by auzebra | Apr 6, 2020 | Other
By Elisabeth Clay Note: the opinions shared within this pieces are those of Elisabeth Clay and do not necessarily reflect those of Zebra Athletics. As we deal with all of the craziness around us during the last month, it seems that we are daily having to re-evaluate...
by auzebra | Mar 24, 2020 | Other
By Kaitlin Young When I first sat down to write this, it was about the joys and struggles of opening our new gym. I had to start over. Maybe I’ll return to that piece later. We opened the Striking Institute on March 2nd, 2020. Our first week went great! We hadn’t...
by auzebra | Mar 9, 2020 | Other
By Kyle Fisher As the President of Zebra Athletics, one of the best parts of my job is working with my team. I can openly admit that throughout my management career I have struggled to adequately show my appreciation for my staff, but as we take time out this month to...
by auzebra | Mar 3, 2020 | Other
Social media can feel overwhelming (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, and on and on). In 2020, however, social media is a necessity for any business, including martial arts gyms. Social media not only helps you gain new members, but it can help increase...
by auzebra | Mar 1, 2020 | Mats, Other
How to Choose the Perfect Mat Layout for Your Martial Arts Facility Your martial art mat layout is crucial to your MMA or martial arts facility design. It reflects your vision, style and brand as a gym owner. Whether you have a small or large space, you can create a...
by auzebra | Feb 14, 2020 | Other
By Elisabeth Clay So, today’s thoughts… while I have always fought the idea of someday opening a school, and still have no real plans to, I am beginning to have an opinion on what is important for opening a school. I am sure that as time goes on, I will change some...
by auzebra | Jan 28, 2020 | Other
Eight years ago, professional MMA star Casey Halstead began the dauting process of opening his own gym. On top of everything else he had to do to get his facility up and running, he also had to choose reliable martial arts mats that would take the punishment of daily...
by auzebra | Dec 17, 2019 | Other
Martial arts gyms are often considered the home of tough, unstoppable, hardcore athletes. And they absolutely are, but all too often, especially in gyms that may have a lot of MMA fighters or competitive jiu jitsu athletes, it may be difficult for the gym owner to...
by auzebra | Dec 16, 2019 | Other
By Kaitlin Young In the not so distant past, I split my time between training for fights and working as a personal trainer. It’s a profession that goes hand in hand with fighting very well. Sessions can be scheduled around practices easily. We’re usually accustomed...
by auzebra | Dec 14, 2019 | Other
Gym owners have repeatedly heard the benefits of adding fitness programs and fitness space to their martial arts facilities. For those that have decided to move forward and have dedicated a portion of their mat space to fitness, deciding on what fitness equipment to...
by auzebra | Nov 15, 2019 | Other
I will begin with a story, more specifically, a confession. There were a few years where I was so focused on training I did not go to family events, eat with my family for meals (always watching every bite I ate), never went out, and just was hyper focused on training...
by auzebra | Nov 10, 2019 | Other
In Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, as with other martial arts, additional equipment can benefit the typical training styles. Zebra mats, whether in the 1.5” or 2” thicknesses, are perfect for day to day training in BJJ facilities. There are aspects of jiu jitsu training,...
by auzebra | Nov 4, 2019 | Other
Logos are a huge part of any facility’s identity, and play an important part in building brand awareness and a team identity. When designing a facility, most gym owners want to ensure they are able to incorporate their logos. What should gym owners know ahead of time...
by auzebra | Oct 8, 2019 | Other
By Kaitlin Young Traveling to train, fight, or do tournaments will produce amazing adventures, give us better cultural understanding, introduce us to new friends, and give us crazy stories for the grandkiddies. The cool thing about martial arts is that they are as...
by auzebra | Sep 18, 2019 | Other
The Ninja obstacle course trend has added another possibility for fitness as well as additions to martial arts schools looking to stand out from the crowd. School owners often purchase ninja course obstacles to add fun conditioning for their kids programs, as well as...
by auzebra | Sep 9, 2019 | Other
By Elisabeth Clay So, let’s start with a common ground. When entering an academy, we usually go there for a reason. We have a goal, whether that is fitness, health, weight loss, self defense, or a high drive to become your very best self. Because we have a goal, it’s...
