Need Answers FAST - Karate black belt testing fee????

[JennifersLost]

My son is leaving in the morning for his karate black belt test.

 

His instructor just called - (4:15 pm) to tell us that the FEE for the test is $380! We have never been told there would be any fees, certainly not $380. She claims she didn't know ahead of time.

 

I've been looking online and there's a bunch of sites saying it's a total scam. What do I do? She said he can take the test without paying the fee - they just won't give him the black belt until he pays it.

 

Can you believe that? What the heck? Why weren't we told months ago....or when we signed up? Why are we paying for lessons AND for tests?

 

I'd love to hear from karate moms what they've done.

[Mimm]

My understanding is that most places charge a testing fee and black belt testings are usually pretty expensive. Have they not been charging you a testing fee for his other belts? They really should have warned you.

[myfatherslily]

Our place has a fee for the little kids tests, but it's about $30. I have no idea about the black belt.

[dkholland]

Don't panic. We take Tae Kwon Do lessons and pay for the lessons as well as the tests. My ds took his black belt test and it was $130 with our organization. If your son is prepared, then I would go ahead. Did you ask any other families in your son's karate school? Did you look up the organization that your karate school is associated with to see if that is a standard testing fee for all their schools?

 

Although, if this is just a person who owns their own karate school without belonging to any regional/state/national organization, then I would hesitate to pay that much. It seems an extreme price for that kind of test. In our organization, the higher degree of black belt you get the more it costs, so black is the cheapest test.

 

HTH!

[JennifersLost]

Up until now we've paid $10 for the other belts. There were never any testing "fees". Online I see that karate organizations charge testing fees but the agreed upon norm seems to be $150.

 

The fact that no one told me until the day before testing really rankles.

[Jennifer in MI]

Two of my kids are black belts in Tang So Do. Each test before black belt was $20. The black belt fee was $150, BUT we were told 12 months in advance what the expectations were and how much it would be.

[JennifersLost]

Basically, I'm going to go ahead and pay it - my kid worked really hard and deserves to get his belt.

 

But - that's it. Karate is over.

[Sputterduck]

What? How does the instructor not know?

 

How can you be an instructor and not know about the route it takes to make black belt? I'm assuming that he is testing elsewhere and that the school is very small, too small to do it's own testing. Is this instructor very new? If so, how did she end with up a school of her own? Mind boggling.

 

Black belt tests generally are fairly expensive, but... how can this not be laid out ahead of time?

[LG Gone Wild]

My son is leaving in the morning for his karate black belt test.

 

His instructor just called - (4:15 pm) to tell us that the FEE for the test is $380! We have never been told there would be any fees, certainly not $380. She claims she didn't know ahead of time.

 

I've been looking online and there's a bunch of sites saying it's a total scam. What do I do? She said he can take the test without paying the fee - they just won't give him the black belt until he pays it.

 

Can you believe that? What the heck? Why weren't we told months ago....or when we signed up? Why are we paying for lessons AND for tests?

 

I'd love to hear from karate moms what they've done.

 

 

That's just stupid. Who doesn't know the BLACK BELT testing fees? Sorry, black belt testing fees are usually expensive but this is known months in advance. I mean, black belt testing is huge and talked about constantly. This never came up? Sounds weird to me.

 

Hope everything turned out all right.

[JFSinIL]

DD's black belt involved a written essay, two pre-tests that were three-hours each and involved forms, weapons, kicks, etc.,...and three payments totaling $375. The final exam was held at a cool waterpark ( so families traveling from afar could make a mini-vacation out of it ) and took about 5 hours. After 3.5 years it was worth it. BUT - we knew a year in advance what the cost would be.

[mandymom]

We had a very steep fee when my dh and dd tested for their black belts (at the same time, so it was a double whopper), but they did know about it ahead of time. Of course, they tested at their school, as the owner is a 6th degree master, but the fees to the school and the association were well established and laid out ahead of time. Is the instructor new? Maybe she had never had anyone test for a black belt before and didn't know what the current testing fees were for the association?

