# Belts and fees....



## A.R.K. (Mar 14, 2003)

I would like to survey the instructors/owners here on a few items;

How many kyu belts do you have?

What are the colors, strips etc?

What do you charge [if you don't mind sharing] if anything?

How often do you test?

Thanks in advance for any info you would like to share.  Take care.


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## Michael Billings (Mar 14, 2003)

Below Black I have the following:

White
Yellow
Orange
Purple
Blue
Green
3rd Brown
2nd Brown
1st Brown
________

There is one stripe per belt for adolescents and adults.  I have a wierd fee schedule since it takes so much longer to test for purple and up.

Yellow and Orange $20 for stripe $30 for Belt exams.

Purple through Green $25 stripe and $35 Belt exams.

Note: this is cheap for around here as compared to other schools.  I include the belt or stripe, a certificate, and material for the next belt (it's a bargain.)

Brown is $75 per belt, no stripes between belts, they keep the same belt and add stripes.

At Black I buy an embroidered KI for them and my Association sets the fee.

-Michael
Kenpo-Texas.com


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## A.R.K. (Mar 18, 2003)

Thank you for sharing, it is appreciated :asian:


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## Blindside (Mar 20, 2003)

Our belt system goes:

White, Yellow, Orange, Blue, Green, Brown, Black.  Only black has degrees.   So six kyu belts.

There is no fee for testing for any belt level.



> How often do you test?



This question can be taken two ways.

1) How often do you offer scheduled "gradings" for rank advancement?

A:  We don't, all test are individual, and when the student is ready.

or

2)  How long does the average student take to advance between belts?

A: For us the average advancement is something like: Yellow, one month, Orange: 5 months, Purple: 6 months, Blue: 1 year, Green: 1 year, Brown: 1.5 years, Black: 1.5 years.  There is no minimum "time in grade" requirement, we test when the student is ready.


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## progressivetactics (Mar 29, 2003)

similar in 'when ready' concept.
We have white, yellow, ylw& blk, purple, prp&blk, green, grn&blk, brown, brn&Blk, red... all before black belt.  Average time from start to finish if consistant is about 4 years.

Yellow-purple is usually shorter increments, as requirements and ability levels are lower.

No testing fees, or belt fees.  INcluded in program cost.

I do a informal testing every month, as students are ready. I take each student off to the side and ask them to perform 1 of the requirements for advancement into the next belt level.  Each month i continue through this practice till each requirement is satisfactorily completed. Then promote them the belt.  About 2 times per year, we may have a formal board test, but again, only a certain few are going to change gups/kyu's.  Some will just be completing a certain set of requirements.

hope this helps.


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## Jill666 (Mar 29, 2003)

> _Originally posted by Michael Billings _
> *Below Black I have the following:
> 
> White
> ...



Those are the exact colors for kyu in my school. The testing fees were about 25$ if I remember correctly for white-purple; 30$ for blue and green; and the three brown tests were 35$.

And the association sets the BB test fees. It was 5 hours long, with four instructors testing eight candidates. I'm only 1st dan, so that's all I know so far  

I spent about six months between belts, except for I think blue belt I don't think I was ready for almost a year (and only about 6 weeks at white).


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## Quick Sand (Mar 29, 2003)

In my style the belt system goes:

White, Yellow, (Orange for 13 and under), Green, Blue, Purple, Brown, Brown + 1 stripe, Brown + 2 stripes, Brown + 3 stripes, Black, then the degrees of black. So officially 9 kyu levels plus one extra for kids. 

We have to pay $30 Can to  test and then it's $13.80 Can for the belt which may sound expensive until you hear that our annual club fees are only $100 Can per year. 

I'm at a university club so we have one testing at the end of fall term, and one at the end of winter term. Most people can't train over the summer because they don't live here. 

:asian:


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## A.R.K. (Apr 1, 2003)

Thanks again for the input everyone


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## stacks (Apr 1, 2003)

> _Originally posted by Mya Ryu Jitsu _
> *I would like to survey the instructors/owners here on a few items;
> 
> How many kyu belts do you have?
> ...


