Built by a Martial Artist, for Martial Arts Schools
Arnold started in the late 1990s as a way to help my own coach keep track of his students. More than 25 years later, it runs martial arts schools across Australia and New Zealand — and it still runs mine.
- Since the late 1990s
- Made in Sydney, Australia
- Used every day in our own gym
Hi, I'm Rodney
I'm a software developer, a Microsoft Certified SQL Server expert — and a jiu-jitsu coach. I built Arnold because I needed it, and I've kept building it because gym owners keep asking for things that make their lives easier.
Most of Arnold's best features started as a request from a gym owner: the birthday report, the class listing report, the chart that proved new members really do join in summer. That's still how it works today — if you need something, tell us.
The part I'm proudest of is the engine underneath. The database design has barely changed since the first version, because it was built around how a martial arts school actually runs: with one click, Arnold enrols a member into a class, checks their payments are up to date, and works out their classes to grading and when their membership runs out. Get the engine right, and everything else is window dressing.
I honestly couldn't run my gym without it. I hope it helps you run yours.
Rodney Ellis
Founder, Stingrae International Pty Ltd
Stingrae International Pty Ltd
Unit 1A / 2 Resolution Drive
Caringbah NSW 2229, Australia
25+ years of late nights
Late 1990s
Pen and paper to Visual Gym Manager
My martial arts coach asked me to help keep track of his members — pen and paper wasn't keeping up as the gym grew. I'd been programming since I was 13, so I built a Windows app that stored members in a text file. It was called Visual Gym Manager.
1999
A real database, and a new name
It moved to Microsoft Access with proper relational tables, and was renamed Arnold — not after the bodybuilder, but after a server at the company I worked for. It sounded good for software too.
2002
Rewritten for .NET
Self-taught and without a university degree, I bought Visual Basic .NET (a box of CDs, back then) and a "teach yourself" book, and rewrote the whole thing. I kept developing it in my spare time between work and jiu-jitsu training — in Sydney and in Rio de Janeiro.
2012
SQL Server, and more gyms
Back in Sydney full-time, I moved the database to SQL Server. Arnold was now running at three gyms — and every update meant driving to each one to install it.
Mid 2010s
Into the cloud
The database moved online, and Arnold picked up gyms in New Zealand and Darwin. Installing it on every reception PC was still painful, so the only answer was a web app.
2019–2020
A web app, and direct debit
After months of late nights learning web development, Arnold became a web application — with PCI-compliant direct debit and a proper modern look. By now I had also become a Microsoft Certified Expert in SQL Server.
2023
Microsoft Azure and a full rewrite
Arnold moved to Microsoft Azure and was rebuilt as a modern .NET application — faster, cleaner and ready for the member apps.
Today
Still built by people who use it
Arnold runs martial arts schools across Australia and New Zealand, with Worldpay direct debit, a reception tablet app and personalised member apps. And it still runs my own gym every day.
Start free today
Free forever for up to 50 active members. No credit card, no time limit — and we'll import your existing members for you.
Create My Free Account