how much do you charge?

[username18526]

how much do you usually charge for private lessons?

[Wastelander]

I charge $35 for a 30 minute lesson, which is a holdover from my previous dojo, because that's what they charged, but I discount the per-lesson cost for paying up-front for more lessons, so a bundle of 4 is $130, 8 is $240, and 12 is $330, coming out to $32.50, $30, and $27.50 per lesson, respectively.

It's important to note, however, that how much an instructor charges for private lessons is going to vary wildly! There are so many different variables that go into that; whether it's the instructor's main source of income or not, how long they've been training, how hard it is to find what they're teaching, what the average household income is in the area, what other schools are charging, how you want to approach teaching long-time students, etc. The list goes on and on.

[username18526]

thanks for the response Wastelander, How has your response been from students in regards to your current rank or experience? are you retaining dedicated students since teaching independently?

[Nidan Melbourne]

I charge $70 for a 60 minute session, and $35 for a 30 minute session.

I discount if they purchase multiple sessions ahead of time.

[sensei8]

I charge $35 for a 30 minute lesson, which is a holdover from my previous dojo, because that's what they charged, but I discount the per-lesson cost for paying up-front for more lessons, so a bundle of 4 is $130, 8 is $240, and 12 is $330, coming out to $32.50, $30, and $27.50 per lesson, respectively.

It's important to note, however, that how much an instructor charges for private lessons is going to vary wildly! There are so many different variables that go into that; whether it's the instructor's main source of income or not, how long they've been training, how hard it is to find what they're teaching, what the average household income is in the area, what other schools are charging, how you want to approach teaching long-time students, etc. The list goes on and on.

Solid post!!

[username18526]

I charge $70 for a 60 minute session, and $35 for a 30 minute session.

I discount if they purchase multiple sessions ahead of time.

Are the pupils you're instructing total beginners? Do they care about advancing in rank? I ask since I am simply a Shodan and cannot advance someone over brown belt. I figure I'd target potential clients who are interested in learning the fundamentals, etc.

[Zaine]

As a counter question to this, if you are worried about your own rank in correlation to your ability to promote a student above Brown Belt, do you feel that you will be unable to achieve Nidan or even Sandan in the time that it will take for you to get a student on the precipice of Shodan?

[Nidan Melbourne]

I charge $70 for a 60 minute session, and $35 for a 30 minute session.

I discount if they purchase multiple sessions ahead of time.

Are the pupils you're instructing total beginners? Do they care about advancing in rank? I ask since I am simply a Shodan and cannot advance someone over brown belt. I figure I'd target potential clients who are interested in learning the fundamentals, etc.

These are for Private Tuition, so it doesn't matter the rank for me. If they were wanting to "advance in rank", then I have a Membership Option that is cheaper than what I charge, but still enough to cover overhead and give me a couple of $.

[username18526]

As a counter question to this, if you are worried about your own rank in correlation to your ability to promote a student above Brown Belt, do you feel that you will be unable to achieve Nidan or even Sandan in the time that it will take for you to get a student on the precipice of Shodan?

I no longer train with my core style, in which I have a dan rank, because I made the decision to start in other systems and would prefer to learn and excel in something new, which is what I am currently doing. With Shotokan, Although I am confident in my basic abilities, I lack the motivation and time to commit again and stay consistent in order to achieve a higher Dan grade and eventually have the ability to promote. I've considered teaching complete beginners the fundamentals and charging a small fee if given the opportunity.

[Zaine]

In that case, I wouldn't worry about rank. Just have a class in which you teach whatever you want. Set the expectation that there is no rank at the beginning. The alternative is to continue training in whatever style and join an organization that will test you for higher ranks.