Phanixis

Thanks for the advise. The program definitely seemed expensive, but I had no idea it was that bad. I must not have been in it long enough to witness many of the more serious things the posted links have stated, but some of the details on the less severe practices seem to be consistent. I guess I have more than just financial concerns as reason why to back out of Oom Yung Doe. However, the instructors did seem to be competent as far as teaching techniques leading to physical development and self-defense, but I probably won't be a good judge of competence until I try other martial arts programs. In any case I plan to keep clear of these people. Thanks for all your advise and help.

I am new the martial arts in general. I recently spent several months studying Oom Yung Doe, Grandmaster 'Iron' Kim style, which is a form of traditional martial arts. After training for a couple of months and being well satisfied with the program, I was informed that in order to continue, I would have to embark a program spanning no less than six months that entailed enormous financial costs(at least $1500 per year, and I am unable to purchase less than one year at a time). While not necessarily familiar with martial arts programs in general, I am aware of other programs that can be had for as low as $20 per month, and do not require me to commit all the money for an extended period of time up front, rather I simply pay as I go, and I can terminate the program at any time. Being on a rather tight budget, such programs are preferable. My instructors inform me that these cheaper programs are clearly inferior, and are merely 'exercise' that will not bring me the true benefits of traditional martial arts training. Naturally, I could use an unbaised opinion on the matter. What are the cost I should expect for good martial arts instruction? How can I identify the relative quality of a program? How much should I expect to pay for a serious martial arts course? Is there any circumstance in which paying over $1500 per year is justified for a beginner's training. Thanks for your advise.