Steep fees!

[CountPike]

Has anyone else noticed this? I was thinking of taking up Arnis, £7 a lesson or £20 a month for 1 lesson a week!
Thought about Kendo too, £80 just to join the club, £50 a year to be part of the club, £30/month for 3 lessons a week but only if you payed the membership were you allowed to compete in tournies!
Kung-Fu Class, £5-6 a session!

Don't know about you people but these prices seem a bit shocking, Anyone else noticed this.

 

[TigerWoman]

I pay $7. a lesson for yoga once a week. We have a 1st dan teaching nunchuku, sai and bo for $5. a lesson. Some teachers are more qualified than others. TW

 

[CountPike]

In dollars that works out as $11.20 for a single 1 hour lesson.
Could be the best teacher in the world but even then that is a horrendous price imho

 

[Kempogeek]

Too bad it couldn't have been a 2 hour lesson then I would have paid the $11.20. Seems like more of a bargin that way. Best regards, Steve

 

[Paul B]

I would say it depends on the Instructor. Does he/she do this for a living? If they do,then suddenly 11 bucks an hour doesn't seem like much to make.

You also have to figure in the overhead cost if you're training in a hall with equipement,it may be a necessary evil.That's my 2 c's.

Hey Kempogeek,you're right down the road! Say hi to Sensei Dale or Sensei Mike for me! (whichever you train with)

 

[CountPike]

Had it been 2 hours it wouldn't be so bad but they run a two hour session too, cant begin to figure how much they charge for that lol!
I dont think the guy does it for a living though.
I pay £3.50 Sterling for karate, up to two hours. This class is £7 an hour.
Really slapped me in the face it did because I was all ready and geard up to go.

 

[Kempogeek]

Hello Mr. Bladen. I train with Sensei Mike. I will definately send your regards. Good luck with your training......I understand the feeling Countpike. There's no worse feeling than being disappointed after getting excited about a class. Shame money has to be a factor but Paul B do make some good points. Best regards, Steve

 

[bignick]

Regarding the Kendo fees....sometimes it's more than just paying for instruction...you should ask what your money is going towards. It was probably things like insurance, etc. At least that's what you usually see when you see yearly fees like that, in my experience.

Or maybe the instructor was just pocketing it...I don't know..:idunno:

 

[Zepp]

The Kendo prices seem ridiculous for a beginner. Is it possible to just take lessons without being a full member?

The Kung-fu and Arnis prices look reasonable to me.

 

[digitalronin]

$12 bucks an hour is pretty reasonable. Compare it to what other skilled service workers will charge you. My last instructor steered people towards privates which he charged $50/hr (4xmonth). To make matters worth that fee didnt garantee undivide attention, so I figured it was time to find an instructor that was more interested in teaching the arts and less on making a profit.

 

[Knifehand]

I pay 79 bucks a month for four years for unlimited training until i am a Cho Dan. not bad i think

 

[AnimEdge]

27a month for the Gym and uh Ninjutsu is free (i heard the gym pays them like 5.15 a hr ) 3 hrs a week

 

[Digger70chall]

i gladly hand over my 90 bucks a month...although not cheap by itself, if compared to other things i might do instead it becomes cheap. Also i love what i'm learning and the people i'm meeting along the way.

 

[jkn75]

How much do you believe fees should be? What is reasonable?

I pay $7. a lesson for yoga once a week. We have a 1st dan teaching nunchuku, sai and bo for $5. a lesson. Some teachers are more qualified than others. TW

How is the yoga teacher more qualified than the first dan? What are the differences in their training?

My opinion is this, people will pay what they think the product is worth. From what I here this is how ATA thinks. What is it worth to spend an hour with a higher rank? If you are only learning things taught in class with little more, it's not worth much. But if it's completely different from class and you pick up new training methods, techniques, or weapons then it should be worth much more.

As an instructor, to further my training I go to Illinois from Texas (I could stay in TX but the instructors in IL gel with me better), I go from Dallas to Houston to test for my next dan, I pay association fees to open a school, part of my test fees go to my association and I only have a few students. I'm lucky, on top of that I only have to pay a health club owner and taxes. If I had a studio add utility bills, and insurance. My monthly fee per student will have to cover enough of those things to make it worthwhile for me to keep the doors open. Even better, I would like to make a little profit.

I agree some fees are expensive and out of touch with reality, but I think anything under about $86 a month is a good deal and anything up to $100 a month is ok as long as there is something else included (unlimited classes and 3-4 privates a month for example).
I also understand being a new student it can be hard because you want to try a martial art but sometimes it is just too expensive.

 

[dearnis.com]

When people complain about what their instructors charge they tend to forget that the training area costs money, the school has bills, and that an instructor worth his or her salt has a great deal of money tied up in their own education.

 

[Fbettincourt]

Why does a Harvard educated Dr. charge what he charges? Or a Lawyer, or an Accountant? Why are the martial arts any different? Go to Madison Avenue in NY to find any of the above and I am willing to bet that their hourly fees are higher than someone in the suburbs. Sometimes the address can determine your fees, sometimes your education does.

What someone charges is not as important as what you get for that price.

peace,

FB

 

[lvwhitebir]

What someone charges is not as important as what you get for that price.

Even more, it's what you feel you get for that price. You may actually get more or less than what you *feel* you're getting. That determines if the price is "worth it" or not.

I went to a Gracie seminar and went into a semi-private instruction (only about 5 people). I paid about $50 for 1.5 hours. I thought it was worth it, although I wouldn't pay that as a regular weekly fee.

WhiteBirch

 

[CountPike]

I accept for the kendo and the Arnis that insurance may be part of the charge HOWEVER this is the thing that i dislike.
You MUST go on an 8 week course costing £80 to be allowed to join the kendo club. Also you must spend £20 (this is £ sterling btw) on a shinai. However once your into the club you must spend 6 months attending the club on a regular basis to be allowed to wear the armour. Dury this 6 months it costs £5 per lesson to be taught basic and obvious strikes and practice them on your own. Now I know you might hurt yourself if you were sparring but really, being relegated from the main body of the class for 6 months and watching them enjoy themselves? Psychological Trorture.

The Arnis I will consider BUT it is a matter of the repetitive cost, it will cost me £10 ($16 US) for one seesion to get the bus there, go there and get back. If I was mistaken and it is a 2 hour session than maybe it will be better but £7 for an hour is steep. Personally I would go for it but my parents are paying and considering neither are employed (Age and Medical reasons) they might have an issue of spending £10 a week for a single hour.

I mean if it was a Gracie or summit youd expect a high price but this isn't

 

[Sin]

$50 a month 2 scheduled classes a week....if have free time away from School or work I can go any time that my sensei is available.

 

[CountPike]

In britain there is far far less of this dedicated dojo stuff and hardly any dojos aare what someone earns their living from.