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## tonbo (May 16, 2003)

We have the following ranks at out school:

white
yellow
orange
purple
blue
green
brown
brown I (high brown)
brown II (red belt)
brown III (red/black)
Black 
Black 1st deg -- 10th deg.

Each of the belts below black go through a "tab" process:  you have two black and one red "tab" (or stripe) between belts.  The first tab is when you can pass off half of the material for your next belt; the second black tab is when you can pass of all of your material for your next belt.  The red tab comes at least five weeks after you get your second black tab, and it is your entry ticket into the belt exam....it shows that you have not only passed off your material, but it has been "polished", and looks smoother.

Testing for tabs on belts up through purple is approximately every five weeks.  After that, you *can* test for tabs every five weeks, but the chances are it will take you more than a couple of months, just based on the intricacy of material as you progress, coupled with having to progress on the "older" material you have.

There are no fees for testing.  Belts, certificates, and "testing fees" are all included in the monthly fee for classes.  Within the guidelines listed above, you can test for tabs/belts as often as you want (but you just don't always *get* your tab or belt).

*Theoretically*, it is possible to get your Black in about 4-6 years at our school, and be very good.  We don't *give* belts to anyone....they have to earn them.  Personally, I have *yet* to see someone take only 4-6 years to get to Black; most of us who have made it that far have been training for more like 8-9+ years.

Lotta time, to some.....short time to others.   Funny thing is, there is a rush for most people to get through their "early" belts (up to the browns) as quickly as possible.  Once they get up there, though, time slows down a lot.....our head instructor actually had to "threaten" (jokingly, of course) a number of us to actually test for Black....most of us had spent at least 2 years at red/black, and still didn't feel like we were ready......*laughs*.

Good times.  

Peace--


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## MinnieMin (May 16, 2003)

> _Originally posted by tonbo _
> *
> There are no fees for testing.  Belts, certificates, and "testing fees" are all included in the monthly fee for classes.  *



How much do you pay for the monthly fee if you don't mind for asking? 

Min :asian:


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## tonbo (Jun 5, 2003)

Min:

It depends greatly on how much you put down in your "deposit", if you put one down.

We use a yearly agreement, with options for terminating the agreement which are fairly standard:  If you move out of the area, have a doctor's note, etc.  We have also been known to allow people to cancel as long as they give us 30-days notice in writing (so that we can stop billing their account).

All in all, it works out to about $100/month.

And actually, we are still lower than most schools in the area.. 

Peace--


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## cali_tkdbruin (Jun 6, 2003)

> _Originally posted by tonbo _
> *
> 
> All in all, it works out to about $100/month.
> ...



One would expect to pay higher fees in bigger cities for martial arts instruction in a formal business oriented, dojang/dojo. SLC is a fairly large city, but, 100 bucks is on the higher end for monthly MA tuition IMO. I live in a suburb close to Los Angeles and I pay less, not by much, but still less than $100 for my monthly tuition... :asian:


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## tonbo (Jun 6, 2003)

To a degree, I would agree with you.  

There are a number of schools around that are less, but also have pretty shoddy instruction, and don't have that good of a reputation.

Within a 20-mile radius, the price for many schools is actually *higher* than ours.  There is a school just right up the street from my house that requires a substantial deposit (something like $300) and is still somewhere in the area of $200 per month.  Plus, they have to pay for their belts and testing fees on top of that.  The studio that my wife used to train at charged $70 per month for classes if you only did group class, but it was *highly* suggested (read: damn near mandatory) that you take private lessons as well, which added another $75 per month.

I have done a lot of looking around for pricing of various schools in our area, and, I am proud to say, we have a very competitive pricing schedule.  It is pretty inclusive for the price.  The other nice thing is that rates don't raise very often.  I have been with the school for going on 11 years, and have only seen the prices raise twice.  Not bad, considering I have seen some schools raise their prices every other year.

Monthly fees discussions are a lot like discussing politics or religion, I think.  Everyone has an opinion, and is often pretty passionate about how fees/tuition is set up.  Me, I'm content with what I pay and what I get out of it.  Ultimately, I think that is what it comes down to.  If you are not happy with what you are paying or how you are paying it, you should look somewhere else.