[crazyforlatin]

 

But - that's it. Karate is over.

 

:lol:

 

Wow, my kid is still a white belt (ahem, the one that everyone gets for joining, right?) but that kind of fee for a black belt, albeit quite an accomplishment, is staggering. Aren't there higher degrees of black belt? Maybe let him test for this one and the higher degrees can wait when he earns his own money :D.

[AHASRADA]

My ds's belt tests are $50, and I am assuming the black belt test would be much more expensive. What I find strange, as the others mentioned, is that the teacher claimed not to know ahead of time. I suspect he never had a student make it to that level before, but it was very irresponsible of him not to look into it and get all the facts (including price!) in advance.

 

...After 3.5 years it was worth it....

 

Wow! 3.5 years sounds awfully fast for a black belt! My son's dojo takes about a year for the lower belts (yellow, orange), and 1.5 years to get to purple. However, the instructor doesn't differentiate based on age. He has the same requirements for children as adults in order to earn a belt, so it likely takes longer for young people. I'm just hoping he gets there at some point and yes, it will be a major accomplishment!

[Sputterduck]

:lol:

 

Wow, my kid is still a white belt (ahem, the one that everyone gets for joining, right?) but that kind of fee for a black belt, albeit quite an accomplishment, is staggering. Aren't there higher degrees of black belt? Maybe let him test for this one and the higher degrees can wait when he earns his own money :D.

 

Normally, it's years between degrees of black belt. The fees kind of work out okay that way because you aren't testing as frequently.

[Vida Winter]

At our Tae Kwon Do school, four students (three high school seniors, one adult) earned their black belts this spring. I seem to remember the fee being around $500. It was a *huge* event in our small community. I know it's not Karate but I wanted to give you input for comparison.

[Jean in Newcastle]

At our Tae Kwon Do school, four students (three high school seniors, one adult) earned their black belts this spring. I seem to remember the fee being around $500. It was a *huge* event in our small community. I know it's not Karate but I wanted to give you input for comparison.

 

Our tae kwando black belts cost $500 too. We went to our first black belt test last month - for a friend, and not ds. It was a very big deal and tested him very thoroughly. When he was done he got an monogrammed black belt, a very nicely framed certificate and the honor of putting his rank on all resumes.;) The fees are posted on the wall of the dojo and are not a secret. Many kids start saving years ahead to get ready. The first 3 belts are pretty cheap. The next 5 or so are $20 per test and the higher belts cost a bit more. None are near the cost of the black belt.

[Greta]

$500 here, but we were told that the first day that we signed up for lessons. There is no excuse for them springing that on you at the last minute!

 

ETA: Forgot to mention, TKD not karate. And a fee scale is posted at the school, visible to anyone who walks in the door. The tests start out really reasonable, I think $30 or so, but they climb steadily and then take a huge jump at black belt. There's really no reason for it except that they know the parents will be willing to pay it since the kid has worked so hard to get there. :glare: But every school I've checked into is comparable in this regard.

Edited June 25, 2011 by GretaLynne

[kiana]

Getting it sprung on you is absolutely incredibly insane. Has she never had anyone test for black belt before? The fees should have been known well in advance -- in the martial art I practice (Aikido), the fees need to be mailed in with the test application anyway.

[Amy in NH]

The fees for the belts vary at the dojo my family attends. I think the black belt is $150. We don't pay for the test, but we do pay for the belt.

[JennifersLost]

Okay - just sent him off. We paid the fee. I went to drop him off and didn't make a fuss, since it's a special day (we're not allowed to attend the test, btw, which is hosted 2 hours away. There is no dinner, no fuss, no waterpark, no nothing. Test, hand-out-the-belt-ceremony, drive home.

 

The owner of this dojo is new and is working under the man who owns the dojo the next town over - he's the one giving the test. She claims that yes, he has charged fees in the past but she forgot all about it and thought maybe he'd stopped charging. It's pure lack of organization on her part.

