Belt tests...too often.

[FangPwnsAll7]

There is something I just thought about, and I think belt tests at my dojo are held too often. Every 3 months, there is a new belt test. I'm going to post how the belts in my school go. You pay for belt tests and the prices are as follows. I have a feeling I might be going to a McDojo. It costs $1260 each year you go in the dojo.

The youngest person in my dojo I saw with a black belt on was 5 years old. You have to know all of the forms, long distance, and you have to say some of the body parts in Korean. My instructor says that it takes 4 years to get a black belt there. Of course, he also mentioned that you have to pay $400 to actually take the black belt test.

Yes, I admit I do take these belt tests every time their held.

Belt System

White Belt [$60]

Yellow Belt [3 months, $30]

Orange Belt [3 months, $30]

Orange Belt w/ 1 green stripe [3 months, $30]

Green Belt [3 months, $30 + $15 for lapel]

Green Belt w/ 1 red stripe [3 months, $30]

Green Belt w/ 2 red stripes [3 months, $30]

Red Belt [3 months, $30 + $15 for lapel]

Red Belt w/ 1 blue stripe [6 months, $30]

Red Belt w/ 2 blue stripes [6 months, $30]

Blue Belt [6 months, $30]

Blue Belt w/ 1 white stripe [6 months, $30]

Black Belt [1 year, $400]

Your thoughts?

[Harkon72]

It appears that it could be a money spinning machine.

Gradings in our club are held every three months, but only when you are ready. My wife waited 10 months before the teacher felt she was ready to grade. I have had three gradings in that time, but I train more often and have more experience than her. Each grading costs £20, regardless of grade.

[Dobbersky]

With respect, its a belt factory!

I can't believe people charge that much for gradings.

My Student's 9th Kyu Grading is Free, part of the joining fee.

All Kyu Grades are £10

All Dan Grades are £80

And I feel guilty my dan grade was too high but it JUST covers the costs, but I'm not for profit

But I suppose if people are willing to pay for it, they'll keep charging it

[Harkon72]

Our Sensei would train us for free if he could; he doesn't do it for profit.

For him it's to do with the pleasure of seeing his students develop, this is quite unlike a lot of schools I could mention.

[DWx]

I don't think you need to jump to the conclusion of belt factory. Testing cycles every 3 months are pretty common in a lot of styles. I don't think a $30 testing fee is too outrageous either, matches up with what we get charged. The blackbelt test fee does seem a little steep but it may be covering getting an external examiner in (paying for their travel expenses and time), breaking material, and registration with an (inter)national governing body or if it's like my school, the fee also covers a day's intensive training with the local master.

[darksoul]

I'm gonna go with the belt factory too.

[Dobbersky]

What gets me is $30 for a bit of electrical tape around the end of the belt?

I tend to have a system where I have 3 to 4 stripes around the belt before they can grade for the next colour (they don't pay for these stripes)

[Wastelander]

The prices of the promotions ($30) aren't outrageous, and neither is the yearly cost ($105/month) for most martial arts schools in America. The $400 cost of the black belt exam IS very high, and charging for stripes is ridiculous. This school is obviously a commercial school, doing everything they can to get as much money as possible out of people--following what Fang provided, it will cost you a total of $5860 to earn your black belt, provided you pass every exam.

FangPwnsAll7--does anyone ever fail those exams, and do they still pay for the exams if they do fail? I am also curious as to the level of skill of the instructors at your school and how effective the style is as they teach it. It is entirely possible to have a commercial school that is NOT a McDojo--if they do fail people for not meeting their standards and if they do teach effective martial arts then they do not really qualify as a McDojo, just a commercial school.

[FangPwnsAll7]

A white belt never fails, but I saw a few belts fail above green belt.

[Harkon72]

Some schools charge extra for a pre-grade before you are tested for your belt. We don't, Junior grades get a new belt each time they grade. The only thing that our school has that is different from most is that you grade for a Pre-Dan before your Shodan. You are given a Black Belt with a white stripe. I'm not sure if our Sensei charge extra for this grade but it's 6 months before your Shodan test.