Karate classes are funny places. The good classes are set in tradition which is very strange to the beginner but taken very seriously by those who have been at it for a while. Anyone who teaches karate will agree that karate is not just a sport but an art. It therefore make since that you would want your students to really look the part both in the dojo and also around town and at tournaments. A well equipped class is a happy class that will feel proud of their club and want to continue learning this excellent sport.
I have been studying Karate for the past eight years. In that time I have belonged to serious clubs and also short stints at quite lousy clubs. One of the things that set the good clubs apart from the bad is not only excellent instruction but also how the people in the club look. Do they look like a team or just a silly bunch of people playing around at their hobby?
Following is a list of some of the things that I feel are essential to making your dojo look professional and your students happy. For that matter, many would be excellent choices for other sports as well.
Embroidered Gis: Karate gis are the most important part of your team outfit. These tradition suits are worn in class and need to be kept in good condition and pressed. Many clubs, however, offer their students a badge to sew onto their gis with their federations logo and karate style on them. Anyone who has ever used such a badge will know that they rarely look good for long. A much better options is to embroider your dojo design onto the gis. This can be easily done by purchasing your team gis from a good quality promotional gift supplier that specialises in sports wear.
Sports Bags: Heavy duty sports bags are essential. They need to be strong enough to hold everything from clothing to pads and mitts. There are a lot of good quality bags available for printing and embroidering. Your promotional gift supplier should be able to find bags that are within your budget.
Promotional Polo Shirts: Polo Shirts and for that matter t-shirts are excellent billboards for advertising the club. People love to where the logo of their team. Shirts give karate students a chance to show off that they are a member of a karate team. Purchase shirts in several different sizes so that no one is left out as they are sure to go fast.
Promotional Jackets: If you live in a cold climate, you cannot go wrong with quality jackets embroidered with your dojo logo. They really make your team look the part when at tournaments.
Low End Novelty Gifts: Promotional stress balls, pens, keyrings, fridge magnets and badges are all examples of low cost volume promoters that can really get your name around for very little spend. There are even stress balls in the shape of karate fighters that look fantastic. Get these low cost gift out in your community as they are sure fire ways of ensuring people know where you are and when you train.
It is important to note that all of the gifts mentioned except for the novelty gifts can be sold to your members. This means that you should be able to at least break even if not make a small profit while promoting your dojo and making your students proud of their club as well.
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