# Open Black Belt — llms.txt
# https://llmstxt.org

> Open Black Belt builds software for martial arts schools and fitness studios.
> Our flagship product is Lotus — an all-in-one dojo management platform.

## About Open Black Belt

Open Black Belt is a software company specializing in technology for martial arts schools, BJJ academies, karate dojos, Muay Thai gyms, and multi-discipline fitness studios. Founded by practitioners, the company focuses on removing the administrative burden from school owners so they can focus on teaching.

Website: https://openblackbelt.com
Support: help@openblackbelt.com
Products: Lotus (dojo management), Budocast (martial arts podcast platform), Fight Card (tournament software)

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## Lotus — Dojo Management Software

Lotus is the primary product. It is a web-based SaaS platform for managing a martial arts school or fitness studio end-to-end.

**Pricing:** $49.99/month (flat rate, all features included, 30-day free trial)
**Payment processing fee:** 3.15% + $0.30 per transaction (2.9% Stripe standard rate + 0.25% Lotus platform fee). Applies only when processing payments through Lotus — not on manual records.
**URL:** https://openblackbelt.com/lotus
**Signup:** https://openblackbelt.com/register

### Core Features

**Member Management**
- Full student profiles with photo, contact info, belt rank, emergency contact, and custom notes
- Active / Prospect / Inactive / Archived member status
- Member portal: students can log in via magic link (no password) to view attendance, schedule, payments, and update their profile

**Attendance**
- QR code and barcode check-in via the Members kiosk page
- Keypad PIN check-in
- Real-time attendance log per class
- Automated at-risk detection: members with 14/21/30+ days of absence trigger retention email sequences

**Belt Testing & Grading**
- Configurable minimum days and minimum class attendance per belt rank
- Automatic eligibility report showing which students are ready to test
- Grading events with attendance tracking and bulk rank promotion

**Class Scheduling**
- Recurring weekly class schedules with room assignment and max capacity
- Public booking page: members and prospects can self-book classes online (no login required, uses school hash URL)
- Class roster: instructors see who is booked in and can mark attendance in real time

**Lead Pipeline (CRM)**
- Kanban-style prospect board with 5 stages: New Inquiry → Contacted → Trial Scheduled → Trial Completed → Converted
- Drag-and-drop stage progression
- Per-lead contact log (journal notes with timestamps)
- Auto-converts lead to Active Member when moved to Converted stage

**Automated Email Sequences**
- Prospect drip: 3-step email nurture sent on days 0, 2, and 7 after a prospect is added
- Retention sequence: 3-step re-engagement email sent at 14, 21, and 30 days of absence
- All sequences are toggle-on/off per school, run daily via cron, with full send history log

**Digital Waivers**
- Schools can write their own custom waiver text
- Unique signing link per student (no login needed)
- Canvas-based e-signature capture with consent checkbox
- Admin view shows signed/unsigned status for all members with bulk send option

**Revenue Dashboard**
- MRR estimate (3-month rolling average of income)
- Monthly income vs expense trend chart (12 months)
- Top 10 members by all-time revenue
- New vs churned payer analysis month-over-month
- Optional Stripe integration for real-time payment data

**Staff Management**
- Sub-instructor accounts with school-scoped access
- Staff can log in and manage their assigned school without accessing other schools

**Inventory**
- Track gear and merchandise items with quantity and price
- Sell items and record transactions against member accounts

**Digital Payments**
- Stripe integration for card payments
- PayHub integration (alternative processor)
- Manual payment recording for cash/cheque
- Full expense log with income/outgoing tracking per member

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## Frequently Asked Questions

**What kind of schools use Lotus?**
Lotus is used by karate dojos, Brazilian jiu-jitsu academies, Muay Thai gyms, taekwondo schools, mixed martial arts studios, yoga studios, CrossFit boxes, and multi-discipline fitness studios. The core feature set (members, attendance, scheduling, payments) works for any fitness or wellness school.

