Wowzers. That seems like a lot. Prices aren't always comparative though, how much is petrol where you are for example? What you need to do is compare prices for training locally, and if this is a rip off, walk. But just in case, wowzers, that seems like lot! Mitch
Ridiculously expensive. I'd find somewhere else to train or not bother with the grading. They get away with charging fees like that because they know people want the belts and guilt trip/emotionally blackmail people into paying.
I'm going to clarify further and point out that I've never even paid a tenth of that cost for a grading. I just can't see how several weeks' net pay is justifiable for a belt test that presumably takes only a few hours with several participants.
Care to give me a link to your school's website. I'd like to invite your instructor here to justify the charges.
No one pays for testing at my school. One week you are told next month we test. 2 months later 2 people get a new rank. My sensai teaches for the wrong reason I guess.
Likewise, and I've attended several aikido schools. (Dude put "aikido" in his post's title.) I would not take the test.
I love a tasty bit of thread necro myself, but since we're talking TKD test prices, I feel the urge to contribute... For about as long as I have been involved in TKD (going back just over 20 years), color belt tests have run about $30-$40/test and includes an experienced test board, new belt (or stripe), and certificate. Dan ranks through Kukkiwon have always seemed to run about $100/dan rank. As far as test fees go, I always encourage students to factor in tuition plus (anticipated) test fees in for purpose of budgeting. Some schools include test fees and some do them separately, but a fair school will have some sort of way of figuring out how much they charge their students... usually based on costs + profit divided by anticipated number of students.
When I owned my school I charged $100 and that included a belt and certificate. I've never heard of a 'certification' card for a black belt. Not sure what you would use it for. We offered uniforms at cost if you wanted a black belt uniform but not everyone bought one...the belt should say it all.
Was that in CKD? The sheer volume of gradings should be concerning enough there, if they cost that much. That's before you even broach the topic of belt value in that art.
Every Korean style that I've earned dan rank in has given me a certificate and a laminated card with the dan rank (and name and photo) on it. One group even gave me a rank passport book. Now, as for what to use them for... I still haven't figured that out! I don't recall ever having to present my dan card to anyone. I have used my dan certificates when transferring places or testing for the next dan, but that is pretty limited use!
The laminated card is new to me, but I've seen a "passport." The dan grades take it with them at seminars and get it stamped or signed. It's part of their promotion criteria -- training at seminars with high-ranking people outside their local dojo.
you can't really put this price down to cost of business - if they needed that money its due to the cost of running regular classes, not any extra cost of BB gradings and prices should reflect that. There is some cost certainly - Kukkiwon charges for their certificates and that is of some value as it'll ensure your grade is recognised at other schools.
Always valued your opinion Thomas. Wasn't meaning to sound like I was putting down the certification card, just never heard of one.
Aiki, why is it part of the promotion criteria? I've heard of it but mostly a 'mandatory' tournament which was really just a money maker for the school owners. I never forced my students to compete in any tournament and I was never made to compete unless I wanted to.
No harm, my friend and I didn't take it that way. I've always found the certification card thing to be a bit odd. I've never used them for anything and for tests, the organization always wanted a copy of the certificate, not the card.
My "passport" had spots for dan rank certification (in a couple of related arts the organization offered), spots for recording seminar attendance, and spots for "special contributions". I asked about the last one and it was described to me very clearly as a spot to record "money donations"! The instructor told me that it was important for 'higher level' promotions. I didn't stay beyond 2nd dan (and never recorded any seminars or contributions), so I don't know how accurate that is.
I would politely disagree, but to the degree that different schools can do it differently. As a school, we always figured up what our costs were and estimated how many students we had. Then, we divided that cost among the number of students to come up with a tuition number (rounded up a bit to bring in a bit of extra money to cover leaner months). Testing fees went into the general account to cover other costs. We could have rolled the testing costs right into our tuition costs and advertised "no testing fees", but some times that can mean that the test fees are being paid by everyone, every month. By using separate fees, then only those who are testing pay the extra fee.
to be clear I was referring to the case above of $950 test fee. $20-50 could cover the cost of extra venue hire and belts, maybe boards for coloured belt gradings. Black belts a bit more for certification and other costs, but $950 as a cost of just the grading ?
