why no martial art stores?

Have you ever noticed there are no actual martial art stores. I mean ones that have physical presence, not just internet sites. There are tons of fitness stores and sports shops where ever you go, but none dedicated to the martial arts.

Virginia Lewis wrote: Have you ever noticed there are no actual martial art stores. I mean ones that have physical presence, not just internet sites. There are tons of fitness stores and sports shops where ever you go, but none dedicated to the martial arts.

Well, I can see that you yourself live in the US, but not all members of this forum do. There are plenty of martial arts stores in Japan.

yeah but walk in one and try to find a jo longer than the standard shyaku (4.2? 6 is too long).

i sure miss the Army/Navy Surplus!

Here in seattle there is one "kung fu" shop in town that i can think of. It mostly stocks gis but it also ha s wallhanger swords, ninja stars, wu shu weapons, a few iaito, bokken, shinai, a fair selection of books. You are right though, they are few and far between. The best places to look are in chinatown districts if your area has one.

I know a few schools in the area that pimp their own products so much they might as well be their own store.

We are fortunate here in Orlando to have an excellent one, in business for many years. What they don't already have, they can get. I sometimes forget that there are so few like this around. I do know that the internet has hurt their revenues, because everybody wants them to maintain a large, expensive inventory and showroom, but also to sell everything at internet prices. Anyone who has ever owned a retail business can tell you that it can't be done.

um there is a really good martial arts store right near me, very cool knowlegable staff, Ive been known to just pop in hang out and chat with them

Threre are a few martial art stores in Edmonton.

When sensei Bill Sosa was living, he ran a combination martial arts store/dojo. It is still a viable idea.

Like it's been stated, it's a bit of a problem in the US to find actual stores... but when outside of the US, it's not so much of a problem. I live in Okinawa and I've found one with a decent selection. Actually, in the States, one of the best places to look for martial arts gear is flea markets. There's normally at least one person who has a stand with weapons/gear.

as mentioned the internet is a major cause of this i beleive no overheads cant compete with that

hi Virginia,

If you ever get to go to the Philippines you can find martial arts stores from Recto to Quiapo along with other pioneer dojos.
Martial Arts store in that area is commonplace.

Market Demographics - pure and simple

1% of the population has any interest in martial arts at all (MA trade journals)

Most of these folks train at schools which supply the majority of their uniform and equipment needs (no surprise there)

The market for better quality uniforms and weapons is REALLY small; (if you figure that the vast majority of practitioners quit before they get to any significant level of skill, this makes sense)

High quality gear lasts a long time... not only are there few people who need the top quality bokken, when he or she buys one, it lasts for years, Not great for repeat sales...

With the advent of the Internet, the competition is global. I can get swords from China, Iaito custom made from Japan, bokken from Vermont, all sitting at my desk. The stores that do exist tend to carry the low end stuff which is of little interest to me... Why bother?

Virginia Lewis wrote: Have you ever noticed there are no actual martial art stores. I mean ones that have physical presence, not just internet sites. There are tons of fitness stores and sports shops where ever you go, but none dedicated to the martial arts.

Asian World of Martial Arts ( http://www.awma.com ) had a store in Philedelpia twenty years ago. I do not know for certain if the store still exists. But if it does, there's an exception to your rule.

Virginia Lewis wrote: Have you ever noticed there are no actual martial art stores. I mean ones that have physical presence, not just internet sites. There are tons of fitness stores and sports shops where ever you go, but none dedicated to the martial arts.

Where are you?

I can buy a mokgum (booken), jeek do (shani) , and sang jul gun (nunchucks) at my local grocer. But i live in korea.