When most people think of martial arts they think of the sensei teaching the pupil. At the annual X-Factor event hosted by Tristar Martial Arts in Eldersburg, it was sensei teaching sensei as various academies converged for a morning of networking.

Backed by the Educational Funding Company (EFC), which focuses on martial arts consulting and management, the X-Factor gives dojos from around the nation an opportunity to meet with one another and learn from sharing experiences.

The national scope of the event was clear. This year’s meeting saw visitors from as far away as Alaska – Mark and Debbie Passmore – who work at the Valley Tang Soo Do Academy in Wasilla.

“They really do come from all over,” said Joe Offutt, an instructor at Tristar.

The focus of this meeting, it seemed, was on customer service and interaction - in short, how to keep students happy and foster relationships with pupils and their parents. Debbie Thompson, owner of Tristar with her husband Keith, put it another way. “Martial arts is a business,” she said. “But what’s important to us is who’s standing on the mat at the end of the night.”

She stressed that treatment of students was the most important focus for any academy, no matter how many other issues a dojo may have. “They’re so busy trying to be business people that they forget the students are priority number one.”

Meetings like this, she explained, help to raise the standards of customer service at all dojos. Citing an aphorism, she said, “The rising tide lifts all boats,” the idea being that changes in some academies will reverberate through all of them.

And Tristar certainly practices what it teaches in terms of customer treatment. Adam Benson, an instructor at the academy, said he was a good friend with most of the students. He added that when he joined at age nine by his second visit most of the instructors knew his name. It is quite possibly this attention to pupils that has lead Tristar to have steady business even in a down turned economy.

Most of the event focused on student retention and how to treat pupils and their families in such a way so to keep them coming back. The various points touched upon included student service – helping them when they need it, positive relationships – both with the student and with family members, improved student thinking – keeping pupils motivated to do martial arts, and exciting classes – keeping students interested in the academy.

Despite these four methods to achieve student happiness, the best way to have happy students, according to Debbie Thompson, is happy staff. “You always have to think of your staff,” she said. “You always have to think of what’s best for them.”

Martial arts staff teaching experience at the event ranged from less than a year to a decade or more, but even an unseasoned instructor could teach the most seasoned sensei a thing or two.

“Oftentimes you learn just a much from somebody less experienced than you if you just listen hard enough,” said Andrew Gause, owner of Mountain Kim Martial Arts in Springfield, Virginia.

Even someone as experienced at Dennis Brown, on the EFC board of directors, said he came to the event often because of the potential to learn. “I came here expecting to go home with notes,” he said.

Despite the focus on business there was still fun to be had. Ned Muffley, general manager of EFC, arrived at the event donned in a Dorothy outfit (ala “The Wizard of Oz”) and sung the Popeye the Sailor tune before disappearing into a side room at the Tristar academy to do video interviews for the EFC website.