NOOB in TKD with questions

H

HM2PAC

Blue Belt
Hello everyone, this is my 1st post here. I live in Maine with my wife and 2 children. This summer we started ATA TKD as a family and we all enjoy it very much. I would have preferred Kung Fu, as that is what I have trained in in the past, but up here the options are somewhat limited.

Soon we are to be ready for "Leadership" which requires sparring, finally. However, our training center requires that we buy their package of gear for $350/ea. Head gear, gloves, kick boots, chest protector and foam rubber weapons. I can get similar gear commercially for about $100/ea.

The wife and I are really torn. We all love the TKD, the kids look forward to each practice and even practice at home. My 6 y/o son has taken to using soccer practice as a good time to practice kicks. The problem is that $1500 is a bit too much for us to layout for TKD gear when we could pay less than $400 over the internet.

I do not want to offend our instructors, but I am starting to feel as though we are about to be fleeced.

Does anyone have any suggestions?
 
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What you are saying is typical ATA crud.
The national average for martial arts lessons is $70 per month.
ATA schools are known for this. Google ATA Taekwondo and see what you are getting into.

AoG
 
AoG is correct. ATA is about making money. check your local recreation centers or the YMCA. most of them offer at least tae kwon do if not other martial arts at a much more competitive rate.

jf
 
I appreciate Jarrod's comment about YMCA's. There are 52 schools in my area and the best of them are hidden in ymca's and community centers.
We have an ATA school here and they charge $99 per month. Meanwhile, the best guy I know of charges $30 and meets in one of the rec centers. He has been there for a long time, so there are lots of stable schools hidden in these centers.
Sidenote: I have not visited my local ATA, so I don't know about their quality. Our biggest Mcdojo is actually another school that charges $115 per month and pumps out 4 year old black belts. I have gotten several of their students after their free promotional month runs out.

AoG
 
AoG wrote:
The national average for martial arts lessons is $70 per month.
Click to expand...

Our family rate is affordable. I have no problems with that. My problem lies in the seemingly inflated prices for common gear.
 
I agree with those who point out that the ATA is known for fleecing their students - not all ATA classes, certainly, but neither is the price differential you mention uncommon in ATA classes.

It's okay for them to make some money from selling equipment; that's often a reliable source of income for schools (I charge $5 over my cost for equipment - which goes to the class fund - and that includes the cost of shipping) - but it's not okay to charge so much your students cannot buy required equipment.

I would suggest talking to the instructors. Point out that there are 4 of your and ask for consideration on that basis. If they say yes, and the consideration (in terms of reduction in cost) is fair it's all good. If they won't consider a volume reduction, you and your wife will have to decide if you can afford to continue at this school, or if you will have to investigate other options - but if, aside from the equipment cost, you like it there, I would really suggest talking to them first, before you make any decisions.
 
Kacey,

Thanx.

We do have to speak with our instructors. Hopefully they will make some sort of exception, however, I'm not optimistic. The literature they gave to us last night stated that their insurance company expressly prohibits the use of protective gear other than ATA approved.

I'm new to TKD, however I do have experience with other martial arts. I have never seen anything like this. My previous instructors had gear that we used, rather than us buying our own. Granted, that was a few years ago, and things in the industry may well have changed.

There are a couple of other schools in the area, but they are few and far btwn. I really wish we had a Kung Fu or HapKido school out this way, but alas, those are not available.
 
Well... I'll just say that I'm an instructor, and my insurance requires head gear, foot pads, hand pads, mouth guards, and (for male students) cups - but it says nothing about who makes them, or even what type, just that my students must wear them. The key words here seem to be "ATA approved", which seems to be translating as "ATA sold them to you". I'm sorry that this is a problem generated by a class you're otherwise happy with, and I wish you a successful resolution to your problem.
 
I hope that this can be ameliorated with minimal conflict, but as I said before, I'm not optimistic. Tomorrow night we'll speak with our instructors. Hopefully they can come to some sort of rational agreement with us.

The kids are really enjoying the class. If it was just them it would not be such a big deal. The problem is I want to continue and now my wife is into it and wants to continue.
 
If they really have a concern about safety equipment meeting certain safety standards that's one thing--but then they should be able to work with you. I don't think you'll be happy if you lay out $1500 for equipment.
 
