It is easy to look at Defence Lab as an exciting self-defence system. Many just see this but one of the aspects that people fail to grasp is just how life changing Defence Lab is for those involved.
If we get passed all the general benefits of students training in DL, such as improved confidence, self-defence skill and weight loss, we can move onto the material things that matter in life such as money and how DL has changed the lives of instructors.
So let us get real!
In the world now we have hundreds of people teaching martial arts and self-defence. The vast majority of them do so part time or even for free. Every day they get up and go to they day jobs that they need to pay the bills, secretly they wish to be teaching full time. For most this will never happen.
Like it or not the world revolves around money, you need it. Yes, we can try and make out that life isn’t about money but try and tell that to the electricity company or the landlord.
Landlord: “You are two months late on your rent.”
You “It’s ok, money isn’t everything.”
Landlord: “Lets hope that you still think that when you are sleeping in the park next week after I evict you.”
Defence Lab Money
I have a story I ask people: “If you were dropped in any populated town in the world, with zero money, no house, no friends or family and you need to make money. How would you do it?”
The vast majority of people do not have a clue.
Ask a DL instructor and they will tell you exactly how they will make money that day and do so by teaching self-defence. This mindset is not something people are born with. Instead you are taught it. It is the DL business process that sets DL apart.
Now you might be reading this as a pitch for DL, it truly isn’t. I am trying to make you aware that Defence Lab is not just some martial arts qualification, it is a business process. A process that is allowing lots of people to shed off the burdens of 9-5 living and instead providing them with the skills the need to make money in the modern world through the delivery of a service.
Grek and I
How Andy Norman and Defence Lab Changed My Life
Andy Norman helped to change my life. It is that simple, but let me tell you the tale and also help you understand just what an amazing guy Andy is and also how cool DL is.
For those that do not know the story of how I got to be the blog writer for Defence Lab here it is.
I started blogging years ago about martial arts and self-defence and my blog started to grow. I was a full-time police officer as well, but my health changed very quickly with the development of chronic, exercise induced asthma and it soon became clear that I would never be a police officer on the streets again and I was going to leave the job.
It was at this time; I was barely able to breathe properly that Andy Norman reached out to me. I had met and trained with him before and had told him how impressed I had been with his articles in Martial Arts Illustrated.
We spoke on the phone several times and he discussed my health, Andy took a real interest in my well being. So much that when Andy was in the UK both Andy and Paul Strauther drove up to see me and we sat and had a coffee and spent the afternoon chatting about martial arts. It was actually at that meeting that Andy pulled out his mobile phone and said to me “Here, look at this”. On the screen was Liam Neeson, talking about Andy Norman and Defence Lab. Needless to say, I was blown away. Here was a Hollywood A-lister, a screen hero of mine endorsing Andy
Once it was clear I was going to leave the police on medical grounds Andy asked me if I had thought about the future and he suggested that I write for Defence Lab and become their blogger. In a few short months, I had gone from being worried about my future and feeding my family to being the Blogger for Defence Lab and from this I launched my own professional blogging business (zoogly media) where I now have a range of clients.
None of this would have happened without Andy Norman’s belief in my writing skills. I now even help provide social media training for Defence Lab franchisees, the picture at the top of this article is me teaching Lab owners and the other picture is DL expert Grek holding the pad for me as part of a bit of fun.
This is one of the things that DL does best; it realises that life is a franchise and a business. You need money to enjoy life, to have a house, pay for fuel, a wedding or anything else that you desire. DL is about delivering a great service that you get paid well for and it that process changing lives. Both the lives of your students but also the lives of the Defence Lab owners.
Andy Norman and Defence Lab have helped to change my life, and if you are sick of the rat race, fed up with having a boss that talks to you like crap or you are sick of getting home after a long day and feel like you haven’t made a difference. If that is you, then Defence Lab is a great way to change your life and find a way to make money teaching people to get fit, protect themselves and have fun.
As I stated before, If you were dropped in that strange town with no money and that night a heavy storm was coming and you needed money for food and a hotel. Would you really know how to make money? Defence Lab instructors could make money because they have received DL business training along with the DL physical training and right now Defence Lab owners are enjoying great lifestyles, teaching something they are passionate about.
Now what I want is for you to share your stories about how DL has changed your life. You might be a student that has lost weight or gained confidence, or perhaps you are an instructor who can now provide for his family? Either way lets have your Defence Lab stories, comment below as I know Andy Norman reads them all.
Thanks for reading and as I know he reads these posts- Thank you, Andy Norman
Andrew Holland