How much do you pay to train?

[Zujitsuka]

I'm just curious how much guys from other parts of the U.S. and Canada pay for martial arts training.

I live in New York City and one would be hard pressed to find a school that offers instruction for less than $100 per month.

Thanks in advance for responding.

 

[tarabos]

$0.00 a month for instructors...

but i believe our school charges around $90 a month. which i feel is pretty darn expensive for the area we are in, especially when you are competing with the local TKD/$KravMaga$/Napmamania martial arts school down the street. they charge about $100 a month.

i've always felt 60-70 was more reasonable, but you would most likely have to have a day job if you wanted to eat charging that kind of tuition.

but yeah, in NY...i imagine the rent for a school is outrageous, so you'd have to charge a good amount. i mean, rent is bad enough around me, so i can't imagine what it would be in your area.

 

[cali_tkdbruin]

It's expensive out here in L.A. too, $90-95 a month, and one pays an extra fee to test for rank advancement...

You do get a tuition break if you want to go the contract route, or if you train with a family member the SBN gives the 2nd family member a price break.

 

[tarabos]

Originally posted by cali_tkdbruin
It's expensive out here in L.A. too, $90 a month, and one pays an extra fee to test for rank advancement...

You do get a tuition break if you want to go the contract route.

we have testing fees as well, but it's only $20.00. we don't have contract agreements...we're probably one of the few left in our area that doesn't require any contract agreements. you pay by the month, if you don't want to come back the next month you don't have to. we also have family rates.

 

[Aegis]

I pay £2 (about $3) for every 2-hour session. I train about 3 sessions a week when possible, so I pay £24 a month (about $36). Which I feel is exceedingly good value.

 

[Kirk]

$149.00 down, you get a gi, mouthpiece, gloves, cup, and a jock,
plus the first month. Then $59.00 a month after that.

 

[Withered Soul]

About £300 for a 3 year contract and unlimited access to the club. Just have to go to any lesson I want and that's it.

 

[Blindside]

$0.00 for instructors.
$40.00 for adults.
$25.00 for kids.

No belt testing fees.
There is a discout form multiple family members.
Oh, and everybody pays $10 bucks a year for insurance.

Everybody buys their gear through the school at close to wholesale prices.

Ya gotta love a non-profit studio. We just have to pay the electrical, water, and mortgage on the studio and we are golden. What profit we do make goes right back into the studio as training equipment, maintenance, and improvements.

Lamont

 

[Master of Blades]

Nothing! MWUAHAHA :rofl:

 

[tarabos]

Originally posted by Blindside
$0.00 for instructors.
$40.00 for adults.
$25.00 for kids.

No belt testing fees.
There is a discout form multiple family members.
Oh, and everybody pays $10 bucks a year for insurance.

Everybody buys their gear through the school at close to wholesale prices.

Ya gotta love a non-profit studio. We just have to pay the electrical, water, and mortgage on the studio and we are golden. What profit we do make goes right back into the studio as training equipment, maintenance, and improvements.

Lamont

sounds like a really nice deal there. you do have to love a non-profit studio. they always seem to be more dedicated to bettering the school, whether it's adding new equipment or just giving it a new paint job. granted, it may be because the profit they make HAS to go into the school or it would not be non-profit.

the yearly fee for insurance is a cool idea that i haven't really ever heard of before. i know insurance can really be a pain for a martial arts school. if this is your school, do you find that it helps a lot with the cost of insurance to charge a yearly fee and making it separate from the tuition?

 

[pesilat]

Well, I don't pay anything since it's my school. And all my instructors give me breaks (often charge me nothing) when I go to train with them.

However, here in Louisville, I teach 4 curriculums. It's $40 / month for the first curriculum. $10 / month for each additional curriculum they want to train in. So if they only want to train in one curriculum, it's $40 / month. If they want to train in 2, it's $50 / month. Etc. up to $70 / month to train in all 4 curriculums. They can switch curriculums from month to month if they're so inclined. I advocate cross training, but not jumping from one thing to the other. The primary reason people might do this would be to determine which of the 4 they like the best, then they'd settle into it to build their foundation.

