BKJ1216 Posted March 21, 2003 Posted March 21, 2003 Alright well recently I called a local dojo in town to see what their prices were. The guy woudln't give me the price. I know I can't afford over 50 and I told him that, but he said that I need to go in there and see how they operate before I eliminate it because of money reason. He sounded to me like he was saying that any ammount of money would be worth it to take this class. I can't shake the feeling that it's expensive though just because he woudln't tell me what the price was. Do you guys think it's expensive? White Belt- Shudokan Karate
Tombstone Posted March 21, 2003 Posted March 21, 2003 Most places won't tell you a price until you show up in person. When you show up you get the basic tour and get to watch a little bit of a class then go over the paperwork. That's the way to get members. I don't like it but that's the way most of them operate.
crash Posted March 21, 2003 Posted March 21, 2003 Tombstone is right, most places wont discuss price over the phone. price will depend largely on what part of the country you live, size of your town,etc...(large cities are usually more exp.) I think its safe to say that the average dojo charges between 50 to 65 dollars a month.(sometimes up to 75. ) when you go in to talk with the instr. you will be shown around the dojo, explained how classes operate, style etc.. I usually offer a free class or two just so new ppl can see if its what they were looking for/expected. once they decide to join and pay their first months dues (55.)they get a free uniform and are fully integrated into class. this is just an ex. but are a few things you can ask the inst....good luck on your search.
ninjanurse Posted March 21, 2003 Posted March 21, 2003 Definitely a marketing thing...like a car salesman. Get'em into the school and go for the throat!!!! Personally, if he can't be honest with me on the phone and answer my questions forthright I question his character and would be suspicious of his credentials. Honesty is always the best policy! "A Black Belt is only the beginning."Heidi-A student of the artsTae Kwon Do,Shotokan,Ju Jitsu,Modern Arnishttp://the100info.tumblr.com/
crash Posted March 21, 2003 Posted March 21, 2003 ninjanurse, true you should be told upfront what to expect in price, whether a contract is involved and so forth,and a lot of times if someone refuses to give a price over the phone its a sure sign that a contract may be involved, it is also true that it is sometimes used as a marketing strategy to get ppl in to your school, but actually if someone is really serious about the level of instruction theyre seeking then they should be checking out the school in person anyway instead of just calling on the phone and basing all on price alone.
ninjanurse Posted March 21, 2003 Posted March 21, 2003 Very true Crash!!! I always advocate checking schools out in person but I would be suspect after having an evasive conversation on the phone. I am not one to try to find the cheapest deal either-you definitely get what you pay for and sometimes a whole lot more. "A Black Belt is only the beginning."Heidi-A student of the artsTae Kwon Do,Shotokan,Ju Jitsu,Modern Arnishttp://the100info.tumblr.com/
KickChick Posted March 21, 2003 Posted March 21, 2003 He sounded to me like he was saying that any ammount of money would be worth it to take this class. I can't shake the feeling that it's expensive though just because he woudln't tell me what the price was. Do you guys think it's expensive? No, I think that maybe you should go in person as the previous posters suggested. Calling first to see if you can go for a trial class and then to discuss tuition fees is one thing. To discuss actual costs and contracts before even trying a class and knowing first hand the quality based on cost of instruction ....is another. Is May 12th coming anytime soon???
monkeygirl Posted March 21, 2003 Posted March 21, 2003 Did I miss something? What's May 12th? About BKJ's question: I, too, would have the feeling that the classes are a bit expensive. Several people have said that it's a marketing ploy, but I tend to think that providing good, helpful service is more effective. My dojo always informs people of pricing. We tell them pretty much anything they want to know. As the others have said, go ahead and check out the classes. You may decide you don't like the quality of instruction, and aren't interested in his prices after all But, if nothing more, go to find out the prices. 1st dan & Asst. Instructor TKD 2000-2003No matter the tune...if you can rock it, rock it hard.
chh Posted March 21, 2003 Posted March 21, 2003 I'm with KickChick, quit pestering the guy over the phone and go try a class!! If the instructor is a sleaze and it's too expensive, you will find out then; it won't cost you anything, and you'll have gotten a taste of karate training and learned something. Could be he's the greatest teacher in the world and didn't want to quote you prices because he was afraid you'd hear it was 5 dollars more than you want to pay and hang up on him. Or perhaps he's willing to work with serious young students to agree on a price they can afford, if that's the case I'm sure he'd never offer that information over the phone. Or maybe he gets tons of callers who never turn up in the dojo, and he doesn't want to spend time on you if you're too lazy to leave the house and check the place out. You'll never know if you don't go, no one here can find any of this out for you. Yes, a dojo that charges money is a business...no, it's not exactly like a health club or retail store. There are many reasons why the prices won't be posted in the front window.
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