From: burdickd@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (Dakin Burdick)
Subject: SURVEY OF BLACK BELT COSTS -- LONG
Organization: Indiana University
Date: Sat, 26 Sep 1992 17:14:27 GMT

Well, since the cost question is back up, I figure it's time
to repost the survey we did last year.  If anyone wants to add
the information from their school, just send me the material
and I will post the revised list after a couple of weeks.

Dakin 
burdickd@silver.ucs.indiana.edu 

PS:  Please note the address change if you have me on a mailer.
Our copper accounts were swallowed up by the silver vax.


SURVEY OF BLACK BELT COSTS & BENEFITS:  Version 1.0 (Feb. 1991)

What follows is a survey of the costs and benefits of gaining a
"black belt" at various schools both national and international. 
Not only is there wide variation in training costs, but also in
the time required for the "black belt," the first plateau in
training.  We got a good number of responses on survey.  Thanks
everybody!

For the beginners out there, the variation in time required should
not be a concern to you (unless you just want a cool belt ASAP). 
The variation in the number of years required for that first
plateau is usually just a variation in the amount of dedication
each instructor wants to see.  A person who has been doing
Taekwondo for 7 years may be a 3rd Dan while a person in some
Karate schools may just be getting his 1st Dan, but their skill
levels will be relatively similar. 

Variation in training costs is more important than variation in
time required.  Some instructors consider their training a "holy
mission" and will train for free, although they usually will train
only a few students.  Clubs and Community Classes are the next
step up, and are still relatively cheap.  Commercial Studios
usually range from $40-50/month, with workouts up to 7 days per
week.  And, of course, there are the commercial studios run by
famous martial artists (see entry #15, Alex Sternberg's studio in
Queens).  These may easily run $100+/month, especially if the head
of the school is instructing (does anyone know how much Chuck
Norris or Jhoon Rhee are charging for their services these days?).

Please send me either corrections or additions for the next
listing.  Send email to:

burdickd@silver.ucs.indiana.edu

or just reply to this post.

Dakin Burdick
Indiana University, Bloomington.

PS:  The total training costs listed should include all costs
until black belt, including testing fees for the lower ranks.  If
you can, please make sure the prices are up-to-date, or at least
cite the year the prices are from.


                                TOTAL					
                   Test   /-  TRAINING -\
                   Cost     Cost   Time
Style              ($)      ($)   (years)  Benefits    Source
--------------------------------------------------------------
Iaido 	                20	  180	  3	E	   13
Karate, Goyu-ryu	  0	1,500	4-5		   11
Karate, Shorin-ryu	  0!	3,105	5-7 	E,F	    3
Karate, Shotokan	  0	    0	7-9		    1
Karate, Shotokan	 10	  360	  2		    7
Karate, Shotokan	200	3,500	4-6		    9
Karate, Shotokan	100	4,580	4-5	B,C,H	   15
Karate, Wado-ryu	200*	  400	3-4	B,C,E 	    2
Karate, Wado-ryu	  5	1,920	  4		    8
Kendo	                 20	1,500	  5	C,D	    8
Kung Fu, Ngor Chor	  0	1,584	  3	B,I	    7
Kung Fu, San Soo	  0	1,680	3-5  	H	    6 
Taekwondo	        120	  500	2-3	A,C,E,H	    4
Taekwondo	         95	    ?	2-3	A,B,C,E,G   5
Taekwondo	        100	  350	4-5	A,B,C,M	   10
Taekwondo, Moonlee	100^	  550^	4-5	A,B,J	   14
Taekwondo	       1002       700~	  5	B,C,H,M	   16
TKA		        200 	2,355	3-5	B,C,L	   12

*  This included 1 wk accommodations at Snowdonia National Park
   in Wales.
 
!  This does not include certification fees for the
   organizations.

^  In Australian dollars.

~  This does not include testing fees for the lower ranks.
 

