Interview: Vince Skillcorn on Why Judoka Drop Out and What to do Differently
"The black belt should not be a vague hope. It should be a visible, structured journey."
Hi! Recently, I’ve been writing a mini-series on retention. It’s something that troubles our sport - and my goal is to find solutions.
To tie up the series by talking to someone I wanted to talk to someone who I consider a real expert in the matter: Vince Skillcorn.
Vince holds an MSc in Advanced Sports Coaching Practice and (along with his wife, Sam) runs the Fighting Fitness Judo Academy. Vince specialises in helping judo coaches transform their clubs into sustainable businesses by increasing membership and revenue.
I asked Vince about the importance of keeping members engaged off the mat, the role of parents, and how the best dojos balance recruitment, retention, and revenue.
His answers are direct, honest, and grounded in real experience running a club of over 500 members. I hope his answers spark ideas on how you might strengthen your own club’s approach to keeping judoka on the mat for the long term.
Interview with Vince Skillcorn
In your experience, what are the top three reasons why a judoka stops judo?
1. No Clear Destination — No Defined Black Belt Journey
One of the biggest reasons judoka drop out is the absence of a clearly defined endpoint.
Imagine enrolling at school or university and being told, “Just keep attending and we’ll see what happens.” In education, there is a structured framework: follow the curriculum, meet the standards, and you earn your degree. In judo, that “degree” is your black belt.
Too many clubs mistake the grading system for a pathway. It isn’t.
Gradings measure progress, but they don’t define the journey. If there is no structured roadmap — with stages, expectations, personal development markers, and timeframes — members drift. And when progress feels random or unclear, motivation drops.
A dojo that cannot fully control and structure its own developmental pathway often struggles to retain students long term. People stay committed when they understand:
Where they are.
Where they are going.
What is required to get there.
And what they will become in the process.
The black belt should not be a vague hope. It should be a visible, structured journey. I could go into greater detail on this but that would be moving away from the relevance of this piece.
2. Over-Emphasis on Competition
Competition has an important place in judo — but it is a small piece of a much bigger picture.
In most clubs, fewer than 10% of members truly want to compete seriously. Unless you artificially shape the culture to push everyone toward competition, the vast majority train for different reasons: confidence, resilience, fitness, focus, friendship, leadership.
When a club focuses primarily on randori and competition preparation, it unintentionally narrows its appeal. Recruitment becomes harder, and retention suffers.
Parents are not enrolling their child primarily to win medals. They are enrolling them to:
Build confidence.
Develop discipline.
Improve focus.
Learn respect.
Grow as a person.
Competition should be available, encouraged for those who want it, and delivered well. But it cannot be the sole identity of the dojo. It is one cog in a much larger developmental wheel.
3. Inconvenient or Infrequent Training Structure
Habit builds commitment.
Most clubs operate on part-time schedules — once or twice a week — often fitted around hall availability rather than developmental needs. This makes diary conflicts inevitable and allows other sports or activities (often with more convenient timetables) to take priority.
If a student only trains once per week, improvement is slow. Slow improvement weakens emotional attachment. Weak attachment leads to dropout.
Training at least twice per week is where real skill progression happens. It’s also where identity begins to form — “I am a judoka.”
Retention is not just about motivation. It is about habit formation. And habit requires frequency and structure.
Of course, some dropouts are unavoidable — moving away, life changes, discovering another passion. But structural issues inside the dojo are controllable. And those are often the biggest contributors.
How key are parents in retention? How important is it to include them in the club? And how best to do that?
Parents are critical — especially in children’s programmes.
However, involvement does not mean dependency.
Parents need education more than they need operational roles.
It is essential to educate them on:
The long-term benefits of training (confidence, focus, resilience, leadership).
The stages of development their child will go through.
The challenges that will arise — and how to respond to them constructively.
For example:
A young child who comes home from school and immediately goes on a screen will struggle to transition into training mode. Parents need guidance on routines.
Teenagers go through physiological and psychological changes. Training becomes a powerful stabilising force — but only if parents understand its importance at that stage.
When parents understand the journey, they are far more likely to support it during difficult phases.
That said, I am not an advocate for a heavily volunteer-led model. Blurring the lines between pleasure and business can send the wrong message and dilute standards. Parents may assist at events or support occasionally, but a professional dojo should build and develop its own team.
That is why we invest in:
Junior Leadership programmes.
Coach Development pathways.
Structured Black Belt and Beyond systems.
This creates internal progression and reduces reliance on volunteer labour, while reinforcing professionalism.
Is “Off-The-Mat Engagement” important?
Absolutely.
If members only think about judo when they are physically on the mat, engagement is shallow.
A strong dojo keeps the journey alive outside the dojo. That doesn’t mean constant pressure — it means meaningful reinforcement.
Off-the-mat engagement might include:
Leadership projects.
Home-study materials.
Recommended reading.
Charity initiatives.
Social events.
Award evenings.
Parent evenings.
