Wouldn’t it be helpful to have a way to see behind the curtain and be able to count the costs for the entire process of learning Karate? Knowing what you are in for sometimes helps us to put our heads down and go in swinging. The expenses can be surprising on many fronts though, so get ready.
The cost to get a black belt in Karate is $13,000 U.S. on average. This average takes into account tuition for classes, gear, testing fees, and association dues. Incidentals can also add up. There are transportation and medical expenses, not to mention the time expenditure overall.
Let’s look more in depth at what these costs are and how they can add up over time.
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Black Belt Cost Breakdown
Let me set up the following chart with some basic parameters. This chart is based on a 4 year (48 month) minimum track to black belt. This is the most common minimum time limit for the majority of the top 20 styles of Karate.
If you would like to see more about each of these, their belt ranks, and times to black belt… see my article here.
Next is the cost of tuition. There is a huge range in tuition that has much more to do with location than anything else. The higher the incomes in the area, the more expensive the rent on the building will be for a school owner, and this translates into higher tuition rates for students.
I give an in depth discussion of why martial arts cost so much in my article here.
Here we will concern ourselves with the average, so anyone looking for a general idea of what to expect can get a feel for the range of expenses. These numbers are in U.S. dollars and are totals for the life of a 48 month Karate experience.
Keep in mind that this is the minimum amount of time in most cases and choosing different options in most of these categories can drastically affect the totals. These prices are also based on professionally run ‘brick and mortar’ location based studios. Later I will go over another great and much cheaper option.
| Costs | Low End | Upper End | Average |
| Karate Tuition | $2400 | $12,000 | $8000 |
| Association Fees | $200 | $2000 | $1100 |
| Testing Fees | $850 | $2400 | $1500 |
| Tournaments | $400 | $1200 | $800 |
| Seminars | $400 | $800 | $600 |
| Gis (Uniforms) | $100 | $250 | $175 |
| Protective Gear | $100 | $500 | $300 |
| Training Equipment | $150 | $1000 | $550 |
| GRAND TOTAL | $4600 | $20,150 | $13,025 |
When looking over these costs, just keep in mind that some are not mandatory, and others may be advertised as included in the tuition.
Testing fees always exist and if they are not charged separately, rest assured that the tuition has been raised in order to include them. Make no mistakes, everyone is paying testing fees one way or another.
Also, be cautious of any extra ‘fees’ charged by instructors. Administration fees, registration fees, or membership fees are all an example of fake charges.
These amount to simply getting you to pay for nothing, because they can. Just think of activation fees and the like with cell phones. They are all fake and simply charged because customers don’t push back.
This is not the same as an association fee which gains you an actual membership in a national or international organization. These are mostly only businesses that connect schools, but some people like to be a part of larger organizations.
The Cost Of An Unearned Black Belt
Here it needs to be said, even if it seems obvious.
You can simply buy a black belt and put it on.
They are fairly inexpensive, and if you are looking for a costume for a party or for Halloween, this is a common valid situation.
For just gaining the Ninja or Karate instructor look, you can expect to pay around $5 for a black belt plus shipping. I sell them for exactly that price in all sizes in my Little Ninja Shop. Just click here if that is what you are looking for and you can have it in hand in a few days.
There are also Gi’s and other accessories to round out any costume. BUT, if you are looking for the ultimate in Karate Instructor costumes then you are in the market for a Rex Kwon Do setup.
If you are a fan of Napoleon Dynamite and want to get your hands on these sweet threads, follow this link to my article. You will turn the heads of all the ladies and maybe even get to go home with Starla! (This last part is not true.)
The Factors That Make Earning A Black Belt An Investment
For those wanting to go the earned route, it is necessary to explain these expenses a bit more. There are some common misconceptions surrounding some of these and not a few that are perpetuated by a few Karate instructors.
There is also the most expensive cost of all: your time. We can always learn to earn more money and work harder to make it happen. What none of us can do is add one second to our lives. It is important to count the time requirements for not only attending classes, but the hours necessary to actually become proficient.
Tuition Costs From Beginning To Black Belt
When considering how much it costs to get a black belt in in martial art style, most think primarily of the tuition to attend classes. Granted, these are the largest of the expenses. So, it is reasonable that it would be at the top of most list of questions about Karate training.
