He built the school everyone wanted. Then he couldn't get out of it.
Rick Dubidat is a 2× World Champion, European and British Champion, and a former GB Team Captain. He then took his own martial arts school from 70 students to 700+ across multiple locations, with a team of 26.
By every measure the industry uses, he'd won. And it nearly finished him.
- 2×World Champion
- 700+members in his own school
- 26staff on his team
- 20 yrsof business systems distilled
More members didn't mean more happiness.
At its peak the school taught him one thing very quickly: he had built himself a job he couldn't escape. More students meant more admin, more staffing, more firefighting — and less of the reason he started teaching in the first place.
So he went looking for help, and found an industry full of people selling motivation instead of mechanics.
"I'll never forget one 'guru' shouting, 'When are you going to buy your dream car?! Just do it!' That was about as deep as their advice went." — Rick Dubidat
What he actually wanted was more profit, fewer problems, more time with his wife and two children, and a greater impact in his community. Nobody was selling that. So he stopped buying, and started building.
Scars first. Certificates second.
The systems came from fixing his own school, then testing them on other people's. The business grounding came from somewhere less romantic.
- On the mats2× World Champion, European and British Champion, former GB Team Captain.
- In businessTook a single school from 70 to 700+ students across multiple sites, with 26 staff.
- CorporateA decade in management at top European software houses — where systems, process and reporting were the job.
- CertifiedAI consultant, marketing consultant and business coach.
- Invested£150,000+ into his own mentors, distilled back into the curriculum.
The network he wishes he'd had.
The Martial Art Business Growth Network is a coaching community for martial arts school owners — real coaching, proven systems, and a room full of owners one step ahead of you, backed by a team of coaches with the same scars.
More Members
Magnetic Marketing, Retention Blueprint and Sales Synergy — new members onto your mats, week after week, without relying on an agency.
More Money
Event Maximizer, Merchandise Mastery and Premium Programs — more money from the members you already have.
More Time
Staff Success, AI & Automation Advantage and Owner Optimisation — a school that runs without you standing in the middle of it.
Nine steps, three stages, installed in the right order. You'll know it's working when your team can run the school for 3+ days without you — a test you can actually check, rather than a feeling you're supposed to have.
The owners who did it.
"Rick, you hold me accountable. There are no excuses for procrastination with you — and I love that. I was genuinely on the verge of giving up before."— Justyn · MABGN member, 24 years in business
"Running a martial arts school can feel quite isolating, and it's easy to get comfortable with your own excuses. Having mentors prepared to challenge my thinking — that's what changed it."— Stephen · SNW Karate
"Over the past four years I've taken four months out for two knee surgeries and recovery — and nothing fell apart. My team step up even more when I'm out for a while."— Simone · Simone Hopkins & Sons Martial Arts Academy
Ten minutes, and a straight answer.
Book a free Growth Call. Your numbers, a read on what's actually capping your school, and the plan that fixes it — or an honest "not yet". Both are a fine outcome.
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