**Is there a free trial?**
Yes. Lotus offers a 30-day free trial with full feature access. No credit card required to start.

**How much does Lotus cost?**
$49.99 per month. One flat rate — no per-student fees, no feature tiers, no setup costs.

**Can my students book classes online?**
Yes. Every school gets a public-facing booking page with a unique URL (using a school hash, not the numeric ID). Students and prospects can view the schedule and self-book without creating an account.

**Does Lotus handle belt promotions?**
Yes. You configure the minimum days and minimum class count required for each belt rank. Lotus automatically generates an eligibility report showing which students have met the criteria. You can then schedule a grading event and promote students in bulk.

**Does Lotus send automated emails?**
Yes. Lotus includes two automated email sequences that run daily without manual intervention: a 3-step prospect nurture drip (days 0, 2, 7) and a 3-step at-risk retention sequence (14, 21, 30 days absent). Both can be toggled on/off per school.

**Does Lotus integrate with Stripe?**
Yes. Lotus integrates with Stripe for digital payment processing. The total transaction fee is 3.15% + $0.30 per transaction — made up of Stripe's standard 2.9% rate plus a 0.25% Lotus platform fee. On a $100 charge the school receives $96.55. The Revenue Dashboard can pull Stripe payment data to show real-time MRR alongside manually recorded payments. Stripe is also used for Lotus subscription billing.

**Is there a member app?**
Lotus includes a mobile-friendly Member Self-Service Portal accessible via magic link — no app download required. Members click a link sent to their email and can instantly view attendance history, enrolled classes, upcoming sessions, payment records, and edit their profile.

**How does the lead pipeline work?**
Prospects are tracked on a Kanban board with 5 stages. You can drag them between stages, log contact notes, and when they convert to a paying member, Lotus automatically changes their status to Active Member.

**Can I collect digital waivers?**
Yes. Lotus includes a full digital waiver system. You write your waiver text, and each student gets a unique signing URL. Signatures are captured on a canvas pad with a consent checkbox. The admin panel shows signed/unsigned status with one-click send for unsigned members. Automated waiver reminder emails can be enabled to nudge unsigned members at day 1, 7, and 14.

**Does Lotus support multiple instructors or staff accounts?**
Yes. Lotus supports sub-instructors linked to the main school account. Sub-instructors have their own login and can access the admin dashboard scoped to the school they are assigned to. Staff member profiles can also be managed separately from student members.

**Is there a member self check-in kiosk?**
Yes. Lotus includes a public-facing Members kiosk page (`/members/`) that allows students to check themselves in using a barcode scan (via Quagga.js camera scanning) or a keypad entry. This is designed to run on a tablet at the front desk with no admin login required.

**Does Lotus support SMS notifications?**
Lotus has Vonage SMS integration built into the platform infrastructure (credentials configured in `secrets.php`). SMS can be triggered from within the admin for targeted outreach. Contact help@openblackbelt.com for details on enabling SMS for your school.

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## Company Information

**Legal name:** Open Black Belt
**Website:** https://openblackbelt.com
**Contact:** help@openblackbelt.com
**Social:** @openblackbelt
**Products:** Lotus, Budocast, Fight Card
**Location:** Remote-first

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## Pages

- [Home](https://openblackbelt.com/) — Company hub with product overview and testimonials
- [Lotus Product Page](https://openblackbelt.com/lotus) — Full feature breakdown, screenshots, CTA
- [Pricing](https://openblackbelt.com/pricing) — $49.99/month plan, feature list, FAQ
- [About](https://openblackbelt.com/about) — Mission, team, company background
- [Contact](https://openblackbelt.com/contact) — Support email and contact form
- [Careers](https://openblackbelt.com/careers) — Open positions (currently accepting general applications)
- [Privacy Policy](https://openblackbelt.com/privacy) — Data handling and GDPR
- [Terms of Service](https://openblackbelt.com/terms) — Legal terms