 

I told her that now she had it all straightened out, I expected that next year all the fees would be laid right out in the paperwork. I also told her we were paying this fee because I view it as a one-time thing - i.e., my kid will do no more testing.

 

I am really unimpressed by the lack of organization. I am also unimpressed by the concept of a "test fee" in general. From the reading I did online last night I found out that the general consensus is it's a total scam and it's a scam that is getting worse and worse. One dojo raises its test fees and all the rest follow suit.

 

I would be fine with paying $150 - what is generally considered "fair" for testing as far as I can tell from the internet - every 3 or 4 years. $380 is ridiculous. $500 and up is obscene. And before I'm blasted - yeah, it's great to rent a hall and go to a waterpark or a big dinner, etc., but all you are really doing is making sports unaffordable for many kids, unless the fee for the dinner/waterpark/etc. is optional. If I had to take my entire family on a four-day vacation so my son could get a black belt, my son wouldn't only NOT get a black belt, he wouldn't have gotten to take karate, period.

 

I don't want to hurt anyone else's feelings for whom these types of celebrations are fun and affordable. I'm definitely in a bad mood right now. That money WAS earmarked for a family day trip - the only thing resembling a vacation my family is getting this year. Now it's gone to line someone else's pockets. I feel entirely ripped off.

[Night Elf]

My family did TaeKwonDo through ATA and we knew all the fees going into the whole program up front. We paid monthly class fees and all belt testing fees. I know our Black Belt testing was more expensive but I don't recall the fees. We also paid an additional expensive amount for special uniforms with the Black Belt because we wanted to be class leaders, sort of like assistant instuctors. And then we moved. :(

 

I don't think I like the idea of not being able to watch my child in his belt testing. I know one of our instructors got his Black Belt in another organization and that test was physically grueling. It was hours long and no one watched it the way our organization did their belt testing. I know there are people who say the kind of TaekwonDo we did is watered down marketed candy-line, but we loved it. The belt testings were tremendous fun. Our whole school turned out and cheered on the participants.

[joannqn]

My 9 year old just got his black belt in tae kwon do. Colored belt tests ran between $20 and $60ish. His black belt test required 4 semi-private lessons in the weeks leading up to testing at $30 each. He was also required to serve as an assistant instructor for a minimum of 25 classes. The black belt test itself was $500 and had to be paid a month prior to testing. We were given this information several months ahead of time, and we always knew that the black belt test cost considerably more (we didn't know how much more until he was invited to test, though).

 

Testing included:

-2 written essays

-learning at least 15 Korean words and phrases and their English translation

-2 hours of forms and techniques testing in front of 5 judges

-an hour or so of sparring and breaking tests (5 breaks) on a second day

 

Testing fees included:

-the testing itself

-the black belt uniform

-black belt embroidered with his name

-a large trophy engraved with his name (over a foot tall)

-a large and very nice certificate (11x15 written in both English and Korean)

-an ID from the World Taekwondo Headquarters in Korea certifying him as a black belt recognized at any WTF dojang world-wide

 

ETA: We attended the testing both days. In fact, the sparring and breaking tests were at the school picnic in the park. We had to wait a week and a half to get the results of the testing. Even lower colored belts are required to wait to get their results. Belts are never handed out at testing.

Edited June 25, 2011 by joannqn

[joannqn]

About paying for the fees...

 

My husband sought sponsors for my son to pay the fees for his black belt testing. He was able to come up with all or almost all of the cost. In return, we thanked the sponsors on both of our blogs. The posts included their business logo and links to their business website/facebook/linked in (wherever they wanted it). The posts were also linked to on our Twitter and Facebook accounts. Most of the people who sponsored Sam were DH's clients, though a couple were online acquaintances, and one of them attended the first night of testing.

 

My son now has his eyes set on his second degree black belt. We don't know the testing fees yet, but DH will be asking soon and we'll start putting money aside. Plus, it requires 50 hours of assistant instructing so we're working out how to fit that into our schedule. We'll probably have him assist in the Saturday class right before his current Saturday class.

