How much do martial arts cost?

[FairProspects]

I think ds would really enjoy Taekwondo, but none of the studios will give out their prices online or over the phone without an in-person evaluation/consult. I don't really want to go through a hard sell if I know it is out of our budget. How much do you pay per month for taekwondo/martial arts? How many times per week do you go?

[secular_mom]

Well, around here you can get a trial month for a discounted price, but it's about $90, maybe a little less at a couple of other places, per month for Karate. There is a generic 'class' at the rec center here for $50 per month, but that's really not what I want, KWIM?

[SquirrellyMama]

My 6 yr old goes to TKD once a week for $50/month.

My 8 yr old goes to TKD up to four times/week for $79/month.

 

My 6 yr old is turning 7 next month and will start in my dd's class so they will both be $79/month. They can go up to 4 times a week for 45 minutes each class.

[RamonaQ]

A gazillion dollars:tongue_smilie:

 

It has been very expensive because of all the years we have done it-- and then additional gear, and then the same gear again when ds outgrew it all a few years later , training manuals, etc..)It is $129/ month. We locked into the rate years ago by a contract.

[tadbhoward]

I only know what we pay, which is $95 a month for two kids. It is $65 for one and there is a discount for siblings. We also had an initial fee that covered registration costs and the uniforms. Then we pay $40 per belt test for now but that price will go up as their ranks go up. Plus, there is equipment to buy and that can get pricey as the ranks go up as well.

 

Oh, and the monthly price is for as many classes as they want to attend. However, I do not know how those prices compare to other school.

[CathyinNC]

I hit the same thing in my area. After I went in and they did their sales pitch designed to hook the child, they presented me with the sum of $120 per month with a six month contract!!! Plus there's a $60 fee every time they graduate to different belt levels. Yikes! I eventually found a registered instructor who leased out floor space at a local gymnastics center and he was $75 per month, no contract.

[Rosy]

Around here it's about $80-90/mo. for 2 classes a week.

 

We are Y members and it's way cheaper there. I figured the program wouldn't be as good as in a private school, but actually it has been a fantastic program and DD is really blossoming there. Just throwing that out there as a possibility, especially if you happen to be in Western WA.

[Ellyndria]

We pay $90 per month for one child, he goes twice a week because that is what is recommended for tiger cubs (3-6 year olds), but he could go more often too if he wanted and it wouldn't cost more. It is also $50 per belt test.

[Krista in LA]

I happen to work at our school - we don't do a hard sell, and we offer a free two week trial with no obligation. After the free two week trial, there is a $35 enrollment fee, $35 for the uniform, and $89/month for one child or $149/month for more than one. Classes are twice a week and parents train free with their kids. Testing fees start at $40 which happens about every 2 months. Sparring gear is required after about 8 months and costs about $150.

[Meriwether]

Dd6 and Ds5 just started Taekwondo. It is 70 dollars for 8 weeks (once per week) for the first child and the price is halved for each sibling after that. 35 dollars for number 2. When Ds3 starts it will be 17.50 for him. If all 3 are still doing it when Baby Girl starts, she will be just 8.75. Based on the other responses, it sounds like we are getting a great deal.

[Tree House Academy]

I live in a small town, mind you.

 

My 10 year old does TKD 3 times a week - two for 1 hour, 1 for 2 hours (sparring on Saturdays). We pay $55 a month. HOWEVER, we also pay between $50 and $100 every time he tests. We pay for the belt, the equipment for sparring at the next level, and the board he breaks.

 

From what I have heard, we get off good on the monthly fee (for the number of hours he gets instruction), but the costs of gear and belts does get pricy. Like someone else said, the farther they go, the more it costs.

Edited February 23, 2010 by Tree House Academy

[Amber in SJ]

Here in the big city.....(JK, I just like to say that)

 

My 12yo dd takes TKD.

 

For the two, 1 hour classes each week with an optional 3rd, 1 hour class it is $100/ month. There is a multiple student discount of a 10% drop/ sibling.

 

Then there are the extras:

 

Belt testing is offered each month. The cost of the test depends on the level of the belt. We paid $10/ test at the very beginning levels, now we are at $25 and it goes up from there.

 

Uniform- $25 for the basic whites, around the holidays they offer a sweat suit with the studio's logo on it and they allow them to wear the sweat pants with the uniform top in class.

 

Sparring pads- Necessary but expensive $200

 

Tournaments- Every year our studio hosts 2 approved UTA tournaments in our area. Participation is $25/ event. If you choose to compete in board breaking you pay $1/ board.

 

The studio also offers a monthly movie night where they show TKD movies in Korean. They also have a "Safe Halloween" party, a Christmas holiday party, and other social events during the year. They also have a great website where they have videos of the instructors doing the forms.

 

The staff is super supportive of the students in all areas of their lives. They emphasize academic achievement and respect. My 12yo dd has really blossomed.

 

Amber in SJ

[Jennifer in MI]

We pay per class. Each class is 1 hour long and lasts 8 weeks. It costs $50. She has various classes offered every day of the week. So, you could end up paying for 4 classes/week for 8 weeks - or $100/month.

