Every kids' program brings a group of potential adult students to the school every week: the parents in the lobby. Most schools never enroll more than a few of them. Grandmaster Farshad Azad has made it a deliberate system. He has trained since 1973 in Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Southeast Asian martial arts, holds a 10th-degree black belt, and has run his California school since 1985. He says his school charges the highest tuition in town and has the most students.
Between 25 and 35 percent of the parents in his children's program also train at the school. Of the parents who accept his three-month free offer, more than 80 percent become paying members. On the Red Belt Podcast with host Brian "Barn Cat" Debes, Azad walked through how the system works and why it starts with the instructor, not the offer.
Start With Authenticity and Approachability
Azad's first rule has nothing to do with sales tactics. An instructor who is out of shape cannot credibly tell a parent to get fit. He compares it to someone driving one brand of car while selling another. So the work starts with the instructor holding themselves to a high standard of physical, mental and emotional fitness. In his words, "nothing sells more than authenticity."
The second rule is being approachable. Rank, titles and decades of experience should not make an instructor seem untouchable or full of ego. Azad talks to parents as if they have been friends for years, and he listens for what is holding them back, whether that is stress, fitness or confidence.
Both he and Debes warned about a trap that passionate instructors fall into: talking about lineage, champions and style. Prospects do not care about any of that until they know you care about them. Debes added that many adults sign up without ever discussing which art they will train. They come with a problem and want to hear a solution.
Azad also leads by example through community service, including volunteering at a wildlife refuge for big cats and bears.
Plant the Seed on the First Phone Call
The conversation with a parent starts before the child's first class. When a parent calls about a kids' program, the staff learns what the child needs and then asks the parent what they do for exercise. Once the child enrolls, the parent is invited to train free for three months.
The trial is limited to twice a week, about 24 classes over 12 weeks. That limit is intentional. Azad compares the alternative to the January gym crowd that is gone by mid-February, sore and discouraged. A manageable schedule sets new adults up to succeed. About 30 to 35 percent of parents accept the offer right away, and sometimes both parents start together.
A Structured 60-Day Conversation
A three-month funnel could easily lose people. Azad prevents that with a planned series of check-ins. Instructors have short informal conversations every class, plus a more structured talk every other week, either before class or as a call home. The goal is to enroll the parent within about 60 days, not to wait until the final week. Azad admits the school once waited too long and learned from it.
The conversations follow a sequence:
- ✓Month one: only service. No price and no offer. The staff checks whether the program matches the goal the parent wrote on their intake form, such as stress relief or self-defense. They also ask whether the workload feels too hard, too easy or too rough.
- ✓Watch their energy. Are they excited when they arrive and when they leave, smiling, talking with classmates? If not, it's a red flag, and the next conversation diagnoses what is missing.
- ✓Month two: introduce the numbers gently. Staff mention the cost per class so parents can do the math on their own.
- ✓Make the offer when they are clearly hooked. If someone becomes a raving fan in two or three weeks, the offer comes early. A woman in her late 50s who joined Tai Chi for stress relief told Azad after class that it was the best thing she had ever done for herself. She enrolled within weeks.
A Transparent, Painless Offer
The financial offer is simple and fully transparent. Tuition is $189 a month, the same for adults and kids, with unlimited classes. When a parent is ready, the program director takes the value of the unused free months, subtracts it from the price of a 12-month program, and spreads the remainder over the year. For example, a parent with one free month left gets a $189 credit, and tuition starts at the reduced rate the next month. A family discount may also apply. The parent is told upfront that the rate returns to regular tuition after the first year, so the change is never a surprise.
Azad believes this honesty is why nearly every parent at this stage says yes. He wants members to know they will never be shortchanged.
Renew Early, and Grade Every Student Weekly
Two systems keep those members long term.
The "half moon" renewal. Azad's school does not auto-renew memberships to month-to-month. In his experience, an unexpected charge for someone who had already budgeted to stop damaged trust and led to bad reviews or word of mouth. Instead, staff discuss renewal between the six- and nine-month mark, and the new 12-month term starts when the current one ends. Members can cancel anytime for a flat $250 fee. Azad says that because the relationship is strong, departing members have not objected to paying it, and many eventually return.
Weekly ABC grading. Since the early 1990s, every instructor has graded each of their students A, B or C every week, based on attendance, energy and engagement. Students who come at least twice a week are in good shape; those who also come to events earn an A. At the weekly staff meeting, each instructor reports who moved between grades and their plan to move C students up. The grades also decide when to ask for something: approach "hot chocolates," the A students, about enrollment, renewal or leadership programs. Asking a C student is likely to fail.
Key Takeaways
- ✓Get in shape and stay approachable yourself before you ask parents to train.
- ✓Ask parents about their own exercise on the first call about their child's program.
- ✓Offer a limited free trial, such as twice a week for three months, and hold structured check-ins every other week.
- ✓Don't discuss price in the first month; aim to enroll the parent within about 60 days.
- ✓Credit unused free time toward a 12-month program and be clear about the rate when it ends.
- ✓Grade students weekly by attendance and energy, and make important asks when they are at an A.
Listen to the Full Episode
Azad describes the shift from "old school" to "new school" martial arts as moving from instructor-centered to student-centered, and his parent pipeline is a clear example. Hear the full conversation on Spotify or watch it on YouTube.
Red Belt Software helps gym owners track attendance, automate follow-ups and build the retention systems that turn families into long-term members.