BENEFITS:
A  = I.D. Card
B  = Belt, usually embroidered
C  = Certificate
D  = Teaching certificate costs extra, and is only awarded at
     the discretion of the organization.
E  = Association with national organization.
F  = Association with international organization.
G  = Magazine Subscription
H  = Free training for associate instructors
I  = Free specialized training
J  = Free training
K  = Annual dues increase with rank.
L  = Change in uniform (for Taekwondo, black trim on uniform)
M  = Uniform


NOTES ON THE SOURCES:

1.  Bo toku kai, University of Kentucky:  "We practice karate-do. 
Some would call it Shotokan, but as master Funakoshi was very
opposed to a Shotokan 'style', we do not use a style name."
	Source:  William K. Glunt, Math Dept., 5th Dan.
	<@s.ms.uky.edu:bud@ms.uky.edu> Wed Jan 23 22:20:29 1991

2.  Highashi Karate Kai, affiliated with (I think) the English
Karate Federation.  
	Benefits:  Certificate, Ceremonial Belt.
	Source:  Benjamin C. Legaspi
	legasba2@mentor.cc.purdue.edu Wed Jan 23 22:35:35 1991 

3.  Asian Martial Arts Studio, Ann Arbor, Michigan.  Membership
in the American Shudokan Association and International
Martial Arts Federation.  Rank is recognized by both
Shorin-ryu karate-do and Shudokan karate-do systems.  "we
also have separate aikido and kung-fu programs that operate
on the same basis, generally speaking."
	Source:  Ben Vonk  
	Ben_Vonk@ub.cc.umich.edu Wed Jan 23 23:47:14 1991 

4.  Indiana University Taekwondo Club, Bloomington, IN. 
Affiliated with the United Federation of Tae Kwon Do
Instructors.  
	Source:  Dakin Burdick
	Burdickd@ucs.indiana.edu

5.  Taekwondo School, Tallahassee, FL:  The school was an
American Taekwondo Association (ATA) affiliate.  The ATA is
nationwide, but it is also linked to some schools in South
America.
	Source:  Kenneth A. Garnto, Supercomputer Computations
	Research Institute
	GARNTO@vsken.scri.fsu.edu Thu Jan 24 09:17:04 1991 
	to mail to him, try GARNTO@scri.fsu.edu

6.  Peterson's International Kung Fu San Soo, San Diego, CA:  The
system is also called:  Kung Fu Toy Lee Ho Fut Hung OR Topka
San Soo.
	Source:  Tod Kuykendall   (tkuykendall@ucsd.edu)
	cs163wfn@sdcc10.ucsd.edu Thu Jan 24 13:37:04 1991 

7.  Reported for two schools:
Shotokan Karate at the Univ. of South Alabama, Mobile,
AL:  It was taught as a continuing education course, and
thus two tests were given:  "if we enrolled in the class
for credit, we had to pass a test given by the Sensei
strictly for the purpose of reporting a grade for the
report card.  Although this test was very informal, I
have never known anyone to pass this test, yet fail the
formal belt rank test."

Universal Academy of Gor Chor Kung Fu, formerly Graham's
Academy of Martial Arts, Mobile, AL.
	Source:  Jeff Pipkins  (uunet!cpqhou!pipkinsj) 
	cpqhou!pipkinsj@uunet.uu.net Thu Jan 24 17:00:34 1991 

8.  Reported for two schools:
Wado Ryu Japan International Karate-do Center, Salt Lake
City, UT.  In 1984-1988, training would have run about
$1,200. 

Utah Kendo Dojo, Salt Lake City, UT.  Jon also notes
that although there was no testing fee (the $20 was for
the certificate), they had to pay an instructor's plane
fare.  Annual dues for a shodan is about $12.
	Source:  Jon Byrd  
	jon@apollo.med.utah.edu Thu Jan 24 17:41:50 1991 

9.  Black Belt Academy, Woodbury Rd., Hicksville, NY 11801:  The
school also teaches Judo & Aikido.	 The Shotokan BB test
costs $35, the belt & certificate cost $165.
	Source:  Brian R. Poppenwimer 
	brp102@rose.psu.edu Thu Jan 24 19:28:47 1991 

10.  American FreeStyle Tae Kwon Do Academy, Pennsville, NJ:  The
style taught was American Tae Kwon Do Moo Duk Kwan. 
	Source:  Glenn M. Brunette 
	brunette@sjuphil.uucp  24 Jan 91 17:05:29 GMT 