ArmorOfGod said:
I appreciate Jarrod's comment about YMCA's. There are 52 schools in my area and the best of them are hidden in ymca's and community centers.
We have an ATA school here and they charge $99 per month. Meanwhile, the best guy I know of charges $30 and meets in one of the rec centers. He has been there for a long time, so there are lots of stable schools hidden in these centers.
AoG
Click to expand...

i know what you mean. my judo/sambo coach is a 2x national sambo champion who has churned out literally hundreds of national champs & international players in judo as well as an olympian, plus national & world champs in sambo. he's out of a rec & charges $60 per 8 week session.

jf
 
What other schools are available? I would never recomend staying with an organization of money grabbers like that.
 
In my opinion, you are better off buying blackbelts on ebay and wearing them to the park to play than staying with ATA.

:angel:
 
cirdan asked:
What other schools are available?
Click to expand...

Close to us is a Kenpo Karate school. Other than that we may have to travel about 30-45 minutes to get to a larger city. This is being done on school-nights, which is somewhat limiting.

Our YMCA is starting a Karate class, I'll look into that as well.
 
Personally if I laid out 1500 for equipment it had better last me and my family a life time. If the instructor insists you pay such an exorbitant price I think you might be better off looking at other schools in your area. I know you probably like where you are and what is being taught but do you want to be robbed at the same time your studying? Those prices are completely over inflated and a rip off.

Just my 2 cents worth
 
I'm not sure how ATA normally runs things, since I'm affiliated with ITF, but at our dojang, our instructor only requires us to buy shin/instep pads and forearm pads. He supplies the other padding, and uses a strong antibacterial spray to clean them with after use. Everything is made from vinyl that he supplies, so cleanup is easy.

It seems to me that even if you were required to pay for equipment, you shouldn't be charged that much over the cost of purchasing the equipment elsewhere. It's just like buying anything else: if something's overpriced at one store, shop around until you find the best price.

If they tell you that you have to buy their equipment only, and that they won't accept equipment that you can afford to buy, (assuming, of course, that the equipment is up to standards), then this would be typical McDojo/McDojang practice.

If this is the case, speaking with your instructors about the cost of the equipment isn't going to do much good, although they may agree to come off the price "this one time". McDojo's are all about making money, and while they may let you slide on this one thing, there will be something else that you "must" purchase that will be equally as overpriced.

Of course, this may not be the case, and they may have the wrong prices marked or something of that nature.
 
HM2PAC said:
Kacey,

Thanx.

We do have to speak with our instructors. Hopefully they will make some sort of exception, however, I'm not optimistic. The literature they gave to us last night stated that their insurance company expressly prohibits the use of protective gear other than ATA approved.

I'm new to TKD, however I do have experience with other martial arts. I have never seen anything like this. My previous instructors had gear that we used, rather than us buying our own. Granted, that was a few years ago, and things in the industry may well have changed.

There are a couple of other schools in the area, but they are few and far btwn. I really wish we had a Kung Fu or HapKido school out this way, but alas, those are not available.
Click to expand...
The reason for the ATA gear required by the insurrance is due to the fact that ATA schools get their insurance from the ATA. WTF offers insurance to schools, but aren't as tied into the individual dojangs to the same level.

Alot of schools require that you buy gear from them, and most (mine) strongly encourage it. The price differential was not too bad, and the only material difference was the school logo on the gear and the uniformity of the gear. For the record, I bought mine elsewhere; I'm a custodial single parent of two teens and I cannot afford to pay more into martial arts than I presently do.

Normally I recommend buying from your school, but the cost differential that you mention is, quite honestly, criminal. I will refrain from any comment about the ATA directly; I've never been in it and all knowledge that I do have is second hand.

Daniel
 
Personally it sounds liek the 1000% markup. They probably buy it from the site that you foudn and then gouge the students on pricing. Very sad, its schools that pull this that give good ones a bad rap.
 
A suggestion, since you seem to be kind of stuck with this ATA school. Ask some of the other students if anyone has any ATA gear they wish to sell. There should be somebody that is not going with the ATA any longer and would like to unload the equipment they purchased. Aside from that, you either pay what they ask or go on down the road. I suggest, go on down the road.
 
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