[----]

.

[brehon]

We had a very steep fee when my dh and dd tested for their black belts (at the same time, so it was a double whopper), but they did know about it ahead of time. Of course, they tested at their school, as the owner is a 6th degree master, but the fees to the school and the association were well established and laid out ahead of time. Is the instructor new? Maybe she had never had anyone test for a black belt before and didn't know what the current testing fees were for the association?

 

 

:iagree: This is the way my family's instructor runs his school. We knew about the black belt test fees over a year in advance. In fact, the fees for all the belt and stripe tests are printed on the "Intent to Promote" form. You might consider talking to whichever association she aligns herself with about your experience. TKD bodies tend NOT to look upon these things favorably. (these things being unprepared instructors, unhappy customers, etc)

[rafiki]

.

[Jennifer in MI]

My

Wow! 3.5 years sounds awfully fast for a black belt! My son's dojo takes about a year for the lower belts (yellow, orange), and 1.5 years to get to purple. However, the instructor doesn't differentiate based on age. He has the same requirements for children as adults in order to earn a belt, so it likely takes longer for young people. I'm just hoping he gets there at some point and yes, it will be a major accomplishment!

 

I thought so too! Every club sure is different. My kids took eight years and six years to reach black belt (the one who took 6 years started older). My current nearly-11 yo has another 2 years or so until he can test. At that point he will have taken karate for 9 years.

 

Okay - just sent him off. We paid the fee. I went to drop him off and didn't make a fuss, since it's a special day (we're not allowed to attend the test, btw, which is hosted 2 hours away. There is no dinner, no fuss, no waterpark, no nothing. Test, hand-out-the-belt-ceremony, drive home.

 

The owner of this dojo is new and is working under the man who owns the dojo the next town over - he's the one giving the test. She claims that yes, he has charged fees in the past but she forgot all about it and thought maybe he'd stopped charging. It's pure lack of organization on her part.

 

I told her that now she had it all straightened out, I expected that next year all the fees would be laid right out in the paperwork. I also told her we were paying this fee because I view it as a one-time thing - i.e., my kid will do no more testing.

 

I am really unimpressed by the lack of organization. I am also unimpressed by the concept of a "test fee" in general. From the reading I did online last night I found out that the general consensus is it's a total scam and it's a scam that is getting worse and worse. One dojo raises its test fees and all the rest follow suit.

 

I would be fine with paying $150 - what is generally considered "fair" for testing as far as I can tell from the internet - every 3 or 4 years. $380 is ridiculous. $500 and up is obscene. And before I'm blasted - yeah, it's great to rent a hall and go to a waterpark or a big dinner, etc., but all you are really doing is making sports unaffordable for many kids, unless the fee for the dinner/waterpark/etc. is optional. If I had to take my entire family on a four-day vacation so my son could get a black belt, my son wouldn't only NOT get a black belt, he wouldn't have gotten to take karate, period.

 

I don't want to hurt anyone else's feelings for whom these types of celebrations are fun and affordable. I'm definitely in a bad mood right now. That money WAS earmarked for a family day trip - the only thing resembling a vacation my family is getting this year. Now it's gone to line someone else's pockets. I feel entirely ripped off.

 

Ugh. I'm so sorry! This SHOULD be an exciting time for your ds. It's a huge accomplishment. This certainly takes away from that. :grouphug: I'd feel ripped off too.

[Jennifer in MI]

We do not have testing fees. Aside from our $150 a month charge we have to purchase required gear and weapons for various levels. It's odd to me that family couldn't attend, here they even sell tickets as it's a huge event.

 

My kids have two parts to their physical testing. Nobody is allowed to watch the first part. It's a six hour grueling test!!! The second part is a HUGE deal and people come and watch the entire thing.

[JennifersLost]

I'm calming down - thanks for all the shared stories. Really this comes down to one woman's lack of organization. She needs to get better at this part of the "business".

