Martial Arts Enthusiast? Here’s How to Start a Martial Arts Blog
Swords, Karate, Kendo, Jujutsu, etc. the various martial arts you love are also loved by many others. There are a lot of individuals out there who really know their stuff when it comes to martial arts. Many of which are probably reading this right now, including yourself.
For those with a strong passion for martial arts, why not start your own blog? People are looking for advice on various topics so why not start a blog to provide them with valuable insights and position yourself as a subject matter in the field.
Don’t wait. Today is the day to start a martial arts blog!
I’m not a web developer by any means and with some basic advice I was able to create this site you’re on right now. Put things on hold for the next 15 minutes and follow the three steps below. You’ll be up and running with your own martial arts blog before you know it.
Ready to start? Let’s get into this, you’ll be set up with your own site in no time.
Disclaimer: Please note that some of the links below are affiliate links and I will earn a commission if you purchase through those links. This is at not additional cost to you whatsoever. Regardless of this, the products listed below are recommended because they are helpful and are companies that I trust.
How to Start a Martial Arts Blog
In 3 simple steps I’ll give you what you need to set up your martial arts blog.
- Domain name & hosting
- Installing WordPress
- Choosing a theme & making it look good
1. Domain Name & Hosting
Here’s where you can be creative, this is your ‘branding’ in terms of what your site will be called. A ‘domain’ is the URL of your site, for example mine is katanaswordreviews.com. But before we get to that you can to head over to BlueHost using this link and then select your hosting package. A hosting company stores all of your site’s information online and provides the bandwidth to it. If you’re only planning on starting one blog then I’d recommend the starter package since it’s the cheapest yet still provides great uptime.
Once you have your package selected you’ll get to come up with your domain name. If you are setting up a blog for a current business try to find a domain similar to the business name. For example your business is ‘Simpson Karate Training’, type something like Simpsonkaratetraining.com into the ‘new domain’ section (seen below). Sometimes a domain will already be taken by someone else so if you come across this it is ok, just come up with another name until you find something you like and that is available.
Once you find an available domain name on BlueHost that you’re happy with hit ‘next’ where you’ll be asked to enter your account information. Make sure you use an email that you actually have access to and not that long lost spam email you give out when asked for it checking out at a store.
The ‘account plan’ is up to you, if you pay for 36 months now in full you get a discount, I usually always go with the middle option but it’s at your discretion. There are a few other options you have, I usually add on two other services; the first is privacy protection which prevents my personal information from being shared all over the internet.
The second is backup in case the site crashes. I did make the mistake once of not backing up my sites and there was an error on the hosting provider’s side that made me lose everything I ever did on my site with no hopes of recovery. I no longer use that hosting provider nor would recommend anyone else using those very cheap $1 per month hosting companies either. If you opt out of the backup subscription you may be able to use a plugin like ‘BackWpup’ instead.
Additionally if you’re not really into the BlueHost for some reason or another two other hosting companies I’d strongly advise are:
- HostNine – I actually have a site that I registered through NameCheap but is being hosted on HostNine. Also very affordable.
- WPEngine – A hosting company known specifically for WordPress that has really quick load times so your website is delivered to readers right away. More pricey but if you use the code ‘SPEEDUP‘ you’ll get 20% off the first payment.
2. Installing WordPress on BlueHost
After you finish the registration process with Bluehost you’ll need to install WordPress. Don’t let this deter you, it is much easier than one would think.
What is WordPress? It’s a content management system that is used to develop the site itself. This site Katanaswordreviews.com is actually run on the WordPress software. This is one of many blogging software however it is the most simple to use and has a ton of plugins so you can really deck out your site with cool functionalities.
Here’s how you install it…
Head back to BlueHost and use your login credentials you created during the signup process then navigate to the ‘website builders’ section. Here you’ll click the WordPress logo (seen below)
The following page you’ll select ‘install’ button in the ‘do it yourself FREE’ section. When it comes to learning how to start a martial arts blog this process is so simple there is no need to pay someone to do it for you, plus if you have any issues BlueHost has live chat to help you out with it.
The next page you’ll enter your domain name for your new site and select ‘check domain’. Remember this is what the name of your site will be, mine is https://katanaswordreviews.com.
The final page you’ll check the box to agree to the terms & conditions and hit the ‘install now’ button. From here you should get a message that says the install is complete. Before you do anything else click the ‘view credentials’ button and copy all of the information on the page and save it some place you WON’T lose it. The most important information to capture is the Admin URL, Username, and Password. You’ll need these to login to your site to start working on developing it.
Copy the admin URL and paste it into the browser, use the login credentials you just copied down to login for the first time. The admin URL usually is the name of your site with ‘/wp-admin’ after it however depending on how you set it up it may differ.
Boom you just logged into your new site for the first time.
3. Choosing a Theme & Making it Look good
Choosing a Theme
Alright time to pick a theme and start writing your blog. The ‘theme’ is the look, layout, and style of the blog. As you browse the internet and come across different sites you’ll notice many will say ‘WordPress’ on the bottom but they all look different. That’s because they each have their own themes. WordPress does have a ton of free themes if you’re looking to save some money, some of which I’ve used before however after testing a few different ones I transitioned to a Premium theme. A few great premium themes to look into are:
StudioPress
StudioPress Genesis framework is my favorite. This is actually the framework for this site right here.
If you want to set your site up just like mine you’ll need to buy two things, the first is the Genesis framework here, the second is the Modern Studio Pro theme here. Additionally if you think you’ll want to use various premium themes from StudioPress you may want to buy the bundled option (yellow arrow below) and get every theme they offer at a lower rate.
Once you’ve downloaded both of the products you’ll log into your WordPress site and find the ‘appearance’ menu on the left side and go to ‘themes’.
Once you’re there next to ‘Themes’ hit ‘add new’ then ‘upload theme’. First upload the Genesis Zip (from where you saved it when you downloaded it after purchasing it) then upload the Modern Studio Pro theme and activate it.
If you get stuck for self help with the Genesis framework refer to this pdf, I did a few times.
DIY Themes
DIY has a ton of great premium themes as well however their most well known is their ‘Thesis‘ Theme. Very versatile with the color schemes and mobile responsive (works on smartphones too).
Getting a Logo
If you have a friend who is into graphic design or you yourself fiddle in it then I recommend saving some money and going that route. If you don’t and need to hire someone to do it don’t spend a lot of money on it. At the end of the day it’s not like any of our site logos will be as well known as the Nike logo or anything.
My suggestion would be go to Fiverr and search for ‘logo design’, find someone with good star ratings who will do a free revision and pay just $5 for the thing. This is a cheap route to get a professional looking logo. Not to mention all the other things you can do on Fiverr like having people with large social media followings share your link with all their followers to help get your site noticed.
Need More Training on How to Start a Martial Arts Blog?
If you’re stuck and looking for more training on setting up your site you can take a bunch of courses online at Udemy. I’ve provided links to a few premium training courses there to help you build out your blogging skills. They also offer free courses too.
- Course: Master WordPress in 24 Hours
- Course: WordPress for Beginners
- Course: WordPress & Installing the Genesis Framework
There you have it, that’s how to start a martial arts blog. I recommend seeking out various other avenues for learning about blogging and how to edit and adjust your site as it grows. Join online Facebook groups that focus on blogging, watch YouTube videos, and do much more, always seek to expand your wisdom just as most samurai do.
I hope to see your sites soon and maybe even learn from each of you!