Missed belt test(not enoughmoney) Help Please

Ok well in my Hapkido class I didn't have enough money to take the belt test, so now im staying at the same belt level and its a little depressing knowing when I go back to class that I'm going to be a step behind everyone and learn the same techniques alll over again. what should I do?Do you all think I should just look at the belt's as nothing and just go back and not worry about it or what?



Thank's to all in advance.

 

Did you talk to your instructor about not having enough money to pay for the belt test? Surely he could've fixed up something? i.e. pay it off over a number of weeks or something.
Anyway, it's done now so I think you should definately not worry about the belt, but i would be worried about having to learn the same techniques all over again until the next test. Then again, a little practice never hurt anyone Also, if your belt tests aren't extremely strict on their when's, maybe you could organise to be graded as soon as you've saved up the cash. Good luck! And definately don't quit :Alien:

 

Or change your art and find one where they dont squeeze money out of you for grading!!!

 

Now you have more time to perfect what you have learnt, there is no end to ma training so what is the rush.

 

Me, who took 5 years to get my bb for lack of money and inspiration. Just consider that your learning things VERY thoroughly by the time you grade next. No one really cares what belt you are.

 

Right now it may seem like a huge deal, but in the grand scheme of things it is not. In ten years it'll just be a funny story. I'll tell you what, the money kept me from testing for my 2nd dan for a VERY long time. I think it cost around $500 ish and when I was in college I had a very hard time pulling that kind of money together. I think it was a totally rediculous amount of money, but oh well.

 

Agreed. With all due respect, if your instructor is more concerned about the testing fee than the accomplishment of seeing a student advance, you need to find a new place to train. You really need to talk to him and work something out or find a new place to train that will be less costly.

And what bugs me the most is that we've become so complacent about testing fees.

 

Testing day is such a huge money maker for a school. Its pure profit for a few hours work. A good portion of it is cash so its under the table. GM get a sizable cut of that to show up and entertain everyone, school owner rakes in a ton of dough, black belts all get a free lunch. Also, non black belt ranks do not neccesarily have to got through the federation you beong to so they probably could be cheaper, but they don't tell the regular students that. Even my 2nd degree was overinflated by 200 - 300 dollars just so everyone up the food chain could get a little piece of the action. Its like the freaking mafia.

 

Greetings

If lessons are competively priced, testing fees don't equate to a rip off.

Most of you posters have the wrong atitude.

How about each student pay more for the good instr who's stuggling to keep a school open. I've been there haven't gotten any offers from the students.

For 26 years I've been in the Arts and somehow students alway feel they pay too much the master test fees are too high, etc.

School owner are in business to MAKE A PROFIT not be a charity. They have bills and families to support as do doctors, lawyers, or any other business people and deserve to make a nice living for a quality service.

Will the grocery store give you free food if you can't afford it?

Grow up people!

 

Greetings

I don't know your age or income but may I suggest a part time job if your a student or some OT if your an adult.

Maybe you can work off the testing fees at your school by cleaning up or passing out flyers.

Get the point?

 

I have to agree with this. As a school that operates on a "earn enough money to keep the school going and a bit extra for improvements" we fit this bill. For a school that pays its instructors and wants to make a profit, it must be even harder. As long as the instruction is worth the price you pay... good. If it gets too expensive, take a walk down the road and find a cheaper one.


For us, when we opened our school we had a debate on whether to charge testing fees or "hide" the cost in the tuition. We decided to have the testing fees clearly marked and in the open. Students who choose not to test do not have to. We teach them at their approximate level and they learn what the other students do. Granted, without wearing "rank", sometimes it can be harder for instructors "to remember" what rank you are and what you should be working on. Some students have regretted "not testing for rank" when they got ready to move on (especially our college students).

When we determined what our tuition and testing fees would be, we first determined how much money we would need to keep the school open every month (bills, fuel, insurance, etc) and then determined how many students we could comfortably handle. We divided the cost by the number of students to get the amount we would need to charge. At that point we elected to set the cost of tuition to be what we need to keep the school open based a certain number of students.

Testing fees go directly into costs of tests (paperwork, belts, etc) and additonal money goes into a general account that we use for seminars, insurance, emergency money, and new equipment (paddles, bags, videos, etc.).

We do try to be open with students and we only test students that we deem "ready". If a student says they "can't test", we ask why... and in the case of schedule problems or moeny problems, we re-schedule and/or set another way of testing. We have let students "work off" the money and have let them pay later or on installment. See your instructor and ask what you can do.

 

A couple things... if the cots of training is too high then maybe find another school. However, if the school is a good one and just trying to keep it's doors open, ask yourself a few things.

What does it matter if people are moving ahead of you in rank? Most of them won't stick around for the long term anyway. If you do, You'll continue to learn and you'll continue to get promoted.
Why does it concern you if you're relearning the same techniques. Martial skill is not measured in the number of techniques you know. In fact, I'd argue that most people are better off with a small number of techniques that they can work on, refine and really internalize.
If you learn more techniques, are you really getting better? Or are you simply aquiring more movements that you need to practice?

I can understand being upset at being a "step behind". But the truth is that a belt is just a belt and it means nothing. Acquiring skill is not a race. You can move forward with the techniques you have. I promise you you don't know them as well as you could. No one does.

 

Mine are free

The problem is that he basically has to pay to advance, and therefore has to pay to learn new techniques, and therefore "cash = advancement", whilst "no cash = stall in training" and that is utterly reprehensible.

If you care more about your cash flow than letting a lower-level student advance because s/he doesn't have the cash, you really need to reconsider what you're doing. Sorry, but that's how I feel, and nothing that's been said thus far has convinced me to change my mind, no offense.

 

No offense taken.

Things like this are why I could never teach for a living. Because you have to make a living. When a teacher is trying to make money, they can't just give away training. It doesn't mean that they don't love the art, it doesn't mean that they don't love to teach, it doesn't even mean that they care more about money more than teaching. It means they need money to live.

I personally couldn't run a commercial school. I couldn't live with this sort of situation, but I understand completely why some teachers need to. I don't feel that it makes them a bad teacher, it just makes them some one trying to make a living in a world where you need money to survive.

It's ugly, yeah, but it's something that happens. Now, this teacher might just not care, if he does then the poster is well advised to find another teacher.

 

There is a big difference between making a living and gouging your students for testing fees. For non-dan rank I can see charging maybe up to $40 max at the most, but alot of places will charge on a progressive scale based upon the rank and brown and red belt exams can cost up to and above $100. Thats a little much for rank that doesn't even really mean too much outside of your own dojang.

 

Greetings

Did you ever hear "No tickie No washie".

Yes learning new techniques cost money. You got it now!

I think it's utterly reprehensible that people want to be paid for thier services. Are you a socialist?

BTW Testing and rank advancement is a "service for fee based business", not an automatic right.

I charge for lessons if you don't pay I don't teach, if someone can't afford lessons it's my choice to be charitable.

 

Greetings,

You must not be in business. Different schools charge different fees based on many factors like cost of rent, utilities, insurance rates, instr fees. etc.

$40 for a low overhead schools, $50, 60, 70, etc. for a large school with a high overhead.

There's two choices gentleman like it or not.

1. Increase monthly fees to a higher rate.

2. Charge testing fees and lower monthly fees.

Anyway it's done will cost you. No business can survive long term if it does'nt make a profit and the owner can't make a living.

Sorry to burst your bubble!