Paying to get promoted

GalegoREB

GalegoREB

He Who Talks Loud, Saying Nothing
@Orange
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After 2 years I will finally get my blue belt in february, the problem is that my instructor demands money to promote his students. It's 50 dollars for the blue and the price increases for the next belt( you have to pay 200 dollars to get the black belt). Is this common practice?
 
it's embarrassing, but if you enjoy other aspects of your club, then it's probably not the best reason to leave.
 
You mean like price of the belt and "grading fees"? If it was like a few dollars to cover the cost of the belt, I can understand, but this seems like taekwondo mcdojang shit.
 
In judo there's a grading few up till brown which is
 
doyourkegles22 said:
Ours are different. USJF doesn't really care until you get promoted to Shodan, you just print out a paper, sign it, and give that shit to the student (if you are a sanctioned club). USA Judo is similar.

Once you go to shodan, different story for us. USJF was 100 bucks which included a background and criminal investigation check.

USA Judo is 250 bucks or something crazy.

My old BJJ Coach you paid to have stripes...I eventually left and went to another guy who promotes when you are ready.

Paying for strips or belts is the ghey!
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Damn that sucks.

My first dan was free other than grading competition fees so I could do my preliminary contests and Batsugun.

I wouldn't pay for a stripe if it was from Roger Gracie, fuck that.

My BJJ gym seems pretty lax so far though, the guy just hands out belts in the session.
 
wtf, this is actually a thing? You pay your gym membership and trained your ass off, no you shouldn't pay money for your belt
 
Belt fees come in/out of acceptability. Before BJJ was popular it was very common to ask for belts fees. In Brazil, there's apparently always rumors about who charges their students for belts, and how they only promote when they need money.
 
I've never had to pay to get promoted in BJJ, Judo it's been awhile but I remember paying a fee to the association I was with (I think USA Judo)
 
Belt fees are bullshit. I don't ask them from my students, and I think it's crazy that other people have to deal with that crap.
 
Not in BJJ no. I did in kickboxing years back though.
 
GalegoREB said:
After 2 years I will finally get my blue belt in february, the problem is that my instructor demands money to promote his students. It's 50 dollars for the blue and the price increases for the next belt( you have to pay 200 dollars to get the black belt). Is this common practice?
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It is common practice for BJJ here. My gym has begun doing gradings for both belts and stripes. My cousin (who I have a thread on) also had to pay $50+ for his brown. Same for most of my friends etc. Personally, I reckon its ridiculous since I already pay my membership dues and its not like they've flying anybody in to grade but what can I do? My close friends train at the same place, its the closest gym to my home and tons of places do it etc...

For judo, its $15 to cover the cost of the belt. You have the option to not pay the $15 if you buy the belt yourself. Most of our club usually buy our coaches a beer or something to thank them for their tuition but that's at our own discretion. I feel this is fairer.
 
I think it's a bunch of bull, but I do think are a few exceptions.

If you are paying monthly dues to your gym and your instructor can promote you, having to pay is b.s. This person should be observing your performance on the regular, so even having "testing" is junk in my mind. Eyes on week in and week out will let an instructor know when you are ready, and when you are ready, that instructor should promote you. They've already gotten your money every month, they shouldn't require any more.

Now, for my exceptions.

1. If you don't pay monthly dues, because you are part of a "club" more so than a gym that doesn't run for profit. I see this a lot in judo as opposed to BJJ. A testing/promotion fee can add money to allow for upkeep and the purchase of new equipment, along with buying products to keep the mats clean/sanitary, print more posters/flyers, or whatever. Those fees should be used towards the betterment of the club.

2. Your gym is part of an association, and a high level belt will be flying in to teach a seminar/do promotions. These funds should be used to help offset the cost of having to fly/board said "master", and not for the financial benefit of the local instructor. If it is a seminar, the seminar fees should cover any stripes/belts awarded.

My first serious BJJ school charged a $50 testing fee per stripe, and our black belt wasn't allowed by his instructor to award belts, only stripes...so if we wanted to belt up we'd have to travel down to wherever the "master" was at and train there. eff that. I left that school after a few months and realizing what a money pit it was, and entered my new school wearing zero stripes on a white belt. I may have been "better" than many of the other no stripe guys, but I still had to relearn a lot of the techniques the way they preferred to teach/execute them, and I have no regrets about leaving my two previous stripes behind.
 
Jesus. I'd be gone real quick if my gym tried to charge me for a belt. I was pretty annoyed when they switched to specific events for promotions instead of just doing it in regular class. So this would be too much for me.
 
I would take the promotion, wait a reasonable amount of time and leave if you really think you are ready.

You probably don't want to wait another year.
 
Belt fees are undoubtedly lame, but not a reason to leave a gym if everything else is good.
 
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