People who train in more than one curriculum, I make sure that they have a "primary" and that they view the others as "supplementary."

There are 3 hours / curriculum available each week in group classes.

Mike

 

[Matt Stone]

Varying amounts for annual association membership (depends on grade - juniors pay $25 per year, seniors pay $35 or more).

Nothing for training. I just let Chufeng smack me around every now and then in trade...

When I first started, I paid $30 a month for as many classes as I could stomach, 6 days a week.

For some folks, MA just isn't about money...

I taught a class in Japan on the Army camp - for free.

I will be teaching a class here on Fort Lewis soon - for free. I will get paid (they insisted that the contract had to include some form of compensation), but will turn that money around into things for the class... Pads, uniforms for folks, etc.

Gambarimasu.
:asian:

 

[chaosomega]

When I used to train in Calgary, I paid $70 (cdn) a month. I was in preperation to move to my current location at the time, other wise I would have taken a 6-month commitment at $60/month.

 

[Blindside]

the yearly fee for insurance is a cool idea that i haven't really ever heard of before. i know insurance can really be a pain for a martial arts school. if this is your school, do you find that it helps a lot with the cost of insurance to charge a yearly fee and making it separate from the tuition?

Well, technically we aren't organized as a non-profit, but since none of the instructors are trying to make a living teaching martial arts, we pretty much treat it that way. The yearly insurance fee only partially pays for the insurance premium (about half), the rest comes out of the monthly dues. Originally we paid all of the insurance premium from dues, but as insurance costs rose we wound up adding the "insurance fee." Because our rates are fairly low it is easy to explain to people the need for a one time per year extra payment.

Lamont

 

[lhommedieu]

I charge $50/mo. for group instruction, although I will probably start charging per class because I have started to travel quite often, and I don't think it's fair to charge for time that I'm not there.

The Xing Yi class that I have been attending charges $60/mo.

I was charged by the class for another class that I attended - $25/class for a 4-5 hr. class. This was, however, a "closed door" kind of situation.

I pay a lower than usual $/hr. for private lessons - with the understanding that I take them on a regular basis (which I do).

Here in NYC difference between higher and lower training fees has a lot to do with rental costs and whether or not the school in question is a commercial facility. Sometimes a large school needs to rent a large training space to keep up with demand; the corresponding costs are often higher and so the students do not necessarily get a break. The teachers that I train with now teach out of their apartments.

I have found that, in general, higher costs do not necessarily equal a higher level of instruction. There are, however, a lot of quality martial arts teachers who expect you to pay a lot for instruction. On the flip side, there are some who don't charge a lot at all. Ultimately, you find who you want to train with and cost is not really a deciding factor.

Best,

Steve Lamade

 

[MinnieMin]

Originally posted by Kirk
$149.00 down, you get a gi, mouthpiece, gloves, cup, and a jock,
plus the first month. Then $59.00 a month after that.

You got a good deal, Kirk.

 

[Marginal]

Right now, I pay $0 for the classes I attend. (College clubs rule.)

 

[Isshin Dragon]

$75 month, and that includes the gi...not sure if I have to pay for testing or not (dont think so)...hopefully i'll find out in the next month or so.

 

[Zepp]

Originally posted by Marginal
Right now, I pay $0 for the classes I attend. (College clubs rule.)

Yes they do!

I pay $38 per quarter, but it goes toward paying for our use of the room. Whatever's left over is used by our instructor to buy wood for us to break. There are testing fees, but they all go to the organization.

I'm currently looking to crosstrain again, and I'm hoping to find a school around here for $50 a month or less. (Yeah I know- not too likely. )

 

[spook mma]

wow!!! i feel like im getting raped now hearing about your stories! im at $109 a month. at first i thought that was really expensive, but the more places that i talk to in chicago, i hear thats about average (maybe slightly above by $10 or so). do any of you guys know of anywhere cheap to get muay thai or jkd training in chicago?