You make a very good point, though, cali.  Thanks for bringing it up!

:asian: 

Peace--


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## cali_tkdbruin (Jun 7, 2003)

> _Originally posted by tonbo _
> *To a degree, I would agree with you.
> 
> Monthly fees discussions are a lot like discussing politics or religion, I think.  Everyone has an opinion, and is often pretty passionate about how fees/tuition is set up.  Me, I'm content with what I pay and what I get out of it.  Ultimately, I think that is what it comes down to.
> ...



Right! I hear ya. We do concur on this point. I squeeze the most and more out of my MA instruction and the fees that I'm paying to learn my Art. 

Often times I'm always one of the last ones out of the dojang because I enjoy training and practicing so much. Sometimes I feel that I'm imposing on the staff (i.e., the instructors) because after class is over  I still want to continue to work out, and practice my techniques and forms. Meanwhile, way after the class has ended, I'm still going at it, everyone else has left, and the staff I'm sure is thinking "I want to go home". Well at least they never had to  kick me out of the dojang...at least not yet...  

:asian:


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## tonbo (Jun 11, 2003)

No doubt about it, we agree on this much......I get the most out of what I pay for, too!!

I am usually staying after class for at least another hour or so, working sparring, techniques, katas....you name it.....with the senior Black Belts.  I also help out as an instructor at the school, so that I can get some *more* "practice" time in by teaching others.  On top of all that, I get to spar with the lower belts as well.  Amazing, some of the stuff you can learn.  

Said it once, and I'll go to my grave saying it.  Martial arts are the drug of choice.....and they are *very* alluring, *very* persuasive.  Get MA into your bloodstream, and you are hooked for life.  (Not that this is a *bad* thing!!!)

Peace--


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## cali_tkdbruin (Jun 14, 2003)

> _Originally posted by tonbo _
> *
> Get MA into your bloodstream, and you are hooked for life.  (Not that this is a *bad* thing!!!)
> 
> *



Well then, I have to admit that I'm a MA junkie...


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## tonbo (Jun 16, 2003)

> Well then, I have to admit that I'm a MA junkie...



Welcome to MA-ists Anonymous, Cali_TKDBruin!!

You're in good company.   

:asian: 

Peace--


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## IsshinryuKarateGirl (Aug 23, 2003)

In my dojo, the kyu ranks are as follows:
  White
  Yellow
  Orange
  3rd Green
  2nd Green
  1st Green
  3rd Brown
  2nd Brown
  1st Brown

The testing time between all of the ranks up to 3rd brown are 3-4 months.  The testing time from 3rd to 2nd brown and 2nd to 1st brown is 6-9 months.  The testing time between 1st brown and Shodan is 1 year.  The testing fee for all testing is $25 except for the Shodan test.  That's $75...I think.


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## arnisador (Aug 31, 2003)

> _Originally posted by cali_tkdbruin _
> *Well then, I have to admit that I'm a MA junkie... *



You're in the right place!


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## cali_tkdbruin (Sep 1, 2003)

> _Originally posted by arnisador _
> *You're in the right place! *



Yup, I think you're right. Good to be here, I guess... :idunno:


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## Kroy (Sep 25, 2003)

> _Originally posted by Blindside _
> *Our belt system goes:
> 
> White, Yellow, Orange, Blue, Green, Brown, Black.  Only black has degrees.   So six kyu belts.
> ...




Do you charge for the new belt and certificate.


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## Blindside (Oct 14, 2003)

Sorry for the late reply, I didn't realize there was a question for me.



> Do you charge for the new belt and certificate.



No we don't.  

Our total fees for a student are:
Monthly fee: $40 
(Family rate: $20 additional for each other family member)
Yearly Insurance fee: $10

All equipment, uniforms, and gear is sold at wholesale prices.

As you can see, we really aren't trying to make money, just trying to pay the mortgage on the studio and keep the lights and water running.

Lamont


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