Title: The Silva Solution-Building Black Belts from the Inside Out
Author: Greg Silva
Publisher: Sheridan Books
Publish Date: 2008
Format: Paperback
Pages: 104
The “Pre-Reading Review”
Most teachers don’t make a lot of money. They do, however, make something much more valuable: a difference.
Yeah, yeah. I know. That was a pretty cliché and heart gushy start. It is true however. A good teacher can make all the difference between somebody being a one month student or a lifelong practitioner. A truly powerful teacher can even start a cycle that goes on for quite some time. The teacher instructs the student in the way of the art and the student matures into an inspiring teacher like the one who taught him. Keep in mind that this isn’t unique to martial arts. This applies to a good boss at work, a science teacher in school or college, and even the mentors one finds in life. The right teacher can lead to a radically different lifestyle.
That is exactly the idea that author Greg Silva centers his book, The Silva Solution, around. Greg Silva is a martial artist and a teacher’s teacher. One of the marks of his success was running six locations in the 70’s and 80’s with almost two thousand active students training. It is due to this success (and many others) that numerous martial artists look to his books, DVDs, and programs. He has been one of the top men to help with the pedagogy of martial art teachers and business management of school owners.
Business advice for martial art schools is often a tricky subject. The last thing any martial artist wants to do is become someone detrimental to the martial art community. Run things with a mindset too focused on making money and you risk becoming a greedy “McDojo”. It becomes a place that churns out belt promotions while neglecting to properly develop the individual students. Run things too relaxed and unprofessional and you risk improperly communicating your martial art to others. This can lead to leaving students (and potential students) with a bad perception of the martial arts, preventing them from ever continuing their training.
Before the actual review, let me begin by talking about what this book is not. This book is not about making an extra $10k in a month. This book is not about gaining fifteen new students in a week. It is about becoming a better teacher and helping your school grow so that it can help more people. The Silva Solution is a rare find that walks that delicate balance and gives valuable advice to teachers and school owners regarding how to give better experiences to students and their families. And if that improves the business of your school, all the better.
Here is exactly what I thought after reading the book!
The Silva Solution: The Review
Ok. I’ve gotta admit something.
I actually first read this book years ago when I began teaching. My teacher let me borrow it to help me get started with being a good leader. When I read the book the first time, I did gain a lot of helpful tips that I was able to apply. But…that’s not all. Over the next few years I would often crack the book back open and reread it. Each time I did that, something in the book would resonate deeper with me. The book is filled with stories that Greg Silva experienced throughout the many years of him teaching and owning schools. Aside from being framed around a lesson he gained from the experience, the stories also do a good job of building the bridge between writer and reader.
When I first started teaching and had this book in my personal library, I appreciated the good advice and ideas presented. However, I truly found value in the book after teaching and being able to relate to each of the stories. This isn’t a “dry” and boring teacher manual filled with ideas you may or may no be able to use in a martial art classroom setting. The book reads casually like a friend sharing stories and giving advice. Within the 104 pages of the book, there are eleven chapters, each one about a different aspect of a successful martial art school. The subjects vary from keeping students motivated and committed to their goals, stripe or belt testing tips, good protocol for talking to parents of children who acted unruly, and much more. Don’t get it mistaken. I realize not everybody focuses on teaching kids. In fact, there are some school that don’t even have a kids class. That’s fine. To each, their own.
While the book is primarily geared towards teaching kids martial art class, if you keep an open mind then you will also find something valuable to instructing teens and adults. There are segments such as Parent Protocol that do very little for somebody who only cares to develop a better adult program. With that being said, there are also segments about bringing about intrinsic motivation, pulling out better technique or power from a student rather than pushing, that definitely apply.
Of course, no two teachers or martial art schools are exactly the same. There were some bits that I either didn’t care to or didn’t need to implement into my school. At least, not in the exact way presented in the book. As a martial artist, that shouldn’t seem too unusual though. When you learn a new martial art move, you aren’t just memorizing a movement. You are also learning to embody a concept (even if that concept is simply “hit and don’t be hit!”). Once you understand the underlying principle, you can apply it in a way that is more appropriate to your body type or fighting style. Or as in this case, your martial art classes and teaching style. It’s like tailoring a suit to fit you properly.
Overall
Greg Silva presents a book that stands out for its clear cut and casual writing style that imparts many lessons to teach better martial art classes and run a more successful school. Though not every bit of advice is applicable toeverybody, an open mind by the reader will lead to many great lessons learned. It is primarily geared to teaching kids but even that has many concepts that apply to teaching teens and adults. One of its most powerful qualities is that it is framed around you becoming the best teacher that you can, for the right reasons, so that you can further influence and inspire more people.
It is easy to get lost in the sea of business and money-hungry McDojo tips available to school owners. This is a wholesome book that does the right things for the right reasons. This is a book I would highly suggest every teacher and school owner reads!
Have you read this book? Tell me your opinion in the comments below.
Justin Lee Ford is infatuated with enjoying as many experiences as possible within the world of martial arts. A few of his current experiences include building a career in martial arts writing, actively competing in tournaments, traveling and training around the world, and running a successful martial arts school. He can be contacted via email at justin@martialjournal.com. Be sure to also check out his martial art website, cupofkick.com!
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