Ascended BJJ 50 to 103 students. A year with other agencies. Three months with us.
A martial arts marketing case study with Pedro Marques, who runs Ascended BJJ in Kingston, NY.
Meet the owner, Pedro.
Pedro Marques owns Ascended BJJ in Kingston, New York, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and boxing academy for the whole family.
The academy teaches Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and boxing to the whole family: Juniors from 4 to 6, Kids from 7 to 10, Teens from 11 to 15, and adult jiu-jitsu and boxing from 16 up, with an after-school program, a summer camp and birthday parties under the same roof.
Pedro MarquesThe problem.
Ascended BJJ spent a full year paying other marketing companies, three or four of them by Pedro's count, and had almost nothing to show for it. They were stuck at around 50 students with no clear path forward.
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A full year of other agencies
Twelve months of paying for marketing, and almost nothing to show for it.
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Three or four agencies before us
Pedro found us, in his words, "after working with three or four marketing companies."
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Stuck at around 50 students
Around 50 active students, and no clear path forward.
A year is a long time to pay for marketing that doesn't move the roster. Ascended had the coaches and the programs. What it needed was for adults and parents around Kingston to find the academy, and a reason to book a class once they did.
The turning point.
After partnering with Veuze Media, they added 22 new students in the first month alone. Within 3 months, their roster grew from 50 to 103 active students and counting.
The work ran on three tracks. Targeted Meta ads put the academy in front of adults and parents near Kingston, for the adult program and the kids program. A follow-up system made sure every person who asked about a class heard back fast and got invited in. And a brand new website gave those leads somewhere worth landing.
The results.
Ascended added 22 new students in the first month alone. Within three months the roster had grown from around 50 to 103 active students, more than double, and it was still climbing.
Pedro gave the early numbers himself in his testimonial video: "They brought in 28 leads in 18 days. I closed 11 of those leads." The coaching mattered as much as the ads. His summary: "More leads than I know what to do with. Teaching me how to sell better."
That came after a full year with three or four other marketing companies that left the school stuck at 50. Same academy, same coaches, same town. What changed was how people in Kingston found the school, and what happened after they asked about a class.
How we got there.
- A site built for enrollmentA high-converting martial arts school website built specifically for enrollment growth.Website design
- Meta ads for kids and adultsTargeted Facebook and Instagram campaigns for the adult and kids programs, aimed at people near Kingston.Meta ads
- Follow-up on every leadAn optimized follow-up system so every lead heard back fast and was invited to a free session.Lead follow-up
- Coaching on the saleHelp with the enrollment conversation, so more of those leads became students.Coaching
- Mobile-first and fastA mobile-optimized, fast-loading site with clear calls-to-action.
- Programs and proofProgram breakdowns and integrated social proof.
- SEO optimizationCombined with a conversion-focused layout, the foundation for a complete turnaround in student acquisition.Local SEO
The website we built.
Veuze Media designed a high-converting martial arts school website built specifically for enrollment growth. Our martial arts web design services delivered a mobile-optimized, fast-loading site with clear calls-to-action, program breakdowns, and integrated social proof. Combined with SEO optimization and a conversion-focused layout, the new site became the foundation for a complete turnaround in student acquisition and school growth. Today the site lays out every program by age, from Juniors at 4 to adult jiu-jitsu and boxing, so a parent or an adult can find the right class in a few seconds and claim a free session from any page.
It's been nothing but pleasant so far. No contracts. No upfront cost. Free website.
Pedro MarquesOwner · Ascended BJJRead the transcript
This is Pedro Marques. I'm the owner of Ascended BJJ in Kingston, New York. Veuze Media. Amazing company. I found them after working with three or four marketing companies. They made me a brand new website. They brought in 28 leads in 18 days. I closed 11 of those leads. That's over 50% closing rate, which is incredible for the martial arts industry. You know it. You're a gym owner too. And it's been nothing but pleasant so far. No contracts. No upfront cost. Free website. More leads than I know what to do with. Teaching me how to sell better. What could you possibly ask for more? Sign these people up if you want to be successful in Brazilian jiu jitsu or martial arts spaces. Please do me a favor. Sign up now.
Final thoughts
The foundation for a complete turnaround.
Ascended's story is a simple one. A good academy spent a year with three or four marketing companies and stayed at 50 students. In three months with a different approach, it passed 103.
If you've already paid agencies for a year of nothing, the problem probably isn't your school. It's what happens between a family seeing your name and walking onto your mats: the ad, the website, and how fast someone gets back to them.
More schools like this.
Your school, next chapter.
Pedro started with 50 students. Your first month is on us: no contract, no deposit, nothing up front.