Why is BJJ and MMA training so expensive?

[jcarp]

You just live in the wrong city. The going price where I live is about $75.00 for unlimited training; but it will be with a blue or purple belt. We have two black belts in the area and they charge about 90 for unlimited.

 

[georgejjr]

I started my own university club. Trained for free. Held 2 jobs too.

Went through engineering while on the wrestling team. Engineering has you take 7 classes a term (your typical arts and sciences program has you take 5), heavy on the labs, projects and assignments. The only people I knew who had a job while doing that took less classes, meaning they turned a four year program into a five and in a few cases six year program. On top of that, wrestling took up 2-4 hours a day. Working wasn't really an option, and in the long run would have been a bad financial decision - it would have meant adding a year or two onto the degree (with all the fixed costs associated with university) to work at a job that paid maybe a quarter what my starting job as an engineer paid.

Having children right out of school was the real financial difficulty though ... course its great now that they're all grown up and I'm a grandpa young enough to roughhouse with my grandkids :icon_chee

 

[hayliks]

Went through engineering while on the wrestling team. Engineering has you take 7 classes a term (your typical arts and sciences program has you take 5), heavy on the labs, projects and assignments. The only people I knew who had a job while doing that took less classes, meaning they turned a four year program into a five and in a few cases six year program. On top of that, wrestling took up 2-4 hours a day. Working wasn't really an option, and in the long run would have been a bad financial decision - it would have meant adding a year or two onto the degree (with all the fixed costs associated with university) to work at a job that paid maybe a quarter what my starting job as an engineer paid.

Having children right out of school was the real financial difficulty though ... course its great now that they're all grown up and I'm a grandpa young enough to roughhouse with my grandkids :icon_chee

That's rough... I graduated in 4 years with one degree and 3 minors (had no clue what i wanted to do after i dropped pre-med). Usually took 6 classes/semester. I feel for your engineering struggles, most of my good friends at school were biomedical engineering majors and they had a miserable time. I had to have a job in college, my parents could barely afford to send me so spending money was out unless i got it on my own. I had the best jobs though, worked in the gym just cleaning the equipment after people used it if they forgot (aka sit there and study for $10/hr), then my other job was teaching a women's self-defense class twice/week for $20/hr (4hrs/week, but hell i took anything in school). Unfortunately I went to one of the ugliest schools in the nation, so I didn't have much to look at during either of my jobs...

 

[georgejjr]

That's rough... I graduated in 4 years with one degree and 3 minors (had no clue what i wanted to do after i dropped pre-med). Usually took 6 classes/semester. I feel for your engineering struggles, most of my good friends at school were biomedical engineering majors and they had a miserable time. I had to have a job in college, my parents could barely afford to send me so spending money was out unless i got it on my own. I had the best jobs though, worked in the gym just cleaning the equipment after people used it if they forgot (aka sit there and study for $10/hr), then my other job was teaching a women's self-defense class twice/week for $20/hr (4hrs/week, but hell i took anything in school). Unfortunately I went to one of the ugliest schools in the nation, so I didn't have much to look at during either of my jobs...

Yeah, but in the long run you learn a lot more - about life if nothing else - if you have to pay for your education yourself, either by working like you did, or by student loans which you have to repay otherwise. Probably made a better person and student out of you than if your parents paid your way, and its always something you can look back at with pride.

The problem is, even knowing that, when you get your own kids its impossible not to want to make it easier for them - I paid for my kids university, and am already setting money aside for my grandkids, even while knowing in the long run it might be better for them if I didn't. Sometimes I think they're spoiled, but then I realize if so, I'm the one that spoiled them :redface:

 

[kray]

I know how you feel. I was married with one child in college while doing to the Corps of Cadets at Texas A&M and working part time. I graduated in 4 1/2 years and joined the military. Now I train as often as I can but it varies with each duty station. Luckily right now I am at a great place to train often.

 

[ElKarlo]

easy...
The demand for BJJ and MMA training is going nuts and not enough Good quality/ legit gyms/clubs ...
The demand is higher than the service so they charge big time

I think that's it. It's not as bad as the 90's when it could be 300 miles to the nearest BB. But there is still a sore and total lack in instructors. It will be a while until the supply gets in line with the demand, which is what happened with boxing and Judo years ago.

 

[FWTG]

You can find cheaper prices. I train with a 2 stripe black belt, 3 days a week, and it is only $85/month.

lol @ mentioning the amounts of stripes on his black belt. :icon_lol:

 

[SuperSuperRambo]

I went to Brazilian Top Team for a free lesson and afterwards I asked them how much it was monthly. They told me $200!!!! That's almost my fucking car payment! My boxing gym in Long Beach was only $80, and the boxing gym I went to in Denver was only $60 a month. Why do they make the barriers to entry so high for MMA and Jiu Jitsu? I think this wil prevent the sport from growing.

