Buddy Week is one of the most effective, and underused, tools for growing your academy. The concept is simple: invite your current students, kids and adults, to bring a friend to train for free. No commitment, no pressure, just a chance to experience what you do. But the magic is in how you run it. Before the Week Build anticipation. Talk about it in class two to three weeks ahead. Post about it on social media. Send a message to your parent group chats. Make your students feel like ambassadors, because they are. Give them simple language: “Hey, I train at this great academy and they’re doing a free week for guests. Want to come check it out with me?” The easier you make it for them to invite someone, the more people will show up. During the Week When a guest walks in, treat them like they’re already part of the family. Give them a loaner uniform so they feel like everyone else on the mat, not like an outsider. Design a slightly easier, more accessible version of your regular class. You want them to feel challenged but capable. You want them to leave thinking “I can do this.” Make the instructor introduction personal. Shake their hand, learn their name, ask them why they came. That first connection is everything. After Class This is where most academies leave money on the table. Have a simple, warm conversation ready, not a sales pitch, a genuine check-in. Ask them what they thought, what surprised them, what they enjoyed. Then invite them to continue. Have a clear, easy enrollment offer ready for Buddy Week guests only, a discounted first month, a free uniform with sign-up, or a waived registration fee. Make the decision easy. Make it feel like a natural next step, not a transaction. Why It Works People join Jiu-Jitsu because someone they trust brought them in. Word of mouth is your most powerful marketing tool, and Buddy Week turns every one of your students into a recruiter, without it ever feeling forced. Your current students also get to share something they love, which deepens their own connection to your academy.