 

Testing costs $20. Black belt testing was $150.

 

We also have to pay for gis - $22 each (after the first session).

 

Tournament fees. She finds the inexpensive ones and actually runs one of her own. The last one was in January and we paid $30 for all three kids to compete. My two black belts also helped judge. The other tournament is nearly the same cost.

 

Their instructor is wonderful. She allows kids to borrow her sparring equipment and weapons. Most choose to buy their own after a while though.

 

She has also given me gis for my 9 yo as her dd outgrows hers.

 

Once they become black belts, they only have to pay for the advanced classes. They are also expected to help teach the younger kids in their classes.

 

We are VERY happy with our kids' instructor!

[SquirrellyMama]

We pay $35 every three months for testing. We bought the pads, mouth guard and bag when she got a yellow belt. I think it was around $40 for the equipment.

[Storm Bay]

In our personal experience around this area, the striking martial arts, which includes tae kwon do, are expensive and a lot about the money. We did tae kwon do for a while & my dc liked it. We found that there are some grappling martial arts schools that are less about the money where the sensais volunteer (and some of them are excellent.) Right now there is a very good sensai volunteering at our Boys & Girls Club (not everyone likes those, and I don't let my dc hang out there, but some of the programs our local one has are excellent and affordable) so all we paid for one of our dc was the membership for the club & the fee to join the US Judo Association. We have to pay for each promotion & buy the uniform & belts, and they do have to go to some tournaments to get promoted after yellow belt, but most of them are very reasonably priced. But at least we're not paying jacked up prices for gear with the school's name on it (I think buying a generic uniform and having to buy a patch is much more reasonable, but I'm not a martial arts person!)

 

All that said, the expensive price at the tae kwon do school did include membership in the tae kwon do association, testing & belts. But once you got to a certain point you had to join the black belt club, sign a contract & it was $125 per month, 12 months per year. We just can't afford that, especially with the current economy when our entire activity budget is about what it would cost one dc to go to that tae kwon do school.

 

ETA in grappling martial arts, you don't need sparring gear. Also, grappling is far more effective in self defense than kicking or punching. Even in tae kwon do they learned a bit of this for self defense moves.

Edited February 23, 2010 by Karin

[Parrothead]

Where we lived 6 months ago on the other side of the state TKD was $88 per month. Here Karate is $25 every 4 weeks.

[joannqn]

I think we go to the least expensive school in the area (except for the YMCA). DS has been going for over two years. We pay $79 a month for unlimited classes. The classes are not segregated by age or belt level so we can go to any classes we want. In addition the belt tests are $20, though I'm sure black belt will cost more when we get to it. Sparring equipment runs about $300. We didn't buy it until after the first year and we bought it a tad bit large to make it last longer. Uniforms are $40, $70, or $110 depending on what quality (ie. type of fabric) we want.

 

BUT we think our school is heading for bankruptcy. They do a great job teaching the kids, and we can see the difference when we go to tournaments. The instructors, though, don't know how to run a business. We've started looking around at other schools. So far, we have found limited class times (ie. classes are segregated by age and/or belt level), inferior teaching, and very high rates. One place wanted to charge us $160 for their "black belt club" and we weren't impressed with the class DS participated in.

 

So, the moral of the story...check around, watch classes from several places, find out the prices and policies at several places. Some schools will legitimately teach well; others are "belt factories" who are little more than expensive daycares/tkd-light places.

[HRAAB]

Wow! I feel incredibly fortunate. My oldest dd has been doing Shorin Ryu for six years through a local chapter of IKL (I'm not remember right now - maybe International Karate League???). She pays between $15 to $20 a month. She works out up to 3 times a week. The group is totally non-profit, and the dues are used to rent a room. They have at times met at the park or a backyard in the summer. It is an absolutely fantastic group. If it hadn't been for this group, which we just stumbled on, we would not have been able to afford it, and I'm so glad we did find them. Shorin Ryu has a been an incredibly positive force in her life. I wish my girls had shown more interest, but I'm thinking about getting my twins involved now and see how that works.

 

There were other costs such as her gi and weapons (???). Also, when she traveled out of town for a meet-up. No testing fees, though.

Edited February 23, 2010 by Ishki

[nmoira]

My daughter's Aikido dojo charges kids $50 a month for up to twice a week and $55 for three or four times a week. Plus about $15 per year for mat insurance. There are no testing fees.

[vettechmomof2]

Our dojo is very inexpensive.

For a child it is $59.00/month. Plus the cost of the Gi $25.00.( you can get a Gi elsewhere as well)

You can attend as many classes as you want for the whole month. There are a total of 14 class times available in a week.

 

Now, our Sensei also does family discounts so for the 3 of my family to attend it costs me $108.00 a month. Plus cardio/kickboxing is free.

 

The only other fee is when you advance a belt. Up to purple belt they cost $10.00, brown costs $13.00 and black belt does not cost anything because you are expected to help start streches and assist other members of the dojo occassionally.