They charge that much because they can. People are still willing to pay it, so they're making a lot of money doing it.

 

[rocknroll1984]

when i trained at att orlando it was only 90 a month unlimited. just depends on the school.

 

[akharon]

While it will obviously depend where you're at, there's only one BJJ school in my area (about 250k people here), and we have around 15 people attending. Compare this to your run of the mill McDojo/TMA academy that seems to find no trouble getting 50-100 people to shell out 50/mo, and you start to see why. BJJ isn't for everyone, you'll get your butt kicked every day for the first couple months, and you'll be the low man on the totem pole even longer. It requires a certain mental strength, humilty, and dedication that not everyone has.

I'm happy to pay my school's fees, because I have a great time in class, I'm learning a valuable skill, and I feel I'm getting some of the best self defense available. My instructor has rent to pay for the facility, insurance, as well as his own gas, food, rent, etc.

Our class is growing, but I think it'll be a long time until the number of BJJ practitioners in the US is up to that of TKD or Karate.

 

[davejitsu]

I personally charge $75 and I'm a Brown belt with a Black belt currently teaching there for the next few months.

A student can come 5 days a week and classes are 2 hrs. That comes out to roughly $1.80 something an hour. I dont think BJJ is that much when all the other factors are considered.

 

[Strykerx]

I personally charge $75 and I'm a Brown belt with a Black belt currently teaching there for the next few months.

A student can come 5 days a week and classes are 2 hrs. That comes out to roughly $1.80 something an hour. I dont think BJJ is that much when all the other factors are considered.

I would like to personally thank you for what your doing for the grappling/MMA community.

 

[Cash Bill 52]

I personally charge $75 and I'm a Brown belt with a Black belt currently teaching there for the next few months.

A student can come 5 days a week and classes are 2 hrs. That comes out to roughly $1.80 something an hour. I dont think BJJ is that much when all the other factors are considered.

How does that pay your bills?? How many students do you have? 50 - 100?

100 x 75 = 7500

7500 - rent - insurance - advertising - equipment - cleaners - dead beats who don't pay - heat - electricity = not too much left

I think it's great that you can charge so little. More power to you.

 

[Humungus]

bitching. on the internet. instead of going and being a fucking ninja 5 times a week.

haha nice.

 

[davejitsu]

How does that pay your bills?? How many students do you have? 50 - 100?

100 x 75 = 7500

7500 - rent - insurance - advertising - equipment - cleaners - dead beats who don't pay - heat - electricity = not too much left

I think it's great that you can charge so little. More power to you.

I have a different philosphy about students. Instead of looking at them as paying members, I look at them as training partners. Forunately, my wife and I do well with are business that we own. I only have 25 students, but we live in a small rural area. The building we are in, I own so I don't have any rent. Now with having the Black belt here, I make zero dollars, but that is okay with me, because my skill level gets upgraded constantly with him around. I roll with him for a few hours 6 times a week. For me, the tradoff is there.

 

[davejitsu]

I would like to personally thank you for what your doing for the grappling/MMA community.

Thanks!

 

[Flash Of Chaos]

I wish I had more to spend. The thing that kills me is contracts. I been going to a boxing gym that has a BJJ class as a side class sort of deal only meeting twice a week. It isn't that good to be honest but it was all that I can afford and the boxing was great. It came to something like 60 dollars a month.

At most I can go to 90 dollars or REALLY pushing it 100 a month. I don't have a secure job atm so I can get cut off at any moment so getting into a six month contract taking out 100 dollar a month makes me stay up at night. But fuck man BJJ is so freaking addicting! Wish I can find a school here in Miami, Florida that doesn't always lock me down into a contract.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

 

[DuppyMekka]

I went to Brazilian Top Team for a free lesson and afterwards I asked them how much it was monthly. They told me $200!!!! That's almost my fucking car payment! My boxing gym in Long Beach was only $80, and the boxing gym I went to in Denver was only $60 a month. Why do they make the barriers to entry so high for MMA and Jiu Jitsu? I think this wil prevent the sport from growing.

because it is so popular at the moment

 

[esila]

+1 to all posts mentioning supply / demand and popularity of the sport.

I'll also add that location plays a huge role in pricing. Anything around the NYC Metropolitan area is always going to have a price hike compared to insert_out_of_the_way_rural_area_town.

 

[dr. john lee]

they charge that much and many many people buy it.

so the simple answer is: cause most are willing to pay that much.

Then these MFers (these BJJ places) are in for a surprise, with the future state of our economy.

IMO, these people really are bunko artists. I live in the heart of BJJ here in America (Gracie, Torrance). I think when they (the Gracies) first came around, people were willing to pay any price, and so they charged "any price. When all the others started coming with their own places, they figured why not charge the same. And it's gone on.

I find it comical when I hear a guy like Rickson comment how he wants to spread BJJ to everyone, teach it's values, etc. AT $200/month. I guess when he says "everyone", he means the rich.