Is this BJJ class too expensive?

[BJJaccount1202]

Went to a local BJJ gym, the people there seemed really nice but the price was kinda extreme. He told me for the first 6 weeks it’s $599 with a money back thing if I don’t drop weight (I’m not doing this for weight loss anyway I just want to learn self defense), it’s a completely beginner class where you can go 2-3 times a week, he said you get a personal trainer there with you as well but I’m not sure how much he’s over exaggerating there but it doesn’t seem like a true personal trainer type thing. After the 6 weeks its $39 a week so almost $160 a month. He also said I can do $59 a week with no chance to get my money back, but I have to let him know by today because tomorrow the beginner classes start and he won’t have another until December.

I’m new to martial arts in general, but $599 for 6 weeks seems way too expensive, another local gym charges $130 a month for twice a week and when I mentioned this to him he said those aren’t beginner classes and they just put you with everyone. Thoughts?

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

$600 for 6 weeks? I would never pay anything close to that. And even if all else were equal, for bjj I wouldn't want to enter a beginners class like that anyway, it's more helpful to train with experienced people and roll with them.

The telling you that you have to make up your mind today is 100% a scummy business practice. If he really wanted you, and had classes set like that, entering a couple days late, or offering a private lesson for the classes that you missed would be much more reasonable. I also wouldn't be surprised if the fine print says something like you have to attend all classes, or prove that you're doing x y and z outside of class for the money back guarantee offer.

Lastly, after 6 weeks going 2-3 times a week, you'll still be a beginner anyway. Just a very slightly improved beginner. So attending the beginner class for just that period won't help that much anyway.

$130 per month is okay, depending on where you live. I paid around that much in NY, but in a lower cost of living area, even that might be worth looking around some more (if moneys a concern)

 

[Dirty Dog]

So they're using high pressure sales techniques (buy now or else!), setting your goals for you (weight loss) regardless of if that's a goal you're actually seeking, charging really high prices, and wants to prevent you from training with people who cans serve as examples.
What do you think you should do?

 

[Oily Dragon]

he said you get a personal trainer there with you as well but I’m not sure how much he’s over exaggerating there but it doesn’t seem like a true personal trainer type thing.

$700 for a "true" 1:1 personal trainer is actually not that expensive if we are talking 12-18 one-on-one sessions over 6 weeks, if that's what you mean by "true" (ie you get all of that person's time).

Most BJJ places I've seen run $100-200 a month for mixed group classes. Even some of the best ones are average cost.

Private lessons being what they are, can sometimes cost hundreds of dollars a session. So ultimately it comes down to the pedigree of the instructor and how much actual 1:1 focus time they spend on just you.

If you're gonna put out that much cash up front make sure there's a refund option on paper. If it's cancel any time, go for it. If it sucks after a couple sessions, get your money back. Locking you in for any length of time without that option is a red flag.

 

[Tony Dismukes]

$160/month could be reasonable for a good school, depending on the geographic area. $599 for 6 weeks is completely insane. You can attend sone of the top BJJ academies in the world for much less than that.

 

[Tigerwarrior]

Went to a local BJJ gym, the people there seemed really nice but the price was kinda extreme. He told me for the first 6 weeks it’s $599 with a money back thing if I don’t drop weight (I’m not doing this for weight loss anyway I just want to learn self defense), it’s a completely beginner class where you can go 2-3 times a week, he said you get a personal trainer there with you as well but I’m not sure how much he’s over exaggerating there but it doesn’t seem like a true personal trainer type thing. After the 6 weeks its $39 a week so almost $160 a month. He also said I can do $59 a week with no chance to get my money back, but I have to let him know by today because tomorrow the beginner classes start and he won’t have another until December.

I’m new to martial arts in general, but $599 for 6 weeks seems way too expensive, another local gym charges $130 a month for twice a week and when I mentioned this to him he said those aren’t beginner classes and they just put you with everyone. Thoughts?

It's a scam. As a beginner I'd max gym fee at $150 a month and that's a top of the line gym. I've seen gyms charge as little as $60 a month unlimited classes. The average price around here for bjj is $100 a month. 599 is way too much.

 

[Oily Dragon]

Another afterthought, I see a lot of BJJ places now offering seasonal packages, like 90 day packages, summer specials, etc. This kind of makes sense given that a lot of students are probably on and off again training. I saw a place together that has really good quality instructors and only charges about $500 for a 3 month package, or $350 for 10 weeks, with unlimited lessons, and they will offer other discounts too.

I was curious if the OP's school costs are published online. I'm always skeptical of places that keep this a secret until you're in the door.

"Local BJJ gym" can mean top quality establishment, or absolute trash.

 

[dunc]

FWIW the top academy in the UK charges about $200 per month
Sometimes you will need to buy a gi when you start at an academy so that may be in the registration fee also
D