We regularly support charity events and community initiatives. These strengthen identity and belonging.
The key is that off-the-mat engagement should reinforce the Black Belt Journey — the habits, mindset and character traits that judo is designed to build.
Competition may inspire a small group.
Community and personal growth inspire the majority.
Can you explain the ‘3 Rs’ and how an effective dojo might balance them?
Every dojo — whether they admit it or not — operates within the framework of the 3 Rs: Recruitment. Retention. Revenue.
Without recruitment, the dojo stagnates.
Without retention, it leaks.
Without revenue, it cannot grow.
Many instructors believe that charging less will fill the mat. It rarely works long-term. Quality systems, structured pathways and professional standards require proper revenue.
There is also an important distinction:
Most people do not have a judo business.
They have a judo job.
If the dojo only functions when the owner is present, coaching, and solving every issue personally — that is a job.
A business runs with systems, trained coaches, and predictable outcomes — whether the owner is on the mat or not.
We currently have over 500 members and seven staff members — and we are still building toward that ideal. The goal is not ego-driven growth. It is sustainability.
Once the 3 Rs are stabilised and tracked properly, the focus shifts to:
Systems.
Coach development
Those two areas create long-term scalability and resilience.
You talk about the importance of “systems over personal touch” - what do you mean by this?
Systems do not replace personal touch.
They enable it.
This week we are completing over 500 gradings. Without systems — tracking eligibility, scheduling assessments, mat preparation, belt orders, certificates, communication, payment processing — it would be chaos.
Systems ensure consistency.
But the celebration, the recognition, the handshake, the photo — that is personal.
We use automations to:
Remind members about events.
Trigger birthday messages.
Prompt coaches when life events occur (marriages, babies, achievements).
The system creates awareness. The team delivers the human connection.
We enrol 20–30 new members most months. The intro experience must be consistent:
How they are greeted.
What they learn.
What information they leave with.
How enrolment is explained.
How they become a Black Belt.
That is systemised — but delivered warmly.
Without systems, growth becomes overwhelming.
Without a personal touch, systems feel cold.
The two must work together.
Can you suggest three things a dojo owner could do to make an immediate improvement on retention at their club?
Retention varies club to club, but three immediate actions can make a significant impact:
1. Create a Clear Black Belt Roadmap
Make the journey visible.
Show members and parents:
What they are working towards.
The stages along the way.
The personal development expected at each stage.
The time commitment required.
When people see a destination, they commit to the path.
2. Strengthen Relationships Intentionally
Create an environment where members are known.
If someone misses a session or two, contact them. Not to pressure — but to say, “We noticed you weren’t here. Everything okay?”
Belonging is a retention strategy.
People stay where they feel valued.
3. Remind Them Why They Started
Most families begin judo for deeper reasons:
Confidence.
Focus.
Resilience.
Structure.
The first few weeks are exciting. Then it becomes challenging. That is where dropouts happen.
When a parent considers leaving, remind them of their original reason.
Growth is not always comfortable.
But discomfort is often the sign that development is happening.
If a dojo can combine: Clear vision. Strong relationships. Structured systems. And a broader purpose beyond medals - retention improves naturally.
Five Winning Tips to Retain Judoka
Get the tips: Five Winning Tips to Retain Judoka - a free resource for all Koka Kids subscribers.
To read more on the subject of retention check out this mini-series:
Why Retention Beats Recruitment - and the numbers to prove it.
Keeping Kids Engaged Between Classes - the forgetting curve and why it matters.
A Progression System for Kids’ Judo - Making Progress Visible.
A word from Nik
A big thank you to Vince for sharing his time and experience. I hope today’s Koka Kids interview gives clubs of all sizes ideas on how to tweak systems as they continue to grow.
Next week: Kesa-Gatame 4 Levels Progress Sheet + certificates. Only for paid subscribers.
Until next Monday,
Nik
Nicola Fairbrother MBE, 8th Dan
- 1992 Olympic Silver Medallist
- 1993 World Champion
- Publisher of Koka Kids children’s judo books
More about my work and me. I’m Nicola Fairbrother. I’m a double Olympian (Barcelona 1992 Silver and Atlanta 1996 5th), light-weight World Champion (1993), triple European Champion, voted by Sunday Times as Sportswoman of the Year and awarded a MBE by HM The Queen. I publish a range of children’s judo books (Koka Kids) I’m also a trained trained chef (Leiths Professional Diploma) and have a foodie newsletter called Olympian Kitchen which focusses on healthy eating with easy recipes.
Having first taken a moment to acknowledge the MAGNIFICENCE of the name Vince Skillcorn, I'd like to say that I really enjoyed that. Thank you both.
Sensei Skillcorn "hit the nail on the head"--the overemphasis on tournaments to the detriment of actually learning Judo has been one of the downfalls of expanding judo practitioners. I've seen it much too often. And the other side is what does a Judoka see as a path when they can't or no longer ant to compete.