The ATA doesn't have any power to set prices or dictate business practices of its 800 affiliate schools, he says, but they do make recommendations. Only then does it recommend the longer contracts. As for the length of the three-year black belt program, Wolfe says it's determined by the average length of time it takes ATA students to meet the requirements. Most instructors interviewed offered some kind of contract. It's a tough business, they say.
Schools can go under, especially during the holidays, without a steady income.
Also, the instructors say, they want the students to make a commitment. But most are more flexible with terms. Rhodes, for example, offers an optional one-year contract. Tom Griffin of the Academy of Kenpo Karate uses a one-year contract, but says he has never had to enforce one. Sarac of Professional Karate Centers uses contracts because they are good for business.