 

This is a grueling test - it starts with 500 pushups, 500 situps, a bunch of other exercises and running.....before the actual "test" of knowledge. My assumption is that the belts are handed out today - we've been told nothing else. This is the problem with this particular woman: she's not good about sharing information - no handouts, no nothing. That isn't her communication style, I guess. I like to know everything in writing in advance.

 

My son has been instructing for two years twice a week - probably closer to 200 hours. The experience has been great for him, he is in terrific shape, has lots of confidence due to his teaching, the younger kids love him....

 

Money is always a touchy issue. I wish I'd been prepared ahead of time.

[DianeW88]

My son's black belt test fee is $100. We've known about it for years.

[wicki859]

In our style there are no contracts, no fee for testing except for purple and brown (and that is only because everyone tests at one branch and that fee is only 10 for the belt), black belt is EARNED in a minimum of 5 years, and that is ONLY if you are exceptional, and the test is broken up into 3 parts. The problem with many schools from what I see is ridiculous fees and belts that are just handed out to those who can afford the test. Remember a belt is only a piece of cloth and the purpose is to hold up your pants. Everyone should thoroughly research a school before you join or sign a contract, and a teacher should be up front from the beginning about all fees. I'd also like to mention that in our style, the schools are never run as a full time job, therefore the fees are only $20 a week per person for as many classes as you'd like to attend whether at your regular branch or at another branch. The instructors do it because they love what they do and want to pass it on to their students. I love our style and school. It is the best form of practical self-defense that I know of.

 

Sorry you had to go through what you went through with this testing experience. Honestly, I did not finish reading all of the posts. I hope your son did well.

[joannqn]

My son took 3 1/2 years to get his black belt, but for the first 2 1/2 years of that, he averaged 10 hours a week at the dojang. Then we moved schools and the new school doesn't have an unlimited class option. He's down to three regular classes (50 minutes each) and one sparring class (1 1/2 hours) each week.

[G5052]

In our style there are no contracts, no fee for testing except for purple and brown (and that is only because everyone tests at one branch and that fee is only 10 for the belt), black belt is EARNED in a minimum of 5 years, and that is ONLY if you are exceptional, and the test is broken up into 3 parts. The problem with many schools from what I see is ridiculous fees and belts that are just handed out to those who can afford the test. Remember a belt is only a piece of cloth and the purpose is to hold up your pants. Everyone should thoroughly research a school before you join or sign a contract, and a teacher should be up front from the beginning about all fees. I'd also like to mention that in our style, the schools are never run as a full time job, therefore the fees are only $20 a week per person for as many classes as you'd like to attend whether at your regular branch or at another branch. The instructors do it because they love what they do and want to pass it on to their students. I love our style and school. It is the best form of practical self-defense that I know of.

 

 

It is bare-bones, but the instruction is superb and the cost is reasonable. They don't take kids until they are 8 or 9, and no black belt until you're at least 16 and have put in the time.

[elegantlion]

I told her that now she had it all straightened out, I expected that next year all the fees would be laid right out in the paperwork. I also told her we were paying this fee because I view it as a one-time thing - i.e., my kid will do no more testing.

 

I am really unimpressed by the lack of organization. I am also unimpressed by the concept of a "test fee" in general. From the reading I did online last night I found out that the general consensus is it's a total scam and it's a scam that is getting worse and worse. One dojo raises its test fees and all the rest follow suit.

 

 

I don't want to hurt anyone else's feelings for whom these types of celebrations are fun and affordable. I'm definitely in a bad mood right now. That money WAS earmarked for a family day trip - the only thing resembling a vacation my family is getting this year. Now it's gone to line someone else's pockets. I feel entirely ripped off.

 

 

I would write a letter to her and other dojo. Is here an officiating body? I know nothing about karate, but I would have been beyond incensed. At that amount my ds would have had to sit out testing. Nothing like ruining the moment for everyone.

 

I'm sorry you had to deal with this lack of organization.

[hsmamainva]

We paid around $300 for our oldest daughter's black belt testing fee, but we were told what it would be, once she was scheduled for promotions, and I want to say it was a good 2-3 months in advance. So we did have time to prepare for it.

