All of our belt tests at our school are $40. white to yellow is $30 I dont know how much for our black belt.
One of the groups I belong to charges 7 dollars per color belt...and the other charges nothing... Hmmm.....
In KOREA, testing fees for Black Belt 1st degree (as of December 7th, 2003's testing date) run 150,000 won. That sum includes everything, and run by Kukkiwon themselves. 150,000 won equals (to date) $127.459 US $166.186 CAD L75.047 GBP Post rates, from Korea to North America (for size and weight of certificate) should run no more than $15 US. As for the above posts....bloody rip-offs. Cheers, Yang, Dae-han
So, Yang, Dae-han...are you telling me that in 1991 when I paid 125 dollars to a Korean Master...he wasn't informed of the current going rate at the Kukkiwon? ha ha
Practice your self defense on those prices! I take Chinese Kenpo. My Sifu charges 60$/hr a private lesson, 75$/4 times a month, 90$/8 times a month. He tests you when he feels you are ready to pass to the next belt. The belt costs are 10$s. He doesn't charge more for the belt. It's the store price. So in essence when you test for black, it's just $10s in addition to your monthly dues. I have a small class two, 6 students including myself.
some of you guys are getting ripped off. 600 to 800 dollars for a black belt? I laughed at the testing in a ballroom then having a banquet afterwards. I get hot and sweaty and tired after my testing. Sounds like a McDojo to me. My 2nd degree bb test, in two weeks, will cost me 105 bucks. I test with the other guys and gals in my school. And before a mod starts snapping at me about the McDojo crack - what would you call it?
This is an excellant point. Never heard of this happening in my school. If you don't have the money - you don't test. Anyone ever done this or know of an incident like this?
I'm not at the black belt level, but yes, there are times when my personal problems prevent me from having much extra cash. So several months ago, my instructor asked me why I hadn't tested? It had been 3-4 months since I was eligible. He thought it was a confidence problem (hah!), I told him I was really strapped for cash. He put my name on the grading list, tested me and never said a word about the money. I have a good instructor. Another time when I didn't have the money, I went 3 months w/o paying. I felt guilty, but he said the training was more important than the money. That my contributions were worth more than the dollars in tuition.
All Colour belt gradings are £25.00 Black Belt is £100.00 This includes Belt, Tie, Certificate and Pin. Certificate is awarded in class and new BB is allowed to take senior position for that class, and thats it, no meal or big presentation.
Wow, even with our "recommended" belts that some condem as sounding "McDojo"... we are way cheaper than many of these schools. $100 for dan tests and since we have recommended that equates to $200.
This is a good topic. For all of you ITF people out there.. Dan tests are expensive...especially if you want the "ITF" Dan Certificate. When i tested for my 1st Dan under the ITF back in the 88 the price was $120.. when i tested for 2nd Dan it was $240.....and.. price kept goin up with each Dan test. My Instructor used to have fundraises all year long to offset the costs of these "certification" fees. Sometimes the price you pay to belong to a "Credible" Taekwon-Do organization ends up costing some money.. is it worth it? I do like to look on my office wall at home and see ITF Certificates with Gen. Choi's name on them.. it does make me proud. That being said, I dont think you have to have a Kukkiwon or ITF or ATA Dan Certificate to feel good about your training or to be a "Real" Taekwon-Do Black Belt. There are plenty of good organizations out there that dont charge HUGE feels for Dan tests.. (at least 1st and 2nd Dan.).. I know there are a lot of independent TKD instructors out there looking for an organization to back them.... I have chosen the Indpendent Taekwondo Association and am currently working with them to back my future students as I just moved to a new part of the country and hope to open a Dojang in about 6 months. They offer serminars, camps, very nice Dan Certificates, Gup Certificates and just about any other service that you can think of.. and the best part is they dont care what style of Taekwon-Do you practice.. whether it be ITF, Kukkiwon, Moo Duk Kwan, ATA, American TKD.....they let you teach your own curriculum and do not get involved with your teaching. The point being.. how often do you test for Dan rank? Not often. As long as you do not pay more than what it costs for your new "Certificate" from your organization I don't think you are getting ripped off.... Just my two cents worth.
I'm testing for 3rd Keub in 2 weeks and the testing fee is $90. I am not sure what the BB fee is, but I imagine its a couple hundred dollars.
Kwajman, you have a GREAT instructor. It's so hard to find an instructor like that in these days of 'free enterprise'. Obviously every instructor can't take that approach, and definitely not with every student. Serious consideration should be taken concerning student contribution to the class. If you have a student who busts his a$$ in class and helps keep other students on top of things, then he/she deserves a break sometimes.
$800 for a 1st Dan black belt, you are seriously getting ripped off. Our coloured belts cost at the most $35. 1st Dan is about $150ish The only time we would pay $800 is if I was going for 8th and 9th Dan combined. Impossible though that is, but the two of them combined would be enough to rival $800. I think your instructor needs t rethink their pricing range because $800 is in the impossibly excessive range, no matter what extra stuff you get with it.
I would say that is a very high price. Most organizations charge anywhere from 50-150 dollars for 1st Dan Certification. Some instructors charge JUST enough to cover that, plus a new embroidered 1st Dan belt. My instructor included an ITF Certificate, USTF Certificate, Dojang Certificate, 1st Dan Belt and a new ITF Black Belt Uniform.. all for $120 bucks (in 1988 money)... and after that my classes were free of charge. i dont think i got a bad deal.. LOL
I know Gaz and it looks like i'll have to stay somewhere overnight too unless i want to get up at about 4 o'clock in the morning to drive down to the grading. Oh yes and when i found out that you have to pay an extra £40.00 for the suit i nearly fell off my chair !! After i've paid all of my bills there isn't a lot left but i don't think a lot of instructors/examinars realise how tight money is for some people. To top it all off our monthly fees and licence renewal fees have just gone up too. :bang: :bang: :bang:
I think it should be on the Instructor (in my opinion) to pay for most of a students BB test. There is plenty of time to set u a fund for Dan promotions. Use part of the income from dues, gup tests, equipment sales towards student Dan promotions. Set up fundraisers...etc. That's what I will be doing shortly.(once i get my dojang going). For those who cant afford the 125 dollars i plan to charge. (Includes: trimmed BB uniform, ITA Dan Certificate, Dojang Dan Certificate, embroiderd belt and a banquet the following day)
We taekwondo people get ripped off I would just like to say that people in taekwondo generally get ripped off, with these grading fees. I know a lot of other styles charge for gradings but from my experience taekwondo still get ripped off with higher fees. Incedently a lot of clubs from other styles dont charge for gradings!!! I dont know of one taekwondo school that doesnt charge (unless the instructor does a favour in exeptional sucimstances taht is). Corect me if im wrong, but I have a feeling ill be waiting a long time...........
