Cash, Cash and Cash...

[The Saint]

I pay about $400 a year, $40 to grade for underbelts and $400 per dan at our club

[whitematt]

[A) how much do you pay monthly/per session?]

 

$40.00 per month for two classes per week.

 

[b) how much do you pay for advancing to new belts?]

 

Colored belt ranks are $30-40 per testing.

 

[C)Cost of 1stDan and above?]

 

Testing for 1D is $120.00.

[MatTzu]

I would just like to add my "opinion" which is; Cost is not relative in fact it is generally a good sign of the quality. If said instructor makes a decent living teaching TKD find another dojang. The hack who see dollar signs and not potential friends or family are giving the art a bad name. Get a life get a job and teach because you want to.

[whitematt]

[i would just like to add my "opinion" which is; Cost is not relative in fact it is generally a good sign of the quality]

 

I would definitely agree with your opinion. Just because you pay more, doesn't mean you will get more.

 

[if said instructor makes a decent living teaching TKD find another dojang. The hack who see dollar signs and not potential friends or family are giving the art a bad name. Get a life get a job and teach because you want to.]

 

Here's where we vary significantly... your saying that no martial arts instructor should make decent money teaching - no matter how good they may be? Just because an instructor is able to support themselves solely through their art, it does not mean they don't care about their students, or are ripping them off.

 

I agree that you should teach because you want to, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't be able to make a decent living.

 

Matt White

[monkeygirl]

I think if you can make a living at teaching TKD, then you can dedicate yourself to teaching a lot more. My old instructor got a full-time (40+ hours) job at about the same time I started teaching. He started working more and more, and was never around to teach! The 1st dans were having to learn techniques from a 1st dan instructor...we never learned anything new because our source of knowledge was working for his dinner!

 

Of course, somewhere along the line he had stopped caring about the dojo, and decided to let a handful of Leadership Team and Instructors run the school.

 

So, I think having TKD as your job allows you to become more committed. At the same time, you shouldn't rely too heavily on the dojo for income, because if something falls through or you have an economic emergency, the last thing I would want that person to do is to sacrifice the quality of training at the school and turn it into a McDojo. If hard times happen, bite the bullet and get a job, don't sacrifice the school.

 

With that said, the fees at my old dojo were:

 

1. Initial fee: $100, included your uniform "student ID card" (they made it sound really fancy but it was just a piece of thin cardstock paper), and your first month of classes.

 

2. Monthly fee: $79/month on a 12-month contract, $89/month on a 6-month, and $99/month on a 3-month. Each of those prices could vary depending on the method of payment you chose (cash, check, credit card, automatic withdrawal). Advanced students paid $15/month extra for Black Belt Club, which was an extra night of training every week, and you got to learn weapons.

 

At least, those were the last prices I could remember...I'm sure they've upped the prices since then.

 

3. No belt testing fees, the classes were expensive enough already.

 

The training was good (I should know, I provided it ), and the color belts were happy. Unfortunately, there was absolutely NO program for advancement from 1st to 2nd dan, etc. You just put in your time and MAYBE learned a new kata, IF the head instructor could remember it to teach you. Quite a few people left after reaching black belt, 'cause they just got bored.

[karatekid1975]

EEEkkkkk Monkeygirl. Wow!

 

Anyways, like I said, I pay $67 a month (only $15 more if I wanted to take kali also). Unlimited classes (most go twice a week, but I'm there 5 days a week). No charge for tests. BB tests are $75 (as far as I know). No contracts, and we offer family discounts. That's why my tuition is cheap Normally it's $80 a month (Plus $20 for Kali if you decided to take that, also). The grappling we learn is part of our TKD training

[MatTzu]

Does anyone of you ever question why you pay so much. I pay $25 a month $50 a year for membership and absolutely nothing for tests. I have been to many fly by nights in the past and it is in my expierence that not only do these guys intend to rip you off what they sell is junk. My instructor does not make a living teaching and still continues to advance in the art. He even makes trips to Korea. If you make money teaching the martial arts and your happy with your results more power to you however nine time out of ten money does not make a good mix with martial arts.

[Gelmir]

I train with my university, twice a week , 90 minutes each session. Price - Free. The university allows use of the hall rent free and the instructors are from local clubs. Gradings are held in the local clubs , not the uni. gradings are €20 a go.

[tommarker]

$10/month, 3 two hour classes a week. Also a university club. Funds go directly back into club, offset clinic and tourney costs, association fees, targets, etc.

[John G]

If you enjoy the MA club you’re in and the people involved, who cares how much it costs or doesn’t cost.

 

If you desperately desire a black belt I have two plans:

 

1. Pay me $16.00 + postage and promise to be a good girl or boy and uphold the laws of your country, and I will send you a black belt with your name embroidered on it in white.

 

2. Pay me $20,000.00 + postage and promise to be a good girl or boy and uphold the laws of your country, and I will send you a black belt with your name embroidered on it in gold (and I mean real gold thread).

 

This way you can walk down the street with (or without) your black belt on and stare that warrior stare to the people who pass you by. If you own one of my gold embroidered belts, feel secure in the knowledge that it is of better quality.

 

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