like Lagos, and some of the challenges he faces in the business.
What’s Karate?
For those who may not know… Karate is a martial art that consists of a system of unarmed combat practiced for self-defense, fitness, self-development, and general well-being. Originally developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom in Japan over a century ago… the martial art has spread to other parts of the world.
Dojo Kaizen
Dojo Kaizen runs a network of Dojos with over 50 students registered students. The Dojo caters to students ranging from 5 and 6-year-olds to senior citizens in their 60s. Karate as a martial art provides an opportunity for participants to stay fit, interact with others in their age group, and learn different life lessons as it relates to martial arts.
Ibrahim’s Introduction to Karate and the Martial Arts
Ibrahim’s interest in Karate was inspired by Bruce Lee’s movies in the 80s, which was a fun intro to martial arts. But he started to take Karate more seriously when a number of instructors introduced it to some students in his school as a JSS1 student.
Like most people with an interest in sports in Lagos, he started training at the National Stadium in Lagos, going with his father to train with other Karate lovers. A few years later, Ibrahim had grown from a kid with a love for Bruce Lee movies into a black belt holder as a teenager in SSS2.
A few years later, Ibrahim thought of giving back to others the same way he learned from his Sensei, Sensei Alfred. Sensei Alfred saw teaching martial arts and Karate as a way to share with others… a belief Ibrahim had also grown to develop.
This spurred Ibrahim to become more interested in training and mentoring other people with an interest in Karate, eventually leading to him opening his own Dojo.
The Business Beyond the Kicks and the Challenges Every Sensei Faces in Lagos.
For a man who grew up with Karate as a sport and passion, adjusting to the business side of things was difficult, with some of his main challenges including:
- Finding a good and conducive space to train his students.
- Developing Effective Pricing Models To Cover Costs: For a lot of business owners in the training or education business, it can be hard to quantify the amount of value you’re providing students in exchange for money. One metric most people use is the “time spent” metric, but a good number of times, this is not an accurate measure of value exchanged for money. This is where a good understanding of economics and balancing the books is crucial. You’ll want to develop pricing models that do not scare off your prospects while they also know they are getting good value for their money… and you’ll also want to make sure your revenue can cover expenses and other needs around your Dojo.
- Recruiting Capable Staff: Perhaps the greatest challenge for most Senseis that run Dojos in Lagos, staffing can be quite the challenge… even for the best Senseis. For many Senseis, finding talents that share their drive, enthusiasm, and level of dedication to service can be difficult, and for others, training these talents to this level can take time and effort… especially to replace them when they move to other places to work.
The Best Recipe For Growth
Every business needs to scale, improve, and continue in the right direction. And for martial arts Dojos, Ibrahim understands the importance of good content and how it can set you apart from other Dojos.
With everyone running ads, and using social media and other tools for marketing, it can be difficult getting your brand seen by the right people.
But for Ibrahim, great content and referrals from satisfied students is a better, more organic, and more human way to win customers over and grow in the long run. When you can give a good experience, great content, ensure sessions are safe and of course, provide fun in your sessions, people will refer you due to your high standards and quality of work.
Where is Dojo Kaizen?
If you’d love to stay fit and healthy, or perhaps you want to brush up on your martial arts and work out with fellow Karate lovers, you can check out Dojo Kaizen at Eko Gym and Spa (No. 9 Akari Biri Close, off Idejo Street).
You can also find out more about Dojo Kaizen on their IG page @ibromuse to find out more about competitions they host (like Karate For All Ages), their pricing plans, and anything else.
And if you’d love to watch the full interview, you can do that here.