Tuition Amounts
The cost of classes can range from $50 per month to $250 per month per student. This varies mostly on location. Location is the most important determining factor in the Karate tuition. You can find a range in every area, but the cost of living in that area will determine the highs and lows.
These locations have one major expense… the rent. It is highly dependent on the income levels that can be expected in an area. This is then passed on to students and parents in the form of tuition payments.
Contracts
The next big issue is if there are contracts that bind adults, parents, and kids to paying for the classes, even if class times change or the classes don’t live up to advertised standards.
Make no mistake, most schools are taught how to get students to sign contracts and their goal is a multi year agreement. There are classes many of them take on the psychology behind this type of sales attempt and some have become very good at signing up everywhere from adults down to young children.
There may be discounts that are touted if one of these contracts are signed, but I will let you in on a little secret, just between you and me.
The contract price is the normal price. The rate has been raised for non-contract options if they exist (many times no-contract options are only brought out when a student or parent decides not to sign and agreement.)
Not all contracts are unfair, but rest assured, they are nearly always leaning in favor of the school owner. Just be cautious if you decide to sign one. They are not there for your benefit.
If you would like to see behind the curtain into the sales format and sometimes dishonest world of martial arts school sales tactics, click here to get all the inside info from my article on martial arts school contracts.
Black Belt Costs Aside From Paying For Lessons
There are many different types of costs that can run as little as a few dollars to over $500 at one time. Not all of these are obvious so I will lay out several of them for you here with a brief explanation.
- Association fees – some schools are part of larger national and international organizations. These sometimes have membership fees that range from $50 per year to as much as $50 per month for professional fighters and international competitors.
- Protective Equipment – sparring gear is a big business in many martial arts schools. Some require purchases of $200 plus and only from their ‘pro-shop’. It is good to support your instructor and school, just be careful of price gouging that is a problem in some studios.
- Uniforms (Gis) – these can run as little as $30 to as much as $200 for one gi.
- Tournaments and Seminars – these should be completely optional. If you were told differently, someone was not honest with you. There are almost no styles that require this for advancement. They help tremendously in some situations, but in others they could actually be a hindrance to a student. These fees run between $100 and $250 on average per occurrence.
- Home training equipment – this is totally optional. Heavy bags, pads, and mats can be bought and can greatly help daily training routines. Yet, as a poor teen I would make heavy-bags out of old clothes and a laundry bag and mats out of old carpets and extra carpet padding. The real thing helps quite a bit, but it is not mandatory.
There Are Costs Other Than Money
The time requirements should also be factored into the costs of earning a black belt in Karate. Simply going to class a couple times per week is not nearly enough to actually become capable at self defense and the art.
Daily training has to be part of a Karateka’s regular schedule. If it is not, the student is missing out on the point of the style in the first place. This is a personal growth journey. Without personal effort, the goal of proficiency may be out of reach.
As little as 20 to 30 minutes per day would suffice and make exponential gains for diligent students. This comes to 10 hours per month and only 480 hours over 4 years. This small investment of time could pay out huge dividends in skills gained.
A Cheaper Option for Karate Costs and Training For Kids
If you have some Little Ninjas you would like to get involved in the martial arts and have positive roles models to help them develop virtue and good character… Karate classes can help you with all of that and some can deliver it live right to your home.
Online classes are a fraction of the costs of brick and mortar locations, with no contracts or hidden fees. You can even request a free private trial class from some instructors to see how your kids will like it.
If online is not a good fit for your child or you are looking for classes for teens or above, try out some free classes in your local area. You should now know what the costs are before you show up for your first class.
The Cost Of A Black Belt Takeaway…
As you can see, the martial arts are not cheap to train in, and this goes for kids and adults alike. There are plenty of extra fees over and above the tuition rates. Some of it is understandable due to overhead, but some of it is not.
If you would like a cheaper option, contact an online instructor or visit many locations to find out if they have family discounts which could offer substantially cheaper options by getting round large overhead expenses.
If you are looking for lower cost options for you kids or yourself to earn a black belt in Karate, it will take some effort and research, but it is definitely possible.