11.  Goyuryu Karate (School name unknown), Duesseldorf, Federal
Republic of Germany.  Benefits:  "You become eligible to
participate at certain full contact tournaments." 
	Source:  Thomas Otake
	rcs61423@zach.fit.edu Fri Jan 25 09:37:49 1991 

12.  TKA (Taekwondo, Karate, Aikido),  Chang School, Bridgeport,
PA. 
	Source:  Michael Dobbins, Unisys Corp., Devon Engr. Offices 
	tredysvr!dvnspc1!mdobbins@gvlv2.gvl.unisys.com 
	Fri Jan 25 10:51:59 1991 

13.  Muso Shinden Ryu Iaido, West Los Angeles Kendo Dojo: 
Associated with the South California Iaido Federation,
affiliated with both the U.S. Kendo Federation and the Zen
Nihon Kendo Renmei.  The certificate is $10, the test is $10. 
Black Belts are registered with the Zen Nihon Kendo Renmei. 
"Our minimum time between ranks are:  shodan  -> nidan  1 yr,
nidan   -> sandan  2 yr, sandan  -> yondan  4 yr, & yondan 
-> godan  5 yr." 
	Source:  Al Bowers
	bowers@elxsi.dfrf.nasa.gov Fri Jan 25 15:08:35 1991 

14.  Moonlee Tae Kwon Do, Queensland, Australia.
Source:  Ross Milward, James Cook University of North
Queensland
	zlnem@marlin.jcu.edu.au  27 Jan 91 01:25:26 GMT 
 
15.  Shotokan Karate USA, Sensei Alex Sternberg, Queens Dojo, 1815
Ave M, Brooklyn N11210, (718) 253-3400.  Prices were
calculated at $90/month dojo fees for 4 years (total =
$4,320) + testing fees (estimated at $260 total) to black
belt (excluding black belt test).  
	"In 1985 I paid $50.00 for shodan (1st deg.) In 1987 I
had the fee waived because I was no longer considered a
junior instructor (as I was when I took my shodan exam).... 
I trained for two years in a community class that was tought
by an instructor from what later became my Dojo. The cost was
(I believe $4 a class) I trained for 6 months once a week,
and after that 2x a week. One class a week was 2 1/2 hours (I
took 2 consecutive classes after about a month of training
but only paid for 1). The second class that was added for the
year and a half period was 1 1/2 hours. I think I paid $40 a
month when I started training at the dojo. This increased
over the years to $50, though I dont know when. Now my dojo
charges about $90 a month.....  There are discounts if you
pay for several months at a time. There were also fees for
under black belt exams. I took 3 exams @ $15, 2 @ $20, 1@25
and 2 @ $35. The exams are now about 10 - 15 dollars more ea.
now, and Black belt is $100....  There are no strings on the
black belt. There is a rank called Shodan-ho which is given
to a student who performs well enough for black belt but may
need work in a single area.(provisional black belt) It is
rarely used. Black belts do not get written certificates
until a year later though.  When I took my black belt exam
the fee included a silk, embroidered, black belt from
japan.(it was embroidered with my name and style). I compete
all over (I've only left the country once, though I've
competed in international tournaments in the USA, this is
mostly b/c of cost, I had to finance all my trips
personally). I am and have been a member of the following
orgs. AAU, USA Karate Federation, United States Committee of
Sports for Israel (Maccabiah). The trip to Israel was all
expenses paid, with an open ticket. I also got a complete
wardrobe; warmup, team jacket, etc."
	Source:  David Bressler 
	DJBQC@cunyvm.cuny.edu Wed Feb  6 01:47:26 1991 

Q:  Did the memberships come free with the Black Belt?  What
about the wardrobe?

16.  Tae Kwon Do, Nenows Dynesty, Palmerton, PA.  Training cost
does not include testing fees for lower ranks.  Dojo fee =
$45/month.  Benefits include a "neat-o-poofigins belt and
uniform" (Ed:  I had to include that quote!).
	Source:  SAS124@psuvm.psu.edu Mon Jan 28 16:09:00 1991 

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