Case Study: Turning Clock-Ins into a Training Ritual at 36th Chamber University of Martial Arts

“Clock in and clock out are part of our daily training ritual. Hours on the mat help determine who is ready for blue and black.” — Instructor Keith Horton

36th Chamber University instructor leading a martial arts class

36th Chamber University joined ShiftFlow on January 11, 2023, during ShiftFlow’s launch month, and it continues to be the platform’s longest-running active customer, which is a signal of trust that shaped how we evolve time tracking for martial arts academies.

At a glance

  • Location: 8530 Joseph Campau Ave, Hamtramck, MI
  • Website: https://www.36cumas.com/
  • Size: roughly 20 to 30 active students
  • Training cadence: Monday and Wednesday evenings 6:30 to 10:30 pm, plus a long Saturday block
  • Formats: in-person classes and an optional virtual Zoom class on Saturdays at 2:00 pm Eastern
  • Instructor team: Chief Instructor Dr. Von Glass, Antoine M. Hayes I, Instructor Ghost, Keith Horton, and Cedric Bass

The academy

36th Chamber University blends a Kempo-rooted system with Tumfo Tu and Hung Gar principles, pairing traditional forms with practical self-defense. The public history and overview pages describe a lineage shaped by Professor Chang, Hughes Naumu, and Master Kajana Cetshwayo, with Detroit roots that still shape the school’s culture today on the school’s official site.

What you feel on the floor is focused and intentional. Students arrive, greet the desk, and treat attendance like tying a belt. That small action signals the shift into training mode.

The challenge

With 20 to 30 active students rotating through concentrated evening windows, the school needed a simple way to record presence without slowing warm-ups. Instructors also use cumulative training hours as one signal for belt readiness, so accuracy and consistency matter. Hybrid options like the Saturday Zoom class added another wrinkle for attendance, as outlined on the school’s membership page.

Why ShiftFlow

ShiftFlow fit because it keeps the student action simple and gives instructors clean, reviewable hours.

  • Fast clock-ins on iOS and Android, so students can sign in and get to the mat
  • Real-time timesheets that show who trained today and this week
  • One-click exports to CSV or PDF for belt boards and attendance audits
  • Optional verification such as GPS and selfie checks for schools that want extra accountability

ShiftFlow’s time tracking and timesheet feature pages detail these capabilities.

How 36th Chamber set it up

1) Add the roster and start at the door
Students created accounts and clocked in on arrival. That first tap became the on-ramp to class, not a distraction from it.

2) Make clock-in and clock-out part of dojo etiquette
The team positioned the phone action as a ritual: tap in, bow in, train. Tap out at the end. The habit stuck because it felt aligned with discipline, not administrative overhead.

3) Review hours weekly
Instructors glance at the live timesheet view during sessions, then export a CSV or PDF by student when discussing promotions or make-up work.

A week on the mats with ShiftFlow

Monday 6:20 pm
Students arrive, clock in, stow phones, and line up. If someone is late, staff checks the real-time list without pausing warm-ups.

Wednesday
Same cadence. Consistency at the door reduces “did I sign in” questions and keeps attention on drills.

Saturday 4:15 to 10:00 pm
Long training block on site. For those remote or traveling, the Saturday 2:00 pm Zoom class provides a structured alternative that still counts toward hours when the school chooses to credit it, and ShiftFlow’s optional selfie and location verifications keep those remote clock-ins accountable.

What improved

  • Attendance became a discipline
    Treating clock-in as a ritual sharpened focus at the start of class and made students own their presence.
  • Transparent belt readiness
    When a student is approaching blue or black, instructors can pair skill assessments with a clean export of recent hours using ShiftFlow’s timesheet view. No more reconstructing from texts.
  • Less administrative drag
    Timesheets update in real time and export in seconds, which frees staff to coach.

The takeaway

By turning clock-ins into a small act of intention, 36th Chamber University aligned technology with dojo culture. ShiftFlow gives students a quick way to show up, gives instructors trustworthy hours when discussing promotions, and keeps administrative work in the background where it belongs.

Interested in building a similar habit at your school? Start with ShiftFlow’s time tracking and timesheet tools, then make the first tap part of your greeting at the door.