[Jennifer in MI]

It is bare-bones, but the instruction is superb and the cost is reasonable. They don't take kids until they are 8 or 9, and no black belt until you're at least 16 and have put in the time.

 

In our style, the kids earn a Jr. Black belt when they can do all the requirements - it usually takes around 6 − 8 years, depending on how old you were when you started and how many times/week you come. Then, when they turn 16, they get the full black belt.

 

My kids started out at 1x/week and increased their time at the gym to 4 − 5 times/week plus weekend classes about once/month. It helps that the gym is 1 mile from our house and they can ride their bikes there! My older three are actually helping with some of the teaching now too. I just love it and the opportunities they are getting with karate!

[Elizabeth in WA]

Our tae kwando black belts cost $500 too. We went to our first black belt test last month - for a friend, and not ds. It was a very big deal and tested him very thoroughly. When he was done he got an monogrammed black belt, a very nicely framed certificate and the honor of putting his rank on all resumes.;) The fees are posted on the wall of the dojo and are not a secret. Many kids start saving years ahead to get ready. The first 3 belts are pretty cheap. The next 5 or so are $20 per test and the higher belts cost a bit more. None are near the cost of the black belt.

 

The Kukkiwon certificate alone is very expensive for TKD, and is the only Black Belt certificate that is accepted at all WFT TKD schools and for national and international (including Olympic) WTF TKD competition. That plus monogrammed belt and a competition uniform with the black vee costs about $400. In order to award the certificate, testing must be done by a fourth dan or higher black belt as well, so the schools profits on this may not be as high as they seem for a fee of $500. My oldest is up to blue belt, and while our school makes no profit at all on black belt tests at present, I dread the cost when he gets there. At least it generally takes a year past red belt, so we have a good year and a half yet - the higher you get the longer between belts, and our school does just the competition colors (yellow, green, blue, red) with one intermediate stripe possible between each so students can get more frequent recommendation. Only the stripe on red is required* (*strongly encouraged?) (because it's significant and the red belt is very long even for older students). Otherwise they can wait and test for whole colors when ready, which oldest does to save money. If I ever go consistently enough to test, I would also only test for full color belts.

[kristinannie]

Our fee is $30 for the littles, but once they get above a green belt, it is $100 (plus the costs of the belts). I would assume that the fee might be high because they are bringing in someone from outside to help with the tests. I know that the black belt test is more expensive at our school, but we are far away from that so I don't really know details. That cost doesn't shock me though!

[Big Buckin' Longhorn]

The total black belt fee four my son was $300, but $150 of it was optional.

 

It cost $150 for testing, which was an all day event, and family and friends were welcome (and encouraged) to come and watch. It included a 2 mile timed run, 100 sit-ups, 100 push-ups, a lot of forms, Korean phrases and translations, a written and recited essay, board breaking, grappling, and sparring. It took all. day. long.

 

The other $150 is for the "accessory package" which included special gear and a special uniform that is different from lower-ranking belts. Pretty much everyone who achieves black-belt status springs for the package, but it is not mandatory and helps to bring the cost down if that is a concern.

 

Also we didn't know if he made black-belt status for about a month after the testing. The tests are videotaped and evaluated in excruciating detail. We received a letter in the mail a few weeks later letting us know that he had passed and inviting us to a belt ceremony at a later date. That was a nice evening event where the contestants who passed received special framed certificates and embroidered black-belts. It was very nice. Family and friends were welcome and encouraged to attend. I felt we got our money's worth.

 

None of these fees were a surprise to us. Everything is explained up front in person and in writing in our contracts. I'm so sorry you had such a negative experience. I don't keep that kind of money laying around. I would have been livid and my son may not have had the opportunity to test if that kind of fee was sprung on me at the last minute.

 

My son worked and saved for his own fees beginning when he was a white belt. It was extremely important to him and gratifying when he paid his fees himself and then earned the belt himself. A job very well done.