 

We can purchase our own sparring gear and higher ranking belts are expected to but our dojo keeps plenty on hand. Weapons can also be purchased as well but extras are also kept on hand. My daughter and I each have a Bokken that cost $10.00 each and my daughter also has a pair of Tonfas that a friend gave her.

Boards are only broken at demo's or parades and we are not charged for those.

Edited February 23, 2010 by vettechmomof2

[AuntieM]

I happen to work at our school - we don't do a hard sell, and we offer a free two week trial with no obligation. After the free two week trial, there is a $35 enrollment fee, $35 for the uniform, and $89/month for one child or $149/month for more than one. Classes are twice a week and parents train free with their kids. Testing fees start at $40 which happens about every 2 months. Sparring gear is required after about 8 months and costs about $150.

 

What a nice, family friendly approach. I would not mind spending this amount of money if the entire family could be involved.

 

We have always taken TKD through our homeschool co-op. However, I now have a high schooler who wants to go all the way through for his black belt before graduating. He will need to get to a real dojo and that won't be cheap! Wish a nearby studio had the same arrangement as yours.

[myfunnybunch]

We pay $99/month for family karate classes. The dojo we attend is a little different because they offer a family tuition, so the $99 tuition includes two (or more) classes per week for one adult (dh) and three children.

 

There are quarterly recitals at $35/person, which includes the recital itself, a personal evaluation from the instructor and the new belt (if earned).

 

The gi costs about $35/person, less if you can find a used one from the gym or on Ebay. The older boys and dh had to buy sparring gloves.

 

If you want to try it without all of the extra fees, see if your city rec program offers classes. The dojo we attend contracts with the city to teach classes at the rec centers--same instructors and instruction, no gi, it's inexpensive, the kids learn some basic skills. It's a good way to find out if karate is a good fit.

 

Cat

[G5052]

I live in a very expensive area where some parents barely flinch at spending hundreds of dollars if not more on their kid's activities. Martial arts is available through the county, but only at an introductory level. Thankfully we found a non-profit Aikido dojo that offers a trial period, no contracts, and I pay $126/month for two children three hours a week that covers their facility rental, insurance, Aikido association fees, and professional development for the head of it and his wife (both black belts). It is a "serious" dojo that promotes thoughtfully and has a nice mix of adults and children. We've decided that we like the style and philosophy behind Aikido better than that taught in the other martial arts studios in our area anyway.

Edited February 23, 2010 by GVA

[Cricket]

We pay $285 per month for our three kids. I get to take as well but it's free for me since the instructor needs me to train in order to be a coach. Our instructor would love us there 6 days a week but usually we go 4 days. Belt tests are every 6 weeks (thank you so much, WTF! :tongue_smilie: It used to be every 8 weeks.) For our yellow belt dd is $45 and it is $70 each time our sons test. They are already black belts and working on their 2nd degree belts. There was a one-time $75 fee to join the WTF (World Taekwondo Federation). All the sparring equipment needed was between $200-250, if I remember right. That's head gear, chest protector, gloves, arm guards, shin guards and instep guard. Doesn't include a cup for boys or a mouth guard. Uniforms at our school are $40. My oldest now needs a new uniform and chest protector since he has outgrown those. He wants the fancy uniform for $80. I think we've agreed to give him the $40 for the regular uniform and he has to spend his own money on the difference if he wants the fancy one! For the demo team, we all needed martial art shoes which were $36 a pair. Now those they outgrow fast! Our dd was able to use hand-me-downs from her brother at least. There is a variety in the prices. Our school is probably mid-range. There is one not too far from here that charges over $200 per student and it is a lousy school! The kids can't spar and they don't know any of the forms. I'm not sure what the instructor teaches!

 

It wouldn't hurt to check out a few schools. Figure out what is important to you. Do you just want exercise or to learn self-defense? Do you want to compete in tournaments? Do you prefer the flashier martial arts or the more traditional style? Our instructor is a grandmaster, an international referee, an internationally recognized instructor and takes martial arts very seriously. He's very traditional and all about passing down his knowledge to the next generation. He was even invited to the Shaolin Temple in China to teach tae kwon do to student there. We wanted our boys to be able to go to the Junior Olympics if they were able to. That is what we are shooting for next summer. Because of that we had to make sure we chose a school that was affiliated with the World Taekwondo Federation and we had to make sure our sons' black belts would be registered with the Kukkiwon (the world taekwondo headquarters) in Korea. Their black belts cost $750 each. OUCH!!!

[Bee]

If I paid quarterly or yearly it would be less but I don't want to commit to anything long term for her yet. For that sum she could do classes 6 days/week if we wanted her to but right now she only goes twice a week. I like the instructor's teaching style, it is in close proximity to older dd's dance studio so both children can be in classes at the same time, and younger dd is enjoying the classes so it's worth it. The couple of other places I looked into were similar priced or higher and expected a high level of commitment to attending classes nearly every day.