Kozaru

Kozaru is web-based dojo management software for martial arts schools that need student, attendance, grading and fee workflows under one roof. It is best suited to schools that want families to book and check in online as well as staff to track attendance and belt progress. Its dojo-specific tools are a strong fit, but the free plan’s 20-student ceiling makes the monthly plan relevant as soon as a school grows.

Overview

Kozaru brings core school administration together with attendance insights that compare a student’s visits with their usual rhythm and flag possible drop-offs. That gives staff a useful prompt to follow up, rather than leaving them to spot changes in a list of check-ins. It is a signal for outreach, not a substitute for an instructor’s understanding of a student.

Schools can set their own belt ranks and grading rules. Kozaru calculates readiness using attendance and time held, helping staff apply the school’s criteria consistently while leaving the final judgment to instructors. That focus on progression makes it more tailored to dojo routines than a basic membership ledger.

Key features

Family access and class operations

Parents and students can use a school-branded web app installed from a link, with no app-store download. Members can book classes, join waitlists and check in at a tablet kiosk. Together, those options cover common front-desk tasks and give families a direct route into school activity. Timetable and instructor pages can be embedded in Wix, Squarespace and WordPress sites, and Google sign-in is supported.

Payments and messaging

Member payments run through the school’s own Stripe account; Kozaru says it does not hold the funds or take a percentage of fees. That avoids a Kozaru share of member payments, though the school still uses Stripe for processing. App notifications are free, while each text message costs 10c and honors STOP replies. Texting can therefore add up for schools that rely heavily on SMS.

Security and privacy

Kozaru says school records are encrypted with a key specific to each school, and database rules keep one school from accessing another’s records. It also says its servers are in Melbourne, data is not sold or shared, and its privacy policy was written with the Australian Privacy Act and GDPR in mind. Encrypted backups are kept in three tiers for up to a year and restored and checked quarterly. These stated safeguards will matter to schools weighing where student and family information is handled.

Pricing

Kozaru is freemium, with a 30-day trial and monthly billing rather than a yearly subscription. The Free plan costs nothing after the trial and supports up to 20 active students. It excludes the AI helper, and texting requires a card. This is a practical starting point for a small dojo, but schools at the limit must move to paid service to add students.

The Kozaru plan costs A$11 a month for the first 20 active students, then $1 per student from the 21st, with no student ceiling. It allows additional halls on the same bill; the AI helper adds $9/month and texts remain 10c each. This is the fit for a growing school that needs room to expand without a fixed student cap, though variable per-student charges and paid messaging should be factored into the budget.

The Federation / head office console costs A$5,010 a month. A card is required up front and there is no trial; each dojo pays its own subscription, while the console provides federation-wide counts, grade spread and schedules. It suits an organization coordinating multiple dojos, not a single school looking only for day-to-day management.

Platforms

Kozaru runs on the web, including its family-facing app and tablet kiosk. The maker also identifies a mobile app, but the described family access works through a web app installed from a link, not an app-store download.

Who it's for

Kozaru is aimed at martial arts schools, and its maker says it grew from systems used in a real dojo. Schools with defined belt criteria, regular class bookings and families who need online access are likely to get the most from its combination of grading, attendance and member tools. A school seeking a general gym platform or one that needs more than 20 students without a paid plan should look elsewhere.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Attendance patterns and grading readiness are tied to dojo routines, making the system more useful for follow-up and belt progression than attendance totals alone.
• Pro: Families can book, waitlist and check in through a branded web app, without an app-store installation.
• Pro: Payments stay in the school’s Stripe account, and Kozaru says it takes no percentage of fees.
• Con: The free plan stops at 20 active students, so a growing school must budget for the monthly plan.
• Con: Text messages cost 10c apiece, and the AI helper is a paid add-on.
• Con: The federation console is a substantial monthly commitment, with no trial and an upfront card requirement.

Alternatives

Martial Arts School Software is a useful place to compare options across the category. Consider Clubworx if Android and iOS apps matter or if a free plan with online booking, payments and kiosk check-in for up to 20 active members is a better match. Gym Admin may suit a school that wants a free allowance of up to 50 active students with billing, attendance, rank tracking and student app access.

DojoStack is another dojo-focused option, with a free Launch plan for schools under 75 students that includes student management, attendance, belt tracking, a parent portal and basic reporting. OLM may appeal to a school comparing a free access plan that charges transaction-based fees rather than Kozaru’s fixed student pricing. Spoteca is worth considering for a very small school: its free plan covers up to 10 billable enrollments and includes all features.

Sport School Manager offers a School Plan at $89 a month with unlimited students, priority support, dedicated onboarding and a 90-day trial. Kombat Evolve is a paid alternative with mobile and desktop platforms; its Starter plan is €59 a month for up to 100 active members, excluding VAT. GymMaster is another paid option, with a Foundation plan at $89 a month for 100 current members and a 10% subscription discount for yearly payment.

Verdict

Kozaru is a compelling choice for martial arts schools that want dojo-specific attendance insight, configurable grading and family-facing booking in a single web system. Its strongest reason to choose it is the way those operations connect; its clearest reason to look elsewhere is the 20-student free cap, followed by per-text charges for schools that depend on SMS. Start with Free if 20 students is enough; choose the monthly plan when growth or additional halls make the ceiling restrictive.