Average price for instruction

[superdave]

I was wondering what everyone pays on average for their instruction. Here in Maryland, the schools that I have checked out are about $70-80 per month. A few were at the $100 mark, plus a $300 enrollment few. I can't afford that much for instruction, especially at a school where you can only go to class 2 days a week.

SuperDave

 

[Klondike93]

$99 a month for 2 classes a week or $109 + a enrollment fee (I don't know what it is though) for the black belt club program.
The black belt club has unlimited classes and discounts on seminars and things like that.
After checking around that's about average for here in Colorado.


:asian:

 

[Cthulhu]

My situation was a bit different, since my instructor was active military. So, the fees I paid weren't indicative of the area. I paid $20/month and there was no 'enrollment fee', unless you count the cost of my gi. We met four times a week, from 2 - 4 hours per class. Stripe tests were $5 and belt tests were $20. If you aced a test (tests were graded on a % system, so acing would be 100%), the test fee was refunded. A couple of times, when I was testing for my second stripe, I did well enough to skip that stripe and advance to the next belt. In those cases, I paid for just the belt test, not the stripe+belt. Black belt tests have no fee.

At the time (early 90's), I believe the other schools in the area charged anywhere from $40-$100 per month. Some required contracts. I have no idea if there were any enrollment fees.

Cthulhu

 

[arnisador]

I live in a small town. When my Tai Chi instructor moved away I went from paying $22/month for up to 5 Tai Chi lessons per week (each an hour to an hour and a half) to paying $98/month for up to 4 JKD/BJJ lessons per week (each an hour and 15 min. to an hour and a half) plus the opportunity for as many more in a town nearly two hours away where the same instructor teaches the other half of the week. The JKD/BJJ fee includes full access to a very nice private gym in which the classes are offered but I don't need that--I have a great gym through work. There are belt testing fees as well. It's more than I had wanted to pay but getting both JKD and BJJ was too much to pass up, and the instructor and atmosphere are great.

 

[Blindside]

Sorry for the aside but....

Arnisador,

How do the belt testing fees work with the school? Since you test (or don't test in most cases) so infrequently in BJJ, and JKD doesn't normally have belts, it doesn't seem very profitable. Just curious.

Thanks,

Lamont

 

[arnisador]

Originally posted by Blindside
Arnisador,

How do the belt testing fees work with the school? Since you test (or don't test in most cases) so infrequently in BJJ, and JKD doesn't normally have belts, it doesn't seem very profitable. Just curious.

I am too new to the school to respond with much knowledge, but the JKD part has a belt ranking system that is internal to this particular school--I don't really understand how it works yet--and I think the BJJ may have stripes as well as regular belts though again I am not certain. (Either the JKD or BJJ system, or both, has stripes.) It is my understanding that a number of JKD instructors are slowly moving toward belts for obvious reasons but again I am quite new to both JKD and BJJ.

 

[Blindside]

Hi Superdave,

Those prices sound about right for the Seattle area, I didn't really blink about paying 60-85 for three times a week training. I never really went higher than that. In Wyoming, where my normal school is we run just $40 dollars a month for 4 nights instruction plus an "open" Saturday. However, nobody is trying to make a living off of this school, we're just trying to keep the lights on.

Lamont

 

[tshadowchaser]

In the area I live in I see prices range from $75 per month plus a sign up fee and uniform fee and school patch fee equaling about $225 dollors output for the first class ( aTKD sxhool) to other schools that range from 50 - 75 a month.
I would not even guess what the testing fee is at that TD school.I do know that it used to range from $25 for the first (yellow) to over 300 for the Black but that was years ago.
My own school $30 a month monday -thursday
No testing fee. I dont let anyone where a uniform for the first month The school patch belongs to me I allow the student to wear it while they study, if they leave I want i back, so there is no fee for the patch.
Shadow

 

[GouRonin]

With the exception of a few, (These people and schools know who they are and I have great respect for them for what they are doing) most Kenpoists are all about the money. Huge fees paid for privates, huge fees paid for classes. It is quickly becoming the new TKD of the martial arts. I don't mean to say that TKD isn't good. What I mean is that it's becoming the new cash grab. The art of Kenpo can only suffer because of this. You don't need to charge huge dollars. I know. I see people who don't and do great for themselves. My instructor and friends don't charge big bucks and do ok.

What really saddens me is that there are those who feel if they are not paying big bucks they are not getting anything good. Can you believe that? To make a choice of schools and instructors based on how much you get charged? That's pathetic.

I have never charged anyone any money for anything I have done for them relating to martial arts and I volunteer at a friend's school whenever I can. In fact, there have been rumbling of him thinking about paying people. If he tries that I will only take the money and put it into a fund to bring in an instructor for a seminar. As far as I am concerned I do what I do because I WANT to.

This subject burns my butt because I have been burned by cash hungry people. I have always paid my debt, real or even sometimes imagined. But you can be damn sure that it'll only happen once and when they come back around with their hand out again they'll get nothing.