Edited June 25, 2011 by TejasMamacita
Typos, of course ;-)

[bbmom]

I also do TaeKwonDo and my Black Belt fees have been $500, $600, $750, and $1,000 respectively for 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th degree black belt (and I hear another school in our town charges $1,000 for 1st degree, but that guy IS known to be kind of a scammer.) If I want to test for any further degrees, I will have to travel to Korea in order to test, in addition to paying the testing fee. If the school is certifying through the international governing body of your martial art, the certificates are quite expensive, then if the belt is embroidered it is again quite an expense, and uniforms (depending on several factors) can range between $25 and $150. Plus you have to factor in that you have to be a certain rank to even test people for Black Belt, so many instructors have to pay a fee to the person actually certifying the test, plus pay their instructors/assistants to be there, AND take them out to dinner afterwards and most tests last between 3-5 hours, etc. Honestly, it's not like they are pocketing a whole ton of money on the tests-if they are lucky they are paying themselves an hourly wage for their time at testing and covering the dinner for the Masters and instructors afterwards.

 

It is easy for people with no real idea of the expenses involved with a Black Belt testing to get online and cry scam for any test fees over $150, but unless the school is then charging for the uniform/belt and certificate separately they are losing money on the test. Now, there are plenty of schools that do not certify their Black Belts with any kind of governing organization and their cost could well be $150, but without any kind of certificate, no other school has to accept your Black Belt if you move, switch schools, etc., so IMO, $150 to test for a Black Belt at a school with no certification is more of a scam than a school that charges over $500 for a test but does certify.

 

With that all being said, you should have been notified well in advance of the fees and there is no excuse for you to be told the day before the testing of the fee. I am sorry that this instructors lack of communication caused you issues. I hope your son had a fabulous testing-it really is an amazing feeling to finally earn that belt.

[Greta]

I am really unimpressed by the lack of organization. I am also unimpressed by the concept of a "test fee" in general. From the reading I did online last night I found out that the general consensus is it's a total scam and it's a scam that is getting worse and worse. One dojo raises its test fees and all the rest follow suit.

 

I would be fine with paying $150 - what is generally considered "fair" for testing as far as I can tell from the internet - every 3 or 4 years. $380 is ridiculous. $500 and up is obscene.

 

Oh, I completely agree with you! One of the things the new owner of my dd's TKD school changed when he took over was to make the tests shorter and less rigorous - but MORE expensive!!! :confused: He tested six black belts in December: that's $3000 for an hour and a half of his precious time. And he did not rent any special facility or do anything fun like what you mentioned. The test was held at the school, and the parents were all asked to bring a pot-luck meal to share. :001_huh:

 

I have several other complaints about this school. I'm just hoping dd can get her black belt by the end of the year and we can be done with them.

 

That money WAS earmarked for a family day trip.

 

That stinks. :grouphug:

[KarenNC]

My husband and daughter practice Aikido; their dojo is affiliated with the US Aikido Federation, which my husband tells me is affiliated with Honbu Dojo in Japan, the "home" dojo of all Aikido.

 

We pay a set monthly "family" membership fee to the dojo, and aside from the annual USAF membership dues there are no additional fees (USAF dues are currently $45 for my husband). Our daughter can't join the national organization until she is 14, the youngest age at which testing for the lower ranks is allowed, and there are no test fees for the ranks below black belt - which she can't test for until she is at least 18 and has passed the six lower ranking tests, which all have minimum training time as part of the requirements (my husband's next test is for 2nd kyu, and he has to have 200 days of training since his last test).

 

I believe there is a black belt "processing" fee that is paid not to the dojo but to either USAF or Japan, but it is not exorbitant.

[2cents]

It's been over 10 years but my son and I paid $120 each for our Black Belt testing fee. Supposedly part of that was for us to be 'registered or certified' in Korea (personally I thought some of that was baloney) but we paid it anyway and got the belt, a new uniform, a computer printed certificate and a card. IMO $380 for one testing is outrageous! Especially since you weren't told before. It is hard to believe they wouldn't know that there are fees involved in just about everything you do in martial arts. :001_huh:

[Greta]

The Kukkiwon certificate alone is very expensive for TKD, and is the only Black Belt certificate that is accepted at all WFT TKD schools and for national and international (including Olympic) WTF TKD competition.

 

Interesting - I knew nothing about this! If my school has not advertised the fact that they award Kukkiwon certificates, does that imply that they don't? I'm going to find out.

 

Also, at our school, black belt students are awarded the special monogrammed belts, but not the uniforms.

[Jean in Newcastle]

The Kukkiwon certificate alone is very expensive for TKD, and is the only Black Belt certificate that is accepted at all WFT TKD schools and for national and international (including Olympic) WTF TKD competition. That plus monogrammed belt and a competition uniform with the black vee costs about $400.

 

Yes, I forgot the competition uniform. I saw him wearing it but didn't know that it came with the test, so to speak.

[JFSinIL]

Since there have been a few comments about 3.5 years being too fast - dd did take classes 4- 5 evenings a week, an hour or more each night (some nights 2.5 hours), year-round. So she put in a LOT of time to do this. About 5 (minimum) to 8+ hours a week in lessons alone. She also practiced at home. Our school is over 50 years old (in the same location - it is in fact the headquarters for American Kyuki-Do Federation :-)

 

None of the other kids wanted to do any sport, so I didn't mind having to spend the time (and money) since with only ONE kid wanting to do something I feel we got off cheap ;-)

Edited June 25, 2011 by JFSinIL

[nrg]

Our son's fee for the black belt performance part of the test was used to pay for the new uniform and for the panel of black belts brought in to judge. We paid our portion of their fees, sharing with the two other families testing at that time.

 

Have you asked why the fee is so steep? Is there a fee for a room rental, or judges, etc?

[joannqn]

I think bbmom is right on this...at least for good schools. We also had to provide to ID size photos: one attached to the application and one that will be used for the ID (I think). I believe the application goes to Korea to be certified, but I'm not sure.

[Donna]

I forget what I paid for my sons and my taekwondo black belt fees. It was over $100 ($150 each comes to mind but it was a few years ago). It took us 5 years to get to 1st dan black belt...this included classes 3-4 nights a week sometimes 5 nights a week with classes being 2-3 hours each night. My sons moved more quickly than other kids their age and older and 5 years was a minimum for training to black belt at the dojo.

 

We knew way in advance what the testing fees were. The tests were judged by a teacher outside our dojo and tests sent to Korea for certification by the Kukkiwon.

 

Is it possible that if an outside tester were coming to judge the test, they would need to be put up in a hotel and the number of people testing might be a consideration...the hotel fees would be divided among those testing??

[JennifersLost]

Well, it's all over and ds has his black belt.

 

To answer questions:

 

1. The test was held at the tester's dojo - no extra expenses for the dojo.

 

2. My son got a belt, not a new uniform.

 

3. We filled in no paperwork to be sent in anywhere. I have no idea if the black belt is "valid" anywhere else.

 

4. My ds knows more kata than just about anyone in the two dojos - when he outlearned his instructor, (her "specialty" is sparring) he began teaching himself from every resource he could find. He now regularly teaches his Sensei kata and she teaches him sparring.

 

5. The tester is at a much higher level and has won international competitions, etc. I think he might have even been in the olympics or something.

 

6. There was no party, dinner, anything else involved in the testing; just a test and a belt.

 

7. My ds's take is that he's seen that karate instructors don't make much money from teaching karate. He says it's a passion, not something he's going to pursue as a career. That means he doesn't need ranks, belts, status, etc. He just likes to do karate.

 

I feel like he's handled all of this with incredible maturity. No fuss. Told us we didn't have to pay for the belt. No fuss about no further testing.

 

I'm proud of him that he made it this far. I'm proud of how hard he's worked to get here. He really is fit, strong, knows all the Japanese words (more than his teachers), knows all the kata, is great at sparring, and has found something he loves. What more could a mother want?