Too many people want to kill the goose that laid the golden eggs only to open it up and realize now that it's dead it's worth nothing.
:soapbox: :soapbox: :soapbox: :soapbox: :soapbox:

 

[kenpo_cory]

My kenpo instructor charges $50 a month. He has classes Monday through Friday two classes a day (morning and evening) each class an hour long. On Mondays and Thursdays we have an "advanced class" in addition to the regular classes I mentioned above, any one purple belt and up can attend. It's not really "advanced" per say, I think its just a reason for my instructor to teach more, which is fine with me. He has been in the same dojo since 1983 and seems to be doing just fine on the price he charges. Belt tests are $20 and stripe checks are free. I have looked around and the price everyone is quoting seems to be the norm for other arts around here (about $70-$80 a month). There aren't really many kenpo dojos in my area, so he could get away with charging a lot more but he says he doesn’t do it completely for the money. I say completely because his dojo is his only income so he has to eat somehow. I'm just glad I don’t have to pay the price i've read here or I wouldn’t be able to enjoy kenpo, guess i'm just lucky.

 

[tshadowchaser]

As I have said I charge very little to those that pay for instruction. Most of the time I pay over half of the rental fee on the building out of my pocket. When I came along in the arts there where many instructors that would teach without chargeing if the student could not afford it. Most of my life I paid verry little for istruction but I would clean the school, cut and chop wood, or help paint or roof the instructors house. What ever I could to pay in a diffrent way. Thats the way I try to do it today The same as I was treated.
When I was studying Kenpo I watched People paying and paying for "privates" then payin for tests. I didn't agree with the practice but it seemed to be the rule rather than the exception when chargeing fees. I have to agree with GouRonin on this the chargeing of students today by most Kenpo (or maybe even most instructors in most systems) is way out of hand. There are few instructors who teach because they love the art and want to pass on their art, most seem to only want BIG MONEY.
Shadow

 

[meni]

Money, money and more money

With all the respect to Gou and Shadow, I have to disagree with you
Martial arts instructors are entitled to charge as much as any other private tutor I know what I charge for a private class and I know what my Doc. Charge for his 10 min of seeing me. If you ask around most people pay 40-60 bucks for 45 min. and most of the time what the teach you is nothing, in martial arts the instructors teaches you something that is extremely viable for each and every person therefore I don’t see any reason why not to charge per class or per month or for private, I always consider my teachers a professionals and as professionals they deserve to get paid!


with all the respect

 

[GouRonin]

I have no problem with paying professionals. Unfortunatly some of these pros have let their rank go to their head.

I know a 5th with charges 75.00$ an hour to teach crap. But the thing is his students don't know it. They think it's great! Plus since they pay so much they figure it's better. I know a 9th who was there with the old man who charges at LEAST 25% less and will give you way more info.

To equate it to a doctor...well... these guys who inflate their rank to charge more are crooks and if they were doctors padding their credentials then they'd go to jail for fraud.

 

[Kirk]

I paid 149 down. I got a ghi, 4 patches, belt, padded gloves, a
mouth piece, and the first month covered. A service company
goes directly into my account and takes out 59 bucks per each
month. The school I train at is clean, there's a weight room,
and we have 2 kenpo instruction days, and 2 escrima days.
It's in a decent side of town, and has yet to be vandalized. I
think the fees are acceptable.

 

[disciple]

Do you think instructors in some arts usually charge more than other arts? How about location? As what businessmen say "Location, Location, and Location" But then again some instructors are not businessmen

salute
:asian:

 

[warder]

Im not a kenpo man, but this forum seems like it is open to all. This i feel is an important topic. and this is a great forum for us to discuss this. We all love to train, and apparently martial arts means more to us than just class, or else we wouldnt be on this page. the fact that we are all here writing to each other shows that this isnt just a hobby or a sport. THIS IS OUR WAY OF LIF. I pay $80 a month for my TKD classes. That entails 3-5 1hr classes a week, plus seminars at discounted prices. as for belt tests, it conts $5 for belt tests till you get your black belt. then the test runs ito the hundreds. But the hidden gold mine is my BJJ class at Saunders BJJ, We pay 130 for 3 months. Classes are scheduled for an hour and a half. Ive never been to a class that lasted less than 2hrs. Kyles class, for those in the area is amazing. we go till kyle is ready to quit. and it seems that he is never ready to quit. Saunders BJJ is a hidden gem in the central new york martial arts world.
Fred

 

[jaybacca72]

i charge $20/hr cnd. and that is for privates at my house with one person or two. and believe me they get thier moneys worth and probably more than they should hehe and you guys know who you are right gou!haha
later
jay

 

[GouRonin]

Originally posted by jaybacca72
i charge $20/hr cnd. and that is for privates at my house with one person or two. and believe me they get thier moneys worth and probably more than they should hehe and you guys know who you are right gou!haha later jay

Jaybacca's the gem in our area. I just wish i could get out more to his place to train.

 

[Nate_Hoopes]

I pay $225 per month for their "premium" package, it includes; four hours of private instruction per month, As many group classes as i want to attend (group classes are everyday except sundays), plus shootfighting/sparring class every monday, I dig the private instruction, keeps me from holding back anyone that might be better than me, as well as makes sure im not held back by anyone else. $225/mo. may seem like alot, but i get a lot for what i pay for.

 

[GouRonin]

Originally posted by Nate_Hoopes
I pay $225 per month for their "premium" package, it includes; four hours of private instruction per month, As many group classes as i want to attend (group classes are everyday except sundays), plus shootfighting/sparring class every monday, I dig the private instruction, keeps me from holding back anyone that might be better than me, as well as makes sure im not held back by anyone else. $225/mo. may seem like alot, but i get a lot for what i pay for.

I am glad you think this and are happy. Personally, I think that's quite a lot.